Chapter 128: Testing and Exploiting

“Oh, you still have a bright future and know your interests.”

“I told the truth; otherwise, I wouldn’t have sat aside and waited,” Su Xiaozhong replied with a smile.

Another escort was about to tie his hands, but the captain who had just spoken waved his hand, “He doesn’t need it.”

Su Xiaozhong looked at the captain in surprise but quickly frowned. “Isn’t this bad? If I drag my elder brother down and get scolded, won’t it be my fault?”

The captain looked at him with a smile, his eyes searching and appreciative, and said kindly, “It doesn’t matter. I see my brother here is an honest man. I won’t miss him.”

Su Xiaozhong was touched, tears welling up in his eyes from the appreciation. “I will definitely live up to my elder brother’s expectations.”

In the end, Su Xiaozhong was not tied up. Instead, he was treated like cattle and driven along by a rope.

The team leader walked ahead with the rest of the men, seemingly ignoring Su Xiaozhong and allowing him to walk behind.

After a while, one of the younger men couldn’t help but say, “Boss, are we really not going to tie up that man? What if he escapes?”

If the leader found out, he would definitely be punished.

The team leader sneered, “It’s okay; even if he escapes, I can catch him.”

Su Xiaozhong, who was standing in the back row, observed the two men walking away, a smirk forming on his lips, his eyes gleaming.

Now that he was at the back and had no rope binding him, it would be easy to escape, but he was no fool and had no intention of doing so.

Others might fish for opportunities, waiting for someone to make a mistake. If you were naive enough to fall for it, wouldn’t that be foolish?

He feared that as soon as he took off running, he would be caught and face a severe beating or worse, risk his life, becoming an example to scare others into submission.

He had no interest in being that example.

The other people who were tied up knew that Su Xiaozhong was not one of their group. Some noticed that he was not trying to leave.

An old man couldn’t help but say, “Man, why don’t you leave? They are all busy at the front and have no time to care about here. Now is your chance to escape.”

Su Xiaozhong smiled at the old man and said honestly, “No, no, that guy didn’t tie my hands. How could I repay him with kindness?”

The old man looked at him in shock, as if he didn’t understand this man’s brain circuit. “These people are evil people. It’s not a joke for you to argue with these people.”

“Man, do you know why these people caught us?”

Su Xiaozhong looked at the old man, waiting for him to continue.

The old man sighed, his tone full of worry. “We will be sold as goods by them. If we are lucky, we will be bought into a rich family as a slave.

If we are unlucky, we will be sent to a black kiln. When we get to places like that, the fate of women and children will not be much better.”

“Beautiful women will be sold into a place of filth, or children with good looks will be sold into death bonds. He might be sent to the Chu Palace, or his hands and feet will be broken, and he will become a beggar on the street, controlled for the rest of his life.”

Su Xiaozhong naturally understood, but he still pretended to be clueless. “Old man, why do you know so well?”

The old man sighed again. “When I was young, I was also a traveler, but in my old age, I didn’t expect to end up in this situation.

You man, if you have a chance to escape, don’t leave. Escape while those people are not paying attention.”

Others in the team heard what the old man said, and many couldn’t help but cry.

The sound of movement here immediately attracted the attention of the escorts in front. The whips in their hands struck the sobbing woman mercilessly.

“Why are you crying? If you cry again, I will cut out your tongue.”

This scolding scared everyone in the team into silence.

The man glanced at Su Xiaozhong from the corner of his eye but quickly looked away indifferently, as if he didn’t care about him at all.

Su Xiaozhong cupped his hands at the old man and said, “Thank you for the reminder, old man, but I can’t be a person who breaks my word.

Not to mention, what you said is only one-sided. Even so, I can’t be that kind of ungrateful person. He is unkind, but I cannot be unjust.”

After saying these words, everyone around him looked at him as if he was an idiot, especially the old man, who wished he could take his place.

“You, you are really confused.”

Su Xiaozhong still smiled innocently and scratched his head, appearing harmless to both humans and animals.

Someone shot him a hard look, truly looking down on a foolish person like him.

Another person advised the old man, “Old man, don’t try to persuade him. Maybe he won’t believe you and just think those people are good.”

“But no, some people are blind. I’m afraid your kindness is just a waste on a dog.”

The old man sighed heavily, shaking his head helplessly, and stopped trying to persuade Su Xiaozhong.

The tied man looked at Su Xiaozhong with contempt in his eyes.

Su Xiaozhong didn’t care and continued to follow the team obediently.

He was unfazed by how the people around him regarded him.

Everything he had suffered in the past was much more cruel than this, and the contempt he faced in that moment couldn’t stir any pain within him.

The leader of the escort team was always paying attention to every move behind him, so he was aware of Su Xiaozhong’s situation.

When the young man from before saw Su Xiaozhong was not encouraged to leave, he admired the captain’s judgment and began to flatter him. “Boss, you have amazing insight.

That man didn’t listen to our people and is still following along obediently.”

“Boss, I think that man is loyal. Why don’t we take him in?”

The escort captain waved his hand dismissively, “Don’t worry; let’s test him a bit more.”

As the pursuit team in front began to catch up, one group after another was arrested.

Su Xiaozhong did not intervene but stood quietly, watching.

He had no intention of reaching out to help, embodying the role of a stupid, loyal, and filial man.

The unbearable expression in his eyes occasionally caught the captain of the escort team’s attention.

The team grew stronger and stronger, but Su Xiaozhong didn’t see the Su family, so he presumed they had successfully escaped.

As he thought of the Su family, a fierce aura surged deep within his dark eyes.

Su family, don’t let him see it. Otherwise, they will surely suffer thousands of times the suffering that his family endured in their previous life.

Death is too easy. He would make their lives worse than death.

After enough people were arrested, the team began to return to the station. Su Xiaozhong finally couldn’t help but walk up to the escort team leader.

After observing this whole day, he was satisfied with this man. He doesn’t need smart subordinates, but he does need subordinates who are loyal and obedient enough.

Su Xiaozhong already knew his name from other people, so he hesitated and said, “Brother Li.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Are we going to be sold?” Su Xiaozhong nervously clenched his hands into fists and looked at the other party uneasily.