Chapter 74 – Sin City (8)
◎ Have you ever had Mandheling coffee? ◎
Death Prison.
In a lavishly decorated large office, She Liang flipped through some documents and casually asked, “The criminals who vandalized the Rose Auction House and were caught a few days ago, have they paid their fines?”
“The buyers on the 1st floor have mostly paid and been released, but the two with the heaviest sentences haven’t paid anything,” the prison guard replied.
“How much do they still owe?”
“Um… Warden, they haven’t paid a single cent,” the guard replied.
She Liang paused for a moment, his expression darkening.
“Understood. You can leave for now,” after a long silence, he said slowly.
Once the others left, She Liang pulled up the files of the two individuals.
Song Ke: F177 District, black household, with a wallet cleaner than her face.
Su Cha: E170 District, formerly worked as a bodyguard in C72 District, heavily in debt after paying off previous fines.
“Penniless,” She Liang muttered coldly as he tore the papers of the two individuals into shreds, his expression grim.
*
Talented professionals are always in demand wherever they go. On the 4th floor, Fang Zhixu quickly found a job as an assistant to the prison doctor.
Of course, he didn’t need to personally perform any procedures. He just had to stand by, handing over instruments. The doctor, with graying hair, had a rough and aggressive treatment style. If a prisoner pretended to have a stroke, epilepsy, or numbness, he’d directly use a needle to draw blood, forcing them to stop the act and escape with cries of pain.
When prescribing medication for the prisoners, the dosages were clearly not meant for regular use by humans. Fang Zhixu glanced at the doctor but remained silent. Was this doctor a veterinarian before?
Unfortunately, the old prison doctor was quite confident in himself, humming a tune and finding time to chat with Fang Zhi Xu.
“Young man, do you know what’s most important about being a doctor here?”
“…What?”
“Remember this, it’s not about curing people, it’s about not letting them die.”
“Dealing with these rascals, I have plenty of experience. Back when I first entered Death Prison, I even helped Lord Hades with his gout!”
Fang Zhixu was taken aback. This old prison doctor could openly mention Lord Hades?
He sensed an opportunity and tentatively asked, “How long have you been working here?”
“Let me think… about twenty years, I suppose,” the doctor reclined in his chair, closed his eyes, and reminisced sadly.
“Have you met that person…?”
“Of course, anyone with over ten years of experience has more or less encountered Lord Hades.”
“Aren’t you afraid to mention… I’ve noticed others don’t dare.”
“Humph,” the old prison doctor snorted, “that’s because they have guilty consciences, afraid Lord Hades will find out.
“Lord Hades knows everything and is all-powerful. Among all the former wardens, he has the most experience. He’s much more formidable than those two, to be honest. I’d say Death Prison is what it is today because of him,” the old prison doctor scoffed disdainfully, “It’s just that in recent years, his health hasn’t been great, so he hasn’t been very active. Those two monkeys have been jumping around in his absence.”
Fang Zhixu contemplated this.
*
Seven days later.
Outside the activity floor’s cafe, six inmates gathered furtively.
“Let’s share our findings,” Zhuang Qingyan said, flipping through a magazine at a rapid pace.
“No luck on the 1st floor. People come and go too frequently, and I can’t keep track,” Xu Xing said, looking tired and rubbing his eyes. He hadn’t had time to sleep in the past few days, and dark circles were forming under his eyes.
Considering Lu Xiaoyu’s distinctive ice-colored eyes as a dominant trait, it should have been easy to find him. The 1st floor held inmates with minor offenses, so the likelihood of him being there was indeed very small.
“No luck on the 3rd floor either. I tried all the labor areas, unless he’s been staying in his cell the whole time,” Lin Youyou said, her expression serious.
“I have some other findings. I don’t know if they’ll be useful,” Fang Zhixu shared the information about Hades.
Zhuang Qingyan turned a page in the magazine and analyzed in a hushed voice, “From what it seems, there’s a difference in status among the three wardens. The one who’s rarely seen, Hades, should have the highest authority in Death Prison.”
There was very little information about Hades, and it was too mysterious to be their main focus on this mission. They had to put it aside for now.
Song Ke raised her hand quietly, catching the attention of the others. “I, I haven’t found him either, but I have noticed that there are very few awakeners here.”
Moreover, the further down the floors, the fewer there were.
Su Cha nodded in agreement.
Zhuang Qingyan explained, “Death Prison has been around for over twenty years, but the apocalypse only happened last year. The awakening of a large number of awakeners has only been in the past six months. The buildings here can block cosmic rays, and combined with the depth of the underwater location, the radiation levels are negligible. So, it’s normal for there to be fewer awakeners here.”
“So, what do we do next?” Song Ke asked.
“The 7th floor,” Zhuang Qingyan said decisively, closing the magazine and settling the matter.
He turned to the three who had spoken earlier. “Not all of you need to go. You can stay up here and continue searching.”
While Xu Xing was a strong offense-type awakener, being young made him impulsive. Fang Zhixu and Lin Youyou were support-type awakeners and not suitable for sudden combat situations. The three of them understood that going along might cause complications, so they nodded in agreement.
