Dongguan in Those Days: My Underworld and My Beautiful Lover

My name is Chen Ergou. I headed south to Dongguan with 500 yuan in my pocket, hoping to strike it rich.

As soon as I got off the train, a "fellow townsman" tricked me into working for free at a sweatshop. I never saw a paycheck, but I did get a brutal beating.

While escaping over a wall, I ran into a girl being chased by debt collectors. In a rush of reckless courage, I pulled out everything I had. "I'll take on your debt!"

The collectors burst out laughing. "You think 500 yuan is enough to play the hero?"

But the girl grabbed me by the arm. "I'll accept the money! Tonight, you're my man!"

It was only when I was sleeping on the floor of a cramped, ten-square-meter rental that it hit me: on my first night in Dongguan, had I really "bought" a woman for 500 yuan?

What I never expected was that she was the hottest madam in the red-light district...