Chapter 10 Provocation: Time in the labor camp seemed to...
Time in the labor camp was like crumpled waste paper, disordered and endless.
Shen Mi had long been accustomed to the rhythm here. Every morning, he would wake up to the sharp whistle. Everyone would drag their tired bodies to the same room, put on their tracking locks, and ride vehicles into the mining area, repeating the actions of swinging picks, loading ore, and pushing carts.
She didn't really adapt to this place; she just learned to deal with everything calmly and discreetly.
Before she knew it, she had slowly gotten used to the soreness in her arms—the weight of the pickaxe, the long hours of bending over, the dull pain of the rocks hitting her body, the soreness in her arms felt like it was etched into her bones. From being unbearable at first, it had now become just a dull numbness.
But she wouldn't allow herself to become truly numb.
Shen Mi knew very well that the labor camp would not be the end of her journey.
She didn't come here simply to "survive." She still has a mission to complete, people to find, and a future to struggle to reclaim.
So the first time Shen Mi truly realized that living a peaceful life was difficult was after Kulun specifically requested her to go to District C.
After all, if you want to make things difficult for someone, you don't need to do it yourself; there are plenty of sycophants eager to please you.
Shen Mi was swinging his pickaxe, hammering away at the golden ore in front of him. Through these days of digging, he had gradually figured out the knack of mining. To achieve a high success rate in mining ore, technique was also very important.
When she first started working, Chen Mi's ore pass rate was basically the lowest. Luckily, she was working in Zone E. If she had been transferred to another zone, she would have been scolded to death by her supervisor long ago with such a pass rate.
Just as I was feeling relieved that Dan Heng was the supervisor of Zone E, trouble came knocking.
"I heard you're quite capable." Two or three tall, thin men, as thin as bamboo poles, walked out from the depths of the mine.
Just as Shen Mi and Sha Valei loaded the mined ore into the cart, they heard several sarcastic voices coming from behind them.
The mine was a maze of interconnected passages leading to different places. Shen Mi was not surprised by their appearance; she was mentally prepared for this situation.
She turned around and saw 1017, the leader, standing casually by the fence not far from them with several of his men, staring at her.
Seeing their ill intentions, Savare instinctively shrank behind Shen Mi, clutching her clothes tightly with her small hands.
Shen Mi did not answer, but just looked in the direction of the person who came.
1017 seemed to enjoy the tense silence. He took a step closer, glanced at the neatly stacked ore she had piled up, and then looked at the blisters on her hands from working for a long time. He chuckled and said, "When did such a diligent person come to District E? No wonder the manager is scrambling to hire people."
Shen Mi looked at them; she knew what they wanted to say.
The main reason for his sarcastic and strange behavior was simply to attract Kulen's attention by tormenting her.
Shen Mi lowered her eyelashes, her gaze falling on the edges of the ore. As if she hadn't heard 1017's words, she simply reached out and straightened a crooked piece of ore in the cart.
Savare's hands were still tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, with such force that it seemed she wanted to crush the fabric.
"What, are you mute?" Seeing that she didn't respond, 1017's smile widened, and he tilted his head and clicked his tongue. "That's right, what can an honest miner like you say?"
His subordinates behind him chimed in, "Maybe he was chosen for Section C just because of his innocent face."
"Haha, don't say that. Maybe he'll rise to prominence one day—in the steward's bed, of course."
As soon as he finished speaking, they burst into laughter, the sound echoing harshly in the narrow mine shaft.
Savare's face turned deathly pale instantly. She looked up at Shen Mi, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she was too afraid to utter a sound.
Shen Mi finally raised his head and looked at 1017.
Her eyes were indifferent, without anger or humiliation, as if she were looking at a few troublesome stones.
"Your manager's bed is that wide?" Shen Mi asked slowly, her tone completely flat. "Can even a few of you squeeze in?"
The mine was silent for a moment.
The smiles on the faces of the people standing behind 1017 froze, as if they hadn't realized what Shen Mi meant.
1017's face immediately darkened: "What did you say?"
"Huh?" Shen Mi tilted her head, looking puzzled. "I thought you guys knew that bed pretty well, otherwise how come you know its dimensions better than I do?"
Savare was stunned, even loosening her grip on Chen Mi's clothes, staring blankly at her.
"You!" A hint of anger flashed across 1017's face. He took a step forward, seemingly ready to attack at any moment, but he quickly restrained himself, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "What, you're quite sharp-tongued."
Shen Mi remained noncommittal: "Are you praising me?"
“What a pity—” 1017 squinted, “Here, no matter how eloquent you are, it’s useless.”
Shen Mi did not refute, but simply smiled.
“You’re right,” she said calmly. “After all, the most important thing here is whether we can survive.”