“The question is, how do we get down?” Su Cha asked seriously.
“Murder? Destruction?” Song Ke suggested straightforwardly.
Zhuang Qingyan dismissed her suggestion, “Don’t commit direct crimes, or it will activate the Crime Record.”
He pointed to his badge. In Death Prison, activating the Crime Record came at a great cost, and doing it frequently could cause irreversible damage to the brain.
“Someone like She Liang is very controlling. He won’t let us go down easily.
“Unless he knows that not only can we not afford the fine, but also, we’re very good at causing trouble, keeping us here would just be a nuisance.”
“How can we do that?” Song Ke wondered.
“I have an idea.”
Zhuang Qingyan gestured for the others to look into the coffee shop.
Jorik had just received his coffee after waiting in line. This time during the activity day, no one with a death wish had bothered him. He found an empty table, sat down, took a deep breath, and enjoyed each small sip with a sense of preciousness.
At this moment, he looked clean and peaceful, a far cry from the madman who had previously gone on a killing spree.
Zhuang Qingyan stared at Jorik, a smile slowly forming at the corners of his eyes.
Song Ke had a sudden realization—this familiar feeling… someone was about to have bad luck.
…
Among all the labor reforms in Death Prison, being a sand filler in the underwater tunnel was undoubtedly the most grueling.
This job required heavy pumps larger than one’s body to suck up the sludge and sea sand along the way and then spray it outside to fill the outer rim, preventing tunnel blockages. Most of the inmates doing this were sent for forced labor.
Su Cha wore a safety helmet and quietly moved near Jorik, contemplating the upcoming task and dreading the words that Zhuang Qingyan insisted he memorize. It was giving him a headache.
Like a spy meeting, Su Cha lowered his voice and quickly said, “Have you ever had Mandheling coffee?”
Jorik, diligently sucking up the mud, paused and slowly looked up, “What’s that?”
“It’s a unique variety from C43 District’s Mandelin. It has high richness, low acidity, a strong and rich flavor with a hint of herbal aroma. It offers a multi-layered experience—first a subtle sweet-bitter taste, then a pleasant mild sourness, and finally, a lingering sweet fragrance.”
Jorik swallowed.
“But compared to Mandheling, I prefer the Geisha coffee produced by the Jade Estate. It’s the aristocrat of coffees, blending natural floral and fruity scents with a hint of citrus sourness. It melts in your mouth, leaving a delightful aftertaste.”
Su Cha recited the lines expressionlessly, cursing his exceptional memory for being word-perfect.
Jorik was captivated, and he let go of the pump, allowing the sand to scatter all over the floor.
“On the activity day, I want to go and have a taste.”
“You won’t be able to,” Su Cha said mercilessly.
“Why?” Jorik asked incredulously.
“The coffees I mentioned are regional specialties with limited production, and there’s none in Death Prison.
“You’ve been in here for a long time, right? That’s why you haven’t had good coffee. The coffee on the activity floor is average. Once you’ve tasted the good ones, you won’t want to go back.”
“I’ve been in for 11 years… or was it 13? I don’t remember,” Jorik muttered.
Jorik had been in Death Prison since his youth, and because he frequently triggered the Crime Record, his brain had become increasingly foggy, and he had gradually lost his memory.
“I can’t have it, I can’t have good coffee…” Jorik repeated these two sentences, his expression growing more and more manic.
A brief moment of clarity seemed to return to his memory, followed by deep confusion: why was he in Death Prison? Why had he stayed in Death Prison for so many years? Jorik remembered everything—his father’s death, leaving behind a lot of money, being the sole heir, his uncles finding him, telling him there were problems at home, asking him to hide in Death Prison for a while, and promising to get him out soon. Why hadn’t anyone come to get him?
Jorik hugged his head in pain and squatted down.
“I heard that during the sand-clearing today, the passage from the monitoring floor above will open. How do I get there?
“Oh right, just follow this path all the way, take a left, and then another left, repeating this five times, and I’ll reach the sea level.
“When I get out, I must have a cup of Geisha coffee from the Jade Estate.”
Su Cha dragged the heavy pump, mumbling to himself as he walked away.
Jorik stared blankly at the end of the underwater tunnel.
*
“Warning! Warning! Prisoner escape in progress!”
A piercing alarm suddenly echoed through Death Prison.
Jorik ran forward recklessly, ignoring everything, reaching the end, taking a left, reaching the end… just four more times, and he could go out for coffee!
He had just opened the passage on the 5th floor when the Crime Record lit up red, emitting intense waves. Jorik screamed in pain, covering his head and rolling on the ground. When he stood up, his expression was vacant, and he had forgotten what he was supposed to do.
“Sand clearing… sand clearing.” Jorik turned around and walked back, his steps slow and hesitant.
“Jorik! Jade… coffee, do you still want to have some?”
Song Ke arrived in time, covertly blocking the passage that Jorik had forcibly opened with her hidden blades. She called out softly to his confused figure.
“Sand clearing… sand clearing… Jade!”
