CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 47 YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER, TOO

When she asked her teacher for permission to go out, it cost her quite an effort. The teacher was worried about their safety, afraid that they might wander off or get lost in Provincial City due to unfamiliarity.

Tang Yue started wandering around Provincial City with her design drafts in hand.

The brands that were famous in her past life were present in Provincial City now, though they were not as prosperous and upscale as in the future.

But compared to other ordinary shops, they seemed much more high-end.

Being unfamiliar with the place, Tang Yue didn’t dare to ask for directions rashly. She finally came up with an idea and hailed a rickshaw. "Master, could you please take me to the clothing factory?"

"Young lady, which clothing factory are you going to?" The rickshaw puller, a man in his forties with an honest and simple face, inquired.

"I..." Tang Yue pondered for a moment, then deliberately said, "My brother told me to go to the biggest clothing factory. Uncle, don’t you know where the largest clothing factory in Provincial City is?"

"Are you talking about Qianjin Clothing Factory?" The uncle chuckled and said, "It’s quite a distance from here; I will have to charge fifty cents for the ride."

"Alright, then I’ll trouble you, uncle." Tang Yue spoke politely, secretly taking note of the name Qianjin Clothing Factory, which quite fittingly matched the era.

As the rickshaw pulled her towards more secluded areas, Tang Yue’s alertness spiked. She felt a bit bitter inside; could it be that even this seemingly honest and simple uncle was not to be judged by appearance?

She felt panicked inside but remained calm, asking nonchalantly, "Uncle, did you take a wrong turn? Why are there no houses around here?"

"No, didn’t I mention that this place is a bit out of the way?" the uncle replied while pedaling briskly, his pace quickening.

Tang Yue replied, half understanding, "Right, uncle. When I left, my brother was worried I wouldn’t find my way and insisted on telling the police uncle. If I couldn’t find the place, they should come to look for me. Brother is too worried, don’t you think?"

The uncle chuckled with a ’heh heh,’ flashing a set of yellow teeth. "Young lady, don’t worry. I’m not a bad person, just a rickshaw puller. Qianjin Clothing Factory is indeed very remote. There are a few old factories nearby, all out of business, quite far from the city."

"Uncle, I also think you are a good person. It’s just that my brother tends to worry too much about me," Tang Yue said with a smile, glancing around. Indeed, as the uncle had said, there were several abandoned old factories, likely unable to keep up with the times and thus had closed down, giving the area a desolate look.

"That’s right. You’re a young lady, and pretty at that. Your brother has every reason to be worried," the uncle said, speeding up. "Just around that big curve up ahead, we’ll reach Qianjin Clothing Factory."

Tang Yue let out a slight sigh of relief inside.

Suddenly, an old Santana burst out of an abandoned factory nearby at great speed. After the shock, the uncle swiftly steered into a grassy area by the side.

This is bad.

Tang Yue inwardly exclaimed in alarm and immediately jumped off the rickshaw. The uncle, still holding the handlebars, tumbled into a ditch, but fortunately, he wasn’t injured as he landed in a water trench.

"Ouch, who drives like that?" The uncle cried out in pain, clutching his lower back and complaining, asking, "Young lady, are you alright?"

"Uncle, I’m fine." Tang Yue had just landed on the grass when a chubby man emerged from the Santana, sporting a scraggly beard and a ferocious expression.

Instinctively, Tang Yue thought this man wasn’t good news and quickly started to walk away.

Yet the chubby man was surprisingly nimble, catching up within a few steps and grabbing hold of her hair.

Before Tang Yue had a chance to scream, a sharp knife was pressed against her neck, its icy chill giving her a sudden urge to curse.

Was she having an unlucky day?

"Big brother, let’s talk this out," Tang Yue swallowed hard, fear flashing in her bright eyes, but she quickly regained her composure and said, "I’m just here to find my brother, and I only have several dollars on me. If you don’t mind, you can take them all."

Choose money over life.

She would rather lose the money than her precious life.

"Shut up, or I’ll cut you with this knife," the man said viciously. He shouted, "Come any closer, and I’ll kill her."

What kind of person was she dealing with?

That was the first thought that arose in Tang Yue’s mind, followed by the sense that her luck had turned even worse.

A Santana car was parked ahead, and two people came out from in front of it; they were walking against the light, making it difficult to make out their faces. Tang Yue hoped in her heart that this meant rescue was at hand.

"Heizi, we’re willing to let go of the incident with you stealing a truckload of our apples, but you must return our money," the man’s voice was cold and calm.

Hearing this, Tang Yue found it slightly familiar but didn’t think it over much. She didn’t know a soul in Provincial City.

"I already said, I don’t have the money, they took it all," Heizi responded, his eyes flashing menacingly. He had joined others in robbing their apples thinking he’d make a quick few hundred dollars, not expecting to be persistently hunted down.

He fled in panic, escaping for two days, and didn’t expect to be found even in such a dismal hiding spot.

With no money and having been tricked himself, what could he possibly repay them with?

"If you let me go, I’ll let her go," Heizi stated his terms directly, "Fill up the car with gas for me, and once I’m in a safe place, I’ll free her."

"Brother Mo," another man looked towards Mo Siyu, seemingly seeking his decision.

Mo Siyu raised his hand and said, "Heizi, she’s just a young girl, do you really have the heart to harm her? She’s about the same age as your daughter back home."

Heizi glanced at Tang Yue, and indeed her youthful face resembled that of his own daughter.

Tang Yue looked shocked at the man in the white shirt; as her eyes adapted to the light, his sharp-featured face became clear—those deep-set eyes lacked the authority of later years but still exuded an imposing aura.

Mo Siyu.

The anxiety Tang Yue had felt moments before suddenly settled down.

Her expression softened as she spoke, "Big brother, you have a daughter too? What’s her name? Is she older or younger than me? She must be very pretty, right?"

"My daughter is fourteen this year," Heizi said proudly of his girl, "She takes after her mother in looks - so beautiful and sweet."

"Then she must always be waiting for daddy to come home, right?" As Tang Yue spoke, her clear eyes glanced toward Mo Siyu, then bowed her head, keeping an eye on Heizi’s hand. If the cold blade of the knife moved even slightly, it would be her chance.