Chapter 72.1 – Sin City (6)
◎ Of course together! ◎
“—We should all enter the Death Prison.”
Su Cha usually didn’t like to talk, but unexpectedly, he scared everyone as soon as he spoke.
Song Ke’s eyes widened, taking in a breath, “You, haven’t had enough of being in jail, and you want to drag us along with you?”
The others looked at him with various expressions.
Su Cha hesitated, “…No.”
“I actually think it’s a good idea.”
In the quiet atmosphere, Zhuang Qingyan lightly tapped the wheelchair with his fingers and analyzed calmly, “These days we’ve been gathering intelligence in the underground city, to be honest, we haven’t made any progress.”
Song Ke thought about it carefully and realized it was true.
“Since we’ve confirmed the person is in the Death Prison, it might be better to go in and look for them earlier. Perhaps there’s a better chance.”
“I have objections,” Fang Zhixu unexpectedly spoke, raising his tired eyes slightly, “Perhaps my thoughts are more pessimistic. If everyone goes in and there’s no support outside, what if things don’t go as planned and we can’t come out?
“Aren’t you still going to participate in the Throne Race? Can you ensure finding the person and safely leaving the Death Prison before that?
“Don’t end up with nothing at both ends.”
Though Fang Zhixu’s words were harsh, they were very realistic. If they entered the Death Prison at this time, they didn’t know how long they would stay inside, and it was very likely they would miss the next round of the Throne Race.
For Song Ke, Zhuang Qingyan, Xu Xing, and Fang Zhixu, participating in the competition was not so urgent, but for Lin Youyou…
She had always wanted the opportunity to make a wish to Ilya.
Lin Youyou knew they were waiting for her answer.
She was torn inside, as if standing at a fork in the road. She had always thought that the Throne Race was the only hope to heal her loved one, so she tried her best to fight for the slim chance. But now, things had taken a turn. Fang Zhixu was an A-level healing-type awakener…
Should she continue to pursue elusive promises, or seize the opportunity right in front of her?
Although Lin Youyou debuted with a sweet image, her true character was decisive. She gritted her teeth and confirmed, “Hey, Fang Zhixu, we’ll kill the person you want us to kill, and you promise to help us heal, right?”
Fang Zhixu stood up and solemnly nodded at them, saying, “As long as I can fulfill the obsession of this lifetime, I will do my utmost.”
Whether it was Zhuang Qingyan’s legs or Lin Youyou’s bedridden loved one who had been suffering for a long time, healing couldn’t be achieved solely through abilities. The best solution was for them to return to Tongwan, where they would have the support of top medical resources, and undergo surgery with Fang Zhixu as the lead surgeon.
Lin Youyou bit her lip and nodded slowly, saying, “Alright, I’ll give it a try!”
“Isn’t it just going to jail? Just the 18th floor? Our purpose in coming to Sin City is to rescue people, and we absolutely cannot return empty-handed! Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground at Death Prison, we must find that guy with that surname Lu!!!”
Lin Youyou was resolute, shouting her slogan passionately, eager to charge into Death Prison.
Song Ke looked stunned, gaping at her. No matter how many times she had witnessed it, she still wasn’t used to it… a celebrity’s image was truly fake.
Zhuang Qingyan leisurely extended her hand and helped her close her jaw, which had dropped in shock.
“Now that we are in agreement, let’s discuss how to get in,” Su Cha said, pulling up a floor plan on a screen. He pointed a finger up one level, saying, “I suggest going directly to the 5th or 6th floor. The 6th floor and above fall under the jurisdiction of the same warden. We have confirmed that destroying public property will lead to arrest and imprisonment; the remaining issue is the length of the sentence.”
“The sentence on the 4th floor starts at five years…”
As the adults gathered around to study the floor plan, Song Ke’s hem was tugged.
She turned around and found a distressed Xu Xing with a small, pained face. “Sister, I… I don’t want to go.”
Since officially joining V587, Xu Xing had always been Song Ke’s little follower. Every time she had to do something, Xu Xing would cheerfully shout “gogogo.” This was the first time he had voluntarily expressed a desire not to do something.
