Then I closed the door and locked it from the inside.

Seeing her collapsed in front of me, sobbing uncontrollably, I felt a pang of helplessness.

After a moment of hesitation, I finally approached and asked, "What... what exactly is going on here?"

The girl cried for a long time, shaking her head desperately, and whispered, "There's no way out, I can only die... it's a dead end."

Hearing her say that, I grew anxious and said, "What is there that you can't face, that you have to choose death?"

The girl wept, saying, "You don't understand at all. That Boss Tong, he treats me like dirt. I know too many of his secrets, and he’s wanted to kill me for ages. Something else happened today, so he'll definitely kill me tonight."

I frowned, knowing it was best not to pry into other people's secrets, so I said, "If you know so much, why don't you call the police?"

The girl shook her head, replying, "It’s useless, it won't help at all. You don't get it."

I sighed and could only sit beside her, watching her in silence.

Compared to earlier in the day, the girl was now wearing a thin nightgown. I supposed that even though I had saved her, she had eventually gone to see that older man, perhaps even preparing for intimacy, only to discover he meant to kill her, which is why she fled.

Dressed like that, she couldn't have gotten far, and if that old man truly had many henchmen, the girl would never outrun them.

So I guessed that the hotel where they were staying couldn't be far, or more simply, perhaps it was this very hotel.

Just as I had this thought, I suddenly heard several sets of hurried footsteps descending the stairs near the entrance.

I held my breath, afraid to speak, and the girl rushed to hide behind the bed.

But even though we made no sound, those people knocked on my door anyway, because my room faced the staircase directly.

It was impossible to pretend no one was home because the television was still on, filling the room with sound. So, I had no choice but to brace myself and answer, "Who is it this late? Don't people need to sleep?"

I thought to myself that if they claimed they were looking for someone, I could easily make an excuse to keep them out, and they probably couldn't do much about it.

But this group of people unexpectedly announced, "Police! Room check, open up immediately!"

Although I knew they weren't the police, if I refused to open the door, they would have a legitimate reason to force their way in.

This door wasn't very sturdy; it could probably be kicked in with just two solid kicks.

So, I could only sigh, grab the steel pipe, glance at the girl, and prepare to open the door.

But at that moment, the knocking outside suddenly stopped, and the world seemed to fall silent.

Only the bottle containing my Shen (Spirit), which I kept nearby, had mysteriously bubbled twice, letting out a soft gurgle.

I froze, completely unsure what was happening.

But since the other party seemed to have given up, I saw no reason to invite trouble by opening the door myself.

After waiting another thirty seconds and still hearing no sound, I set the steel pipe down and whispered to the girl, "They seem to have left."

Hearing this, the girl stood up, wiped her tears, and nodded.

The girl and I sat facing each other for about an hour, most of which was spent listening to her cry and sob continuously.

An hour later, she finally calmed down, her sobs easing significantly.

Just as I was about to speak, she spoke first. "My name is Zhao Jiajia."

I paused, then managed, "I... I... I'm called Nie Erwan..."

The moment I said the name, I regretted it. What the hell kind of name was that?

I had just mashed together the names of Nie Chuan and Hu Erwan—Er from Hu Erwan and Wan from Nie Chuan—never expecting it to sound so awful.

Zhao Jiajia blinked, clearly surprised by the name as well.

I gave an awkward laugh and said, "Oh, my parents weren't very educated, please excuse it."

Zhao Jiajia pursed her lips and replied, "A name is just a code, nothing important."

I fell silent for a moment, chuckling awkwardly, "Is that so? I... I feel the same way."

I don't know why, perhaps out of shyness or something else, but I couldn't bring myself to look at her, and I didn't seem to have anything to say.

Seeing my demeanor, Zhao Jiajia stood up and said, "I should go..."

I quickly turned my head and asked her, "Go? Where are you going?"

Zhao Jiajia replied, "I was only planning to take temporary refuge here; I wasn't planning to actually sleep at your place, was I?"

I said, "That's not what I meant. I mean, you have nowhere to go right now."

Zhao Jiajia said, "No, I can go back to school. I’m a student at a vocational college nearby. If I return there, he shouldn't dare bother me for a short while."

I forcefully suppressed the words "college student escort service" in my mind and said, "Oh, alright then. But Boss Tong’s influence must be quite large, right? I wouldn't feel at ease leaving you alone. Let me walk you out."

"No need, I can manage on my own. I've already troubled you too much. It’s so late; no one should notice me," she insisted firmly.

I was helpless and didn't know what else to say.

She opened the door and walked out, but I followed her anyway.

