Prison Block

As Lin Xi and Xia Hong waited anxiously, Li Ming was lost in a long dream.

In the dream, he had become the protagonist of a novel, controlled by a merciless author who forced him into bizarre situations. Fortunately, he was quick-witted enough to complete each task assigned to him, steadily growing stronger through the rewards until he eventually became a superhuman existence, breaking free from the author’s control and returning to the real world.

Before Li Ming could even rejoice in the dream, a sharp pain pierced his mind, accompanied by chaotic voices that blurred the line between reality and illusion—until finally…

"Li Ming!! Wake up! Li Ming!!"

Lin Xi’s voice cut through the haze, pulling him out of the dream.

Li Ming slowly opened his eyes to see Lin Xi and Xia Hong standing beside him, their faces etched with worry.

"Li Ming! Thank goodness! You’re finally awake!!"

Lin Xi grabbed his hand, shaking it excitedly.

"Good! Aside from the earlier spike in heart rate, all his vitals are stable. He should be fine," Xia Hong said, relieved as she checked the monitor’s readings.

"Huh?? Why am I lying here? What happened?"

Li Ming sat up, utterly confused.

His last memory was stepping off the elevator—he remembered he was just about to introduce himself, so how did he end up in a hospital bed?

"You… you suddenly passed out for no reason. Thank goodness you woke up! Otherwise, how would I explain this to your parents?" Lin Xi patted her chest, visibly shaken.

"What? I fainted? I don’t remember anything!" Li Ming was even more baffled. How could he just collapse out of nowhere?

"Could it be that you were too nervous? Maybe your mind went blank and you just dropped?" Xia Hong chimed in.

"Nervous? Well, yeah, I was nervous, but not enough to faint!" Li Ming scratched his head, recalling the strange dream he’d just had.

"Well, the monitor shows nothing wrong with you. How do you feel? Any discomfort?" Xia Hong asked, concerned.

"None… I feel completely normal." Li Ming stood up and stretched, finding nothing out of the ordinary.

"Good! Then it’s nothing. Just a false alarm—carry on as usual."

Xia Hong figured the guy had just panicked and blacked out. Physically strong as an ox, yet mentally fragile—what a contrast.

"Glad you’re okay. Do you need more rest, or should we head to the cell block? It’s your first day as warden—time to introduce you to everyone."

Lin Xi had also relaxed, chalking it up to nerves. She’d take him to a proper hospital for a checkup next time they went out for supplies.

"Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go. After fainting like that, I bet they all think I’m a joke. Ugh." Li Ming scratched his head, embarrassed.

What a way to make a first impression—collapsing in front of everyone. How was he supposed to command respect as the warden now?

"Tch! Forget that. Just don’t faint again when you see the inmates." Lin Xi led him downstairs, adding, "Our Black Mountain Women’s Prison houses serious criminals—everyone here is serving at least 15 years, with many on life sentences or death row. Don’t underestimate them. Given half a chance, they’d try to escape. And since you’re a man… well, some of the more desperate ones might look at you like a piece of meat. Be careful."

As they passed female guards who greeted them, Li Ming followed Lin Xi through the prison’s main gate.

Li Ming had never known much about prisons before, but now he saw just how many layers of security there were.

Beyond the main entrance, the first checkpoint was an electronic gate—no keyhole, just a camera linked to the surveillance room in the admin building.

Lin Xi waved at the camera, and the gate slid open.

Past it was another electronic gate, leading to the inmates’ recreational yard. To Li Ming, it looked no different from his old college campus’s field.

This gate used facial recognition. After a quick setup, Lin Xi added Li Ming’s profile, and they proceeded through the yard’s access corridor.

At the end stood a heavy steel door. Lin Xi keyed in a code, and as the door groaned open, an oppressive atmosphere seeped out.

"This is where the inmates live. The code for this door changes daily—only you and I have access. Updates are sent to your office computer, so don’t forget to check."

"Further in are the keys to each cell block. They’re physical keys, with backups only in my office. The rest are held by the block officers."

Li Ming took a deep breath. The prison’s security was staggering—electronic gates, codes, facial recognition, surveillance-controlled doors. With so many measures, escape seemed impossible.

Still, curiosity got the better of him. "Lin Xi, what if there’s a blackout? All these high-tech gates would fail, right?"

Lin Xi smirked, unfazed as they stepped into the cell block. "No worries. The prison has three backup generators buried underground. If the power goes out, all doors lock automatically—no one’s getting out. Plus, the floors are wired with low-voltage current. If inmates riot, they’ll be zapped and subdued instantly."

"Whoa! That’s hardcore! But wouldn’t the guards get shocked too?"

"Those inside would, but reinforcements wear insulated boots. The voltage isn’t lethal—just enough to knock sense into people. You should try it sometime. A little zap wakes you right up—feels great." Lin Xi winked.

"Well, well, look who’s here—the new male warden. Pretty boy, ain’tcha?" A towering inmate with tattooed arms sneered, her grin dripping with mischief.

"What? Where? Oh my god!! A real man! And he’s hot!! I love him already!"

"Ha! Finally, some testosterone! I was startin’ to crave women! Can’t have him, but damn, I’ll enjoy the view! Hey, handsome! Come play with us!"

"A man!! An actual man!!"

"Kid! How old are ya? Ever been with a woman? Let big sis teach ya a thing or two! Hahaha!"