Chapter 2139: Getting Older, Memory Isn't What It Used to Be
Just as he returned to the cell, Hei Gang was no longer silky smooth; the side effects had clearly worn off!
A rolled-up bedroll was placed at the cell door, and Hei Gang had already taken over Jiangnan's bunk!
He was lounging comfortably with his legs crossed, humming a tune.
Jiangnan looked at his own bedroll, all bundled up, and wore a kindly smile.
"Gangzi~ While I was away, you've been living it up, huh?"
The moment he heard the voice, Hei Gang jolted violently, flipping up from the plank bed like a carp, then immediately dropped to both knees.
The movement was smooth and fluid!
▄█▀█● "S-Southern God Boss? You... how did you come back alive? Th-this this... sizz~"
Seeing Jiangnan covered in blood, limping back with the Small Leather Whip, Hei Gang broke out in a cold sweat.
Getting captured by Chong Feiyu and still returning alive? That doesn't make sense!
Jiangnan smiled: "What? Aren't you happy I came back alive?"
Hei Gang squeezed out a dry laugh:
"Happy? How could I not be happy? I've been dying of missing you!"
Then he tilted his head and muttered under his breath:
"Pfft~ this smell is really foul. Here's a grown man pretending to be a little girl and acting cute—utterly shameless!"
"Bottom-tier woman. I've completely lost any interest in the opposite sex now! I wouldn't take one even if she were handed to me!"
Jiangnan smiled: "Seems the effect of 'opposites attract' is working quite well~"
"Bang!"
The cell door slammed shut heavily in Jiangnan's hand!
"Southern God Boss! Please no! How could I not like you when you're so adorable? I'm only a little disgusted—better to argue with words than with fists! You..."
"I'm no gentleman right now! Thorny Lash!"
In no time, the cell echoed with the sharp cracks of the whip and Hei Gang's screams!
The night was deep as water. Bruised and swollen-faced, Hei Gang hugged the toilet and sobbed.
(#)ཀ益ཀ(#)
He didn't deserve a bed at all; only this toilet would forever be his home!
Meanwhile, Jiangnan lay on the bed, twirling a pen, using the Small Leather Whip to secure himself so he wouldn't slide off on the bloody surface.
His eyes flickered as he contemplated the current situation.
Chong Feiyu was powerful—if he could lure her away, it would definitely be worth it. If possible, helping her complete her revenge wouldn't be out of the question; the returns would be enormous.
Although humanity had entered the Starry Sky Sequence, they still weren't qualified to take a slice of the Beimian Xingkong mining area. This was an opportunity!
Jiangnan's ambition was vast; entering the Starry Sky Sequence was only the first step.
Since they were here, he'd rather be the dragon's head than the phoenix's tail.
Being a vanguard charging ahead wasn't what Jiangnan wanted. Under the conflicts of the great races, even cannon fodder didn't count.
If another starry war like the Cosmic War broke out in the future, the small races wouldn't even make a splash—they'd vanish in an instant.
If he was going to do something, he'd be the one making the rules, the chess player.
The Sequence War wasn't far off either; the next one might be ages away, but Jiangnan had no intention of letting it pass.
The bully prisoners in the Minghe Death Prison—those eligible to be locked up here were all strong, with stories and hot blood.
If he could bring them all out, they would be a huge help!
The bullies represented not only themselves but also their networks and even their racial factions.
Gathered like stars into a sea, if used wisely, they could all fuel humanity's growth.
That was why Jiangnan had hesitated for a moment when he first heard about entering Minghe Death Prison but ultimately decided to come.
Now he had already dragged Chong Feiyu into the water; next was Taluo's Bully Gang.
Jiangnan cackled darkly. It was time to recruit them into his command.
He remembered there was a heaven-level criminal here—the Blood-colored Miracle, Yakeli.
Given the current situation, his strength probably wasn't a match for Chong Feiyu, or else he wouldn't be locked up.
He wondered if there was a chance to subdue him. Who wouldn't want more capable little brothers?
As he thought, Jiangnan drifted off to sleep, but after only three minutes, he jerked awake.
"Fuck—no way! I haven't clocked in yet! How could I forget that?"
With that, he got up and headed toward Xing Luo and Karl's room.
Hei Gang's mouth twitched. Southern God Boss... was probably the most persistent person he'd ever seen.
Even this exhausted, he still remembered to go beat them up?
What kind of grudge was that?
---
The next morning, Jiangnan was woken by the gathering call of the prison guards.
Both vice wardens had been on leave yesterday, so everyone had rested for a day.
Now, the side effects of Bing Chacha's weird soap had worn off.
The mandatory labor of diving into the river for crystals resumed.
Jiangnan yawned, rubbing his sleepy eyes, using the Small Leather Whip to wobble his way toward the Breaking Waves Plaza.
The moment Jiangnan left, Bing Chacha barged into his room with a group of guards, his expression vicious.
"Search! Don't leave a single suspicious item behind—even a fallen hair, search it all!"
A bunch of guards, completely confused, started searching Jiangnan's cell.
"Report, Lord Bing Chacha! There isn't even a single hair!"
They had all drunk the Strength Potion—there were no hairs to fall!
Bing Chacha stomped in frustration: "Damn it! Where the hell did that bastard hide it?"
On the other side, Ye Hua also came over with his men.
