"Boss Yang, everything here is great. The inmates are very friendly, and the guards really respect my human rights. Every day, I get plenty of good food. The only downside is that there are no women. It'd be even better if a few pretty women came in." Danny Qiang leaned back in a leather chair with his legs crossed, picking his teeth with a toothpick and looking outrageously smug.
Honestly, life in prison was even better than his life before he came in. He could not find a single thing to complain about.
After being beaten a few times, Julian Ziliang had become completely obedient.
Before, he used to look at Danny Qiang with hatred in his eyes. Now he did not. Every day, he acted docile and submissive, like a wolf that had successfully been trained into a dog.
Since Julian Ziliang had already been tamed, Danny Qiang had recently reduced how often he beat him.
After all, beating people up was tiring, wasn't it?
Who in this day and age did not want to find a place to slack off completely?
Today, because he had to report the situation to Ethan Yang, he had dragged Julian Ziliang out and beaten him again.
Seeing Julian Ziliang half-slumped in the corner made Ethan Yang feel deeply satisfied. He told Danny Qiang to aim the phone at Julian Ziliang. When Julian Ziliang lifted his eyes, Ethan Yang gave him a warm smile.
"Well, well, isn't this Julian Ziliang? How did you end up in prison? I've been looking all over for you. Why aren't you racing anymore? Is it because your Mecha Girl, Crimson, was recycled?"
Facing Ethan Yang's provocation, Julian Ziliang said nothing.
He had long known that the warden being transferred away, and this fighter named Danny Qiang appearing here, were all part of Ethan Yang's arrangement.
Now, his guess had simply been confirmed. The entire prison had probably already been infiltrated by Ethan Yang. In other words, Julian Ziliang was completely isolated. Everyone in the prison was his enemy. Arguing with Ethan Yang now would be meaningless. All it would bring him was an even more brutal beating.
The injuries on his body only looked frightening. In reality, they were just flesh wounds.
These superficial injuries would not have much effect on his plan.
But if Ethan Yang told Danny Qiang to hit harder and beat him until he could not even move, how was Julian Ziliang supposed to deal with Danny Qiang later?
Looking at his enemy's face, the anger in Julian Ziliang's eyes was on the verge of bursting out.
He lowered his head, hiding those eyes filled with killing intent and letting his messy bangs cover them completely.
Seeing that Julian Ziliang said nothing, Ethan Yang actually found it rather boring.
When Danny Qiang saw that Ethan Yang was unhappy, he immediately shouted at Julian Ziliang behind him, "Go wash the dishes for me, then mop the floor until it's spotless. Not a single speck of dust. Later, I'm going to wipe the floor with my finger. If there's even a little dust, I'll beat you again… Oh, and after you're done, bring me hot water so I can wash my feet."
He was deliberately tormenting Julian Ziliang for Ethan Yang to see, and Ethan Yang did indeed look interested.
Julian Ziliang stood up and turned to wash the dishes.
To live more comfortably, Danny Qiang had already moved into a larger cell.
Calling it a cell was not quite right. It was more like a private living space, with a bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, and everything else.
Sometimes Danny Qiang ate meals the guards bought from outside. Sometimes, when he felt like it, he had the guards buy groceries so he could cook for himself. Unfortunately, while he had decent talent as a fighter, his cooking was complete garbage, and the food he made was nearly impossible to swallow. Later, he simply had Julian Ziliang cook instead. Danny Qiang's guard was gradually lowering, and there were more and more chances to assassinate him, but Julian Ziliang had still not made a move.
When he passed by the television, Julian Ziliang paused.
On the screen was the award ceremony for the Xiangshan Advanced Race.
He saw Derek Su standing on the podium, raising the championship trophy together with his Mecha Girl.
That child was no longer accompanied only by Stella. As his fame grew and Stella Club was established, more and more outstanding people and Mecha Girls had gathered around him.
"That kid…" The corner of Julian Ziliang's mouth curved slightly.
Then he continued washing the dishes.
Originally, he had planned to kill Danny Qiang within the next couple of days.
But now, he was hesitating.
His enemy was Ethan Yang, not Danny Qiang.
Danny Qiang was, at most, a small-time thug.
And if Julian Ziliang wanted revenge on Ethan Yang, he absolutely could not kill Danny Qiang. At least, not right now.
The prison guards had already been bought by Ethan Yang. Once he killed Danny Qiang, those guards would be able to shoot him dead immediately.
Maybe that was Ethan Yang's real plan.
Enrage him, make him kill someone, then have the guards execute him with a proper excuse.
