Chapter 130: You Scoundrel

On the east side of the outdoor lawn stood a public restroom and a communal bathhouse. At this hour, the inmates were all locked in their cells, and the main gates were shut. However, due to Ye Chen’s unique status, his cell door remained open, allowing him free movement, and Liu San naturally benefited from Ye Chen’s favor. The two emerged from the block, crossed the corridor, and headed toward the eastern lawn.

"Liu San, the restroom is right there. Why do you keep walking?" Ye Chen asked, eyeing Liu San’s back with curiosity. Without turning his head, Liu San replied, "Big Brother, we're almost there!"

They soon arrived outside the restroom. But the moment they reached the site, Liu San turned around, knelt before Ye Chen, and wept loudly, "Big Brother, I’m sorry. Zhang Dadan forced me to do this. He said if I didn't, he’d have my entire family killed. Please, Big Brother, forgive me!"

"Haha... Liu San, you did well!" At that moment, Zhang Dadan emerged from behind the restroom with several prison guards armed with rifles, immediately surrounding Ye Chen. Ye Chen curled his lip into a cold sneer and looked at Zhang Dadan. "Zhang Dadan, what is the meaning of this?"

"Hmph, so many people are dying to see you dead, yet you’re still alive. How is that possible?" Zhang Dadan stared coldly at Ye Chen, gritting his teeth. "You killed my men and still dared to be so arrogant after entering this prison. Today, let’s see how I deal with you!"

"If you have the guts, do it fair and square. Why resort to such petty tricks?" Ye Chen looked at Zhang Dadan, feeling no fear at all—in fact, he felt a flicker of secret joy. If Warden Dian Ling discovered Zhang Dadan’s actions, he might be dismissed. Zhang Dadan threw his head back and laughed. "Hahaha... You’re the Warden’s favorite now, and we have no status left, so taking you out in the shadows is just fine!"

"Try it if you can!" Ye Chen grinned.

"Boys, move in!" Zhang Dadan waved his hand. Several guards armed with steel blades and iron bars lunged forward, while those with rifles stood on the perimeter. The two groups held each other in check; if the guards rushing in proved no match for Ye Chen, the riflemen would open fire without hesitation.

"Hmph!" With a flick of his hand, Ye Chen lunged toward the first guard. He drew a dagger from his waist with a fluid motion and drove it toward the man’s chest. The guard, clearly untrained, could not evade the strike. In the blink of an eye, Ye Chen pierced his chest. Fortunately, Ye Chen’s aim was precise; the blade only tore through skin and flesh, leaving the internal organs unharmed.

*Sss...*

Zhang Dadan, unaware of the details, thought Ye Chen had killed a guard and panicked. Although he held some authority, if a guard died under his watch, it would be trouble. "Ye Chen, you dare kill in prison?" he roared.

"Hmph, killing is a trivial matter to me. Next, I’m going to butcher you!" Gritting his teeth, Ye Chen lunged at Zhang Dadan. In an instant, his dagger carved a bizarre arc through the air. Zhang Dadan retreated in terror, and his subordinates scrambled to shield him. Gritting his teeth, Zhang Dadan shouted, "Ye Chen, you have some nerve! Someone, fire! Shoot!"

"Yes!" Following the order, the riflemen on the perimeter opened fire without hesitation.

Ye Chen remained perfectly calm. Hearing the order, he squinted at the gunmen. The moment they pulled their triggers, he vaulted into the air and leaped onto the roof of the restroom. The jump stunned everyone—the restroom was at least three meters high. Ye Chen’s agility seemed like something out of a fantasy novel.

The gunfire shocked the prisoners. One by one, they climbed to their ventilation windows to watch, seeing Zhang Dadan and his dozen men surrounding Ye Chen. Daxia and Haozi saw the scene and their expressions darkened. Working together, they pried open the automatic iron gate. The two patrolling guards in the corridor were too terrified to utter a sound; to them, these two men were nothing short of monsters.

Hearing the gunfire from her office, Dian Ling rushed out immediately.

"Damn it, nobody touches my Big Brother! I’ll slaughter you!" Haozi and Daxia charged at Zhang Dadan’s group like bolts of lightning. Once they reached the crowd, they tore through it like lions in a flock of sheep. The prison guards had almost no defense against them. It was a one-sided massacre, and the prisoners watching from the vents broke into thunderous applause and cheers.

"This is bad!" Zhang Dadan’s expression shifted rapidly. This was trouble—the commotion was far too large. And since this was a private vendetta, if Dian Ling found out, he would surely be stripped of his position. Having grown accustomed to a life of relative freedom, he had no desire to end up locked behind bars himself.

