Miss Assassin is heavily addicted

Chapter 16.16. The Atoner
—Baplow Credit Lending Company. Basement Level—

He Ye walked down the winding staircase. There was no electrical lighting around him, and he could only rely on the flashlight in his hand to illuminate the way ahead.

This is the underground level, built to avoid detection, something He Ye learned from Bapulo's henchmen a few minutes ago. All the children, whether willing or unwilling, are imprisoned here, waiting for buyers to pay to get them released. "Willing" means being trafficked, and "unwilling" means being abducted. Nobody knows that there's a 'prison' beneath this building.

Hey, listen to this, is this human language?
So, feeling annoyed, He Ye slapped the thug who had finished his explanation a few times, making him cry out "Mommy!" Then she took the flashlight he had offered and went downstairs to look for people.

Having come down from the third floor, He Ye had already found the answers to two questions. He felt that instead of looking for Nicole's fault, it would be better to look for the faults of this simple and honest alien world.

Often, things are not simply black and white, but rather tragedies brewing from multiple factors.

The initial frustration had turned into a sigh.

The crisp footsteps gradually grew muffled, and He Ye knew he had reached the end. He pushed open the swaying iron gate and entered a pitch-black room.

But he could hear the sound of tears in the air.

A white flashlight pierced the darkness, shining on the wet floor tiles. Behind the rusty railings, there were sobbing sounds, which the children thought were the return of Bapulo's henchmen.

"Come on, come on."

"Don't take me away."

"Dad, mom..."

He Ye felt a pang of unease listening to this. He scratched his head and said in a humorous tone:

“Hey little guys, don’t be afraid. I’m not a bad guy. I’m Sergeant Marlens from the NSA, here to save you.”

Sometimes, having a fake identity is really convenient.

"Really, really?!"

A child in the darkness asked in surprise.

"Of course, I'll release you now."

As He Ye spoke, he walked to the nearest prison cell. Behind the cell were three or four boys huddled together. When the flashlight shone on them, they instinctively shielded their eyes like bats encountering sunlight.

Then, the flashlight shone slightly.

The children saw clearly the man standing by the door lock. He had black hair that covered his eyes, a gentle face, and looked like a young general education teacher in a school. His scholarly air made him approachable.

"do not be afraid."

He said gently.

He Ye took out the prison key, inserted it into the lock, and turned it. Soon the prison cell door opened.

The boys walked out, their faces a mixture of joy and sorrow.

He Ye was a little disappointed not to see Nicole, but there were still so many cells here, he figured he could find the idiot if he kept looking.

As for these guys...

In truth, He Ye didn't know if what she did was right, because even if these children were freed, their fate was uncertain. Those who were sold against their will might be able to reunite with their families, but the children who were willingly sold were truly heartbreaking.

But since he was already here, he figured he might as well save a few more.

Fate is something you should decide for yourself.

After the first cell was opened, several little boys excitedly surrounded He Ye, some with tears in their eyes and others with gratitude, tightly gripping the hem of He Ye's trench coat and unwilling to let go.

It seems he doesn't dare to escape alone.

He Ye didn't mind and led the group of children to the second cell, continuing to do the same thing. The sound of the iron bars banging echoed in the gloomy 'prison', and more and more sleeping children woke up, timidly asking, 'Who is it?'

Then I received the name of 'Sergeant Marlens, Group 4, Security Countermeasures Section, National Security Bureau', and the dreamy words 'I'm here to save you'.

Finally, more and more black chains fell to the ground.

He Ye had reached the end of the road without anyone noticing.

And around him, a chattering sound began, with a group of disheveled but energetic boys and girls following him. They cried tears of joy, realizing they had been rescued. At this moment, the cold and damp basement seemed unusually noisy, as if there were siblings and friends inside.

He Ye ignored the group of noisy guys.

He opened the last cell, and inside was the "girl" who couldn't wait to come out. She was clearly a few years older than the group of guys and was equally disheveled.

If nothing unexpected happens, Nicole will stay here too.

He Ye held a flashlight and swayed it around, shining it on the remaining girls in the cell who looked dazed. They were groggily waking up from their dreams, and two of them were still pale, looking like they had been there for a long time.

"Who are you?"

"The great Sergeant Marlens!"

The boy next to He Ye spoke first, excitedly shaking the iron bars and saying, "He's here to save us!"

He Ye chuckled for a moment, looking at the little guy and patting his head. His beautiful ten-year-old sister stood next to him. Neither of them were dressed like children from the slums; they were wearing jackets and cotton pants. Perhaps they were some upper-class darlings who had been kidnapped.

