27. Whistleblower

Early morning.

Countdown 16:20:00.

Last night, Prison 18 received another batch of new inmates.

Under Qing Chen's instruction, Lu Guangyi went to inquire about the origins of the newcomers.

In the end, Qing Chen confirmed that there were no transmigrators among this group of new inmates.

He speculated that all transmigrators would enter and exit simultaneously, and no one would transmigrate in the middle of others' transmigration process.

This way, all transmigrants were now on the same timeline.

At this moment, Uncle Li Dong was already sitting at the dining table early, playing chess with Qing Chen.

"Since you instructed Lu Guangyi to be mindful in his actions, there have been fewer cries and howls from new inmates in the prison," Uncle Li Dong said while looking at the chessboard. "However, have you noticed that the other two gang forces in the prison are already very dissatisfied with Lu Guangyi?"

Usually, the three gangs took turns hosting the "welcome ceremony" for newcomers, which was considered a form of entertainment for everyone.

Now that Lu Guangyi monopolized this affair, it naturally provoked dissatisfaction from others.

Qing Chen moved a red piece and responded, "I've noticed, but I believe Lu Guangyi can handle this matter himself."

"Have you ever thought that the newcomers might not be grateful to you?" Uncle Li Dong said with a smile.

After thinking for a moment, Qing Chen said, "When you encounter a beggar on the road and throw him some spare change, that money isn't really enough to lift him out of poverty, but it buys you some inner peace and pleasure."

Uncle Li Dong simply smiled without another word.

Today's endgame was called Wild Horses Across the Fields, but Qing Chen, playing the red, didn't win; instead, the game ended in a draw.

In fact, in such chess endgames, it's usually the black side that has the advantage, so a draw is already considered breaking the game.

Different from the usual spectators, aside from Lu Guangyi's group of prisoners with unknowable depths, Guo Huchan had joined them.

Yesterday, this burly man had sat courteously in the distance, but today, he simply seated himself right next to Qing Chen: opposite Uncle Li Dong.

The giant figure over two meters tall made the chair seem like a little stool, an awkward sight.

But Guo Huchan didn't care about that; he just wanted to be by Uncle Li Dong's side.

If you can't beat them, join them!

Moreover, when he saw that Qing Chen's food included real meat while his own didn't, he righteously said to Uncle Li Dong, "I'm at least a notable member of the Spade. You guys eat real meat and make me eat synthetic? That's hardly proper hospitality, right?"

Seeing his shamelessness, Lin Xiaoxiao sneered, "Do you really think you're the same as us? Why don't you fight the boss again, and if you win, you can have it?"

"Stop always resorting to fighting and killing, it's not good," Guo Huchan said, stroking his bald head. "And it's fine for you three to eat it, but why does this chess-playing kid get to eat real meat too? He's just an ordinary person. Hey, kid, go get yourself another serving and give this one to me."

Everyone was taken aback, not expecting Guo Huchan to be so cunning, picking on Qing Chen, the softer target, after realizing he couldn't provoke Uncle Li Dong.

At that moment, however, Qing Chen looked up at Guo Huchan, then towards Lin Xiaoxiao and the others.

He noticed that Lin Xiaoxiao, unlike usual, did not retort and send Guo Huchan packing, but instead looked at Qing Chen with a smile, seemingly curious to see how he would deal with the bald muscleman.

Qing Chen silently closed his eyes, ignoring the other man.

Thinking the youngster didn't dare provoke him, Guo Huchan brazenly took Qing Chen's plate for himself, "You all saw it, he gave it up on his own."

However, at that moment, Qing Chen's thoughts seemed to return to the day before.

The instant Guo Huchan's fist flew out.

The world froze.

The prisoners were beaten down by the metallic storm, unable to lift their heads, their prison uniforms pelted by rubber bullets as if the surface of water in the rain, continuously splashing ripples.

The slowly rising alloy gate and the swiftly entering mechanical prison guards, the sounds of guns, rubber bullets colliding, and hydraulic drives intermingled.

At that time, only Qing Chen was calmly observing everyone.

No, that's not the moment he was searching for.

Qing Chen stood in the center of his memories and swiped with his hand, the images of the world reversing like a film played backward.

Rubber bullets that burst from the sky to the ground, now flying back into the barrels of the guns.

The prisoners who fell over were now rising in eerie poses.

Time passed second by second, the past scenes replaying frame by frame in Qing Chen's mind.

Until... the very moment Guo Huchan first stepped into Prison 18.

Qing Chen walked slowly through the crowd, listening to everyone's voices.

People in memories don't talk, but the details on their bodies tell tales.

Just as Guo Huchan was about to eat all the meat on Qing Chen's plate, Qing Chen opened his eyes.

