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Dense clouds obscured the setting sun in the distance, leaving only a few faint beams of light breaking through the gaps, forming a magnificent Tyndall effect.

Jiang Chijing sat on a long bench in the hospital’s rooftop garden, smoking a cigarette, admiring the view of the city horizon.

Whilst blowing away the smoke, the evening breeze also carried around the hubbub of the city, suffusing the air with the tranquillity and comfort of the calm after the storm.

A moment later, Jiang Chijing holding out the half-smoked cigarette to Zheng Mingyi beside him.

Like Jiang Chijing, Zheng Mingyi was also sitting idly on the bench, admiring the evening twilight. He swept a glance at Jiang Chijing’s fingers and lowered his head marginally, taking the cigarette away with his lips. He inhaled deeply and lazily raised his left hand, holding the cigarette between his fingers.

Zheng Mingyi wasn’t left-handed. The only reason he used his left hand to smoke was that his right arm had just been stitched; it hurt to move it.

Jiang Chijing had noticed back when he’d driven past the overturned coach that Zheng Mingyi’s right side was injured. Because of that, when he seized the butterfly knife, he did not hesitate to stab a bloody hole into the man’s back shoulder.

He trusted that this wound would hurt more than Zheng Mingyi’s arm.

The man in black was now under police arrest. Jiang Chijing and Zheng Mingyi had their statements taken and underwent a full body check-up in the hospital. Aside from the injury to Zheng Mingyi’s arm, neither of them faced any grievous wounds.

Due to the added suspicion of hiring a hitman, Wu Peng’s case had to be postponed. According to the original plan, Zheng Mingyi would be released from prison today, but it turned out that he’d still have to return to Southside Prison in a while.

“Our plans can’t keep up with the developments,” Zheng Mingyi said.

“Indeed.” Jiang Chijing echoed. He wouldn’t tell Zheng Mingyi that he had just bought a box of strawberry condoms last night and was planning to suck every last drop out of Zheng Mingyi tonight.

But it was as though Zheng Mingyi was telepathic. He turned his head to look at Jiang Chijing, saying, “Were you planning to suck me dry tonight?”

Without batting an eyelid, Jiang Chijing swept a glance diagonally behind Zheng Mingyi, where the prison guard responsible for keeping an eye on Zheng Mingyi stood. Because he was already very familiar with the two of them and knew that Zheng Mingyi would soon be out of prison, he had agreed to let them sit together for a while in the small garden before bringing him back to prison.

From that distance, he probably couldn’t hear their conversation.

“We’ll have to give tonight a miss.” Jiang Chijing unconsciously patted around his pockets for a cigarette, only then finding out that the earlier smoke was his last stick.

“I originally prepared eight new positions,” Zheng Mingyi talked dirty in a conversational tone, “I was planning to try them with you tonight.”

“Eight?” Jiang Chijing scoffed. “I prepared twelve.”

Jiang Chijing spewing the filth in his head in earnest always seemed to tickle Zheng Mingyi’s funny bone. He smiled, then turned the subject back to business, saying, “If my trial can be held separately from Wu Peng’s, I’ll be able to get out next week earliest.”

“Do you want to get out next week?” Jiang Chijing looked seriously at Zheng Mingyi, asking.

“Yeah, I do,” Zheng Mingyi paused, “but I also don’t.”

As expected.

Aware of the designs that Zheng Mingyi had yet also too lazy to expose them, Jiang Chijing merely said, “I’ll wait for you.”

Zheng Mingyi seemed not to expect such a nonchalant response from Jiang Chijing. He arched his brows, “You’re not going to rush me?”

Jiang Chijing said, “Just come out once you’ve had your fun.”

By the laws regulating the financial market, most cases weren’t serious enough to warrant a trial. Although Wu Peng couldn’t escape the jaws of justice, he’d surely keep appealing after the verdict was handed down. Thus, Jiang Chijing was aware that it would probably be a long time before Wu Peng was locked behind bars.

But that was before.

Now, Wu Peng was under suspicion of hiring a hitman. This twisted the nature of the case to be completely different from the financial crime case before. The man in black was apprehended in a murder attempt; as long as the court proceedings went smoothly, Wu Peng would be soon in prison.

And Southside Prison, that he was about to set foot on, was Zheng Mingyi’s territory.

Jiang Chijing was a little interested in watching how that would play out, so he wasn’t in a hurry for Zheng Mingyi to get out.

Zheng Mingyi abruptly turned his head around and looked at the guard behind him. The man had his attention on the phone in his hand, occasionally laughing in amusement at what was possibly a joke video.

Once shifting his gaze back, without a pause, Zheng Mingyi leaned over to kiss Jiang Chijing’s lips.

In this dusky evening, apart from sight, all other senses seemed infinitely amplified. There was even a subtle taste of nicotine between their lips, which was unfamiliar on Zheng Mingyi to Jiang Chijing, as this was Zheng Mingyi’s first smoke since entering prison.

