Genius Playground

Sang Biao started spewing bullshit again:

”In a rush to visit his grave, are you?!”

”Agree to his terms.”

Cell 5!

The man in Cell 5 had spoken again!

”Accept his condition, Sang Biao.”

The man’s voice was as steady and authoritative as ever:

”You should be glad he’s even willing to break out with you. Otherwise... none of us will join in. You can go by yourself.”

Sang Biao ground his teeth, his expression strained as if he were choking. His face cycled through a rainbow of colors.

Finally.

With a final, loud GRIND of his teeth...

He walked over.

He viciously slapped his thick hand onto Jiang Ran’s shoulder twice. The force was so great it nearly popped the joint out of its socket.

”You’ve got balls.”

Sang Biao whispered in Jiang Ran’s ear:

”Real balls on you.”

With that, he turned, walked over to Cell 5, and began picking the lock with a piece of wire.

”I’m only responsible for getting him to the execution ground. After that, you all can go wherever the hell you want. If you’re looking to get killed, I’m not sticking around to watch.”

CLICK!

With a sharp sound, Sang Biao skillfully picked the lock on Cell 5.

”Get mine.” ”I’m going too.”

The stupid young man and the Bookworm both called for Sang Biao to open their locks.

At this point, staying in their cells was just waiting to die. It was far better to work together and bet everything on this golden opportunity.

If they succeeded, they’d be free for the rest of their lives.

If they failed, well, they would just have to accept their fate.

CLICK! CLICK!

Sang Biao might have looked like a crude, oafish brute, but he had a real talent for thievery. It was as if he’d found a rhythm, and he picked the locks faster and faster.

As the two iron-barred doors across the way swung open, the stupid young man and the Bookworm emerged from their dim cells.

The stupid young man was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old and stood around five-foot-seven. He had clearly defined muscles, the look of a trained fighter who hadn’t neglected his regimen even while locked up.

The Bookworm looked older. He was gaunt and seemed somewhat listless, but now, spurred by the adrenaline of the escape, a healthy flush was slowly returning to his cheeks. A nervous fog even began to mist up his glasses.

Finally.

The final act, the big shot from Cell 5, emerged at last.

After leaving his cell, he turned and walked directly to the adjacent Cell 3 to get a look at Jiang Ran.

And Jiang Ran finally got to see this mysterious inmate from Cell 5...

He was a little surprised.

’This refined, handsome, middle-aged man... no matter how I look at him, his entire vibe is completely at odds with the bleak backdrop of a prison.’

He admitted to himself that he shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

But...

’Take Sang Biao, for example. One look at him and you knew he was born for prison. Born in prison, raised in prison, live in prison, die in prison. He was practically made to be an inmate.’

’But this inmate from Cell 5... he was in his forties, about five-foot-eleven, with fair skin and sharp, intelligent eyes. He looked more like one of those cold, domineering CEOs from a novel.’

’His face showed none of Sang Biao’s ferocity, the stupid young man’s rashness, or the Bookworm’s dejection.’

’It was a look of calm acceptance.’

’The composure of a man who made his bet and was prepared to accept the consequences.’

The man looked at Jiang Ran, smiling as he nodded.

”Just as I thought. You really are different.”

”Why do you say that?” Jiang Ran asked.

”We’ll talk about it later.”

The man extended a hand in a friendly gesture. After shaking it, he pulled Jiang Ran out of the dim cell and into the corridor.

”What should I call you?” Jiang Ran asked again.

”Assassin.”

The man replied calmly:

”They all call me Assassin.”

’Assassin?’

Jiang Ran looked at him, puzzled.

’It had to be another nickname, just like Sang Biao, the stupid young man, and the Bookworm.’

’But...’

’They say you can get a name wrong, but you can’t get a nickname wrong.’

’The others’ nicknames fit them perfectly. But why was this cold, domineering CEO-type called ’Assassin’?’

’The nickname just didn’t match his aura at all.’

Jiang Ran actually had a pretty good impression of the man. At the very least, during the back-and-forth with Sang Biao, this man had consistently sided with him and showed a strange amount of trust in him.

”So why do they call you Assassin?”

Jiang Ran was genuinely curious.

”Isn’t it obvious?”

The man looked at Jiang Ran and gave a slight smile.

”I’ve killed people.”