It's just a toy, why would you care if it breaks?

18 hours ago, at the entrance of the Platinum Hyatt Hotel in Shanghai.

Nan Yan clutched the five hundred yuan in her pocket and slipped on her ill-fitting white slippers.

His cotton loungewear was too long, and he dragged the hem as he walked out of the luxury hotel.

This was the first time in his memory that he had truly experienced "freedom".

He was abducted and sold into the Thorn Rose Club at the age of X. For all these years, his activities have always been confined to the club's training room, dormitory, and outdoor activity area.

I've never seen such bright streetlights, never breathed such fresh air, and never even tried deciding where to go next without following anyone's instructions.

Nan Yan stopped, looked up, and gazed at the flashing neon lights atop the hotel building, her eyes reflecting the shimmering light.

A breeze blew, carrying the coolness of the night, brushing against his bare calves. He couldn't help but shrink back, but he grinned, revealing a very faint smile.

He had never been to school, and the "trainers" at the club wouldn't teach them these things.

They are only allowed to watch TV for a short time when their trainers are in a good mood.

Nan Yan was quite clever. Watching the subtitles and images on TV, she gradually learned some words and also learned that the outside world had trains, airplanes, tall buildings, and people who didn't have to be tied up or beaten.

However, he didn't know many characters, and he only had a superficial understanding of many things.

With her stomach growling with hunger, Nan Yan touched her deflated stomach and walked forward in the direction of the streetlights.

He didn't know where to find food, so he could only rely on his impressions from TV and look for places that looked like shops with lights on.

After walking for about half an hour, he finally saw a convenience store with a "24-hour open" sticker on the glass door and warm yellow lights inside, which looked particularly welcoming.

Nan Yan hesitated for a moment, then clutched the money in her pocket, lowered her head, and went inside.

The store was quiet, with only a girl in a blue uniform and a ponytail organizing goods behind the cashier.

Seeing Nan Yan enter, the girl looked up and gave a gentle smile: "Welcome."

Nan Yan lowered his head even further, not daring to look into the girl's eyes, his fingers nervously fidgeting with the hem of his clothes.

He walked slowly along the shelves, looking at the dazzling array of goods, unsure of what to choose.

"Are you hungry?" The girl walked over, her voice soft and without the slightest hint of disgust.

She noticed Nan Yan's predicament; his clothes didn't fit him, and his eyes were full of confusion. She assumed he was a poor child who had wandered the streets.

Nan Yan's throat moved, but she didn't know how to answer.

He hadn't had a normal conversation with strangers in so long that, aside from obeying and begging for mercy, he had almost forgotten how to speak.

"Then take a look at this rice ball." The girl picked up a cheap seaweed rice ball from the shelf: "There's a promotion today, buy one get one free, two for only ten yuan, all you can eat."

Nan Yan followed her hand and looked at the words "rice ball" on the packaging. He recognized them and nodded quickly.

He took a hundred-yuan bill out of his pocket and handed it over.

The girl took the money, paused for a moment, then smiled: "So you have money. I thought you..."

She didn't continue, but quickly found some change and handed it to Nan Yan: "Then why don't you buy another cup of milk? I'll heat it up for you; it'll be more comforting to drink it hot."

Nan Yan nodded.

The girl quickly came out with a steaming cup of milk and handed it to him.

As her fingertips touched the warm cup, the warmth spread from her fingertips to her whole body, causing Nan Yan to tremble slightly.

This was the first time he had experienced the kindness of a stranger, aside from being beaten and ordered around.

The girl's fingers accidentally touched the back of his hand. The slightly cool touch made him flinch as if he had been burned, and his cheeks instantly flushed red—his body was too sensitive, and even such a slight touch would produce a noticeable reaction.

"Eat quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold." The girl didn't notice his strangeness, smiled and turned back to the cashier.

Nan Yan found a seat by the window, unwrapped the rice ball, and began to wolf it down.

The salty aroma of the seaweed and the soft, sticky rice melted in his mouth. He ate so quickly that he almost choked and had to drink a sip of hot milk.

The warm liquid slid down his throat, soothing him and making his eyes feel a little hot.

He had never eaten anything so delicious before.

The food at the club was always bland and tasteless, sometimes cold, and you even had to eat it while lying down in the dog trough.

You only get a little extra snack when you behave well.

After eating two rice balls and drinking all the milk, Nan Yan felt full and warm inside.

He watched the girl behind the cashier diligently organizing the goods and realized that the wonderful things described on TV really existed.

Nan Yan stood up, bowed to the girl, and said in a soft voice, "Th...thank you."

The girl looked up, smiled, and waved her hand: "You're welcome, take care."

Nan Yan walked out of the convenience store, still having a fair amount of money left in her pocket, but she felt more at ease than before.

