Volume One, Chapter Three: A Journey Across Borders

Page 1 of 3

At five in the morning, Beijing was still shrouded in darkness. Li Yang had woken up early, though he had hardly slept all night. His hands trembled as he packed his simple belongings: passport, ID card, a few changes of clothes, and some regular medication. Such a modest luggage filled him with a faint sense of desolation. At twenty-five, after struggling in Beijing for three years, this was all he had to show for it.

Before leaving, he glanced at his phone one last time. There were over ten missed calls from his parents and more than ninety-nine unread WeChat messages. He dared not open them. Instead, he sent a brief text: "Mom, Dad, I’ve found a job with good pay. I’ll be busy for a while. Take care of yourselves. Don’t worry about me."

His finger hovered over the send button for a long moment before finally pressing it.

The morning rush hour in Beijing had yet to begin, so a taxi swiftly arrived at the Wangjing SOHO complex. A black business vehicle was already parked in front of the building, with David standing beside it, dressed in a crisp suit.

"Li Yang, you’re right on time," David said with a smile. "Here, give me your phone first."

Li Yang hesitated.

"This is company policy," David explained gently. "All employees heading to overseas bases must comply. You’ll get a new phone when you arrive. Don’t worry."

Handing over his phone felt like losing a vital organ. Still, he consoled himself: large companies all have regulations; this isn’t unusual.

Inside the business vehicle were three young people, all seemingly in their early twenties. A tall, thin young man with glasses was dozing off; beside him was a girl with a ponytail; and a short-cropped young man was staring out the window.

"These are your new colleagues," David introduced.

They nodded to one another. The atmosphere was somewhat awkward, but Li Yang thought that was natural—they were all strangers meeting for the first time.

At the airport, David helped them check in as a group. Their destination was Ruili, Yunnan.

"Someone will meet you in Ruili," David said. "If you have any problems on the way, feel free to contact me."

The plane cruised steadily at ten thousand meters. Li Yang gazed out at the sea of clouds and suddenly realized he was leaving everything familiar behind. Without his phone, unable to contact his parents, and clueless about his exact destination, a wave of unease swept over him.

He subtly observed his "colleagues." The ponytail girl was reading a magazine; the glasses-wearing young man was still asleep; the short-cropped young man kept his head down, lost in thought. They all seemed calm, which offered Li Yang a slight sense of reassurance.

Three hours later, the plane touched down at Ruili Airport. The moment they stepped off, the humid, stifling air engulfed them.

Outside the airport waited a white van, driven by a middle-aged man with dark skin and a thick Yunnan accent. After David handed them over to the driver, he left.

Page 2 of 3

"Sir, where are we going?" Li Yang cautiously asked.

"To the base," the driver replied curtly, his tone unfriendly.

The van climbed winding mountain roads. As the altitude rose, the view opened up. Verdant mountains stretched into the distance, trees lush and abundant. If not for the gnawing anxiety in his heart, Li Yang might have found the journey pleasing.

"What kind of work do you do?" the ponytail girl suddenly asked. She introduced herself as Xiao Yu from Guangdong.

"Internet marketing," Li Yang answered.

"Me too," the short-cropped young man said. "They said the starting salary is fifteen thousand yuan a month."

"I’m customer service," the glasses-wearing man pushed up his spectacles. "They said it’s for the Southeast Asian market."

They began chatting, each sharing their stories. All had seen the job ads online, all drawn by the high salaries, and all had come for interviews the very next day. Yet, for some reason, their similar experiences only deepened Li Yang’s unease.

After nearly two hours, the van stopped at a checkpoint. The driver stepped out and spoke briefly with border guards before being allowed through.

"Are we... crossing the border?" Xiao Yu asked in surprise.

"Yeah, didn’t they say it was cross-border e-commerce?" the short-cropped young man replied with a forced laugh.

Half an hour later, the vehicle stopped at a remote junction. There were no signs around—just a dirt road leading into the mountains.

"Get out," the driver ordered tersely.

Out of nowhere, a second off-road vehicle appeared. Two burly men climbed out and silently began shifting their luggage.

"Wait, where are we going?" Li Yang finally couldn’t hold back.

"Shut up! Get in!" one of the men barked sharply. He lifted his jacket, revealing a handgun holstered at his waist.

In an instant, everyone froze. Fear surged like a tidal wave, and Li Yang’s legs turned weak.

"Behave, and no one will hurt you," the other man said coldly.

Page 3 of 3

The four were shoved into the off-road vehicle. Inside the cabin was a musty smell, and the seats were stained with dark brown patches. Li Yang dared not imagine what those stains might be.

Xiao Yu began to sob quietly; the glasses-wearing man’s face turned ashen; the short-cropped man clenched his fists tightly.

Li Yang’s mind went blank. He finally understood everything: this was not cross-border e-commerce. They had been deceived, trafficked.

The vehicle bounced along the rugged mountain path. Through the window, Li Yang saw the vegetation growing denser and the air more humid. They were moving away from civilization, hurtling toward an unknown abyss.

After an indeterminate time, the vehicle stopped. Night had fallen completely, and only the chirping of insects filled the air.

"Get out, line up and walk," the armed man ordered.

They were led to an iron gate. Beyond it, the outlines of several buildings were dimly visible, along with patrolling guards. Barbed wire crowned the high walls, and searchlights swept back and forth.

This was to be their prison.

The iron gate creaked open slowly, emitting a harsh screech. It was as if the gates of hell were opening to swallow them.

Li Yang closed his eyes in despair. He thought of his parents and friends, of the cramped yet warm rented room back in Beijing. If only time could rewind, he would never have clicked that job ad, never attended that interview.

But now, it was too late.

"Move!" The armed man shoved the stunned Li Yang forward.

He stumbled across the threshold as if entering another world. Behind him, the iron gate slammed shut with a bang, sealing away his last hope of freedom.

In the darkness, several shadowy figures approached.

"Welcome to Northern Myanmar," a cold voice said. "From now on, you belong to us."