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墨書 Inktalez
Upon seeing the police arrive, the man who had previously bullied and deceived Lu Fei Fan, Xu San Ye, immediately scrambled to his feet. Terrified, he rushed to the side of a guard, grabbing hold of him and wailing, “Officer, someone is beating me! You must help me!”
“Oh, isn’t this the notorious Xu Guangtou who usually rules the roost in here?” one of the guards remarked.
“Tsk tsk tsk, look at your expression. Who did this to you?” the other guard added.
It was rare for the guards to see Xu Guangtou in such a pitiful state, and they couldn’t help but mock him a little. It seemed he had made quite a few enemies among them.
“Someone really did hit me!” Xu San Ye opened his mouth, revealing two broken teeth stained with blood. He looked utterly miserable, resembling a victim rather than the imposing figure he usually portrayed.
At this moment, the two guards noticed that Xu San Ye was not joking. Although they had no fondness for him, they could not allow anyone in the prison to act so recklessly. They scanned the cellblock, and everyone’s eyes quickly averted.
Just then, a young man raised his hand and said, “Officer, I’d like to report that Xu San Ye is putting on an act. Look behind him; there’s a sharpened piece of metal! He clearly wants to distract you so he can launch a sneak attack and steal the keys to escape.”
The guards’ gazes shifted immediately to the sharp metal piece not far from Xu San Ye. It gleamed ominously under the light. Even Xu San Ye hadn’t noticed when it had appeared behind him. The young man who reported him wore an innocent expression, looking like a naive youth who was simply speaking his mind.
The two guards exchanged skeptical glances with the other inmates before pointing at a frail-looking prisoner and asking, “What about you? Is there any truth to this?”
The weak prisoner was one of those who had suffered the most under Xu San Ye’s bullying. Although he wasn’t exactly a good person himself, he hesitated for a moment before deciding to seize this opportunity to turn against Xu San Ye rather than defend him. He nodded vigorously like a chicken pecking at grain.
“Yes, yes! That’s exactly what happened! He even threatened us not to go out or he would kill us!”
As soon as someone reported Xu San Ye, other prisoners who had been oppressed began chiming in as well, all accusing him of trying to steal the keys and escape. Seeing this, the two guards started to believe it.
“Good for you, Xu Guangtou! How dare you deceive us!”
“Come with us!”
With that, the two guards opened the door and cautiously entered with their batons drawn.
“No! Listen to me, they framed me! Please... don’t hit me, ow, don’t hit me! I’m truly innocent…”
The two guards paid no attention to Xu San Ye's pleas for mercy. They mercilessly rained down blows on him, turning his face into a swollen mess. After thoroughly beating him, they dragged him out, leaving him in a state that would surely result in more than just bruises.
As Xu San Ye was being dragged away, he turned back to look at Lu Fei Fan, who was smiling and waving goodbye to him.
Once he was taken away, the cell fell into a quieter state. Many inmates glanced at Lu Fei Fan but dared not approach him. Seizing the rare moment of peace, Lu Fei Fan found a corner bed and lay down, quickly falling into a deep sleep after a long night without rest.
However, he had not slept for long when the guards who had taken Xu San Ye returned.
“Come out, come out.”
The two guards called for Lu Fei Fan to step outside.
“Where to?” Lu Fei Fan asked.
“We’re moving you to another cell,” one guard replied with an expressionless face.
Another move?
Lu Fei Fan pondered whether they had learned about the incident with Xu San Ye.
If they wanted to move him, so be it. Despite sensing something amiss, Lu Fei Fan followed them without fear.
The guards led Lu Fei Fan through several iron doors until they arrived at another cell. They opened the door and pushed him inside before slamming it shut without another word.
Once inside, Lu Fei Fan took a moment to assess his new surroundings. This cell was larger than the previous one and housed seven or eight inmates. It appeared less chaotic but gave off an unsettling vibe as if he were surrounded by wolves. As soon as he entered, several pairs of eyes locked onto him.
Lu Fei Fan glanced at the people around him, each with a somber and reserved expression, clearly not the kind of individuals to be trifled with. They were certainly on a different level compared to the ruffians from the cell he had just come from.
Moreover, these individuals appeared to be in harmony with one another, lacking any obvious factions. The cold atmosphere felt oddly sinister, resembling more of a cohesive unit than a collection of individuals.
His attention was drawn to a bed in the middle of the cell where a man in his fifties sat. Three others were gathered around him, studying a Go board laid out before them. All three wore troubled expressions, seemingly at a loss as they stared at the board.
