The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

A light rain began to fall, and the sky gradually darkened.

The winter rain was icy cold.

"If you can't lend it, get out!"

"Are you out of your mind? Borrowing so much money? I suggest you go borrow from the Heavenly Bank!"

"Sir, I'm sorry, your credit limit is insufficient to support a loan of ten million yuan."

...

The cold rain pattered on the boy's hunched shoulders, and his arm, which was holding the phone, slowly drooped.

He still didn't want to give up.

Even knowing he couldn't come up with that astronomical sum, he still had to try his best.

Like moths drawn to a flame.

He stopped under a utility pole.

A small photo of a guy was stuck to him like a plaster, right at eye level.

"High-priced kidney buyouts!"

He stared at the connection method for a long time, then took out his phone and made a call.

"Feed? Who?"

"I want to sell my kidney, how much money can I get?"

"One procedure costs 600,000 yuan, performed by a professional doctor, with no risk of infection."

...

Six hundred thousand...

Xu Nian gave a wry smile and hung up the phone.

Even if you dissected all his organs, you probably still wouldn't be able to raise that number.

The rain was getting heavier, and when it fell on me, it was no longer a gentle caress, but a slightly painful scolding.

it sleets.

The number of pedestrians on the street dwindled, as they sought refuge in nearby shops to escape the chill of the frost.

Cars parked along the street, however, were not so lucky.

Amidst the clattering of ping-pong balls, the windows of several cars shattered under the strain, revealing cracks in the glass.

Only a thin, frail figure walked alone amidst the swirling frost.

He crossed the straight driveway, passed swaying old trees, and waded through the slippery mud.

Finally, he stepped into the place he had come from.

That noisy shantytown.

He wandered around the area and finally stopped in front of the rent collector's two-story building.

However, he wasn't there to find this ruthless landlord.

Instead, he turned his head to look at the slightly crooked utility pole to the side.

A familiar little GG was pasted on it.

Need money urgently? Look no further! Lightning-fast loan disbursement! Any amount you need!

Can I borrow any amount...?

He chuckled softly and dialed the phone number on his little boyfriend's phone.

The dial tone continued for a while, followed by a burst of noise from the other end of the phone.

"Who is it? What's the matter? Thirty thousand!"

I need to borrow money.

"How much? Six loaves!"

"Are you really willing to lend any amount?"

"I can borrow as much money as you can offer as collateral. I won! Pay up! Two hundred each!"

Xu Nian looked at the words "I can lend you any amount" on the little GG and said them word by word.

"I need to borrow ten million."

A mahjong tile clattered to the ground on the other end of the phone.

Do you own a company or factory?

"no."

"Do you own a house and a car?"

"no."

"So you're here to make fun of me?"

A roar extinguished the boy's last glimmer of hope.

He remained silent for a while.

"Sorry to bother you."

After hanging up the phone, he slumped to the ground, hugging his legs tightly, letting the large hailstones fall into his clothes.

He would rather have never known that desperate hope and gone to the grave with his beloved.

Having no way to do something and having a way but lacking the ability to implement it are two different things.

The former can freely curse God for being unfair.

The latter, however, can only blame their own incompetence.

A few minutes later, his phone rang again.

He picked it up and saw it was the phone call he had just made.

He chuckled softly and answered the call numbly.

"What do you need ten million for?"

"Save people."

The other party remained silent for a while.

"Come to my place, let's talk in person."

......

The sky grew darker and darker. The sun set, but the moon hid away. The entire city was pitch black, and an atmosphere of despair permeated everywhere.

Every now and then, streaks of lightning would rip through the night sky, bringing a faint glimmer of light to guide pedestrians returning to port in the dark.

Following the address provided by the person on the phone, Xu Nian walked through the streets and alleys and arrived at a brightly lit street.

During the day, this place is a glamorous antique market and street.

But at night, when the city lights are enveloped in darkness, they transform and take on a new look.

Some people dressed in dark coats, blending into the night, will quietly appear on the streets and alleys.

There you can buy all sorts of things, both things that can be seen in the light and things that can't be seen in the light.

Xu Nian was quite familiar with this place.

This is where he used to get fake documents—the black market.

He stepped into the third dark alleyway, stood in front of a collapsed stone wall, stared at the withered weeds on the top of the wall, and frowned.

The address mentioned on the phone is here.

But looking around, there was no one, not even a single blade of grass.

Been tricked?

Just then, everything went black before his eyes.

It seemed as if something was covering his head.

"Don't make a sound! Come with me!"

......

After a series of twists and turns, Xu Nian, blindfolded and led by the man on the phone, gradually lost her way.

He seemed to have walked quite far, yet it also seemed like he was going around in circles.

The man beside her stopped walking only when the noise around her gradually increased and the smell of cigarettes and alcohol became stronger.

Xu Nian heard him knock on the door.

"Boss, I've brought the man."

"Come in."

The door opened, and Xu Nian was pushed hard, staggering forward a few steps.

Immediately afterwards, his body was thoroughly searched.

Besides clothes and pants, cell phones, keys, wallets... all small items were taken away.

After he finished doing all this, the paper bag over his head was removed, and the glaring light made it impossible for him to open his eyes.

The door was gently closed. Xu Nian rubbed her eyes and looked around at her surroundings.

He was in a study filled with the scent of wood, and when he looked up, he saw the walls covered with a dazzling array of antiques.

The room was completely sealed off, with not a single window on any of the four walls.

Several burly men with fierce expressions stood in two rows on either side of the wall.

In the center of the room is a mahogany dragon throne and a large, antique square table.

"Hehe... young brother, come, have a seat."

A kind-looking middle-aged man sat on a mahogany chair.

He was dressed simply, and the bracelet on his wrist had a rich, lustrous sheen, making him stand out from the group of burly men around him.

At the same time, it exudes a dangerous aura of someone in a superior position.

Xu Nian followed his gaze and sat down in a chair opposite him.

The man picked up the teapot beside him, filled two teacups with tea, and pushed one of them towards Xu Nian.

He didn't drink the other cup, nor did he speak. Instead, he stared at Xu Nian, as if waiting for him to drink the tea.

Xu Nian looked at the steaming tea, pondered for a long time, then tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp.

Seeing that there wasn't a drop left in his cup, a smile appeared on the man's lips.

"Xu Nian, 20 years old, has no parents. Her only relative is her younger sister. She is currently seriously ill and is lying in the First Affiliated Hospital."

How did you know?

Xu Nian frowned slightly.

Since he stepped into the room, he had not uttered a single word, yet the man before him had already revealed the entirety of his life story.