Chapter 55

“An Xiao Hai, why are you helping him?”

An Xiao Hai was still lost in thought when he heard Gui Liu’s question. He turned to look, and saw Gui Liu staring at him with intense eyes.

“It’s nothing. I just can’t stand them bullying us,” An Xiao Hai said lightly, shrugging his shoulders before going back to packing his things.

The mess in the dormitory would eventually be cleaned up, and the ones to do it were the usual targets of bullying, like the rapist Deng Wei, who had already taken the initiative to bring water and start wiping up the bloodstains.

“Can’t stand them bullying us, huh? Interesting!” Gui Liu smirked and nodded at An Xiao Hai. Then he pressed his right index and middle fingers lightly against his forehead in a gesture of respect.

An Xiao Hai smiled slightly and continued packing.

The gesture Gui Liu made was a sign of respect between inmates.

An Xiao Hai hadn’t expected that his casual remark would have this effect. Even Zhao De, who had always looked at him with hostility, now had a noticeably softened gaze.

After all, An Xiao Hai was human, not a god, so he naturally had his blind spots.

An Xiao Hai was easy to target by the other inmates, and besides the main instigator pulling the strings behind the scenes, there was one more factor that couldn’t be overlooked: his temperament.

An Xiao Hai’s temperament was incompatible with the other prisoners in the First Prison.

He had always felt that he was completely different from the other inmates here. While they each had their own crimes, he hadn’t actually committed a crime—he was someone who had been wrongly imprisoned and was seeking vengeance for the injustice done to him.

Although An Xiao Hai hid his true feelings well, his real thoughts still managed to slip into his eyes and gestures.

This made the other prisoners uncomfortable, and naturally, An Xiao Hai became a target.

But now, An Xiao Hai had gradually accepted his identity as an inmate, and without realizing it, he had started to feel some empathy for the others.

This transformation was something An Xiao Hai didn’t notice, but the other inmates did.

Just as An Xiao Hai had said, police officers always have a certain scent to them, and when they go undercover, they are easily detected. The same principle applies to inmates.

Like recognizes like, and people tend to accept those who are similar to themselves, while those who are different are oppressed.

Prison guards, in the eyes of inmates, were naturally “other,” and especially those who stood in opposition. An Xiao Hai’s blatant provocation of the guards, particularly trying to rile up Mo Qinglian, had caused the inmates in Dorm 27 to finally begin to identify with him.

This was why Gui Liu showed him respect and why Zhao De had let go of much of his hostility toward him.

This was an unintentional outcome, and An Xiao Hai had no way of knowing where this would all lead him in the future.

Guo Xiangshui and the others hadn’t returned yet, but Tian Qiaoguang had already arrived. He didn’t say much—he simply knocked lightly on the dorm’s iron door, and An Xiao Hai, without a word, gathered his things and followed him out.

Half an hour later, Guo Xiangshui returned to Dorm 27.

The dorm was quiet. The other inmates had gone to watch the news, leaving only Gui Liu, who was pretending to feel unwell and lying in bed.

“Brother Shui, I think I might actually like this guy,” Gui Liu said softly, lying in bed with his head resting just above Guo Xiangshui’s.

“What’s that? You planning to compete with me?” Guo Xiangshui responded with a slight smirk.

“Compete? No, what do you call it? Fair competition! Yeah, that’s the word! You’ve been trying to win this kid over for so long, but it hasn’t worked. Why not let me give it a try?”

“Heh, A Gui, I suggest you give up on that idea. Don’t even think about it!”

“Why? What’s the reason?” Gui Liu asked, not angry, but rather a bit nervous.

“Who An Xiao Hai ends up with is not up to you, and it’s not up to me either.”

“Are you saying…” Gui Liu sat up in bed, looking at Guo Xiangshui, his eyes wide.

“Don’t ask. You know the reason.”

Guo Xiangshui’s voice was calm, and he slowly closed his eyes.

Gui Liu stared at him for a long time before finally lying back down, and the two fell into silence.

