In the dimly lit corridor of the prison, Huang Wei moved swiftly, his pace matching the hurried rhythm of his thoughts. He held the phone to his ear, his face carrying the exhaustion of sleepless nights. His voice, however, remained composed as he inquired, "According to Ren Ye's status before the accident, what's his full pension?"
"Ren agreed?" came the voice from the other end, tinged with curiosity.
"Yes, he agreed."
A brief silence followed before the man replied, "The compensation standard of his former unit is twenty times the per capita disposable income from the previous year, plus forty months' salary based on his rank. If he has personal honors, there'll be additional allowances. Roughly calculated, it should be over a million."
"Get the materials done now. The numbers must be precise. I'll submit the application tomorrow morning. The funds must be approved before he enters," Huang Wei ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"This his condition?"
"No. He hasn't mentioned it yet, but I want to offer it. Whether he succeeds or not, it doesn't matter." Huang Wei's voice was calm, almost detached.
"Understood. I'll handle the paperwork," the man agreed quickly. Then, with a tone of curiosity, he added, "Boss, I'm really curious—how did you convince him to enter?"
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Huang Wei's mouth. His response was light, his words coated in casual confidence. "Heh, just a little charisma."
The next day, at noon, Ren Ye was pulled from his duties on the sewing machine, escorted out of the prison area, and placed into an ordinary commercial vehicle. Throughout the process, he didn't sign a single document, nor did he go through the formalities of leaving the prison. Legally speaking, he was still serving his sentence in Qingfu Prison, and no one in society knew of his existence.
From that alone, it was clear—Huang Wei and his department were extraordinarily powerful.
In the car, alongside Huang Wei, sat a young female driver, no older than twenty. She was striking in appearance, with sharp eyes that glinted with intelligence. Standing at least 1.72 meters tall, her formal suit and slightly open collar emphasized her striking figure, the kind that commanded attention in any room.
With her left hand firmly gripping the steering wheel, her right hand held a phone to her ear. She scrolled through a voice message in a group chat.
"Nian Nian, I hear you've discovered a potential recruit from the prison, a guy named Ren Ye. Is that true?"
"Yeah, I've heard the same. What's the situation? He's out of prison now, doesn't that seem a little... limitless?"
"I heard Ren's a murderer—can someone like that even be recruited? Seems outrageous!"
"Has his career path been decided yet?"
The female driver cleared her throat intentionally before replying, her voice casual but authoritative. "It's all just rumors, nothing reliable. Don't tag me in this, I'm waiting for the door to open in training." She then tucked the phone into her narrow trouser pocket, dismissing the conversation.
Ren Ye, who had been listening to the gossip in the group chat, looked at Huang Wei with a puzzled expression.
Huang Wei waved off the concern with a dismissive gesture, his tone nonchalant as he settled into the passenger seat. "It's just a bunch of kids talking. Don't bother with it. Niannian, drive."
Though Huang Wei's words were vague, Ren Ye found himself even more confused. Had this conversation about him taken place while he was still inside? And why had the long-legged driver lied? Clearly, there was more to the situation than he realized.
Ren Ye felt a wave of doubt settle in his mind as the commercial vehicle pulled away from the prison's parking lot, the scenery of the street rushing by.
The weather was clear, the sky unmarred by clouds, and the sun bathed everything in a warm, golden light. Its rays touched Ren Ye's skin, making him appear almost ethereal, fairer than he'd ever looked—almost transparent.
It had been a long time since he had seen the sun outside the prison walls. The sense of freedom was overwhelming, a stark contrast to the life he had been locked away from.
The vehicle soon arrived at No. 88 Lianhu Road, a small two-story building that seemed unremarkable from the outside.
"You two talk, I've got work to do." The long-legged driver, Nian Nian, tossed a quick greeting over her shoulder before disappearing into the hall.
Ren Ye glanced around the place, noting how quiet it was. No one seemed to be here—no staff, no visitors. It felt oddly deserted, even for a "special unit." "You guys are pretty empty here," he remarked.
Huang Wei, with a smile that hinted at a secret, replied, "They're off observing some... interesting phenomenon."
Ren Ye gave a brief nod and followed Huang Wei as they descended the stairs to the B2 floor. The decorations and furnishings of the floor were nondescript, almost mundane, resembling any other institutional department, perhaps even outdated.
They walked until they reached a door marked with a nameplate that read "Red Eye Battle."
Ren Ye raised an eyebrow. "Is that your code name? Pretty flashy. Reminds me of the 996 grind."
Huang Wei swiped his card to unlock the door, turning to face Ren Ye with a casual smile. "Come on in."
Ren Ye followed him inside, the door clicking shut behind them.
"Sit," Huang Wei said, already settling into a chair. He scratched his nose absently and poured two glasses of water, offering one to Ren Ye.
Ren Ye observed the room, taking a seat in the chair beside the desk, remaining silent.
Huang Wei leaned back in his chair, looking at Ren Ye with a mixture of seriousness and amusement. "I need to be honest with you. You have a chance to walk away right now. Leave this building, grab a taxi at the door, and head back to the prison. When you step back in, you'll be back on the sewing machine, and nothing changes."
He placed the water cup in front of Ren Ye before sitting across from him. "But once we start this conversation, there's no going back. It's all or nothing."
Ren Ye smiled, his eyes glinting with irony. "I can't stand leaders like you. You're the one who asked me to come, and now it seems like you're trying to talk me out of it. Isn't that a bit rich?"
Huang Wei shrugged, a rueful grin tugging at his lips. "Yeah, it's a bit annoying, but it makes things seem more democratic, doesn't it?"
Ren Ye snorted, playing along with the half-joke. "Sure, if you say so."
Huang Wei's expression suddenly turned serious. He extended his hand to Ren Ye. "Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Huang Wei. A Star Gate player, second-tier Star Envoy, and my stage title is Blood Pupil Monk. I'm the owner of the warrior lineage."
Ren Ye stared at him, incredulous. "Wait, what do you mean? A 'Gamer'? 'Star Envoy'? I don't understand... what are you talking about?"