“What’s the hurry? I haven’t finished speaking.”
“Look at you, so young and beautiful. All you do is go to work and then home to sleep. How boring is that?”
“Your monthly salary isn’t even enough for me to open a bottle of wine. Why take it so seriously?”
“As a person, you have to fully leverage your strengths. You’re so smart, don’t you know what your strengths are?”
“As long as you’re willing to bring them out, I guarantee money will pour in. Why suffer like this?”
Min’er felt disgusted as his greasy, fat hand grabbed her.
She suppressed her discomfort and tried to pull away.
“Director Zou, everyone is watching. Speak if you must, but why are you holding me?”
Old Zou looked indifferent.
“Everyone? Who? You mean them? They won’t mind.”
As he spoke, he moved his big, greasy mouth towards her face.
“You know, Min’er, I’ve liked you for a long time…”
Min’er, terrified, quickly dodged. “Director Zou, you’ve had too much to drink. Please don’t do this!”
Seeing her so flustered, he thought she was being naive.
Director Zou patiently continued.
“You also know I’m the bank director, right? What’s a bank director lacking? If you’re willing to come with me tonight and have a couple of drinks.”
“Seriously, we’ll just have a couple of drinks, nothing else. I’ll give you a year’s salary, how about that?”
The two people standing by the car heard him say this and chuckled.
“It’s said that heroes find it hard to pass the beauty’s test. It seems our Director Zou is no exception.”
Director Zou looked over smugly. “My taste is pretty good, isn’t it? Is she beautiful?”
“She is indeed beautiful. Miss Shen, not just anyone catches Director Zou’s eye. He said you don’t have to do anything, just have two drinks. There’s no need to reject him like this, is there?”
Min’er pushed Director Zou hard, trying to create distance.
“I’m sorry, my brother is Zhan Bei Jue. I don’t lack money. And he doesn’t let me drink with others.”
“Your brother is Zhan Bei Jue? Your surname is Shen, and his is Zhan. What kind of siblings are you?”
Min’er explained.
“We’re cousins! Really, Director Zou knows! If you don’t believe me, I can call him right now!”
At this, Director Zou remembered how Zhan Bei Jue’s wife had disrupted his plans in the private room last time.
She had escaped once, could she escape a second time?
Nancheng wasn’t solely dominated by the Zhan family. Why should anyone have to give him face?
“Instead of worshipping the living Buddha right in front of you, why bother with adoptive brothers and cousins? Are you trying to be funny?”
“His wife guards you like you’re a thief, afraid her sister will become your mistress. Can’t you see that?”
“It’s a compliment that I’m interested in you. Stop bringing him up and acting ungrateful. I’m not afraid of him even if he’s here! Let’s go!”
With that, he tightened his grip, dragging Min’er towards the car.
“You’re going whether you want to or not. Don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink.”
Zhan Bei Jue couldn’t scare him, and Min’er immediately panicked.
She kicked her legs and shouted towards the road.
“Let me go! I’m not going! If you do this again, I’ll report you!”
The other two men, seeing Director Zou’s anger, rushed over to help.
One grabbed Min’er’s legs and lifted her.
The other snatched her phone.
“Go ahead and report us! See who dares to save you, just shout!”
Min’er, already frail, wasn’t a match for even one man, let alone three.
In a flash, she was shoved into the car.
Along the way, she tried everything, pleading and cajoling.
Hoping Director Zou would let her go.
However, the more she spoke, the more emboldened he became. He lit a cigarette and offered it to her lips.
“You really don’t want to be involved with me? You look down on me?”
“No, how could I…”
“You dare not? Fine, then you smoke this cigarette.”
“Huh?”
“There’s no wine here, so I can’t punish you with drinks. This will have to do. Smoke it, and I’ll let you go after you finish.”
Min’er’s face turned red with shame.
She had never touched a cigarette in her life.
And now in front of several strangers.
Wasn’t this forcing her hand?
“I don’t know how to smoke.”
One man sneered.
“What’s there to know? Just open and close your mouth, suck it into your throat, like drinking water. Is it that hard?”
“Or perhaps you don’t want to leave at all? Pretending to be modest?”
“Hahaha!”
The men burst into laughter.
Director Zou continued to pressure her.
“My brothers are all watching. You’ve rejected me time and time again, do you think I have no temper?”
“Shen Min’er, don’t mistake my politeness for weakness. We’ll be at the club soon. If you don’t smoke now, once we get there, it won’t just be about smoking.”
Thinking of Ke Teng in the private room.
Thinking of his threats.
Min’er had no choice. Gritting her teeth, with trembling hands, she took the cigarette.
The men quickly pulled out their phones and turned on the video recording, pointing them at her.
Min’er was both ashamed and angry. “Don’t record me. If you do, I won’t smoke!”
“Do you think you have a choice? If you don’t smoke, eat it! Swallow it with the embers!”
Director Zou lost all patience.
“With eight hands, you think we can’t handle one woman?”
“Hurry up! If you push me too far, I won’t leave you any room to maneuver!”
Tears of humiliation streamed from her eyes.
Min’er closed her eyes, and with trembling hands, brought the cigarette to her lips.
“Cough, cough, cough!”
The acrid taste made her eyes water uncontrollably.
The men laughed heartily, holding up their phones as if watching a monkey.
After a few puffs, it was unbearable.
Min’er pleaded.
“I’ve done as you said. Please let me get out of the car.”
“Alright, stop the car and let her out.”
Director Zou actually kept his word and made Min’er get out by the roadside.
She didn’t know where they had driven to.
The street was completely dark, with no one around, not even a streetlamp.
The wide, black road was eerily frightening.
Min’er, choked by the smoke, gasped for air as she got out.
However, the more she breathed, the more she felt the smoke entering her limbs and bones.
Soon, she started to feel chest tightness and shortness of breath, her head swimming.
Her legs felt like lead, too heavy for her to walk.
She wanted to take out her phone and call Jiang Nan Fang.
But her phone was with them.
Even though the car hadn’t driven away yet,
She didn’t have the courage to go back and speak to them.
She desperately pounded her head with her hands, trying to stay alert, to be clear-headed, and to leave this place quickly.
But she had no control.
Cold sweat dripped down her face. Her mind was clear, but her vision grew increasingly blurred and dizzy.
She had walked for a long time, yet it felt as if she had barely moved a few steps.
The car remained parked by the roadside, and the men watched her leisurely.
“It really is potent stuff. It’s taken effect so quickly.”
“Director Zou, is she still a virgin?”
“So I’ve heard. Otherwise, why would I have been longing for her for so long? We brothers are lucky today to have a taste of fresh meat with me.”
“Heh heh. I’ve never gone wild on the main road before. Just the thought of it is exciting.”