“Brother Shui, what’s the deal? Just because he’s a university student? We’ve all seen university students before!” Gui Liu protested.

“A Gui, enough. Don’t say anymore. For your own good, really. An Xiao Hai’s situation is not as simple as you think. We shouldn’t meddle, and we can’t. Whatever he says, we just do it.”

“Fine. I guess that’s all we can do,” Gui Liu replied with a soft sigh. “Brother Shui, seriously, I’m already fed up with this place. I don’t know when I’ll get out… I really envy you. Only two more years.”

“Inside, outside—what’s the difference? It’s all about surviving. Honestly, life inside is probably safer.”

“Tch!” Gui Liu rolled his eyes, pulled up his blanket, and covered his head, ignoring Guo Xiangshui.

—

In the Reading Room

As soon as An Xiao Hai followed Tian Qiaoguang into the reading room, he saw a young couple.

The husband was dark, thin, and wearing a white shirt and a suit coat. He looked very similar to Tian Qiaoguang, so it was obvious they were related by blood.

The wife was a typical Southern beauty with a round face, wearing a red dress and white high heels. Her accessories—purse, bracelet, necklace, and earrings—all matched perfectly, exuding wealth and fashion, while her sharp eyes hinted at her cleverness.

The couple clearly didn’t belong to the same type of people, but when they stood together, they exuded an inexplicable harmony.

“Let me introduce you,” Tian Qiaoguang said enthusiastically. “This is Tian Qiaoming, the Chairman and CEO of Qiao Yu Electronics Co. in Shenhai City. He’s also my elder brother. This is my sister-in-law, Song Xiaoyu.”

“They are the partners for the prison electronics project.”

“This is An Xiao Hai, the one who designed those blueprints!” Tian Qiaoguang continued with pride.

So they were really family, no wonder.

“Hello, brother! Hello, sister-in-law!” An Xiao Hai greeted them without hesitation, following Tian Qiaoguang’s lead.

“Ah, hello! An Xiao Hai, it’s so great to finally meet you! I’ve been wanting to meet you for so long!” Tian Qiaoming said, clearly thrilled, as he shook An Xiao Hai’s hand firmly.

Song Xiaoyu’s eyes lit up with approval, and Tian Qiaoguang seemed quite happy, feeling that all his efforts over the past few days were not in vain.

The atmosphere was warm from the start, and An Xiao Hai and Tian Qiaoming quickly started talking enthusiastically.

Tian Qiaoming was clearly from a technical background, straightforward, and focused on technical issues. Once they got started, they were completely absorbed in the conversation.

An Xiao Hai was equally engaged.

Tian Qiaoming left a very good impression on An Xiao Hai—he was sincere, passionate, and exuded all the qualities needed by a successful entrepreneur.

Shenhai City had managed to attract many entrepreneurs like him, which was why, in the next 20 years, it would experience an economic boom and grow from a small fishing village into a city rivaling the capital and Magic City.

An Xiao Hai excelled in electronics and computer programming, while Tian Qiaoming had extensive practical experience, offering unique insights into international technology trends, the electronics market, and especially customer needs.

The two hit it off very well.

Tian Qiaoguang and Song Xiaoyu listened attentively, though they didn’t say much.

The food on the table, which was originally meant to improve An Xiao Hai’s nutrition, was soon devoured by everyone without realizing it.

“An Xiao Hai, this is great! This idea is really useful. I’ll try it out with Engineer Zhao when I get back!”

“Yes, if it works, it will solve another problem. If we crack this, the development of the video intercom system will take a huge step forward.”

“Of course! But I’m worried about potential system conflicts between the different groups and circuits. We won’t know if it’s workable until we integrate and test everything. I think we could try this…”

“Hold on, brother, wait a minute!” Tian Qiaoguang interrupted finally. “It’s already 10:15. We’re fifteen minutes past bedtime. An Xiao Hai must go back now, or there might be trouble if it gets any later.”