Chapter 159: "Are you alright?"

The stench of decay hung heavy in the air, a suffocating blanket over the women huddled in the back of the shipping container. Their faces, gaunt and drawn, were etched with fear, their eyes wide and hollow. They were a sorry sight, emaciated and filthy, their matted hair a testament to their prolonged ordeal.

Xiang Yu, his heart heavy with a mixture of relief and anxiety, stood at the entrance of the shipping container, his presence a beacon of hope in the darkness. "Lian, Mei," he said, his voice soothing in the oppressive atmosphere. "Are you alright?"

The twins, their faces alight with joy, scrambled to their feet, their bodies trembling with a mix of weakness and exhilaration. "Master it's really you!" Lian cried, her voice thick with emotion. "We were so scared. We thought we were going to die."