The prison had lost its usual bustle, with everyone secretly mulling over the recent events.
Only those who had spent some time in Prison No. 18 could understand what kind of status Uncle Li Dong held there.
So, it was beyond everyone's comprehension, what kind of fool would come here and spout nonsense to Uncle Li Dong?
The Mechanical Prison Guards approached Liu Dezhu, their alloy skeletons hissing with hydraulic transmissions as they moved.
Seeing this display, Liu Dezhu had already forgotten his aspirations to make a name for himself in Prison No. 18.
He had come here today as part of the second group of transmigrators, making his first visit to this Inner World dominated by steel beasts, and was immediately intimidated by what unfolded before him.
Facing the blockade of Mechanical Prison Guards and drones, it took just over ten seconds for him to be completely subdued and escorted to an unknown area outside the square.
"Boss, don't you think things have been a bit strange lately," Lin Xiaoxiao pondered while squatting on the chair, "The day before yesterday, a kid came in and went crazy right away, babbling on about Los Angeles City as if he really were the scion of some conglomerate. And today, another idiot shows up, asking you to assign him a mission—what mission can you give?"
As he spoke, Lin Xiaoxiao involuntarily reached out to pet the big cat on the table, but before his hand could touch it, the big cat gave him a cold glance, and he sheepishly retracted his hand.
Uncle Li Dong thought for a moment and said, "Indeed, it is somewhat peculiar."
"Oh, where's that kid Qing Chen," Lin Xiaoxiao suddenly said, "Wasn't he quite eager to come down for meals yesterday? Why isn't he around today?"
At that moment, Qing Chen, still walking through the corridors, ignored Liu Dezhu and the Mechanical Prison Guards and headed straight to the sixth floor. He found Lu Guangyi, who was still lined up waiting to go downstairs, and whispered, "After dinner, have your men take control of all the new prisoners and question them one by one about their identities and backgrounds in the outside world."
"Right, Boss," Lu Guangyi hurriedly agreed.
He figured his boss probably wanted to see if there were other forces coming in to compete with them for resources.
But Qing Chen was thinking of seeing if there were any other transmigrators hidden among the newcomers.
If there were indeed transmigrators, they certainly wouldn't be able to fabricate an outside identity.
Those who could clearly explain their identity and background were the natives; those who couldn't, were definitely transmigrators.
However, Qing Chen was a bit surprised; he had originally thought that Nan Gengchen would also transmigrate to Prison No. 18, but that didn't happen.
At that moment, Qing Chen seemed to remember something, hesitated for a moment, then said to Lu Guangyi, "I know the welcome ceremony is your tradition, but don't be too harsh. It's not easy for anyone."
Lu Guangyi was taken aback but then responded, "Okay."
After a farce, all the prisoners went to line up for their meals. Following Qing Chen's instructions, Lu Guangyi planned to take the new prisoners to their cells for interrogation.
Shortly after, he came back to report to Qing Chen, "Boss, it's done."
Qing Chen listened attentively as Lu Guangyi described each prisoner's situation, and only after confirming there were no more transmigrators in the prison did he stride over to sit opposite Uncle Li Dong's dining table, "Playing chess today?"
"Not today; we'll skip it for the next few days," Uncle Li Dong thought for a moment and said, "I have some things to think over, and a visitor is coming."
"A visitor?" Qing Chen asked, puzzled.
Uncle Li Dong smiled, "An unexpected guest."
Whoever could be referred to as an unexpected guest by Uncle Li Dong was certainly not an Ordinary Person.
Qing Chen was not yet ready to involve himself in matters he couldn't control, so he refrained from asking further.
"I just saw something going on downstairs, what happened?" he said nonchalantly.
Uncle Li Dong's face rarely showed a hint of hesitation, "I don't know either."
Qing Chen was both amused and frustrated, the transmigrator had even baffled Uncle Li Dong.
It was probably the first time Uncle Li Dong had encountered such a situation.
