Little Hero Girl - (BookQQ, Enchanting Tattoo Sticker, Cool Nail Sticker)

Author: Long Feifei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: An underground trading market in a small country. Noisy and decadent, just as shadows always accompany sunlight, and darkness lurks where light prevails. It is a secluded, alternative world. The theater-like hall, with luxurious velvet curtains and beautiful women serving wine, creates an atmosphere of money. People of all races gather here, resembling a harmonious scene in a global village. Some whisper and murmur, others focus intently on the item lists in their hands, and many listen attentively to the host's vivid descriptions. But behind all this lies a chilling decay. If the former can be called magnificent, then this VIP room can be called extravagant. The old rosewood furniture, rich with the scent of age, and the silver utensils, still sparkling under dim lighting, are just a few examples. Even a seemingly simple half-body sculpture in the corner might be beyond imagination in price. Eastern and Western cultures clash here, but the collision only feels vulgar. Deliberately constructed luxury can only be luxury, how can it express the essence of these valuable artworks? In one of the VIP rooms, sits a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl from the East, standing out in this scene. Her eyes are bright, like midnight stars, clear yet holding wisdom beyond her years. Her small, pink lips are moist and delicate, like a rose fresh with morning dew. Her petite, spirited Eastern face exudes an unusual eerie charm in this environment. Her slightly curly black hair is tied up neatly at the back of her head. Judging by her age, she should have come here with her family, but besides a few alert black-clad men around her, there is only one elderly man in a dark suit, standing slightly to her right rear. It seems she has no adult of equal status accompanying her. Her name is Leiya. Leiya boredly sips her juice. Her gaze wanders among the so-called adults below. Although she came to attend the auction, their expressions and actions are more interesting to her than the items on stage. Seeing figures frequently appearing in newspapers and on TV, losing their usual dignity, greedily wanting to claim all the displayed items, elegance is no longer what they care about. Who would pay attention to elegance when faced with rare treasures? Especially here, it is a black market. On the stage, which was originally used for performances, things that should have been sleeping in the ground or museums are being introduced one by one by the host's awkward English and ending up in private hands. "Uncle Wang," Leiya finally couldn't suppress her impatience. She was sure that if she stayed in this atmosphere any longer, she would go mad. "Leiya?" The elderly man behind her stepped forward and asked softly, his tone filled with respect for the girl who could almost be his granddaughter. "Have all the items Uncle Wang wants been marked? How much longer will it take?" Leiya rubbed her slightly aching forehead, the noise making her head feel about to explode. Uncle Wang glanced at the list in his hand and nodded, continuing in his respectful tone, "It's almost done." "Buy them back and donate them anonymously, Uncle Wang loves doing that." Leiya pinched her forehead, her tone as helpless as her expression. "Mr. Lei also doesn't want national treasures to end up in the hands of those outside." How noble! Uncle Wang kept a calm expression on the surface but was deeply moved inside. Although these treasures auctioned off will be delivered to special institutions and returned to their countries, most people will never know who sent them back. Although doing this requires endless money, Uncle Wang has been doing it all along. To do good without seeking recognition, how many people can truly achieve this? "How much longer will it take?" Leiya asked helplessly, leaning on the table and lamenting. She was really getting bored! Someone had said this was the most valuable black market in the world, but in her eyes, it was no different. Perhaps she shouldn't have been lured by Uncle Wang's goading to run this errand. "It's still about half an hour." Uncle Wang kindly reminded, inwardly disagreeing with Mr. Lei's decision to let Leiya come here. Although Mr. Lei is very busy, this kind of scene is indeed too boring and dull for a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old Leiya who loves to have fun. Leiya supported her chin with one hand and flipped through the item list with the other, murmuring with a straw in her mouth, "All junk. Buying them is just taking up space, it's boring." Uncle Wang could only smile helplessly at Leiya's answer. Leiya, who had seen a lot since she was young, wouldn't be surprised that she thought those things had no value. If it were someone else, like the merchants below who were wildly waving their placards, every item would be a treasure of inestimable value. Just then, the lights in the hall suddenly dimmed without warning, with only a beam of white light focused on the host, dressed in a fancy suit but looking bloated and ridiculous. "Ladies and gentlemen, we will now introduce to you a batch of items recently excavated from an Egyptian pharaoh's tomb, considered truly extraordinary." As he spoke, he gestured for someone to bring out several items placed on trays covered in black velvet. Under