Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 88 - 87: An Inauspicious Start

Chapter 88: Chapter 87: An Inauspicious Start

Yang Yi was assigned to a single cell, a privilege usually reserved for the most dangerous inmates, which he now enjoyed.

Actually, being in solitary confinement was hardly a good thing. Humans are social animals, and prison was boring enough already. Being isolated for long periods could drive a person mad.

However, Yang Yi was quite pleased to have a room to himself for the time being, as he had not yet reached the point of boredom.

Yang Yi was excited, incredibly excited, because he had seen Zhang Yong. He was now just waiting for the exercise yard time, when he would have a chance to meet with Zhang Yong. Then he would have achieved the main goal of his incarceration.

The wait was excruciating, but the moment the exercise bell rang, Yang Yi immediately stood at the cell door.

The end of his ordeal was finally in sight.

As the cell door opened, Yang Yi immediately stepped outside, then saw the other inmates one by one leaving their cells and standing at their doors.

In the minimum-security block, guards mingled with the inmates, meaning they could come into contact with the prisoners. But in the maximum-security block, it was different; inmates were thoroughly separated from the guards by wire mesh. Even if a guard stood just a meter away, the prisoners couldn’t touch them.

In the maximum-security block, attacks on guards by inmates were too common. No guard would willingly place themselves among the inmates. Physical contact with inmates would only happen with at least three or four guards acting in concert, and only when all other inmates were locked in their cells.

The maximum-security block was a high-risk area, so nearly all the guards carried guns, mainly loaded with rubber bullets. However, if the situation became serious or unmanageable, they would not hesitate to use real bullets.

Once out of his cell, Yang Yi suppressed his impulse to rush forward, standing at his cell door until the guards ordered the inmates to form a line and slowly start walking out.

Yang Yi felt all eyes on him were unfriendly, which made him uncertain whether it was just his imagination or if everyone in the prison really wanted to give him a hard time.

Finally out of the cell block and onto the exercise yard, inmates began to disperse in twos and threes or gathered in larger groups.

One oddity of Pelican Bay Prison was that there were more maximum-security inmates than minimum-security ones. A common trait with all other prisons was that the racial groups stuck together: Black inmates with blacks, whites with whites, Latinos with Latinos. As for Asian inmates, Yang Yi didn’t spot any at all.

A single Asian man standing alone on the exercise yard and looking around was frankly quite dangerous.

"Hey, what are you looking at? Are you looking at me? What do you want to do?"

A group of four or five black men were chatting and enjoying themselves, but one of them noticed Yang Yi and suddenly started shouting at him like a cat with its tail stepped on.

Yang Yi inwardly cursed the man for being a lunatic, then quickly looked away, but this only angered the black man further.

"I’m asking you a question, are you deaf?"

The black man started walking towards Yang Yi, but at that moment, Yang Yi finally spotted the person he had been searching for.

Zhang Yong sat alone on a bench, a group of black men on his left had been blocking Yang Yi’s view.

Yang Yi was puzzled because Zhang Yong had taken up a spot that typically belonged to gang members. For someone alone like Zhang Yong, the space he occupied was suspiciously large and favorable.

Not wanting to attract too much attention, but feeling that if he didn’t act now he’d get caught up in yet another pointless dispute, Yang Yi realized that people here were always looking for trouble. If they saw him as an easy target, no matter what he did, someone would want to make his life unmanageable.

Ignoring the black man bearing down on him, Yang Yi broke into a run towards Zhang Yong.

Watching Yang Yi suddenly take off, all eyes, including those of the armed guards, were fixed on him.

Having carefully avoided everyone along the way, Yang Yi rushed straight to Zhang Yong.

Seeing Yang Yi run up to Zhang Yong, the black inmate who had been looking for trouble immediately turned around and walked back, while the other prisoners acted as if nothing had happened and continued doing what they had been before, even the guards turned their faces away.

Zhang Yong sat on a bench, a row of playing cards laid out in front of him and another stack in his hand. Hearing the sound, he glanced sideways at Yang Yi and then returned his gaze to the cards as if he had not seen Yang Yi, who shared his skin color.

"Hello."

"Mhm, hello."

Yang Yi was excited, feeling as though he was meeting an idol. Even though the person in front of him seemed cold, he thought that this might just be what a master’s demeanor is like.

For a moment, Yang Yi was at a loss for how to continue the conversation.

After taking a deep breath, Yang Yi cautiously said, "Excuse me, are you ’Worm’?"

Looking up at Yang Yi again, Zhang Yong replied expressionlessly, "If you’re looking for a worm, dig in the ground. I’m not a worm."

Yang Yi paused for a moment and then continued carefully, "I’m looking for Zhang Yong."

Zhang Yong sighed heavily, slapped the cards onto his hand, and shook his head, "Trouble always finds me, you even know my name, seems I can’t hide from it, damn! Speak, what do you want?"

Yang Yi ventured cautiously, "Well, it’s a bit complicated to explain..."

"Then can we not talk about it?"

Yang Yi was taken aback once again, then he quickly said, "No, it was so hard for me to get to see you. The thing is, I was referred by the captain, that is, Danny."

Zhang Yong looked at Yang Yi with great annoyance and then said helplessly, "I just... forget it, forget it, I’ll say no more, just tell me straight what you want."

Danny’s influence obviously made a difference, and Yang Yi, suppressing his excitement, said, "I’ve come to seek you as my teacher. The captain said that if I wanted to..."

"Stop! Halt! What did you just say?"

"Uh, seek a teacher?"

"Right, you want to seek a teacher? What do you mean?"

Yang Yi cautiously said, "I want to learn useful knowledge from you. The captain said only you can teach me, so he sent me here. I was first in the area for those with lighter sentences, but got transferred here today just to meet you."

Zhang Yong raised a hand and then said very seriously, "Hold on, aren’t you mistaken about something? Kid, I came to prison to be left in peace, and now you suddenly show up wanting me to teach you? Alright, I just want to know, what could I possibly teach you?"

Yang Yi spoke slowly, "I want to become a spy."

"Ha, hahaha."

With two odd laughs, Zhang Yong’s face turned stern, "Can’t do it, can’t teach you, you might as well find someone more skilled."