"Who is that guy?"
Wan Lei asked curiously as he pushed the meal cart forward.
"This fellow? His name is Liu Pang. He's a disciple of the Wood Hall. He's been locked up here for over a decade. He's like a stubborn rock, refusing to confess anything, so his case remains unsolved."
"What did he do?"
"It's quite simple. Over ten years ago, during a mission, he suddenly deviated and went to a family located near the mission area. He crushed a poison pill, which caused the deaths of thousands of people in that family."
Wan Lei was surprised. He hadn't expected the seemingly honest and plump young man to be so ruthless.
"And then?"
"Then they caught him. After an investigation by the Security Division, they found that he had no acquaintance or connection with that family at all, so they ruled out revenge. The conclusion was simple: someone must have hired him to commit mass murder.
The interrogators questioned him about who ordered him, who the mastermind was, and which Pill Hall disciple sold him the poison pill, or where he bought it.
But this guy was tough as nails, insisting that he found the poison pill while on a mission, and then accidentally crushed it when he passed by that family, causing the tragic deaths of everyone there.
That's ridiculous! Analysts tested the residual poison in the family's air and confirmed that the pill was the Thousand Rash Poison Pill, unique to the Five Elements Hall's Pill Hall. Only the Five Elements Hall possessed the materials for it.
This kind of pill is usually used for large-scale enemy elimination on the battlefield. It must have been a Pill Hall disciple who intercepted some herbs while refining the poison pill, didn't report it, and sold the poison pill to him.
But when they investigated the Pill Hall, there were many disciples responsible for refining these pills, making it difficult to identify who made them. After all, refining pills has a certain failure rate. If someone succeeds but doesn't report it, they can just claim it was a failed attempt. What proof do you have?"
"That's indeed very strange. If he doesn't confess, will they just keep him locked up like this?"
"If he doesn't confess, the case can't be closed, and he can't be sentenced to death, so they have to keep him imprisoned. This way, although he's not free, he's at least alive, isn't he?"
Wan Lei initially wanted to remark on how civilized the Five Elements Hall's prison was, but then he reconsidered. If it weren't civilized, his little Yu would likely have been beaten black and blue by now, suffering unimaginable torture.
Yes, it was better to be civilized.
After delivering the meals, about half an hour later, Wan Lei collected all the trays and began his afternoon patrol.
His main patrol area was around the entrance of cell block eighty-nine.
His first day at work passed quickly and happily with the company of his little Yu sister. After delivering and collecting dinner, Wan Lei also enjoyed his nine-nine-six work schedule, ending his day as a corporate slave.
As usual, Qi Heng used his facial recognition and key card to unlock the door of Prison Group Thirteen, waiting for the night shift personnel to arrive for the handover and day shift personnel to leave.
The group playfully insisted that Wan Lei treat them to drinks. Wan Lei didn't refuse. To foster good relationships with them, he took them to the largest restaurant in the southern city, booked a luxurious private room, and ordered the finest food and wine, spending thousands of spirit stones.
During the banquet, as they toasted and drank, Wan Lei, the strongest disciple of the Five Elements Hall, showed no airs. He was very approachable, treating everyone like brothers, which instantly earned him great favor.
At one point, Wan Lei made an excuse to leave. He went to the front desk, took a menu, and with the stunned gaze of the front desk attendant, he pointed at the most expensive dishes on the first page and said with reckless extravagance,
"All of these, to go."
The group drank late into the night, and by the time they returned to their respective residences, the sky was almost dawn.
By then, Wan Lei's storage bag was filled with dozens of expensive dishes, as well as some sweet and delicious spiritual fruits and fine wines.
The next morning, Wan Lei left early. He swiped his identification card repeatedly along the way and arrived at Qi Heng's office.
He arrived early, and at this time, only his colleague from the God Race was there.
"Good morning, Senior Brother Wan."
The God Race colleague greeted him with a smile.
"Morning."
Wan Lei sat on the sofa, accepted the cigarette offered by the other person, lit it, and then carefully surveyed Qi Heng's office.
He had been here yesterday but had left immediately, so he hadn't had a chance to look around properly. Today, Wan Lei noticed a cabinet on a wall near the entrance, filled with countless small drawers, all of which were locked.
"What is that?"
"Oh, that? That's where the prisoners' personal belongings are stored. When they are imprisoned, all their possessions are confiscated. When they are released, the items are returned to them.
They aren't anything particularly important, and the keys are in Qi Heng's drawer. He's too lazy to carry them around."
"Oh, I see."
Wan Lei's gaze quickly found the slot in the tenth row, eighty-ninth position. He presumed that was where Fang Xiaoyu's storage bag was kept.
"These things are stored here, won't there be any instances of theft by the guards? After all, these people are serving life sentences, and some are even sentenced to death. They won't be able to reclaim their belongings."
"Personal property of those sentenced to death is confiscated. For those serving life sentences, if they behave well, they might occasionally get their sentences reduced. When they are released, and you don't have their things, what will you do?"
The God Race colleague smiled,
"However, such incidents are rare. There are also guards in other prison blocks who take prisoners' money. We don't take it, not out of fear of them causing trouble upon release, but purely out of fear of our superiors finding out."
Wan Lei nodded in agreement.
Soon, Qi Heng and the others arrived. When it was nine o'clock, Qi Heng opened the door, and the canteen staff also entered with meal carts. Wan Lei pushed his meal cart for the tenth row.
He opened the small windows one by one to distribute the meals, but Wan Lei deliberately withheld Fang Xiaoyu's portion.
After distributing all the meals, Wan Lei quickly flew to little Yu sister's window. To Fang Xiaoyu's surprised gaze, he began to take out the dishes one by one.
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Clear Soup Bird's Nest, Braised Shark Fin, Boiled Cabbage, Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea...
It was better to eat lightly in the morning.
After taking out all these dishes, Wan Lei held the Origin Fire and carefully heated the air at the entrance, then transferred it to the food. Instantly, the fragrant aroma wafted towards the entire tenth row of prison cells, drifting in through the open small windows.
Wan Lei handed all the food to Fang Xiaoyu. Fang Xiaoyu happily arranged them on the table one by one and began to savor them.
Wan Lei watched Fang Xiaoyu eat with great enjoyment, feeling very pleased.
While they were happy, others were not.
The other prisoners, smelling the aroma of the food and then tasting their standard prison fare, suddenly felt that the previously passable meals had become as tasteless as chewing wax.