The Art of Delivering Meals

Having won Zhou Kang's initial favor, Xu Qian's days in the Heavenly Prison visibly became smoother. The dirtiest, most exhausting chores that might once have fallen on his head—cleaning the Torture Chamber, clearing clogged filth channels, and the like—were now mostly handed by Zhou Kang to other newcomers who were more "insensible" or more ostracized.

Xu Qian was permanently assigned relatively "clean" and "regular" work—delivering daily meals to Block E of Zone D.

Block E mostly held prisoners guilty of petty theft, brawling, debt default, and similar offenses. They were far less dangerous than the Great Bandits and desperadoes imprisoned in Blocks C and D, and were even less dangerous than prisoners in the other blocks of Zone D. Yet this place was a mixed bag of fish and dragons, with people from all walks of life; managing it required even more skill.

Another prison guard might have mechanically ladled in a scoop of vegetable gruel and called it a day, at most barking a few orders when prisoners made trouble or reporting it to their superiors.

But Xu Qian was different.

He had the Longevity Dao Fruit to conceal, the path of prudence to practice, and a weapon as sharp as the Qi Gazing Technique. He decided to turn this seemingly dull, ordinary meal-delivery work into the first solid cornerstone of his plan for "steady growth," while also making it into an amusing "real-life strategy game."

To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools. The first thing Xu Qian did was acquire a palm-sized booklet stitched together from discarded account-book paper, along with a short charcoal pencil. It was worthless and inconspicuous; even if someone saw it, they would only assume he was recording work matters.

Then, taking advantage of every meal delivery, he began using the Qi Gazing Technique to carefully observe and record the information of every prisoner in Block E.

This was no easy task. Block E had nearly a hundred cells holding all kinds of people. Xu Qian did not rush for quick success. Like a patient naturalist, he focused on observing and recording only ten to fifteen targets each day.

The contents of his booklet went far beyond names and identification numbers—many prisoners' names were unknown to him in the first place.

Using abbreviated symbols and words only he could understand, he recorded the colors and traits of the auras he observed through the Qi Gazing Technique, as well as their personalities, conditions, and possible preferences as inferred from their speech and behavior.

For example:

[E-7: Aura gray-black, scattered. Cowers in corner, fears light, hand shakes when taking bowl. Likes thick, hates noise.] (This meant the prisoner's aura was scattered gray-black. He curled up in the corner and feared light, and his hand trembled when receiving the bowl. He might be timid or suffer from some hidden ailment. He liked thicker vegetable gruel and disliked noise.)

[E-19: Aura crimson, restless. Often pounds door, curses. Ladle fast and leave fast; do not make eye contact.] (This meant the prisoner's aura was restless crimson. He often pounded on the door and cursed, making him fairly dangerous. Meals had to be delivered quickly, and Xu Qian could not look him in the eye.)

[E-32: Aura earthy yellow, steady. Taciturn; nods thanks every time. Always wipes bowl clean.] (This meant the prisoner's aura was steady earthy yellow. He did not like speaking, but nodded in thanks every time. He seemed to care greatly about cleanliness and always wiped his bowl spotless.)

[E-55: Aura pale, weak. Often coughs, watches water. Can give half a ladle more clear broth.] (This meant the prisoner's aura was pale and weak. He often coughed, and his eyes frequently turned toward the water bucket. Xu Qian could appropriately give him an extra half-ladle of clear broth.)

These records seemed trivial, yet they contained the wisdom of survival.

With this information in hand, Xu Qian began delivering meals in ways that varied from person to person.

For someone timid and fearful like E-7, he moved as gently as possible. When ladling the vegetable gruel, he would quietly sink his wrist and leave a little more of the thick portion at the bottom of the prisoner's bowl, then swiftly depart without making any unnecessary noise. After several times, E-7 looked at him with far less fear, and would even occasionally struggle to squeeze out a fawning smile.

For someone hot-tempered and volatile like E-19, he strictly followed the strategy of "ladle fast and leave fast; do not make eye contact." Like a robot carrying out a standard procedure, he gave the man no opportunity to pick a quarrel.

For someone like E-32, who seemed to retain a trace of dignity and courtesy, Xu Qian would slightly nod in return whenever the man nodded his thanks, and make sure the rim of the bowl was clean before handing it over. It was a silent form of respect, one that could effectively reduce the other party's hostility.

For someone like E-55, who was clearly physically weak, Xu Qian would pour in a little more vegetable broth where he could manage it—so long as it did not obviously violate the rules—or "accidentally" drop a small piece of black steamed bread that was not quite so hard beside the man's bowl. In this environment of despair, that tiny, insignificant "kindness" could sometimes bring unexpected returns—for instance, the man might occasionally reveal a few scraps of prison gossip in a low voice, or no longer watch Xu Qian with the same wariness as the others when he made his rounds.

Of course, he also encountered prisoners who tried to play tricks, feigning misery to win more benefits. For instance, E-41 was a slick-tongued habitual thief who, every time, would dramatically recount his "tragic plight" in hopes of getting a little more food.

Under the Qi Gazing Technique, the man's aura was not particularly strong, but it carried a crafty, slippery cast. He was no good person. Xu Qian ignored him without exception, distributing food strictly according to the standard portion with an indifferent expression. After several attempts, the habitual thief sullenly stopped putting on his act, though every time he looked at Xu Qian, his eyes still held a trace of resentment and calculation.