Doomsday Wonderland

'Calm down and think—it's not the most dangerous moment yet.'

The cabin was stifling, with not a hint of breeze, and the air was so thick it felt hard to breathe. Xie Feng's heart tightened with cold dread, while her palms and body alternated between hot and cold sweats, as if she were on the verge of a fever.

Young women in their twenties are one of the most valuable commodities—it's a truth that applies everywhere. She was well aware of that. What she hadn't expected was to have such bad luck. It didn't take much imagination to know what kind of fate awaited her if she were sold.

The only small bit of fortune was that this so-called smuggler hadn't yet realized she was onto him. As long as she acted like everything was normal and didn't raise any suspicions, he would have no reason not to let her go.

No one would pass up the chance to exploit someone twice. If she played along, convinced him she was going to get the money, he wouldn't be able to resist the extra profit. As Xie Feng thought this through, she opened her mouth to speak, but her voice was hoarse. She quickly cleared her throat, and when she turned her head, she noticed the smuggler staring at her, his phone's screen now dark.

"What's wrong?" he asked slowly. "You don't look so good."

A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead, itching as it went, but Xie Feng didn't dare wipe it away. She was afraid any movement would draw his attention to the sweat on her face.

"I... I'm just nervous about leaving," she stammered at first, then dug her nails into her palm and forced herself to continue, "But I've made up my mind. I can't stay in Tear City any longer. Even though it hasn't been said outright yet, eventually, they're going to arrange marriages for us, just like in other places... I have to leave before that happens. No matter the cost, I have to get out."

The smuggler stared at her, expressionless.

His face, which wasn't bad-looking, seemed disturbingly blank.

"I don't have enough money on me right now. How about I give you 2,000 yuan first?" Xie Feng wished she had a mirror to check her own expression. She wasn't good at pretending—her emotions were usually written all over her face. Now, as she spoke, she could feel the muscles in her face trembling. "I'll gather the rest and pay you in full when the boat leaves. Does that work?"

The smuggler thought for a moment before saying, "That deposit is too low. If I save you a spot and you don't show up, I'll be at a big loss."

He was willing to negotiate!

Xie Feng exhaled slightly, immediately sweet-talking and making promises, even adding an extra 300 yuan—which was all she had left. Finally, the smuggler agreed, saying, "I'm only making an exception because you seem like a decent, honest girl."

As long as she could leave this small shop today, any price was worth it. Xie Feng forced a smile and repeatedly thanked the man who was planning to sell her.

While the smuggler counted her money, Xie Feng heard faint voices outside through the wooden door. Her nerves were on edge, so even the slightest sound made her jump. The smuggler heard it too and paused, listening.

The shopkeeper was speaking to a man.

"What... oh, who are you looking for? A girl... what's your relationship with her?"

The shopkeeper's voice was just loud enough to catch bits and pieces, but the other man's voice was lower, more indistinct. Xie Feng figured that made sense—after all, the guy wasn't doing anything honest. If he'd been following a woman, of course, he wouldn't speak confidently.

At some point, the smuggler had also stood up and moved closer to the door, narrowing the distance between them. Instinctively, Xie Feng shrank back toward the corner.

"Did the shopkeeper just say someone's here looking for someone?" the smuggler asked, glancing at her. "Did you catch who they're looking for?"

He had been farther from the door earlier and hadn't heard everything. He didn't know the man outside was looking for a girl—otherwise, he would've been suspicious of her already.

Xie Feng quickly shook her head.

The smuggler held his breath and listened for a moment longer.

"Maybe they're just asking for directions," Xie Feng said, acting casual as she changed the subject. "Check the money—is it all there?"

The smuggler didn't sit back down but stayed where he was, counting the money quickly. "It's all correct," he said, stuffing the cash into his pocket.

He seemed to fully trust her now, but Xie Feng couldn't leave just yet.

Because, despite the man's low voice outside, one word had come through clearly—"my wife."

If that man caught her outside and claimed they were just a quarreling couple, trying to take her back home, no one on the street would help her. Not just because everyone assumes that's "a private matter," but because, in the eyes of the world, a woman's wishes don't matter as much as a man's.

At this point, staying with the smuggler seemed safer.

"Does this door lead anywhere?" Xie Feng asked, glancing at the back door. "Where does it go?" freeweɓnøvel.com

"Why not use the front?" the smuggler asked, sitting back down on the small bed.

"I... I don't want to be seen."

This seemed to convince him. "It leads to the alley with the trash bins," he replied. "I've never used it. Try it and see if it opens."

Xie Feng nodded, tightening the straps of her backpack, even though her back was already drenched in sweat. She stepped carefully around the furniture, moving through the narrow space between the table and the bed, where the smuggler sat, taking up most of the space with his legs stretched out. Her leg brushed against the tip of his shoe as she walked past, stopping in front of the door.

She gently grasped the door handle, feeling his gaze on her back, almost as if the backpack wasn't even there to shield her. She took a deep breath and turned the handle—it moved. The door wasn't locked.

Just as she cracked the door open, she noticed uneven patches of water on the alley ground outside. It looked like it had started to rain.

That thought barely registered when suddenly, a powerful yank pulled her backpack backward. Caught off guard, Xie Feng lost her balance and fell, hitting the back of her head hard against the table.

The pain was so intense her vision went black, and her body collapsed to the floor like a broken toy, unable to move. The smuggler stepped over her and slammed the door shut with a heavy thud.

"You really thought I'd let you leave?" Even his voice sounded like it was coming from far away.

Xie Feng felt a hand grab her by the collar and lift her up, shoving and dragging her toward the bed. Panic and fear surged through her as she thrashed and clawed with all her strength, her nails scraping something hard. The smuggler cursed loudly in pain.

"You're pretty good at pretending, you filthy bitch," he spat, slamming Xie Feng onto the bed, and swinging a punch toward her face. Though dazed with pain, Xie Feng instinctively rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow. She knew the strength difference between them was too great—if she took a few hits like that, she wouldn't even be able to stand, let alone escape.