the lighting, the sparkling gems and exquisite craftsmanship caused a stir in the audience. Among them, a small golden dagger inlaid with colorful gems caught Leiya's attention. "Uncle Wang," Leiya looked at the dagger and showed interest for the first time. "I understand." Uncle Wang nodded in understanding, lifted the curtain, and whispered to the black-skinned attendant outside, handing him a check. The attendant took the check, nodded, and hurried to the stage to whisper to the host, handing him the check. Seeing the host receive the check, his eyes almost dropped. He nodded and smiled flirtatiously from a distance at Leiya, asking the attendant to bring the dagger immediately. Leiya held the dagger in her hands, a charming smile playing on her red lips. It was quite an interesting item. The elaborate sheath made of gold was heavy to the touch. The colorful, brilliant gems were cleverly arranged into some unique and elegant patterns, with countless diamonds scattered around like stars, dazzling and eye-catching. When the dagger was drawn out, a chilling glow surrounded the blade, revealing a fierce, almost tangible aura of killing intent. It seemed this trip had not been in vain. She smiled. "Leiya," Uncle Wang suddenly called her, a slight unease appearing on his usually composed face. "Let's go back now." "Oh?" Leiya looked at him with interest. Why was he suddenly insisting she leave? "Have all the items been marked?" "Yes, Mr. Lei's items have all been marked. We no longer need the items behind." Uncle Wang's expression was awkward, clearly eager for her to leave. Uncle Wang's expression only made Leiya more curious about the remaining items. She glanced at the list, which showed that all the items had been auctioned off. The only explanation was that the remaining items were not listed. It was possible, like the Egyptian items earlier, which were not on the list. Also, some items smuggled in illegally would not be listed. Could she be creating evidence to get herself arrested by the police? Generally, these were quite valuable items. Leiya began to look forward to the final item. Seeing that Leiya showed no intention of getting up, Uncle Wang grew impatient and urged again, "Let's go back." "Not in a hurry, not in a hurry," Leiya smiled sweetly, her eyes full of anticipation, watching the stage for more treasures. The host came back to the stage with the microphone, but this time he had an ambiguous expression. He called out excitedly to the audience, "Ladies and gentlemen, our finest item is about to be presented to you." The audience seemed to know what it was and cheered excitedly. At the host's gesture, several men dressed like thugs led several women in thin gowns, their figures alluring, onto the stage. It was human trafficking, and Leiya's excitement instantly vanished. She had thought it would be something good, but it turned out to be some women. "Leiya," Uncle Wang called her again, scolding himself for not noticing earlier and letting the innocent Leiya see such a ugly scene. "Hehe, it's nothing." Leiya glanced at the stage, where the women, being auctioned off as items, were being introduced with seductive words by the host, and those who were marked were being taken backstage, waiting to be taken away after the auction ended. Leiya stood up, straightened her clothes, "Let's go, Uncle Wang." She had no interest in watching anymore. Uncle Wang breathed a sigh of relief and quickly lifted the heavy curtain to let her leave the VIP room. The desolate streets, with a few sparse stars trembling weakly in the sky, emitted feeble light. The quiet silence of the few people on the street was the only color. Drunken pedestrians leaned against the roadside, and occasionally, the wailing of a stray dog came from an alley. In the distance, faint gunshots seemed to echo. This small city in a foreign land, filled with darkness and privacy, decay and decadence. Leiya was already in her luxurious but unassuming car, half-closing her eyes, crossing her legs elegantly, seemingly unaware of everything outside. The Leis' education had clearly made a difference, Uncle Wang thought inwardly. He had initially thought it unwise for Mr. Lei to let Leiya come to such a dangerous place, after all, it was a small city known as the gateway to hell, where drug lords, human traffickers, and arms dealers gathered. But now, it seemed Mr. Lei had been wise, and Leiya had truly grown up! "Buying back so many treasures this time, Mr. Lei will be very happy." Uncle Wang smiled, after all, what they were doing was meaningful, even if no outsiders would ever know. "He will be happy, every time you bring back items, he enjoys it for half the day," Leiya replied with a smile. "Are you tired? We'll be at the airport soon, and you can rest properly after getting on the plane." Seeing the fatigue in Leiya's eyes, Uncle Wang felt a pang of sympathy. After all, she was just a seventeen-year-old girl, how could her strength compare to adults? "I really don't understand why your uncle is in such a hurry to have you go back. It would be better to rest here for a night." Uncle Wang complained. Leiya smiled, knowing Uncle Wang cared for her, after all, he had watched her grow up. "Uncle Wang is just looking out for us. With so many valuable treasures, what if someone envious finds out? With just a few of us, we couldn't stop them. Besides, how can this environment compare to home? I've already