Mass Outbreak

In the evening, Aiden, accompanied by Franda, patrolled the core area as usual.

"Haha, Chief Warden is here to get scolded again!"

"Oh, oh, Warden, do you have a masochistic tendency?"

"Do you want me to wear high heels and step on you?"

"Aiden, you son of a bitch!"

…

They were greeted by the usual flood of curses.

But at that moment, a sudden cough echoed from the duty room near the main gate.

In an instant, the entire corridor fell into an eerie silence, not a sound to be heard.

Aiden turned his head in surprise and saw Veronica standing upright at the entrance of the duty room, with hands behind her back, smiling and nodding slightly towards the two of them.

The one directly opposite Cell 1 was not another cell, but the duty room where the on duty officer was stationed. The prison guard on duty inside monitored the entire corridor through the wide-angle mirror next to the door.

Today, it was Veronica's turn to be on duty here.

The next moment, the prisoners finally realized how embarrassing their reaction had been. In order to conceal this shame, they cursed even more vigorously.

"So it's your shift today," Aiden nodded towards Veronica and smiled, "Looks like you've managed to establish some authority among the prisoners. Well done."

The prisoners in the core area, in fact, were a bunch of paper tigers. However, it took a bit of skill to intimidate them with just a cough – it required a certain level of assertiveness to instill fear in the minds of the inmates.

Clearing his throat would make the prisoners instinctively quiet down. Aiden was actually capable of doing this level of intimidation, but he had grown tired of playing that game long ago.

But Franda is different. After all, she's just an ordinary human. As a veteran jailer, she's well-versed in prison affairs, but when it comes to intimidating the inmates, she falls a bit short.

Someone like Veronica, who can reach this level in just a few days, proves that her previous methods of disciplining the prisoners were indeed effective. She truly hasn't squandered her natural talent as a pure-blooded werewolf.

"Chief, there's something I need to report to you," Veronica saluted in a serious manner. "Tonight, there was a situation in the core area. Eight prisoners simultaneously exhibited symptoms of fever and diarrhea."

"So many?" Aiden furrowed his brow. "Were they taken to the infirmary?"

"They were. I've compiled a list for your review," Veronica submitted the report.

Aiden glanced at it. "Hmm? The twins are included too?"

The identification number of the twin assassins previously brought to this prison was prominently listed.

"Yes."

Aiden's expression grew slightly more serious. It couldn't be a coincidence that so many inmates were showing symptoms at once.

Food poisoning… or an epidemic?

"Have the cafeteria sealed off. And send the leftover meals from tonight, along with the ingredients and kitchenware, for examination,"

Aiden was about to instruct Franda when Veronica interjected, raising her hand.

"No need, chief. I've already asked Isabella to handle it. Originally, she was going to report to you after she went there, but you came here first."

Aiden paused, then displayed an approving look. "Well done, very efficient."

He then turned to Franda. "Let's quickly count the inmates, and then head to the infirmary."

"Understood."

Under Veronica's watchful gaze, Aiden and Franda proceeded deeper into the corridor.

"Although i've already said this many times… but this kid really is well-suited for being a prison guard," Franda whispered softly, filled with admiration.

"She used to be involved in apprehending criminals, so she does have some experience," Aiden said calmly.

"But in the end, the Mounted police are primarily dealt with the residents, while prison guard have always dealt with the prisoners. There's still a lot she needs to learn in this regard."

"How does it feel to be taking on an apprentice?" Franda teased.

"You should quickly familiarize yourselves with the new regulations and procedures. It's not right to always have the Chief Commander babysit the newcomers," Aiden smiled.

As they passed Cell 13, Fei suddenly rushed to the railing. "Lord Aiden, let me tell you—"

"Shut up," Aiden turned his head and cut her off immediately.

"I haven't even said anything yet!" Fei widened her eyes.

"It's definitely not something serious. Instead of listening to your nonsense, it's better to just keep quiet," Aiden responded coldly. "I'm busy right now!"

"You're becoming more and more unreasonable towards me!" Fei pouted, then smiled playfully and threw a wink. "But I like it, heh!"

"Good day, Warden," at this moment, Meirujinu approached the railing and bowed politely to Aiden.

Aiden nodded expressionlessly and prepared to continue walking forward.

But Meirujinu stopped him again. "Warden, Please wait."

"What is it? Get to the point," Aiden glanced at her.

"Warden, it seems like many prisoners have fallen ill just now. Are you planning to visit the infirmary to check on the situation?" Meirujinu said respectfully. "You can take me with you; perhaps I can be of some assistance."

"You?" Aiden frowned.

"Well, I do have some knowledge on pharmacology," Meirujinu said respectfully. "I've heard that, Warden, you're not particular about who helps you here, and some prisoners are already working for you. I also hope to have the honor of contributing in my own small way."

"Who told you I have prisoners working for me?" Aiden looked puzzled.

While it wasn't a secret that he occasionally had prisoners do tasks for him, he hadn't publicized it.

Even prisoners like Ophelia, who didn't interact much with others, only found out about it after being here for two years, up until the day of their escape. And Meirujinu had only been here for less than a month.

Meirujinu sensed Aiden's probing and adjusted her facial expression, pretending to be surprised as she replied, "Oh? I heard it from other prisoners when they were chatting… Is it just a rumor?"

Aiden stared at her for a while, unable to discern anything. He replied in a flat tone, "No, I do occasionally have prisoners help me out, but I have certain criteria for choosing these individuals."

"What kind of criteria?"

"You don't need to know. You've been here for less than half a month, and I don't even know much about you," Aiden stared at Meirujinu intensely.

"And do you think I would allow a prisoner to casually handle medicines in the infirmary? Do I look like such a foolish person?"

"I'm very sorry, I overstepped," Meirujinu immediately lowered her head humbly.

"Don't bring up requests like this again," Aiden said and continued walking forward.