"Really, really..."

The girl hesitated for a few seconds until she saw He Ye's flashlight shining on the joyful children beside her. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she practically stumbled and crawled out.

"Thank you, thank you..."

"No need for kowtowing, please rise quickly..." He Ye bowed awkwardly and uncomfortablely.

"I want to be a sheriff when I grow up!" "Let me help you, sister!"

"Waaaaah, I'm so hungry..."

The noisy sounds echoed around He Ye. The children, who were barely waist-high, were really making a ruckus. They were credited with doing great things just for helping a few girls... but that's normal, though.

But what's wrong with that guy?

A familiar figure huddled motionless in the corner.

He Ye had no choice but to go into the cell, take a flashlight and point it at the ceiling. The faint white light illuminated the whole room, but it was still impossible to see clearly.

The surrounding area was filled with laughter and cheerful chatter.

"Time to get up... Nicole."

He Ye spoke softly, looking at the girl sitting in the corner. She was curled up with her head buried in her legs, wearing that worn-out hoodie. She only looked up after hearing the voice.

Then, open your mouth wide into an "O" shape.

"Oh my god... am I still dreaming?"

He Ye was momentarily amused and walked over, squatted down in front of her, and pinched her nose to make her make a squeal like a pig.
So sweet!
After letting go a few seconds later, He Ye joked:
Do you still think it's a dream?

"Ouch--"

Nicole squinted, rubbing her nose in pain.

However, she realized it wasn't a dream, and slowly opened her eyes, looking at Mr. Leon squatting in front of her. His smile was reassuring, and Nicole's eyes turned red.

"Sir, what are you doing here?"

Nicole could hardly believe her eyes.

"I came to save you—if I hadn't shown up here, my conscience would have tormented me to death." He Ye said with a hint of helplessness.

These words sent a shiver down Nicole's spine, as if touching a deep chord within her. Her nose stung, and tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks. The girl bit her lower lip as she wept, silently enduring the pain.

Ahhh.

Why did the little pearl fall out without a word?

“Sir…” she choked up, “You can’t do this.”

"...?" He Ye wanted to comfort her.

Nicole Griffiths asked anxiously, "Did you...did you get the money?"

"..." He Ye, who wanted to comfort people, fell silent again.

He had thought of many ways to greet someone, but he never expected that the first thing he would say upon meeting them would be something like this.

"I...I don't know how much money they have. Is the money they gave you enough to compensate for your losses, sir?"

"Ugh, you idiot."

After a long while, He Ye sighed and shook his head.

"Huh?" Nicole asked in confusion.

Ke Heye reached out and pulled the petite girl up. Looking at her tearful and bewildered expression, he was really curious about what this girl could possibly understand about what was important and what wasn't.
"Alright, there shouldn't be anyone left here, right? The rest of you are about to leave. I'll take you home."

He Ye calmly brushed the dust off his trench coat and said that he had gotten some dust on the hem when he squatted down—and when they heard him announce that he was leaving, the children around him cheered again.

There were about fifteen or sixteen children.

Because they were in the dark, they were holding onto the tails of the clothes of the people in front of them, like a group playing a game of tag.

He Ye walked at the front, leading the way with a flashlight, while Nicole followed behind, her hand being held by Nicole's.

The vast crowd ran back the way they came, a mixture of joy and relief at surviving a disaster, along with a little bewilderment and unease.

Nicole felt her hand being held tightly and wanted to say something.
But they beat them to it.

"You are actually a good child."

He Ye pulled her along as they walked, the flashlight beam illuminating the road ahead. He patiently said, "This matter is over. You don't need to blame yourself anymore. It wasn't your fault."

"To be honest, I was terrified when I learned that you would do something like this to pay off your debts. You need to understand that no one can decide your own fate, let alone sell your own integrity. You are free. I have burned the contract that bound you. From now on, you will no longer have any debts."

"Now, you need to start a new life, and I will take you away from here."

"So stop crying and apologizing to me. You haven't wronged me, and even if you have, I've already forgiven you. Cheer up, look ahead, we'll be outside soon."

As expected, as He Ye's words came to an end, they gradually walked out of the winding, descending steps.

When a ray of light appeared before them, the children behind them quickened their pace, which seemed surreal to Nicole.

Slowly loosen your grip.

Then the next moment—

Footsteps landed on the carpet.

(End of this chapter)