In front of him was an open window, with a middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes standing before it, exuding an extraordinary demeanor. At this moment, he was holding a cup of Starbucks coffee, gazing leisurely at the sky outside the window and sipping his drink, leaving only his tall silhouette to all living beings.
Huang Yi’s eyelids twitched, he never expected to see such a scene! How could someone be here, in the strictest prison in the world, dressed in a neat suit, casually drinking coffee as if he were a corporate executive in a skyscraper, the epitome of an elegant gentleman—with not the slightest hint of a criminal?
No foreign objects were allowed in Rose Prison, and Huang Yi’s Golden Ring had only come into his possession after a tightly coordinated effort by a group, and after many plans were implemented. Yet here stood this middle-aged man, swaggering in a suit, drinking coffee; it was utterly baffling. How did he get his suit? How did he come by the coffee in his hand?
Soon, two burly men brought Huang Yi and Louis behind the middle-aged man. One of the burly men pressed down on Louis’s shoulder, forcing him to kneel instantly.
"What have you done?" the middle-aged man spoke without turning around. He continued to face away from the crowd, looking at the dark clouds outside the window while he drank his coffee, his tone unhurried as though engaging in casual conversation.
"I—I was doing an experiment, and it accidentally exploded, killing over a hundred people!" Louis quickly bowed his head and responded tremulously, though the middle-aged man seemed approachable, Louis didn’t dare to be careless.
"Hmm! Manslaughter, there are extenuating circumstances," the middle-aged man nodded lightly and took a sip of coffee, saying indifferently, "Let’s be lenient, give him ten lashes."
"Yes!" Upon hearing the middle-aged man’s judgment, the two burly men immediately stepped forward and escorted Louis to a corner behind the crowd.
Swiftly, Huang Yi heard a loud "thud!" followed by the agonizing screams of Louis.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
...
The screams echoed in the dark prison, sending shivers down one’s spine, as if transported back to an ancient execution ground.
After Louis had let out ten screams, silence returned to the venue.
Huang Yi waited quietly; it should be his turn next. This middle-aged man was indeed no ordinary person, acting as if he were the true judge, his few words determining the fate of beings without the need for any legal clauses. His word was law, instantly enforceable upon declaration.
"What have you done?" As expected, the middle-aged man spoke again. He still hadn’t turned around, leaving only his upright silhouette for Huang Yi.
"I killed a man," Huang Yi said calmly.
"Who did you kill?" the middle-aged man took a gentle sip of coffee.
"The Chairman of the World Federation."
In that moment, the air seemed to freeze, the middle-aged man abruptly stopped; his right hand holding the coffee, three feet from his lips, yet those three feet might as well have been frozen in time, motionless.
Not just him, everyone in the cell halted, even their breathing seemed to have ceased!
"Crack!" Just then, a clap of thunder sounded, bringing with it the noise of the first raindrop hitting the ground outside the window.
The long-anticipated rain had finally begun to fall.
Bright lightning flashed, piercing through the windows into the dark, damp cell and illuminating Huang Yi as if he were the protagonist under the spotlights on stage.
Over a hundred silent faces, obscured in the darkness, quietly watched him.
After a long time, the middle-aged man finally regained his composure, and the previously frozen atmosphere in the room began to melt away. He slowly set down his coffee, turned around unhurriedly, elegantly wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, and then turned his head to look at Huang Yi!
In that moment, Huang Yi felt as though a tangible gaze had landed on him. The middle-aged man’s eyes were like knives pressed against his chest, capable of piercing through at any moment.
The man was about forty years old, with a square face and a buzz cut. His bright eyes shimmered with intensity, and he wore a clean and sharp black suit with a perfectly tied necktie. He looked like a cultured and successful gentleman who was out of place in the dark and damp prison, almost like a sun in the darkness, blindingly bright.
Huang Yi’s expression remained calm as he locked eyes with the middle-aged man, neither of them speaking again. The lightning outside flickered, casting their silhouettes in a blur, while the thunderous rain added a chill to the atmosphere.
Suddenly, the middle-aged man slowly extended his hands and brought his palms together—"clap clap clap!"
Applause.
The middle-aged man was actually clapping!
As the sound of applause erupted, the entire prison seemed to boil over. From the first floor to the fifth, all the criminals started clapping! Like thunder! Deafening! Unending!
It was such an enthusiastic applause, like greeting a hero in their hearts, truly heartfelt, without the slightest hint of reluctance!
Huang Yi was slightly taken aback. No matter how he imagined, he could never have envisioned such a scenario. He’d thought the middle-aged man was going to harm him, but the outcome was completely the opposite!
"Very good! Very good!" The middle-aged man stopped clapping and nodded in praise, "Young man, what’s your name?"
"My name is Huang Yi. Who are you?"
"Me? I am Lei Shen, the last death row inmate in this world." The middle-aged man’s face still wore a faint smile, as if he was discussing a trivial matter.
"Death row inmate?" Huang Yi’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. Ten years ago, a group of terrorists caused an unprecedented nuclear leak in the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the death of a billion people and a sharp decline in the global population. The newly formed World Federation announced the abolition of the death penalty. From then on, the word "death" was officially removed from human jurisprudence, marking the true entrance of humanity into a new era of civilization.
Currently, the highest punishment of the World Federation was life imprisonment. Rose Prison should house criminals sentenced to such terms, and even Huang Yi, the murderer of the Federal President, was no exception. Yet, the man before him, Lei Shen, claimed to be a death row inmate! This was understandably puzzling!
"What crime did you commit?" Huang Yi voiced his doubt.
Lei Shen raised an eyebrow and shook his head slightly, "No, I don’t think I’m guilty. I merely did a good deed."
"What deed?"
"The Pacific Ocean nuclear leak."
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Thank you to kulamingyue and Lord of Sinister Heart for their generous rewards!