Reborn to Redeem: Their Abusive Love-Chapter 84: Eat and run

That night felt like a dizzying fall.

Xu Si had only taken a couple of sips of alcohol. She felt confused for a moment, then sobered up completely. Pei Zhen, however, had fallen into a coma due to the drug’s effects.

It could only be said that this was typical of items from the Underground City: though the drugs were vile, their side effects were first-rate.

A night of debauchery was nothing new on Hong Kong Island, where the economy had been booming.

Xu Si still felt a little guilty.

She hadn’t expected that her ploy to get him to drink would ensnare her as well.

She had witnessed how terrifying Pei Zhen could be.

The coma won’t last long, she thought.

She searched the entire room for a long time but couldn’t find his personal mobile phone. Instead, in a half-open safe, she found an Identity Card hidden in an envelope, as if intended for someone.

—A purple Identity Card.

She had never seen one on anyone in Gambling City; most cards there were lake blue.

It looked more upscale. The metallic texture was more refined, and it bore an exclusive pattern and characters whose meaning was indecipherable to outsiders.

But regardless of who it’s for, as long as it’s not signed, I’ll have to borrow it, Xu Si decided. I’ll find a way to return it to him after I get out.

I haven’t forgotten—Wen Jiaojiao is waiting for me.

The night air was cold, the dew heavy.

Weariness clouded Xu Si’s eyes. I want to rest a little longer, she thought, but there’s no time.

She hurriedly tidied her messy hair and washed her face to make the flush subside. Very thoughtfully, she covered Pei Zhen with a blanket, asked a night-shift servant for car keys, and then fled in a car, like a soldier who had just won a thrilling, heart-pounding victory.

The Underground City was dazzlingly beautiful at night.

Occasionally, fireworks exploded above certain clubs, accompanied by loud cheers, laughter, and the hum of passing traffic.

Each visit offered a different sensation.

But Xu Si floored the gas pedal the entire way, giving herself no chance to admire the sights. Her eyes were fixated only on the straight road leading to the Underground City’s main gate.

Guards manned the gate.

At this hour, hardly anyone was entering or exiting.

Seeing Xu Si, a guard approached with a smile, intending to check her Identity Card.

Her expression unchanging, her heart steady, Xu Si produced the special Identity Card she had stolen.

The staff member inspected it carefully for a long moment, then bowed. "Please proceed, ma’am," he said, his tone deferential.

"Good evening, ma’am. Only vessels belonging to Underground City personnel are permitted to pass at night. You’ll have to wait a moment."

"Alright."

The autumn fog in the Underground City was particularly dense, never seeming to dry out. Xu Si, her lower back aching dully, leaned against the car, waiting for a ship to arrive at the port.

About twenty minutes passed.

Just as she was growing impatient, worried Pei Zhen might wake up and she’d be dragged back, a cruise ship finally arrived.

A crew member drove her car onto the cruise ship, and Xu Si was escorted to a passenger cabin. She was the last passenger; as soon as she boarded, the gangway retracted and the cabin door sealed automatically.

BLARE!

A loud blast from the ship’s horn echoed.

Waves rippled across the water as the cruise ship departed the docks of this hedonistic paradise.

The radio weather forecast announced a torrential downpour around Hong Kong Island in the early morning hours. On deck, many Triad Society members, identifiable by their ghost-face tattoos, emerged from a private passage carrying black umbrellas.

Hushed conversations could be heard all around.

Xu Si stood at the far corner of the deck, arms hugged to her chest, her grape-dark eyes fixed on the receding Underground City. Her gaze drifted over the passing syndicate members, her expression faltering for a moment. I can roughly guess which ones are Triad Society and which belong to other groups, she mused.

Most people on board were from the Triad Society, scattered in various corners.

Members of other organizations, however, mostly stuck together, their rapport so strong that outsiders couldn’t break into their conversations.

One could sense these people weren’t clean; each had a unique style, yet they differed from the thugs portrayed in movies.

Not crude, not thuggish, she observed.

Some even looked like well-educated professionals, wearing glasses and sharp suits with neatly knotted ties. If not for the sprawling tattoos on their necks, no one would associate them with criminal syndicates.

Xu Si wasn’t surprised, nor did she try to interact with them. She simply stood there, feeling the sea breeze, waiting for the tedious voyage to end.

But while she avoided contact, others sought her out.

Outsiders were rare on this ship, especially someone like Xu Si, who looked like a noble young lady, as captivating and untamed as a wild rose.

Given the stark contrast, she drew attention no matter which corner she occupied.

A man with shoulder-length hair approached her. He wore a trendy floral shirt and a clinking silver necklace, a cigarette dangling from his lips, its heavy traditional tobacco scent wafting over.

Xu Si didn’t recognize him but could tell he wasn’t Triad Society. She remained silent.

Seeing her hold her head high with an air of pride, the man in the floral shirt gave a slight bow, smiling as he offered her a thick cigarette. "Beautiful, care for one?"

Xu Si declined. "No, thank you. I don’t smoke."

The man chuckled, returning the cigarette to its pack. "Well now, you just came from the Underground City. How was it? Did you have fun?"

Xu Si replied coolly, "It was alright."

His voice held a teasing, slightly wicked tone as he drawled, "Seems you have high standards. So, beautiful, can I ask you a question?"

"What?"

He made no attempt to hide his admiration. "Do I have a chance to win a place in your heart?"

Xu Si gave a cold, beautiful laugh, her eyes still heavy with weariness, her voice exceptionally languid.

I’ve seen too many of his kind, she thought. They’re not necessarily interested; they just like to run their mouths.

Pointing to the sea, she said flatly, "Jump from here, and you’ll forever be in the depths of my heart."

"Hey, I was just kidding."

The man wasn’t offended and was about to say something else when someone emerged from the ship’s cabin and whispered in his ear. The smile on the man’s face faded somewhat. He turned to converse quietly with the newcomer, and as the sea breeze rustled his floral shirt, fragments of their conversation drifted to Xu Si’s ears.

"...X Organization’s shipment... tell them to send it quickly."

She had been about to leave, her hand already loosening its grip on the brass and iron railing, but upon hearing this, she quietly tightened her hold again.

The sea breeze dried Xu Si’s eyes, making them sting and turn bloodshot. She endured the irritation, patiently waiting for their conversation to end before she spoke.

"Are you from X Organization?"

The man took a drag from his cigarette, the strong wind whipping away the ash from its tip. A strange smile played on his lips. "Oh? You heard that? You’re pretty well-informed for an outsider. Don’t tell me you’re from one of the syndicates, are you?"

"You’re overthinking it." Xu Si shook her head. "I just bought some gossip and read some rather thrilling stories about Triad Society members and your group."

"The Triad Society lets people get their hands on that kind of gossip now? Interesting. I thought they’d wiped out everyone involved back then. I figured I was the only one left who knew."

"What do you mean by that?"

The topic was broached.

The man continued, not considering Xu Si, an outsider, to be of any consequence. He didn’t hide much, though he remained watchful for any passing Triad Society members.

"I mean, I’m not actually from X Organization. I just took over from my father and made a couple of deliveries for them."