He continued walking along the street, which was quiet at night, with the occasional car passing by, leaving a trail of taillights.

He took a deep breath. The air was free of the pervasive smell of disinfectant and tobacco in the club, only a faint fragrance of herbs and plants.

He wasn't sleepy at all; he just wanted to walk a little longer and savor the feeling of freedom.

He didn't know where he was going or what the future held. All he knew was that he wasn't tied up, wasn't being beaten, and didn't have to obey anyone's orders, which was good enough.

He walked for a long time, and it seemed like dawn was approaching.

Just then, a black sedan suddenly stopped in front of him, its tires screeching as they rubbed against the ground.

Nan Yan was startled and stood up abruptly, wanting to back away, but then she saw the glaring red emblem on the car body—a rose entwined with thorns, the symbol of the Thorn Rose Club.

His face turned deathly pale instantly, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Fear surged up like a tide, almost overwhelming him.

The car door opened, and two men in black suits with expressionless faces stepped out; they were the club's trainers.

They spotted Nan Yan immediately, walked over quickly, and grabbed his arm without saying a word.

Nan Yan struggled desperately, making muffled sounds in her throat, but she was too terrified to even utter a complete cry for help.

His strength was too weak to resist the restraint of two adult men. His wrists were gripped tightly, and the bones were almost crushed.

"Don't move!" one of the trainers shouted sternly, and with his other hand, he took out handcuffs and snapped them onto Nan Yan's wrists.

Then he took out a piece of black cloth and stuffed it into his mouth.

Nan Yan was forcibly shoved into the car, his back slamming heavily against the seat, the pain bringing tears to his eyes instantly.

He huddled in the back seat, his hands and feet trembling, his brown eyes filled with despair.

He thought he would be taken back to the club, where he would face even more brutal training and punishment.

The trainer in the front row picked up his phone, dialed a number, and put it on speakerphone. The call was quickly answered, and a familiar, cold, hard voice came through—it was Wei Xun.

"Feed".

"Hello Mr. Wei, this is the Thorn Rose Club." The trainer's tone immediately became respectful: "We detected that your toy number 073, which is Nan Yan, has broken away from your control and has now been located."

After a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, Wei Xun's impatient voice came through: "I told him to leave."

……

Nan Yan lay on the back seat with a cloth stuffed in her mouth, and could only vaguely hear Wei Xun's voice.

Listening to the conversation between the trainer and Wei Xun, his heart sank little by little. It turned out that the man who let him go was not really giving him freedom, but playing a game called "hunting".

He must be found by that man within three days, or he will be recycled and resold.

But... that gentleman clearly told him not to appear in front of him again.

Nan Yan's tears fell, landing on the car seat and leaving a small wet patch.

He didn't understand why that man was treating him this way.

He just wanted to hide away quietly, even if it meant living just one more day.

The trainer hung up the phone, glanced back at the trembling Nan Yan, pulled the black cloth out of his mouth, and unlocked his handcuffs.

"073," the trainer said with a teasing tone, "Now you have a chance to escape. Hide well and make sure Mr. Wei experiences the joy of hunting."

The car door was opened, and Nan Yan was pushed out, falling heavily to the ground.

He struggled to his feet, watching the black sedan speed away, the red thorn rose emblem flashing in the morning light.

He slumped to the ground, red marks from the handcuffs still visible on his wrists, tears streaming down his face.

It turns out that the gentleman's surname was Wei.

What should I do?

Nan Yan wiped away her tears, and a thought suddenly came to mind: escape, escape as far away as possible.

Perhaps if he escapes to a place where Mr. Wei can't find him, a place where the club can't monitor him, he can truly gain freedom.

The TV said that trains can carry people to very far places.

Nan Yan didn't know what a train looked like or how to ride it, but he decided to go find a train.

He stood up, dusted himself off, and clutched the money in his pocket.

He didn't know where the train station was, so he had to ask everyone he met. But he spoke haltingly and wore ill-fitting clothes, so many people either waved him away impatiently or simply avoided him.

Once, he asked a roadside stall owner for directions. The stall owner, annoyed that he was in the way, shoved him, and Nan Yan stumbled and fell to the ground, scraping his knee and causing it to bleed.

He winced in pain, but dared not cry out. He simply got up silently and continued walking forward.

He didn't know how to take the bus or a taxi, so he could only walk step by step.

When she was hungry, she would buy rice balls and bread from the convenience store; when she was thirsty, she would drink tap water in the public restroom, always saving the money Mr. Wei gave her.

He was afraid that if he ran out of money, he wouldn't have enough to take the train.

And so he walked all day, from dawn till dusk.

Because of his delicate skin, blisters quickly formed on the soles of his feet, causing him pain that almost made him numb.

As darkness fell, he finally saw the towering building in the distance, with the words "Haishi Railway Station" written on it, brightly lit.