She takes the rubber

"I will take the rubber," breathed Fan. She felt her body grow weak with the words, and could barely move a muscle from sheer mental exhaustion. It was done. No matter what happened now, at least the horrors of Chinese prison would be avoided. From the corner of her eye, she saw the man pick up his phone and make a call but Fan was too distracted to listen to what was being said. Once the call ended, the man returned to his work; the rustling of paper was the only thing that kept the room from being in complete, uncomfortable silence.

A sharp knock almost made Fan jump from her seat. She turned around just in time to meet the gaze of a strict-looking woman, slightly taller than her and carrying the apperance of someone in the military.

"Is this the package?" asked the woman, not a single trace of emotion in her voice. The man simply nodded without tearing his concentration from his work.

Fan saw the muscular woman nod outside the room and she got the message. The actress was about to grab her purse when the taller woman grabbed it first.

"You will not be needing that," she said quietly but with steel conviction. The woman then pinched Fan's dress. "You will not be needing this either, but I believe it is permissible to wear the cloth of a free woman for a few more hours. Enjoy it while you can."

The actress was led out of the building through the back exit, where a car with tinted windows was already waiting for them. Only when she was seated and the car locked its doors did Fan wonder if she had made a terrible mistake. Truth be told, she never asked the specifications of what "taking the rubber" were; she was only desperate to avoid prison.

"What are you going to do with my things?" asked Fan.

"First of all, these are not your things anymore. You will have no use for them. They will be disposed of along with your clothes once we arrive at the destination and an outfit proper for your new status is available."

Fan swallowed hard, looking out the window as the crowded streets turned to roads. "Tell me something... did I just make a terrible mistake?"

For once, the woman seemed to break her stony face with the ghost of a smirk. "Your mistake was to break the law of the People's Republic of China. As for this decision... you would not have lasted a week inside Songjiang. Taking the rubber was the only viable choice for a woman such as yourself. You will live in luxury, but in bondage. Tougher women would prefer prison, but you are not a tough woman. Now -- no more questions."

Fan grit her teeth at the backhanded insult and distracted herself with the beautiful countryside, wondering when, if ever, she would be able to see it again. The paved road soon turned to rough gravel as the car worked its way to a secluded area, complete with a warehouse and an airfield.

"Get out and follow me," ordered the woman.

The Chinese actress followed her guide to the warehouse until they stopped outside a room. "Take off your clothes... all of them, and then dress with the outfit that has been provided. Pretty yourself. You may be a slave to a Western Master now, but you are a Chinese slave. Take some pride in that."

Fan entered the dressing room, hearing the door lock behind her. In the darkness, she felt for a switch. The lights blinded her at first and it took a few seconds to regain her bearings. Her eyes widened, however, once she saw the outfit before her.