Chapter 23

The prison was no longer as bustling as it used to be; everyone was quietly pondering what had just happened.

Only those who had lived in Prison 18 for a period of time could understand the status that Uncle Li held here.

So everyone really couldn’t figure out what kind of fool would come here to talk nonsense to Uncle Li?

The mechanical prison guards surrounded Liu Dezhu, and as they moved, the hydraulic drive sounds from the alloy bones in their bodies could be heard.

Seeing this, Liu Dezhu had already forgotten his ambition to make a name for himself in Prison 18.

Today, as part of the second batch of穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, which can be translated as "time travelers" or "cross-dimensional travelers"), he had come to this inner world where steel beasts roamed, and was immediately stunned by what was happening before his eyes.

Faced with the mechanical prison guards and drones, it took him only a dozen seconds to be firmly controlled and escorted to an unknown area outside the square.

"Boss, don’t you think something’s strange lately?" Lin Xiaoxiao squatted on the chair, pondering. "The kid who came the day before yesterday went crazy, talking about something called 'Luo Cheng,' acting as if he were really the heir of a conglomerate. And today, another fool comes and starts giving you tasks. What kind of tasks?"

As he spoke, Lin Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but reach out to pet the big cat on the table, but before his hand could touch it, the cat gave him a cold stare, and he awkwardly pulled his hand back.

Uncle Li thought for a moment and said, "Indeed, it is strange."

Lin Xiaoxiao suddenly said, "Hey, where’s Qingchen? He was quite enthusiastic about coming down for meals yesterday, but I haven’t seen him today."

At this moment, Qingchen was still walking through the corridor. He didn’t pay attention to Liu Dezhu and the mechanical prison guards, but went directly to the sixth floor, where he found Lu Guangyi, who was still waiting in line to go downstairs, and whispered to him, "After the meal, have your people control all the new arrivals and question them about their backgrounds outside."

"Sure thing," Lu Guangyi quickly agreed.

In his view, his boss was probably trying to see if any other forces had entered to compete with them.

Qingchen, however, was thinking about whether there were any other hidden time travelers among the new arrivals.

If there were any time travelers, they definitely couldn’t fabricate their backgrounds outside.

Those who could clearly explain their origins were the original inhabitants, and those who couldn’t were definitely time travelers.

However, Qingchen was a bit surprised. He had thought that Nan Gengchen would also have crossed over to Prison 18, but he hadn’t.

At this moment, Qingchen remembered something, hesitated for a moment, and then said to Lu Guangyi, "I know the welcome ceremony is your tradition, but don’t go too hard. It’s not easy for anyone."

Lu Guangyi was taken aback but agreed, "Alright."

After the commotion, all the prisoners lined up to get their meals. Lu Guangyi, following Qingchen’s instructions, planned to take the new prisoners to the cells for interrogation.

Not long after, he returned to report to Qingchen, "Boss, the interrogation is done."

Qingchen listened carefully as Lu Guangyi described each prisoner’s situation. After confirming that there were no more time travelers in the prison, he walked over to Uncle Li’s table and sat down opposite him, "Are we playing chess today?"

"No, not today. We won’t play for a few days," Uncle Li thought for a moment and said, "I have some things to think about, and I’m expecting a guest."

"Guest?" Qingchen asked, puzzled.

Uncle Li smiled, "An uninvited guest."

Anyone who could be called an uninvited guest by Uncle Li was definitely not an ordinary person.

Qingchen didn’t want to get involved in something he couldn’t control, so he didn’t ask more.

He said casually, "I just saw some commotion downstairs. What’s going on?"

Uncle Li’s face, rarely showing hesitation, said, "I don’t know."

Qingchen was both amused and exasperated. The time traveler had even confused Uncle Li.

It was probably the first time Uncle Li had encountered such a situation.

At this moment, only Qingchen knew that Liu Dezhu, after reading He Xiaoxiao’s guide, had really treated Uncle Li like an NPC in a game!

Countdown: 37:00:02. The alloy gate made a rumbling sound and then lifted up.

When the alloy gate was fully open, a bald man over two meters tall was seen being escorted in by more than ten mechanical prison guards.

Around them, nine drones were blocking all escape routes for the bald man.

Moreover, when this man entered, six of the metal storms above slowly turned.

The metal storms only turned 90 degrees, not 360 degrees.

So as the muscular prisoner moved, he would leave the range of some metal storms, and new ones would enter the alert state, always firmly locking onto him.

This was the first time Qingchen had seen someone being escorted in alone during the day, and it was also the first time he had seen the prison’s security forces mobilize so much.

Over 3,000 prisoners silently turned to watch, and no one spoke.

The prison echoed with the crisp clinking sound of the alloy shackles on the bald man’s feet as they hit the ground.

The bald man had a bronze-colored skin, with marks from years of sun exposure on his face. His exposed skin, such as his arms, had black patterns that looked like totems, both eerie and magnificent.

He had no mechanical structures on his body.

Previously, Qingchen thought Ye Wan was already tall and strong enough, but compared to this prisoner, Ye Wan seemed to fall short.

After the bald man was escorted into the prison, the mechanical prison guards gradually retreated to the alloy gate, but they didn’t remove his alloy shackles.

After the mechanical prison guards left, the bald man calmly moved his wrists and then picked up a nearby prisoner, asking, "Where is Uncle Li?"

The prisoner, who had undergone mechanical modifications in seven or eight places, was handled like a toy in his hands.

The prisoner, in fear, pointed towards the dining area, and everyone’s gaze turned to Uncle Li, Qingchen, and Ye Wan.

The big cat, which was usually lazy, stared intently at the bald man from Uncle Li’s lap.

Qingchen also looked at Uncle Li, who smiled at him, "I didn’t expect this guest to be so direct. His name is Guo Huchan, and you’ve probably heard of him. You and Ye Wan should step back a bit, so you don’t get hurt."

Ye Wan glanced at Qingchen. For the boss to specifically remind him of such a small matter, it seemed that the boss’s fondness for this young man exceeded even Lin Xiaoxiao’s and his own expectations.

At this moment, Lu Guangyi, who had been mingling in the crowd, muttered, "Guo Huchan... He actually came in. No wonder the boss said, 'A lama came from the south.'"

"After the boss came in, he didn’t look for clues, just played chess and read books with Uncle Li every day, as if nothing was happening. It turns out he was waiting for Guo Huchan to come and stir things up, so we could benefit from it... Brilliant!" Lu Guangyi’s thoughts became more active, and in his eyes, Qingchen was now a wise strategist who planned ahead and thought far ahead.