September 18, 126 New Era.

A freshman in the first grade of elementary school, 6-year-old Kane Binoch, trotted out of the school gate against the still spicy sun. The school always takes care of new students, such as after school hours. It's 3 p.m., and the students in other grades are still in class.

Kane walked alone on the road, light on his feet. It's only been two weeks since the start of school, and he hasn't adapted to the school environment yet, but he has also met some classmates who can play together. At the end of school, they asked Kane to go home with him, but Kane refused. He thought the classmates were walking too slowly. This child has been physically strong since he was a child, and today, he wants to go home as quickly as possible.

Kane's home is three kilometres from the town, with two conjoined bungalows, close to the road that crosses the town. Usually, Dad takes Kane to school on his bicycle, but today Dad has something to go out for, and he has to walk home by himself. It doesn't matter, it's less than an hour away anyway.

After walking for a while, Kane began to trot, and when he got tired of running, he changed to race walking, but always maintained his speed. Even though the last class was a physical education class, even after playing football with his friends, his legs were still hot. Because today, a new family member will officially arrive. Dad went to do it in the afternoon, all he did was to pick up the new member, his newborn sister.

It was a week ago, and it was the same road, on his father's bicycle to school, he heard the good news of his sister's birth, and he was so excited that he couldn't express it. When he saw his mother's belly growing a little bigger, Kane often guessed whether it was his younger brother or younger sister. He wanted to be a sister, and he always wanted to have a sister. For a boy, the feeling of having a sister is like something dear to him is wonderful.

After a week in the hospital, my sister and mom are finally going home. Kane also heard that his father had rented a car and brought them back. Kane had visited him in the hospital, and the baby's unadorned face was a novelty to him – though he didn't know he was born like that. His parents didn't object, and he didn't dare to touch it with his hands, for fear that he would break something. But now that you're at home, it's okay to make out, right?

Thinking of his cute sister, Kane is about to run again.

After 40 minutes, Kane was standing in front of his house. Outside the house, on the side of the road, there are three cars parked, which are quite conspicuous. It's amazing, Dad used so many cars to pick up my sister and Mom back. Kane pushed the door open.

"Dad! Mother! What about my sister? ”

After only saying hello, Kane's voice stopped abruptly, and his expression quickly froze, startled by the sight in front of him.

In the small main hall, his father stood on one side, his head down, and his mother sat on a small bench with a swaddling baby in her arms. Directly opposite the door was a large chair, where my father used to sit, but now sat a strange, slightly chubby man, dressed in short sleeves, with a dangling bracelet on his exposed wrist, and a thick, bright necklace around his neck. There were six other people standing around him, all staring at Kane with fierce eyes, and before Kane could react, one of them stepped forward and grabbed his arm and grabbed him hard.

"It hurts!! Father! Mother! What's going on? Kane exclaimed.

Dad didn't look at him squarely, with a look of shame and self-reproach on his face, which Kane couldn't see. Mom also lowered her head and didn't speak, covering up her eyes and tears. But the fat man who sat down* got up.

"Is this your son?" He asked. Kane's dad just nodded, not making a sound.

The fat man also nodded: "It's not early, let's go first." ”

With that, the fat man got up and walked out the door. Others, including the man who had captured Kane, followed. Kane had been trying to get rid of that big hand, but he couldn't break the thick arm, and his legs kicked on the ground. He cried, screamed, and shouted for his father to save him, but his father didn't move the whole time.

Looking at Kane's desperate struggle, the fat man said lightly: "Little guy, don't scream, your parents don't want you anymore." ”

"You're a liar! Father! ”

The roar was filled with despair, despair from the heart. When a child is in danger, the first thing he thinks of is to ask his parents for help, but what if the parents don't come to save them? Kane was in such a situation, but he didn't understand it at all. His parents loved him, so why didn't they come to his rescue? In a state of grief and incomprehension, Kane was roughly dragged outside.

He kept struggling, and his grabs tried to push him into the car, but it was a bit of a struggle, and Kane kicked him several times.

"This little bunny!"

"Don't hurt him, the guests will be upset." The fat man said, and then he and the others got into the car one after another, leaving only the man who was holding Kane.

