Relatives' Visit

The training began without any warning.

Right there in the gym area, Ye Wan took out a thermostatic lunchbox.

The thermostatic lunchbox had an LED screen displaying the internal temperature, along with options for heating, humidifying, air frying, and cooking rice.

Qing Chen thought to himself, isn't this just a rice cooker that doesn't need to be plugged in? It seems there's a Cloud Flow Tower near the prison too.

Ye Wan opened the lunchbox, revealing neatly arranged slices of beef.

"Eat up," Ye Wan said.

"Aren't we supposed to be training? Isn't eating now bad for your stomach?" Qing Chen asked.

"When you train with the Breathing Technique, your body will collapse if you don't eat because the consumption is too high," Ye Wan explained.

Qing Chen felt the miraculousness of the Breathing Technique and suddenly asked, "Wait a minute, when I use the Breathing Technique, I clearly feel an inexplicable energy moving through my body. It doesn't seem to help my body, nor is it tangible, but I seem to be able to control it."

Ye Wan shook his head, "I'm not sure about that. You can ask the boss."

"Okay," Qing Chen didn't ask further.

The next morning, the countdown read 20:20:00.

Lin Xiaoxiao sat at the table and asked Ye Wan, "How did the progress go last night? Most people can't handle high-intensity training when they first start, right? What time did he last?"

Ye Wan glanced at him, "Full capacity, he trained from 11 PM to 3 AM."

"Wait, looking at him, he's never trained before. He could train until 3 AM?" Lin Xiaoxiao was stunned, "Ye Mama, don't train him to death!"

"With the Breathing Technique, what's there to be afraid of?" Ye Wan shook his head. "I had him eat a whole box of beef before training, and it was all consumed during the session. The boss specifically instructed this, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

For an ordinary person to start high-intensity training on the first day, with this kind of regimen, they would likely be done for long ago, possibly even developing rhabdomyolysis.

"Even with the Breathing Technique, he'll get tired," Lin Xiaoxiao muttered.

Ye Wan shook his head again, "It's as if he can separate his body and mind, only pursuing the training goals and ignoring physical fatigue. I've never seen this kind of situation before. If he weren't a Time Walker who crossed over, he probably would have awakened as a Transcendental with this kind of willpower."

"That's a good thing. If he had awakened earlier, he wouldn't be an ordinary person, and he wouldn't be able to walk the boss's path," Lin Xiaoxiao said.

At this moment, it was time for breakfast at Prison No. 18. The alloy gates opened with a clang, and the prisoners lined up to go downstairs.

Qing Chen stood obediently in line, still without any special privileges.

Lin Xiaoxiao glanced towards Qing Chen and was surprised to see him looking energetic, with even the after-effects of his four-day fast gone.

He turned to Li Shutong and asked, "Boss, is the Breathing Technique that amazing? How about you let me try it again tonight? I feel like I can still be saved."

Li Shutong stared at the chessboard without looking up and said, "When I let you try again back then, you didn't dare. It's too late now, you're too old."

"I'm only twenty-seven..." Lin Xiaoxiao said.

"The longer you live, the more bitterness you carry in your heart," Li Shutong said. "After twenty, you experience more worldly suffering, and using the Breathing Technique simply won't pass the test of self-reflection. We used to think our youth was bitter enough, but only after becoming adults do we realize the two kinds of suffering are different."

When Qing Chen came down the line, he still sat far away from Li Shutong. Li Shutong said with a bit of melancholy, "Even though I told him to pretend to be ostracized, now there's no one to break my incomplete games with."

As they were speaking, a broadcast suddenly sounded through Prison No. 18: "Inmate number 010101, inmate number 002199, inmate number... you have family visiting. Please follow mechanical prison guard number 03 to the visiting room."

010101 was Qing Chen's number.

He was stunned. It had been so long since he arrived in the Inner World, and this was the first time someone was visiting him.

He had even forgotten that family visits were a thing in prison.

Lu Guangyi said from across him, "Boss, today is family visiting day. It should be Qing Yan who's here."

"Mhm," Qing Chen nodded and stood up.

He joined the line with over eighty inmates and passed through the massive alloy gates, traversing a long corridor.

The corridor walls were also made of metal, and there were two white beams on the ceiling, making it feel like walking through a time tunnel.

Along the way, a prisoner heckled another, "Han Linshan, your sister is here to see you again, right? Go ask your sister for a photo, and lend it to me tonight!"

