The prison block instantly erupted into chaos, with female inmates crowding at their cell doors, all eyes fixed on Li Ming.
Li Ming was caught off guard by the sudden commotion. He never expected these female prisoners to be so bold and direct.
Seeing this, Lin Xi’s expression darkened. She sharply reprimanded, "Shut up, all of you! One more word, and it’s a month in solitary!" The inmates reluctantly quieted down but continued to smirk and wink at Li Ming.
Li Ming steadied himself, forcing his nerves under control. He silently reminded himself not to show weakness in front of these prisoners.
Clearing his throat, he announced loudly, "Hello everyone, I’m Li Ming, the new warden. Starting today, I expect everyone to follow the prison’s rules and regulations. I will treat everyone fairly."
"Pfft! Sounds nice," scoffed the tattooed inmate, Zhou Mei, with clear disdain.
Li Ming heard the sarcasm but chose to ignore it. He continued walking with Lin Xi through the block, heading toward the next one.
But just then, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind!
Mission issued: As the warden, your first entry into the block has been met with defiance and mockery, undermining your authority. Within ten minutes, change the prisoners’ dismissive attitude toward you and establish your dominance.
Reward: Aura of Authority. Anyone who lays eyes on you will feel an instinctive sense of intimidation, making you command respect effortlessly.
Failure penalty: Aura of Weakness. Every member of the opposite sex will immediately perceive you as a spineless pushover.
"Holy shit!!"
Li Ming’s eyes widened in shock. He froze in place, unable to believe what he’d just heard.
The mission’s voice was unmistakable. And with just a thought, the task materialized as text in his mind, leaving no room for doubt.
"What the hell?! This isn’t a dream! I’ve actually been given a mission! What era is this?! Can science even explain this?! Am I really being controlled by some shameless author?!"
Li Ming stood dumbfounded, struggling to process the sudden system prompt.
Ahead, Lin Xi turned at his outburst. Seeing his strange expression, she feared he might faint again and quickly signaled the accompanying guards to steady him.
But before they could touch him, Li Ming raised a hand, waving them off.
"What’s wrong? You’re not about to pass out again, are you?" Lin Xi asked with concern.
Li Ming shook his head. He pulled up the mission in his mind again, scrutinizing it carefully. This was no hallucination.
With only ten minutes on the clock, he had to prioritize completing the task. He could figure out the system later.
"I’m fine. It’s just that one inmate—she seems to have a problem with me." Li Ming turned his gaze toward Zhou Mei, the tattooed prisoner who’d mocked him earlier.
"What’s your name?" Li Ming demanded, his voice low and sharp.
"Uh… I’m Zhou Mei," she replied, caught off guard. She’d just sat back down on her bed, assuming Li Ming had moved on.
"Zhou Mei? Don’t you have an inmate number? On your feet! You dare sit while speaking to the warden? You’ve got some nerve!" Li Ming’s eyes narrowed as he suddenly roared, startling Zhou Mei into scrambling upright.
"My—my number is 3242!" she stammered, standing stiffly, her eyes fixed on Li Ming’s shoes, too nervous to meet his gaze. Regret gnawed at her—why had she been the only one to speak up? Now this new warden was making an example of her.
"Did no one teach you to say ‘Report’ when addressing an officer? Answer me again!" Li Ming pressed, his tone unrelenting.
"Report, Warden! My number is 3242! I’m Zhou Mei! Sorry, Warden! I know I was wrong!" Zhou Mei straightened her posture, replying softly.
"Did I say you were wrong?! Speak louder—I can’t hear you! Again!" Li Ming barked.
"Yes, Warden! Report! My number is 3242! I’m Zhou Mei!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Good! That’s the volume I want. Now repeat it 100 times!" Li Ming ordered coolly.
Without another glance, he turned and strode toward the next block, leaving Lin Xi and the guards stunned.
Meanwhile, Zhou Mei continued shouting, her voice hoarse but unwavering. As Li Ming walked away, she exhaled in relief but didn’t dare slack off, yelling even louder.
The other inmates watched in silence, holding their breaths, terrified of drawing the warden’s attention.
After all, Zhou Mei’s relentless shouting was a stark warning. By the time she finished, she’d probably lose her voice for days.
As Li Ming walked, he checked the new notification in his mind:
Congratulations! Mission complete. Reward: Aura of Authority. Automatically activated.
A strange energy surged through him, settling like an invisible mantle. He could distinctly sense the newfound aura around him.
Lin Xi and the guards trailing behind felt it too.
Earlier, they’d dismissed Li Ming as a soft-looking rookie, especially after he’d fainted during the morning briefing. But now, an inexplicable fear gripped them. The guards exchanged glances—this man was clearly cut out to be warden.
Lin Xi, impressed, unconsciously fell into step behind him. "Not bad," she murmured. "Didn’t expect you to be so tough. News travels fast here. By tomorrow, your name will spread through the entire prison. The inmates will fear you."
Li Ming chuckled. "Just setting the tone. Send someone to tell her to stop shouting later—as long as she behaves next time." Now that the mission was done, he saw no need to torment Zhou Mei further.
Lin Xi shook her head. "My orders won’t work. You’re the warden. Even if I send someone, she won’t dare stop. After how you handled her, she’ll finish those 100 shouts—or risk worse punishment if you find out she didn’t." She knew these prisoners well.
"Zhou Mei’s serving a life sentence. She’ll be here forever. She won’t stop." Lin Xi added, "Let her learn her lesson."
Li Ming sighed. "Fine. Poor her. Let’s move on to the next block."
With that, he resigned himself to Zhou Mei’s fate and continued forward.