Chapter Eight: I Cannot Do This

One hundred thousand in sales, with a five percent commission, that’s five thousand. Even though prices in the compound are more than double those back home, that’s enough to live easy for a while. If you know how to handle people, you could use that money to buy cigarettes and liquor to curry favor with the team leader and underlings—then life here would definitely get a lot smoother.

Just then, Brother Song behind me patted my shoulder again, flashing a mouthful of yellow teeth. “Kid! Keep it up! Brother Can said it himself! Any newcomer who closes a first deal over fifty thousand gets a special company reward!”

The words “special reward” sent a chill down my spine. I knew all too well what that entailed. If it weren’t for that damned reward, that girl called Lanlan wouldn’t have died under Brother Can’s gun.

After patting my shoulder, Brother Song returned to his team leader’s seat to resume his work. Meanwhile, the messages on my computer screen kept coming in—endless questions from the middle-aged woman about her daughter’s situation. I was racking my brain for a way to steady her nerves when a discordant voice sounded from my side.

“Idiot! Dragging your feet! Passing up a fat deal that’s right in your lap!” It was Number 2044, the one who’d snatched my steamed bun. His eyes were burning with jealousy as he stared at my screen. “Useless. If you can’t do it, let me. A fifty-thousand deal for a woman? If you don’t want her, I sure do!”

With that, he actually turned to look at Number 2050 to my right. The reason for this was that, by the rules, you weren’t supposed to talk during work hours. 2044 had only dared to grumble when the patrol was out of earshot.

At that moment, 2050 coughed deliberately. I glanced over. She slowly typed out a large-font message on her screen: “Yesterday he harassed me!”

I shot a look at 2044. This little bastard had screwed both me and 2050 before, and even got me thrown in the water cell. I’d been itching for payback—now my chance had come.

Quietly, I magnified the font on my monitor, then coughed to get his attention. Right in front of him, I typed in huge letters, one word per line:

You!
Are!
A!
Big!
I!
D!
I!
O!
T!

2044’s face darkened, eyes full of rage, as if he wanted to tear me limb from limb. Seeing he still wasn’t provoked enough, I added another line: “Come bite me if you’ve got the guts!”

“You son of a bitch! Looking to die?” 2044 jumped up, roaring.

“Bastard! How dare you insult me!” What answered him was an even harsher outburst—but it wasn’t me, it was the patrolling enforcer nearby.

Before 2044 could react, two enforcers dragged him out into the corridor. There was the crackle of electric batons, the air filled with his howls of agony.

“Damn piglet! Slacking on the job! No results, and you dare mouth off? I’ll beat the crap out of you!”

“Boss… I’m sorry! I was cursing this idiot, not you guys!”

“Still mouthing off? I’ll teach you to curse!”

Instead of stopping, the enforcers doubled down. These were the same two who’d fallen into the water pit yesterday, still looking for an outlet for their anger, and here was a perfect target.

While 2044’s screams rang out, I couldn’t help but arch an eyebrow at 2050. She was stunned for a second, then smiled and flashed me an OK sign. We turned back to our work as if nothing had happened.

I can’t remember when the screams faded. When I next saw 2044, he looked like a swollen pig’s head.

Though that incident was over for now, I knew this grudge would only fester. I was pondering this when another message popped up from the middle-aged woman.

“Is this your address? Zhigao Network Technology Co., 125 Zhigao South Road.”

I was taken aback—how did she get that address? I quickly searched the company online. It was flagged as abnormal, with a capital of only thirty thousand yuan—a clear shell company for the scam ring. I pulled up a map: sure enough, it was in a small border town, less than twenty kilometers from the frontier. Even more absurd, the police station was just north of it—a textbook case of blatant criminality.

“Hey, 2048! Contact your reserve piglet! If you can’t handle her, pass her to another team!” Brother Song started urging me.

I wasn’t stupid. If this lead was handed off, it’d all be over for me. If both mother and daughter were tricked into coming, I’d never sleep easy again.

So I gathered my courage and called out, “Brother Song! Can you check if this is our company’s address?”

He came over, glanced at the screen, and grinned. “That’s right! Tell her to report there tomorrow—our intermediaries will handle the rest!”

I took a deep breath and typed, “Yes, we work right here. Come tomorrow, just head south on the main road and you’ll see our company.”

A moment later, she replied: “Okay! I’ll come tomorrow!”

Brother Song burst out laughing, thumping my shoulder. “Good job, kid! Promising start—your first deal and you already brought in a person!”

He was so pleased because team leaders got at least a five percent cut from any group member’s deal.

But the happier he got, the more uneasy I felt. What if the woman missed my hint? Then it’d all be lost.

After wracking my brain, I knew there was only one person I could turn to—my sister. She had to be here too.

I drifted through the morning in a daze. When the lunch bell finally rang, I ran to the canteen entrance—not to fight for slop with the others, but to look around. It was here yesterday that she’d slipped me a chicken bone.

I waited and waited, but she didn’t appear—instead, I saw another familiar face.

2050, already heading to the second floor with the other high-performers—she didn’t have to fight for scraps anymore.

I started doubting myself—maybe I’d seen wrong yesterday. But something told me it was her. It had to be.

Lost in thought, I suddenly felt a heavy blow to my back, followed by half a brick clattering to the ground.

I spun around—2044, sporting a black eye, was glaring daggers at me.

My heart sank. He was obviously out for revenge. I’d thought he’d play dirty behind my back, but he went straight for brute force.

If it came to a fight, I was confident I could put him down—my anti-terror combat training from police academy wasn’t for nothing. But after my stint in the water cell for fighting yesterday, I hesitated. If I beat him up again today, Brother Can would skin me alive.

So I shot him a withering look and hurried toward the canteen.

He pushed his luck, charging after me with the brick. Caught off guard, I took a heavy blow to the head.

Furious, I forgot all about the water cell and flipped him face-first to the ground, wrenching the brick from his hand.

“You little piglet! What’s going on here?” Just as I was about to smash the brick over his head, a sharp female voice stopped me.

I turned—and nearly burst into tears.

White high heels, floral tights, a leather skirt with a chain, and a parka with a rebellious edge.

Despite her flashy outfit, it was unmistakably my sister!

We locked eyes, reading each other instantly. I dropped the brick, covered my wounded forehead, and ducked into a nearby restroom to wash the blood away.

Soon, I heard the clack of heels approaching.

I turned to see my sister, Liu Xizhou, standing expressionless behind me. But I still didn’t dare move.

“It’s okay. This is a blind spot for the cameras,” she said first.

I glanced around to be sure no one was watching or listening, then hugged her in relief.

“Sis…”

But the moment my hand touched her neck, I realized something was wrong—it was cold as ice.

I grabbed her hand—it was just as cold.

“I’m sorry, Nan Feng. I shouldn’t have dragged you into this. Like you, I’ve had the Amber implanted.” A flicker of sorrow passed over her face.

“Amber? What is that?” It was the second time I’d heard the term. From my miraculous recovery, to surviving the water cell—it all seemed linked to Amber.

“It’s just a code name. I don’t know exactly what it is. But everything here started because of Amber,” she told me. “Have you noticed the ones around Brother Can wearing those masks?”

A shudder ran through me—the scene of smashing a mask open was burned into my mind. That face, oozing pus, covered with eyes of all sizes—I would never forget it.