Chapter 168
Chapter 168
Mr. Huo, whose presence had been so imposing a moment earlier, immediately bent at the waist and hurried over to Liu Ye, rubbing his hands together.
“Heh heh, Mr. Liu, it is the honor of several lifetimes to have a great villain like you visit our level. Why not stay and have some fun? I could call over a few beautiful women to keep you company.”
“No, hold on. What do you mean, acquitted and released? You’d better explain yourself.”
Liu Ye was having none of it. This was an insult to his character! If word got out, his reputation would be ruined. He had worked hard to find a job he loved. He could not let a stupid matter like this cost him his position.
“Oh, Mr. Liu, your evil deeds are beyond counting. Just look at how many people you’ve killed or crippled in the last two months alone. My little book doesn’t even have room for them all! Unfortunately, we can’t exchange evil points for money here. If we could, yours would be enough to buy this entire place, with plenty left over for a few little gifts.”
Liu Ye was speechless.
He practically exploded with rage. What kind of rotten dream was this? It was an outrageous insult!
“I’m telling you right now-if you keep falsely accusing me like this, I’m not leaving!”
Mr. Huo looked positively enchanted.
“Look at that! Look at that willful temper! Just what one would expect from a great villain. Mr. Liu, may I have your autograph?”
Liu Ye was speechless again.
Although Liu Ye refused, Mr. Huo simply took it as the attitude a great villain like him ought to possess.
He straightened his clothes and addressed everyone else.
“Your sentences may be long, ladies and gentlemen, but that does not mean there is no way to leave. So long as you devote yourselves wholeheartedly to evil, your sentences will be reduced and you will soon be freed from this place. We have trained many villains already. They have gone on to inflict tremendous harm upon society. I am confident that, if you study hard, you too will achieve as much as they have.
“Of course, if you insist on remaining good people, then I’m sorry-your sentences will be extended.”
Liu Ye, still fuming nearby, brightened at those words. He seemed to have found a way to prove himself.
Some things could not be proven by words. They had to be demonstrated through action.
“This level of the prison is called the Chamber of Betrayal. To survive here, you must commit acts of betrayal-especially against your friends and lovers. Heh heh heh. The more miserable your betrayal makes the other person, the more years will be deducted from your sentence. Now, does anyone have something they would like to report?”
“I do!”
One of the men from Big Gold Tooth’s room suddenly raised his hand.
“I’m reporting the newcomer, Liu Ye! He beat Big Gold Tooth, then let him go!” the man shouted excitedly.
Liu Ye’s eyes lit up too. Exactly! That was precisely the kind of person he was.
He looked expectantly at Mr. Huo, only for the warden to reply indifferently, “Report rejected.”
“Why?” the man asked anxiously.
“Yes, why?” Liu Ye demanded with equal urgency.
“Mr. Liu naturally had some profound intention behind his actions. There must be something we are incapable of understanding. Your report is rejected, and your sentence is extended to… hmm, life imprisonment. Go work over there.”
“I didn’t have any profound intention! I only did it out of kindness!” Liu Ye cried.
“Hmm…”
Mr. Huo closed his book, his expression deeply gratified.
“Look at the way he lies. He makes it sound completely sincere. That is exactly what all of you should learn from him: how to weave falsehood into every part of your lives.”
Liu Ye was speechless.
This had gone far enough!
“I refuse to accept this! You’re twisting the law to play favorites!” the man shouted anxiously.
Mr. Huo glanced at him.
“Very well. Since you refuse to accept it, I’ll convince you completely. Big Gold Tooth, come here.”
Big Gold Tooth walked over.
“How did you feel after Mr. Liu spared you just now?”
“Um… Awful. I felt like he was humiliating me.”
“Look! Do you see? Open your textbooks to page one hundred and twenty-eight. What does it say there? What is the essence of betrayal? Mental anguish! Physical pain is only temporary; torment of the mind lasts forever! Mr. Liu has just taught us an exceptionally important lesson!”
“Go to hell!”
Liu Ye swung a chair into Mr. Huo and knocked him to the floor.
“Mr. Liu’s violence! Ah, magnificent! Hit me again!”
Liu Ye was speechless.
Half an hour later, Liu Ye sat scowling in a beach chair beneath a sun umbrella. Wang Weiwei and Zhang Ru stood beside him with fruit juice and snacks.
Everyone else was working along an enormous assembly line. Their job was to sort various medicines and place them onto the appropriate conveyor belts.
They had to work for twenty-four hours without rest or food. Only when the next group arrived would they be allowed to return to their cells.
As Zhang Ru surveyed the workers, she spotted Li Wei, Zhang Yanyan, and No. 1, Zhang Shun, all of whom had previously disappeared. Their expressions were utterly numb, as if nothing mattered to them anymore.
“Brother Liu, could you go over to the production line?” Zhang Ru asked softly.
“Xiaoru, maybe he shouldn’t. What if Mr. Huo changes his opinion of Brother Liu?” Wang Weiwei asked anxiously.
Liu Ye had not particularly wanted to go. He was in no mood for anything. But Wang Weiwei’s words immediately roused him.
Change his opinion?
“I’m going! I have to. Let’s move.”
And so Liu Ye brought the two beautiful women over to the assembly line beneath the envious, resentful gazes of the crowd. He warmly stepped in to help one of the workers.
“Here, let me give you a hand!” Liu Ye said with a beaming smile.
The person he helped did not feel the slightest gratitude. Imagine slaving away miserably at your job when some bastard strolled up with two beautiful women beside him, snacking and sipping fruit juice as he paraded around in front of you. Would you feel grateful?
The people nearby finally understood why he had been acquitted and released. Every move he made was morally bankrupt!
Zhang Ru used the opportunity to approach Li Wei.
“What do you want?” Li Wei asked coldly.
“I have a rough idea what happened to you. I can’t tell you much. All I can say is that Brother Liu is different. If you cooperate with us, he may be able to get you out.”
“What good would getting out do? I still won’t survive. All that’s left of my body is a head!”
Li Wei gritted his teeth. His body was gone. In the real world, only his head remained. Even if he returned alive, there would be no point.