Uninvited Guest

The prison had lost its usual bustle. Everyone was privately mulling over what had just happened.

Only prisoners who had lived in Prison No. 18 for some time could understand Li Shutong's status here.

So no one could figure out what kind of idiot would come here and spout such nonsense to Li Shutong.

The mechanical prison guards surrounded Liu Dezhu. As they ran, their alloy skeletons emitted hissing hydraulic sounds.

At the sight of that, Liu Dezhu had completely forgotten his ambitions of making a name for himself in Prison No. 18.

Today was his first time entering the Inner World as part of the second batch of transmigrators. The steel beasts running rampant here had immediately left him stunned by everything before him.

Facing the mechanical prison guards and drones blocking his way, he was subdued in barely ten seconds and escorted to an unknown area beyond the square.

"Boss, don't you think things have been a little strange lately?" Lin Xiaoxiao squatted on a chair, deep in thought. "The day before yesterday, some kid came in and went straight-up crazy, babbling about Luocheng or something, acting like he was really the legitimate heir of some consortium. And today, another idiot shows up and immediately asks you to give him a quest. What quest is there to give?"

As he spoke, Lin Xiaoxiao unconsciously reached out to pet Big Cat on the table. But before his hand could get there, Big Cat shot him a cold glare, and he awkwardly withdrew it.

Li Shutong considered it. "It is rather strange."

Lin Xiaoxiao suddenly said, "Eh, where's that kid Qing Chen? Wasn't he pretty eager to come down for meals yesterday? Why haven't I seen him today?"

At that moment, Qing Chen was still moving through the corridors. He paid no attention to Liu Dezhu or the mechanical prison guards and went straight to the sixth floor, where he found Lu Guangyi still standing in line and waiting to go downstairs. In a low voice, he instructed, "After the meal, have your men restrain all the newcomers and question them one by one about their identities and backgrounds outside."

"Got it," Lu Guangyi hurriedly agreed.

In his view, his boss was probably checking whether any other forces had come in to compete with them for whatever they were after.

But Qing Chen was thinking of seeing whether there were any transmigrators hidden among the newcomers.

If there really were transmigrators, they definitely would not be able to fabricate an outside identity.

Those who could clearly explain their identities and origins were natives. Those who could not were definitely transmigrators.

Still, Qing Chen was somewhat surprised. He had originally thought Nan Gengchen would also transmigrate into Prison No. 18, but he had not.

Then, as if remembering something, Qing Chen hesitated before saying to Lu Guangyi, "I know the welcome ceremony is your custom, but don't hit them too hard. Life isn't easy for anyone."

Lu Guangyi froze for a moment, then agreed, "All right."

After the farce, all the prisoners lined up one by one to collect their meals. Following Qing Chen's instructions, Lu Guangyi planned to take the new prisoners back to the cells for questioning.

Before long, he returned to report to Qing Chen. "Boss, we're done questioning them."

Qing Chen carefully listened as Lu Guangyi described each prisoner's situation. Only after confirming that there were no more transmigrators in the prison did he stride over and sit across from Li Shutong's dining table. "Are we playing chess today?"

"No. We won't be playing for the next few days," Li Shutong said after thinking it over. "I have something to consider, and there's also a guest coming."

"A guest?" Qing Chen asked doubtfully.

Li Shutong smiled. "An uninvited guest."

Anyone Li Shutong called an uninvited guest was certainly no ordinary person.

For the time being, Qing Chen did not want to get involved in matters beyond his control, so he did not ask further.

As if nothing had happened, he said, "I saw a commotion downstairs just now. What was that about?"

A rare look of hesitation appeared on Li Shutong's face. "I don't know either."

Qing Chen did not know whether to laugh or cry. The transmigrators had actually managed to confuse even Li Shutong.

It was probably Li Shutong's first time encountering something like this as well.

At that moment, Qing Chen alone knew that after reading He Xiaoxiao's guide, that idiot Liu Dezhu had truly treated Li Shutong like a game NPC to farm!

Countdown: 37:00:02. A thunderous rumble came from the direction of the alloy gate, and it began to rise.

When the alloy gate fully opened, a bald man over two meters tall was escorted inside by more than ten mechanical prison guards.

Nine drones surrounded them, sealing off every possible escape route for the bald man.

Not only that, but as he entered, six of the metal storms in the sky slowly began to turn.

These metal storms could only rotate ninety degrees, not a full three hundred and sixty.

Thus, as the burly prisoner walked and moved beyond the firing range of some metal storms, new ones constantly entered alert status.

They kept him firmly locked in their sights at all times.

This was Qing Chen's first time seeing someone escorted in alone during the daytime, and also his first time seeing Prison No. 18's security forces mobilized on such a grand scale.

More than three thousand prisoners silently turned to watch. No one spoke.

A crisp clattering echoed through the prison. It was the sound of the chain between the bald man's alloy shackles striking the ground.

The bald man's skin was bronze, his face marked by years of sun exposure. The skin exposed on his arms and elsewhere bore black, totem-like patterns—eerie, yet gorgeous.

There were no mechanical components on his body.

Qing Chen had once thought Ye Wan was already tall and powerfully built, but compared to this prisoner, Ye Wan seemed a little lacking.

Once the bald man was escorted into the prison, the mechanical prison guards gradually retreated beyond the alloy gate, but showed no intention of removing his alloy ankle shackles.

After the mechanical prison guards left, the bald man calmly flexed his wrist, then grabbed a prisoner beside him and asked, "Where is Li Shutong?"

The prisoner, whose body had undergone seven or eight mechanical modifications, was casually handled like a toy in his grasp.

Terrified, the prisoner pointed toward the dining hall. Everyone's gaze turned toward Li Shutong, Qing Chen, and Ye Wan.

Big Cat shed its usual laziness and stared intently at the bald man from Li Shutong's arms.

Qing Chen also looked at Li Shutong. Li Shutong smiled at him. "I didn't expect this guest to be so direct. His name is Guo Huzhan. You should have heard of him too. In a moment, you and Ye Wan should step back a little. Don't get hurt."

Ye Wan glanced at Qing Chen. For his boss to specifically remind them of such a minor thing, it seemed his boss's fondness for this youth exceeded even Ye Wan and Lin Xiaoxiao's expectations.

Meanwhile, Lu Guangyi, who had been mixed in with the crowd, stared at Guo Huzhan's shiny bald head and muttered, "Guo Huzhan... He came in too. No wonder the boss said a lama had come from the south."

"After coming in, the boss never looked for clues. Every day, he just played chess with Li Shutong, read books, and acted like nothing was wrong. So he was waiting for Guo Huzhan to come stir the waters, then we could reap the benefits without lifting a finger... Brilliant!" Lu Guangyi's thoughts became more animated. In his eyes, Qing Chen was now the sort of wise man who planned before acting and schemed a thousand miles ahead.