Chapter 17 Run! 1017 glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his gaze turning dark...

After her previous setback, Shen Mi thought 1017 would behave himself for a few days, and that she wouldn't see him again for at least a short time.

I just didn't expect—

She looked in the direction of the sound and saw several figures slowly walking out from the other side of the corner. The one in the lead was 1017. He had a half-smile on his lips, his hands in his pockets, and a carefree expression. Behind him were several familiar faces, all of them the same sycophants who had ambushed her and Savare in Area C before.

The woman instantly forgot about her foot, which was so painful she couldn't stand up. She quickly got up and stood behind 1017, her eyes filled with coldness and mockery.

“I knew it.” 1017 clicked her tongue, her eyes scanning the merchandise. “They always say you’re smart. I didn’t believe it at first, but now it seems there’s some truth to it.”

Shen Mi remained silent.

Savare instinctively shrank behind Shen Mi, clutching her clothes tightly, her voice barely a whisper: "Sister Shen Mi, they...they want to..."

1017 laughed, a meaningful laugh: "Most people would have knelt down and begged for mercy after meeting me, but you, with your sharp tongue, have made me lose face..."

As he spoke, he suddenly gave a signal with his eyes, and a burly man standing next to him instantly stepped forward and swung his fist at Chen Mi!

"Last time, Supervisor Mei was there, so I couldn't do anything to you. Now, it's just us in this alley; everyone else has gone to submit their minerals. Today, I'm going to see how you talk without teeth!"

Savare screamed.

Shen Mi had anticipated this, and she quickly pulled Savare aside, narrowly avoiding the heavy punch. But her opponent clearly wasn't just trying to scare her; after missing, he retaliated with an elbow strike, mercilessly slamming it into her shoulder!

Shen Mi gritted his teeth, protecting Shavalei as they retreated several steps. He stumbled and his back slammed hard against the mine wall.

Shavalei panicked completely: "Sister Chenmi!"

1017 narrowed her eyes, a cold smile playing on her lips: "What? You think you're so smart? Being smart is useless anyway."

Shen Mi raised her hand to shield her shoulder from the pain, her eyes cold. She knew she was no match for these people, but the most important thing now was not to retaliate, but to get the innocent people out of here.

She lowered her voice and said to Savarey, "Listen, run now, run as far as you can! Go find Supervisor Mei!"

“But…” Shavalei was still hesitating when 1017, already impatient, suddenly reached out to grab Chen Mi’s arm: “Let’s see how long you can keep up this act—”

"Now!"

Shen Mi's voice was like a cracking whip. Shavalei shuddered, turned around abruptly, and staggered into the path on the other side.

1017's hand paused in mid-air. He looked at the direction where Shavalei had fled with a cold smile: "Oh, you've got guts."

He waved his hand lazily, and the thugs behind him immediately understood his meaning, with two of them quickly chasing after him.

Shen Mi's heart jumped, but his expression remained calm.

She stared at 1017, her voice calm: "You really have patience, putting on this whole act just to save face?"

1017 shrugged nonchalantly: "Who told you to be in my way?"

Shen Mi sneered: "An eyesore? I think it's jealousy. But I still want to give you a piece of advice: not everyone is like you, racking your brains just to be a lapdog at Kulun's feet."

1017's face immediately darkened, and his smile turned cold: "Don't try to be stubborn with me."

As he spoke, he tilted his head slightly, and a burly man next to him understood and threw a punch at Shen Mi!

Shen Mi quickly dodged to the side, but his shoulder was still grazed by the force, and the pain spread instantly.

She gritted her teeth, trying to steady herself, while silently counting the time in her mind—Savare had already run some distance away. She didn't know if the other party could successfully bring reinforcements, but she only hoped that the child would react quickly enough and not be caught.

"What?" 1017 approached slowly, a hint of mockery in her eyes. "You really think you're someone important?"

Shen Mi took a half step back, her fingertips trembling slightly, but she kept her eyes fixed on him: "You're guilty of provoking trouble. Even if I get arrested, you won't escape."

"Hahaha!" 1017 laughed loudly, "Stop being stubborn, kneel down and admit your mistake, and I might forgive your previous rude behavior."

This is intolerable!

Shen Mi gritted his teeth: "Dream on!"

Two fists can't beat four hands. The difference in strength between men and women is too great. Even though Chen Mi used his hands and feet to kick wildly in the air, it only delayed her from being caught by a few seconds.

In a moment of carelessness, her arm was tightly bound behind her back, and Shen Mi was caught off guard and forcefully pressed to the ground. Her cheek was pressed against the rough ground, and the gravel hurt her, leaving a bloody mark that stung her nerves.

She struggled, but her arms were twisted behind her back, as if clamped by iron clamps, and she couldn't move at all.

1017 covered her eyes and exclaimed dramatically, "Ouch! Just hearing that makes me feel pain!"

1017 stood in front of her, looking down at her as if admiring a broken toy.

"Weren't you quite the talker?" he chuckled, his tone mocking. "Why aren't you being stubborn now?"

