CH 2.2

Zhang Zheng disappears from the window.

The next second, everyone’s gaze lands on Jiang Yiyi.

Jiang Yiyi, meanwhile, is sitting in the corner, thinking by himself.

Lowly Lackey appears a little worse for wear, but his movements are quick as always.

He walks towards Jiang Yiyi, stopping a few steps away for safety, “boss.”

Jiang Yiyi looks up at him, and the guy quickly smiles, “boss, you may use the bathroom first.”

Four-Eyes isn’t going to be shown up either. He has a toothbrush with toothpaste already squeezed on one hand and a cup full of water in the other. He quickly says, “aniki, here.”

Truly, a pragmatic society.

Jiang Yiyi looks away from them, towards Tattooed Snake and Murderer.

Tattooed Snake looks away.

Murderer’s smile fades.

The mood tenses up for a moment.

Still, there are normal people present, at least, thinks Jiang Yiyi as he retracts his gaze and stands, takes the toothbrush and cup while walking towards the bathroom.

The mood relaxes slightly.

Tattooed Snake looks towards Murderer.

Murderer is touching the book in hand, while continuing to stare at Jiang Yiyi.

“Aniki, please take your time.” Lowly Lackey loudly proclaims in front of the bathroom door.

“Ah, right,” Jiang Yiyi, brushing his teeth, recalls his question, “that officer said I can ‘wave goodbye to the first floor.’ What does he mean?”

The mood sours in the cell once more.

Lowly Lackey rubs his bald head, “aniki, you didn’t know?”

Jiang Yiyi exits the bathroom and glances at the brawny guy.

Lowly Lackey twitches, and his scar on the arm itches slightly. He sets his confusion aside to explain, “the Han Federation Stargaol has six floors, divided by the prisoners’ crimes and level of danger. Like us, who aren’t too dangerous, are assigned the first floor. If we are judged to be more dangerous, though, then we’d be transferred to a lower floor.”

He then glances at Murderer, “people like Murderer are usually judged as dangerous enough for the second floor. His behaviour was good and he had part of his sentence commuted, so he got to return to a floor above.”

Murderer’s eyes sweep back to Lowly Lackey from Jiang Yiyi.

Lowly Lackey stops looking, “I think, the officer means that, he has his eyes on you. Prison officers can pass judgement on prisoners. If a prisoner received failing marks and is judged to be too dangerous in further evaluation, they get sent to the next floor.”

“But aniki, how did you end up here?”

“You didn’t know?” Jiang Yiyi walks towards the bed, and Four-Eyes diligently sets the bed for him.

“We do…” Lowly Lackey follows quickly behind, “but the rumours feel untrue…”

He looks at Jiang Yiyi’s hand. It’s thin and almost bony. It doesn’t look dangerous at all, and he shudders.

“Aniki, please take a rest.” Four-Eyes has set the bed and moves aside.

Jiang Yiyi sits onto the bed, “the rumours are correct.”

Wishing to relieve the tension here somewhat, he says casually, “unlicensed medical practice; sentenced to a year.”

“I am but a doctor.” Jiang Yiyi says, with a genuine tone, “a doctor without much skill.”

The mood does not lighten any. In fact, it’s even tenser.

“Show me your hand.” Jiang Yiyi looks at Lowly Lackey.

Lowly Lackey freezes in place, as his eyes quickly dart from person to person.

Murderer stands up and rolls up his sleeve, revealing the large stretch of tattoos on his arm. He’s looking intimidating.

Jiang Yiyi sees Lowly Lackey’s inaction, and looks at him, puzzled.

“Aniki…” His tone is quavering, “I…”

Jiang Yiyi ignores him and puts his arm out. Lowly Lackey should dodge it——Yet the memory of gushing blood haunts him afresh. He resists his urge and does not move, allowing Jiang Yiyi to take hold of his hand.

Jiang Yiyi rolls up the guy’s sleeve to observe the stitched wound. The flat dissection diagram emerges once more, alongside the word ‘Pass’ in front of Jiang Yiyi’s eyes.

Looks like his stitching was passable.

Jiang Yiyi does not find himself any more emotional seeing the appearance of a word——This game is already full of oddities. A ‘pass’ is nothing.

He pats Lowly Lackey on his hand, while offering advice, “don’t be so rushed next time. It was quite sudden what you did, and I didn’t have specialised stitching material. This suture is going to leave a scar…”

Lowly Lackey’s expression is quite the spectacle.

It appears Jiang Yiyi doesn’t intend to do anything, so Murderer puts his sleeve back down and sits back in place.

After the silence, Lowly Lackey squeezes a sentence in, “aniki, it’s alright. I don’t mind.”

“I see. Men and women are quite different in this respect, aren’t they?” Jiang Yiyi lets go of his hand, and smiles, “Have you remembered now?”

Remember what?

Lowly Lackey blanks out for a few seconds too long. Four-Eyes elbows him while quickly affirming to Jiang Yiyi, “aniki, we get it. We will definitely not let blood rush to our heads next time.”

Whose blood is rushing to whom now? Lackey wasn’t the one swinging his knife around.

Tattooed Snake observes them coldly.

That man, he is… scary.

He’ll have to tell his big bro about it.

Murderer is slowly setting his bed himself, while thinking the same as Tattooed Snake.

There is courtyard time tomorrow. That guy is definitely not going to sit still. He’ll have to warn the officers; lives are at stake here.