Julian Ziliang turned on the faucet and watched the tap water wash over the bowls and chopsticks, his gaze deep.
Danny Qiang had to die, but not now.
He had to wait for an opportunity.
That opportunity might come when his old friend was transferred back.
Or it might come from Derek Su. Julian Ziliang had never imagined that Derek Su could pass the provincial-level Panlong Mountain Circuit and become a Techmaster, but as Derek Su gradually revealed his absurd racing talent, Julian Ziliang suddenly felt that the day Derek Su became a Techmaster might not be that far away.
That made Julian Ziliang feel much more at ease.
All the beatings he had taken before no longer seemed to matter.
It was like a father seeing his child finally make something of himself. No matter how badly he himself was doing, as long as the child was fine, everything was fine.
...
From Ethan Yang's angle, he could see Julian Ziliang washing dishes in the kitchen.
A cold, sinister look appeared in his eyes, and an amused smile rose on his face.
Julian Ziliang, a top-tier driving genius who had forced his way into the national-level Advancement Race as an ordinary person.
With track experience and an understanding of racing far beyond ordinary people, he had made up for his lack of neural reflexes and Techmaster skills.
If someone like that continued racing, he would definitely still have a chance to become a Techmaster in the future.
And if a genius like that became a Techmaster, it would be like adding wings to a tiger. What place would there be left for Techmasters like Ethan Yang?
But now, Julian Ziliang was completely ruined. He would never have another chance to climb back up.
The feeling of personally crushing a genius thrilled Ethan Yang beyond words.
He watched as Julian Ziliang was ordered around by Danny Qiang like a servant, doing chores for over an hour.
Danny Qiang touched the floor with his hand, intending to use that as an excuse to beat Julian Ziliang again and put on a good show for Ethan Yang. Unfortunately, Julian Ziliang had mopped the floor so cleanly that there was not even a trace of dust. Danny Qiang was left in an awkward spot. His neck stiffened, his face flushed, and he was about to drag Julian Ziliang over and beat him anyway. To his surprise, Ethan Yang stopped him.
Julian Ziliang and Ethan Yang looked at each other.
In the video, Ethan Yang leaned back on an expensive sofa with his legs crossed, holding a cigar between his fingers.
Just as Julian Ziliang was wondering what trick Ethan Yang was going to play next, Ethan Yang took a puff from the cigar and blew out a smoke ring. The smoke blurred his face.
But his voice came through clearly.
"Julian Ziliang, I know you hate me, but I still have some good news for you today."
There was a mocking smile in Ethan Yang's voice.
"Your original Mecha Girl, Crimson, is actually still alive. Back then, we announced to the public that she had been recycled, but I secretly acquired her in Crown Club's name."
Julian Ziliang froze, his eyes full of shock.
His instincts told him that Ethan Yang was not lying.
"During the time you were on the run, I arranged for Crimson to do the cruelest work in the underground black market. She had to wear illegal modifications at all times and fight nonstop in the duel arena to make money for Crown Club. She barely had any time to rest. Every day, she lived in darkness. And all of that… was because of you. Because you, a coward, chose to run away!"
"You should thank me. After all, she's still alive, isn't she?"
Under normal circumstances, Ethan Yang had no way to force Crimson into working in the underground black market. But if the underground black market still existed under the management of the Federation and Mecha Island, then it had its reasons for existing. When Crimson's only choices were entering the underground black market or staying alive, and when her status as a criminal could not be cleared, the gray transaction became possible. With only a small amount of money, one could acquire labor that continuously generated wealth. At that point, she would have a brand-new identity. Crimson Flame? Chixin? Who would care? Most people only knew that Crimson was an "error" who had assassinated a Techmaster while under restriction regulations. Like a virus, for the sake of peace between the Human Federation and Mecha Island, an error should be sent to the Recycling Yard.
Ethan Yang admired Julian Ziliang's expression with satisfaction. Then he gave a soft laugh and suddenly ended the video call.
Looking at the dark screen, Julian Ziliang's eyes beneath his messy bangs gradually turned red, and his breathing grew increasingly rapid.
No wonder. No wonder that after he opened the Recycling Yard, he had asked so many other Recycling Yard bosses, yet had never heard any news of Crimson being recycled.
It was hard to imagine what kind of torment Crimson had been enduring all this time.
His fists clenched, nails digging into his flesh.
Ethan.
Yang.
Julian Ziliang gritted his teeth.
His heart bled.
But he stayed silent and made no sound.
...
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