Chapter 1: You Want To Run Away?

The colorful neon signs seemed to be floating over the city. The busy streets were crowded with people and cars.

Emerald was running for her life, not noticing the beautiful scenery and people around her. She used all her strength and was losing her breath, but she still wasn’t fast enough. How could she run fast when she hadn’t eaten anything for three days?

But she couldn’t stop.

Finally, she ran into an alley in the center of the city where a high wall blocked her way. She could hear people laughing from behind.

Emerald couldn’t help but turn around in a cold sweat. Then, wrapping both arms around herself, she held herself instinctively, feeling safer covering herself.

Several tall men blocked the alley.

“Help! Help!” She cries out loud with a broken voice, hoping for a miracle, even though she knows it is useless. Bypassers on the street would pay no attention to a girl crying for help.

“You want to run away? Runaway?” The leader, a tall, thin man, said with a sneer.

The men behind him began to take off their pants, as one of them said. “We’re going to teach you a lesson today.”

Emerald could understand almost all of their simple words, although she was not too familiar with the local language. Her whole body was trembling. Her pale lips were shuddering. “Please let me go. I can do anything you want.”

The leader looked at her with an icy stare, folding his arms. “Miss, didn’t anyone tell you that the “Hope City” is hopeless for poor people? You are too poor.”

Emerald didn’t understand what was happening until these men came up to her.

She shouted out and ran along the wall, trying to break through, but ended up being caught easily by the men.

She tried to struggle free as her long hair suddenly was pulled from behind, which made her fall to the ground. Landing on the hard-paved ground, she felt a sharp pain in her back. With arms and legs pressed to the dirty ground, she heard her pants torn apart as her body suddenly felt cold. A pair of rough hands started to touch her body.

“Smooth!” He complimented in surprise.

“Never thought this skinny girl could be so nice.”

Emerald struggled with all her might, tears rolling down her pale, bony face. A strong, glaring light suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Emerald was closing her eyes out of humiliation but could feel the strong light in her face. The man who is kneeling over her, forcing her legs open for his next move, looked up in confusion. “Huh?”

Standing up, the man dragged Emerald from the ground and pushed her into the corner.

A black limousine was parked on the corner of the street. Its luxury was noticeable even from a distance for its heavy, modern design.

Three men stepped out after the limousine came to a full stop, and the lights and engine were off.

Emerald squinted her eyes and saw that the men were wearing military uniforms, making her even more scared. After living in the poorest district for a period of time, she knew too well how the military treated gangsters, favored the rich people and squashed the poor.

Why would they help her?

She noticed that the man behind her looked at the military, realizing that this was her only chance to escape. Nervous, she breathed heavily.

Then, something unexpected happens.

The three military men stood up straight, took out their guns, and pointed them at the men.

“Jack Smith, where is that batch of minerals?” The leading military man shouted, pointing his gun.

“What minerals?” The tall, thin man responded angrily.

“Bang!” The bullet went straight through his head! The other men were stunned and frozen in place, not expecting to get killed. Emerald, from her standpoint, could see blood emerging from the back of Jack Smith’s head as some drops of warm blood splattered on her face.

The other five gangsters realized they couldn’t beat the military and kneeled on the ground. Then, with their arms and feet handcuffed, the military grabbed them by their neck and pushed them toward the limo.

Emerald stood in the corner and didn’t dare to move.

Standing there, she watched the military beat the gangsters almost to death. Blood covering their faces, they finally revealed where the “goods” were.

The thugs were lying as if they were dead. One of them had lost an eye, which was on the ground. Emerald felt sick looking at the empty socket in his face, which was covered in blood.

However, the soldiers were not done yet.

They wiped the blood from their hands and looked at the limo as if expecting something.

One of them opened the back door of the limousine and said something.

Their boss slowly stepped out of the car. Then, with his back against the light and his face only vaguely visible in the darkness, Emerald saw a tall, muscular man in a fancy suit and shiny leather shoes. He walked to the men lying on the ground with his hands in his pockets and his head a little down, inspecting them from top to bottom.

This man seemed even more frightening, majestic, and ruthless than the military, even though he didn’t say or do anything.

“Tell your boss I don’t like traitors,” He said in a calm and low voice.

“Yes, Lord! It’s our fault. It’s our boss’s fault!” The man on the ground wept with relief.

He looked at one of his guys and said, “One is enough.”

The military nodded and lifted his gun.

After several loud shots hauling through the air, the men on the ground all fall without uttering a word. The one who had lost an eye was the only one who survived, holding his head, trembling and sobbing out of fear.

“Get out of here,” shouted one of the military men. That man stumbled out of the alley in haste.

Emerald tried her best to stay unnoticed in the corner. One of the men suddenly raised his head and looked at her, although he couldn’t clearly see her eyes.