When I went home for the holidays, my parents told me they wanted to introduce me to a foreign millionaire. But the moment we landed in Dubai, their faces changed. My brother, Mark, ripped up my passport. They forced me into a car, driving deep into the desert. I watched the familiar landscape flash by, begging them to turn back, to take me home, not to go any further. Mark just laughed, telling me to stop struggling, that if I behaved, I might just keep my life. My eyes were wide with terror, but not for myself. It was them who were going to die. They had no idea. Just last month, I’d escaped this very place. My performance had been so exceptional, my boss had specially granted me leave to go home for the holidays. I never imagined I’d barely escaped, only to be sent right back. 1 Looking out at the vast stretches of yellow sand through the car window, to an ordinary person, it would look like any other desert. But I knew. We were getting closer and closer to The Oasis —— Scam Compounds. Once you entered that place, it took immense effort to get out. I’d barely managed to escape last month, and now I was going back. Who knew if I’d get out again for years? The thought sent a jolt through me, and I immediately began to struggle violently. “Let me out! Are you insane? This is the desert! Where’s this foreign millionaire?!” My mother pinched the soft flesh of my waist with a vicious twist, making me cry out instantly. “You little bitch, behave yourself!” My brother, Mark, swung his arm, slapping me hard across the face. My vision swam, and my cheek stung with a fiery pain. “You haven’t been back in eight years. If you hadn’t suddenly shown up at our door, we would’ve forgotten you even existed.” He scoffed. “You’ve been living the high life out there, while I haven’t even scraped together enough for my wedding expenses. It’s perfect, the compound needs people. You go in, and my expenses will finally be covered.” My head reeled, but hearing his words, a mocking smile twisted my lips. The notorious Oasis. Anyone who entered, either complied and became a money-making machine, or they were left to rot in the desert, an unidentifiable mummified corpse. From the moment they stepped foot in this desert, going back was no longer an option. Seeing my smile, Mark burst into laughter. “Scared speechless, aren’t you, you fool?” My father, in the front seat, nervously twisted his head to look at me when he heard this, then cautioned Mark, “Go easy on her. She won’t be worth anything if you knock her senseless!” “Don’t worry,” Mark chuckled. “Women are incredibly useful. With her physique, she can pop out ten, maybe eight kids, no problem. If she can’t, we’ll just strip her for parts. That’s another fortune.” I remembered a woman who entered the compound at the same time as me. She’d constantly screamed about wanting out, tried to escape several times, and each time, she was dragged back. The last time, all her organs were harvested, and she came out as nothing but a thin husk of a person. To warn us new recruits, the boss had thrown her remains at our feet, telling us that if anyone else tried to run, that would be their fate. I stared at those empty eye sockets and made a decision. The next day, I threw myself into the work. It took me eight years, working nonstop, to finally become the compound’s top earner, gradually becoming the boss’s right-hand person, the respected Tina to everyone in The Oasis. “You’d best let me go now. Otherwise, you’ll all regret it.” I warned them again. 2 “You filthy bitch, still daring to threaten us? Got some guts, do you?” Mark exploded, grabbing my hair and repeatedly slamming my head against the car window. My head was bleeding, but the glass remained unharmed. I struggled violently, my hands flailing wildly, my feet kicking everywhere. The car instantly erupted into chaos. My eyes were blurred with blood; I couldn’t see anything, only heard my mother yelp in pain, then start cursing me. Mark grabbed my hands, trying to restrain me. “Quick, tie her up! Now!” My father handed him a leather belt from the front. The three of them bore down on me, finally managing to bind me. Mark spat a thick gob of phlegm on my face, then landed a few more punches. “Try moving again! I dare you! I’ll kill you, you hear me?!” “Alright, don’t hit her face. Hit other places. Grim needs to see her face later,” my father interjected. I knew the ‘Grim’ he spoke of. Just yesterday, he and I had been