Chapter 11
What a pity?
Mia didn't ask, but she soon found out.
Babaru and Dule went to bring back another batch of so-called "goods". After a while, the sound of footsteps came from deep in the mine. Before anyone appeared, they heard a voice full of resistance and impatience: "Who asked you to meddle in my business! I have my own way in my life."
"Zefiya..." Durer let out a sigh, three parts helplessness and seven parts doting.
A group of people walked out of the mine tunnel. In an instant, everyone's eyes brightened, except Rong Yuan, who had a hint of mockery in his eyes.
The youngest of the group was thirteen or fourteen years old, and the oldest were no more than twenty or thirty years old. Some were elegant and refined, some were beautiful and enchanting, some were gentle as water, and some were passionate as fire. Their looks and temperaments were unique, but they were all equally beautiful. Their behavior showed signs of being specially dressed up and trained, making them more seductive than ordinary beauties.
For example, Mia is a rare beauty, but standing next to these people, she looks very inconspicuous.
Most importantly, they were in good health, without the slightest sign of hunger, imprisonment, or torture. There was a hint of arrogance in their eyes when they looked at other people, but they showed subtle flattery and closeness to Babaru, the Zerg who had brought them here.
At this time, a woman who had eaten and drunk some food and was sitting on the ground to rest suddenly stood up and shouted to a young man: "Huade, what's wrong with you..." Meeting the man's gaze, she paused and asked: "Are you...are you...are you okay? I thought..."
The young man named Huade had an androgynous appearance. He glanced at the skinny woman coldly without answering. He looked into Babalu's eyes and asked, "Okay, we are all here. Where is the person you mentioned?"
"Ah, that...haha, haha..." Babaru laughed dryly and glanced secretly at Rong Yuan.
Hua De followed his gaze. In fact, he had already seen this person when he came in just now, and now it just confirmed his guess. He straightened his collar, combed his hair, and walked in front of Rong Yuan with his head slightly raised. He looked at him, then put his hand on his chest, bowed and said, "Hello, dear sir."
Rong Yuan raised his eyes, looked at him, and said, "Well, okay."
Ward froze for a moment. He could not see any emotion on this man's face, but thinking of the hardships he had endured since coming here and the near future he expected, he gritted his teeth and said, "Sir, I heard that you are powerful and kind-hearted, so... I have a small request. I wonder if you can agree to it?"
"Speak." Rong Yuan's answer was unusually brief.
Mia rolled her eyes, unable to tell if he was angry or not.
Ward said cautiously: "I ask you to let us take charge of our own lives."
"What do you mean?" Mia asked with a frown.
Ward glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and confirmed that she was a harmless little girl, so he ignored her and looked at Rong Yuan and said, "We are very grateful for your selfless rescue. We really are very grateful... But we had an agreement with Mr. Babaru and his companions. The content of the agreement was entirely out of their own will and there was no compulsion, so..."
"You're not going to say that you sold yourself to this Mr. Babaru, are you?" The woman who recognized him earlier screamed with a mixture of tears and laughter, "I've been looking for you underground for more than a month! I almost died! I was caught by them because of you! I did it all for you! Now you say... you did it voluntarily? You did it voluntarily... No, you should say you begged Mr. Babaru to sell you, right?"
Ward finally looked her in the eye and said calmly, "It is human nature to pursue a better life. I don't think there is anything shameful about it."
"Shameful... hehe... there's nothing shameful..." The woman muttered as she sat on the ground with lifeless eyes.
Everyone showed a look of contempt, but the beauties all looked as if it was a matter of course. There were also two or three people who had some shame on their faces, but they did not regret it.
"So, you...you are..." Mia looked at Ward in disbelief and said, "You treat your body as a commodity, and would rather give up your freedom and dignity to pursue what you call a better life?"
Huade smiled: " Little girl, you just came to Prison Star, right?"
"How do you know?"
"After a while, you will realize that nothing matters more than death. Compared to survival, everything else is unimportant." He paused, and then said, "What's more, as long as I can get close to those big shots, even if I can only lie on the ground like a kitten or a puppy at first, with my looks and abilities, it's only a matter of time for me to stand up again. By then, I will take back my freedom and dignity for myself."