Suddenly, Jorik roared towards the sky, his upper body transforming into a werewolf. Thick fur covered his face and arms, and his powerful limbs touched the ground. He punched the transparent wall with such force that it cracked, and the cold seawater rushed in.
Jorik passed by Song Ke and raced towards the 4th floor in a frenzy.
“Go for it, Jorik! I believe in you!”
Song Ke clenched her fists and cheered silently, placing high hopes on him.
In the 4th-floor office, a prison guard hastily put on his clothes, calling his colleagues using a communicator as he rushed out.
“Jorik has escaped and damaged the underwater tunnel. Quickly contact the warden! I’m on my way!”
He ran so fast that he didn’t notice what was underfoot. He slipped and fell hard, the communicator tumbling to the ground, sliding several meters away.
The prison guard gritted his teeth and looked up, only to discover that some malicious cleaner had spilled cleaning liquid all over the corridor, making it impossible to stand on.
A few meters away, a prisoner in a wheelchair was leisurely mopping the floor at the end of the corridor.
The prison guard yelled angrily, “Come over here!”
His voice suddenly stopped, as if something cold and sharp had pierced his brain. The prison guard’s eyes went blank and he fainted on the spot.
Zhuang Qingyan slid over to the officer and said, “Officer, are you heading back to the office? Let me escort you in.”
The Crime Record flickered briefly, detecting no anomalies, and dimmed once again.
With one hand dragging the prison guard, Zhuang Qingyan reopened the office door using his privileges, closed it behind him, and strategically placed the mop to “conveniently” block the camera.
He moved to the computer, accessed the archives, and swiftly began reviewing all the inmate records.
*
She Liang’s face darkened, his black coat creating a sharp silhouette as he walked in, a storm brewing around him.
“Where is Jorik?”
“He was apprehended on the 2nd floor, completely out of control. He couldn’t even be controlled by the Crime Record. We had to use particle guns…”
“Is he dead?” She Liang’s gaze seemed to be murderous.
“No, no!” The prison guard stammered nervously. “He’s not dead, but it’ll probably take a year or two… maybe three to five… for him to recover.”
“What about the damage to the underwater tunnel?” She Liang inquired about another pressing matter.
“There are five leaks and thirty-seven cracks. And Jorik also destroyed three… internal elevators.”
“Estimated losses exceed ten billion…” The prison guard dared not meet She Liang’s gaze.
“Why did Jorik suddenly go insane?” After a pause, She Liang’s hoarse voice echoed.
“We don’t know. When we were apprehending him, he kept shouting ‘Jade.'”
“Jade? What kind of jade?” She Liang looked at the surrounding prison guards, all of them wearing perplexed expressions.
Someone tentatively suggested, “Could it be some kind of jade from an ancient civilization?”
But Jorik had been in the Death Prison for over a decade. Suddenly showing interest in jade? It seemed absurd.
Jade Estate was a newly established aristocratic coffee brand in the Alliance in recent years. It was also a niche variety meticulously selected by Zhuang Qingyan. Sin City was inherently isolated, and these prison guards naturally didn’t know that it was actually the name of a coffee brand.
She Liang’s face seemed to have hardened into ice.
“Check the surveillance footage. Check all the cameras, frame by frame!”
“Yes!”
…
“Stop,” She Liang raised his hand, freezing the frame on a fleeting image of Su Cha and Song Ke.
“What did they say to Jorik?”
The two passed by Jorik, mouths moving rapidly, clearly engaged in a conversation.
“I can’t hear clearly, but the Crime Record didn’t trigger, so it’s probably not something significant… right?”
The Crime Record could only monitor overt criminal behaviors and couldn’t recognize covert activities.
She Liang slowly closed his eyes, feeling the rage building inside him. His instincts told him that Su Cha and Song Ke were somehow involved in Jorik’s escape.
These two paupers not only couldn’t squeeze out a penny, but they also caused him losses exceeding ten billion.
Ten billion… She Liang’s heart was bleeding.
Not only that, Jorik’s severe injury this time meant that his relatives wouldn’t let the matter rest. If he indeed died, those who facilitated his entry, including She Liang, would never see a penny of their share again!
She Liang was furious. “Immediately, execute…”
“Warden She,” an elderly prison guard interjected, “For matters not determined by the Crime Record, if you act recklessly, aren’t you afraid that the Lord will know about it and you won’t be able to explain it? Death Prison is not your place.”
She Liang stared coldly at the speaker. “Are you threatening me?”
“I wouldn’t dare. Just reminding you,” the old prison guard maintained his composure.
“Warden, there’s another inmate who entered with them, and there seem to be some issues,” another subordinate rushed over to report.
“Who else?”
The guard brought up another surveillance feed. In the footage, a prison guard in uniform suddenly fell “clatteringly,” and the man in the wheelchair “kindly” helped him up and escorted him into the office. Then, the surveillance turned pitch black.
She Liang crushed the cup in his hand. “Not right, something is wrong.”
He glanced at the elderly prison guard and gritted his teeth. “Throw them down to the 7th floor and hand them over to White!”