Jiang Chijing divided his attention to watching his colleague. The moment he saw signs of the man looking over, he pulled back and went back to gazing into the distant sunset, as though the earlier kiss hadn’t just happened.

The sky gradually darkened, almost in a twinkling, as though hinting towards the curtain close. The prison guard walked over to hasten them. Zheng Mingyi stood up and said, “Wait for me, Jiang Jiang.”

Translated on ninetysevenkoi.wordpress

The man in black that Jiang Chijing caught was a serial killer who had been on the run for many years. He was sentenced to death, and Jiang Chijing unexpectedly bagged a big bonus. Incidentally, his car was wrecked from the collision, so he replaced it with a more robust off-road vehicle.

At some point in time, the court had ordered the removal of the seals around the house. Several people in the community had come to Jiang Chijing to ask if the house would be welcoming a new owner. When he replied that Mr. Zheng would be out of prison soon, disappointment leaked into their expressions. From the looks of it, they weren’t too fond of this aloof neighbour, Zheng Mingyi.

About half a month later, a new convict arrived at the prison.

As before, Jiang Chijing brought the Prison Rulebook to the small meeting room, conducting a reformatory lesson for this fresh face.

Even if this person’s name was already very familiar to Jiang Chijing, this was still his first time meeting Wu Peng in person.

He had changed considerably since his media appearances. His hair had whitened and it was impossible to tell that he was only in his early forties. After Jiang Chijing’s brief introduction, he didn’t utter a single word. He looked preoccupied, as though he was still stuck wondering how he ended up in this position.

“Open up the prison rulebook in front of you.” Jiang Chijing knocked his index finger against the table surface, reminding in a businesslike tone, “You will be tested on its contents.”

Wu Peng only snapped back to his senses at this time. He slowly opened the booklet on the table in front of him.

Jiang Chijing recalled that he had also conducted this lesson for Zheng Mingyi before, and now, he was conducting this lesson for the person who framed Zheng Mingyi. Sure enough, life was full of surprises like this.

“Rule 7, don’t fight, don’t self-harm. Rule 8…”

“Wait, mister corrections officer.”

Wu Peng finally spoke. He politely held up his right hand, interrupting Jiang Chijing.

“If someone hits me,” Wu Peng said, “the prison guards will stop him, right?”

From the sound of it, Wu Peng should already be aware that Zheng Mingyi was held in this prison.

Jiang Chijing didn’t answer him directly but said leisurely instead, “Why will anyone hit you if you don’t mess with them?”

“No, it’s just that there’s some grudge from before prison…”

“You can rest assured. People who engage in fights will be punished.”

Hearing this, Wu Peng visibly sighed in relief, but Jiang Chijing added, “Of course, there are some who are unafraid of punishment. There are many heartless inmates in prison. Many don’t take prison guards seriously, so you’d best still make sure to watch out for your personal safety.”

“Re-Really?” Wu Peng nervously interlocked his fingers, unease filling his eyes. “Then may I ask—Zheng Mingyi, is he… is he someone who obeys the officers?”

“Zheng Mingyi?” Jiang Chijing said. “You can rest assured. He’s very cooperative with us.”

“That’s good,” Wu Peng exhaled.

“After all, he has so many lackeys in prison; he doesn’t have to deal with many things in person.” Jiang Chijing carried on.

“Lackeys?” Wu Peng’s eyes immediately widened. “He hasn’t been in prison for that long, how does he already have lackeys under him?”

“Don’t you know?” Jiang Chijing said on purpose, “He’s now the boss of this prison. No one dares to mess with him.”

Wu Peng’s face was overwhelmed with shock, resignation, and trepidation. After a long time, he pursed his chapped lips, asking, “Officer, is it true that I can’t apply for a prison transfer in my situation?”

“It’s not impossible,” Jiang Chijing said.

Hope instantly blossomed in Wu Peng’s eyes.

“But the process takes some time. You’re definitely stuck in here for a week at least.” Jiang Chijing paused, then he gave a friendly reminder, “Rather than transferring prisons, shouldn’t you consider how to get through today?”

Since autumn began, the air conditioning in the admin block had been turned off. Jiang Chijing habitually opened the windows of the library, enjoying the natural breeze from blowing in through the window.

During today’s afternoon break, many inmates had gathered in the yard. There were even twice as many guards as usual stationed there. Those unaware would even think that something big was brewing, but in actuality, everyone was just getting out their popcorn.

Zheng Mingyi was standing at the corner nearest to the admin block, greeting Jiang Chijing across the barbed wire fence. Other inmates were fanned out in a radial pattern with Zheng Mingyi at its centre. It was easy to tell that he was the main character of today’s show again.

Jiang Chijing could distinctly hear the clamour in the yard when he opened the library window. After watching several silent films, today’s menu finally turned into a sound film.

