PDLP 182. Prison guard's cousin
182. Prison guard's cousin
As Zhu Qingfeng spoke, he picked up the half of the chopstick that Zhou Hongyi had just broken and pointed it at his temple.
However, at that moment, a loud shout suddenly came from the periphery of the crowd:
"Stop! All of you stop! What are you doing?"
A group of prison guards rushed over with batons and started beating the prisoners indiscriminately, driving them into a corner where they lined up, put their hands on their heads, and squatted on the ground.
Zhu Qingfeng seemed to be used to it. He stood up, put his hands on his head, squatted in the corner, and stared at Zhou Hongyi with a provocative look in his eyes, as if to say: The prison guards can't save you many times. I've got you figured out.
"Damn it, can't even eat in peace? Let me see who's causing trouble?"
At this moment, a man dressed in a black prison guard uniform walked over, surrounded by several other prison guards.
Zhu Qingfeng smiled when he saw the man and said, "Captain Zhou, it's your turn to be on duty today. Nothing much, just a little joke with the new guy. He's not quite familiar with our rules yet, so I'm helping him get acquainted with them."
The visitor was the captain of the regular prison guard ward, who worked in shifts with another person named Zhou Keshang. He was quite respected among the prisoners.
When Zhou Keshang approached and saw Zhou Hongyi being dragged up from the ground, he was stunned for a moment. Then he turned to Zhu Qingfeng and kicked him without warning, hitting the latter in the abdomen.
"Use your knowledge? You think I need your knowledge? Who the hell do you think you are? Why would I need to know him? If you want to teach me, why don't I teach him myself? Do you even know who he is before you dare to lay a hand on him? You dog, are you tired of living?"
Even though Zhu Qingfeng was the prison bully, here he could only be beaten by Zhou Keshang like a dog, and dared not fight back.
It wasn't until Zhou Ke was tired from playing that he turned around, smiled at Zhou Hongyi, and said, "Hehehe, cousin, it's me, Xiao Ke. Do you remember me? We used to play together a lot when we were kids, but I haven't seen you since you went abroad. Not long ago, I heard from my mother that you became a high-ranking official, but I was too embarrassed to go to your door, always afraid of what people would say. I never expected to recognize you here."
Zhou Hongyi was stunned by what the other person said, and hurriedly searched through the long-sealed memories of this body. Sure enough, he remembered his cousin Zhou Keshang, who used to follow him around with a runny nose when he was a child.
"Little Ke, it's you. Hey~ you're all high and mighty now, the prison guard captain, while I'm just a prisoner. It's really embarrassing for us to meet like this."
“What are you saying, cousin? You’re a man destined for great things. Once you’re here, you’ll be out in no time. If any fool dares to mess with you, just tell me, and I’ll take care of them. Take this guy surnamed Zhu, for example.”
As Zhou Keshang spoke, he glanced at Zhu Qingfeng, who stood beside him with a fierce look in his eyes, the threat he was making clear.
Zhu Qingfeng was extremely frustrated. He hadn't offended anyone, yet this Zhou Hongyi had come over and eaten his eggs. Now, a prison guard cousin had appeared. Where could he go to seek justice?
Zhou Hongyi hadn't expected to run into relatives here, and immediately smiled and said, "Xiao Ke, it's nothing, it's just a misunderstanding. Don't worry, if anyone dares to bully us, I'll definitely tell you. I wonder how your parents' health has been lately?"
Zhou Keshang glanced around and said to the other prison guards, "What are you all doing here? Don't you have anything to do? Everyone who's finished eating, go back. I'm just going to say a few words to my cousin here."
"Yes!"
A group of prison guards scattered with a roar, and also drove away all the prisoners who were watching the commotion, whether they had finished eating or not, they were all told to get out of the dining hall.
The unexpected twist in the ending left the monkey stunned. It wasn't until several prison guards shoved him a few times that he came to his senses, his eyes filled with envy as he looked at Zhou Hongyi.
After driving away the prisoners who were eating, Zhou Hongyi sat down with his cousin Zhou Keshang and started chatting about everyday things.
“My father has been gone for almost ten years. He used to guard prisoners in jail, so I'm basically following in his footsteps. When I was little, my mother worked several jobs, and in the winters, she was always short of food and clothing, which caused her to develop health problems. Now, whenever the weather gets cold, she gets sick and coughs. Fortunately, I can earn some money now, so she doesn't have to go out to work anymore. Cousin, I only heard from my mother that you were a high-ranking official. Did you offend someone? How did you end up here?”