chatting on the phone. I immediately blurted out, “Let me go now! When Grim sees how you’re treating me, he’ll kill you, believe me!” “I know you want to sell me to The Oasis for a finder’s fee. I can give you money. I have a few million in my account, I’ll give it all to you. Turn the car around now!” I’d always known this family was rotten, which was why I’d cut ties with them early on. But the methods used in the compound were truly horrifying. Still, blood was thicker than water, and I couldn’t bear to see them suffer such unspeakable torment. Hearing about several million dollars, Mark’s eyes lit up. He had only torn up my passport and taken my phone. As for the bank cards in my bag, they hadn’t paid them any mind. Now, knowing I had money, my mother immediately retrieved the forgotten bag from the car’s corner, rummaged through it, and indeed found my bank cards. “Son, I found them! Quick, ask her for the PIN!” Mark scoffed dismissively. “Are you stupid? You believe her just because she says she has money? Did she rob a bank? How could she earn millions in eight years?!” At his words, my mother’s initially joyous expression instantly fell. The next second, she gritted her teeth and kicked me. “You little bitch, still daring to lie to me.” “Check it then! There’s really money in there! At this point, why would I lie to you? You won’t lose anything by checking!” I roared at these fools. Mark, hearing me, looked slightly less skeptical. He immediately pulled out his phone, ready to check the account. Mark tapped on his phone, his expression frozen for a few seconds, then his eyes widened, and he burst out laughing. “What’s so funny, you brat? Lost your mind?” Mark lit a cigarette, still laughing, and handed the phone to my father in the front. Everyone saw the string of numbers on the screen, and the car instantly filled with an air of joyful greed. But I was in no mood to listen to them laugh, because I could feel it: we were very close to The Oasis now. “Turn around now! When we get back to the country, I’ll take you to withdraw the money. It’ll all be yours!” My father chuckled. “Alright, alright, turn around. We’re going back, no compound.” I breathed a sigh of relief, but the next second, Mark’s words sent my heart plummeting again. “Turn around for what? Are you stupid? We already agreed with Grim. How many lives do you have to stand him up?” He looked at me. “Just tell me the PIN, and I might put in a good word for you with Grim.” I glared at him, my eyes burning. “Go to hell! Want the PIN? Dream on!” I spat out a mouthful of blood. “When I get in there, you’ll all be dead!” I understood now. This family was a nest of vipers. The Oasis was their best, final destination! 3 Mark, seeing I still dared to defy him, grabbed my hair, forced my mouth open, and shoved the still-lit cigarette butt inside. “Won’t talk, huh? Then you’ll never talk again!” He clamped his hand over my mouth, preventing me from spitting out the cigarette. The scorching butt seared my mouth before slowly extinguishing. My mother worried, “Son, how will we get the money without the PIN?” “What’s there to fear? We have her family registration documents. We’re her next of kin. We can withdraw the money without a PIN.” At this, everyone relaxed. Not only would they get my money, but they’d also get the finder’s fee for delivering me. My father proudly gave a thumbs-up, and the group began planning how to spend their new fortune. There was nothing more to say now. Just my bad luck; my holiday was ruined. The car soon slowed down. I knew this meant we were entering The Oasis. Mark pulled out his phone, ready to call the contact person. “Grim, we’ve arrived. We’ve brought the person. Don’t worry.” “Good, good. We’ll wait in the car for you. Take your time, take your time.” I lay in the car, unable to see outside, relying only on my hearing. Soon, hurried footsteps approached. The car door was yanked open, and two men climbed in, pulling me out. It was then I realized there were several other vehicles entering the compound with us. A dozen or so people, men and women, were being led out. Some hadn’t grasped the gravity of the situation and immediately started yelling. I was used to this scene. Grim looked impatient. He drew a loaded pistol from his waist and walked towards the loudest protester. “Grim, you bastard! Let me go now!” I yelled at him. Grim was the captain in charge of transporting the “piglets,” essentially