lcionline Chapter 17 Rescuing Shen Mei from Nine Dragons Walled City
Chapter 17 Rescuing Shen Mei from Nine Dragons Walled City
After making a pager, Shen Wancheng waited at the newsstand, and Guo Tao quickly called back.
People like Guo Tao, who work as smugglers at the bottom of society and run errands for others, are generally fond of horse racing betting.
When Guo Tao heard Shen Wancheng say she wanted to go to the racetrack, he agreed without hesitation.
He said there was a large horse race in the afternoon and suggested that Shen Wancheng and the others go in the afternoon.
Shen Wancheng said yes.
Guo Tao then said that he was on business in Kowloon Walled City in the morning and asked Shen Wancheng to wait for him outside Kowloon Walled City at 1 p.m. He also repeatedly reminded her not to go into the Walled City alone.
In her previous life, Shen Wancheng had seen movies about Kowloon Walled City. The area, only 26,000 square meters, housed 50,000 to 60,000 people. They were all poor, illegal immigrants, and criminals. The environment was incredibly filthy and chaotic; the buildings were so complex that people had to pass through other people's homes to get to the upper floors.
If this situation were to occur deep inside the fortified village, and an accident happened, the body might not even be found.
Shen Wan clarified the horrors of Kowloon Walled City and had no curiosity about it whatsoever.
In the afternoon, Shen Wancheng and Shen Yao arrived at Kowloon Walled City and waited for Guo Tao at a sweet drink shop on the street outside.
After waiting for half an hour, Shen Wancheng did not see Guo Tao, but chaos broke out on the street.
Through the glass, Shen Wancheng saw that the street outside the shop was teeming with people, with groups of men, women, and children, dressed in tattered clothes, walking along the street.
Hong Kong Island police drove police cars and rode motorcycles ahead, blowing whistles to block the protesters, but the protesters showed no fear.
We need a way to survive!
"Give us equal citizenship!"
The noise from the street was incessant.
Shen Wancheng felt a chill in her heart, yet also a sense of relief.
It seems the British government is about to abolish the "barrier" policy.
Shen Wancheng felt sorry for those who only wanted to live with a recognized identity, but was also glad that she had arrived in Hong Kong Island a day earlier and had not been stuck with her identity.
Suddenly, a slender figure rushed into the sweet water shop.
The man looked around like a headless fly, then saw a locker next to where Shen Wancheng was sitting. He rushed over there, curled up into a ball, and muttered unconsciously.
"Help me, help me, I don't want to be found out, I don't want to be found out."
The person had long hair that covered their face, and their head was always lowered, so their face could not be seen.
Shen Yao asked, "What's wrong? Is someone looking for you?"
The girl in front of him looked up, about to say something, but the words caught in her throat.
The girl and Shen Yao both stared wide-eyed at each other.
It was Shen Wancheng who spoke first.
"Shen Mei!?"
Shen Mei's tears welled up instantly and fell in large drops.
"Uh-huh!"
Shen Mei nodded vigorously.
Shen Wancheng glanced outside the shop and whispered to Shen Mei, "Is someone chasing you? Did you escape from somewhere else?"
"Uh-huh."
Shen Mei covered her mouth to stop herself from crying out loud. She was too emotional to make any sound except for "hmm".
Shen Wancheng glanced at Shen Yao and gestured with her chin towards the outside.
Shen Yao understood immediately, walked out of the sweet water shop and glanced at the street outside, but didn't see anyone chasing after her.
Shen Wancheng looked down at Shen Mei again.
Shen Mei knew that Shen Wancheng was hesitating about whether or not to save her.
Shen Mei reached out and grabbed Shen Wancheng's trouser leg, her eyes full of pleading.
Should we take Shen Mei away from here and save her?
Shen Wancheng hesitated.
Shen Mei was the only person in the Shen family who treated her and her sister fairly well.
Although Shen Mei herself was of low status and little influence, she always secretly tried her best to help Shen Yao and Shen Yao.
