Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 230: After modification: Volume 4 Chapter 19 Meeting

On the seventh day of entering the prison, after work, Tian Xingjian was taken into the management room by a guard in his forties.

Inside the management room, besides Elliot, there were two other inmates in prison uniforms. With just a glance, Fatty already knew their identities. The information Russell provided was clear: the two inmates so powerful they had a guard posted outside to keep watch were none other than the current Emperor James’ brother, Prince Sidney. This short and thin yet spirited old man was not the only member of the Morton family to hold the title of prince and enter Abnosk Prison. Before him, at least four princes had died of old age in Abnosk Prison.

The other inmate, a tall man in his fifties, was none other than former Army Admiral Gold, the one who had sent Russell into the Military Department. He had fallen from grace in an aborted assassination attempt against Emperor James. Once the best of friends with Prince Sidney, James hadn’t even looked at the evidence before tossing this influential military figure into Abnosk Prison to keep Sidney company in chess.

Clearly, they represented the nobility and the military. These two not only were good friends but also led the two dominating factions in the prison. Therefore, these factions were currently more unified than ever. Fatty smiled slightly. At the very least, before any escape attempts, these factions would remain united, but in this land of betrayal, nothing was certain. He reached out to shake hands with them and sat down calmly.

Sidney scrutinized the unassuming Fatty in front of him, a trace of disappointment unconcealed in his eyes. This formerly deeply scheming old man had been stripped of all his disguises after staying in prison for so long. He had placed all his last hopes on this operation but never expected the one sent to assist in the escape would be such a pale and noisy Fatty.

Gold looked at Fatty thoughtfully. A soldier’s instinct made him realize that the seemingly harmless Fatty might not be as simple as his appearance suggested.

The room was silent, with no one speaking a word, not even simple pleasantries. Fatty sat quietly on a chair, looking at Sidney and Gold. Finally, Sidney couldn’t endure the atmosphere and asked, ”Why aren’t you speaking?”

Fatty smiled slightly and said, ”Because I want to know how strong your desire to leave this place is.”

Sidney responded without hesitation, ”Every day, every minute, every second!”

Fatty laughed, ”But just now, you wasted three minutes and five seconds. It seems you don’t trust us very much... No, to be precise, you doubt my abilities. You hesitate, waver, and can’t make a firm decision.”

Gold said, ”Mr. Zhang, you know, as this is our first meeting, we can’t help but be cautious.”

Fatty nodded slightly, ”I understand, but my appearance before you means everything outside has been taken care of, and to successfully execute this operation, we need unconditional trust and full cooperation!” He shrugged and gave a slight smile, ”What I don’t understand is, even if the plan fails, what could you possibly lose? Life?.....”

Seeing Sidney and Gold remain silent, Fatty slowly stood up, ”If you’re not prepared for a nine-deaths-one-life scenario or think it’s necessary to spend the rest of your life here in peace and are hesitant to risk it all for freedom, then I think our conversation can end here! Consider my visit a wasted trip.”

Sidney gestured for Fatty to sit down and sighed, ”Maybe staying in this prison for so long has smoothed out our edges and spirit. Some ideas change unconsciously. You’re right; we indeed have nothing to lose. A foolproof plan is impossible, and such an operation carries immense risk.” He exchanged a glance with Gold and smiled at Fatty, ”If we don’t trust the person General Russell sent, then there’s no one we can trust. So, from today, we will give you complete, unconditional trust, and all our actions will follow your command. I hope one day, I can personally make you some of my specialty dishes.”

Fatty smiled slightly; Russell’s information was accurate. Sidney’s favorite hobby was cooking.

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In December 2061, regardless of the international turmoil or the fierce battles on the frontlines, Abnosk Prison remained as calm as ever. Only the increasing number of guards indicated that Tanville’s situation was not peaceful.

More than a month of prison life passed quite comfortably for Fatty; except for the lack of freedom and the need to get up early for work, his days were enjoyable. Rex, having recovered physically, was no longer the tyrant of D2 cell. Now, Rex was particularly obedient in front of Fatty. The other inmates thought it was due to a severe beating from Fatty, but only Fatty knew it was because Rex refused to remember his pains, being influenced by commands subconsciously implanted in him.

The Doctor and other inmates no longer lived in constant fear. They found that as long as Fatty wasn’t provoked, he was completely harmless, though he shamelessly often stole meat from others’ bowls, justifying it as ”sharing the fortune.” If anyone dared to touch his food, they would ”share the misfortune.” Fatty always ate the best parts first and then brazenly committed petty theft. Even with this, the inmates found life better than when Rex alone consumed five portions of food essence.

For those in dire straits, sometimes the smallest kindness could win their gratitude. Over time, the Doctor and other inmates, long oppressed by Rex, gradually began to trust Fatty. As the de facto leader of the cell, Fatty never bullied anyone. Even when he stole a piece of meat, he’d accompany it with a humble smile. For weak inmates like the Doctor and others at the bottom of the prison hierarchy, being respected and living peacefully was their dream come true!

However, this trust had its consequences; Fatty had thoroughly learned Tou’er’s signature skills.

Tou’er, originally a head of a gang of thieves on the streets of Tanville, was young yet held high seniority. His superb stealing skills were unmatched. He once bet on his skills, lifting the wallets of thirteen out of twenty-plus tourists in a single encounter without detection. This experience was his proudest boast, recounted countless times to his cellmates.

Indeed, Tou’er’s skills were as he claimed—if he wanted to steal, he could! With a criminal prowess that was almost otherworldly, his nimble hands would slip into pockets as softly as a feather, his rich experience allowing him to instantly pinpoint the location of a wallet and assess the value of a person’s jewelry. When, where, how to create an opportunity, how to switch targets, and how to escape could all be compiled into a manual.

Now, all of this belonged to Fatty.

Within half a month, Tou’er had to admit that Fatty was a born thief, with his honest demeanor and dexterous movements. His learning ability was surreal; Tou’er would start teaching, and Fatty would quickly grasp and improvise, often making Tou’er feel rueful about Fatty’s missed calling in academia. A model student in any teacher’s eyes, his prowess made even the novice instructors feel like genius professors.

Soon, Tou’er no longer dared to compete in skills with Fatty. In their mutual stealing contests, Tou’er lost repeatedly, not because Fatty’s techniques were superior but due to his opportunistic abilities and shameless moves, ensuring an almost unfailing success.

Doctor, Tou’er’s partner, found in this era where paper money had long become history, modern people used highly encrypted credit cards, and Doctor was an expert in cracking them. Originally a high-level programmer, Doc also learned biostimulation techniques for criminal purposes. Whenever Tou’er swiped a credit card and simultaneously collected some hair or skin flakes, Doctor could replicate the DNA and trick the recognition systems.

The unlucky duo ended up in Abnosk Prison because they stole something they shouldn’t—a card. Curiosity killed the cat; as Doctor inserted the card into his computer to crack it and view the contents, special forces swooped in and arrested them. They were sentenced to 120 years in prison for stealing state secrets and other crimes like theft.

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Had something to attend to, ended up past midnight. This Chapter still counts as the second Chapter on the 13th.

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