Chapter 23

Over the next two days, An Xiaohai spent most of his time staring blankly at the ceiling.

He wasn’t actually planning to break out with Xu Tianyou.

If he did that, he’d have no path back at all. Either he’d end up dead at the hands of the drug lords, or the police would catch up to him eventually. And when they did, the corrupt cops colluding with those behind the scenes wouldn’t hesitate to execute him in broad daylight without facing any consequences.

If he wanted any hope of returning to a somewhat normal life with his family and friends after getting out, breaking out wasn’t an option. He had to leave through legitimate channels.

To An Xiaohai, that plan didn’t seem all that difficult.

Three years might feel long, but compared to his last sentence of twenty years, it was nothing.

Helping Xu Tianyou escape wasn’t just talk, either. If Xu Tianyou could get out, it would at least add a layer of protection for An Xiaohai. He’d thought this through completely.

Initially, he didn’t intend to help Xu escape, given Xu’s vicious background as a core member of the Haifo Lord’s organization. Letting him loose would undoubtedly lead to more harm to society.

But An Xiaohai could no longer afford to worry about that.

Sure, he didn’t mind helping others when he could, but only if he himself was safe first—otherwise, there was no point to it.

If it all had to go down, then let it all go down. Compared to the drug cartel, those corrupt officials secretly enabling their operations posed a much greater, more insidious threat to the people.

Breaking out of Shenhai City’s first prison might be difficult for most, but not for An Xiaohai. He happened to know that another inmate would successfully escape a month from now—though he would soon be recaptured. While this incident didn’t make the news, it spread like wildfire among the inmates.

The escapee’s method and route could definitely be useful for Xu Tianyou.

In fact, that inmate’s preparations were likely almost complete by now. If Xu acted quickly, his chances of getting out would be high.

An Xiaohai, however, planned to wait a little longer. If he could use this opportunity to take down the two corrupt cops responsible for his current predicament, it would be even better.

Since they showed no mercy, neither would he.

For the past two days, An Xiaohai had been planning exactly this. If he could remove his enemies in the shadows, it would unsettle them and buy him valuable time to regroup.

As An Xiaohai’s health improved slightly, a prison officer came to take a statement, asking him to recount the details of the attack. An Xiaohai, of course, said nothing, claiming only that the attackers came out of nowhere, and he knew nothing else.

The officer taking notes kept his head down almost the whole time, rarely meeting An Xiaohai’s gaze. An Xiaohai knew this officer was the same man who had been in the security room during the attack, working with the middle-aged officer.

Though his attention had mainly been on his assailant and the older officer, An Xiaohai had still managed to memorize this man’s face and general features.

Yang Yuanbing had come by once, though he hadn’t entered the room. He just glanced through the medical office window, making sure An Xiaohai saw him before quickly leaving.

His brief appearance was merely to send a message: he was still keeping a close eye on An Xiaohai.

Officer Liu Cong, however, had come several times, though he always seemed distracted and rarely spoke.

It was clear that the honest young officer also sensed something was wrong. He likely felt powerless to change anything, leading to his troubled expression.

Liu clearly felt guilty, even though he had never directly harmed An Xiaohai.

On the fourth day, Xu Tianyou started pestering the guards to let him go back to his cell, complaining the hospital room was stifling and making him crazy. He even said he was sick of the sight of An Xiaohai and didn’t want to share a room anymore.

This was actually An Xiaohai’s idea, though Xu came up with the excuse himself. Xu’s eccentric personality had one advantage: no matter how extreme his behavior, people just found it typical.

An Xiaohai had sent him back to make preparations, telling him to find a weapon for self-defense if possible, and see if he could contact anyone outside to help.

The original escapee had a solid plan but no strategy for disappearing afterward, which led to his quick capture. An Xiaohai intended to help Xu cover that gap.

The weapon wasn’t really necessary; it was mostly to keep Xu busy so he’d stop staring at An Xiaohai all day, which was getting irritating.

For reasons unknown, the prison authorities quickly approved Xu’s request, and he was removed from the room by the fifth day.

An Xiaohai sighed with relief. Whether Xu managed to find a weapon or arrange outside support, An Xiaohai had no plans to interfere or inquire.

That way, if Xu Tianyou’s plan went sideways, he wouldn’t be blamed.

While mentally rehearsing his plan, Officer Liu Cong visited again.

This time, seeing An Xiaohai alone in the room, Liu approached, pulled up a chair, and sat by the bed.

“How’s your hand…feeling any better?” After a long silence, Liu finally spoke.

“Much better, thank you, Officer Liu,” An Xiaohai replied with a smile. If not for Liu’s timely intervention, he might have been in far worse condition now.

Revenge had to be taken, but gratitude would also be repaid. However, now was neither the time nor the place.

It was evident Liu had a lot to say, but it all ended with a helpless sigh. Just as he stood up to leave, An Xiaohai spoke up again.

“Officer Liu, I’d like to ask you for another favor.”

Liu looked at An Xiaohai for a moment before nodding slowly. “I don’t mind helping, as long as it’s within my power—and legal.”

“You’re overthinking it, Officer Liu. I’m just bored out of my mind here and was hoping you might borrow some books from the reading room for me.”

“Oh, that? Sure. What kind of books?”

“Anything’s fine. If you could find something technical, that’d be even better.”

Liu nodded again and left.

Soon after, someone delivered the books—not Liu, but the reading room supervisor, Tian Qiaoguang.

A slight smile formed on An Xiaohai’s lips.

Tian Qiaoguang was slender and dark-skinned, with the refined look of a typical southern man. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and had a scholarly demeanor.

Tian was a clever man. He hadn’t bothered notifying An Xiaohai beforehand about the application for his electrical work; he knew An Xiaohai wouldn’t turn it down after tinkering with the circuit board—and that he couldn’t refuse.

“So, you were the one who modified the circuit board?” Tian wasted no time, getting straight to the point as soon as he sat down.

“Yes.”

“I filed a report requesting your assistance with the design, but it was rejected by the higher-ups.”

An Xiaohai nodded. He already knew this from Yang Yuanbing. Though curious about who specifically had denied the request, he held back from asking.

“Can you help with some circuit design work in your spare time? The factory is willing to compensate you, though the funds may have to go to your family.”

“Sure, no problem.”

“Great. We’ll discuss the details next time you visit the reading room,” Tian said as he stood to leave.

“Officer Tian, I have a proposal. Would you be interested in hearing it?”

 “Oh?” Tian Qiaoguang stopped and turned around.