Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  This was one of the most desolate areas in the capital. It used to be a well-known industrial area, with plenty of manufacturing plants around.

  In a bid to control the smog, however, the government started enforcing strict regulations in industrial areas; these plants were, thus, shifted to other cities, resulting in this particular industrial area being abandoned. The government intended to demolish the factory buildings and convert the place into a park or a landscape garden. Alas, it turned out that this piece of land was toxic.

  In the past, it used to be rice paddy fields, but after being reserved for industrial use, its pollution had gone beyond the maximum safe levels, resulting in nearby rivers being heavily contaminated and land becoming infertile. Demolition works were already underway when the government realized, after investigation, that the land there was unsuitable for developing into a park due to heavy contamination.

  The project was, thus, abandoned, and future development projects were shelved, too. Many buildings, which were torn down halfway, were left there just like that.

  The missy had chosen this uninhibited place in order to go unnoticed.

  While carrying Baby Chu on his shoulder, one of the men kicked open the warehouse doors and then got a chair with a missing leg from a random corner before putting the boy down and tying him to it.

  The child stared at the adult with tears swirling in his orbs as the latter gave him another warning before stepping out to make a call.

  “Hello, Ms. Song…… Yes, we’ve arrived at the stated address; when are you coming over? You’re on the way here already? Oh, twenty minutes. No worries; we’ll wait for you……”


  That was all the boy heard the man saying through the wall, and it seemed that a woman would be coming over later.

  Baby Chu was scared witless, the restlessness and anxiety in him growing exponentially.

  After the call, the man, with his accomplice-cum-driver who was carrying two bottles of beer, came back in. The driver passed the man a bottle, as well as a packet of ham and bread.

  “Come, let’s drink some beer to freshen ourselves up.”


  The two men were sleepy and exhausted after driving for an entire night. For the sake of completing their mission, they did not make a single stop and had sped all the way to their destination.

  “Say, bro, how much can we get for completing this mission?”


  “This employer is really generous. She said that she’ll give us five hundred thousand in cash once we bring her the person she wants.”


  The other was flabbergasted. “That’s a lot! Half a million, in fact!”


  “Hehe! Once we receive the money, we’ll split it evenly between us. Aren’t you getting married soon? With two hundred fifty grand, you can build a decent three-story house back in your hometown.”


  A wide grin spread across his accomplice’s face. “That employer sure is generous; I’ve never seen so much money in my life before!”


  “That’s nothing! Stick with me, and you’ll earn another few hundred thousand next year,” said the man generously to his excited friend.

  Hearing that, Baby Chu became increasingly certain that he had been abducted by human traffickers. Out of misery, he suddenly broke down into tears.

  “Woo woo woo……” cried the boy as tears streaked down his face, which had gotten dirty from huddling in the dusty corner of the car earlier. He was in a messy state with his tousled hair and disheveled appearance.

  The two men, however, were indifferent to his tears and merely turned to cast him a look. One of them coldly remarked, “Say, this kiddo has such clear and pretty features.”


  “I can’t figure out why the employer wants us to abduct this kid.”


  “Don’t be a busybody. Knowing too much won’t do us any good……”