Arrival at the Destination

Javier: "We're from Safe House M. The village chief came to the safe house earlier, mentioning a trade. We brought the medicines and supplies you requested, including oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar."

Two villagers immediately opened the barricade on the road, and one of them ran to inform the rest of the village. The convoy slowly made its way into the village, with Alice trailing behind. She drove slowly, and casually glanced in the rearview mirror, noticing two villagers staring intently at their convoy with a hint of a smile on their faces.

"Captain Javier, thank you for your hard work." The village chief walked up with a smile and shook hands with Javier.

"The goods are here. What about the pork and grain we requested?" Javier was eager to exchange the goods and didn't waste time with pleasantries.

"By the way, the pigs and poultry you requested need to be alive. We'll slaughter them when we return to the safe house. It's too hot, and if we slaughter them now, the meat won't keep." 

The village chief nodded, "No problem. Let's double-check the supplies first."

Villagers nearby approached the convoy, "You must not have had good rest on the road these past few days. The chief asked us to prepare rooms in advance. We'll take you to rest."

The convoy members were impressed by Peach Blossom Village's hospitality. Such service truly touched their hearts.

"I'd like to take a shower. Is there water here?" asked the bulky man from the convoy. He hadn't bathed for two days, and combined with sweating, the smell was making even himself nauseous.

Villager: "We have a well in our village, and we're not short on water."

Eeryl couldn't wait and exclaimed, "Hurry up and take us there! Not taking a shower is really unbearable."

Since each villager could only offer one room, the members of the convoy had to follow them separately.

"The dinner at home is just ready. Sit down and eat together," warmly invited the host of the house where Alice was staying.

"No need, we've already eaten," Alice smiled and declined.

The host insisted and went over to pull Alice, asking her to sit down and eat together. Despite Alice's initial refusal, she eventually sat down at the dining table. She looked around and curiously asked, "Where are your children?"

The villager who welcomed Alice paused for a moment and casually smiled, "The children's mother took them to their grandmother's house. She mentioned they would come back soon, but seeing the high outside temperature, I'm worried they might get heatstroke on the way 

Alice then looked towards the woman busy in the kitchen. The lighting was dim, making it hard for her to see the woman's face clearly, but she noticed that her movements were mechanical, almost like a robot.

"That's my sister-in-law; she's mute and can't speak," the villager explained.

Alice smiled politely and shifted her gaze as the mute woman came out of the kitchen, placing a bowl of food in front of Alice.

"Nowadays, many people can't afford a decent meal. Ordinary dishes are considered delicacies.

"Nowadays, many people can't afford a decent meal. Ordinary dishes are considered delicacies.

The room's door was quietly opened a crack, and two men walked in. One of them cautiously said, "Speak softly, don't wake anyone up."

"This woman has a car. Let's find the keys later," the other man greedily suggested.

The two men quietly approached the bed, and one of them took out a rope, quickly tying up Alice before carrying her away.

"Bang!"

"Speaking of which, this girl looks really good. I wonder if we'll get a turn after the boss has had his 'fun.'"

"Unless the boss gets bored; otherwise, there's no chance for us. I must say, this woman is more beautiful than the ones before."

The voices of the two men gradually faded until the sound of the door closing. Alice slowly opened her eyes.

She sat up from the ground and looked around. The other members of the convoy were also bound and thrown on the ground, clearly drugged.

Alice took out a knife from swiftly cutting the ropes binding her hands and feet. Just as she was about to leave, she sensed someone's gaze on her.

Surprised, Alice quickly turned her head to see a man's head poking through a small window in the wall. The man was staring intently at her.

"Miss, could you come over and help me open the door?" the man spoke with a clean and pleasant tone.

Alice hesitated for two seconds and finally nodded, "Wait."

She listened outside the door for a while to ensure it was safe before opening it. Perhaps those people thought being bound would prevent them from escaping, so they didn't lock the door.

She went to the adjacent room, and its exterior was secured with a lock. She used lock-picking tools to skillfully open the door.

A tall and handsome man walked out from inside. Moonlight illuminated his flawlessly beautiful face, with perfect features and a thin curve to his attractive lips. His voice was magnetic and deep, "Thanks."

Hurley looked at the beautiful and slender girl in front of him, a hint of astonishment flashed in his eyes. In the darkness earlier, he hadn't seen her face clearly.

"Who are you? How did you end up locked in here?" Alice asked casually.

"I'm Hurley. I used to work at a research institute in city A. Later, I received an invitation from Safe House M. I came with a few colleagues, and we accidentally fell into a trap when passing through this village."

Alice showed no surprise, "If I'm not mistaken, those villagers are all part of a gang, right? What about the real villagers?"

As soon as the convoy entered the village, those two men eagerly revealed their greedy expressions. Also, the Chen family, where she stayed, seemed abnormal in every aspect. Besides the mute woman, there were no other women.

Luckily, she had been cautious, preventing them from succeeding.

"I know where the leader of this gang is. Follow me." Hurley gave her a look, signaling her to follow, and then walked quickly.

Alice hesitated for a moment but eventually followed. She observed the tall figure of the man, thinking that his mental resilience was indeed impressive. Most people would have kept their distance, but he dared to lead the way.

Hurley noticed her gaze and smiled, "Don't be nervous. Helping you is helping myself. They took away my research data, and I need to get it back."

Alice quietly approached the back of the building, glancing at the man beside her, "I'll go up and deal with them first. You wait here."

Hurley agreed, watching her agile figure climb up. Whether she needed any tools or not, she swiftly reached the top floor by grabbing the small window. The girl's silhouette disappeared into the darkness.

Hurley, realizing her plan, approached the front door. Seeing only one person guarding, he quietly walked over. A hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, and before the person could react, he grabbed his neck, twisted it hard, and the man's head hung limp.