Chapter 3: Release from Prison

Three years later

The gates of the S City Women's Prison opened, and before long, a woman emerged, moving languidly.

She was shockingly thin, her body draped in the same white dress she was wearing when she entered the women's prison three years ago. Now, it hung on her like a large sack.

She walked very slowly, step by step, heading towards a platform a hundred meters away. In her hand, she carried a black plastic bag containing thirty-one yuan and fifty cents, along with an identity card.

In the sweltering summer heat, walking on the gravel road, the ground visibly undulated with a layer of white heat haze. Today the temperature was at least thirty-three or thirty-four degrees, yet the woman walked under the scorching sun without a single drop of sweat on her body.

Her pale skin bore bruises of blue and purple, and even on her face, near the hairline at the edge of her forehead, a scar about three centimeters long sprawled prominently, very conspicuous.

The bus arrived, and the woman boarded, gingerly fishing out a coin from her black plastic bag and dropping it into the fare box. There weren't many people on the bus. The driver gave her a glance and then averted his disdainful gaze... those getting on here, from the prison, who could they be if not criminals who had offended the law?

As if oblivious to the driver's look, the woman proceeded to the back seat, choosing a corner spot at the very end, trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible.

The bus moved on, and she watched out of the window... Three years, such great changes.

A slight curve formed at the corners of her mouth... Indeed, three years, such immense changes, not just in the world outside the prison, but also within herself.

The bus reached a bustling area, and she jolted suddenly... now that she was out of prison, where was she to go?

It dawned on her all at once, the pressing reality—she had nowhere to go.

Opening the black plastic bag, she counted the remaining thirty yuan and fifty cents carefully, three times... What was she going to do from now on?

Not far from the roadside, the recruitment information posted by a shop caught her attention.

"Driver, I need to get off, could you please open the door?" The three years of prison life had eroded the pride from her, making her speech to others always seem to lack confidence.

The driver, grumbling complaints, opened the door, and she thanked him and got off.

She walked up to the large poster with the job information and studied it for a while. Her gaze settled on the words "cleaning staff," then moved to the promise of "accommodation and one meal provided."

She has no home, no files, no education, and has been in jail... I'm afraid no one would want her even as a cleaner. But... squeezing the remaining thirty yuan and fifty cents in her hand, the woman gritted her teeth and walked into the nightclub called "Donghuang International Entertainment Club". As soon as she entered, Jian Tong shuddered, and the central The cold air from the air conditioner made her shiver with cold.

“Name.” The person spoke impatiently.

“Jian Tong.” Her hoarse voice sounded slowly, startling the flashy woman who was taking down her information. The woman’s pen almost dropped onto the table, and with dissatisfaction, she asked her, “Why is your voice so unpleasant?”

Having endured three years of a hellish prison life, Jian Tong had become accustomed to being unhurried. Even as the criticism about her raspy voice was directly expressed in front of her, she responded in a leisurely tone as if without a temper, “Smoke damage.”

The glamorous-looking woman was slightly shocked, her inquisitive gaze landing on Jian Tong's face, “A fire?”

“Yes, a fire.” She said faintly, lowering her eyelids... It was just a fire that was deliberately set by someone.

The flashy woman, seeing that she wasn't willing to say much and finding her uninteresting, also didn't take it to heart. With a furrowed brow, she clucked her tongue, "No way, Donghuang is not an ordinary entertainment club, and we don't serve ordinary guests." She gave Jian Tong another top to bottom look, her disdain obvious, apparently looking down on Jian Tong, who was dressed in clothes that resembled a sack. Her white dress had turned yellowish, indicating it had been worn for a long time.

Donghuang International was not a place where ordinary people could afford to frequent. Even an average server here had to be good-looking and have an attractive figure. Jian Tong, looking the way she did, dared to apply for a job here.

The glamorous woman stood up, waved her hand dismissively, and summarily rejected Jian Tong: "No, you won't do, not even as a server." She turned to leave.

"I'm applying for the janitor position."

