Under the unrelenting downpour, it was hard to tell whether it was afternoon or evening; either way, the difference hardly mattered. Whether the small convenience store was open or closed, the empty, rain-soaked streets meant no customers would be walking in.
Yet, the local shopkeeper still sat at his computer, feet propped up, playing a card game. His loose, dull T-shirt hung slackly, looking as if it hadn't been washed in days.
The posters on the walls had multiplied, spreading like a slow-growing stain until they covered every available space behind the shopkeeper, leaving the shelves as the only clear area.
Beneath the bold letters "First Enrollment for Shunrou Girls' School," a young girl in an apron smiled brightly. Underneath the slogan "Crush All Words and Deeds that Incite Conflict" was the image of a massive, bony fist, swinging toward an unseen target.
In places they couldn't see, in certain offices around the world, people were still designing posters, contacting printers, organizing crews to hang them... Thinking about it that way, it all felt strangely unreal.
After all, less than ten days had passed since Xie Feng had gone on the run. To her, the world had turned upside down. To others, daily life carried on as usual.
Dong Luorong nodded to Xie Feng and got out of the car. The car wasn't parked directly outside the store to avoid attention, so she'd have to brave the rain to get there. She lowered her head, running a few steps through the rain, only to be jolted by some pain deep within. She clutched the doorframe, taking a shaky breath to steady herself.
The shopkeeper remained absorbed in his computer screen.
Dong Luorong wiped the rain from her face and slowly stepped inside.
When her shadow fell across his desk, the shopkeeper finally looked up, lazily at first. "What do you—" He stopped mid-sentence, blinking at her in surprise. His tone softened, a bit more attentive now, though his eyes remained fixed on her. "Miss, what do you need? Cigarettes?"
Dong Luorong was used to this reaction from men—and plenty of women too.
"Excuse me," she said with a smile. "I'm here to buy a boat ticket. Chen Qingqing sent me."
This time, the shopkeeper's expression took on a different meaning.
"Oh? You mean Chen Qingqing... When did he send you here?"
Xie Feng had already gone over this part carefully with her before they came in. Since Xie Feng's last escape, that smuggler was probably worried she'd gone to the police, which might lead him to abandon this contact point. If he'd even changed his number, then luck wasn't on their side; but if the shopkeeper could still reach him, they'd need to place the timing of "Chen Qingqing's referral" before Xie Feng's incident.
"At least half a month ago," Dong Luorong said with a soft sigh. "I thought about it for a long time, prepared everything, and only then decided to buy the ticket."
The shopkeeper looked uncertain. "Well... the truth is... I haven't heard from him in days. I don't even know if he's still... in business."
Dong Luorong took a large bill from her wallet and slid it across the counter. On the way here, they'd stopped at an ATM in the opposite direction and emptied their funds. "Money isn't a problem for me. Please, I'm asking you for help."
Even without money, few people could say no to a face like hers. The shopkeeper smiled as he pocketed the cash, then made a call—no answer the first time, no answer the second, but on the third try, someone finally picked up.
"Oh, she said about half a month ago..." he muttered, instinctively turning his back to speak into the phone. "I think you should come check it out... just consider it doing a favor for this lovely lady..."
Pretending not to listen, Dong Luorong gazed out at the rain-drenched street. As she had walked into the store, Xie Feng had also exited the car as planned and was likely now circling around to approach the back entrance from the alley.
Luckily, the smuggler couldn't resist the lure of an easy target, instructing the shopkeeper to tell her he'd be there shortly.
As long as he was willing to come, that was enough. Dong Luorong watched as a figure drew closer to the entrance and allowed herself a faint smile.
She was different; once someone saw her, even just a glance, they wouldn't be able to walk away.
As for the reaction she expected from the smuggler, she was long used to the look she'd see on his face. To a trafficker, Dong Luorong was like a winning lottery ticket. She'd seen that same greedy expression on others countless times before.
In a world where beauty was often seen as a resource, beautiful people gradually became seen as resources themselves—no longer truly human.
"Is there somewhere private we can talk?" Dong Luorong glanced around. "Anyone could walk in here to buy something. It's not very convenient."
"Of course, of course!" The smuggler eagerly gestured to the back and asked the shopkeeper, "The door's unlocked, right?"
Receiving confirmation, he hurriedly led the way, keeping a polite yet close distance—clearly calculated to avoid scaring her off.
And so, she found herself in the same room where Xie Feng had narrowly escaped an attack.
Dong Luorong's fingers brushed lightly over the dusty wooden table as she pretended to examine the room. She wandered a few steps, stopping near the back door.
"There's a door here," she remarked, placing her hand on it. Strangely, she felt as though she could sense the warmth of Xie Feng's presence on the other side, even through the barrier.
"Yes, don't worry," the smuggler assured her eagerly. "It's very safe here. When would you like to leave?"
"As soon as possible," Dong Luorong replied with a smile, turning back to him. "I've brought enough money with me. If we can leave tonight, I can pay you right now."
"I haven't even named a price yet..." the smuggler murmured, his eyes flashing as he looked up at her from where he sat on the edge of the bed.
"As long as it's reasonable, I can pay whatever you ask," Dong Luorong said calmly. "I withdrew all of my husband's savings."
The smuggler couldn't hide his excitement, his cheeks even flushed. "Ah, this is a bit tricky," he said, drawing in a breath. "The next boat isn't scheduled until next week..."
"I need to leave tonight," Dong Luorong insisted firmly. "It's already six in the evening. At most, we have a few hours. Can you make it happen? If not, I'll find someone else."
"I'll have to try, make some calls, use some connections," he replied with a feigned look of difficulty. "This won't be the usual ticket price... you understand, with all the strict exit controls, arranging something last minute is risky..."
Dong Luorong held back her impatience, letting him perform his charade for a bit. Finally, after much hemming and hawing, he settled on a plan: he had secured access to a small boat that could take her out to sea that night. Once offshore, he would escort her onto a fishing vessel and personally ensure she reached the nearest foreign port before returning.
"Thank you so much for this," Dong Luorong said with a smile. "How long until everything's ready?"
"Thinking it over, it shouldn't take that long. Tonight, I'll get you out of here." He smiled as well. "The main challenge is borrowing the boat. Once we're out at sea, it'll be a route we're very familiar with."
He stood up, as if tempted to step closer to Dong Luorong, but restrained himself—not wanting to spook her.
"My men are handling the arrangements; you can relax," he said, full of compliments. "You're really something! So brave and decisive, not hesitant like most women. Even as a guy, I'm impressed."
There might be girls out there naive enough to feel genuinely happy when a man tells them, "You're not like other women." But, unfortunately, Dong Luorong thought, to her, it was as meaningless as a dog's bark.
She returned his gaze with a smile, then walked over to the back door and gave it a gentle knock.
The smuggler's smile froze, but he still hadn't grasped what was about to happen.
"You can come in now," Dong Luorong said softly. "He says everything's nearly arranged."
With a loud clang, the doorknob jolted, shattered from a forceful strike outside. Dong Luorong stepped back, joining the smuggler, who was too stunned to react, as the door was kicked open.
"Hi, we meet again," Xie Feng said with a smile, standing in the doorway. "Remember me?"