Shen Mi gritted her teeth, her face pressed against the ground, the sweet, metallic taste of blood spreading in her mouth, but she didn't utter a sound.

1017 seemed unsatisfied, squatted down, and reached out as if to slap her face: "What are you pretending for? Be good, and maybe I can make your suffering less today—"

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Mi suddenly turned her head to the side and bit his hand hard!

"hiss--"

1017 gasped in pain and flung his hand away with such force that it made Chen Mi stagger to the side.

"Are you crazy?!" His face was contorted with rage as he stared at his hand, which had been bitten and bled. His eyes were bloodshot, and his anger was almost burning out of them. "You brat, you're asking for it!"

Seeing this, the thugs behind him rushed forward, and one of them even kicked Chen Mi!

Shen Mi couldn't avoid it. She closed her eyes, her mind focused on only one thought: Shavalei, quickly find someone...

However, the next second, a majestic and cold voice exploded in this oppressive space—

"Stop it, everyone!"

Shen Mi's heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously looked up and saw several security personnel patrolling nearby walking quickly towards her.

It's not Danheng.

Suppressing her disappointment, Shen Mi thought to herself, "Whoever it is, their arrival means we're safe now, and Shavalei should be out of danger by now."

1017's face instantly darkened. He raised his hand to signal his men to stop, and looked at the patrol team with a forced smile: "Oh, isn't this the security team? What a coincidence?"

The head security officer swept his cold gaze across the scene, his brows furrowing deeply when he saw the disheveled Shen Mi and the injuries on her face: "What happened?"

Chen Mi gasped for breath, suppressing the churning pain in his chest, and was about to speak—

1017 spoke first, looking completely innocent: "Sir, we just noticed this woman was suspiciously following us, so we kindly came up to ask her a few questions. Who knew she would suddenly attack us and even bite me?"

As he spoke, he deliberately showed the bloody marks from her bite, his tone full of grievance: "Look, she bit me."

Shen Mi laughed angrily: "You—"

"Don't speak." The security guard coldly interrupted Shen Mi, then turned to stare at 1017, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes. "You're saying she attacked first?"

1017 replied earnestly, "Of course, how could I dare to talk nonsense in front of you?"

Shen Mi took a deep breath. She knew that nothing she said would make a difference. It seemed that the group of people from 1017 had already prepared a story to drag her into this mess.

"That Shavalei..." Shen Mi felt endless regret. She shouldn't have been so quick-witted and dragged others into this mess.

[System! System! I'm about to be killed! Why haven't you appeared yet?!]

Shen Mi waited a few seconds, remaining silent, with only the sounds of security personnel and the barking of 1017's dogs in his ears.

Just as Shen Mi was feeling utterly disheartened, the system, which had been feigning death, finally revealed itself. [Danger Level: Zero Stars]

Zero stars? What does that mean?

At the same time, the security officer strode up to Shen Mi, turned his back to her, and said to 1017, "But the information we received is that you are deliberately provoking us."

1017's smile faltered slightly.

"What news?" He narrowed his eyes, his tone unconsciously carrying a hint of wariness. "We're here to handle a private dispute, what provocation is this?"

The security officer stared at him expressionlessly, his eyes seeming to peel away the disguise on 1017's face and see into his very soul: "A few minutes ago, someone reported to us that you and your accomplices deliberately surrounded two female workers in this area, verbally threatened them, and attempted to physically assault them."

1017's face turned completely cold.

He immediately realized—the thin little girl had successfully tipped him off!

Moreover, they acted extremely quickly; otherwise, the security team wouldn't have been able to arrive at the scene so quickly.

Shen Mi, who was listening nearby, was shocked. Shavalei, she must have run off to find someone!

The girl's petite figure flashed through Chen Mi's mind, carrying a hint of trembling stubbornness.

The security officer's gaze swept over Shen Mi's disheveled appearance, his lips tightening into a thin line: "Now, you lot, come back with us for questioning."

"Sir, we really didn't do anything!" 1017 suppressed his anger and explained with a forced smile, "She bit me, you saw it yourself—"

"Shut up," the security officer said coldly.

1017 clenched her back teeth, and the fake smile on her face finally broke down, causing her lips to twitch.

Shen Mi watched coldly without saying a word, but his fingertips had already quietly loosened their grip on the dust.

She knew that now was not the time for her to speak out.

1017 glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his gaze extremely gloomy, like a venomous snake silently coiling in the grass.

He hadn't expected that Shen Mi would be able to turn the tables on him despite his own schemes—even if it wasn't by him, but by that cowardly and timid Shavalei who usually seemed to have no courage to resist.

The security officer made a gesture, and several patrolmen stepped forward, signaling everyone to follow them.

1017's gaze was fierce, as if it were poisoned, staring intently at Chen Mi, and then he opened his mouth and said something silently.

—"Wait."

A note from the author:

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Someone asked the author, "Author, did you manage to get tickets for the Star Railway?" The author replied, "Yes!!!" [starry-eyed][starry-eyed][starry-eyed][starry-eyed]

Waaaaah, thank you so much, Nora, for the nutrient solution! [crying emoji]