Not long later, the crowd in the distance automatically dispersed to allow a lane. Several inmates shoved the cowering Wu Peng to Zheng Mingyi, saying, “Big Brother Ming. I found him hiding out in the washroom.”

Hearing this honorific, Jiang Chijing was inadvertently amused. After Xu Sheng left, these lackeys seemed to have lost their spiritual leader, and tossed all of their brotherhood rites onto Zheng Mingyi.

But probably, when Wu Peng heard it, this further convinced him that Zheng Mingyi was indeed the one calling the shots over here.

“Welcome,” Zheng Mingyi said warmly to Wu Peng. “Got used to it yet?”

Jiang Chijing was tickled again. Zheng Mingyi had sarcasm down to a tee. He was clearly the one who had sent Wu Peng to prison, yet he was still warmly asking Wu Peng if he had gotten used to it yet. It could be likened to, after having broken Wu Peng’s leg, asking the man sprawled on the ground: How’s the weather down there?

“Not quite used to it yet.” Wu Peng said with a complicated look on his face. “Little Yi, I have something I want to say to you. Before, between us—”

Before Wu Peng could finish his words, he was jostled by a lackey next to him. “Do you have any right to call him Little Yi?”

These sworn brothers took seniority very seriously. They naturally wouldn’t allow Wu Peng to elevate his status.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Wu Peng sensibly clasped his hands together in a gesture begging for forgiveness. “Big Brother Ming, can we have a peaceful chat?”

By now, Jiang Chijing was basically certain that today’s movie genre wasn’t action but comedy. Zheng Mingyi wasn’t yet thirty but Wu Peng, an elder to him by years, was calling him big brother. This scene did appear rather comical.

“Go on, then,” Zheng Mingyi said, uncaring. “Do you want me to share some tips with you?”

“Tips?” Wu Peng froze.

“After you enter the showers, the seventh showerhead on the right-hand side has the strongest water pressure,” Zheng Mingyi said. “It’s really comfortable to shower there.”

Jiang Chijing truly couldn’t hold back his chuckles anymore. Zheng Mingyi’s logic still leapt as far as ever. Wu Peng wanted to talk business with him, yet he was telling Wu Peng how to live comfortably in prison.

In actuality, not just anyone could use that showerhead. There were even inmates who had gotten into physical brawls over this before. If Wu Peng really dared to use that showerhead, he’d definitely be trussed up for not knowing the rules.

“Big Brother Ming.” Wu Peng swallowed his saliva and pulled the topic back. “We had a bit of disagreement in the past. I admit that I did wrong by you. But now, you’re getting out of prison soon; I’m sure you don’t want to cause any trouble. How about we let bygones be bygones? I’ll get the punishment I deserve in prison anyway, and you still have a beautiful life waiting for you…”

“I can get out anytime I want to,” Zheng Mingyi said apathetically. “Do you know why I’ve waited until now?”

Wu Peng wasn’t a fool. He knew that Zheng Mingyi was waiting for him, of course. He cautiously said, “Then do you feel better now that you’ve seen how I’ve ended up?”

If it were Jiang Chijing, he would already be very appeased. Not only did he personally have a hand in sending the person who framed him into prison, but he’d also welcomed the other party into prison as the master of the house. It was as though he was telling the other—I’ve been doing well in prison; all that I’ve done was to pave the way for you. Now that you’ve come to my turf, your life’s going to be miserable.

“Just like that?” Zheng Mingyi abruptly said.

“What?” Wu Peng gave a start.

“I’m saying, is this all you’re getting?” Zheng Mingyi said. “You’re still standing before me.”

Wu Peng looked all around him and seemed to set down his resolve. He stiffly bowed his head, slowly kneeling before Zheng Mingyi, saying sincerely, “It’s my mistake. I asked for it. You’re a great and benevolent man. I beg you, please don’t take it up with me.”

Zheng Mingyi slowly lifted his right foot, stepping on Wu Peng’s shoulder. Only after Wu Peng, unable to withstand the force, was sprawled on the ground, he then spoke condescendingly to Wu Peng without carrying any expression on his face, “I didn’t hear you clearly. Say it another time?”

Wu Peng brought his clasped hands above his head, his pleads to Zheng Mingyi for mercy coming out in an unbroken stream.

Zheng Mingyi quietly watched Wu Peng for a while. He didn’t continue making things difficult for him, removing his foot from the other’s shoulder.

Actually, Jiang Chijing knew that Zheng Mingyi didn’t have any plans to do anything to Wu Peng. The other guards also knew this, which was why they stood outside the yard without interfering. Compared to Wu Peng’s framing and attempts to take his life, Zheng Mingyi only stepped on him, which was already the most forgiving of him.

The coldness in Zheng Mingyi’s expression receded. He turned over to Jiang Chijing, and he smiled happily.

The smile seemed to say: It’s over now; it’s time to go back home.