At this moment, only Qing Chen knew that the fool Liu Dezhu, after reading He Xiaoxiao's strategy, had really treated Uncle Li Dong like an NPC in the game!
Countdown 37:00:02, the Alloy Gate emitted a rumbling noise, then lifted upward.
When the Alloy Gate was fully opened, a bald man over two meters tall was being escorted in by more than a dozen Mechanical Prison Guards.
Around them, there were 9 drones blocking all escape routes for the bald man.
Not only that, as the man entered, six of the metal Storms in the sky slowly started to rotate.
The rotation angle of these metal Storms was only 90 degrees, not 360 degrees.
So, as the robust prisoner moved, every time he left the shooting range of some Storms, new Storms would enter alert mode.
They were always firmly locked on to him.
This was the first time Qing Chen saw someone being escorted in during the day and the first time he saw the security forces at Prison 18 mobilized to such an extent.
The more than three thousand prisoners silently turned their heads to watch, no one spoke.
The prison rang with the crisp clinking sound of the chains of the bald man's alloy shackles scraping against the floor as he walked.
The bald man was covered in bronze skin, with traces on his face from being constantly exposed to sunlight, and his exposed skin, like his arms, was marked with black, tattoo-like patterns, eerie yet magnificent.
There was no mechanical structure on him.
Qing Chen had thought Ye Wan was already tall and strong enough, but compared to this prisoner, Ye Wan seemed somewhat lacking.
Once the bald man was taken inside the prison, the Mechanical Prison Guards began to gradually retreat towards the Alloy Gate, without any intention of unlocking his alloy shackles.
After the Mechanical Prison Guards had left, the bald man calmly moved his wrists, then picked up a nearby prisoner and asked, "Where is Uncle Li Dong?"
The prisoner, who had been modified with mechanical parts in seven or eight places, was toyed with in his hands as if he were a mere plaything.
The terrified prisoner stretched out his hand to point towards the cafeteria, and all eyes turned to Uncle Li Dong, Qing Chen, and Ye Wan.
Big Cat, abandoning its usual laziness, stared intently at the tall, bald man from Uncle Li Dong's arms.
Qing Chen also looked at Uncle Li Dong, who smiled at him, "I didn't expect our guest to be so direct, his name is Guo Huchan, and you should have heard of him. In a moment, you and Ye Wan step back a bit, don't get hurt."
Ye Wan glanced at Qing Chen. To have his boss personally remind him of something so minor showed that his boss's fondness for the young man seemed to exceed his and Lin Xiaoxiao's estimates.
At this time, Lu Guangyi, who had been blending in with the crowd, muttered as he looked at Guo Huchan's shiny bald head, "Guo Huchan... he's come in too, no wonder the boss said a Lama had come from the south."
"The boss hasn't been looking for clues since he came in, just playing chess with Uncle Li and reading, as if nothing's wrong, turns out he was waiting for Guo Huchan's arrival to stir up trouble, then we can reap the benefits... Brilliant!" Lu Guangyi's thoughts became animated. Now, in his eyes, Qing Chen was the kind of sage who planned before acting and strategized thousands of miles away.
Footnote:
[1] The Chinese characters for “creak” can also mean scoffing or sneering at, in this case, the author may have meant that the sounds from their movement sounded like they were scoffing at Liu Dezhu.
[2] Metal Storm is a rapid-fire gun prototype that can fire up to 1,000,000 rounds per minute, or 16,000 rounds per second. It was declared by the Guinness Book of Records to be the world's most intelligent and fastest firearm.
[3] The lama here refers to Guo Huchan. The “Chan” in his name refers to dhyāna or jhāna. It is the training of the mind, commonly translated as meditation. Lama is a title used in Tibetan Buddhism, which means “highest principle”.
The prison was eerily quiet, and everyone vaguely guessed that after the bald Guo Huchan entered, there would be friction with Uncle Li Dong, so everyone wanted to see what would happen.
