Miss Assassin is heavily addicted

Chapter 12. He Ye just wanted to start a new life.
“I…fuck…”

The moment the thought popped into his head, He Ye instinctively cursed aloud, even clenching the banknotes in his hand so tightly that cold sweat poured down his face.

How could this be?

This is fucking... not...

Incoherent speech was He Ye's current state of mind; absurdity, incomprehension, and a sense of utter utter madness crashed against his heart like waves.

He considered asking Nicole to repay the money, and he considered that she might end up with even more debt as a result.

But he never expected things to turn out this way.

"Hey friend, could you share some of this money with me?"

Just as He Ye was in a state of confusion, the down-on-his-luck young man came up and put his arm around her shoulder, his eyes gleaming as he stared at the banknotes in He Ye's hand, practically drooling.

He Ye snapped out of her daze and said irritably:

"piss off!"

"Hey, hey, hey, how can you talk like that? Don't you know that in Rat Alley, the first thing we do when we see someone is..."

Clang.

The black gun, drawn from his waist, was already pressed against the young man's forehead. He Ye impatiently released the safety with his finger and cursed, "Can't you see I'm thinking about something?"

"Holy crap!" The down-on-his-luck young man immediately raised his hands in submission, even managing to utter a respectful term out of fear. "Who, who are you?!"

He Ye didn't answer him, but frowned as if thinking, and finally asked unhappily:
"Let me ask you something. Does this Baplo Credit Lending Company engage in headhunting?"

"You...you mean the slave trade?"

The down-on-his-luck young man licked his dry lips, trembling with fear that the other party might misbehave.

"Correct."

“Yes, yes, we’ll do it. After all, this is a slum, and there are too many people who can’t survive here. Some people will sell their children to the Baplo Corporation, and they will buy them regardless of whether they are male or female, young or beautiful.”

"They'll buy anything, as long as they're selling?" He Ye's mouth dropped open. "What can they do with so many children?"

"Hey sir, don't underestimate children. Pretty girls can be sold south to wealthy families, where they need obedient maids. Even if they're not pretty, they can be sold to other bachelor old men. As for boys, once they're sent to factories, they can do things better than adults. Even jobs like climbing machines are easier to do because they're smaller and easier to maintain. And even if they die, there's no compensation."

The down-on-his-luck young man recounted the details with great familiarity, his eyes constantly fixed on the muzzle of the gun, still fearing an accidental discharge.

After a long while, He Ye remained silent.

"So, sir... can you put the gun down now?" the down-on-his-luck young man asked, winking and beckoning.

He Ye silently lowered the muzzle of his gun, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

“I see… So this Baplo Credit Loan Company isn’t a good company, right?” He Ye said slowly.

"Then, of course, you're a National Security Bureau agent here to investigate, right?"

The down-on-his-luck young man patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the well-dressed, handsome, and charismatic man in front of him, he realized that this guy definitely didn't belong to the slums; only those people could carry guns.

Hey, damn it, he was just like an English gentleman when he wasn't pulling out his gun, so people should have been willing to give him money! I was wrong!

He Ye remained silent, his mind swirling with conflicting thoughts, a complex mix of emotions swirling within him.

He was already certain his guess was correct, but he never imagined the repayment would be in this way. Wasn't this equivalent to buying the child's entire future, her smile, Nicole Griffiths, for only a few greenbacks?

He Ye couldn't accept this at all; at this moment, her previous agitation was even suppressed and replaced.

Hold.

"Damn it, I clearly didn't want to get involved at all... but doing this, isn't this just like letting that child die..."

He Ye lowered his head and closed his eyes in thought.

The money felt like a hot potato in her hands, and only then did she realize the sincerity behind her apology. Perhaps she shouldn't have been so harsh, but instead patiently and meticulously tried to understand the past.

It's highly likely that the 24 yuan was a debt she couldn't possibly have incurred.

Was it really her fault?
…That's probably it. She stole her own wallet, went gambling, hoping to win back 18,000 yuan with a 1,000 yuan bet and then return the wallet, but in reality, she lost everything…

but,

She said she knew she was wrong, and she didn't initially want to hurt herself. This way of atonement even sells out her character. If she were truly a ruthless thief, she would never atone for her sins in this way...

He Ye couldn't help but wonder why such a child would be in debt. If she hadn't been in debt, she wouldn't have stolen her wallet to pay it off. Even if she were still an orphan and a homeless person, she would have met him. He Ye would have dressed her in a beautiful dress, eaten hot bread, and walked side by side on the street. They would have gone to the orphanage to talk to the nuns. She would have spent a relatively pleasant time there and then grow into an ordinary person who could survive in society.

Was she the one in the wrong?
Or is it Baplow Credit Lending Company?

He Ye looked up bitterly at the down-and-out young man beside him. He trembled at the angry gaze and quickly raised his hand to indicate that he was harmless.

"Sir, what do you want me to do..."

"Do you have a loan agreement with this Baplo company?" He Ye asked after a long pause.

"Uh, what do you need this for? To investigate whether their company's contracts are legal? -- Hey, no one here would borrow money from them. Only desperate people, uneducated farmers, and immigrants would come here to borrow money."

The down-on-his-luck young man raised his hand and explained sheepishly.

Seeing this, He Ye realized that he had to go and see the dark side of the Baplo Company for himself. He put his pistol back on his waist and was about to go up with a cold face when the down-and-out young man next to him stopped him.

“Sir, they won’t lend you someone who’s well-dressed and looks powerful… If you really want to see the contract, I’ll go and borrow one for you to look at.”

"That's right, you know, you have to pay a small fee for running the errand."

The down-on-his-luck youth set his sights on He Ye, rubbing his fingers and thumb together sheepishly.

He had already accepted the officer's identity in his mind, and the green banknotes clutched in He Ye's hand were an opportunity he couldn't afford to miss.

He Ye opened his mouth, but in the end he just nodded.

"what's your name?"

“Rayleigh, sir.”

"This is one thousand."

“Thank you for your generosity!”

After the down-on-his-luck youth left, cheering and jumping for joy, He Ye sat on the ground, deep in thought.

"Don't let yourself get even the slightest bit of evidence," He Ye thought through gritted teeth. Otherwise, he would absolutely grind this damned place to dust and cause a huge ruckus.

(End of this chapter)