Era of Magic and Martial Arts-Chapter 232 - 216: The Wind Has Shifted, A Clever Defector?
Feng Mu walked back to the duty room, carrying a thermal container in one hand, at a relaxed pace.
He tidied up the table and was just about to unscrew the thermal container and sit down to eat when urgent footsteps echoed in the corridor. He frowned slightly and returned the thermal container to the storage cabinet.
The smell of the food was intoxicating, in a sense, toxic to "corpses," even though the "spirit" of these corpses had long since been extinguished.
However, Feng Mu was a very compassionate person. He would never eat in front of the "corpses," just like he wouldn’t show a movie to a blind person, play music to someone deaf, or urinate standing up in front of an eunuch.
Wang Cong pushed open the door and said to Feng Mu, "The captain wants you to come over. He probably wants to remind you about the money."
Feng Mu looked at Wang Cong, whose clothes were neatly pressed and hair meticulously combed, a red thread flickering in his pupils, and he nodded calmly, "Alright, I’ll head over now."
Before leaving, Feng Mu stopped at the doorway and asked Wang Cong, "You look particularly spirited today, have you got everything ready?"
Wang Cong assumed Feng Mu was asking about the money. He grinned and said:
"Of course, I’ve handed over most of my assets to the captain. Now I’m left with nothing, no burdens, I can only live up to your expectation and press forward, forward, ever forward."
Feng Mu gave Wang Cong a thumbs up and then, with a meaningful glance, turned his eyes away and left the room.
It wasn’t until the footsteps in the corridor faded into the distance that the smile on Wang Cong’s face gradually withdrew, returning to an expression of calm. He approached the storage cabinet, deftly retrieving two thermal containers.
He placed the containers on the table and gently unscrewed the lids.
Then, from his pocket, he pulled out a bottle of Q-14 Delayed Hallucinogen, unscrewed the cap, and poured the expensive, colorless liquid evenly into the two containers, half in each.
The aroma of the food mixed with the liquid became even more enticing. Wang Cong couldn’t help but swallow twice, seemingly imagining the delicious taste.
Afterward, he carefully screwed the lids back on and placed the containers back in the storage cabinet, even maintaining their original positioning without the slightest deviation.
Wang Cong quietly closed the cabinet door and then slowly strolled out of the duty room.
Meanwhile, Feng Mu gently pushed open the door to the captain’s office.
Tian Tao was sitting on the corner of the desk, and two or three prison guards were casually chatting while taking turns using the captain’s computer to transfer the survival funds collected this week to the designated account for the team.
"Captain, the money’s all been handed over," a prison guard reported.
Tian Tao looked at the figures on the account, slightly more than usual, but being the first time participating in the [Prison Ranking Contest], even though they were only in the lowest tier captain’s group, Tian Tao still lacked confidence.
With a stern face, he asked the prison guards grimly, "Has everyone handed over everything? No one’s kept anything back, right?"
The prison guards exchanged glances and shook their heads in unison, replying in chorus:
"No, absolutely not. It’s the first week, everyone’s on edge, no one wants to end up with a stranger for a captain. Who’d risk losing for a bit of profit?"
Tian Tao’s expression eased slightly, and he angrily complained:
"I don’t know what the higher-ups are thinking, making us all compete like this. Our Light Supervision Area might be easier to manage, but the profits we can squeeze out can’t compare to the Heavy Supervision Area or the VIP Area. At most, we can spar with the Death Row."
Several prison guards nodded in agreement:
"Exactly, this [Bottom-Ranking Elimination System] that the Warden implemented is unreasonable and unfair. The Prison Chiefs should have outright refused such an absurd reform at the meeting."
"Yeah, the Warden is new here and doesn’t know the prison’s rules. The Prison Chiefs should have banded together to oppose, or at least persuade the Warden."
"But I heard that at the meeting, the Warden decisively pushed his agenda, and all the Prison Chiefs, one by one, signed the document without delay. Apparently, it was submitted that very day."
Tian Tao watched the prison guards discussing in low voices in front of him. He knew well enough that they were probing his stance.
Ridiculous. As a captain, since when could he influence decisions from above? He was as clueless as any guard about what transpired at the meeting that made the Prison Chiefs sign the document obediently.
Surely, the Warden couldn’t have held them at gunpoint, right?
Tian Tao had indeed tried asking Chang Wei or Zhou Hu, but lately, both had been even more secretive, sealed tighter than a blocked toilet, revealing not a word.
"Alright, stop making noise. Once you’ve handed over the money, leave quickly, and remember that next week’s amount shouldn’t be less than this week’s."
Tian Tao impatiently waved his hand, dismissing the guards who had already turned in their money from the office.
Silently observing from the side, Feng Mu saw much more clearly than Tian Tao regarding the scene before him.
The guards’ discussion seemed like a casual complaint but in reality, represented the shared sentiments of most of the guards in the Second Prison.
Outwardly, they seemed to be criticizing the Warden’s unreasonable reforms, displaying strong disapproval; internally, they were questioning the Prison Chiefs’ concessions to the Warden, significantly doubting their authority.
The true weight of their words was subject to individual perception.
But in conclusion, it boiled down to this: the situation had changed, people had become scattered, and the team was hard to lead.
Feng Mu secretly gave Prison Warden Qian Huan a thumbs-up in his heart:
"The impact of the [Bottom-Ranking Elimination System] isn’t only reflected in its rankings but also in its influence on people’s minds, signaling everyone that he has outmaneuvered the Prison Chiefs."
"Initially, everyone might collectively complain and oppose, but as the [Bottom-Ranking Elimination System] continues without interruption, these complaints and opposition will change. Some will benefit or prove wiser, altering their stance, rallying for Qian Huan’s cause."
"Originally, Qian Huan was merely a lone commander in the Second Prison, but perhaps in just a few weeks, he’ll pull together his own faction from nothing."
Once the wind direction changes, such momentum is hard to stop unless... something intolerable occurs.
Otherwise, Feng Mu could almost foresee the imminent victory for the Warden.
He pondered to himself, "Perhaps the first smart defector has already secretly pledged allegiance to the Warden."
"What are you waiting for? Pay up!" Tian Tao’s harsh voice interrupted Feng Mu’s thoughts.
Feng Mu withdrew his thoughts, looking at Tian Tao’s head with unflinching eyes at the HP bar—[769/769].
"I’m sorry, Captain. I haven’t collected the money," Feng Mu replied calmly.
"What?" Tian Tao’s voice suddenly rose, his gaze fiery as he glared at Feng Mu, seemingly ready to tear him apart, fuming with rage, "You’re telling me you haven’t collected the money?"