Jian Tong's rough voice solemnly filled the small office and successfully halted the woman's steps. The woman paused, turned around, and with raised eyebrows, looked her up and down again, now suspicious, "It's rare to see someone in their twenties willing to stoop to being a janitor and endure hardship."

The youngest cleaning lady here was also well into her forties. This girl, with a scar on her forehead, as thin as a bamboo pole, was at most 20 years old. There were plenty of 20-year-olds around here — they were models and 'princesses'! Of course, there were also servers.

A 20-something-year-old janitor, though, was unheard of.

The flashy woman had thought this inconspicuous girl would be quick to complain, to tell her how tough the times were, how difficult life could be. If she really did start to give her such a spiel, she'd immediately have had her thrown out.

Tough times, huh. In Donghuang, such stories were so common they could fill a library if published. Who cares how a stranger they've met for the first time is living?

The rough, unexpectedly frank voice of the girl continued without hurry, "If I could make a living by selling my body, I'd spread my legs and welcome customers too. Before coming here, I looked at myself; I don't have the capital for that trade, so I sell my labor instead. Do what I can do." ... She was just a criminal with the number "926," that's all. What use was dignity when coming out of that place? A self-mocking smile flickered in Jian Tong's eyes.

The glamorous woman showed a hint of surprise, inspected Jian Tong again from head to toe, and returned to her desk to begin filling out a form: "Jian Tong? 'Jian' as in simple, and 'Tong' as in fairy tale?"

"Right."

"It shouldn't be," the woman assessed Jian Tong, "with a name like that, your parents must have loved you very much."

In Jian Tong's eyes, there was only a still pond of dead water, void of any luster... Loved very much?

Yes, very much loved. If only she hadn't maliciously caused Xiawei Ming's demise, if only she hadn't brought a catastrophe upon the Jian family. Yes, probably very loved.

"I don't have any family," Jian Tong stated calmly.

The flamboyant woman furrowed her brows as she glanced at Jian Tong and didn't pry further. Standing up, she said, "Alright, copy your ID card."

Standing from the chair and walking towards the door on her fifteen-centimeter high heels, she suddenly stopped, turned around, and warned Jian Tong, "Jian Tong, do you know why I made an exception for you?"

Not expecting an answer from Jian Tong, she continued, "You said something good, Jian Tong. If you could sell, you definitely would. But since you can't, you accept your fate and do what you can do."

There are so many people who have lived twice as long as you and still don't understand this simple truth; they obsess over trivial problems, working tirelessly to climb the ladder of success, believing themselves to be contending with the gods. In fact, they're overambitious and lacking in ability, perpetually failing to recognize their own insignificance.

You, however, are willing to confront yourself and understand what you're capable of doing. A person who knows what they can do, I believe, also knows what's beyond their ability."

At this point, the glamorous woman narrowed her eyes: "Jian Tong, Donghuang is not your typical leisure club."

Jian Tong replied slowly and deliberately: "I understand, my voice is unpleasant. I won't speak unless necessary." By not speaking thoughtlessly, she would avoid saying anything improper.

The woman nodded in satisfaction, a gesture she usually withheld from newcomers. Anyone who has the courage to blend into Donghuang should be psychologically prepared.

Yet, unexpectedly, today she made an exception for a cleaning lady.

Although her status at Donghuang was not low, in the vast and confusing metropolis filled with powerful and wealthy elites, there wasn't one she could afford to offend... Once inside Donghuang, one must learn the "rules."

What should and shouldn't be said, what should and shouldn't be done.

"About that manager..." Jian Tong found it difficult to broach the subject: "I don't have a place to stay."

The flamboyant woman said: "From now on, call me Sister Meng," and then took out her phone to make a call: "Xiao Jiang, come over. I've just hired a new cleaner, take her to the staff dormitory." After finishing the call and hanging up, she left Jian Tong with a brief:

"Come to work tomorrow."

And then she left Jian Tong standing there alone.

Holding the employment report in her hand, Jian Tong breathed a sigh of relief... Tonight, she wouldn't have to sleep on the streets.