“What’s wrong?” Song Ke valued his opinion greatly, crouching down to meet his gaze and asking seriously.
Xu Xing fidgeted with his clothes, hesitated for a long time, and then mumbled very softly, “Have to undress, completely, little elephant…”
The little boy was in the midst of puberty, and his self-esteem was extremely fragile.
Song Ke exclaimed, “Huh?”
She was still pondering what “little elephant” meant when Zhuang Qingyan turned around expressionless and said, “No need to strip naked, you can keep your underwear.”
Indeed, men understood men the best, even though Xu Xing wasn’t quite a man yet.
Xu Xing blinked his big eyes, and he said “Oh” belatedly, and the frustration on his face was wiped away.
Then he said happily, “It’s okay, Sister~ you continue with your discussion.”
Song Ke exclaimed, “Ah??”
…
The trading street was brightly lit, bustling with people. Cheng Yi was loudly discussing business with someone when a group of people approached from a distance. The young girl at the front waved at him and shouted joyfully, “Cheng Yi! We’ve come…”
Cheng Yi looked left and right, behaving like a thief, and quickly ran over to cover the girl’s mouth, leading them to a nearby deep alley.
“Shh! Keep it down. Do you know how much trouble you’re attracting? I’m just here for business, not to get involved in your affairs,” she warned.
“Wuwuwu!” Song Ke grumbled.
Cheng Yi released her hand and casually twirled her long purple-highlighted hair with her finger. “What do you want with me? Same rule applies—no crystal, no deal.”
Mysteriously, Song Ke took out a green crystal, one they had snatched from Gaida in the desert.
Cheng Yi paused her hair-twirling gesture, revealing a longing expression. Wherever Song Ke’s hand moved, her gaze followed, fixated on the crystal.
“Business, do we have a deal?” Song Ke asked.
“Deal, deal, deal! Of course, let’s do it! It seems like a big deal. Hehe, hehehe,” Cheng Yi exclaimed excitedly, rubbing her hands.
“Do you know what kind of crime would land you a minimum of ten years in prison?” Song Ke asked seriously.
“Huh?” Cheng Yi doubted if she heard correctly. “What are you saying? Prison? And starting from ten years? Are you guys alright in the head?”
Her gaze swept across the six people, noticing Su Cha and the badge on his shoulder.
Cheng Yi suddenly understood and pointed at him, aggrieved. “Didn’t you just go in for a whirl? How come, addicted to prison already? Still trying to fool your companions to join you. I have to say, you’re really morally deficient!”
Su Cha: … There was no way to argue.
Song Ke smiled lightly. “It’s not about him; we’re going there on our own.”
Cheng Yi couldn’t quite comprehend. Why were there people eager to go to prison? But… regardless of what they were thinking, turning down business opportunities would be foolish.
She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “You want to all go in? Not impossible. Just have to create a bit of a commotion to get out. Do you know there are three wardens in the Death Prison?”
Song Ke nodded; Su Cha had already informed them of this information.
“Here’s something you probably don’t know. A warden surnamed She loves money more than life. He stays in Death Prison all year round but still finds ways to amass wealth. Warden White is stern and violent, readily resorting to whipping and punishment. In his hands, the prisoners’ lives are worse than death.”
Cheng Yi licked her lips, maliciously speaking ill of the wardens.
“…But I suggest you start with Warden She; after all, you have a criminal record. If you handle it well, not just ten years, even twenty or thirty years won’t be a problem. I guarantee you’ll enjoy your stay.”
Song Ke responded with an understanding “hmm” and suddenly realized something was off.
Although there were three wardens in the Death Prison, Cheng Yi had almost ignored the one named “Hades” without much thought, and the topic was deliberately ended.
She exchanged a glance with Zhuang Qingyan and saw him shaking his head slowly.
Song Ke understood without further probing and skipped over this matter.
Cheng Yi leaned out and looked around the mouth of the alley for a long time, making sure no one was eavesdropping. Then she smiled darkly. “I know where Warden She’s lifeblood is.”