Kane is still desperately resisting. Suddenly, he saw a red sedan parked across the road, and a man smoking a cigarette stood next to the car. Kane didn't know the man, but looking at the color of the car, the man was not with these people, and he seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw.

"Help!! Uncle help!! ”

The man must have heard his cry for help, for he kept looking this way, and saw Kane, and saw the group. His reaction, the same as Kane's parents, was somewhat different. There was no pity for Kane in that look, no fear of fat men, just indifference. Hearing Kane call himself, he turned around.

"Help!! Uncle help!! ”

No matter how much Kane shouted, it didn't help. One of the men walked up to the man smoking and said, "Wait, Mr. Durut, let's go on." So the man got into the chariot with the man and went away.

Completely desperate, Kane didn't even have the strength and thought to shout, his voice had reached its limit, and his shouting turned into bursts of coughing. The man who grabbed him finally pressed him to the back seat, kicked him into the car, and then got into the car himself. He was the last one, and when he closed the door, three sedans set off in turn, onto the road.

*****

September 18, 126 New Era.

Cullom was forced to spend the night in the town of Kirk, which was entirely due to a misarrangement of the journey. His driver was found on the spot yesterday when he was leaving from the city of Brower, and he had a mess of the map. I took a few detours along the way, but in the end I found the wrong way. When I arrived at Kirk, it was dark. Fortunately, Cullom always has a habit of leaving a few days early, otherwise it would really be over.

Born in Browle, the 34-year-old has just finished a trip with his family and is about to embark on another journey of his own – a political one. He is the director of the Brower Department of Commerce, and one of the best to date. But he was convinced that in three months he would be promoted to mayor of the city of Kogani.

Running for mayor of Kogani is the exciting news he received last year. As the gold reserve base of the Arctic Continent, a stronghold city, and one of the trading centers, Kogani is gradually growing into the third international metropolis of the Arctic Continent after Akiyama City and Araandel City. Showing one's talents on such a stage and realizing one's political ambitions is simply one's highest pursuit. And he can have such an opportunity, in addition to luck, more because of his talent.

Cullom came from a merchant family, his parents were successful as merchants, and owning a clothing store on the central shopping street in Brower was no easy feat. The so-called fighting the country is easy, but it is difficult to defend the country. The parents, who are getting older, hope that Cullom can take over from them and keep the business going. But Cullom has set his sights on politics, and since he was a child, he likes to pay attention to current affairs, understand politics, and buy a lot of political and management books, completely ignoring the opposition of his parents.

It should be said that Cullom's political career began in high school. For three years in high school and four years in college, he has been firmly seated as the president of the student council. In particular, his university, the University of Newer, located in the capital of the Arctic Kingdom, is known as the cradle of the country's famous politicians. There is a saying that the president of the student union of Newer University is equal to half of the president of the Arctic country, not to mention the 76% support rate left by Cullom when he graduated, which is one of the best in the previous student unions.

His excellent performance in school entered his resume and strengthened his idea of starting a career in office. At the age of 23, he successfully passed the civil service examination and entered the city hall of Brower as a clerk.

His career was smooth sailing, with promotions basically every two years. By the age of 32, he had become the youngest director of the Brower Business Bureau. In his first year in office, he doubled the expansion of Broll's high street, a feat that catapulted him to national prominence and qualifies him for mayor of Kogani.

At noon on September 17, Cullom dressed up, packed his luggage, kissed his wife, who was pregnant for the third time, and hit the road with the stupid driver. Because Kogani wasn't too far from Broll, he also wanted to enjoy the scenery along the way, so he chose to take a car instead of a plane.

When he first met the driver, Cullom was in a good mood. The driver greeted him with a nod and a bow, and he shook hands with the driver, then handed over his business card, a habit he had developed since entering politics. After the driver saw it, he carefully received it in his pocket, and at the same time handed his business card. Cullom happily accepted it.

Eight hours after the exchange of business cards, they were standing in front of a Kirk hotel. Cullom's temper was still good, and he didn't get angry because of it. The so-called big bank does not care about the details, and the big gifts are not resigned, and there is no need to worry about such a trivial matter. There's plenty of time anyway, as long as you get to Kogani before dark tomorrow. Kirk is only 80 kilometres from Kogany, and if necessary, he can demonstrate his driving skills before attending the lecture the day after tomorrow.

