Chapter 1337: Chapter 1336: Car Accident
Sometimes, inexplicably, people get startled by certain things, certain sounds.
It’s like... suddenly someone opens a door, suddenly someone speaks, suddenly some place makes a sound.
These sounds are quite normal. They are not necessarily strange, often heard in daily life, but at this moment, they become unusual.
The telephone’s ringing echoed in the office, disrupting the Prison Director’s intent to stand, as the sudden noise made him shiver.
The piercing telephone ring reverberated through the office, each sound giving a needle-pricking pain.
Though it doesn’t hurt, it makes one feel pain, like there’s a needle somewhere pricking oneself.
Not severe, you wouldn’t be unable to stand due to the prick, yet you can’t ignore it either.
The telephone keeps ringing, ringing incessantly...
The pores at the back of his neck began to contract, at a microscopic level, a "tsunami" quickly swept from the base of the neck to the scalp.
His scalp tingled slightly, after the phone rang several times, he picked it up.
He knew that if he didn’t answer, the phone would continue ringing endlessly.
"You finally picked up..."
The voice from the phone made him uneasy somewhat; it was his wife’s call.
"What’s wrong?" he interrupted his wife before she finished speaking.
His heart started racing, grasping the chair’s armrest tightly, ready to break it at any moment.
No bad news came through the phone.
"Did you forget?"
"Tomorrow is Kesai’s graduation ceremony, we’re supposed to go together, it’s better if you come back early."
Kesai is the Prison Director’s son, a high school student, and he’s been contacted by a suitable university to register after the summer holidays.
Looking at the date, tomorrow is Kesai’s last day of his high school journey.
Federation people are very free but also romantic, often pursuing a sense of ceremony.
They care very much about special days, like wedding anniversaries, dating anniversaries, etc.
In this long yet short life, high school graduation is also an exceptionally important day.
Because it signifies a formal transition from youth to maturity.
Many kids leave home after high school graduation.
This statement might confuse those unfamiliar with Federation culture - graduating high school, what does it have to do with leaving home?
Actually, it does. If I were to introduce the high school graduation ceremony more vividly, it’s akin to Gafura’s coming-of-age ceremony, a very important life event.
Whether opting to continue studies or enter society directly, these young adolescents leave home, attempting to create their own family atmosphere.
Lynch moved in with Catherine after high school graduation, and they aren’t an exception.
Many more follow suit, moving out of home and finding a job after graduation.
Their original families no longer provide living expenses; they must worry about their own future.
Whether attending school or not, leaving home, studying, and eventually entering society is a crucial process for everyone.
Such an important day cannot be missed, the Prison Director sighed in relief, it wasn’t bad news, "I’ll go back soon and surely won’t miss tomorrow’s graduation ceremony."
His son Kesai studies in a nearby city. Driving takes about an hour or so.
After a few reminders from his wife, he hung up.
Everything around didn’t seem unsettling or frightening as before he answered the call. He stood, glancing around; wasn’t this his office?
In the confinement cell, he saw old Fox.
Old Fox just had afternoon tea.
Though confined, necessary supplies aren’t lacking.
Besides, he’s not involved in violent brawls, he’s merely an "observer."
Moreover, dealing with those around him is warning enough; no need for further tactics on an old man. He firmly believes here, no one can escape his control.
"Seems like you’re satisfied with today’s meal." The Prison Director entered the room, brought a chair for him to sit.
He glanced at the leftover snacks on the tray, the air filled with rich tea aroma; it’s time for afternoon tea.
The prison allocates thirty minutes for everyone to relax, enjoying the afternoon tea treatment.
Even the laborers brought in as convicts can enjoy a moment’s reprieve.
You think the environment or conditions here are too good?
No!
Ninety percent of the inmates are reluctant to enjoy afternoon tea, as it’s mandatory payment and quite expensive.
For ordinary people, the daily afternoon tea costs five dollars; the prison can extort one hundred fifty dollars monthly from each inmate on afternoon tea alone.