At this moment, Guo Huchan, following the gaze of the crowd, headed straight for Uncle Li Dong.
He said in a loud voice, "Let's not beat around the bush. I'm here for the ACE-005 Taboo, just tell me where it's housed in the prison, and I'll take it and leave."
Uncle Li Dong patted the big cat, signaling it to move aside, and then replied with a gentle smile, "You should be more polite to your elders to avoid losses, huh?"
Guo Huchan said unconcernedly, "Give me the ACE-005 Taboo, and naturally, I'll be more courteous to you."
Uncle Li Dong curiously asked, "Why has the Spades Organization suddenly become interested in taboos too? From your tone, I thought you had joined the Contraindicated Courts."
Guo Huchan slowly walked to a spot five meters opposite Uncle Li Dong and stopped, "My Spades need to oppose those behemoths and cannot overlook any aid, and your Knight Organization should understand our situation since our goals ultimately align."
Uncle Li Dong smiled and asked, "But why come looking for the taboo in Prison 18 first?"
"Rumors say that Chen's Consortium made a deal with you, promising you absolute freedom inside Prison 18 as long as you can contain and suppress it. Considering it was personally contained and suppressed by you, Uncle Li Dong, it must be exceptionally powerful," said Guo Huchan.
"You're mistaken, I haven't made any deals with the Chen Clan," Uncle Li Dong patiently explained, "Don't make hasty judgments based on hearsay."
Qing Chen listened silently, recalling that the last time he saw the words 'Contraindicated Courts' was in He Xiaoxiao's strategy video.
And these Contraindicated Courts seemed to exist specifically for the Taboo.
He realized that the Taboo mentioned by Guo Huchan must also be what he was searching for, and it could be the test he faced in the conflict of shadows.
At that moment, Guo Huchan took another step forward: "Where is ACE-005?"
Uncle Li Dong shook his head, "I know, but I won't tell you."
"Why?" Guo Huchan took another step forward, his tattoo-like totem seemingly coming alive, the twisting and changing patterns writhing crazily.
With a thud, everyone felt the ground tremble slightly as he stepped down.
Uncle Li Dong just smiled, "No reason, I just quite like ACE-005."
The over three thousand prisoners began to riot, having been stifled inside Prison 18 for too long, constantly monitored by guards, the invisible order binding everyone like shackles. And now... chaos reigned at last.
Above in the Iron Sky, 72 Metal Storm devices activated, with 36 of them spinning rapidly into action.
The prisoners cried out in astonishment as it typically took a riot of half an hour before mechanical guards lost control and the Metal Storm was deployed.
But this time was different; they had activated immediately without waiting for the riot to start!
At this moment, apart from the whirlpool's center of Uncle Li Dong and Guo Huchan, only Qing Chen was undistractedly looking up at the Iron Sky.
In the chaos, no one noticed he had taken a few steps back, then turned and walked in another direction.
In an instant, Guo Huchan lunged forward, punching out as fast as lightning, his bell-like fist swiftly aiming at Uncle Li Dong's face.
Following his movement, the barrels of the Metal Storms turned, with 36 cold machines beginning to fire indiscriminately, suppressing all the inmates of Prison 18 with gunfire.
Not with metal bullets, but rubber ones.
These 36 Metal Storms were purely for suppression, while the remaining 36 were the real heavy artillery.
Rain-like rubber bullets poured down, throwing the prisoners off their feet.
Guo Huchan's punch thundered like a storm, adding thunder to the rain in Prison 18.
But in the next instant, his fist suddenly stopped. There was Uncle Li Dong with a smiling face, raising his hand in front of him, stunningly halting the thundering force of the punch.
Uncle Li turned to Guo Huchan, steady as a rugged mountain.
He turned back to check if Qing Chen was all right, knowing that this young man was different from them, being just an ordinary person.
But suddenly Uncle Li Dong was taken aback.
Because right behind him, two meters away, Qing Chen sat calmly at his usual dining table spot, the place he would sit daily to look at chess company.
