Chapter 66

Three days in confinement—long yet quick at the same time.

When An Xiaohai and Zhao De helped each other back to cell 27, they immediately sensed something unusual.

Looking closely, An Xiaohai saw Lai Donglin had returned, but he seemed entirely different from before. No longer weak and timid, his eyes now glinted with menace, his expression fierce and twisted—a sight that sent chills down the spine.

Lai Donglin stood before An Xiaohai’s bunk, staring straight at him.

Is he losing his mind?

Just as An Xiaohai was wondering how to handle this, Lai Donglin suddenly walked briskly up to him, then dropped to his knees.

“Brother Hai, I know you’re a boss now. I want to follow you for life, through thick and thin, with no regrets! Please, Brother Hai, accept me!” Lai Donglin said, then knocked his head against the floor with a loud thud.

For a moment, An Xiaohai was at a loss—two lifetimes, yet he’d never encountered anything like this.

“Ah Hai, congrats! Already, you have a brother wanting to follow you. Honestly, I’m a bit envious,” said Guo Xiangshui. Seeing An Xiaohai’s blank look, he quickly offered his advice. From Guo Xiangshui’s gaze, it was clear he knew Lai Donglin’s value.

Lai Donglin had once been meek, but now he was a changed man, hard and ruthless, exactly the kind of person that gangs valued.

An Xiaohai quickly gathered himself, feeling a mixture of emotions.

“Lai Donglin, think this through. Following me isn’t a game—it could cost your life. You need to understand what this means.

Following me could lead you down a path of no return.”

“I understand!” Lai Donglin looked up, blood blurring his vision. His unhealed wound had reopened, making him appear even more ferocious.

“I said I wouldn’t regret it till death! You saved my life; it’s yours. Even if you want it back, I wouldn’t hesitate! Please, Brother Hai, take me in!”

Lai Donglin once again knelt down.

“Brother De, what do you think?” An Xiaohai turned to Zhao De.

The guy Lai Donglin had beaten up, Houzi, was Zhao De’s subordinate. Houzi was badly injured, losing an eye. If An Xiaohai took Lai Donglin as a follower, he would have to take on these grudges as well.

“No issue!” Zhao De immediately shook his head. “They fought, everyone saw. Houzi started it. He lost and lost an eye—only his own carelessness to blame.

But as his boss, I have to stand up for him.

Since Lai Donglin has chosen you as his boss, I’ll give you face. Here’s the deal: when Houzi’s back, I’ll talk to him and see what he wants.

If he can’t let it go, let them fight again—fate will decide, and we won’t intervene. If Houzi’s willing to settle, then some compensation might be in order.

Brother Hai, how does that sound?”

“That works,” An Xiaohai nodded. “Brother De, I’m new to all this; I’ll need your guidance. What would be a fair amount?”

“Not less than ten thousand,” Zhao De replied after some thought.

“Fine. If Houzi agrees to settle, we’ll pay twenty thousand. I’ll take care of it, but I’ll have to pay up once I’m out.”

“No problem; I’ll speak to him.” Zhao De gave a final glance at the kneeling Lai Donglin and returned to his bunk.

Truth be told, Zhao De was somewhat afraid of these two, especially An Xiaohai. His ruthless handling of Qiu Peng was both brutal and baffling. Zhao De was sure that even now, Qiu Peng probably had no clue who’d set him up, leaving him ruined and on the run.

Zhao De himself didn’t quite understand how An Xiaohai had so quietly lured Qiu Peng into a trap, leading him to the Hongyun Teahouse with a weapon.

Even Lai Donglin was now no longer a pushover. Who knew what kind of trouble these two would stir up together?

Best to tread carefully.

“Lai Donglin, did you hear that? Aren’t you going to thank Brother Hai?” Guo Xiangshui prompted, clearly trying to patch things up with Lai Donglin.

“Thank you, Brother Hai!” Lai Donglin looked up, his eyes filled with madness, and An Xiaohai felt a slight tremor in his heart.