"Stop!" Dian Ling finally arrived. She looked coldly at the scene, but Haozi and Daxia clearly weren't under her command. Seeing that they refused to stand down, she glared angrily at Ye Chen, who was casually puffing on a cigarette atop the roof. She shouted, "Ye Chen, tell them to stop!"

"Warden, this has nothing to do with me!" Ye Chen grinned. "This is entirely Zhang Dadan’s reckless behavior."

"Make them stop! I will find a way to handle Zhang Dadan’s actions!" Dian Ling gritted her teeth.

"Fine!" Ye Chen nodded and shouted to Daxia and Haozi, "You heard the Warden! Stop!"

*Clang!*

The two men dropped the blades they had seized and stood aside. Ye Chen leaped down from the roof and looked at Dian Ling with a grin. "Warden, how do you plan to deal with this Zhang Dadan?"

"Hmph, how I handle it is my business. Do you need to ask?" Dian Ling scoffed, clearly dissatisfied with him.

"Fine, fine. Zhang Dadan is your man, so handle him however you like." Ye Chen shook his head helplessly and prepared to leave with Haozi and Daxia. But Dian Ling barked an order, "Don't you dare move! You bastard, come to my office!"

Ye Chen paused, thinking to himself, *Damn, why does that sound so familiar? It’s exactly like Li Ruo’s tone.* When he turned back, Dian Ling had already walked away. Shaking his head, Ye Chen had no choice but to follow. The woman was too authoritarian; there was no room for negotiation.

"Big Brother, go for it! Take her down, take her down!" Haozi whispered in his ear.

"Yeah, Big Brother, take her down! Do it for the benefit of all your brothers!" Daxia flexed his arms, bulging with massive muscles.

Ye Chen glared at them. "Do you want me to live or what?"

Inside the office, Dian Ling sat on the sofa, fuming as Ye Chen walked in.

"What? Still so angry?" Ye Chen asked, pausing before sitting down next to her.

"Hmph, did I tell you to sit?" Dian Ling glared at him. Ye Chen paused, smiled awkwardly, and said, "You’re sitting and I’m standing—that wouldn't be fair, would it?"

"Ye Chen, don't forget you're here to serve time, not to enjoy yourself!" Dian Ling said, gritting her teeth and staring at the ceiling. Realizing she was just sulking, Ye Chen chuckled, "Today’s incident wasn't caused by me; it was Zhang Dadan abusing his power. And yet, instead of scolding him, you’re scolding me!"

"He has his faults, and you have yours!" A slight smirk played on Dian Ling’s lips.

"What faults do I have?" Ye Chen blinked.

"Disobeying my orders and arrangements." Dian Ling scoffed, then looked at him. "Let me tell you, things like this will happen often. Don't you want to avoid them?"

"How do I avoid them?" Ye Chen asked with a smirk.

"Hmph, manage the prison for me. The inmates all respect you. I believe with your ability, you won't even need to manage them; they’ll behave themselves just fine!" Dian Ling asked, "What do you think?"

"Actually..." Ye Chen looked at her and said, "I have a premonition."

"What premonition?" Dian Ling asked curiously.

"In a few days, I’m getting out of here!" Ye Chen leaned back into a comfortable position, stretched, and his hand accidentally brushed against something soft. He couldn't help but give it a squeeze. Suddenly, he felt a bad omen. He turned his head quickly to see Dian Ling staring at him with pure fury, his hand still firmly clutching her chest.

"Ye Chen..." Dian Ling’s rage exploded.

"Ah, I... I agree!" Ye Chen rushed to nod. "I’ll do it, okay?"

"Really?" Dian Ling’s expression shifted to joy. "You really agree to manage the prison for me?"

"Yes!" Ye Chen nodded, looking righteous. Internally, however, he was laughing bitterly. *Damn it, if I hadn't accidentally taken advantage of you, I never would have agreed to this. Now I'm reduced to a prisoner-turned-lackey. Whatever, so be it.*

"Hehe..." Dian Ling smiled. Her smile was enough to put the moon to shame and make the flowers wither; she was undoubtedly a stunning beauty. Though slightly different from Zhang Yantong, the difference was negligible. When she smiled, her two cute little fangs showed, making her look like a tiny tigress. She immediately handed Ye Chen a prison guard uniform. Wearing it meant he no longer had to stay in the cell and could reside in the guard barracks from now on.