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Twisted Fate
墨書 Inktalez
Surrounded by mountains, high walls, barbed wire, and expressionless guards, this was a typical prison.
Four guards marched in pairs through the iron gates, their steps synchronized as they made their way to the depths of the corridor. This was Solitary Confinement, a place designated for inmates who violated prison rules, with the most serious infraction being assaulting a guard. Those guilty of such an offense faced a minimum punishment of three months in isolation.
One of the guards took out a walkie-talkie and called out, "Open Cell Seven."
The surveillance camera on the door of Solitary Confinement turned to confirm their identity. The electronic lock clicked open, and the guard pushed open the heavy iron door. Inside Solitary Confinement was simple: a bed, a washbasin, and a toilet. Meals were served twice daily—lunch at eleven o'clock, with food delivered through a small door at the bottom, and collected at noon. Dinner was served at six o'clock and collected at seven. No additional food was provided until after the dishes were collected. Clothes were exchanged once a week on Wednesdays at three o'clock; late arrivals would not be accommodated.
The cell stood five meters high, with only one ventilation opening at that height, which also served as the sole source of light. A man sat on the bed, watching the four guards. His hair at the back could be described as shoulder-length, while the front had grown down to his chin. Overall, his face was obscured by unkempt hair; it was clear he was male since this was a men's prison.
"Stand up."
The man stood.
One of the guards asked, "Cui Ming?"
"Yes."
Cui Ming, twenty-three years old, from Dawn City. He was arrested at fifteen for street fraud and sent to a juvenile detention center, released three months later. On his eighteenth birthday, he returned to his old ways and was caught conning an officer outside the police station; he served three months in prison. After insulting a judge in court, he received a sentence in a maximum-security facility. On his first day in prison, he assaulted a guard and was sent to Cell Seven. After serving his time there, he repeatedly attacked guards upon release from solitary confinement, leading to an indefinite extension of his sentence and making him a long-term resident of Cell Seven for the past five years.
One guard pulled out a cigarette and offered one to Cui Ming while another guard helped light it. "Cui Ming, when are you getting out?"
"Soon," Cui Ming replied; it had been a long time since he had spoken to anyone.
"Cui Ming," another guard chimed in, "why waste your youth like this? Why come to prison just to eat and drink for free?"
"I'll definitely be out in six months," Cui Ming said as he looked at the four guards. "Who’s coming this time?"
One guard sighed in response. "Come on."
Cui Ming's fist struck the guard's face, and four guards quickly subdued him, pulling out rubber batons. Cui Ming skillfully curled up, hands clasped over his head. The guards casually poked at his body with their batons before turning to leave. Just as one of them was closing the door, he lit a cigarette and tossed it beside Cui Ming before all four guards exited, locking the door behind them.
A young guard asked, "Is inmate 1421 mentally stable?"
"Checked him, no issues," the older guard replied. "He's probably just hiding from enemies."
Inside solitary confinement, Cui Ming stood up and stretched his body. Another three months had passed...
He leaned back against the bed and looked up at the light shining through the vent. With a flick of his right hand, he flipped a playing card between his index and middle fingers, then quickly pinched them together, making the card disappear.
Suddenly, the iron door swung open. Cui Ming turned to face the guard, annoyance evident in his voice. "Didn’t we agree on three months? No discounts."
"Today is Atonement Day," the guard said. "The Warden has ordered everyone to attend."
"Do I really have to go?"
"That depends on whether you consider yourself human." The guard tossed a new set of prison clothes and a towel onto the bed. "Clean yourself up; you'll be going to the barbershop soon."
Cui Ming asked, "Where's the barbershop?"
"You don't know where the barbershop is?"
"Just look at my long hair; that should tell you whether I know where it is or not."
"I didn't realize you could talk so much. You stay here; take him there later."
...
Atonement Day was an irregular event held at Dawn City Prison. In simple terms, dangerous jobs unsuitable for ordinary people could be assigned to select inmates deemed fit for such tasks. A thousand years ago, during the time of the Oceanic Empire, a new ship was launched that required someone to knock down the last few wooden stakes holding it in place so it could slide into the sea. No one knew which stake was the final one, so volunteers were chosen from Death Row inmates. If a Death Row inmate managed to knock down the stake and survive, they would receive a pardon; if they died, well, that was their fate.
Cui Ming stared at himself in the barbershop mirror for a long time before asking the guard beside him, "Who's that young guy? He looks pretty good." The guard responded unfriendly with a middle finger and shoved Cui Ming out of the barbershop. For the first time, Cui Ming appreciated the complex structure of the prison's interior.
Turning, spinning, and spinning again, Cui Ming finally arrived at the auditorium, feeling dizzy. This was the place where the Warden delivered his annual holiday speech, a very solemn venue. However, today seemed different. Before Cui Ming even entered through the back door, he could hear a group of ruffians inside making a ruckus.
“Wow, a woman.”
“This chick is on point.”
“The Warden is brilliant.”
“Shut up.” The guard ushered Cui Ming inside. Over three hundred inmates were gathered in the back half of the auditorium, all squatting on the ground. The guard kicked two prisoners aside and shoved Cui Ming into the crowd before moving to the back door, pulling out his baton and silently watching half of the inmates in the hall. The auditorium was designed with a slope to ensure that when the prisoners squatted down, they could see the Warden's impressive figure.
Cui Ming also spotted the woman. She looked to be around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with long hair cascading down to her waist. A silver cloth band tied her hair back from her forehead. She wore form-fitting black leggings and black leather boots, with a white fitted t-shirt underneath a black coat that reached her hips. Overall, she appeared very spirited and exceptionally beautiful, with an enviable figure. Cui Ming began to doubt his own taste. There were two possibilities: he hadn’t seen a woman in five years and might find even a hen to be as alluring as Diao Chan; or perhaps she truly was stunningly beautiful. Without comparison, how could one recognize beauty?
The world was fascinating; he should just focus on serving his few months in prison.
Facing the intentional and unintentional comments, the stunning beauty remained calm. She was one of three recruiters for inmates today. In front of her was a table where her left elbow rested, and on it lay a large bag covering something inside. Her right fingers danced over the bag as she scrutinized the group of prisoners.
Her position was undoubtedly the most sought-after spot; there were over ten people sitting on the ground in front of her in line, two of whom had already been selected and stood behind her—one on each side—introducing each candidate. She merely nodded slightly and asked questions to the interviewees while maintaining an expressionless demeanor.
The hall was filled with voices commenting on the beautiful woman; one guy even offered to trade twenty years of his life for just one night with her. His friend beside him sighed, “Dude, you’re on Death Row.”
Bald Brother was extremely irritated and slapped him to the ground before standing up. His neck and arms were covered in tattoos that indirectly showcased what he considered his glorious past. Bald Brother walked directly to the table in front of the beautiful woman and sat down without saying a word, his gaze wandering over her body.
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