Refuse?
There’s no saying "no" here.
Someone can’t pay up?
No problem, just work double, when others have already gone to rest, you’d better keep working until you pay off today’s debt.
Every month, just from afternoon tea for old Fox and these people, the Prison Director can get thousands of dollars, how could he just let old Fox leave?
Sitting across from the Prison Director, old Fox is grooming his beard, he started growing his beard after coming in.
People always need something to do, and the beard, that’s what he does.
He wipes his beard with a towel, not looking at the Prison Director, nor answering his questions, as if unaware someone else entered the room.
This atmosphere lasted for about a minute or two, and suddenly the expression on the Prison Director’s face twisted.
He abruptly pulled out the rubber baton hanging from the prison guard captain’s waist and slammed it onto the bed board next to old Fox.
The whole bed shook from the immense force.
Old Fox glanced at the rubber baton less than a hand’s width away from him, then looked up at the Prison Director.
"I was born in the countryside when I was a child, I didn’t like that place, I wanted to try my luck in the big city."
"You know, rural kids all yearn for the city."
"But I didn’t know what I could do, I was always switching roles, which also made me encounter many things."
"Once, someone tried to kill me, his knife almost sliced through my throat..."
Old Fox lifts his beard, revealing a scar on his chin, "See it?"
The Prison Director didn’t reply, just continued to stare at this old man.
"I’ll take it as you saw it.", while grooming his beard, he continued, "Later, that person, and his whole family, were wiped out by me."
"Life has taught me one lesson over the years, if you have enemies, foes, you better kill them immediately, never give them the slightest chance for revenge."
"That’s my experience over the years."
He glanced again at the rubber baton, with some disdain and mockery on his face, "So you can’t scare me, Prison Director."
"Our captain has a gun on his waist, you could pull it out and kill me, maybe then I’d respect you a little more!"
Old Fox stared fearlessly at the Prison Director, "Have you decided now?"
For old Fox, he has killed many people in his life and been hunted by many.
Such a situation is of little concern to him.
Besides, he also believes the Prison Director doesn’t dare to do anything to him.
If it had happened before these things, he might dare, but after these things happened, he wouldn’t dare.
Old Fox surely knows the reason for their provocation and confinement, he can sense the Prison Director’s dilemma, because after ordering the guards to confine him, he came to "visit" him.
He is trying to salvage something.
The Prison Director slowly stood up, if it weren’t for a call from such a level of Member of Parliament, a person dying in prison... too common.
Sometimes knowing too much really makes people more cowardly.
He looked at old Fox, pointed at him, turned and left the room.
When leaving this area of the prison, he hesitated, "Don’t give them anything to eat tomorrow and the day after..."
He must express his attitude, especially in front of his subordinates.
The captain nodded to show he understood, then the Prison Director returned to his room, sat for a while, before preparing to leave.
If it wasn’t necessary, he generally wouldn’t leave here.
In prison, he is the dictator here, the Emperor.
But once he leaves here, he becomes an ordinary person again.
He doesn’t like such a change in identity.
Sitting in the car, the Prison Director actually already felt some regret.
He had made some simple matters become more complicated.
Maybe he still has a chance to salvage it?
Thinking about these things, he drove fast along the Intercontinental Highway.
The city’s outline appeared on the horizon from afar, and as he approached the city, he felt a little relieved.
But just then, suddenly a big truck came up quickly from behind.
At first he didn’t mind, it’s normal for trucks to shuttle back and forth on the Intercontinental Highway.
But when the truck tried to get close to him, he got a bit flustered.
He opened the glove box in the passenger seat, and inside laid a revolver, he had a premonition, these matters had something to do with him.
The distance between the two vehicles grew shorter and shorter, the Prison Director had his foot pressed all the way down on the brake, yet couldn’t shake off the distance.
Until the vehicle body noticeably swayed, losing direction in an instant...
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