CH 24.1

Fourth Floor (2)

Translated by boilpoil

Edited by boilpoil

“Certainly a Fresh Feeling”

At the courtyard.

“What did Ye Wang say?” Lin Yi finally finds an opportunity to talk, seeing Ye Wang standing still just outside the courtyard.

Jiang Yiyi is scanning the crowd, meanwhile, noting several of the VIPs mentioned in the files.

In fact, he is still holding the folder right now. He hands it over to Lin Yi as an answer.

Lin Yi takes it, looks through a few pages and realises, “you reached a deal? Ye Wang wanted these people left alone?”

There are murmurs in the dispersed crowds and the occasional glance at Jiang Yiyi and Lin Yi.

It seems their arrival here was newsworthy to them too.

“Black Glove is on there.”

Lin Yi pauses, glancing up at Jiang Yiyi.

Meanwhile, a few prison officers quietly slip into the courtyard, and speaks a few words into the ears of particular prisoners. Without exception, they turn their heads in Jiang Yiyi’s direction after listening to the officers.

Jiang Yiyi offers a business smile to each of them.

The eyes look away.

Lin Yi, watching where Jiang Yiyi is looking, also observes the particular persons visible, but Black Glove is not among them. He tells Jiang Yiyi, “seems Ye Wang just warned them.”

“But, looks like he isn’t following the rules himself.” Lin Yi gives the folder back to Jiang Yiyi, “skipping the inspection, and making a deal with you…”

Jiang Yiyi is not interested in whether Ye Wang keeps to the rules. He interrupts, “do you think they will listen to Ye Wang’s warning?”

He does not take the folder back from Lin Yi, and instead, lets a little silver light dance about his fingertips, pondering the future, “who might be the first to come to me here?”

Lin Yi puts the folder away and looks around the courtyard once more. The crowd has separated into a few clear factions. In a sense, they even have Ye Wang watching over them.

This really does not look like how Stargaol should be.

Lin Yi concludes, “the fourth floor really is quite different from the floors above.”

Ye Wang has most of his attention on Jiang Yiyi. Just like him, he is waiting for the first fool who to try to poke the bear.

He knows those people would not simply just follow his words, but that is not unimportant. Precedents will become effective deterrents.

After some liveliness among the crowds, where some take a few steps forward before being dragged back by others, some gazes have settled on a few people standing in the middle of the corwds.

“Vulture, not doing anything?” Fatty asks, gesturing towards him, “not your type?”

Vulture looks at Fatty; the man really does look the part of a conniving vizier. When his beady eyes look at someone, he always looks like he’s scheming against them.

“I’m trying to be better these days; no blood for me. Lion, my man, you’ve been really quiet. Don’t want to fight?” His eyes have moved on to another person nearby.

Lion is exceptionally good-looking——Compared to Fatty and Vulture, at least——And young, too. It makes him stand out quite a lot among all of them.

Lion continues leaning lazily against the fence, ignoring their conversation.

Vulture, unsurprised, looks back at Fatty, “where’s Black Glove at, anyway?”

“Feeling ill, I heard.” Fatty shares information with a smile, “no idea if it’s cap or… if he does feel bad.”

“A lot of people are after him. He might really be sick.” Vulture comments, “he should’ve been dead a long time ago.”

“Pretty good that he’s living.” Fatty is still smiling, “or we wouldn’t have all these shows on display.” Then he points discreetly towards Jiang Yiyi, “he’s here for the Glove, too, isn’t he?”

“The appearance… must have been some handiwork.” Vulture smacks his lips, “looks tasty.”

“Ye Wang told you to stay away from him.” Lion suddenly says, straightening up, and eyeing the harmless-looking Jiang Yiyi from afar. He cracks his knuckles noisily.

“Finally awake?” Fatty glances at Lion, “but you wouldn’t need to do it yourself…”

Vulture adds from the side, “look at his plate. White. That’s rare.”

Lion’s eyes also pause for an extra second on the plate on the man’s chest. White means they were in here for misdemeanours, to serve only a couple of years at most. If he did anything like hurt another prisoner, his sentence will be lengthened, and his plate’s colour changed——In Stargaol, the colour of the plate is the first clue to the danger of a prisoner.

A white plate like Jiang Yiyi’s might be unique on the whole fourth floor.

How did a guy who can leave in two years at most and has never hurt anyone end up on the second floor? And, has Ye Wang personally sending people to warn them to keep a distance?

Very interesting for sure.

Fatty chuckles, “even Vulture is being generous today. Lion, why not take him up on his offer…” He looks at the people around, and says, “you, yeah you. Go check him out.”

The prisoner that was picked at random by Fatty shudders. He heard everything they said just now, so he knows exactly what Fatty wants.

He will be the bait that tests Jiang Yiyi’s waters.

As for the fate of the bait? No one cares.

Yet he dares not go against Fatty’s will even if he knows what’s to come. He straightens up, and only after two steps in Jiang Yiyi’s direction, Lion speaks up.

“No need. I don’t need the favour.” Lion walks past him and walks towards Jiang Yiyi. His stride is great; add together his immense physique, it does look like a beast striking out from the wild.

“He’ll lose his head for how empty it is sooner or later.” Vulture chuckles, then notices a gaze, and asks Xin Yongyuan, “but xiao-Xin, why didn’t you stop him, is my question.”

Xin Yongyuan next looks at Lion’s silhouette with narrowed eyes.

Fatty chimes in, “how could xiao-Xin stop him when Lion never listens to him?”

With a smile, he then turns to Xin Yongyuan, “still, you know you’re really wasting your time being with Lion. Wanna move over some time? We always welcome talent.”

Lion stops in front of Jiang Yiyi.

Xin Yongyuan raises his hand. A group of prisoners relaxing by the fence immediately straighten up and pay close attention to Jiang Yiyi and Lion, like a pack of wolves ready to pounce at the first signal.