the Chief Enforcer of The Oasis. Anyone disobedient who went through his hands, no matter how stubborn, would eventually fall in line. No sooner had I spoken than Mark kicked me down. “Sarah Stone, you’ve grown guts, haven’t you? Daring to insult Grim? I’ll cut out your tongue, you hear me?!” Punches rained down on me. I curled up on the ground, gritting my teeth, making no sound. Grim had been walking towards me, but seeing Mark lay a hand on me, he stopped. After a moment, he slowly spoke: “Stop.” After the beating, my face was covered in blood and dirt; my features were completely indistinguishable. I was getting desperate. I knew this man’s capabilities. I tried to speak quickly, but the cigarette had burned large blisters in my mouth, making my voice hoarse. “It’s me, Tina! Look closely!” My mother slapped my mouth. “Sarah Stone, that’s my name for you! Try acting up again, I dare you!” Her sharp, long fingernails tore at my lips, and soon, blood trickled out. When I first entered The Oasis, to facilitate management, everyone had to adopt an English name. I chose Tina. Everyone here called me Tina, no one knew my real name was actually Sarah Stone. 4 Grim’s expression tightened when he heard the name ‘Tina.’ Mark at that moment pulled out a cigarette and offered it to him. “Grim, my sister here is disobedient. I’d appreciate it if you could teach her a good lesson.” “What’s your sister’s real name?” “Just Sarah Stone.” My mouth was too swollen to speak. Grim waved his hand, and someone immediately led us away. Mark and my parents were left outside. I only heard Mark cautiously ask Grim, “Grim, when can we get the money?” “What’s the rush? She still needs a medical exam. What if she has an infectious disease? Don’t worry, I’m not short a few bucks for your cut.” Mark, who had just been acting tough in front of me, was now bowing and scraping to Grim like a lapdog. I was locked into a makeshift cell with the dozen or so people who had arrived with me. As the name implied, this enclosure had once held dogs. Everyone inside was forced to curl up, squeezed together like canines. The stench of sweat mixed with the metallic smell of blood assaulted my nostrils. Somewhere, someone was sobbing quietly. This was just the first step: draining all their energy this way made them easier to control later. I don’t know how long passed. I could no longer feel my limbs. The sounds of the others around me gradually faded. Finally, the outer door opened. Grim walked in, and a few of his henchmen stepped forward to unlock the cell. Clearly, a dog cage wasn't enough to extinguish a human’s will to survive. A few people, once released, immediately shoved those around them and bolted for the main gate. Grim pulled out his pistol and shot one of them in the thigh. At that, everyone else froze, too terrified to move. “Why run? I’m not some villain. As long as you listen, our boss will help you all make a fortune.” He pointed his gun to the sky. “But if you don’t listen… I have plenty of ways to handle you.” These people had never seen a gun up close. They were all scared stiff, afraid to move, only able to comply. We were divided into two groups, men and women, and taken to separate rooms. Men and women had different uses here. All the women were stripped of their clothes, and naked photos were taken. I’d already been through this; it didn’t faze me anymore. Next was a series of medical examinations. After confirming that none of us had infectious diseases, we finally reached the last step: meeting the boss. We were led to a spacious area. Derek Thorne emerged, surrounded by his men. I seized my chance and immediately rushed forward, but my body was covered in injuries, and I couldn't run fast. One of his men immediately swung a baseball bat, striking me across the leg. A hoarse scream ripped from my throat. Derek Thorne glanced at me, then asked Grim, “What’s going on here?” “My fault, my fault. I didn’t train her well enough.” Grim walked towards me with a stun baton. The current surged through my body, and for a moment, I thought I smelled burning flesh. “Don’t expect any bonus this month,” Derek Thorne said coolly. Grim looked as if he wanted to tear me limb from limb. “Damn it, drag her down and break her!” Grim was terrified of being implicated and ordered his men to act quickly. At that moment, Derek Thorne raised his hand, stopping the others. “Wait!”
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