Thirty-six Metal Storms peppering the uprising prison with rubber bullets, crisscrossing trajectories densely, yet Qing Chen sat right in the only blind spot of all their firing paths.
The only blind spot in Prison 18.
The rain poured down.
Not a single drop landed on the boy.
It was as if the boy was the center of the world.
...
The black rain from the Iron Sky gradually ceased.
Apart from Qing Chen, Ye Wan, Guo Huchan, Uncle Li Dong, and Lin Xiaoxiao, all the prisoners were in agony, clutching their heads to the ground.
Everyone was in pain, and some who got down slowly were even battered by the metal storm to the point of bruised faces.
In contrast to these people's disheveled appearance, Qing Chen, sitting calmly at the dining table, possessed an almost transcendent and dust-free aura.
For some reason, Uncle Li Dong always felt that although he had known this boy for only a few days, he grew fonder of him more and more.
The other's temperament and capabilities were beyond those of his peers.
Is this the Shadow that Qing's Family is about to choose?
When would his side be able to find such a successor?
Thinking this, he pushed Guo Huchan's fist away with his palm—an action that seemed casual, yet Guo Huchan's figure was thrown back five or six meters before he could barely stabilize himself.
Guo Huchan didn't act rashly anymore but sat down on the spot to regulate his breathing.
From the beginning to the end of the battle, he had only managed to make the white exercise suit on the other person flutter a few times.
There had always been rumors that Uncle Li Dong was a demigod of this era, but he became famous so long ago that younger generation experts like Guo Huchan had never seen him in action.
This time, the Spades Organization had sent him to Prison 18 to find the ACE-005 Taboo, and also to see what level of strength Uncle Li Dong had attained nowadays.
Now, Guo Huchan understood that the gap between him and Uncle Li Dong was still as vast as a chasm.
Uncle Li Dong shifted his gaze from Qing Chen and looked at Guo Huchan with a smile, "Shall we continue fighting?"
The tattoo-covered bald man, now calm, said in a deep voice, "No more fighting, no more. If I can't win, why continue? Don't worry, even if you don't tell me, I can still find the ACE-005 Taboo."
Qing Chen found this bald man quite interesting.
Despite the life-and-death situation just moments ago, he suddenly gave in.
The other didn't look as fierce as he appeared; after a fight, he actually lightened up considerably.
The transition in attitude was quite drastic.
However, Guo Huchan thought that since Uncle Li Dong knew the location of the Taboo, he would follow him—after all, the other might slip up some time.
"No worries, take your time," Uncle Li Dong replied nonchalantly with a nod.
Without further concern for Guo Huchan, he walked over and sat opposite Qing Chen at the dining table, "Is this position calculated?"
Qing Chen shook his head, "Although my computational ability is significantly stronger than ordinary people, for now, it can't handle such massive trajectory computations. It's just a rough guess."
Uncle Li Dong also shook his head, "A rough guess isn't enough for you to find this precise position."
"A brief calculation only narrowed it down to 4 areas, and the place you sit every day just happens to be in those options, so there was no need to calculate the rest," said Qing Chen calmly.
Sitting here was a gamble for Qing Chen, but he guessed right again.
Such probability-driven decisions were something he always excelled at.
...
The voting rankings named "The Night's Technique" are already in ninth place, which surprises me, as I seem to be the biggest beneficiary after the website changed its rules... After my new book became eligible for monthly tickets, it skyrocketed to ninth with just fifty thousand words...
Awesome, everyone!
Thank you, everyone. As promised, I'll add three more chapters if we enter the top five! I can't release many chapters all at once during the new book period, but I'll definitely add more upon the official release!
...
Thank you to the reader with the large donation, 1383594256452726784, and to Ai Shuohua De Zhouzi, Tino9494, and Lin Xuan for becoming chiefs of this book. You bosses are magnificent, may you be as fortunate as the Eastern Seas and live as long as the Southern Mountains!