Chapter 13

Wu Guanhai sat there, appearing calm, but An Xiaohai could sense his intense inner unease through his body language.

Wu’s posture was defensive; he was likely afraid An might suddenly lash out and attack. An stood silently, watching Wu for a long time. Just as Wu was about to ask why An was staring at him, An abruptly walked away.

Liu Jiang also observed An, his gaze a mixture of curiosity and provocation. An gave him a slight smile, sidestepping Liu’s gaze. This was typically a sign of submission, but An didn’t care. With enough trouble already on his plate, An had no desire to invite new issues.

Wang Bulai, meanwhile, lay half-reclined on his bed, winking at An and mimicking a stabbing motion—a move identical to what An had used with a toothbrush against Liu Jun that night. Clearly, Wang had been awake during that incident.

An gave him a gentle smile, which excited Wang even more. Giving An a thumbs-up, Wang showed the admiration typical among the gangsters for someone with guts. To Wang, An was unquestionably a “hardcore” guy.

As for Peng Yuangui, An didn’t even glance his way. Peng’s shady personality was something An preferred not to get involved with.

An went straight to his bed and began leisurely packing his things. Not that he had much to gather, but this action was clearly meant to signal to the others that he was under Yang Yuanbing’s protection.

“Brother Hai, are you getting out?!” Wang asked, leaping onto Peng’s bed.

“No such luck. I’m just changing cells—to Area A.”

“Area A! Impressive, that’s where all the big shots are!” Wang’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

For An, every minute in this prison was unbearable, but others, like Wang, seemed proud to be here. The look in Wang’s eyes showed his excitement was real.

To An, this prison symbolized lost futures and endless darkness. Yet, for people like Wang, it was a place to earn status. Wang’s sentence, however, likely wasn’t too long.

“What should I call you—Brother Wang or Brother Lai?”

“You’re the real boss; call me Ah Lai. I should be the one calling you brother! That move you pulled—it’s killer! Teach me sometime?”

“Nowhere near as tough as you.”

“Oh, come on! Don’t be stingy. That move of yours would work perfectly for me! I heard Liu Jun is still down, even pissing blood daily. That’s so awesome!”

Wang was indeed small, likely under 1.5 meters, making him well-suited for targeting kidneys. An knew that while Wang didn’t mind commenting on his own height, he hated it when others brought it up.

“Heh!” An chuckled.

Blood in the urine was all too expected after that attack. In another life, An had experienced the same for years afterward.

“Just aim and stab—no big deal.”

“True enough! Just stab! You really are something, Brother Hai. Such finesse!”

“Ah Lai, what are you in here for?” An asked casually, though he already knew; Yang Yuanbing had mentioned it. Wang was here for chopping off someone’s hand, for which he’d been paid 5,000 yuan.

Wang’s family had paid the victim more than 5,000, but Wang didn’t care; in his mind, money not in his hands didn’t count as his.

“Did a small job. Didn’t expect to get caught; now I’m stuck for three years. Total loss!” Wang shrugged.

“Yeah, a bit of a loss. Be more careful next time.”

“Definitely! I should have fought him first and only messed with him once inside. Then my sentence would’ve been shorter.”

“Fair point!”

“But the pay’s lower inside—only 2,000. What a rip-off…” Wang shook his head.

“Yeah, that’s low. How about if you make someone like Liu Jun?”

“That’d be worth a lot! I’d say at least 10,000, so Brother Hai, you better teach me! Otherwise, I can’t take such jobs.”

“Easy enough,” An said, coming closer and pointing to Wang’s lower back. “These two spots—stab there, and don’t pull out. It’ll hurt for life but won’t kill.”

“That’s awesome! Thanks, Brother Hai!” Wang gave him another thumbs-up.

“Ah Lai, how about I set you up with a job?”

“Sure! Who’s the target? If it’s someone outside, you’ll have to wait three years! But if the price is high, I could get my outside guys on it.”

“No need; he’s right here,” An gestured at Wu Guanhai. “Two hands, two feet, and I’ll give you 20,000.”

“Really?” Wang’s eyes lit up again.

“Of course. I wouldn’t lie. But I don’t have the money now. It’ll have to be after I get out.”

“Sure! No point in getting paid here anyway!”

“Deal?”

“Deal!” Wang extended his hand, and they shook on it.

“What do you want, An Xiaohai?!” Wu finally couldn’t hold back, unnerved by how blatantly An targeted him.

“I’ve made it clear what I want,” An said, not even glancing at Wu, continuing to pack his things.

“We have no quarrel…”

“Shut up!”

Wu’s words were cut off sharply. An turned, his gaze like a venomous snake ready to strike.

“We have no quarrel? Say that again if you dare!” An spat through clenched teeth.

Wu was speechless.

Cowardice would lead to disrespect, and disrespect in prison had dangerous consequences.

“I was just doing a paid job. I had no grudge against you. Blame the one who hired me…” Wu stammered, clearly fearful of An’s unpredictability, almost seeming like a different person.

An smirked slightly; Wu’s fear was obvious, and his words implied he’d betray his employer if it meant saving himself. But betrayal was the worst offense in their world; people might do it, but never openly admit it. Saying it outright was practically asking to be killed.

“Tch!”

Wang scoffed in disdain, and even Liu Jiang turned to give Wu a look.

“Brother Hai, are you serious?” Peng Yuangui’s voice came from behind, startling An. He turned to see Peng, rarely lifting his head, staring at him intently.

“What do you mean?”

“The 20,000 for taking off his hands and feet?”

“Yeah, but only after I’m out.”

“Understood. I’ll take it,” Peng said through gritted teeth.

“That’s not fair; I already promised Ah Lai.” An looked over at Wang.

“No worries!” Wang shrugged. “Everyone’s got to earn. I don’t mind. Can we split it?”

“Of course, but he can’t be killed. I might want to deal with him slowly.”

“Got it!” Wang and Peng exchanged glances at Wu with malice, cold sweat breaking out on Wu’s forehead.

“Don’t be too cocky! Your family’s about to go under. Don’t think you can play with fire and come out unscathed!” Wu ground out.

“Heh, you’re pretty well-informed,” An thought, feeling even more resolved to deal with Wu.

“Good reminder, though,” he added, “but Ah Lai here mentioned my skills are worth 10,000. Worst case, I’ll take on a few more jobs; my brothers won’t go unpaid.”

As An finished packing, he lay down on his bed, waiting for Yang Yuanbing to arrive.

An wasn’t bluffing. In his past life, 20,000 yuan would have been unimaginable. But for the present An, 20,000 was nothing. He could think of a thousand ways to make that money legally and quickly.

The vendetta against Wu Guanhai was a certainty for An. Before paying Wu back in full, this brief torment was just a way to start collecting some interest.