Great! Now An Xiaohai had gained a follower and an additional twenty thousand in debt!

With the fifteen thousand he owed Peng Yuangui and the thirteen thousand to Zhao De, he was close to fifty thousand. An Xiaohai sighed, rounding up to a hundred thousand for peace of mind.

Debt’s no big deal when it piles up!

Mo Qinglian and his new partner had been watching the whole scene silently from the sidelines, neither intervening nor stopping them. When it was over, An Xiaohai was led back to confinement, along with Zhao De and Lai Donglin.

For Zhao De, this was a misfortune he never asked for.

“This… something’s off here! It used to be the infirmary every three days; now it’s solitary. What is this…?”

An Xiaohai let out a bitter laugh, even chuckling aloud.

Luckily, it was mid-month. If his mom came by and found him in solitary again, she’d lose sleep worrying.

“Well, the confinement room is better than the infirmary. At least no Xu Tianyou to stir things up…”

An Xiaohai leaned against the cold wall and slowly closed his eyes.

—

Meanwhile, in T-country.

Xu Tianyou stared at Qiu Peng, who was on the ground, screaming hysterically, with a sense of bewilderment.

“What’s with this guy? Is he… mad? He keeps yelling, asking why I set him up. What’s that supposed to mean?

Could he have found out I took his uniform?

No way! I told no one. Maybe it was Xiaohai who spilled the beans?

But that doesn’t add up. If it were Xiaohai’s doing, this guy shouldn’t have made it here…”

Xu Tianyou pondered, stroking his chin.

He’d only come to see who this rumored officer was, but the second he turned a corner, he’d run straight into Qiu Peng.

The moment Qiu Peng recognized Xu Tianyou, he collapsed in fright, then started wailing and shouting hysterically.

A crowd gathered, making the situation awkward, though Xu Tianyou was enjoying the attention.

At least, he felt like he was the center of it.

“Xu Tianyou, Brother Tian! I swear I did nothing against you! Why would you do this to me? What will it take for you to leave me alone?!…”

Qiu Peng repeated this over and over, clearly on the verge of a breakdown. He knew all too well that Xu Tianyou had clout here; a mere twitch of his finger could doom him, and no one would save him.

Under intense fear, Qiu Peng had completely lost control.

“Madman!” Xu Tianyou muttered, annoyed, and turned to leave. Though people called him “the Maniac,” he couldn’t stand others losing their cool.

Seeing Qiu Peng’s pitiful state, and since there was no real grudge between them, Xu Tianyou decided to ignore him.

But to Qiu Peng, Xu Tianyou’s departure meant something else entirely. He feared that Xu Tianyou’s men would come for him once he was out of sight, to tear him apart.

“Brother Tian, please, have mercy! I’ll do anything!

You have a grudge against An Xiaohai, right? So do I! I’ve even tried to kill him before—last time in the hallway, that was all me!

It’s true! I swear! I have a grudge against him, and I have all his info—friends, family, everything!”

Hearing this, Xu Tianyou finally stopped, about ten meters away. Qiu Peng’s heart, on edge, eased a bit—if only a bit.

“Interesting! So you know me well,” Xu Tianyou chuckled brightly. “Now you’re talking. I’m definitely interested in that!

Come on, get up. It’s cold on the ground, and you don’t want to catch a chill.”

Xu Tianyou stepped forward, gently helping Qiu Peng up. “Alright, let’s put the past behind us. From now on, I’ll watch out for you; you’ll live like a king here, even better than back home.

Let’s find somewhere better to chat—I’ll make you an offer you won’t refuse!”

“Yes, thank you, Brother Tian!” Qiu Peng scrambled up, nodding in gratitude.

Once prideful, Qiu Peng was now utterly humble.

Hearing Xu Tianyou’s words, he felt he’d narrowly escaped death. He was filled with relief, blind to the dangerous, crazed glint now hidden in Xu Tianyou’s eyes.