This is a bizarre rule, isn't it? It's supposed to grant me many children and good fortune

Chapter 145 Team Formation

Upon hearing this, the three immediately pictured the warden in their minds—

His face was deathly pale, with dark circles under his sunken eyes and thin, bloodless lips.

When he stood still, he resembled a pale statue absorbing light and heat; his cold, morbid aura was indeed far removed from "normal".

Lin Feng continued his analysis along this line of thought:

"Therefore, the 'blank' in cell number 0... the 'cancer' of this prison, is very likely something that the warden fostered or nurtured in some dark way."

"The note said to 'curse the warden while making a quick retreat'."

"This might not just be a distraction; the deeper reason could be—"

"By expressing strong hatred and opposition to the warden, we can achieve a brief empathy with that 'blank' to some extent."

Wasim touched his chin and nodded slightly:

"As for Deputy Warden Leng Meng, although he is ostensibly Warden Cyrus Mohn's subordinate, the two may not actually be of one mind."

"Lengmeng might be the one that represents relative fairness and adherence to the rules."

"It seems this Abyss Prison is far more complex than it appears on the surface." Evelyn took a deep breath, a resolute glint in her emerald eyes. "Let's finalize the team composition."

"I suggest that the four of us split into two groups, preferably with a mix of men and women."

She paused, then explained further:

"That 'Phantom Prisoner No. 27' has a special allure for men. Female team members should be able to keep a clear head in this regard and take more effective measures at critical moments, such as forcibly interrupting the abnormal state."

Lin Feng and Wasim exchanged a glance, both seeing agreement in each other's eyes.

This consideration is indeed spot on.

"Then, the grouping is simple." Lin Feng's gaze swept over Evelyn and Anna. "Evellyn and I will be in a group, and Vassim and Anna will be in a group, how about that?"

None of the three objected.

After the division of labor was completed, the four people ended their brief exchange.

Lin Feng and Vassim walked side by side, heading straight for the convenience store next to the cafeteria.

With few items on the shelves, Wasim's gaze swept over the basic household goods before finally settling on the cigarette counter, where he ordered the most ordinary pack.

Lin Feng's gaze swept over the beverage section, and he picked up a bottle of lime-flavored sports drink—the bottle design was ergonomic, and more importantly, it had a cap with excellent sealing.

Back in the somewhat oppressive dormitory corridor, Lin Feng stopped and whispered to Wasim:

"You go back first, I'm going to the restroom."

Wasim asked, "Do you need someone to accompany you?"

His gaze swept across the dimly lit end of the corridor.

Lin Feng shook his head, his tone calm yet firm: "No need."

Seeing that Lin Feng's attitude was clear, Vassim stopped insisting and turned to walk towards dormitory 107.

Lin Feng then walked alone to the restroom at the other end of the corridor.

He paused briefly at the door, his sharp gaze falling on the conspicuous "Prison Guard Only" metal sign on the door panel, the cold metallic luster reflecting in his eyes.

After confirming that there were no problems, he stepped inside.

Just then, two trainee prison guards came out of the door. Their eyes met briefly, and they nodded slightly to each other as a greeting.

As their footsteps faded into the distance, the bathroom returned to silence, with only the low hum of the ventilation system remaining.

Lin Feng immediately unscrewed the cap of the beverage bottle and slowly poured the bright green drink into the washbasin.

He then squatted down and precisely aligned the empty bottle opening with a dark water stain at the grout line of the tile.

He held his breath and focused his mind, activating his innate abilities.

"come out..."

Thoughts, like invisible tentacles, probe deep into the crevices.

A few seconds later, a nearly transparent, viscous liquid, like an awakened worm, slowly emerged from the crack.

It lingered at the bottle's mouth for a moment, then reluctantly twisted and flowed into the bottom of the bottle, gradually gathering into a small half-bottle.

Lin Feng deftly tightened the bottle cap, feeling the subtle tactile sensation of the plastic threads meshing between his fingertips.

He weighed the bottle containing the "water stain ghost" in his hand, and a thought suddenly popped into his mind:

If I put this thing into my [portable space], will it "die"?

Storage spaces are clearly defined to only hold inanimate objects, but the boundaries are quite blurred for those that exist outside the conventional definition.

It has no heartbeat, no breath, and lacks all biological signs of life, yet its chilling vitality clearly indicates that it is by no means inanimate.

Lin Feng lowered his eyes, staring at the water stain in the bottle that seemed still, yet reflected a subtle luster under the light.

After a brief moment of deliberation, Lin Feng made his decision:

"Fine, I'll give it a try."

"The worst-case scenario is losing one sample, which can be recollected at any time. But if it succeeds..."

With a slight thought, the beverage bottle in his hand vanished instantly, now safely placed within the system space.

Lin Feng held his breath and focused intently, carefully sensing the state of the space—

There were no abnormal fluctuations, no resistance; the bottle and its contents seemed frozen in time, silently suspended in nothingness.

His eyes flickered slightly, and with a desire to verify, he changed his mind again.

The bottle reappeared in his hand, and he subconsciously shook it gently.

"Stop shaking... I'm dizzy..."

A faint yet clear thought swept directly into his mind.

"So you're not dead." Lin Feng let out a soft exclamation of surprise.

"You're the one who's going to die! I'm the Water-Stained Ghost, unless you completely burn me dry..."

The thought rushed back, but stopped abruptly halfway through, as if realizing it had misspoke, and fell silent instantly.

A barely perceptible smile appeared on Lin Feng's lips.

Yes, it has developed intelligence, but it seems... not very smart.

Such an existence might be just right for one's own use.

Lin Feng then put the beverage bottle back into his personal space and returned to dormitory 107.

As is customary, he first bent down to check under the bed to make sure there was nothing wrong before climbing onto the bed to lie down for a while.

Just as I lay down, Ryuichi Kamishiro, on the opposite bed, turned over and spoke softly:

"Lin Fengjun... for tomorrow's team formation... could I be in your team?"

Lin Feng shook his head, his tone calm but leaving no room for negotiation: "I've already teamed up with Evelyn."

"Evelyn?" Tom couldn't help but interject. "Is she... the agent from Chongqing?"

Lin Feng nodded calmly: "That's right."

Tom looked on with envy: "Wow, this is a powerful alliance!"

He then turned to Wasim, "Wasim, you haven't formed a team yet, have you?"

Wasim was wiping his military boots, not even looking up: "I'm in a group with Anna."

Kamishiro Ryuichi immediately looked miserable: "Then... no, can't you two big shots help us out? We're in the same dorm, after all..."