The tall man was secretly delighted, glad he had found himself a scapegoat.
But when he came to his senses, he realized the body under his hand hadn't moved away. Instead, his own wrist tightened, and he toppled forward.
Xie Qi was smiling. At some point, he had slipped behind the man. Sunlight struck the object in his hand, and the reflected glare stung the man's eyes.
"Honestly, I should have told you sooner. I've always hated..."
A sharp needle plunged into the man's right eye, and blood quickly welled from the socket.
Smiling, Xie Qi gave it a hard twist. Only after making sure the eye was ruined did he continue:
"...people who break the rules."
"Aaaah!!!"
A piercing scream rang out beside him. Xie Qi loosened his grip, and the man fell helplessly to his knees, clutching his right eye with both hands.
"Warning! Warning! Numbers PIE897777 and PIE897779, please remain at least two meters apart!"
Several red beams shone on Xie Qi, looking like specks of blood on his black prison uniform.
Xie Qi pulled the badge out of the man's eye, and a small spurt of blood followed. The once-clean pin was now coated in red.
"Honestly, I was only joking. Why take it so seriously?"
Xie Qi stepped back a few paces. Once he was three meters away from the man howling on the ground, he turned to the AI Navigator.
The robots nearby had all surrounded him, the red beams coming from the weapons in their hands. Even though Xie Qi had let go, they hadn't taken their aim off him.
It had all happened so fast that the watching prisoners had barely blinked before the bloody scene unfolded. Some couldn't help covering their own eyes, as though their right eyes were stinging too.
The bullet comments above everyone's heads stopped for a moment, then started streaming again once the two men separated.
[Holy shit! What just happened? Is this pretty boy really that ruthless?]
[He just ambushed the guy when he wasn't looking. Look at those skinny arms and legs—one punch would put him on the ground in a straight fight.]
[Still, he's got pretty good nerves for a newcomer. Didn't you see someone over there throwing up? Is that really necessary? He just poked an eye out. There'll be plenty of severed arms and legs later.]
[Hmph! Attacking someone in front of the Navigator? I bet he'll be locked up on basement level three.]
As if to prove the bullet comment right, the troublemakers who had stepped out of line were led in another direction by the robots.
The man with tattoo sleeves who had taunted Xie Qi earlier was among them. When he looked back, he happened to meet Xie Qi's eyes. Seeing Xie Qi smile at him, he shuddered all over and immediately hid his massive frame behind a short man beside him.
The tall man whose right eye Xie Qi had ruined had been helped to his feet by a robot. He didn't dare look at Xie Qi and followed the group away.
Those who remained were silent. Keeping well away from Xie Qi, they quietly followed the Navigator toward the prison ahead.
As for Xie Qi, he turned to look at the robots still aiming their weapons at him from either side. He sighed helplessly and raised both hands above his head.
"I really didn't do it on purpose. It was a reflex, a reflex. Even a robot should know that's a physiological reaction, right?"
"Beep-Beep-0631 has received instructions. Prisoner number PIE897777, please proceed as directed. Do not resist, or a level-two warning will be activated."
Seeing that Xie Qi wasn't resisting, the robot that had given the instructions motioned for him to follow. They took a path laid through the forest and arrived before an enormous, imposing prison fortress.
The prison didn't look very high-tech from the outside. It was gray overall, with only the occasional metallic sheen to make one realize that the entire prison was actually made of metal.
There were seven floors above ground, though that was only an estimate based on the dividing lines between the stories. There wasn't a single window on the building's surface, only weeds and moss growing all over it.
The prisoners had already been brought to the foot of the building, but there was no sign of a gate.
The AI Navigator glided to the front of the group and shot golden beams from its eyes at a seemingly smooth wall. Then the entire wall deformed and broke apart like something out of a science fiction movie. After rearranging itself, it revealed a black passage behind it.
Not one person present looked surprised. Apparently, this way of entering wasn't unusual for people in this world.
Naturally, Xie Qi showed no reaction either. Only after everyone ahead of him had gone in did the robots direct him into the building.
The prison's interior resembled its exterior, built from the same stone-like metal. Only the silver alloy elevator that appeared before him gave it a high-tech feel.
He had just seen the other prisoners being sent to the third floor, but as soon as he entered the elevator, he found it was moving downward.
It seemed that because he had injured someone, he was to be isolated.
Rather than fearing his unknown fate, Xie Qi was a little excited.
Ever since he had eliminated his former boss and taken over all the forces under the man's command, he hadn't felt this kind of thrill in a long time. Though he regretted the wealth he had lost, being able to feel alive again was enough for him.
The elevator stopped on basement level three, and Xie Qi walked out as soon as the doors opened.
Although it was underground, it wasn't dark. Instead, it was surprisingly bright. Anyone who stayed here long enough would feel a stinging pain in their eyes.
As soon as Xie Qi entered, he knew how this floor tortured its prisoners.
For humans, an environment that was too dark or too bright could cause panic and anxiety. In a place that was too bright, people couldn't sleep properly and would become irritable and exhausted without realizing it. This was far more effective than physical torture.
He passed several cells holding prisoners who had engaged in harmful behavior. They were either crouched on the floor with their heads buried between their legs or repeatedly banging their heads against the walls. None of them looked mentally sound.
When Xie Qi reached the cell where he was to be held, the robot announced from outside that he would stay here for three days. Once the time was up, he would be taken to a regular cell.
Xie Qi thanked the robot with a smile. Perhaps it was somewhat speechless at his attitude, or perhaps it hadn't been equipped with an emotion module. In any case, it left quickly.
It was boring being alone in the cell. Xie Qi explored the roughly fifteen-square-meter space and found nothing but a bed and a button on the wall.
He pressed it curiously, and a shelf appeared. It held toiletries, a folding toilet, and something that looked like a pair of glasses.
Xie Qi picked up the glasses and examined them from both sides. Apart from their cool design, he couldn't see any difference between them and ordinary glasses. Just as he was about to put them on and try them, the sound of steady, forceful footsteps came from outside the cell.
Cold, precise, and disciplined—even from the footsteps alone, Xie Qi could sense the newcomer's pendulum-like precision.
Soon, a tall, upright figure in military uniform appeared before him.
"Number PIE897777, welcome to my prison. Of course, you could also call it—your hell."