started missing home." "That's true," Uncle Wang nodded in agreement. Home was definitely much better. Besides, the plane had a very comfortable rest room, and the facilities were even better than the best hotel here. Just as they were chatting, a sharp sound of braking echoed, causing the car Leiya was in to stop abruptly. "What's going on!" Uncle Wang got out of the car and asked loudly, hearing the sound of an argument between the driver of the lead car and someone else. Upon inquiry, a man came over and whispered in Uncle Wang's ear. "What happened?" Leiya also got out of the car, her family had bought so many treasures, any mishap would be serious. The fearless Leiya couldn't help but worry. Uncle Wang waved the man away and said to Leiya, "A little boy suddenly ran out in front. He wasn't hit, but he was scared and fainted. The person with him claims to be his brother and is currently arguing with our people in front. I don't know if it's a scam or not, but it doesn't seem like they're up to anything else." Oh, so that's what happened. Leiya relaxed, dismissing it with a contemptuous remark, "Just give them some money and we'll be on our way." Things like this happened all the time. Some people deliberately bump into cars, targeting the driver's reluctance to report it, and extorting money. But Uncle Wang shook his head, "It doesn't seem like that. I heard they argued because we offered money to them." "Oh? So they think it's not enough?" Their appetites weren't small. Uncle Wang still shook his head, "It doesn't seem like that either. I'm not really sure." "Then find out." Leiya said, already walking toward the front car. It was a boy with black hair, black eyes, and yellow skin. He was very tall, over a head taller than Leiya. His clothes and face were dirty, and his face showed signs of malnutrition, but it couldn't hide his original handsome features. Combined with his deep and stubborn eyes, he was even more memorable. Leiya was a bit surprised because, although the place was filled with all kinds of people, seeing someone with the same skin and hair as her, clearly from her own country, gave her a strange sense of familiarity. What surprised her more was that a boy of her own age had a face filled with more weariness and stubbornness than his peers, especially in such a place. An interesting boy. Such a boy seemed unlikely to resort to the kind of extortion she imagined. Leiya walked up to the front car. "Miss Leiya, I'm sorry, we'll take care of it. Please go back to the car first," a bodyguard said respectfully to her. Leiya waved her hand, indicating it was unnecessary, and walked to the boy's side, looking at the little boy, about seven or eight years old, in his arms, under his wary gaze. The two faces were astonishingly similar, with the same features. They were definitely brothers. The little boy was sleeping, his delicate face still faintly marked with tears. Leiya frowned because she noticed something odd. Without anyone noticing, she firmly grasped the boy's left arm. The boy winced in pain, but quickly regained his calm expression. He then stepped back, his eyes filled with helplessness and anger, "What are you doing!" Just as she expected, his arm was covered in bruises, and there were similar marks on the collar of his shirt exposed by his jacket. "You ran away, didn't you?" Leiya guessed. The injuries on his body and the weariness on their faces made it easy for anyone with a little imagination to guess what had happened. The boy's face suddenly turned pale. He nervously scanned the surroundings, looking at the black-clad men coming down from the other cars, as if realizing he was speaking to someone he couldn't afford to. But there was no fear in his eyes, only a tight grip on his sleeping brother. "Don't always try to use money to scare people. What's so great about having money?" He took a step back, looking around cautiously. It seemed he was about to run if the situation didn't look right. Using money to scare people? Leiya pondered his words and instantly understood. The little boy almost got hit by a car, and her people wanted to pay them off to leave. The older boy thought this was an insult, and that's how the argument started. A very principled boy, but he was a bit foolish. It seemed the injuries hadn't made him any smarter. Leiya's eyes narrowed slightly, her bright, excited gaze hidden behind her eyelids. She admired the boy. Suddenly, a loud shout came from a nearby alley, and the reason Leiya noticed it was because the boy's face turned even paler. The boy's stubborn eyes were filled with hatred and anger. He wanted to turn and leave with his brother, but he couldn't move because he realized the girl in front was calling someone to bring him to the car she had come in. The car moved, leaving the people in the alley far behind. In the car, the boy sat next to Leiya, looking back at the people left behind in the alley, his hatred deeper in his eyes. He turned to look at her, trying to guess her intentions. She had saved him, but why? Leiya, though half-closing her eyes, knew he was watching her. She didn't want to speak; she knew he would be the one to start the conversation., the boy spoke. "What do you want to do?" he asked cautiously. Leiya smiled, as if she were describing something very common, "You're being chased." The boy was stunned and asked hesitantly, "So what?" "I don't want them to chase you." Leiya's smile grew. "