Cat 307: The Ninth Ward

Chapter 307 The Ninth Ward

No matter who the other party was, Qi Feng had no interest; he only wanted to find Yan Jiyun as quickly as possible.

The prison corridor was in chaos. After Toothpick Guy picked a fight with Qi Feng, his underlings swarmed forward as well. Qi Feng’s people had been waiting for just such a moment and rushed in to brawl wildly with the crowd of NPCs, making as much trouble as possible.

The prison guards could overlook one-on-one fights, but when a brawl broke out among a group of prisoners and disrupted the entire ward, they could not possibly sit back and do nothing.

A couple of guards simply couldn’t control the situation.

The Quit-Smoking Guild, leading their own faction, had started a fight with another group, making a scene on that side as well. Now, the entire Eighth Ward was as lively as a marketplace.

Qi Feng not only beat down Toothpick Guy but nearly killed him; of course, he took a beating too, though not badly.

The alarm blared in the ward, and a group of prison guards rushed in wielding electric batons. Only then did the brawling prisoners have no choice but to crouch down!

“Everybody, freeze!”

“If any of you dare move again, you’ll be straight into solitary!”

“Stop right there!”

The warning voice of a guard rang out over the intercom. The guards intervening were all suited up in riot gear; whenever they saw prisoners fighting, down came the baton, showing not the slightest mercy.

As soon as the players saw the guards, they hid behind the NPCs. They weren’t about to take the brunt of the guards’ wrath with their own bodies—far better to let the NPCs handle it.

Toothpick Boss had fought back at Qi Feng the moment he was attacked, and the two had been going at it neck and neck. Only when the guards arrived did they finally stop.

Crouching against the wall, Toothpick Boss quickly reported to the guard, “Comrade, he started it!”

A guard in protective gear snapped, “Hands on your head, crouch down!”

The fight had raged for half an hour, and it took another half hour to get things under control; the chaos lasted a full hour.

Qi Feng crouched with his hands on his head. Beside him, Toothpick Guy spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and glared at him viciously, muttering, “You’ve got guts, kid—just wait, I’ll finish you next time.”

Seeing Toothpick’s face now battered and bruised, eyes squinting from the swelling, Qi Feng pressed his head down and slammed it against the wall in front of them.

Thud. Toothpick Guy collapsed, dropping straight to the ground.

A guard passing by turned to see the scene and immediately called for Toothpick to be carried out, while ordering other guards to take Qi Feng away.

Qi Feng didn’t know where they intended to take him, nor did their attitude suggest he was to be treated kindly; he had no idea whether he’d be sent to the Ninth Ward or elsewhere.

Yet, being taken away gave him the chance to observe the Eighth Ward and determine how to get to the Ninth Ward from there. Or perhaps, if he was lucky, this incident would get him sent directly to the Ninth?

But the guards didn’t follow that logic. Naturally, as a prisoner from the Eighth Ward who’d caused trouble, he was simply thrown into solitary.

“Prisoner number 1xxxxxx, inciting trouble during rest hours, six hours in solitary!” That was the guard’s verdict.

Qi Feng didn’t think much of the punishment—he’d never been in solitary before.

While he pondered how to escape from solitary, a guard with a baton shoved him inside, cuffed his hands.

“Hey, at least take off my handcuffs first!”

The guard shot him a glance, retrieved the key, and unlocked the cuffs—with his baton still raised. “Behave yourself.”

Qi Feng had already gotten a good idea of the layout as he walked through the ward, even noting the blind spots in the surveillance system. As long as he could get out of solitary, he’d manage the rest.

Earlier that afternoon, he’d heard from fellow prisoners where the nine wards were located; now, his most urgent concern was how to leave the Eighth Ward.

Once the iron door to solitary closed, not a glimmer of light remained.

He sat down on the mat, had just lifted his hand to rest on the back of his head, when he heard a faint cough nearby.

Qi Feng straightened. “Who’s there?”

The coughing grew louder.

Qi Feng tensed, fully alert. It was suddenly clear there was an unfamiliar NPC in the dark with him—he’d have to be on guard.

“Relax, man. I’m just another guy locked up in solitary. You’re all in one piece, I’ve got a busted arm—I won’t be able to do anything to you.”

