CH 8.2

As Butcher leads him through the desks towards the counter where food is served, the rowdiness starts dying down when everyone is looking behind Butcher, at Jiang Yiyi.

“Newcomer?” Someone yells, breaking the silence, “why’s his plate white?”

Plate?

Jiang Yiyi looks down at the plate attached to his chest area. His designation number is written there – 2091.

It definitely fails to stand out on the white fabric of his clothes; Jiang Yiyi looks around at the other prisoners.

It’s a vibrant display, save for the absence of white.

“Looks like you haven’t done much? What’chu doing on the second floor?” Noticing Jiang Yiyi taking in his surroundings, someone else says, “yo, come to daddy, daddy will protect you~”

“Nah, come to papa. Papa loves you~”

“Tch, when are these damn fags going to stop being so damned horny? Hey, brat, fair-looking, aren’t we… Haven’t had a fight your entire life?”

“Who even sent him to the second floor? That’s cruel, man, sending someone to his death.”

“Oi oi, watch your tongue. No one dies on the second floor.”

While the teasing are numerous, even more prisoners have remained silent after observing Jiang Yiyi who looks like he does not quite belong, and looks at Butcher instead.

Giving newcomers to the second floor a hazing ritual is a tradition here.

However, they are rarely introduced by Butcher, for he is the de facto head of the second floor——If a prisoner is brought in by him, that serves as quite the reminder.

A reminder intended for them.

Butcher has collected a meal for Jiang Yiyi, and hands the tray over with a friendly smile, “you can get your meal like I did in the future…” he pauses, looks around the canteen once, and tells him, “now, go sit and eat.”

Jiang Yiyi, with tray in hand, scans his meal and locks his eyes on the chopsticks——The first floor offers mostly plastic utensils only. They’re too soft to dig a tunnel or wound someone with.

The second floor, though, gives wooden chopsticks.

Jiang Yiyi stops looking and nods to Butcher, then looks around the canteen.

It’s quite full. In fact, a lot of areas are overly packed, while some places are empty. A big, long table with only one person.

“Come sit here.”

“Here, this way.”

“They’re all bad people, little guy. I’m a good guy, come here, quick.”

They’re quite passionately waving at Jiang Yiyi.

Though Jiang Yiyi prefers more spacious areas over crowded seats.

There is no competition.

Jiang Yiyi picks the closest empty table to him and walks over.

The noises fade as he walks with determination to his destination, and finally, erupts once more into uproar as he finally puts his tray down.

“You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that!”

“Nice, man!”

“Lunatic, don’t kill him, or Butcher’ll be after your ass!”

“What, you think Lunatic has ever restrained himself? We’re finally getting a newcomer. Shame about that.”

The person who has been eating with his head down stops, and looks over at the uninvited guest, that is Jiang Yiyi.

Jiang Yiyi is surprised.

Brows like sword and eyes like stars. A look not even hampered by a buzzcut——Another special NPC?

His nameplate shows his nickname to be ‘Lunatic.’

Jiang Yiyi stares for a couple seconds before offering a friendly smile.

Lunatic is staring at him still.

It’s an odd sort of gaze. Not wrathful, nor friendly——More wild and unrestrained, fitting his nickname.

The mood is tense while the staring continues.

The rowdiness continues.

“Hey Lunatic! What are you waiting for, do it!” A prisoner on the packed table over yells in excitement.

Lunatic’s eyes move a little, and his unfocused gaze suddenly turns livid.

Jiang Yiyi’s heart skips a beat. The intimidation in the aura is turbulent, like that of a truly wild beast.

Lunatic suddenly shoots up, his eyes locked on the prisoner that just spoke, and his legs rush him over.

When seated, his physique is largely unremarkable. That is entirely upended when the innate strength within is revealed as the muscles tense while running.

The crowded table is no longer so as soon as Lunatic got up.

As prisoners are all away with their trays.

Only the man who Lunatic is targeting is facing the onslaught of his fists.

It’s a bloodbath.

Jiang Yiyi shakes his head and decides to stop looking. He raises his chopsticks to start partaking in his meal.

A prison officer raises his voice, “let go, Lunatic, and calm down.”

The other prisoners start chiming in, “stop it, Lunatic, are you really trying to kill him?”

Amongst the chaos is Jiang Yiyi, who finishes his eating in no time——It is difficult to maintain an appetite in such an environment.

He gets up, and notes that the brutal brawl——Or rather, one-sided pummelling——is continuing.

A crowd has formed a few metres away from Lunatic, with no one daring to step any closer.

That prisoner has already lost consciousness, but Lunatic is still going. With a death grip on him, he continues, like there is an endless grudge between them, beating and striking the motionless body.

Blood is spreading across the ground, almost reaching Jiang Yiyi’s feet.

His fingers twitch as his chopsticks start spinning among his hand.

There is a gaze on him right now. Butcher is outside of the crowd, observing expressionlessly——He does not seem the least bit interested in the dying prisoner, for which his status as head of this floor should suggest otherwise.

Their gazes meet, and Butcher’s eyes indicate towards Lunatic.

He wants him stopped by him?

That guy looks crazy terrifying.

Jiang Yiyi thinks for a few seconds, while continuing to look at Lunatic at his work——If this continues, the prisoner will die for sure.

He walks over.