The plane landed at Ruili Airport just as evening fell. Following the signs, I found the person sent to pick me up at the airport exit—a tall, thin middle-aged man who introduced himself as Assistant to Manager Wang and told me to call him A Li.
"Xiao Zhao, right? Follow me," A Li said, taking my luggage and leading me to a van.
After about two hours of driving, it was completely dark outside. I sensed something was off. " A Li, where are we going? I thought we were staying in Ruili?"
Without turning around, A Li replied, "Young man, don't ask so many questions. You'll find out when we get there."
Another half hour passed before the van stopped at a remote little dock. A Li gestured for me to get out, and I noticed there were about a dozen other young people around, all looking like job seekers just like me.
"Listen up," A Li raised his voice. "We're taking a boat across the river. Behave yourselves, or don’t blame me for being rude."
It dawned on me that something was seriously wrong. I wanted to back out but was blocked by two burly men beside A Li. They held electric batons and had fierce looks in their eyes. A chill ran down my spine as I re A Li zed there was no way out.
Just like that, I and the others were forced onto a dilapidated fishing boat. As the vessel slowly glided into the pitch-black waters, my heart sank. I knew I had likely fallen into a terrifying trap, and this was just the beginning of a nightmare.
The crossing felt like it lasted a century. In the darkness, I could hear intermittent sobs and low curses. We all understood our predicament, but on that rickety little boat, with armed guards watching us, we could do nothing.
Finally, the boat reached the shore. We were shoved off and pushed along a muddy path. Under the moonlight, I saw a large courtyard at the end of the road, surrounded by high walls topped with barbed wire, where I could vaguely make out figures patrolling.
"Hurry up!" came an angry shout from behind, accompanied by the crackling sound of electric batons.
We were herded into the courtyard. Blinding searchlights immediately shone down on us, forcing me to squint. Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I could see our surroundings clearly—this was a vast compound filled with brightly lit buildings that resembled offices or dormitories.
A middle-aged man in a suit approached us. He wore a smile, but it sent chills down my spine.
"Welcome to our industrial park," he said slowly. "My surname is Jiang, and I am one of the people in charge here. From now on, you are part of our team. Work hard, obey the management, and you will earn a lot of money. If you don’t listen..."
He paused meaningfully. "Believe me, you won’t want to know the consequences."
We were assigned to different dormitories. I and five others were placed in a cramped room with only three sets of bunk beds.
"Someone will come to train you early tomorrow morning," said the person escorting us. "Get some good rest; starting tomorrow, you'll have plenty to do."
The door was slammed shut and locked.
I looked around; the small room was filled with bunk beds. The walls bore faded marks that told tales of its age, and the air was thick with a mix of mildew and sweat. In the corner, a camera coldly watched us.
My bed was on the top bunk, and as I climbed up, the wooden boards creaked ominously. The sheets were stained with someone else's sweat, and the pillow was hard as a rock. I tried to look out through the small window but could only see high walls and barbed wire.
Suddenly, I noticed some scratches on the wall. Upon closer inspection, I saw a line of small letters: "God, please save us!" My heart sank to the depths.
I slumped onto my bed, finally re A Li zing my situation. I, Zhao Lin, a freshly graduated university student, had been tricked into the infamous Northern Myanmar Scam Group.
As I gazed out at the moonlight, I felt an overwhelming sense of despair and helplessness for the first time.
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