Signals and fists
After completing that set of covert signal actions that only specific individuals could understand, Prison Guard Li showed no extra expression on his face, as if he had simply completed an ordinary routine patrol.
He maintained his indifferent, businesslike demeanor, continuing his walk along the corridor of the prison area without stopping. The rhythmic, clear sound of his leather shoes echoing on the concrete floor stood out starkly in the quiet corridor.
He was already planning what to do next. The signal had been delivered, and Qin Ming must have received word of it. His mission was complete, and he had accomplished half of what his uncle (Deputy Director Zhao) had entrusted to him.
As for what choice Qin Ming would make, that was not his concern. He only needed to ensure that when someone from above asked, he and his uncle could distance themselves from each other, or at least occupy a favorable position.
There was a corner ahead in the passageway, leading to the detention center's office area. Just as he was about to turn the corner and be out of sight of the cells behind him, a figure, like a ghost, silently emerged from the shadows of the corner and stood directly in front of him.
It's Wang Lei.
Prison Guard Li, paused, his heart skipping a beat. Wang Lei was just an ordinary prison guard, usually quiet and unassuming, but at this moment, the other man stood there quietly, hands in his pockets, looking at him calmly, yet he exuded an invisible pressure.
"Captain Li, are you done with the patrol?" Wang Lei asked, his tone flat and devoid of emotion.
"Hmm." Prison Guard Li didn't want to say more, so he gave a vague reply and turned to walk past. He instinctively felt that something was wrong and wanted to leave as soon as possible.
However, Wang Lei took a slight step, blocking his path once again.
"Just now," Wang Lei's gaze fell on the Prison Guard Li's right hand hanging at his side, a very faint, almost ethereal smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, "I noticed... your fingers seemed a little uncomfortable? What were you tapping on your leg for?"
Prison Guard Li's expression changed instantly!
He believed his signal was extremely well-hidden, incredibly fast, and at a very tricky angle—it could never have been seen by anyone else, much less be understood! How could Wang Lei have noticed it? What did he mean by that?
A chill ran through him, mixed with anger at being offended, and he instantly felt a surge of rage. In this detention center, Prison Guard Li, relying on his uncle being the deputy director—though not a high-ranking official—usually commanded respect from everyone. How dare a mere lowly prison guard question him?
"Wang Lei!" The Prison Guard Li's voice suddenly rose, filled with obvious sternness and threat, "Who the hell do you think you are? You dare to interfere with me? I'll just crack my knuckles and leave it to you! Get out of my way!"
He tried to intimidate the other party with his usual arrogance, and reached out to push Wang Lei away.
Just as his hand was about to touch Wang Lei's chest, Wang Lei moved.
The movement was as fast as lightning!
The Prison Guard Li, only felt a blur before his eyes as his wrist was gripped tightly by an iron clamp-like hand. A tremendous, irresistible force pulled him forward violently! At the same time, a foot clad in a hard-soled leather shoe delivered a precise and ruthless kick to his shinbone!
"Ugh--!"
The excruciating pain caused the Prison Guard Li, to let out a short scream, and his body fell forward uncontrollably.
But this is just the beginning.
Wang Lei grabbed his wrist and twisted it, while his other hand clenched into a fist and slammed it into his abdomen without mercy!
"Ugh..." Prison Guard Li felt as if his internal organs were being twisted together. The acid in his stomach, mixed with the food residue from lunch, surged up his throat, causing him to curl up like a shrimp in pain, unable to even let out a scream.
Wang Lei was clearly a trained fighter; his attacks were extremely professional and ruthless. He didn't attack Prison Guard Li's face, but instead specifically targeted areas that were more painful and less likely to leave obvious marks, such as the abdomen, ribs, and inner thighs. His fists and knees rained down like raindrops, each strike containing terrifying power, the dull thuds echoing in the empty corridor.
Prison Guard Li was pinned against the wall by Wang Lei like a tattered sack, utterly powerless to resist, only able to let out painful groans and suppressed cries. The power of his uncle, which he was so proud of, seemed so pale and laughable in the face of absolute strength at this moment.
Those few seconds felt like an eternity to Prison Guard Li. When Wang Lei finally stopped, he collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain, his face streaked with snot and tears, too weak to even get up.
Wang Lei looked down at him, straightened the cuffs of his police uniform that were slightly wrinkled from the movement, his face remained expressionless, but his eyes were cold.
"Keep your hands to yourself." Wang Lei said this, then turned and walked away with steady steps, no longer looking at the Prison Guard Li lay on the ground like a dead dog.
After a long while, Prison Guard Li finally caught his breath. Overwhelmed by immense humiliation and anger, he dragged his aching body and stumbled towards the deputy director's office.
"Uncle! Uncle!" He pushed open the office door and called out in a hoarse voice, his voice trembling with tears.
Deputy Director Zhao Jianguo was sitting behind his desk looking at documents when he heard the noise. He looked up and saw his nephew's bruised and battered face (although Wang Lei hadn't hit him, he must have bumped into things while struggling and falling), looking disheveled. His brows immediately furrowed.
"What's going on? This is outrageous!" Zhao Jianguo shouted in a deep voice.
"It was Wang Lei! That bastard! He... he hit me for no reason! Right there in the prison corridor!" Prison Guard Li pointed to the stains on his body and the abrasions on his face, embellishing the story of the conflict. Of course, he omitted the part about him striking first and the crucial signal, only emphasizing how Wang Lei provoked him and how he suddenly used violence against him.
He expected his uncle to fly into a rage and immediately order Wang Lei to be severely punished, thus avenging him.
However, after listening to his tearful account, Zhao Jianguo did not show the expected anger on his face. Instead, he displayed an extremely complex and solemn expression. He stared intently at his nephew, his eyes sharp, as if trying to pierce through his skin and see what he was hiding.
The air in the office seemed to freeze.
A few seconds later, Zhao Jianguo slowly leaned back in his chair, his face returning to its usual inscrutable expression. He didn't ask for details, offer any comfort, or even comment on Wang Lei's behavior.
He simply raised his hand, pointed to the door, and uttered three words in an unquestionable, icy tone:
"Get out."
The Prison Guard Li, was stunned, hardly believing his ears. "Uncle? He hit me! He..."
"I told you to get out!" Zhao Jianguo's voice suddenly rose, filled with suppressed anger and undeniable authority. "Don't you understand?!"
Looking into his uncle's cold eyes, which even carried a hint of... fear?, the Prison Guard Li suddenly shivered, all the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat. He seemed to understand something, and a chill, even more intense than physical pain, rose from the depths of his heart.
He dared not argue any further, lowered his head, endured the pain all over his body, and staggered and slunk out of the deputy director's office.
The door closed softly behind him.
Zhao Jianguo sat alone in his office, his face so dark it seemed to drip water. He picked up a cigarette from the table, lit it, and took a deep drag. Why would Wang Lei suddenly attack Little Li? And why at that particular time and place?
He dared not think any further. That invisible hand was no longer just controlling the storms outside the detention center; it had already penetrated deep within these high walls, omnipresent.
He felt a deep sense of powerlessness, and a feeling called "fear" was quietly spreading.