章 24: Chapter 24: The First Day
The food in the spoon splattered everywhere, some even landing in Tong Ge's hair, forming a sticky clump.
His forced smile cracked, and he raised a hand to touch his hair, only to smear it with the gooey substance. His face contorted in disgust as he wiped it on the shirt of the young man beside him.
"Seize her!"
The young man, who had been waiting behind Song Shi, immediately obeyed the command. He hooked his elbow around her neck, pulling her forcefully backward.
Song Shi gasped, her upper body forced to lean back.
She tried to pry his arm off, but his rigid, swollen muscles were like steel, not budging in the slightest.
The steel spoon in her right hand now proved useful. She slid her fingers down to grip the spoon's head, using its sharp handle to jab into his arm with all her strength.
"Ah!"
The rounded handle only pierced about an inch before being stopped by his muscle, unable to go any deeper.
The young man let out a blood-curdling scream, yet still did not loosen his grip. Song Shi yanked the spoon out and thrust it at him again.
But her hand was suddenly grabbed.
Her fingers were pried open, and the spoon was forcibly taken from her grasp.
The others seated around the table had gathered in the brief time, with two of them pulling on her arms, dragging her upright.
The young man who had been restraining her neck finally released his hold, revealing a bloody hole in his arm, from which blood flowed down his veins. In pain, he gritted his teeth and hastily tore at his shirt to make a makeshift bandage.
Half-dragged and half-forced, Song Shi was brought before Tong Ge. She struggled violently, and the two men seemed to be struggling to hold her in place.
Tong Ge gave a signal, and two more men approached, seizing her arms. With the four of them, Song Shi was finally subdued.
The others at the table had scattered in alarm at the commotion.
Yet the enforcers had not glanced their way even once.
"Is the camera on?" Tong Ge stood up, stretching his wrists, and turned to a lackey behind him.
"It's on," the lackey, wearing a light brain on his wrist, raised it and pointed it at Song Shi.
The light brain was a prohibited item here, and for them to produce one, they must have received tacit approval from the enforcers.
"Good. Make sure to get a clear shot. I'm counting on this to make some money."
Tong Ge said, clenching his fist, taking a deep breath, and then swinging it toward Song Shi's abdomen.
Song Shi grunted, the color draining from her face as the pain radiated from her stomach to her internal organs, crushing her insides. Her mind went blank in an instant.
Her head hung low, her teeth gritted tightly as she fought to hold back her scream. The veins on her forehead bulged, and the blood vessels in her neck stood out starkly.
"Aren't you tough?"
Tong Ge grabbed her hair and jerked her head up to face the camera.
"Now, look into the lens and say, 'I'm sorry, please spare me, I won't dare again,' and I'll let you go!"
Song Shi's eyes slowly focused. Her mouth parted slightly, the metallic taste of blood rising, but she ignored it. Instead, she stared at the camera, flashing a side of her white teeth.
Tong Ge's face darkened, and he swung his fist at her face. "You ungrateful wretch!"
Song Shi's face lolled to the side, lifeless.
Her chin was then seized, forcing her to face the lens once more.
Song Shi raised her eyelids and stared at the defenseless Tong Ge right in front of her.
"Haven't you heard? Never hit a person's face!"
Her hoarse voice struck the air, and with all the strength she could muster, she slammed her head forward.
There was a sharp cracking sound.
It was the sound of her nose breaking.
Caught completely off guard, Tong Ge stumbled back, clutching his nose as tears streamed down his face.
The four men dragging Song Shi's arms immediately faltered in panic. Two rushed to support Tong Ge, while the other two pulled Song Shi backward. However, she anticipated their move and swiftly lifted her leg, aiming a powerful kick at Tong Ge's vulnerable spot.
She had waited this long without moving her legs, all for this perfect moment.
The distance and angle were impeccable.
Tong Ge, distracted by the need to clutch his nose, was oblivious to the impending danger.
"Ahhhh—"
A shrill scream echoed throughout the cafeteria, its vast space amplifying the sound in endless reverberations.
The remaining two men who had been holding Song Shi's arms panicked. Their grip on her was already tenuous, and in an instant, she seized the opportunity to break free, yanking her weakest arm out of their grasp. She grabbed a nearby plate from the table and hurled it toward the man twisting her left arm.
The man instinctively released his hold upon seeing the plate flying toward him. With his attention diverted, Song Shi threw the plate to distract him, then swiftly twisted her body and lunged at Tong Ge.
Tong Ge was being carefully assisted by his subordinates.
Like a wild dog, Song Shi squeezed through the gap and attacked with startling ferocity.
No one had anticipated this.
Tong Ge was knocked down, falling hard onto his back. The pain from his lower body caused him to hesitate in struggling, and he yelled for his subordinates to pull her off.
Before his men could react, Song Shi's fists rained down upon him like a storm.
Each punch was delivered with all her strength, landing squarely on his face.
"Never strike a person's face! Never strike a person's face! Never strike a person's face!!!"
Three consecutive blows pummeled his face, leaving him bloodied and unrecognizable.
The man filming the video hastily dropped the light brain and rushed to intervene. A dozen hands grabbed hold of Song Shi and forcefully dragged her to the ground.
The impact to her abdomen caused her additional harm, and her body convulsed briefly before she struggled to rise.
They had already surrounded her, with one foot pressing down on her back, forcing her back to the ground, while her arms were twisted behind her and her legs held fast.
Tong Ge, now supported to his feet, could barely see through his swollen eyes, but he knew he had been thoroughly beaten.
Through his blurred vision, he could make out Song Shi, pinned to the ground. The pain in his lower body was burning with anger, and it was nothing compared to the fury swelling inside him. Stumbling and holding onto a subordinate's arm, he staggered to Song Shi's side and began kicking her repeatedly in the back.
"How dare you act tough! How dare you resist! Let me show you who's in charge here!"
Blood poured from Song Shi's tightly clenched lips. Her arms, twisted behind her back, formed fists, the joints turning white as she fought to break free. Her watch strap even dug painfully into her flesh, but it was futile. Under such overwhelming pressure, her strength was far too feeble.
Another seven or eight kicks followed, and finally, Tong Ge's rage subsided. His own pain was becoming unbearable, so he wiped the sweat from his brow and directed his subordinates.
"Continue. Leave her with a breath. Once the video's done, send it to me."
"Yes, Boss."
Two lackeys helped him away, while the remaining subordinates relaxed their hold on Song Shi.
Her arms fell limply to the ground. Using her elbows, she pushed against the floor, trying to sit up. But before she could lift herself more than a few centimeters, fists and feet once again rained down upon her.
Her body curled, her hands clutching her head.
The beating continued for an unknown period, until her vision blurred and her mind became a thick, soupy haze. The sounds of blows and curses slowly faded, and someone twisted her chin, holding a camera in her face for two or three seconds, its green light flashing.
Finally, the surroundings grew silent.
Song Shi weakly raised her wrist and removed the watch deeply embedded into her flesh, clutching it in her hand. She lay back on the cold cafeteria floor, unconscious.
...
(End of Chapter)
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