Downstairs, a group of menacing-looking men leaned against the wall, smoking and chatting. One of them repeatedly slammed an iron rod against the wall. Shi Xiang'er, not far away, trembled at the sound, as if the rod could strike her at any moment.
The man with the rough voice and impatient tone said, "Damn it, why hasn't that old woman named Shi Xiang'er come back yet? Miss Yan Xi said if this woman is still alive and leaves tomorrow, we'll be in trouble! I haven't had good days for a while, and I don't want this old woman to mess things up..."
"Wait a bit longer. I checked, she usually gets off work around this time. She can't run away..."
Their voices were not deliberately lowered, and in the open street, their words echoed even more clearly.