Most of the students in the junior high school department were poor students who performed well academically and couldnât afford a fancy schoolâs tuition. So this, a junior department of a famous high school that could offer discounts to students, naturally was their first choice.
These students came to this school longing for academic success, but actually entered a den beyond their expectations.
Pan Zhiguo would choose those students whose families were in extremely difficult financial straits and who were easily controlled. Then, on Pan Zhiguoâs order, Shi Yanxin would approach them and ask them to stay after school to make up lessons with various excuses.
Having an innocent and kind face that could fool others, Shi Yaxin was allowed in the school.
Those students were regarded as goods and provided to scum to select.
When Shi Yaxin saw the deal for the first time, she was also hugely frightened and had nightmares for several nights. After that, every time she met those students at school, she would tremble with fear.
But Pan Zhiguo threatened her, saying she couldnât regret her choices and she would be treated as goods too if she didnât help him.
Her task was to ask students to stay after school to make up lessons, which was much easier the second time around. And any resistant students would be brought to the old teaching building and locked inside, becoming terrified after only one horrific night.
Then Pan Zhiguo would use a carrot-and-stick method and the students had to obey him.
âI really donât wantâŠâ Shi Yaxin cried so heavily that she couldnât even breathe, speaking on and off. âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry. Iâm sorry for them.â
Playing with the cell phone, Ming Shu continued to smile even after hearing such a story. âDo you know whoâs doing business with Pan Zhiguo?â
Shi Yaxin shook her head. âEvery Friday, I only bring the students to the library. Those who are selected will be taken away and Iâll watch the leftover students. I donât know what happens after, itâs taken care of by Pan Zhiguo.â
âHavenât you ever been curious about it?â
âIâŠâ Shi Yaxin seemed to remember something horrible; her face became paler. âI followed him once but was found. Then⊠I didnât dare to try again.â
Being young and with their tails caught by Pan Zhiguo, these students were easily controlled after being threatened.
Shi Yaxin told them that when she came here, this business had been going on for over two years. But she didnât know when it started.
After graduation, some students would directly work in Pan Zhiguoâs entertainment venues. As for those who didnât obey, they would be sold, which Shi Yaxin once heard unintentionally when Pan Zhiguo was chatting on the phone.
âDidnât anyone investigate the missing people?â Cheng Yan got a chance to ask this.
A person was missing, didnât anybody call the police?
âPan Zhiguoâs background is powerfulâŠâ Shi Yaxin said, âand he would investigate every studentâs background. He never chose those students whose backgrounds are powerful or who are local. Most of the students he chose came from the countryside.â
Ming Shu spoke with Shi Yaxin alone for a while and then let her go.
âLu Meng, do you realize how dangerous this is?â Cheng Yan didnât agree with letting Shi Yaxin go. âIf she tells Pan Zhiguo, weâll be at risk.â
Who supported Pan Zhiguo so as to make him so fearless? If they acted rashly and alerted them, no one could know what their enemies would do to protect themselves.
âResults come with risk. If we donât want to bear the risk, we wonât get any results.â Ming Shu left, shaking herself. âAnd I like the risk.â
What she wanted was only excitement.
Cheng Yan felt he couldnât catch up with her thoughts. Always when you were thinking about how to finish this step, she had skipped it already and moved on.
There seemed to be a gap between ordinary people and geniuses.
âWhat are you going to do now?â
âDeal with him!â How could she complete her task and get Hatred Points if she didnât deal with Pan Zhiguo.
ââŠâ What Iâm asking is how to deal with Pan Zhiguo, not whether to deal with him!Cheng Yan thought. âHow do we deal with him?â
All romantic advice says not to deny what girls say. Even if what she says is wrong, the boy must agree with her.
Scratching her head, Ming Shu was a little depressed. After a while she looked at Cheng Yan with shining eyes. âCall the police?â This is the easiest way.
âAccording to Shi Yaxin, Pan Zhiguo has powerful backers. Calling the police is unrealistic.â If Pan Zhiguo really had support, it would be more difficult if they called the police.
âWell, how about kidnapping?â If we canât ask for help from the police, we can do it ourselves.
Doing things oneself, one would have ample food and clothing.
Do you have any scientific and realistic ideas? You either call the police or kidnap him, do you think that the police station belongs to your family so that you could ask help from them or they would support your illegal plan? Cheng Yan thought.
âIâll think about it. Promise me youâll behave yourself.â Cheng Yan warned Ming Shu in case she tried to kidnap Pan Zhiguo by herself.
He didnât think that she was kidding just now. She really would kidnap Pan Zhiguo.
Before Cheng Yan could come up with a plan, another student committed suicide at school. This time, she cut her wrists and died in the bathroom. It was said that the bathroom was full of blood when the student was discovered. The scene was shocking.
And the word âretributionâ was written in blood on the floor.
Ming Shu learned this from Cheng Yan. The school hid the news, but Cheng Yan knew some details because of his uncle, the headmaster.
âThose studentsâŠâ Cheng Yan hesitated.
âThey tried to draw peopleâs attention.â Holding her chin in her hands, Ming Shu said slowly, âIf I hadnât pointed out that there was blood mixed with the oil paint in the auditorium, there would have been another who would guide people to discover it. The oil paint case didnât draw much attention and died down easily.
âThey know it doesnât work until someone dies. So one girl committed suicide by jumping from the building and now another girl died by cutting her wrists in the bathroom.â
âHow do you know that?â Cheng Yan was confused.
Ming Shu pointed at her head, saying, âBecause I have a brain.â
They thought that as long as the oil paint mixed with blood was investigated by the police, some evidence must be found. However, the police discovered nothing.
Then it came to the girl on the roof. She didnât know whether her death would attract peopleâs attention or would be hidden by others, so she struggled hard.
Now it came to the girl who committed suicide in the bathroom.
She expressed her hopelessness with her blood to draw the public eye, hoping that someone could rescue them.
If no one investigated this time, it was believed that another girl would die soon.
Pan Zhiguo could threaten them, but he couldnât prevent them from dying.
âWell, letâs help them.â
âI thought you would stand by indifferently.â Cheng Yan was surprised. She had seen a girl leap from the roof and didnât blink. Now she said she would help them.
Ming Shu stood suddenly, lowering her head so her eyes were covered by her bangs. After a while, she looked up with a familiar smile on her face. âYou donât understand me.â
Cheng Yan was stunned for a second. He really didnât understand her.
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