Uncle, you're robbing me.

"Congratulations, nephew! Many congratulations!"

As soon as Lei Heng left, Li Yan's old face broke into a smile like a blooming chrysanthemum. He leaned in close to Fang Mo, his attitude so affectionate it was as if Fang Mo were his long-lost son.

"Nephew, you've become a squadron leader at such a young age. You have a great future ahead of you, a great future! In this Divine Capital, we'll have to look out for each other, won't we?"

Before Fang Mo could even offer a polite reply, Wang Youan, standing beside him, rolled his eyes dramatically, a look of utter disdain on his face.

"Alright, alright, stop with the father-son act."

Wang Youan plopped back onto a bench, which groaned under his weight. He rolled his eyes again and snapped at Li Yan, "Old Li, how many times have I told you? Stop scheming and go get some sun. You're like a shady old man all day, aren't you afraid your wife will make you sleep in the woodshed?"

Li Yan's smile froze, then his face turned the color of liver. He pointed at Wang Youan's nose and yelled, "Fatty Wang! Do you know how to talk? I'm a civil official! Civil officials are supposed to strategize and plan, not talk about wetting themselves! How crude!"

"You're calling me crude? Everyone in the heavenly prison knows you, Fatty Wang, are the one who's most afraid of your wife! Did you have to kneel on the washboard again last month?"

Wang Youan's old face flushed, and he puffed out his chest. "That's called mutual respect! What do you know!"

He turned and saw Fang Mo watching with amusement, which immediately irked him. He glared fiercely at Fang Mo.

"What are you looking at! Disrespectful!"

Fang Mo looked innocent. "Uncle Wang, I didn't say anything. Why are you glaring at me?"

"Enough nonsense! You little brat, come with me!"

Wang Youan grumbled as he stood up, grabbing Fang Mo and dragging him towards a storage room in the corner. As they passed Li Yan, he didn't forget to let out a heavy snort.

The storage room was piled high with moldy straw mats and broken-legged tables and chairs, the air thick with a stale odor.

Wang Youan shoved Fang Mo against the wall, his greasy face looming close, sniffing Fang Mo like a dog.

"Sniff—sniff—"

Fang Mo got goosebumps and pushed the large face away, looking horrified. "Uncle, if you have something to say, just say it. Don't get handsy. If someone sees this, what will happen to my reputation?"

"Pfft! You still care about your reputation?" Wang Youan glared, lowering his voice to a roar. "Did you go to Yihong Pavilion again last night? You reek of perfume. It's only because I have rhinitis, or I'd smell you from three miles away!"

Fang Mo's heart skipped a beat.

Is this fatty a dog? I clearly washed up and even changed my clothes, and he can still smell it?

"Uncle, you're truly wronged me." Fang Mo looked innocent. "I just bumped into a young lady selling rouge on the road, really."

"Enough nonsense," Wang Youan interrupted him. "If your aunt smells it, I'll be in trouble too. Don't you know she's allergic to that kind of scent?"

Fang Mo rolled his eyes. Allergic? She's allergic to you spending money, more like.

Wang Youan didn't dwell on the matter. His expression turned serious, and his small eyes, usually narrowed into slits, now gleamed with sharp intelligence.

"That old bastard Lei Heng has no good intentions."

Fang Mo dropped his playful demeanor and nodded. "I could tell. He's putting me on the spot."

"Good that you know," Wang Youan snorted coldly. "Regarding that Gu Yichuan business, I don't care if you did it or not. Remember, it was bandits who did it. It has nothing to do with you, not even half a copper coin. Understand?"

Fang Mo felt a warmth spread through his chest. This fatty, despite being greedy, lecherous, and henpecked, was truly good to him, the son of his old friend.

This was the heavenly prison, though. If it were anywhere else, he'd probably have sold him for money to buy wine.

"Nephew understands," Fang Mo clasped his hands. "When the soldiers come, we'll block them; when the water rises, we'll build dams. I'm not made of mud."

Seeing that Fang Mo had taken his words to heart, Wang Youan's expression softened slightly. He pulled out a paper-wrapped package from his robes, took out some melon seeds, and mumbled indistinctly while cracking them open.

"Once you get to the Punishment Department, life won't be as easy as it is in the heavenly prison. The people in there have dark hearts. Since Lei Heng promoted you, he definitely won't assign you any good subordinates. They'll either be spies or troublemakers."

Fang Mo frowned. "Then what should I do? I can't get any work done as a lone commander."

"Hmph, can't a living person be drowned by pee?" Wang Youan spat out a melon seed husk, not bothering to be clean, and wiped it directly on the wall. "If he tells you to find people yourself, just go along with it. I have a few candidates. You can take them when the time comes."

Fang Mo looked at Wang Youan in surprise, appraising the lump of fat.

"Uncle Wang, you have these connections? Don't you just sit in the prison collecting money all day?"

Wang Youan felt uncomfortable under his gaze and cleared his throat twice, puffing out his belly, which threatened to burst his belt. "What are you looking at? Doesn't everyone have some former students and old acquaintances? Your Uncle Wang, back in the day, I… cough, I also mingled in the jianghu."

Fang Mo looked at Wang Youan's demeanor, his expression growing somewhat strange.

Former students and old acquaintances?

In this dark and sunless heavenly prison, weren't his so-called former students and old acquaintances likely all inmates?