The prisoner named Han Linshan cursed angrily. If it weren't for the visiting time, the two would have definitely fought.

The prisoners were noisy, and as long as they were in line, the mechanical prison guards wouldn't intervene.

In the line, only Qing Chen was quiet.

No prisoner dared to joke with him; even the prisoners behind him deliberately kept their distance.

Arriving at a private visiting room, Qing Chen pushed open the door and saw a young man sitting inside.

The other person was about 25 or 26 years old, with a short black buzz cut, looking quite sharp.

This must be Qing Yan. He was wearing a gray suit, with only his hands being mechanical limbs.

However, these were probably the most exquisite mechanical limbs Qing Chen had ever seen. The surface of each finger seemed to have been meticulously polished by someone. Golden patterns were inlaid on both sides of the fingers, and a beautiful ginkgo leaf pattern adorned the back of his hand, resembling a mafia's scepter.

Ginkgo leaves were the emblem of the Qing Clan.

Qing Chen sat down in front of him. Qing Yan looked at him and said coldly, "The second and fourth branches have already submitted their complaints against you to the family tribunal, saying that you provoked Li Shutong for no reason and caused him to be displeased. Although our Qing Clan is not afraid of Li Shutong, we also have no intention of making enemies with the Knights or the Heng Society. I hope you will be as well-behaved as possible in Prison No. 18 and don't cause any more trouble."

Qing Chen was taken aback. Before this, when Lu Guangyi mentioned Qing Yan, he had thought he was an ally.

But now, it seemed that wasn't the case.

He thought for a moment and asked, "Is there anything else?"

Qing Yan said coldly, "Have you considered your situation? Other candidates have help, but you don't. How can you compete? The Second and Fourth Branches are determined to win this time. Don't be a pawn for others. Take my advice: marry Kamishiro Kono of the Kamishiro Family properly, and the Qing Clan will still have a place for you."

Qing Chen looked at him expressionlessly, but his mind was racing.

What kind of bizarre development is this? I have an engagement in the Inner World? And judging by her name, she doesn't sound Chinese at all.

Kamishiro… is she from one of the Five Great Companies, the Kamishiro Family?

Qing Chen thought for a moment and said, "I still plan to try again."

Qing Yan seemed surprised by Qing Chen's response. He tidied his collar and said leisurely, "As you wish. Then let me tell you, although the Tribunal didn't recommend any punishment for you, the family won't help you anymore. The family never intended for you to participate in the Shadow Struggle. You insisted on participating and took the spot from the Third Branch, so don't expect further support. It would be best if you could complete the mission. If not, you'll stay in Prison No. 18 until your sentence is served."

"Okay," Qing Chen calmly got up and left, not saying another word to this well-dressed Qing Clan descendant.

Seeing this, Qing Yan became annoyed. "Did you hear what I said?"

Qing Chen said to the mechanical prison guard outside the door, "Hello, I'm done here."

"Wait!" Qing Yan softened his tone. "Kamishiro Kono came with me to visit you this time. You should at least meet her, otherwise, you can't account for it to both families."

Qing Chen: "...Alright."

Qing Yan left. Five minutes later, someone else walked in.

It was a girl of seventeen or eighteen. She wasn't stunningly beautiful, but for some reason, she exuded a refreshing aura.

The girl wore a formal suit jacket with a skirt that reached just above her knees, looking like she was attending a very formal meeting.

However, the girl didn't seem accustomed to wearing such clothes and appeared a bit restless.

Qing Chen observed the girl. She had a small mole next to her nose, and her skin showed no signs of makeup.

After sitting down, the girl didn't make eye contact with Qing Chen. She would occasionally glance at him furtively but remained silent.

They sat in silence...

Until the announcement came over the broadcast that visiting hours were over.

The girl then softly muttered, "Even sitting quietly like this seems nice, but this boy's silence is truly beautiful."

"What?" Qing Chen asked, confused.

The girl smiled. "Nothing."

The mechanical prison guard escorted Qing Chen away. On the way back, Qing Chen was contemplating.

Lu Guangyi had said earlier that he had specifically requested Lu Guangyi to help him in Prison No. 18. Qing Chen suspected that Lu Guangyi didn't know the full truth either.

No wonder they only sent a nursing home thug to help him with something as important as the Shadow Struggle.

It turned out he had also been abandoned by the family in the Inner World.

But what was this engagement that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere?

May has begun, please vote for monthly tickets! During the seven-day May Day holiday, I'll be adding more updates!