Chapter 98: An Anxious Feeling

“Did you give the two escaped convicts several maps of the detention center and the entry/exit routes?” Xiao Yu coldly stared at the prisoner across from him.

In his forties, the prisoner had an air of sophistication, lacking any gangster demeanor, and didn’t resemble a petty thug. If he weren’t wearing the detention center’s vest, people might believe he was a successful business executive. And indeed, he was the owner of a certain company. Due to unpaid bank loans, he had been detained at the detention center.

Bai Yuqiang, male, 43 years old, a local.

“Officer, you must be mistaken,” Bai Yuqiang smiled kindly. “How could I have such things?”

“When I treat you as a human, please act like one,” Xiao Yu stared at him intently. “Can you do that?”

Bai Yuqiang’s face changed, and he fell silent. 

Such a deep schemer, the silent ones were always the most insidious and profound. Xiao Yu shook his head. He didn’t have time to waste and signaled to the two national security officers.

Seeing the two officers’ cold expressions as they approached him, Bai Yuqiang’s face turned pale, and he tried to speak. 

But it was too late.

Xiao Yu had given him a chance. It was like everyone’s fate, once missed, it was gone. No amount of regret could undo it.

Half an hour later, a national security officer approached Xiao Yu, “Because of his special status, the detention center staff treated him with extra care, allowing him access to certain areas. Those maps were originally for his own use.”

“What?” Xiao Yu was stunned. “An escaped convict… unsuccessful?”

Quite a cunning move, was it due to a lack of social punishment?

“Sort of,” the officer nodded.

“The main point?” Xiao Yu asked, “How did he agree to give the maps he painstakingly made to Ma Hexuan and Lu Jia?”

“A promise,” the officer explained, “Ma Hexuan promised him ten million yuan if he got out.”

“Ha!” Xiao Yu laughed. “He believed that?”

“Yes,” the officer nodded, “Because two months ago, Ma Hexuan somehow managed to send one million yuan to his family.”

Xiao Yu fell silent, his face darkening. The method wasn’t sophisticated, similar to bribing a servant. Many people were like this. No matter how loudly they shouted their slogans, when real money was thrown in their face, they would scream, “Boss, tonight don’t treat me as a person!”

The source of the entry/exit maps and the layout maps was clear now. But why did he still feel something was off? 

Xiao Yu frowned.

Detention center surveillance was pulled up.

Why were they only now looking at the surveillance footage?

Because they didn’t want to see their colleagues being killed. Not only Xiao Yu didn’t want to watch it, but many police officers would avoid it as well. That heart-wrenching feeling was something ordinary people wouldn’t understand. 

***

The surveillance footage played.

At 1:38 a.m., a hand reached out from the small window in the door of the servant’s cell, holding a glass bottle. Orange liquid was poured onto the handle of the cell door.

Xiao Yu’s pupils contracted slightly.

What was that?

Oil.

Oil has many uses, but most types of oil share a common purpose, lubrication.

Why pour it on the door handle?

When an iron door is moved, it makes noise. But if oil is poured on it…

Xiao Yu’s eyes fixed on the handle outside the cell door, and he sighed.

As expected, it wasn’t locked, just bolted. This was because the guards trusted these servants too much, knowing they would be released in a few days. In the minds of normal people, how could such prisoners even think of escaping?

But this was indeed a lapse in duty and a serious mistake.

An iron hook wrapped in cloth extended from the small window of the cell door, slowly hooking onto the handle. Gradually, it moved the handle without making any noise, pulling open the bolt.

Immediately, the cell door was slowly pushed open. It wasn’t opened very wide, just enough to allow a person to squeeze through. A head peeked out through the gap.

Xiao Yu murmured to himself, “Lu Jia!”

Lu Jia slowly walked out of the cell.  Then, Ma Hexuan also cautiously followed. But…

When Xiao Yu saw Ma Hexuan’s face, he was stunned.

Why?

He saw Ma Hexuan’s face, pale and terrified. Such an expression did not resemble someone about to break out of prison. 

Xiao Yu frowned and continued watching.

Ma Hexuan and Lu Jia sneakily made their way down the corridor until they reached an iron door. Lu Jia took out a card. It was an access card.

Xiao Yu’s eyes were fixed on this card. There was no need to guess, it was a card specifically for prison guards.  If a guard lost their card, it would cause chaos and necessitate finding it immediately. Therefore, it couldn’t have been given by a guard.

So, the question arose. How did Lu Jia get the card?

The iron door beeped and opened.

At this moment, both of them appeared extremely nervous. However, no guards appeared. This was because the guard’s office and rest area were some distance from this door.

Another question arose. The corridor was under surveillance, so why hadn’t anyone seen them?

It was nearly two in the morning. 

Xiao Yu’s expression was complicated. The only explanation for why no one noticed was that the person on duty was either dozing off or asleep.

Then, Lu Jia and Ma Hexuan headed straight for the guards’ rest area.

The video switched to the guard’s rest area, where a prison guard was resting with his head on the desk.

The door quietly opened.

Lu Jia’s expression was twisted with malice, while Ma Hexuan’s face was as pale as a sheet of paper. Nonetheless, they quietly approached the guard and exchanged glances.

Suddenly, Lu Jia grabbed the guard by the hair and yanked him up. Immediately, he covered the guard’s mouth with a damp cloth in his other hand.

Meanwhile, Ma Hexuan, trembling all over, held a sharply pointed, polished toothbrush in his hand, hesitating.

As the guard snapped out of his confusion and began to struggle, Ma Hexuan gritted his teeth and started stabbing.

Once, twice, three times… blood spattered.

Eventually, the guard stopped moving.

Lu Jia released his grip.

Ma Hexuan collapsed to the ground, looking as if he had lost his soul, completely in shock.

Lu Jia gave him a hard shove, bringing him back to his senses. Then, Lu Jia took the dead guard’s handgun, his face twisted in a grimace and said something to Ma Hexuan.

The two then left the rest area, heading towards the control room.