Chapter 3

 Chapter 3: Prison

Armed with basic toiletries such as towels and basins provided by the prison, Meng Fu was escorted to his cell. Inside, there were bunk beds and ten men crammed into the small space.

As soon as Meng Fu stepped inside, all movement ceased, and every pair of eyes was fixed on him. He felt uneasy, unsure even of which bed to choose.

"You're new here, aren't you?" A man in his forties approached him, his eyes filled with a leering expression. "Soft skin, delicate like a girl. Do you know the rules for newcomers?"

Meng Fu stood still, silent. This was an unfamiliar world, and he had no idea how to adapt to it.

"Go clean the toilet," the man ordered, shoving him toward the foul-smelling bathroom.

"Why should I clean it?" Meng Fu asked.

"That's the rule for newcomers. You clean the toilet for a month. What? Not convinced?" The man lifted his chin, his unkempt beard adding to his menacing appearance.

"Fine," Meng Fu replied. "Can I put my things down first?"

The man, who had clearly been hardened by years in prison, was caught off guard by Meng Fu's compliance. His aggressive demeanor softened slightly.

He pointed toward the top bunk near the door. "That's your bed."

"Second Brother," one of the other prisoners addressed the man respectfully, who nodded in acknowledgment. "Kid, you're replacing the guy who used to sleep here. He was a rapist, but he died a couple of days ago. Got shanked during a gang fight. There were so many involved, nobody knows who struck the fatal blow, but the knife went straight into his heart," he said, tapping his right chest as he spoke.

A slap landed on the back of the speaker's head. "Is your heart on the right side?" someone scolded.

Meng Fu looked up to see the "Big Brother" of the cell—Di Jun, a man in his early thirties, with a deep scar on his forehead that only added to his intimidating presence.

"Kid, that's your bed. Be careful when you sleep at night," Di Jun said before lying back on his bed, opening a book. His lackeys hovered around, massaging his legs and fawning over him.

Meng Fu entered the bathroom but couldn’t last more than two minutes before he vomited. He rinsed his mouth repeatedly at the sink, fighting off a wave of despair.

"Hey, newbie! You didn’t puke in the toilet, did you? Hurry up, Big Brother needs to use it!" someone knocked on the door, laughing.

"I’m almost done," Meng Fu replied, struggling to suppress his nausea as he hurriedly cleaned.

When Meng Fu emerged, one of the prisoners eyed him and commented, "Not bad looking."

Climbing into his bed, Meng Fu pulled out a notebook. One of the men continued, "Yeah, kind of interesting. But Big Brother hates this kind of thing."

"Second Brother, you could have some fun with him," another man suggested.

"Maybe," Zhou Weiguo, the second-in-command, said thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "Hey, newbie, what’s your name? What did you do to get in here?"

Meng Fu set down his notebook and answered calmly, "Meng Fu. Traffic violation."

Over time, Meng Fu learned that Zhou Weiguo had been incarcerated for gun smuggling, while Di Jun, the true leader, was a young mafia boss.

Meng Fu scribbled a few words in his notebook: “First day.”

When Di Jun returned from the bathroom, he cast a cold glance at Meng Fu. Many of the prisoners, pretending to chat, stole glances at him, as if trying to strip him down with their eyes.

Zhou Weiguo, clearly intrigued, bombarded Meng Fu with questions about his age, his crime, his sentence, and even whether he had a girlfriend. Meng Fu answered mechanically, more out of necessity than willingness.

As he doodled absentmindedly, he realized he had written the name "Xie Zhenzhen." Startled, he dropped the notebook.

The room went silent.

Di Jun gestured for someone to pick it up. "Hand it to me," he ordered.

"No, please give it back," Meng Fu leaned forward, his voice rising with tension. Xie Zhenzhen was supposed to be buried deep within his heart.

Di Jun flipped through the first page, reading aloud: “First day. Big A. Xie Zhenzhen. Is she your girlfriend, kid?”

"No," Meng Fu denied quickly.

Di Jun studied him for a moment, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Alright, if you say so." He looked at the handwriting. "Write something for me."

Meng Fu hesitated but climbed down from his bunk. He was determined not to reveal anything about Xie Zhenzhen, keeping her locked away in his heart. 

Di Jun's request was actually quite simple. Despite being a notorious gangster and adopted heir to a crime boss, Di Jun was nearly illiterate. He had been pushed to read by his boss, who saw him as a worthy successor, but Di Jun had always hated reading. After being mocked by a woman he liked for his lack of education, he developed an obsession with handwriting, even if he could barely read.

“What do you want me to write?” Meng Fu asked.

“Anything,” Di Jun shrugged.

Meng Fu glanced at him, then wrote down a few words. His script was elegant and refined, showcasing his scholarly background.

Di Jun squinted at the paper. "‘Anything’?" he read, amused. "You wrote ‘anything’ just because I said you could write whatever you want?"

"It looks good!" one of the prisoners chimed in, and the others echoed in agreement.

“From tomorrow, you’ll teach me how to write,” Di Jun declared.

The room was stunned. This statement signified that Meng Fu was now under Di Jun’s protection, dashing the hopes of anyone with ill intentions. 

"Second Brother, what about—" someone whispered to Zhou Weiguo.

"Damn it! The new guy managed to win over Big Brother just like that," Zhou Weiguo grumbled, disappointed that Meng Fu was now out of reach.

"Second Brother, that choice of words..." another man teased.

"What did you say?!" Zhou Weiguo snapped.

Di Jun, clearly pleased with his new "scholar," envisioned impressing the woman he liked, Yi Ying, when she next visited. She was the one who had brought him his *Naruto* manga to keep him entertained.

"Your name is Meng Fu, right?"

"Yes."

"Come here. I have some questions for you." Di Jun pulled out the book he had been reading earlier.

Meng Fu was taken aback when he saw the cover.

It was a *Naruto* manga.

"My woman gave this to me to pass the time when she visited," Di Jun explained as his men eagerly leaned in to watch.

“What are you looking at? Get back to your beds!” Di Jun barked, and the prisoners quickly scattered, though some snuck glances as they retreated.

"What does that word say? Rat?" Di Jun asked, pointing at a character in the comic.

“It’s pronounced ‘Itachi,’” Meng Fu corrected him.

"And this one?"

“Kabuto.”

"And this one?"

“...”

END OF THE CHAPTER