From the voice, Qi Feng guessed the man was sitting across from him; after adjusting to the darkness, he could make out a humanoid outline—the man was lying down.

“How’d you end up in here?” Qi Feng asked.

“Made some trouble, same as anyone.” The other man replied leisurely, coughing between sentences. “What about you?”

Solitary was dead quiet, not a sound from outside. The man must have come in before Qi Feng stirred up the ward and was unaware of all that chaos.

Qi Feng: “Got into a fight.”

The other: “I thought the guards didn’t much care about fights?”

Qi Feng: “It was a brawl, the whole ward lost control.”

The other: “That’s bold. Why’d you do it?”

Qi Feng didn’t care to explain. “Telling you wouldn’t help me.”

The other was taken aback. “How do you know I can’t help you?”

Qi Feng gave no reply, letting the man stew in curiosity.

The other: “Hey, come on, talk to me. It’s boring as hell in here—let’s have a chat.”

He seemed disappointed by Qi Feng’s lack of interest, but after so long without company, he was desperate to socialize. Unfortunately, Qi Feng wasn’t obliging.

The other: “Man, you’re no fun. How about this—chat with me, and I’ll help you out with something.”

Qi Feng didn’t know the man’s identity, but to get thrown into solitary, he must have some status. Still, Qi Feng was expert at fishing for information. Now was not the time to show interest—if he agreed too quickly, he’d only expose his own weakness.

The other kept at it: “Won’t even let me help you? Don’t tell me you haven’t heard of me!”

“Hey, buddy, sure you don’t want to chat? Six hours alone in here is enough to drive anyone mad.”

“Damn this place, it’s so dull.”

Qi Feng interjected at the perfect moment, “Look, can you just be quiet for a bit?”

The other: “If we’re chatting, it won’t be boring—come on, just talk.”

Qi Feng: “Not interested.”

The other: “You really don’t know who I am?”

Qi Feng truly didn’t.

The other: “Jiang Mian. Heard the name?”

Qi Feng stayed silent.

Jiang Mian: “New kid, fresh off the bus? Tch, never even heard of me.”

Now Qi Feng was finding him truly noisy. He made a gesture of plugging his ears with both hands; Jiang Mian, hampered by his injuries, couldn’t even scoot over to talk. Everything was going according to Qi Feng’s plan.

Since someone had landed in his lap, he might as well use them.

Seeing that Qi Feng truly didn’t want to talk, Jiang Mian finally gave up—but within ten minutes, he tried again.

“Hey, are you sure you don’t want to chat? Or I could promise to help you twice. Anything but breaking out—I can discuss anything else.”

Qi Feng played along with a sigh, “A clear conscience sleeps well, even if ghosts knock at your door at midnight. You afraid of ghosts?”

Jiang Mian: “How did you know?”

Qi Feng: “Even my cat’s afraid.”

Jiang Mian paused, annoyed. “You’re comparing me to your cat?”

Qi Feng went silent again.

Jiang Mian: “Fine, what do you want from me?”

Qi Feng tutted, “I’ve no desire to leave the ward. I’m doing just fine—there’s nothing I need. If you could, just be quiet a while.”

Jiang Mian: “I’m serious. If you’ll talk to me for an hour, I’ll agree to anything reasonable.”

Qi Feng replied offhandedly, “Unless you can get me into the Ninth Ward for a look around, I’m not interested.”

Jiang Mian, surprisingly earnest, said, “If you really want to go to the Ninth Ward, that’s doable. Once I’m out of solitary, I can arrange for you to have a look.”

Qi Feng feigned interest: “You pulling my leg?”

Jiang Mian: “Why would I lie? If I don’t get you into the Ninth Ward within half a day after solitary, I’ll give you a finger.”

Qi Feng: “Fine, half an hour of conversation in exchange for a ticket to the Ninth—it’s a deal.”

Jiang Mian: “At last, someone to talk to.”

For the rest of the time, almost all the talking came from Jiang Mian, with Qi Feng listening, occasionally responding.

Before long, the ingrained sleep schedules of a prison took over. In the middle of his monologue, Jiang Mian drifted off to sleep on his mat.

Qi Feng hadn’t expected such luck in solitary. He didn’t know whether Jiang Mian was for real, but either way, it was worth a try. He couldn’t count on it; he’d need his own plan too.

