Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Monster

On the way out, Chen Guozhong and his group remained silent about the prison warden issue, choosing not to discuss it at all.

Guo Zichen turned his head and changed the subject.

With a hint of confusion, he asked Lu Guanhua, “Brother Hua, why have you been so quiet today? It’s not like you at all.”

Usually, among the first team of the Western District Major Crimes Unit, Lu Guanhua was known for his explosive temper—quick to anger at the slightest provocation.

But today, his demeanor was unusually calm, which truly surprised everyone.

Lu Guanhua paused his gum-chewing before casually saying, “That kid is pretty formidable.”

Guo Zichen looked puzzled. “Huh?”

Lu continued, “Last time, when Brother Zhong and I came, it was that kid’s first day in the cell, and he ended up injuring several inmates in the same cell that very day.”

“Afterward, worried he might cause trouble, I had someone keep an eye on him. A prison officer friend from Chichu mentioned him a few times.”

“He said the guy was like a terminator inside the prison—totally exaggerated.”

“This time, on the way over, I asked around again.”

He paused, then said, “Turns out... it’s even more exaggerated than what Brother Zhong said.”

“In seven minutes, he wounded dozens of men with his bare hands.”

“The most seriously injured was Ajie, the assassin of Zhongyixin. He suffered dislocated shoulder blades, fractured ribs, a broken mandible, deformed bones in his right arm, and torn muscles...”

“When my friend told me this, I honestly thought I was listening to a movie plot.”

“Honestly, even when I got back inside, I was still in shock, barely able to come to my senses.”

Guo Zichen was speechless.

“Is it really that unbelievable...” Li Weile clicked his tongue and muttered, “But no matter how good your skills are, what use is it? This is the era of firearms. Hand-to-hand combat went out long ago.”

Li Weile was quite skilled with guns—he was known as the best marksman in the Western District Police Station.

...

At the top floor private club of Zhongyida Building in the Western District, the lavishly decorated venue radiated an aura of immense wealth from every corner.

On the stage in the grand hall stood Wang Baozheng, a corpulent man clutching a golf club in one hand, a cigar pinched between the fingers of the other, exuding an air of calm confidence.

Around the edges, seven or eight of Zhongyixin’s henchmen dressed in suits stood guard.

Wang Bao’s slicked-back hair was flecked with gray, making him appear as an aged, stout man, though his commanding presence left a deep first impression.

At that moment, a tall, thin henchman wearing a black hat hurried in.

He quickly approached the stage and whispered into Wang Bao’s ear, “Master Bao, Ajie has gotten into trouble.”

Wang Bao stopped his movements.

His previously warm expression tightened slightly, his jet-black eyes narrowing and emanating a chilling aura.

He fell silent briefly, the atmosphere around him seeming to drop in pressure.

Everyone else in the hall involuntarily lowered their heads.

Finally, Wang Bao spoke, “Isn’t Ajie locked up in Chichu Prison? What happened?”

The tall henchman bowed his head, “There was a group incident inside. Ajie was severely injured by another inmate.”

No sooner had he finished speaking—

Bang!

Wang Bao kicked a leather chair violently, sending it crashing against a table leg below the stage, the impact echoing loudly.

His face darkened instantly, voice fierce, “Who did it?”

Ajie was his top enforcer, the most trusted aide in Zhongyixin, the last one Wang Bao had sent to Chichu Prison on a job.

Wang Bao had always valued Ajie highly—not only for his skill but because Ajie was someone who never required him to worry about his tasks.

In many ways, Ajie was the face of Zhongyixin outside.

Harming Ajie was tantamount to challenging Zhongyixin itself.

Wang Bao’s grim expression revealed a brutal rage ready to tear everything apart.

The tall henchman lowered his head further.

“It was a newly admitted prisoner named Aren.”

“People inside say his fighting skill is monstrous.”

“Ajie didn’t even last a hundred rounds against him.”

Actually, the messenger had originally said Ajie hadn’t lasted a single round before being gravely injured.

They said this Aren was a monster with three heads and six arms.

One punch or kick was enough to utterly dismantle Ajie.

However, fearing exaggeration through rumor, the henchman toned down the description considerably.

Otherwise, he feared frightening Master Bao—or worse, being beaten to death by his fury.

Damn, the story was too absurd.

Three heads and six arms!

After finishing, the tall henchman immediately lowered his head.

Wang Bao turned his broad shoulders slowly, his fierce gaze sweeping over him with no expression.

“Keep a close watch on him. Once he’s out, arrange for someone to take him out immediately.”

...

Song Ren returned to Cell Block 9.

It was obvious that the number of inmates had sharply decreased.

Most were still resting in the infirmary, while the most severely injured, Ajie, lay in intensive care, wrapped like a mummy, unable to move.

It was tough on the nurses—each time they came to change his dressings, they had to endure Ajie’s murderous glare.

The nurses changed bandages so nervously that several had even cried from fright.

Upon Song Ren’s return, the inmates’ gazes grew even more intense.

Shezai Ming, his eyes sharp and face still bruised, ran over from a distance with a sycophantic smile.

“Brother Ren, you’re back!”

Once out of the prison guards’ sight, Song Ren performed a quick sleight of hand, tossing him a pack of cigarettes and several large chunks of chocolate.

Shezai Ming’s smile grew even brighter.

“Brother Ren, where did you get these? Didn’t the guards search you?”

“Take them, no need for so many questions,” Song Ren scolded good-naturedly before continuing:

“I’m just here briefly to give some instructions. I’ll still be locked up afterward, not much time.”

Though he said locked up, it was just a pretense.

He was about to take the place of a condemned prisoner and represent Chichu Prison in a round of boxing matches inside Fusheng Tower.

But before that, he had to return once more to the cell block.

He needed to remind about Ale’s situation again, just in case something unexpected happened while he was away.