It was she who instigated Shen Mei to run away from the Shen family.
Although her intention was not to let Shen Mei marry two mentally challenged men, Shen Mei ended up here because she ran away on her own.
Judging from her disheveled appearance and numerous injuries, she must have suffered a lot.
Moreover, they are cousins.
If it is the real Shen Wancheng, then Shen Mei must be the only blood relative she is willing to acknowledge besides Shen Yao.
Saving her once will be the end of all entanglements with the Shen family.
After making up her mind to save Shen Mei, Shen Wancheng walked out of the sweet water shop without hesitation.
Shen Wancheng told Shen Yao and Shen Mei to wait for her there.
She ran out into the street to hail a taxi herself.
The streets were full of protesters and patrolling police; taxis wouldn't even enter the street anymore.
Shen Wancheng ran to the intersection before she could flag down a taxi.
Shen Wancheng asked the taxi driver to drive to the sweet water shop, and waved to Shen Yao through the car window.
Shen Yao grabbed Shen Mei and rushed up quickly.
"Driver, start the car!"
The taxi driver slammed on the gas pedal, and the taxi shot forward.
Just then, several men carrying sticks came out of the alley and saw Shen Mei get into the taxi. They chased after the taxi for a while.
Shen Wancheng and the other two kept their eyes glued to the back of the car until they saw the people stop chasing it, and only then did they relax.
The taxi driver also looked behind the car through the rearview mirror, ready to leave the three women behind and drive away immediately if anything unexpected happened.
Fortunately, they managed to leave Kowloon Walled City safely.
After realizing she had finally escaped, Shen Mei buried her face in Shen Wancheng's lap and burst into tears.
Shen Wancheng didn't try to persuade her, letting her vent her anger.
Before the taxi even reached the street where they lived, Shen Wancheng told it to stop.
Those people just saw the taxi's license plate number. If they really wanted to find it, they could find the taxi driver. Therefore, Shen Wancheng couldn't let the taxi driver know where they lived.
Although Shen Wancheng felt that those people wouldn't go to great lengths just because Shen Mei had escaped, she still wanted to minimize the risks.
Shen Wancheng and the other two took two bus stops to reach their rented apartment.
Shen Wancheng asked Shen Yao to take Shen Mei upstairs first.
She paged Guo Tao at the newsstand downstairs and waited for him to call her back. Only then did Shen Wancheng tell Guo Tao that she wasn't going to Marseille today.
I tried to subtly inquire whether Guo Tao's affairs in Kowloon Walled City were going smoothly and whether he had encountered any problems. Guo Tao only complained a few times that the "resistance" policy might be abolished, and said nothing else.
Shen Wancheng then told Guo Tao that she had met a fellow villager and wanted Guo Tao to help her get another ID card.
Guo Tao had no reason to refuse the business that was offered to him, so he readily agreed and told Shen Wancheng to wait for him at home, saying he would drive over shortly to take them to do it.
The "resistance" policy must be abolished; it cannot be delayed.
When Shen Wancheng returned to her residence, Shen Mei was still sitting on the sofa crying.
When Shen Yao saw Shen Wancheng return, she shrugged at her, indicating that she hadn't asked anything yet, as Shen Mei was only focused on crying.
Shen Wancheng walked to Shen Mei's side and said in an icy tone.
"If you want to stay on Hong Kong Island, get yourself together now, take a shower, change your clothes, and someone will come to take you to get your ID card."
Shen Mei stopped sobbing abruptly and looked up at Shen Wancheng in a daze.
Shen Wancheng asked again, "Do you want to stay on Hong Kong Island? If you don't want to stay on Hong Kong Island, the 'landing' policy will be lifted in a few days. When you go to the pier, you will probably be forcibly repatriated and the government will send you back to Guangdong."
Shen Mei shuddered at the thought of her experience alone at the dock and shook her head vigorously.
"Cousin, I don't want to go back."
"Then go take a shower and change your clothes."