Seeing that the hallway was empty, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, I watched her descend the stairs alone and disappear into the night.

Back in the room, recalling her words—"he shouldn't dare bother me for a short while"—I knew that even if I personally escorted her back to school, it would be useless. Sooner or later, Boss Tong would catch her.

Whether it was beating or killing her, it was only a matter of time.

To save her, the only way would be to deal with Boss Tong himself.

But I had no right to do such a thing, nor was it necessary for me to pay such a heavy price.

And the crucial point was, I was just an ordinary person; it was impossible for me to accomplish it.

There are people living in despair, and all you can do is watch.

That is the rule of this society, and I know it.

Those without power or money cannot manage these affairs, and those with power and money will not manage them, because they themselves risk becoming that kind of person.

There are no superheroes in this world, and no common folk heroes will take responsibility for those living in despair. In the end, they are simply left to fend for themselves.

Thinking of this, I grew furious.

But anger was anger; the matter was over. I still had to get some sleep.

Lying on the bed, my mind was a tangled mess. I thought about so many things, and my mood only grew worse.

So, I took another shower and lay down, forcing myself to quiet down. I don't know when I finally drifted off to sleep...

When I woke up, it was already the next day. As expected, no thugs came knocking in the night; I had slept very soundly.

However, the moment I woke up, I realized I didn't even have money for breakfast.

I had no choice but to eat all the oranges I bought yesterday and then head out.

The deposit covered a maximum of three days, so I absolutely had to find a job within those three days.

To get something to eat, I left early the next morning.

After asking a few neighbors, I quickly learned there was a construction site at the western end of the village. I heard they were building a stadium, a project slated to last five years—a long-term job.

Actually, I wasn't demanding the job be long-term, but I was still delighted to hear this news.

Because any company that could secure the contract for a stadium construction wouldn't be a small operation, meaning the wages shouldn't be subject to default.

This line of thinking was unavoidable because wage arrears for migrant workers are so common nowadays, and I certainly didn't want to work hard only to be left without pay.

To get to that construction site, I had to pass by the noodle shop from yesterday, where Boss Tong might have informants. Still, I had no choice but to steel myself and go.

But what I didn't expect was that I wouldn't encounter any of Boss Tong's men, yet I saw something that worried me even more.

The noodle shop where I ate yesterday was a disaster: broken bowls and chopsticks littered the floor, tables and chairs overturned, and even the refrigerator and television lay smashed to pieces on the ground.

I stood at the entrance for a moment, and several people nearby were pointing and talking, seemingly discussing something.

I didn't want to ask those people; instead, I shouted into the shop, "Boss!"

A dejected voice answered from inside, "Not doing business today."

Hearing that, I became even more curious. I said, "Boss, I’m the customer who owed you four yuan yesterday."

The owner heard this, said nothing, and after a while, walked out from the back.

I saw several bloody scratches on his face and his right hand wrapped in a bandage, with a dark bruise around his eye. I couldn't help but frown and ask, "What on earth happened?"

The owner’s expression was grim. "You still have the nerve to ask? It’s all because of you!"

I pointed to my nose and asked, "Me? What did I do?"

The owner gritted his teeth and said, "If you hadn't told me your address last night, I wouldn't be in this mess now."

I didn't understand what he meant and asked, "What exactly happened... I... I don't get it."

The owner was badly beaten and, being too agitated, struggled for breath. He flipped over a broken stool, sat down, and said, "Last night, Boss Tong brought over twenty men looking for you, all carrying broadswords, looking menacing. Seeing such a large force, I knew if they caught you, they’d beat you to death! So I stubbornly refused to say where you went. Unfortunately, the neighbor next door had overheard our argument earlier and told Boss Tong where I lived. This enraged Boss Tong, and he smashed up my shop, then used fists and kicks to force the information out of me. I figured since I hadn't offended him, he wouldn't dare do anything worse if I insisted on staying silent. Sure enough, once he vented his anger, he took his men and left..."

After he finished speaking, I stood there stunned, unable to say a word for a long time.

Two seconds later, I clenched my fists tightly and said, "Boss, I'm sorry, I implicated you... Where is that Boss Tong now?"

The owner looked up at me coldly and said, "Forget it. If you go, you’ll just get beaten to death. That man surnamed Tong has been oppressing the local businesses here more than once or twice. I’ve long wanted to quit and open a shop back in my hometown. Although it won't make as much money as here, at least I won't have to endure this abuse."

Just as he finished speaking, a woman carrying a large backpack and two woven bags, leading three small children covered in dirt, walked out.