The next morning, the two didn't leave right away, and Cullom wanted to get some rest. The unique customs and customs of the countryside make him feel very comfortable after being in the officialdom for a long time and accustomed to intrigue. He went to the town's market and bought some of his favorite apples.

When passing by the courtyard of the town hall, he stopped, which can be regarded as a professional habit. The yard was quiet, with a few cars parked and two security guards sitting in the yard chatting leisurely. They saw Cullom and waved at him, and he waved too, which felt so comfortable. After I retire, I will also find a country courtyard and enjoy my old age, he thought.

Good times always pass quickly. At half past three in the afternoon, they set off again. Not long after driving out of town, the driver stopped the car and awkwardly said that he wanted to get on the tuba. Cullom nodded helplessly. The driver ran down as fast as he could, into the grass.

Even in the countryside, Cullom hates open defecation. The driver's action disgusted him. It was not interesting to stay, he also got out of the car, saw the endless golden fields in front of him, and took a deep breath. The harvest was approaching, and the earthy air made him forget his troubles. He slowly began to enjoy it.

In less than a minute, the sound of parking came from behind me. Three black cars stopped in front of a house across the road, and a fat man led a group of people out of the car, pushed open the door and entered the house. Obviously they don't live here, but they're not here either. After years in politics, Cullom had somewhat guessed the identities of these people — probably loan sharks, or perhaps with a deeper background. He watched the people get out of the car and walk into the house, sighed, and turned away.

It's been ten minutes, and the driver hasn't returned. Cullom fiddled with his phone and reached into his pocket. As he did this, he hesitated, and his wife's admonition came to mind. But when he thinks about what happened yesterday and today, he feels that it is nothing, after all, everyone needs to release pressure. That driver became the best reason. So he continued the action: he took out the cigarette case, took out the cigarette, held it in his mouth, and lit it.

He spat out his cigarette, and the sound of the door opening behind him was heard, followed by the cry of a boy, which caught Cullom's attention.

The child was dragged from the house to the outside by a man. He kicked on his two legs and kept shouting, and the people next to him got into the car one after another, only the man dragging the child was still outside. At this moment, the child suddenly saw himself.

"Help!! Uncle help!! ”

Cullom could tell at a glance what was going on. Eighty percent of the family borrowed usury and could not repay it, so they had to use their children to pay off the debt. It must be very painful for parents. This is the so-called inner society, that is, the dark side of society, and he knows a lot about it.

But right now, he doesn't have the energy to deal with that. If he gets involved, the time he prepared in advance won't work, and it might lead to more trouble. What's more, he is going to become the mayor of Kogani City, show his blueprint, and be a person who is imaginative in the political arena, and he can't handle the details one by one. Moreover, Kirk is under the jurisdiction of Kogani, and when he is in power, it will not be easy to clean up these illegal loan sharks?

Yes, what is needed now is not the courage of a moment, but the overall situation.

So Cullom turned his back on him, just as the driver came back.

"I've waited a long time, Mr. Durut, and let's go on."

Cullom and the driver got into the car. The car started, leaving the boy's cries far behind. After all, Cullom had seen a lot of the world, and it only took him a few seconds to fade from his memory. He took out the materials in his briefcase and examined them.

The fact is that three months later, he, Cullom Durut, became the mayor of the city of Kogani as he wished, and he was triumphant.

What about the boy? He didn't know, maybe he was sent somewhere abroad.

*****

The whole process was exactly what Cullom had guessed, but Kane didn't know it. He didn't know that his parents owed astronomical debts because of failed investments, and he didn't know that the birth of his sister had caused the family to be under pressure. Little did he know that his parents were forced to make such a decision in order to pay off their debts.

He only knew one thing, one thing that was unforgettable: his parents, and the man named Durut, who would not save him when they saw death, gave up on him.

On the night of his departure from Kirk, Kane was taken to a hotel. Exhausted, unable to make a sound, he was handcuffed and shackled to a room.

The surroundings fell silent, and Kane cried, only tears, no sound. He was tired of crying, he had cried enough, and his mind went blank. After some time, the door opened, and the fat man walked towards Kane with something in his hand. Kane let out a few screams of fright.

"Shut up, little bunny!"

The fat man shouted viciously, Kane still cried, the fat man kicked him four or five times, and the crying fell silent after ushering in a *.

