CH 5.1

Four-Eyes

Translated by boilpoil

Edited by boilpoil

“I…Saw…You…”

“Tiger and his gang fell out?”

Tattooed Snake reacted the most emotionally to the news. He looks at Four-Eyes, with a mocking gaze born of distrust, “he had his arm fractured by his men?”

Assigned to different workshops, Tattooed Snake, in the greenhouse, and also Murderer and Lowly Lackey heard this from Four-Eyes.

Four-Eyes is continuing his toilet brushing duties dutifully.

“Even if Tiger is just another gang member himself,” Tattooed Snake is glaring at Four-Eyes, “he’s still their boss.”

Never mind having Nianluo above all of them, too. Those lackeys would never have dared even lay a finger on Tiger, not to mention fracturing his arm——By Nianluo’s rules, they’d be subject to three ‘slices’ and six ‘holes.’

Murderer’s glance slowly moves over to Jiang Yiyi, who looks completely innocent, after glancing at Four-Eyes being even more fidgety than usual.

Jiang Yiyi, flipping through his book, notices the gaze and looks over.

As soon as their gazes meet, Murderer looks away.

Jiang Yiyi looks at people quite strangely. It is like he’s not looking at a person nicknamed ‘Murderer,’ but simply observing a fixture of the room.

Which reflexively makes Murderer end their locked gazes.

Jiang Yiyi had a look at Murderer’s dissection diagram, and before a restlessness can settle in, he holds himself back by forcing his focus back onto the book whose words have yet failed to register in his mind.

He is wondering how to resolve the troubles to follow——Clearly, Tiger has decided to escalate.

It calls into question whether Tiger did this intentionally or if he’s simply lacking in intellect. The former would be a clear sign of his grudge against Jiang Yiyi, while the latter would be a clear proof of a general low level of intelligence among gangs.

Tattooed Snake, not receiving a prompt reply form Four-Eyes, rises up and stomps over to the bathroom, dragging Four-Eyes up to interrogate harshly, “Four-Eyes, getting gutsy, aren’t we?”

Four-Eyes, held by the collar, stumbles out some words, “I’ve already told you everything I know. I don’t know anything else.”

Tattooed Snake pats him on the face a few times, stares at his fearful expression for a few seconds, before slapping him hard.

The glasses lay slanted across Four-Eyes’ face as a side of his cheeks quickly reddens and swells.

Lowly Lackey is crouching off to one side, and is enjoying the schadenfreude, “Tattooed Snake, watch out for his face. If lao-Zhang caught you, you’d be spending time in confinement again.”

Tattooed Snake chuckles and starts patting Four-Eyes on the other side of his cheek, “Four-Eyes, say that again?”

“I really don’t know anything.” Four-Eyes repeats.

“Good. Very good.” Tattooed Snake releases his hand.

Four-Eyes is dropped onto the ground. He looks to be in pain.

Tattooed Snake gives him a few strong kicks in the stomach.

“Enough,” Murderer, seeing Four-Eyes’ pathetic form squirming and holding his stomach, yells at Tattooed Snake, “what are you lashing out at him for? The man is right here. Just ask him.”

Tattooed Snake continues his kicking, while his gaze sweeps over to Jiang Yiyi momentarily as the latter continues his peaceful perusal. Then he snaps his gaze onto Murderer. There is a fire in his eyes.

“Those eyes… Well?” Murderer stands up. He’s got some years behind him already, and usually he’s smiling and looking friendly. That illusion fades to a violent aura as soon as the smile is gone, however, “the little cat that only bullies the weak now thinks I’m old and infirm and have no teeth anymore? Want to test me?”

Lowly Lackey continues fanning the flames, “what are you even trying to do, Tattooed Snake? If it’s revenge for your boss, he’s right here; you’re wasting your punches.”

He then looks at Jiang Yiyi, the calmness utterly discordant with the powder keg atmosphere present, “it’s not too late to swear fealty to another boss, too.”

“But he’s right here, see?” Lowly Lackey’s smile widens, “don’t tell me you’re a coward that can only take the garden path?”

Tattooed Snake merely remains in place and does not speak.

Jiang Yiyi closes his book, and speaks.

“Stop.”

The powder keg is suddenly emptied from the cell. Tattooed Snake’s feet freeze in mid-kick. The giddy Lowly Lackey stops smiling, and turns obsequient instead. Meanwhile, Murderer narrows his eyes while already tense, and looks warily at Jiang Yiyi.

The man gets up and walks towards Tattooed Snake.

Tattooed Snake gulps several times. He retracts his leg, and glances down at the squirming Four-Eyes, whose wounds are still concealed by his clothes, but his torn expression reveals his pain.

Tattooed Snake quickly looks at Murderer.

Murderer is continuing to stare at Jiang Yiyi.

Jiang Yiyi’s paced footfall continues to knock on Tattooed Snake’s heart. His nerves tense, his hand coils into fists, with veins popped high.

Jiang Yiyi stops, and extends his hand…

‘Schwa’

Tattooed Snake has taken a large step back, crashing into the rack inside the bathroom. Toiletries have tumbled down noisily.

Jiang Yiyi lifts up Four-Eyes’ clothes to observe the bruise on his stomach. The noise makes him turn towards Tattooed Snake, however.

The man pauses in the middle of getting back up.

“That wasn’t clean at all.” Jiang Yiyi presses on a few areas of Four-Eyes’ stomach, receiving several whimpers in response, “he’s at death’s door.”