HCB 183. The Greedy Warden
183. The Greedy Warden
"Put it down! Put down everything you're holding! Don't pick it up!"
The prison guards were dumbfounded. In all their years working in the prison, they'd never seen anyone throw cigarettes, alcohol, or magazines inside. This was outrageous! But then again, it was the Razor Shield Society—the infamous Razor Shield Society. Just recently, on the pebble beach of the Huangpu River, the Razor Shield Society, with only a few dozen members, had scattered over four hundred people from several gangs who had joined forces. The average person might not know this, but it had already spread throughout their prison.
As Japanese soldiers approached outside the prison, the Razor Claws members, having thrown stones, scattered and fled. The Japanese didn't pursue them, as the group hadn't done anything too extreme. However, what worried them was that they hadn't noticed these people gathering beforehand. If they were Communists, Kuomintang members, or guerrillas, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Boss Zhou, here comes your three-gun emplacement!"
The monkey was now even more respectful to Zhou Hongyi, offering him a pack of cigarettes with both hands.
Zhou Hongyi flicked the bottom of the cigarette pack with his finger, sending a cigarette flying into the air. He caught it and put it in his mouth. Immediately afterward, another inmate from the same cell brought him a lighter that had been thrown down from outside, and with a "ding," lit his cigarette.
The surrounding prison guards were constantly driving away and beating prisoners who were trying to smuggle cigarettes and alcohol with sticks, while Zhou Hongyi sat in the center, seemingly isolated from the world, smoking and looking quite comfortable.
The chaos that ensued in the prison took a great deal of effort from the guards to quell. All the prisoners were put in their cells, and even the afternoon's work was temporarily canceled.
“You, 0434, come with me. The warden wants to see you.”
A prison guard with a slightly complicated expression led Zhou Hongyi out of his cell and towards the side office area. On the second floor of the office area, he pushed open a rather heavy door, which led to the office of the warden of an ordinary prison ward.
The warden had a round face and sparse hair, which he combed back into a slicked-back style that looked shiny and gave him an overall dignified appearance.
When he saw Zhou Hongyi come in, he looked him up and down a few times, then waved his hand, signaling the other prison guards to leave first.
"Young Master Zhou, Director Zhou, it's truly a pleasure to meet you in person! Although the location is a bit awkward, it's a great honor to sit and converse with such a prominent figure in Shanghai as you. Please, have a seat!"
The warden was very polite from the start, not only inviting Zhou Hongyi to sit on the sofa but also personally pouring him a glass of wine.
"This is a Western liquor that I have treasured. Director Zhou, could you please taste it and see if it's genuine?"
Zhou Hongyi glanced at it and immediately guessed it was whiskey. He picked it up, took a small sip, smacked his lips, and said, "It's alright, it's genuine, but not anything special. May I ask the warden's name? When I get out, I'll pick out a few good bottles from the Paramount and send them over to you."
The warden's eyes lit up, and he chuckled, "I've had the pleasure of visiting the New Paramount once, but the prices there are too high. Director Zhou, you said you'd send me a few bottles of good wine, and I'm serious about that."
"Of course it's true. I, Zhou Hongyi, never boast. It's just a few bottles of wine. What's wrong with giving you a few cases?"
"Hehehe~~~ Then I'll thank Director Zhou in advance. Let me introduce myself first. My name is Liang Xing, also known as Liang Youde. Although I've been stuck in this dark and hopeless prison for a long time, I've heard quite a bit about your heroic deeds, Young Master Zhou. I'm sure there must have been some misunderstanding that led to your imprisonment. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, you will definitely be reinstated, and perhaps even promoted further."
Zhou Hongyi cursed the old fox in his heart, but on the surface he smiled and said, "Then thank you for your kind words, Warden Liang. Don't worry, as long as I, Zhou Hongyi, have the chance to rise again, I will never forget the friends who helped me, especially those who offered help in my time of need."
Of course, I won't let anyone who kicks me when I'm down get away with it. This misfortune is like a mirror, revealing who is truly sincere towards me, Zhou Hongyi, and who is feigning loyalty; who will lend a helping hand in my time of need, and who will trample on me when I'm down. Friendships aren't about quantity, but quality. I can see that Warden Liang is a true friend worth having.”
Zhou Hongyi's words brought a smile to the warden's face. In reality, although he was the warden of Gaosen Prison on the surface, he only managed the ordinary prison wards. Above him sat a Japanese warden who oversaw the hardened criminal wards and special wards; that person was the one who truly held the power here.
Therefore, his channels for extorting money were extremely limited, to the point that he didn't dare to indulge himself at the Paramount, only able to watch with envy. But this time, things were different. The Paramount's behind-the-scenes boss was now under his control, and not only that, the head of the Jing'an Second Branch of the Public Security Bureau, but he also controlled the recently infamous Razor Club. More importantly, he had connections everywhere: the Japanese Special Higher Police, the 76th Special Agent Headquarters, the police department, the Ministry of Finance, and the local Shanghai Chamber of Commerce—he had acquaintances everywhere. He was an absolutely powerful figure. If he could seize this opportunity and climb up to Zhou Hongyi, he might just usher in a second spring in his life, a second spring in his career!
"Young Master Zhou, your men really pulled off something big today. In all the years since Gaosen Prison was built, this is the first time anyone has thrown cigarettes, alcohol, magazines, and picture cards into it. Those prisoners are really benefiting from being with Director Zhou."
Zhou Hongyi chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "Warden Liang, you've misunderstood."
"A misunderstanding?" The warden didn't understand. Zhou Hongyi explained, "The things my brothers threw in weren't gifts for me, but rather tributes to you, Warden. It's like paying respects at a temple. Gaosen Prison is Warden Liang's territory, and as a guest, I couldn't arrive empty-handed. That's why I instructed my brothers to bring in some good stuff beforehand. I just didn't expect them to use this method, which caused quite a commotion. It was my oversight."
"Oh, these are all for me?"
The warden's eyes darted around, suppressing the greedy smile that crept onto his lips, and he coughed dryly, saying, "Oh dear, Director Zhou, you're too kind. What do you mean by 'guests are always welcome'? It's my fault for not being hospitable enough. I didn't even get to come out and greet you on your first day. I hope you won't take offense."
Zhou Hongyi was speechless for a moment, thinking to himself: I'm here to serve my sentence, what do you mean no one came to greet me? Only a ghost would want to come to a place like this.
"Hehehe, Warden, you're too kind. The things the brothers received today were just greeting gifts. The one that's specifically for you can't be delivered in such a grand manner. Warden Liang, you'll have to point out a way. If all else fails, I'll have the brothers put it in the trunk of your car for you."
"Hehehe~~~ Director Zhou is so thoughtful. But I don't think this gift is necessary. There's a lot of cigarettes, alcohol and tea thrown in today, and they're all good stuff. Just the cigarettes alone, with my salary I only dare to smoke one pack a week, I'd feel bad if I smoked more."