1017 stared at her: "What do you mean?"
Shen Mi lowered his eyes, as if talking to himself: "So I just don't understand, why are you all chasing after me all the time? Do you think you're living too smoothly?"
The air froze instantly.
1017's expression gradually darkened. He looked into Chen Mi's eyes, which showed no fear, only an inexplicable indifference.
—It's like looking at an idiot.
Savare held her breath and quietly hid a little behind Shen Mi.
A few seconds later, 1017 suddenly laughed: "Interesting."
Shen Mi didn't reply, but continued pushing the cart full of ore forward.
1017 stared at her back with a cold look in his eyes.
"You think you can be so arrogant just because someone's protecting you?" he said slowly behind her. "You can't hide behind Manager Mei every day."
Chen Mi paused for a moment.
She didn't turn around, her tone calm: "So you plan to stand in front of Kulen forever, using him as a shield, acting as a barking, loyal dog?"
1017's face instantly darkened, like a bucket of cold water poured on charcoal fire, causing a gloomy mist to rise.
Shen Mi didn't need to turn around to feel the anger in his eyes—the rage of someone whose pride had been publicly humiliated. He wasn't good at hiding his emotions, and his expression couldn't suppress them.
"You've got guts." 1017's voice was low and hoarse, as if he were crushing pebbles in his throat. He slowly raised his hand and walked step by step toward Chen Mi.
Shavalei turned pale with fright and instinctively tried to grab Shen Mi's sleeve to pull him aside, but Shen Mi gently pressed down on the back of her hand, telling her not to move.
Shen Mi stood still, his eyes slightly narrowed, his gaze indifferent, seemingly not taking 1017's actions seriously at all.
That expression only added fuel to the fire.
1017's fist was already clenched, and it looked like it was about to land on Chen Mi's shoulder in the next second—
"stop."
A cold voice came from the depths of the mine, like a cold stone thrown into a turbulent body of water. The voice was not loud, but it made everyone stop in their tracks.
Shen Mi turned his head and saw that Dan Heng had appeared at the entrance of the mine tunnel at some point.
His gray-blue uniform was still covered in dust, his features were stern, and his posture was ramrod straight. When his light blue eyes swept across the scene before him, there was no emotional fluctuation, only a silent calm that was almost cold.
He walked slowly, each step carrying an undeniable sense of oppression.
1017's fist froze in mid-air, veins bulging on the back of his hand. He looked up at Dan Heng, his lips twitching slightly: "Manager Mei, this has nothing to do with you, does it?"
Dan Heng did not answer, but stood beside Chen Mi, looking down at 1017, his voice still indifferent: "When did a new team leader come to Area E? I have not received any new notification."
The implication is that you should go back to where you belong.
Knowing she was in the wrong, 1017 opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, wanting to say something, but ultimately didn't dare to utter a sound.
Like a drowning stray dog, it hung its head, its previous arrogance as fragile as the Emperor's New Clothes, crumbling at the slightest touch.
Shen Mi watched from the side, a faint smile playing on his lips.
As expected of Danheng.
In this place, some people establish themselves through their fists, some through their methods, but Dan Heng only needs a glance to suppress everyone's arrogance.
Dan Heng looked coldly at 1017, his tone as calm as if he were stating something perfectly ordinary: "If you don't want to spend the night in the mine, now, go back to your own work area."
1017's face turned ashen, but in the end he didn't dare to talk back. He could only glare at Shen Mi, grit his teeth, and turn to leave with his men.
Only after their figures completely disappeared at the end of the mine tunnel did Chen Mi breathe a slight sigh of relief.
She glanced at Dan Heng beside her, raised an eyebrow and smiled, "That's really timely, Manager Mei."
Dan Heng glanced at her, his expression indifferent: "It's not always this lucky."
After a while, seemingly realizing that his words had been too harsh, he quietly added, "Prioritize protecting yourself."
Shen Mi felt a slight tremor in his heart.
She understood what Danheng meant—this time he stepped in to stop her, but what if she was alone next time?
Shen Mi suppressed his smile and nodded: "I know. I knew you'd be on duty in the mine today."
Dan Heng didn't say anything more, but just glanced at her mine cart indifferently: "The ore qualification rate has improved recently."
Shen Mi was taken aback, then smiled: "Thanks to Supervisor Mei."
Dan Heng didn't reply, and turned to walk to the other side of the mine tunnel.
Only when his figure was swallowed up by the dim light did Shen Mi slowly exhale.
Savare timidly tugged at her sleeve and whispered, "Sister Chenmi...has Manager Mei...been nearby the whole time?"
Shen Mi lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then looked in the direction he left, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Who knows?
But she already had the answer in her heart.
He's always been by her side.
A note from the author:
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I'm here!!! [doge][doge][doge]
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