"Lu Guangyi."

"Hey, I'm here, I'm here, boss, what's up?" Lu Guangyi couldn't care about hiding his identity anymore and hurriedly responded.

Qing Chen said, "I'll point out a few people, and you pull them out."

After speaking, he turned around and started to identify the prisoners, and he pointed out eight people in one breath.

As those individuals were pulled out of the crowd by Lu Guangyi, Guo Huchan's expression became increasingly ugly, and he couldn't even bother with his food.

Qing Chen sat back down and said to Guo Huchan, "These eight, are they your men?"

"Not all of them," Guo Huchan said with a dark face.

"Hmm," Qing Chen nodded, "After you were brought in, your gaze lingered on five of them, and those five made a gesture of extending their index fingers. Although I don't know what that gesture means, I'm sure it was meant for you to see. The other three exchanged glances at the first opportunity."

Lin Xiaoxiao and Ye Wan's expressions changed as they watched Qing Chen. Even they had been too busy dodging bullets to observe everyone's reactions at that time.

It was as if, in that chaotic moment, only Qing Chen was the clear-eyed Observer.

Uncle Li Dong said with a laugh, "Prison 18 is full of mixed characters, it's normal for people from other forces to be watching me here."

Lin Xiaoxiao felt smug, and he asked, "Boss, should we transfer these people to another prison?"

"No need," Uncle Li Dong shook his head, "Transferring eight people for no reason would invite needless speculation if the outside world found out. Ye Wan, isolate those eight and interrogate them separately to see who the other three belong to."

Just then, as Qing Chen looked at Lin Xiaoxiao's smug appearance and remembered how he had been an amused bystander, he stood up again and pointed out more than twenty people.

This time he didn't say anything, but Lin Xiaoxiao suddenly felt a bit of a toothache and whispered to Uncle Li Dong, "Boss, this kid has picked out all our people..."

Uncle Li Dong looked at Qing Chen with admiration and said, "Although you are not a Transcendent, your memory and analytical abilities are incomparable to many Transcendents."

Guo Huchan saw that Qing Chen had also pointed out the Knight's men and immediately realized that the young man was not one of the Knights: "Young brother, how may I address you?"

Qing Chen glanced at him, "Qing Chen."

"Qing's Family?" Guo Huchan was stunned, "How did the Knights get involved with Qing's Financial Group?"

"Does having the surname Qing necessarily mean belonging to Qing's Family? Even if one is from Qing's Family, that doesn't mean they have to stay there for life," Uncle Li Dong said with a smile, "In the wild, there is also a very famous person with the surname Qing."

Guo Huchan's eyes flickered, and his attitude immediately took a 180-degree turn.

He silently pushed his meal plate back in front of Qing Chen and then warmly said to Qing Chen, "Brother Qing Chen, what's your impression of Spade?"

"Not much of one," Qing Chen replied coldly.

He still couldn't figure out what kind of person Guo Huchan was, someone who appeared big and strong, yet whose mind was exceptionally agile and who lacked principles.

Moreover, the man was here to compete with him for the Taboo, so of course, he wouldn't show any good expression.

Today, with the help of Uncle Li's power, he managed to cut off some wings that the opposition had pre-arranged, which was a gain.

Meanwhile, there was a commotion nearby.

Qing Chen looked over to see Ye Wan frowning.

The three non-Spade Members he had just identified were already lying on the ground, their lips and faces turning a purplish blue.

This was the classic symptom of death by asphyxiation.

Ye Wan took off his shirt to wrap around his hands and then crouched down to gently pry open a dead man's mouth, looking up at Uncle Li, "Boss, it was a poison sac hidden behind the molar; there's a faint bitter almond smell when the mouth is opened, it's cyanide."

Guo Huchan said, "These three aren't my Spade Members."

"Death warriors," Uncle Li said calmly, "This is indeed a bit of a surprise."

No one knew who had arranged for them to come in, nor what they wanted in Prison 18.

Qing Chen silently watched, his face showing no reaction.

Only his tightly clenched fists betrayed his tension.

He opened his palms to see the red marks scratched by his nails and the sweat within them.

Whether in the Outer World or the Inner World, this was his first encounter with death.

Concealing poison behind a tooth was something he had only seen in movies.

The drastic measures of the three Death warriors pulled Qing Chen back to reality, making him realize once again that this was indeed a world ruled by fierce beasts.

The countdown read 15:21:59.

His return was imminent; he could not afford any further complications.

...

Seeking recommendation tickets, seeking monthly tickets! The situation is great; let's charge!!

...

Thank you to student Xiao Gong for becoming the new ally of this book. The boss is generous; may your fortune be as vast as the Eastern seas and your life as enduring as the Southern mountains!