Zhou Hongyi waved his hand and said, "Well, it's a long story, and things are a bit complicated, but you just need to know that your cousin isn't hopeless. When we get out, we'll definitely help each other out. You can't earn much money as a prison guard here, but when I get out, I'll get you into my Second Precinct, and I guarantee you'll earn ten times what you are now."
"Really? Hey, then I'll thank you in advance, brother."
"We're all brothers, why be so polite? Hehehe."
The two chatted for a while longer about everyday matters, and then it was time for the prisoners to relax. Zhou Keshang reluctantly said goodbye to Zhou Hongyi, and led the guards to a clearing in the center of the prison to let the prisoners out for a stroll.
Although the prison grounds are not large, they are much more spacious than the cramped cells. More importantly, you can get sunshine here, and there are some simple equipment for exercise.
Of course, this place is not like the prisons depicted in later American TV series. The prisoners here don't even have enough to eat, so they don't have the extra energy to exercise. These machines are just for show.
Rather than a time for relaxation, it was more like a period when the prison turned a blind eye, allowing these prisoners to engage in private transactions.
They would take advantage of this opportunity to barter, exchanging hidden daily necessities or food for cigarettes, or even a little alcohol. Of course, some were incredibly resourceful and could obtain pictures of popular female celebrities, which were absolute rare finds in prison. Sometimes, inmates would even fight tooth and nail for a single picture.
As soon as Zhou Hongyi stepped onto the playground, Monkey came running over, beaming with flattery, and said, "Boss Zhou, you truly live up to your title as the director of the Second Branch Bureau. You even know the prison guard captain here. Now that's great, Zhu Qingfeng and Diao Zhen's gang will definitely not dare to mess with you in the future."
Zhou Hongyi thought to himself that it might not be so, because he knew that Zhu Qingfeng was a spy sent in undercover, and his power was probably even greater than Zhou Keshang's. If he wanted to deal with a mere prison guard captain, he would have a hundred ways to make him submit. Therefore, it wasn't that Zhou Keshang was protecting Zhou Hongyi, quite the opposite.
Zhu Qingfeng, however, harbored resentment after Zhou Hongyi snatched his boiled eggs for no reason and kicked him several times by Zhou Ke. He and a group of prisoners gathered in a corner, casting venomous glances at Zhou Hongyi.
On the other side of the open space, bald-headed Diao Zhen was surrounded by the largest group of people, who were eagerly preparing to watch the show. Knowing Zhu Qingfeng as he did, they were certain this guy wouldn't let it go so easily. Even if Zhou Hongyi had a prison guard cousin, he wouldn't suffer this injustice in silence.
But at that moment, the Japanese gunmen on the wall suddenly started to commotion.
Soon, the prison guards tensed up, pulling out their batons and surrounding the area to prevent the prisoners from escaping in the chaos. Meanwhile, in the Japanese military camp on the other side, squads of soldiers ran in neat rows toward the high walls on the other side of the prison.
Just before the Japanese soldiers reached the high wall, the prisoners suddenly saw black objects being thrown high into the air from outside the wall and then falling back inside.
"What is this?"
The prisoners looked up curiously, but when the objects fell, they exclaimed in surprise, "They're bricks! Get out of the way!"
Those driven by curiosity didn't have time to dodge and were hit squarely by bricks and stones, falling to the ground with a yelp. Those less fortunate were immediately struck on the head, bleeding profusely.
But just as they were about to curse who threw the stones from outside the wall, they accidentally discovered that the stones and tiles had something tied or wrapped around them.
"What is this? It's cigarettes, Sanpaotai cigarettes! Only rich bosses can afford to smoke them. Who threw such good cigarettes in here?"
"What's a cigarette compared to this? There's a whole magazine here, full of the hottest stars in Shanghai right now, they're all so gorgeous!"
"Why is there such a big piece of beef here? Who littered outside?"
The prisoners were completely terrified, and just then, a series of perfectly synchronized sounds came from outside the wall:
"All members of the Razor Claw Society await Director Zhou's release from prison! Those brothers inside who have received bribes, serve our director well. Anyone who neglects him will be stabbed three times and stabbed six times—no mercy will be shown!"
Good heavens, that loud shout startled the prisoners who had picked up the cigarettes and magazines earlier. The Razor Shield Society—though separated from the outside world by a high wall, the organization's reputation had still reached their ears in various ways. Could the Director Zhou the Razor Shield Society was talking about be Zhou Hongyi, the one who had provoked Zhu Qingfeng earlier?