At 12, he got off the pirate ship and entered the pirate's den again.

  Zhen Ming weakly opened his eyes.

  He was woken up by a burst of chirping sounds, and as soon as he regained consciousness, he immediately felt the knife-like pain coming from his hands and feet.

  He felt that his current posture was very uncomfortable, his hands and feet were not listening to him, especially the two shoulders, which almost couldn't feel their existence, completely numb.

  He raised his eyes and looked up, only to find that his two arms were tied with a rope and hung on a crossbeam, above which was a dark tile roof.

  On the beam above, several big rats are chasing and playing, one of which even uses the rope tied to the beam as a tool for grinding teeth.

  A drop of icy water fell from the beam above, landing on his upturned face, and the damp musty smell entered his nostrils and into his lungs, slightly clearing his mind.

  He realized that the place he was in was a dark and damp dungeon, where the only sounds were the rats chasing each other on the beams above, and occasionally the painful moans of prisoners from next door.

  The large gate of the dungeon was made up of thick, round wooden beams nailed together. The door was a copper-plated wooden board that looked like it had been there for many years, with patches of rust and scratches on its surface that seemed to have been caused by some kind of biting or scraping.

  The walls of the dungeon were hung with iron chains, on which were suspended strange and sinister instruments of torture, some of which still had bloodstains.

  He tried to stand up with his feet, and as soon as they touched the ground, a severe pain swept through his body, and he couldn't keep his balance. All the weight was again pressed on his almost senseless arms, and the wounds on his wrists, which had already scabbed over, burst open once more, and fresh blood flowed down his arms.

  He was in so much pain that he could hardly breathe, and it took him about two minutes to get used to the sharp pain and recall what had happened before he fainted.

  If he wasn't mistaken, his tendons had been cut by someone.

  Kissed a woman's thigh, and the price was actually being beaten with broken hands and feet. This thing is said to be unbelievable.

  Those people were all dressed as ancient guards, saying they were acting, and they were not the same image as the warriors in the costume TV dramas he usually watched. The dragon suits on TV didn't have their majestic and murderous formation.

  Each of them was over 1.8 meters tall, wearing heavy ancient bronze armor, looking majestic and powerful, with an icy expression, shiny waist knives, long spears and halberds that stood out half a body above the warriors, pointing straight at the sky, with a strong and upright posture, it was clear that they had undergone rigorous training for a long time to achieve such a military formation.

  Everything is not like the scenes played out by a few pieces of light plastic props, a few flag-waving and shouting extras, and a few handsome young actors on TV.

  These people naturally exude a murderous aura that can only be honed on the battlefield.

  Zhen Ming calmed down, carefully analyzing the fragmented information he had collected so far. After a minute of sorting and reasoning, he came to a conclusion that seemed absurd but was the only one that could explain his current situation:

  He crossed over.

  As a materialist atheist, he would never believe in such unscientific nonsense, which could only occur in the minds of some fanciful and imaginative authors.

  Zhen Ming quickly calmed down and thought about every detail of what had happened before.

  After some thought, he could only think of one possibility: that when testing the mobile phone battery, three new charging technologies interacted with each other, causing a variation in energy, opening up a mysterious space-time channel and sending him to this unknown era.

  This is the only reasonable explanation in this absurd encounter.

  I recall the mobile phone test, that piercing white light, and Jin Dafu's shocked expression, as well as the sinister smile of Wei Lihe behind him. Zhen Ming probably guessed who was behind this incident.

  Five years ago, when he had just entered the factory, he saw a female worker in the workshop being bullied by someone. He couldn't help but step in and snatch the whip from the person's hand. It was only later that he found out the person was Li He, the workshop director of Jinhai Mobile Phone Factory.

  He didn't expect that he had been harboring resentment all along, and secretly plotted against him. However, it's likely that even Li He himself didn't anticipate such a bizarre turn of events.

  It has come to this, and further pursuit is of no use. How to leave this dark, damp, rat-infested place should be the top priority.