"Cha... Lord Bing Chacha! Nothing found in Wang Youzhi's cell either. What do you...?"
Bing Chacha's eyes were bloodshot. Nothing there either?
A puzzled guard asked: "Lord Bing Chacha? What... what exactly are you looking for?"
Bing Chacha was furious and punched the guard, embedding him in the wall.
"Don't call me that! I don't deserve that name right now!"
"Damn you, Jiangnan! You forced me!"
With that, he charged furiously toward Breaking Waves Plaza.
Ye Hua wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. What was he looking for? His own leverage, right?
You deserve to get beaten—some topics just shouldn't be brought up.
---
At Breaking Waves Plaza, Jiangnan stood with his hands in his pockets, whistling nonchalantly. No one dared stand near him.
When the prisoners saw Jiangnan, they all gave him a thumbs-up.
After being caught by Bing Chacha for a mixed double beating and then grabbed by Chong Feiyu for fun, he was still alive and kicking.
His luck was just insane!
Taluo was still in his figurine form—since the side effect of one mouse biscuit lasted 24 hours, who knew how many he'd eaten.
Today he didn't come to pick a fight with Jiangnan, but he tried several times to strike up a conversation and couldn't muster the courage.
Mainly, the strange fragrance on Jiangnan made him instinctively recoil.
Jiangnan was still in his female form; he wouldn't dare switch back until the side effect wore off.
Otherwise, in a crowd of male prisoners, same-sex attraction would be way too beautiful to imagine.
Wang Youzhi, with a teasing smile, sidled up to Jiangnan.
"How was it? Did your visit with the Insect Queen go smoothly? You're impressive, still full of energy? Didn't I steer you wrong?"
"Whenever there's good stuff like that, I always think of you."
Jiangnan thought about Chong Feiyu's true nature, shuddered violently, then grinned.
"Of course! It was beyond amazing, you know?"
"That's nothing. After coming back from Chong Feiyu's place last night, I even went to clock in on the side."
"Oh, right—be careful these days. Chong Feiyu couldn't get the seeds from me, so I recommended you."
"Since there are only two humans here, maybe one night when you're asleep, she'll drag you off to her lair for a feast. After all, how could I forget my brother when there's good fortune to share?"
Wang Youzhi's face darkened: "Got any more of that soap? I want to stock up."
While they were chatting, Bing Chacha stormed over furiously.
"Boom!"
He stomped the ground, sending airwaves flying, knocking over all the prisoners in his path.
"Jiangnan! I'm asking you—where is my stuff?"
Killing intent surfaced in his eyes.
Jiangnan's smile gradually twisted:
"Oh~ isn't this Brother Chacha? Why so spirited this early morning?"
"Ah, sorry—I forgot. You can't do that."
Wang Youzhi: ???
What's going on? Brother Chacha? Can't do that? Stuff missing?
Wait—did Bing Chacha get...
Oh ho?
[From Bing Chacha: Resentment Value +1009!]
He stepped forward, grabbed Jiangnan by the collar, and lifted him off the ground.
"Speak! Where did you hide it? Restore it to its original state immediately, or I'll kill you right now!"
The moment he grabbed Jiangnan, Jiangnan's skin broke and bled.
Jiangnan sneered:
"Eh? You want to kill me? Go ahead, kill me—then you'll never get it back."
"Judging by your reaction, you've already searched my cell, haven't you?"
Bing Chacha was nearly insane with rage; having his weakness held over him was driving him mad.
"You think I wouldn't dare?"
Jiangnan shrugged: "Then go ahead and kill me. Don't think that just because you kill me, you'll find it. How could I possibly carry something like that on me?"
Bing Chacha shook with fury.
"If you don't talk, I'll beat it out of you! The higher-ups only said not to let you die—they didn't say I couldn't hit you!"
He threw a punch straight at Jiangnan's stomach.
Jiangnan said flatly:
"If you so much as lay a finger on me, you'll never get it back for the rest of your life. Don't call me shameless—sorry, I'm just that wicked."
"After all, I'm a criminal—a calamity-level one."
Bing Chacha's fist froze mid-air, eyes bloodshot, his expression filled with struggle.
Jiangnan smiled: "Want to bet? That you'll make me talk before you beat me to death? Do you think your fists are harder, or my mouth?"
[From Bing Chacha: Resentment Value +1009!]
In the end, he lowered his clenched fist.
He didn't dare take the risk.
This was too important—if... if it really couldn't be restored?
Then how could he live?
"Speak! What conditions will make you give it back?"
He put Jiangnan down as he spoke.
Jiangnan lightly brushed the wrinkles off his clothes.
"Sorry, you scared me just now. I forgot where I put it."
"Oh~ I'm over twenty now, getting older, memory isn't what it used to be. Maybe I'll remember when I'm happy."
Bing Chacha's forehead veins bulged. Calling being over twenty "getting older"?
"Jiangnan! Don't go too far!"
Jiangnan staggered back two steps, clutching his chest:
"Why are you yelling at me? Trying to show off your lung capacity? Great—now I really can't remember. It's all your fault!"
[From Bing Chacha: Resentment Value +1009!]
He ground his teeth to dust.
"Fine! If a new prisoner can jog your memory, then fine! Call a new one over to 'open' him!"
Jiangnan: ???
( ≖_≖) Is this guy beyond saving?