Help! My hunky roommate is begging me to touch his abs!

His father wanted to expand his business empire even further.

They gritted their teeth and poured all their working capital into it.

They even mortgaged two properties.

They finally finalized the deal for that batch of new materials that were touted as being able to penetrate the high-end market.

Unexpectedly, this batch of goods was adulterated with illegal additives.

It was seized as soon as it entered the warehouse.

The sound of police sirens pierced the silence of the industrial park.

The metal roof of the warehouse vibrated and buzzed, like countless mosquitoes crawling into one's ears, making one's heart tremble.

The project came to a complete standstill, and the funds were frozen like a river.

They can't even make ends meet.

That shipment was held in the customs warehouse for two whole weeks.

The daily storage fees are like a knife cutting into my flesh.

The penalties for delays in construction, as claimed by the partner companies, are astronomical.

Debt collection letters were being sent home like snowflakes, and letters were being slipped under the door.

The red lettering was blurred by the rain, turning into a glaring red stain on the floor, like bloodstains that couldn't be wiped clean.

The ultimatum was written in red.

It was so bright that people dared not look at it.

What's even more unsettling is...

The payment for this batch of materials.

A full eight million of them was the workers' hard-earned money.

His father patted his chest and made a promise.

This batch of goods was sold.

They paid out all the wages that had been owed for six months.

May everyone have a good New Year.

But now.

The money turned into a pile of immovable goods.

The workers' livelihoods were all invested in this project.

The old man received the seizure notice on the same day.

He coughed so hard he couldn't straighten up on the spot.

Upon being admitted to the hospital, he was diagnosed with severe emphysema.

The doctor frowned and said that years of smoking combined with constant anxiety had worn down his health.

My mom is at home looking at all the payment reminders plastered all over the house.

He was so angry that he lost his temper.

He collapsed onto the bed.

He didn't even have the strength to get out of bed and walk.

Unable to find their boss, the workers blocked his doorway.

The door was pounded on loudly, and plaster fell from the walls in a flurry.

The sound mingled with my mother's suppressed sobs, making the windowpanes tremble.

Someone was kicking the door and shouting.

"Boss Zhao is hiding, isn't he?"

"If we can't pay wages, we'll move our belongings to pay off our debts!"

This is the third blockade this week.

Zhao Yuheng stood guard behind the door, with the amulet Jin Bao'er had given him tucked in his pocket.

He stroked it with his fingertips again and again, but dared not look too closely.

I was afraid to look at it even once.

He was afraid he wouldn't be able to resist making a phone call and telling everything to the person who was still in the dark, foolishly waiting for him.

Listening to the sounds outside.

My clenched fists were covered in cold sweat.

For Mom and Dad's safety.

He sent his mother back to her rural hometown overnight.

I asked a relative to look after him.

She rushed back to the hospital to stay with her father.

Before leaving.

The old man gripped his wrist.

His withered fingers trembled violently.

"My son, I'm so sorry to those workers."

"I'm sorry too..."

He went home this time to retrieve some documents related to the goods.

That is key evidence that proves the material has been tampered with.

It must not fall into the hands of anyone.

But I had just stepped out the door.

His path was blocked by seven or eight workers.

"Kid, your dad's been keeping you hidden pretty well!"

The burly man at the head spat.

His eyes were bloodshot.

"You're not leaving until you hand over the money!"

Zhao Yuheng held the document bag protectively in his arms.

He turned to run, but someone grabbed his arm.

His strength comes from years of working out.

They were no match for these seven or eight men who worked hard all year round.

In no time, he was slammed to the ground.

The rough cement ground hurt my knees, and my forehead also hit the hard ground, scraping my skin. Blood mixed with dust blurred my vision.

Two burly men pressed down hard on his shoulders.

A large, calloused hand slammed his face to the ground, his nose scraping against the cold earth.

Even the air smelled of earth.

"Pooh!"

A mouthful of saliva, thick with the smell of smoke, landed on the back of his neck.

"When you capitalists are making a fortune..."

Have you thought about us?

"My daughter is waiting to pay her tuition!"

"If your father doesn't pay to ransom you, I'll cripple you today!"

Zhao Yuheng gritted his teeth, letting out a muffled groan.

Struggling to lift his head, he was kicked hard in the back of the head.

The pain was so intense that his vision blurred, and the workers were driven to madness.

The contractor absconded with the last bit of money he had left.

Only one sentence was left behind.

If you want your wages, go ask the Zhao family.

In chaos.

A brownish-yellow object that he had tied to his waistband was pulled out and exposed.

"What is this?"

A burly man with sharp eyes reached out and grabbed it.

"Don't touch it!!"

Zhao Yuheng was like a wolf whose tail had been stepped on.

That was a lucky charm that Jinbao'er bought for him with a smile.

She said she would protect him for the rest of her life.

Zhao Yuheng suddenly roared.

His voice cracked as soon as he finished speaking.

A sharp pain shot through my thigh.

A burly man kicked him hard in the back of the knee.

His bones felt like they were about to crack, and he couldn't help but groan.

Cold sweat instantly broke out on my forehead.

The burly man held the amulet, turning it over and over to examine it.

The wooden sign had the two characters "平安" (peace and safety) carved crookedly.

The edges were polished until they shone.

"Ha, a peace charm?"

The burly man sneered, his tone full of mockery.

"Get your wages settled, and let's all be safe!"

Before he could finish speaking...

He suddenly raised his arm.

The amulet was smashed hard onto the cement floor.

A soft "click" sounded.

The wooden sign that cost two yuan couldn't withstand such force at all.

It split in two with a snap.

The red rope hung loosely.

Wood chips scattered from the broken edge.

"ah--!!"

Zhao Yuheng felt as if his heart had been ripped out.

His eyes instantly turned blood red.

The anger, resentment, and despair that had been building up in my chest.

They all exploded at that moment.

The veins on his arms bulged out, like little blue snakes.

The body, which had been suppressed, suddenly unleashed an astonishing force.

He suddenly struggled, sending the two burly men staggering backward.

He ignored the pain all over his body.

He pulled a folding knife for self-defense from his trouser leg.

He was afraid the workers would become too emotional.

I carried it with me on purpose.

He dared not actually hurt anyone, keeping the tip of the knife firmly pointed at the ground.

He only dared to wave the back of the knife wildly, the blade slicing through the air with a "whoosh" sound.

They temporarily forced back the people who had surrounded them.

The burly man at the head of the group looked at the madness in his eyes, a flicker of pity crossing his gaze. He turned his head away and cursed, "Damn it, he was forced into it!"

Take advantage of this gap.

He staggered to his feet.

Pick up the file bag from the ground.

He gripped the two broken pieces of the amulet tightly in one hand.

As I rubbed my fingertip against the rough, broken edge, wood chips embedded themselves in my skin, drawing out beads of blood.

He was completely unaware.

He gripped the knife and retreated step by step.

Until my back pressed against the cold door.

The door slammed shut.

He then turned around.

I ran forward as fast as I could, not knowing how long I ran.

I don't know how many streets I ran through.

Until my legs went weak and I could no longer take another step.

He then plunged headfirst into a secluded alley.

With his back against the cold wall, he slid down to the ground.