Chapter 8

How to survive in this prison where steel beasts roam?

Qingchen couldn’t rely on the mysterious Lu Guangyi, for he feared his identity as a substitute would be exposed.

He also couldn’t rely on other fellow inmates from the same time and place, as they were in even worse shape than he was.

Thus, Qingchen candidly informed Uncle Li of his abilities to prove that he was useful.

Without a doubt, Uncle Li was the most transcendent figure in this prison. Although what Qingchen did was risky, it was the best way out.

Uncle Li left with his hands behind his back, Ye Wan and the gray cat by his side, while Lin Xiaoxiao had gone off somewhere with a grin.

It wasn’t yet lunchtime, but the food window had already opened early for Uncle Li.

Ye Wan fetched a meal for Uncle Li and the gray cat, who picked at the food.

At this moment, Lin Xiaoxiao emerged from somewhere, kicked off his shoes, and squatted on the chair opposite Uncle Li’s table.

The gray cat glanced at him, and Ye Wan frowned, saying, "Show some respect in front of the boss."

Lin Xiaoxiao rolled his eyes, "The boss hasn’t said anything, and you, Mother Ye, are being too controlling."

Uncle Li smiled and said, "It seems you’ve made some progress?"

"Yes," Lin Xiaoxiao said excitedly, "A lot of progress. You know, Qingchen has a clean record outside, no trace of any abnormality, but that’s what piqued my interest."

"Because it’s too clean?" Uncle Li asked.

"Exactly, too clean. His records show he’s a high school student from City 18, his parents died in a car accident, he inherited a fortune, has no criminal record, no relatives," Lin Xiaoxiao said.

"What’s his charge?" Uncle Li asked.

"Theft. The file shows he stole a liquid crystal phone, just enough to get him a sentence," Lin Xiaoxiao said. "As you know, more than half of the inmates in Prison 18 are serious criminals, usually with a long list of offenses or caught by the tax authorities. A petty thief like him shouldn’t even be here."

In just a short while, Lin Xiaoxiao had already reviewed Qingchen’s file, which would be considered a remarkable feat by most.

Lin Xiaoxiao continued, "Moreover, I asked someone outside, and his case is controversial. He claims he bought the liquid crystal phone normally and paid for it, but the seller didn’t record the transaction, and the surveillance cameras suddenly malfunctioned, leaving him unable to prove his innocence. If the phone seller changes his statement to support him or if the surveillance video of his payment appears, he could be released immediately. You see, this is a familiar tactic. Most people who come to prison to ‘do business’ use this method."

Uncle Li pondered, "How long was he sentenced?"

"Six months," Lin Xiaoxiao replied. "This is probably the shortest sentence in the history of Prison 18. Boss, don’t you think this is suspicious... and he’s surnamed Qing!"

The surname Qing was too special in this era, as one of the five major companies that monopolized almost all economic lifelines was surnamed Qing.

Qing was also a rare surname, so if you suddenly met someone surnamed Qing on the street, you would wonder if they were from the Qing family.

"Continue," Uncle Li said with a smile.

"You know, the Qing Corporation sent in a Lu Guangyi before," Lin Xiaoxiao said. "It’s easy to find out, but I couldn’t understand why they sent such a minor character. What was he supposed to do?"

"I remember that Lu Guangyi," Ye Wan said. "He was always gathering people."

"Exactly," Lin Xiaoxiao said with a grin. "After Lu Guangyi came in, he relied on his advanced mechanical limbs to suppress the local forces in the prison, and in just a month, he formed a tripartite confrontation with the other two factions. I was puzzled—was the Qing Corporation sending him to unify Prison 18?"

"The Qing Corporation knows the boss is here," Ye Wan implied that with Uncle Li around, no one could unify the prison.

Lin Xiaoxiao narrowed his eyes, almost itching to scratch his feet in excitement. "So, I thought the Qing Corporation must be crazy to send a minor character to stir things up in Prison 18. It wasn’t until today that I realized Lu Guangyi was paving the way for Qingchen. Whatever the Qing Corporation is planning, Qingchen is the main player, and Lu Guangyi is just a lackey."

At this point, Lin Xiaoxiao was puzzled again. "But what are they trying to achieve in Prison 18? If Qingchen is really from the Qing Corporation, why would he come here?"

Uncle Li suddenly said, "The Qing Corporation might be selecting the next shadow."

Ye Wan and Lin Xiaoxiao were taken aback. "The next shadow? Qingchen is one of the candidates? So he came here with a mission."

A large corporation needs both face and substance.

The head of the Qing Corporation is the face, while the shadow is the substance.

The shadow handles dirty work and wields immense power, ruling the underground world of the Qing Corporation, with no one but the head able to control them.

However, the selection process for each generation of shadows is extremely brutal, like raising a swarm of insects.

"It seems the Qing Corporation is about to cause more trouble," Uncle Li sighed.

As they spoke, a prisoner inadvertently walked by, and Ye Wan suddenly turned to look at him from a distance of over five meters.

The prisoner, intimidated by her piercing gaze, involuntarily turned and walked in another direction.

Uncle Li and the others stopped discussing the topic, and Lin Xiaoxiao asked, "Boss, even if he’s a shadow candidate, there’s no need to make his background so clean, as if he has nothing to do with the Qing Corporation."

At this point, everyone was convinced that Qingchen was from the Qing Corporation.

At their level, they didn’t believe in coincidences.

"Unless, there’s a bigger secret in Qingchen’s background," Uncle Li said.

"What do you think, Boss?" Lin Xiaoxiao asked curiously.

Uncle Li shook his head. "Just from what you said, I suddenly feel he looks a bit like someone."

"An enemy? Or a friend? Have we met him?" Lin Xiaoxiao asked curiously.

Uncle Li said, "You haven’t met him, but you will eventually. Xiaoxiao, if the world could be simply divided into enemies and friends, it would be much easier."

As he spoke, Uncle Li picked up the gray cat from the table and gently stroked its chin.

The gray cat closed its eyes in comfort and lazily lay on Uncle Li’s lap.

He said to Lin Xiaoxiao, "I’m more interested in this Qingchen. Go and test his character."

Lin Xiaoxiao was surprised. "Boss, you like him? He’s from the Qing Corporation!"

"I just want you to test him, not do anything else," Uncle Li laughed. "Besides, isn’t it more interesting to snatch someone from the Qing Corporation?"

"But I don’t think he’s on our side," Lin Xiaoxiao muttered, staring at his feet.

Uncle Li smiled. "In an organization, you need all kinds of people: the tiger that guards the mountain, the eagle with foresight, the wolf that fights, the leopard that is agile, and the dog that is loyal, each with their own role."

Lin Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up. "Boss, what am I in the organization?"

Uncle Li thought for a moment. "A fish that swims."

Ye Wan calmly added, "A stick in the mud."

Lin Xiaoxiao: "???"

...

Thank you:

Bookworm, BaraRay, Little Cat, Chanting for Two Seconds, Eating Meat Makes You Fat, Three Lives Green Treasure, Heavenly Dog White Wave, G-Dragon_, Reader 1383594256452726784, Fishing on the Mountain, Lanlan Laughing in the Netherworld, WDDDJ, Leaving with a Mess, Book Friend 20171130004559159, Walking | Stopping Jaua, Coffee, Lyhae, True Understanding of Swordsmanship

Classmates have become the book’s patrons!

Bosses are generous! Bosses have a long life!