Noticing an empty bed nearby, Lu Fei Fan moved toward it, only to be blocked by four or five inmates who quickly surrounded him.
It was evident that this group was united; the guards had thrown him into a cell filled with a gang, likely intending to either kill him or teach him a harsh lesson.
“Kid, there are rules when you enter here, you know?” the leader seated at the Go board said without looking up.
“Oh? What rules?” Lu Fei Fan asked calmly.
“You don’t even know that and you’ve been tossed in here? Newcomer?” The leader held a white stone in hand, ready to make his move.
“Wait,” Lu Fei Fan called out.
The leader’s hand, poised to drop the stone onto the board, suddenly halted.
“Changqi Kill has keen eyes,” Lu Fei Fan remarked as he glanced at the board.
The leader looked down at the board and realized that the situation was indeed as this young man had pointed out. Curiosity sparked within him as he lifted his gaze to meet Lu Fei Fan’s eyes.
“You know how to play Go?” he asked, his expression revealing a hint of intrigue.
Lu Fei Fan noticed that one of the leader's eyes seemed clouded, possibly due to cataracts; one pupil appeared completely white.
"Maybe a little," Lu Fei Fan replied casually.
In his previous life, Lu Fei Fan had played the most Go with his grandfather. He wasn't at a professional level, but he should be more than capable of handling these amateur players.
"Come here. Let him in," the leader waved his hand, allowing Lu Fei Fan to enter past those blocking his way.
As Lu Fei Fan walked in, the leader pointed at the current game and asked, "Can you solve this?"
Lu Fei Fan glanced at the board, pondered for a few seconds, then seriously picked up a white stone to make his move. The leader across from him played with black stones to block him. After several moves, he managed to capture a few stones, but just when it seemed like Lu Fei Fan was in trouble, he casually filled in some gaps. To everyone's surprise, the seemingly disadvantaged white stones suddenly found a way to thrive, and the board opened up dramatically. The leader watched in a daze, murmuring to himself, "Entering the belly to fight head-on, capturing with eyes unseen—what a good move... what a good move."
Then he looked up at Lu Fei Fan, his gaze now holding something different.
"What did you do to end up here? What were you doing before?" The leader's tone had softened considerably.
"I was just a scholar; I got into a fight and ended up here," Lu Fei Fan replied succinctly.
"Being young and impetuous is a good thing," the leader nodded. "Come on, play a couple of games with me."
With that, he cleared the board. One of the men made space for them, and without hesitation, Lu Fei Fan sat down across from him. The two began their match.
About half an hour later, the middle-aged leader was already sweating lightly, and even his movements of placing stones on the board had become somewhat tense.
In contrast, Lu Fei Fan appeared calm and collected. Each time he made a move, it seemed effortless; he barely glanced at the board and occasionally smiled at the leader.
Eventually, the leader looked at the board and realized that no matter where he placed his stones next, it would lead to defeat.
"What a foolish formation; I've lost," he said with some resignation. This was the fourth game he had lost.
“Thank you.” Lu Fei Fan said with a smile, genuinely finding the game of chess to be completely effortless.
The leader sighed, tossed aside the piece in his hand, clapped his hands, and looked at Lu Fei Fan with a more serious demeanor than before. “What is your name?”
“Alright, alright, my name is A Qi. May I ask for your esteemed name?” Lu Fei Fan casually made up a name, assuming that this person was the boss of the prison since everyone around seemed to listen to him.
The man nodded, his attitude becoming somewhat more respectful. “Everyone in here calls me Duan Zhang.”
Duan Zhang? That name was probably just a code; he likely wouldn’t be foolish enough to reveal his real name.
“Ah, Duan Ye, it’s a pleasure.” Lu Fei Fan pretended to show reverence.
“Ah, we’re friends now that we’re in here.” Duan Zhang waved his hand dismissively and said, “Qi, I have something I’d like to ask you for help with.”
“If Duan Ye is angry, feel free to speak directly,” Lu Fei Fan replied calmly, waiting for him. Playing chess with him was purely for amusement; it reminded him of his grandfather from his past life. Little did he know that Duan Zhang had other intentions because of his superior chess skills.
“Ah, it’s like this…” Seeing that Lu Fei Fan was not rejecting him, Duan Zhang relaxed.
This made Lu Fei Fan even more curious about what exactly he wanted from him.
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