Chapter 183: A Prison Guard Unlike the Rest, a Benevolent Feng Mu?!

Feng Mu froze in place, his head tilting slightly as he glanced askance at the bloodstain smeared on his shoulder, his expression stiffening faintly.

Before reporting for duty, Feng Mu had already learned more or less from his Fifth Senior Brother Gong Qi about the special nature of No. 2 Prison.

Unlike other prisons, which are fully subordinate to the prison system under the Executive Government and receive salaries, subsidies, maintenance funds, and various other fees allocated from above,

No. 2 Prison is shareholding-based; the prison system holds only 51% of the shares, while the remaining 49% was cleverly transferred to a subsidiary of the Guangming Group — Tianguang Capital Co., Ltd.

It belongs to the shareholding reform, a half-privatized pilot demonstration site.

Behind this reform lies the intensifying fiscal pressure on the Executive Government in recent years.

Prisons, as public infrastructure reliant on subsidies to sustain operations, have long been mired in losses.

Relying solely on the meager profits generated by prisoners operating sewing machines is but a drop in the bucket for the enormous operating expenses.

Therefore, the Nine District Executive Government has long wished to shed the burden of the prison system, but lacked a strategy.

Until five years ago, Councilor Wang Xinfā first proposed the epoch-making "Prison Privatization Reform Proposal" at a meeting, bringing a glimmer of hope to this thorny problem.

Naturally, the subsequent process was bound to meet heavy resistance; after all, prison privatization reform involves far more than just money.

It also implicates a series of complex legal, ethical, and social issues, as well as the prison system's own strong subjective unwillingness to be discarded as a burden.

The most critical issue was that at the time, no major capital meeting the standards was willing to enter this new field fraught with unknowns and risks.

The turning point still came under Councilor Wang Xinfā's active leadership; he successfully attracted the attention of Tianguang Capital.

After intense bargaining and in-depth negotiations, No. 2 Prison emerged as the experimental field for privatization reform.

The Executive Government and Tianguang Capital reached a consensus and jointly signed a "Five-Year Plan Agreement."

This agreement stipulates that upon the expiration of the five-year term, both parties will decide whether to renew the agreement or activate a share repurchase clause based on the cooperation results, to achieve longer-term cooperation or a smooth exit.

The main focus here is the management and operation of prison privatization, as well as profitability.

This year happens to be the fifth year of the pilot operation, with half a year remaining until the agreement expires at year-end.

Judging from the current situation, results have been minimal across the board; neither management nor profitability satisfies either the prison system or Tianguang Capital.

So, after the previous warden died suddenly of a myocardial infarction caused by overwork, Qian Huan was airborne-appointed with lightning speed.

Feng Mu's mind raced; he had anticipated this before coming, but actually seeing the true situation inside the prison still left him mildly startled:

"Charging prisoners protection fees? Which great genius came up with this revenue idea? It's truly too primitive, too barbaric, and too crude."

After all, how many prisoners have any money? Even if you squeeze their relatives dry, how much oil can you extract? Please, use your brain — if he really had ten thousand strings of cash, would he still be sitting in prison?

Feng Mu was different; his mind merely turned slightly, and in a single second, several more efficient (evil) and more promising (cruel, mad) money-making methods silently generated in his mind.

"What are you spacing out for? I'm talking to you — did you hear me?"

Tian Tao retracted his electric baton, looking at Feng Mu standing dumbly in silence, and coldly laughed,

"You wouldn't be unable to bring yourself to do it, sympathizing with prisoners, would you? Then you'd best hurry and submit a resignation report to the warden."

Feng Mu snapped back to attention, shook his head, stood at attention, and replied: "Reporting, Captain. I was just thinking — where should this corpse be sent?"

Tian Tao frowned slightly and instructed in a flat tone:

"Go call Qin Liang over to examine the body and sign for confirmation; afterward you can assign two prisoners to send the corpse to the incinerator for cremation."

As soon as he finished speaking, Tian Tao turned and left, leaving Feng Mu alone in the room guarding the corpse.

The prison guards outside, while on patrol, would occasionally glance sideways into the room; every face wore an indifferent expression, and no one nodded to Feng Mu or spoke with him.

Feng Mu sensed he was being isolated by his colleagues, but he didn't mind; to every senior guard who passed by on patrol, he showed the exact same warm, gentle smile.

Wang Jiao stood against the wall together with the prisoners inside, the atmosphere tense and silent.

Feng Mu turned his head, his gaze gently sweeping over them, and said in a soft voice:

"You don't need to be this afraid. I'm different from other prison guards; I believe in reason, and I believe many things can be resolved through communication — no need to make a bloody mess, it's too crude and barbaric."

He lowered his head to look at the corpse on the ground with its caved-in skull, slowly crouched down, gently closed the dead man's terror-filled pupils, his tone carrying deep compassion:

"Ah, what a waste of a life. How could someone die just because they couldn't pay a little money? Too pitiful."

The prisoners froze in place; since their transfer here, they had never encountered a prison guard so full of sympathy.

Feng Mu waved lightly at them and said in a gentle tone:

"Everyone, don't just stand there stupidly. Go sit on your beds. The forensic doctor might need a period of time to arrive; we might as well take this opportunity to chat and get to know each other."

1 quarter-hour later.

Under Feng Mu's gentle appeasement and guidance, the prisoners began to speak cautiously.

At first Feng Mu guided the questions and the prisoners answered cautiously, but as time passed they discovered Feng Mu maintained a kindly expression throughout, listened seriously, and meticulously recorded their thoughts and demands in his notebook.

The prisoners exchanged glances, as if truly sensing the stark difference between Feng Mu and those cold, indifferent guards. Their wariness gradually melted, and they began to summon the courage to voice some of their own thoughts and demands.

"My family only has a bedridden mother left; my dad's a gambling addict — they'd never deposit money for me in prison.."

"All my money went on women's bellies....."

"I was framed; the company entrapped me. I want to appeal, but the guards told me I have to pay an appeal fee first — all my money went to food and lodging fees."

"......"

After a brief exchange, Feng Mu already had a general understanding of these prisoners' family situations and personality traits.

He gently set down his pen, closed his notebook, a faint smile hanging at the corner of his mouth, and said:

"I now have a basic understanding of your difficulties and demands. Regarding the prison's fee system, I will organize your opinions and submit suggestions to the warden, striving for some improvement."

Seeing the prisoners' faces turn tense, Feng Mu immediately reassured them in a gentle tone:

"You don't need to worry; I believe your opinions are reasonable."

"The prison should not subject you to inhumane treatment just because of some fee collection issues. In my eyes, your being alive is the greatest value; you should not die silently like this."

Feng Mu gently closed his notebook, his gaze turning to Wang Jiao, his tone becoming serious:

"Although I may not be able to directly help you appeal upward, if you truly were wronged, I will do my utmost to find you a path of self-rescue — I only hope that when the time comes, you can seize the opportunity tightly."

In the eyes of Wang Jiao and the other prisoners, the original numbness and fear were gradually replaced by a glimmer of hope.

They gazed at this gentle prison guard, as if seeing an angel bathed in light descend upon them.

End of Chapter