  Ouch!

  A harsh scraping sound came from the wooden door as it creaked open. "Put him down." a rough male voice shouted.

  He was then pulled down from the beam and fell heavily to the ground.

  Dry grass on the ground drilled into his nostrils, and the musty smell of mold and rotting fungi flooded in, making him cough uncontrollably.

  "This is the prisoner who was specifically instructed to be treated well above, he can't be allowed to die."

  "Heh heh... Brother Chen, how was the girl that little guy sent over yesterday? Still satisfied?" Another flattering young man's voice rang out.

  "How dare you say that, yesterday that cheap woman almost bit my life off. Next time find some more gentle ones, every time they have to be beaten before they submit, it's really annoying." The speaker was the one called "Brother Chen" by that flattering man.

  "Yes, yes, but Brother Chen always told me to get some younger and less experienced ones. You know, those from yesterday were newly admitted and lacked discipline. It's inevitable that they would resist for the first time, but after some training, they'll become obedient. If you really don't like it, Brother Chen, I can ask Lian Mama to find some more experienced and well-trained ones for you next time."

  "No need, I quite like the one from last night, let me stay here for a while, I don't believe she can tame me."

  "No problem, as long as Brother Chen likes it, you can keep it for as long as you want, do whatever you want with it, just don't kill or maim it. When Brother Chen gets bored with it, we can still sell it for a good price. And in the future, if there are any young female prisoners who need to be assigned to serve, don't forget about me, little brother. If I find some good stuff, I'll definitely repay Brother Chen."

  "Hmph, you little brat, don't just talk without action. Last time I sent over a dozen female prisoners to you, all of them were top-notch goods, but you only gave me a measly ten taels of silver, not even enough for one visit to your brothel."

  "Brother Chen, don't be angry. You also know the rules of our trade. A female slave's price can't exceed five taels of silver. After deducting the expenses for the middlemen, not a single cent is left, and it all goes to you, Brother Chen. If I have told even half a lie, may heaven strike me with lightning and I won't die a good death."

  "Hmph, I suppose you don't dare swallow my share either." Zhen Ming lay on the ground in agony, his body curled up in pain. The fall earlier had caused his muscles to twitch all over, and he only had enough energy left in his eyes to move them. He panted heavily, looking towards the direction of the sound, and saw a tall but hunchbacked young man with a lewd expression, fawning over a muscular short man, speaking to him in a flattering tone. Besides these two, there were also two other men standing beside him.

  It was these two who had just pulled him down from the beam and thrown him to the ground.

  A sturdy man of short stature wore a blue long gown, on the chest of which was written a large "prison" character. Around his waist was tied a wide and thick cowhide belt, from which hung various iron nails, hooks, chains and other torture instruments. Possibly due to frequent use, the instruments had been polished until they shone with a smooth luster; several of the iron hooks still had fresh bloodstains on them.

  A woman's terrified cry and plea for mercy echoed from the depths of the dungeon, mournful and heart-wrenching, as if a soul was slowly sinking to the bottom of an abyss.

  At this time, a prison guard next to him whispered: "Prison Guard Chief, it seems that this little guy has woken up."

  The short and sturdy Han stopped talking to the obscene man, beckoned to the two prison guards beside him, "Take him to the punishment room for me, I'll entertain him myself."

  After finishing, she turned around and said impatiently to the obscene man: "If nothing's wrong, get out. Don't come here to idle in the future, this isn't a place for you to come. However, if you want to try the food here, I can treat you for free for a few days."

  The obscene man hastily made a smiling face, shaking his head and waving his hand as he retreated towards the prison gate: "No need, no need, my younger brother suddenly remembered that I have something to do, Brother Chen is busy with official duties, so I won't disturb you. I'll take my leave now, Brother Chen can come to the brothel whenever he's free and I'll introduce him to some good girls, guaranteed to satisfy him."

  Watching the obscene man's fleeing figure, the short prison guard burst out laughing, his laughter filled with a chilling and sinister humor.