Li Ming motioned to the second warden with a slight tilt of his chin, signaling her to wake Tan Qingqing.
The second warden curled her lips in disdain, thinking to herself, What’s the point of pretending now? If she’s your woman, wake her up yourself instead of trying to keep up appearances. Tch!
But she only dared to think it. Stepping forward, she gave Tan Qingqing, who was deep in sleep, a firm shake.
Tan Qingqing felt the push and, in her dazed state, tumbled face-first into a mountain of clothes. She flailed her limbs, struggling to get up, but couldn’t find her footing.
From Li Ming and the second warden’s perspective, Tan Qingqing suddenly started swimming in place on the bed, her face twisted in panic—yet her eyes remained tightly shut.
The two exchanged a glance, their expressions mirroring shock.
Seeing Tan Qingqing’s wild thrashing about to send her tumbling off the bed, Li Ming rushed forward and caught her. He pinned her down, restraining her flailing limbs against the mattress.
"Tan Qingqing! What are you doing?! Wake up!" Li Ming’s voice boomed in her ear.
Finally roused from her nightmare, Tan Qingqing’s eyes flew open. The moment she saw Li Ming still holding her down, she burst into tears.
"WAAAH!!! HELP ME!!!"
Her shriek echoed through the cell block, jolting awake the other inmates. They craned their necks, peering curiously through the observation slots to see what the commotion was about.
The second warden, fed up, stepped forward and—SMACK!—slapped Tan Qingqing hard across the face, cutting off her wails mid-scream.
"What the hell are you screaming for?! Can’t you see people standing right here? Who are you calling for help?! Lost your damn mind?! Sit still!" The second warden planted her hands on her hips, berating Tan Qingqing without mercy.
Terrified into silence, Tan Qingqing immediately clamped her mouth shut, not daring to let out another sob.
Li Ming, who had been shoved away by Tan Qingqing, felt a twisted satisfaction watching her get hit. Screaming for help the second she opens her eyes—if the second warden hadn’t been here, people would’ve thought I did something to her!
Clearing his throat, Li Ming addressed the second warden.
"Alright, now that she’s awake, step outside for a moment. I need to ask her a few questions."
"Yes, Warden!" The second warden obeyed, exiting the cell. By now, she was convinced Li Ming had no special relationship with this inmate—otherwise, why would Tan Qingqing react like that upon seeing him? With no juicy gossip to be had, she left without a second glance.
"What are you all gawking at?! Get back to sleep!" The second warden’s sharp reprimand carried down the hallway, making Tan Qingqing flinch again.
Li Ming studied Tan Qingqing’s pitiful state and felt a twinge of sympathy. Sitting across from her, he hesitated before speaking.
"Tan Qingqing, the reason I came to see you is because I met a woman named Tan Chengcheng outside. You know her, don’t you?"
Tan Qingqing had been curled up on the bed, trembling like a helpless canary, tears streaming silently down her cheeks.
But the moment Li Ming uttered Tan Chengcheng’s name, she bolted upright, locking eyes with him. Her lips parted, but no sound came out.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t curious how Li Ming knew Tan Chengcheng—she was terrified to ask. She dreaded hearing something unbearable from his lips.
Li Ming took her reaction as confirmation. The "family" she had been counting on to get her out was none other than Tan Chengcheng.
Choosing his words carefully, Li Ming recounted what he had witnessed.
"Tan Chengcheng met with a certain Director Zhang at Jade Pavilion for a meal. But their discussion didn’t go well—they parted on bad terms. Tan Chengcheng stormed out, and Director Zhang said something along the lines of, ‘No one else can handle this matter, and no one else would dare.’ He told her to think carefully. If I had to guess, this ‘Director Zhang’ is the big shot you didn’t want to name, isn’t he?"
Li Ming spoke calmly, ensuring every word sank in.
Tan Qingqing’s face grew paler with each sentence, her body beginning to tremble uncontrollably.
Li Ming continued.
"If I’m not mistaken, this Director Zhang is Zhang Wenhai, isn’t he? If he’s your last hope, then I’m afraid you’re in for disappointment. Chances are, you won’t be getting out."
At this, Tan Qingqing’s fingers clenched around the fabric of her clothes, tears spilling freely. Her lips quivered from the force of her shaking.
"I don’t know what conditions Zhang Wenhai demanded from Tan Chengcheng, but judging by how furious she was, it wasn’t something money could solve. You might want to prepare yourself for the next 25 years here."
Li Ming’s tone remained gentle, devoid of any threat or malice. Yet to Tan Qingqing, his words felt like a bucket of ice water dumped over her in the dead of winter.
"C… can I… make a phone call…?"
Tan Qingqing forced the question out through her fear.
Seeing her wilted demeanor, Li Ming was certain his assumptions were correct. He had no issue letting her make the call and pulled out his phone, handing it to her.
But just as Tan Qingqing took it, Li Ming tightened his grip, stopping her. Meeting her confused gaze, he lowered his voice.
"You can make the call—but on one condition."
"Wh… what condition?" Tan Qingqing stammered.
"You can call, but it has to be on speakerphone. If you agree, then go ahead."
Tan Qingqing swallowed hard. After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded. Speakerphone shouldn’t be a problem—she already believed 80-90% of what Li Ming had said. Otherwise, how would he know Tan Chengcheng and Zhang Wenhai’s names?
Only then did Li Ming release the phone.
Tan Qingqing dialed a number, and when "Tan Chengcheng" automatically appeared on the screen, her heart sank further.
Li Ming already has her number… He wasn’t bluffing. I really might be stuck here…
Her hands shook so violently she nearly dropped the phone, letting it slip onto her lap.
Li Ming, noticing her struggle, helped her press the call button and turned on speakerphone.
A prerecorded message played:
"Hello, you’ve reached Qingcheng Pharmaceuticals. We specialize in distribution partnerships, seeking collaborative opportunities for mutual success. I’m Tan Chengcheng. Thank you for your call—please hold, and I’ll answer shortly. If I’m unavailable, I’ll return your call as soon as possible. Once again, thank you for contacting us…"
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
y came from. The chests contained supplies, currency, class-change scrolls, skills, talents… and even godhood! The laws of the world were completely rewritten. This became a world where everyone gambled with their fate! Some people, despite having nothing, opened a divine artifact and rose to the top, eventually ruling the world. Others went bankrupt, opened nothing but worthless junk, and leaped from skyscrapers in despair. Lin Ye arrived in this world from another reality, utterly bewildered. “What is going on? Why is everyone a gambling addict?!” “Opening chests? No way. I refuse to gamble. I’ll start with myself!” Until— On his first chest, he obtained a Mythic Talent: Void Incarnation! He could become completely intangible, pass through all things, and reduce everything to nothingness! … On his fiftieth chest, he obtained a Mythic Weapon: Blade of Karma! With a single slash, karma shattered, twisting the universe and overturning the myriad phenomena of creation! … On his ninety-ninth chest, he obtained a Mythic Divine Treasure: Primordial Purple Energy! It could split open the heavens and earth, create all things, and evolve countless worlds with a single thought! Lin Ye: “Now that I think about it… shouldn’t someone have told me that every chest is guaranteed to contain something Mythic?!”
