Chapter Twenty-Five: The Engineering Chronicles—Escape

The round disk in the night sky was half-veiled by a black cloud, dimming its brilliance. The two points of light in the courtyard were not lit, shrouding the place in gloom.

Zhang Qinglin and Cheng Che, flanking Old Seven, supported his drooping figure. Old Seven had already lost consciousness. They hadn’t yet reached the heavy iron gate when five or six robust men surged out from the courtyard, halting them with harsh shouts.

Miss Su, clad in a pale blue dress, emerged from behind those men, her gaze steady upon the three. She spoke, her voice cold: "Who gave you the courage to take him away?"

“Zhang, ignore her, hurry…” Cheng Che showed no fear, thinking to himself, what trouble could a woman really cause?

Miss Su’s expression was indifferent as she waved her hand. Three or four strong men stepped forward, blocking their path.

"Though I don’t know your name, I owe you thanks for saving me that day. If ever you need me, Zhang Qinglin, I will repay your kindness. For now, I ask you to show mercy and let us go," Zhang Qinglin pleaded.

She laughed, a chilly sound. "How amusing. When did I ever save you? Seems you’re quite presumptuous. Let me be honest: once you enter the Su family’s mine, don’t dream of leaving. You all signed the contract, fingerprints and all…"

“What contract? We’re not your miners—don’t talk contracts with me. Get out of the way, you hear?” Cheng Che snapped.

Unbothered, Miss Su stepped closer to Zhang Qinglin. "I’m not talking about you, but him. Leave that one behind and you may go. And you, handsome, you’ll stay as well." She reached out, her slender, fair fingers brushing Zhang Qinglin’s chest and settling on his shoulder.

The sudden gesture startled Zhang Qinglin. He stared into her face, so close it nearly touched his nose. He hadn’t looked closely before, but now he saw clearly: her beauty was enough to inspire fear, a terror radiating from her eyes.

He straightened his back, his shoulders trembling, his whole body shuddering. His gaze never left Miss Su’s eyes, as if his spirit had been drawn away by her.

Cheng Che, anxious, called out, “Zhang! Zhang…”

In that instant of Zhang Qinglin’s daze, someone shoved him to the ground. Regaining his senses, he saw Cheng Che holding up Old Seven and shouting at him.

Somehow, another figure had appeared, locked in combat with Miss Su. In a flash, Miss Su retreated behind her men. The newcomer, dressed in black with long hair—it was the woman who had once saved him.

Her sudden appearance caught Miss Su off guard.

Zhang Qinglin, sitting on the ground, recovered his wits and was pulled to his feet by Cheng Che. With the black-clad woman holding the attackers at bay, the two hurriedly dragged Old Seven toward the courtyard’s exit, pursued by two or three men, all intercepted by the woman in black.

Zhang Qinglin glanced back, sighed, and ran toward the tall tree they’d seen before. Reaching it, he immediately hoisted Old Seven onto Cheng Che’s back.

“Hey, what are you doing? Get moving!” Cheng Che urged.

“No, I have to go back and help her. She saved us—I can’t leave her behind.”

Just as Zhang Qinglin turned, he saw the black-clad woman cautiously running toward them.

“Quick, come with me. It’s not safe here…” she said, glancing back nervously.

“Where’s Da Zhuang? I don’t see him anywhere,” Zhang Qinglin looked around.

“Don’t worry, he’s safe. Follow me.”

She led them through a small grove nearby. By then, the black cloud had dispersed, revealing a wide main road ahead.

Parked by the roadside was an old white off-road vehicle. The woman hurried over, opened the door, and called, “Get in!”

Without hesitation, Zhang Qinglin pulled open the rear door. Suddenly, Da Zhuang poked out his head with a goofy grin, startling both him and Cheng Che.

Once they were all inside, the woman started the engine and sped away into the endless night.

Zhang Qinglin sat in the passenger seat, gazing out the window at the desolate hills and the unbroken chain of mountains. The events of the past days were unlike anything he had ever experienced. Thankfully, everyone was safe and they had finally escaped that dark mining district.

Though he hadn’t found Jiang Xinyue, his intuition told him she was still somewhere in Siyue County.

Back then, they’d thought Boss Ma would find Jiang Xinyue, but instead, he sent them here to toil as laborers.

According to Old Seven, several others had been brought in as well, likely all sold by Boss Ma to this place.

The car drove on for an indeterminate time. Zhang Qinglin didn’t sleep a wink that night.

…

The last wisp of black cloud faded from the horizon, and the red sun slowly crept over the mountain. They had traveled through Zhoukou’s outskirts overnight and entered Wuzhou.

The woman in black stopped the car beside a village called Changxi.

“We’ll rest here tonight. Tomorrow morning, I’ll see you off,” she said, parking by the roadside, her voice tinged with fatigue.

Zhang Qinglin straightened up, exhaustion written all over his face. His eyes were ringed with dark circles after a sleepless night. He blinked, glancing at the woman beside him, then at the back seat, where Cheng Che was squeezed between Da Zhuang and Old Seven, nearly thrown off when the car stopped abruptly.

The woman opened the door…

Suddenly, Zhang Qinglin grabbed her shoulder and demanded, “Who are you, really? Why did you save us?”

“So soon you’ve forgotten me? We’ve only been apart a few days, and you don’t even recognize my voice?” She lifted her bright eyes and removed the black mask she had always worn.