Six hours passed quickly, and Jiang Mian seemed quite satisfied with Qi Feng.

They left solitary at the same time—two guards came in, treating Jiang Mian like an honored guest as they helped him out.

Yawning, Jiang Mian said to the guards, “Chen Yi, find a chance to show this buddy of mine around the Ninth Ward.”

Qi Feng thought with some surprise—could the man really get him into the Ninth Ward?

Chen Yi agreed. The other guard assisted the limping, injured Jiang Mian away; Jiang Mian even turned to wave cheerfully at Qi Feng.

Guard Chen Yi said to Qi Feng, “There’s still two and a half hours before the others wake up. I can take you for a look—come with me.”

Qi Feng: “You’ll really take me to the Ninth Ward?”

Chen Yi: “Brother Jiang ordered it. How could I refuse?”

Qi Feng: “Jiang Mian has a special status?”

The guard shot a warning glance at him. “Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t.”

Qi Feng knew from his look that Jiang Mian’s identity was unusual—possibly an undercover officer. But that didn’t matter. Qi Feng was looking for Yan Jiyun; he had no intention of following the script of the scenario. If he could avoid the story, what did its content matter?

Now, finding the cat was imperative, so Qi Feng didn’t probe further into Jiang Mian’s identity. Actually, during their chat, Jiang Mian had let slip plenty of details; but all Qi Feng cared about was whether he could find Yan Jiyun now.

Chen Yi took Qi Feng to the duty room, tossed him a set of guard’s clothes. “I’ve got to head over there for some paperwork anyway. You can come with me for a tour of the Ninth Ward.”

The uniform fit Qi Feng perfectly, highlighting his figure; Chen Yi couldn’t help but glance at him again.

Once more, he reminded, “I’ll say it again—once we’re there, don’t ask questions, don’t wander, and stick close to me.”

Qi Feng replied steadily, “Understood.”

Chen Yi led Qi Feng out of the Eighth Ward.

Qi Feng, mindful of surveillance cameras, kept his head down under his cap to hide his face—a move that left the guard satisfied.

There was some distance between the Eighth and Ninth Wards; they would need to drive.

Qi Feng was grateful he hadn’t tried to run off in the earlier chaos. Even if he’d escaped at the time, getting out of the Eighth Ward would have been near impossible. The solitary encounter with Jiang Mian was, in all, a stroke of luck.

The car rolled through a dark, unlit road. Chen Yi was a quiet, taciturn man, and Qi Feng preferred silence too. The two kept to themselves all the way to the Ninth Ward.

The Ninth Ward was dazzling.

“Nine District” shone in bright neon.

Compared with the Eighth Ward’s towering walls, this place had nothing in common with a prison.

Lights blazed everywhere, and Qi Feng could see at a glance the modern buildings ahead—no high walls, not even a simple railing. In the distance was a shimmering artificial lake, lights glinting off its surface. Nearby were a tennis court, basketball court, even a golf course?

More than that, Qi Feng glimpsed someone jogging by the lakeside, and during their trip past, someone was out walking a dog—a dog that looked very expensive, its coat trimmed immaculately, with tiny braids tied in its fur.

Was this the legendary Ninth Prison?

If Yan Jiyun were here, he’d probably be living quite comfortably.

Chen Yi parked the car in a lot already filled with luxury vehicles.

He was surprised by Qi Feng’s composure. “You’re not amazed?”

Qi Feng: “Amazed.”

Chen Yi: “Let’s go inside.”

He led Qi Feng to the main building. Other than the people exercising, the others must have been sleeping.

As Qi Feng considered how to search for Yan Jiyun, Chen Yi had already taken him up to the fifth floor of the main building.

“There are eight floors here,” Chen Yi said. “A hundred prisoners live in this building. I hope you don’t meet any of them. Don’t be fooled by their friendly demeanor—the things they’ve done, you couldn’t even imagine. Keep your eyes to yourself.”

With a ding, the elevator doors opened.

There were four elevators in the building. As they stepped out, the elevator opposite opened at the same time.

A dark-haired young man, face sleepy, stepped out, apparently a little groggy but possessed of sharp eyesight. Noticing the two guards, he raised a handsome eyebrow and walked over to them.

He came right up to Qi Feng, his cool fingertips playfully lifting Qi Feng’s chin. “Oh? A new guard?”