"Can something that has been shattered really be taken back?" Mia asked.
Huade ignored him and the strange looks from others. He knew that there was only one person who made the decision. Looking at Rong Yuan, Huade said, "I think my body is my own thing, and how I use it is my exclusive right. What do you think?"
Rong Yuan said nonchalantly: "Well, you have a point."
"Hey, what's wrong with you..." Mia said anxiously.
"Then, I beg you not to stop our decision, okay?" Ward said again.
"Can."
——Only the last bit left! Ward clenched his fists and said, "I know there may be some misunderstandings between Mr. Babaru and you..."
"There is no misunderstanding." Rong Yuan interrupted him.
"...Even if... uh, maybe you have other plans for Mr. Babaru, but..." Ward regrouped, "To realize our wish, Mr. Babaru's connections are necessary. So, although it is very presumptuous, please..." His voice involuntarily lowered, "Please... spare Mr. Babaru."
Rong Yuan did not answer.
Everyone's eyes were on him.
The air seemed to be still, and Babaru's breathing became heavy.
Suddenly, Rong Yuan chuckled and said, "Okay."
"Really?" Ward asked in great joy, and immediately said hurriedly as if he was afraid that he would go back on his word: "Thank you so much... Thank you very much..." As he spoke, he bowed and stepped back, and was about to ask Babaru and the other beauties to leave, when suddenly a voice stopped him.
"etc."
Rong Yuandao pointed at Babaru, whose face was still full of joy, and said, "Before you leave, take everyone else back to the ground first."
"Yes, yes, I'll do it right away." Babaru, who was so scared that he broke into a cold sweat, nodded and bowed in response. He whistled to call two amber ants over and said, "These are the two little guys with the best sense of direction among my subordinates. Follow them and we will be able to return to the ground in two days. I guarantee that we will not take any detours."
"Also," Rong Yuan continued, "Tell me all the information you know about the central city, and the whereabouts of your previous 'goods'. If you lie or conceal..."
"No, no, I will tell you everything I know..."
Everyone was very interested in the information about the central city, so when they saw that Rong Yuan did not object, those who were about to leave sat down and listened. During this time, Dule did not know what he said to his daughter Zephia, and finally pulled the girl, who looked suspicious and reluctant, away from Babaru's team and walked up to Rong Yuan to ask to follow him.
"Follow me?" Rong Yuan pointed at Zephia and said, "You can do it alone, but take her with you? Forget it!"
Zephia's face turned very ugly. She snorted coldly and was about to say something, but was stopped by Dule. Dule almost knelt down and begged bitterly: "Please, Zephia is a good child. She was just... She was just deceived... As a father, I couldn't even feed her, so I let her be deceived by the bad guys. Please... I..."
"No." Rong Yuan said decisively and with a heart of stone.
Dule wanted to beg again, but Zephia was no longer willing to endure it. She glared at Rong Yuan, shook off her father's hand, turned around and ran back behind Babalu. Babalu put his hands in his pockets and watched with a smile. When Zephia wanted to leave, he did not stop her. When he ran back, he even moved aside to let her pass, with a harmless expression on his face.
Dule looked at Rong Yuan with sadness and resentment, and chased after Zephia without hesitation.
"He's so pitiful." Mia couldn't help but say. She seemed to be able to see this man, who was not a weak man, losing his dignity and even his life because of his daughter.
"Poor?" Rong Yuan said, "It's all because of him."
"...That's true." Mia thought for a moment and said. Parents should bear a large part of the blame for their children's ignorance. Perhaps realizing that Rong Yuan was not as good as she thought, Mia glanced at him and asked cautiously, "Sir... Next, are you planning to go to the central city?"
"Um."
"Can I...can I go with you?" Mia said, "My grandfather will definitely be able to find out that all the people they captured in the past were sold to the central city. He will probably go there to look for me, so I...I want to go there and wait for him, but I don't dare to go alone..."
"I'm not planning on sightseeing." Rong Yuan didn't refuse directly: "If you're not afraid of being dragged into bigger trouble by me, just follow me!"
"Ah, thank you, sir," Mia said happily.
"You can call me Rong Yuan."
"Yes, Rong...Mr. Rong."
"Then...can we go with you?" someone else said.