"Hurry up and eat!"

The fat man put a bowl of rice mixture on the floor, then closed the door and left. It was dark again, and Kane couldn't remember the location of the bowl for a while, so he had to keep his head down and grope a little bit, and finally came across the leftovers. He felt sick to his stomach, which was not his mother's usual meal. Kane remembered his mother and fell to the ground.

After holding on for two hours, Kane, who succumbed to hunger, found the bowl again, lowered his head, mixed his tears, and finished the meal. Because it was so hard to swallow, he spit out a lot.

Kane fell asleep completely out of exhaustion. At dawn the next day, the men dragged him out of the room, threw him in the car, and went to the next location. After yesterday's upheaval, Kane was terrified of these people, obedient and silent, even though he couldn't get used to the change yet.

At 12 noon, the car drove to a place, a place Kane didn't know. He saw the sea in front of him, and a cargo ship that wasn't too big. The fat man took Kane up and locked him up in the warehouse.

It's the same treatment here, like the inn, and Kane is getting used to it. The fat man no longer appears, except for delivering food and occasionally opening the door to let Kane's eyes adjust to the sunlight. Kane's original resistance was gone, replaced by a submissive appearance.

Another day later, the ship arrived at another port, and Kane was released from the warehouse. It's as bustling with people as it is on the boat. Kane didn't know that this place was called Angol, and it was the port of Frys, a country on the continent of Vivia. After only a few glances, he was taken by the fat man to the place where the ship was unloaded.

About twenty minutes later, a sedan and an empty van drove towards the fat man. The car slowly stopped, the door opened, and a short man came down, wearing glasses, his hair neatly groomed, shiny, and wearing a straight casual clothes, looking like a person of great status. He was followed by a man and a woman, a driver and a maid.

The fat man who was in charge of Kane's house now became low-browed and pleasing to the eye, and smiled flatteringly.

"Long time no see, Mr. Edward. Didn't you say before that there weren't enough slaves? For this delivery, I'll help you find one on the way. ”

Edward looked at Kane, raised his little arm and squeezed it, then waved his hand again

"That's an add-on at best, Bran, and don't expect me to pay extra. Tell your people to hurry up and unload the goods. ”

Bran said yes again and again, and ordered his men to go to work on the ship. Edward asked the maid behind him to hand Bran two suitcases, and Bran opened them and smiled even brighter.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Edward."

Unloading the ship and loading it onto the truck brought by Edward, the deal ended and the two sides said goodbye to each other. This time, Kane was taken to Edward's van and left with a large pile of boxes that he didn't know what was inside.

The two cars drove towards the edge of Angol and finally stopped in front of an iron gate. The driver manipulated the board next to the steering wheel, and the iron door opened with a clatter, and the people did not get out of the car, because it was only the courtyard, or the entrance to Edward's private woodland, and his luxurious palace was in the middle of the woodland, about a kilometer away.

The car stopped in front of Edward's mansion. Workers who had been waiting for a long time surrounded the truck, and the tall foreman directed them to unload the goods. Before they could get to work, they spotted Kane.

"Where did this kid come from?"

"An add-on." Edward, who got out of the car, said to the foreman.

"But sir, what can such a child do?"

Edward lit a cigar and gently swallowed the clouds. "Let him go to the woods to help, see that he is in good health, and in a few years, he will be sold to Hastana."

Kane understands what it means to sell and knows that he is also a "commodity". The experience of these few days has affected him so deeply that it seems like a few years have passed. He lost his initial agitation, and on the other hand, another emotion began to slowly appear in his heart.

Forbear.

Listening to Edward's words, the foreman asked the two workers to take Kane down and place him on the ground as if he were a fragile cargo. A worker takes Kane by the hand and takes him to the workers' quarters.

Edward needed a lot of men to take care of his thousands of hectares of gardens, and it was these workers—it was just a nice name, but in fact it was more appropriate to call them slaves in their treatment. Now he has about 300 people around him, and if needed, he also calls from others, that is, slave owners, and the Hasta he mentioned is one of them.

Kane figured out his situation, and there were many terrible things that he couldn't imagine waiting for him to accomplish. It's not a question of whether you want to do it or not, you have to do what others say.

Because, I have lost my freedom.