Chapter 146: This Newcomer Has a Death Wish
The man had his back to Nan Xun, so Nan Xun couldn’t see his face. All she could tell was that his back was ramrod straight—so straight it looked even better than the backs of fashion models on TV.
His sitting posture was impeccable. The right hand holding his chopsticks moved in a subtle, fixed path between his mouth and his lunchbox. Even without seeing his face, Nan Xun could sense that his movements must be extremely elegant.
Nan Xun figured this person was either someone you absolutely couldn’t mess with, or someone with a contagious disease—otherwise, why would no one dare sit near him?
After giving it some thought, Nan Xun softened his footsteps and walked over, then edged toward the chair behind him.
At first, only half his butt touched the seat lightly. He stayed like that for several seconds. When nothing unusual happened, Nan Xun inched further in, until he was fully seated.
Then he listened carefully for a while to the sounds behind him. There was no big reaction at all.
Relieved, Nan Xun relaxed. He guessed the man simply didn’t like being watched while he ate. Now that he’d chosen a chair with his back to him and was quietly being invisible, he probably hadn’t disturbed him, right?
Feeling reassured, Nan Xun began eating on his own. When you were hungry, everything tasted especially good—even rice soaked in soup.
What Nan Xun didn’t notice was that the instant he sat down, every bit of noise in the cafeteria abruptly vanished. Someone even sucked in a sharp breath.
All eyes were fixed on the newcomer who had walked straight into the territory of the A Block prison tyrant, cluelessly shoveling food into his mouth and eating with more enthusiasm than a pig, utterly unaware of the kind of ferocious beast sitting behind him.
The man seemed to sense that someone had invaded his domain, and his eating motion paused.
Everyone instinctively held their breath, the blood in their veins boiling with excitement.
Go on—get up and smash this newcomer’s skull with one punch! Let blood spray into his lunchbox so he’ll never dare offend your authority again!
But the eager inmates got nothing they’d been hoping for.
Aside from that brief pause, the man showed no other reaction at all.
He unhurriedly finished the food in his lunchbox, picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth, and then… stood up.
Only then did the man turn around. His gaze landed precisely on the back of Nan Xun’s head, staring at it for several full seconds.
Then he turned on his heel and simply walked away.
It wasn’t until his figure had completely disappeared that the cafeteria exploded into noise with a loud boom.
Even more probing gazes turned toward Nan Xun, but he couldn’t be bothered with them and continued shoveling soup-soaked rice into his mouth.
Let them look. It wasn’t like he’d lose a piece of flesh.
After finishing dinner and returning to his cell, Nan Xun didn’t give Du Pan a friendly face. He knew the others were accomplices too—they’d all played deaf—but he still greeted the boss.
Du Pan shrugged at him. “Sixth Brother, I know you’re mad that I lied to you, but I was just trying to give you a simple lesson. In here, don’t believe whatever people tell you. Because everyone in this place… not a single one is a good person. If you can’t even take this little bit of anger, what are you going to do about tonight’s feast?”
“Feast?” Nan Xun frowned. She found Du Pan completely unreliable and couldn’t help turning his gaze to Brother Tie. “Boss, tell me the truth. Even if something really happens, at least I can be mentally prepared.”
Brother Tie rubbed his shiny bald head and said awkwardly, “Sixth Brother, it’s not that Big Brother doesn’t want to help you. It’s just that this is something I really can’t help with. Just endure it. Everyone has gone through this.”
Nan Xun rolled his eyes internally. You could at least tell me what’s going to happen. Saying all this useless stuff just makes people more anxious.
Just as Brother Tie was about to explain, cheering suddenly erupted outside the cell. The square-shaped corridor quickly filled with people, laughing, joking, and whistling.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door of Cell 242. At this hour, right after dinner, the guards didn’t really interfere—so whoever was knocking definitely wasn’t a guard.
The person outside shouted gruffly, “Newcomer! Get out here, quick—the welcome ceremony is about to begin!”
Welcome ceremony?
Nan Xun had a bad feeling about this.
Brother Tie glanced at Nan Xun. “Sixth Brother, remember what Big Brother told you. No matter what happens tonight, grit your teeth and endure it. Once tonight’s over, you’ll still be a hero.”
While Nan Xun was still stunned, Third Brother had already opened the door to Cell 242. Brother Tie led the way, and Nan Xun was shoved forward by Second Brother, ending up in the middle.
The moment Nan Xun stepped out of his cell, he was shocked by the scene outside.
The corridors from the second to the fourth floors were packed with people, all leaning on the railings and looking down at the first-floor hall. When Nan Xun came out, the crowd let out a kind of snickering laugh he couldn’t quite understand, one that looked especially lewd.
On the empty concrete floor of the first level stood a dozen or twenty burly men—big, rough-looking, with ferocious faces. Every single one of them was on the same level as Brother Tie.
And the one at the front was especially imposing. His well-developed muscles nearly stretched his loose prison uniform to bursting. His narrow eyes glinted with cruelty and venom. A scar slashed diagonally from his forehead across his eyebrow, all the way down to his left cheek, making him look terrifying.
Nan Xun had already learned that this man was the second-in-command of A Block, one of its notorious prison tyrants. His nickname was Scarface, and people called him Brother Dao.
The dozen or so men behind Scarface were likely his crew. None of them were particularly good-looking.
Nan Xun had already been shoved into the middle of the space by Du Pan. Behind him was nothing but empty air—no one at all.
There was another newcomer who had arrived around the same time as Nan Xun, a man in his thirties with a haggard face. Right now, that man was standing off to the side, bowing and scraping, grinning obsequiously at Scarface and the others.
Scarface let out a cold laugh and extended a hand to the side. Immediately, one of his lackeys handed him a stainless-steel cup.
Then, right in front of everyone, he started relieving himself.
When the onlookers on the second through fourth floors caught sight of Scarface’s “equipment,” they couldn’t help letting out impressed whistles and wolfish cries.
The stainless-steel cup quickly filled with a foul-smelling, fishy liquid, making Nan Xun knit his brows tightly.
If this was really what he thought it was, he was going to punch Scarface’s head clean off!
Before Scarface could say anything, the other newcomer suddenly rushed forward, snatched the cup from his hand, and gulped it down in big mouthfuls. After finishing, he even smacked his lips.
“Heh heh, tasty, really tasty.” The newcomer’s expression honestly looked like he’d just drunk some marvelous beverage.
Nan Xun stared, dumbfounded.
The newcomer’s behavior completely stunned everyone. Laughter burst out from upstairs.
“This kid really knows how to read the room…”
“But he finished all of Brother Dao’s holy water—what’s that other little cutie going to drink now? Hahaha…”
Scarface was amused by the newcomer, but he still kicked him and cursed, “Idiot! You drank it all—what’s the other one supposed to drink?”
The newcomer hugged his leg and flattered him shamelessly. “Brother Dao, it was just too good. I got carried away and forgot.”
Nan Xun: ……
