Chapter 261: The Truth of the World Is

Finding someone else's criminal evidence is hard, but helping someone kill people together isn't that much simpler?

Killing is always simpler than solving cases, this logic has no flaw.

Zhao Xing cried out in horror: "100 Prison Guards?"

Zhou Hu's face changed drastically: "Help Qian Huan kill?"

Lou Duan took in the two men's terrified faces, he looked down at them from above, cold ruthlessness and grim cold light flickering in his eyes:

"I had you deal with Qian Huan, you couldn't handle it; I had you find his criminal evidence, you couldn't find it; so now you can only help him flip the table together, isn't that right?"

Zhao Xing originally came to seek Lou Duan's rescue and guidance, and now he got his guidance as wished, but in his heart he felt not a shred of joy, only a chill running through his whole body.

If he were made to kill 100 prisoners, he might not even blink, but 100 Prison Guards, what concept is that?

In the entire Second Prison, that's equivalent to 1/4 of the total Prison Guard count; in the Death Security Bureau under his jurisdiction, that's equivalent to his entire Security Bureau being wiped out.

Zhou Hu's scalp also went numb; even though he always treated human life like grass, the number 100 Prison Guards scared him too.

These people aren't cold icy serial numbers on a prisoner roster, nameless, that he could send to the Incineration Room to be burned as trash with a light stroke of his pen.

100 Prison Guards, even if chosen at random, he could mostly call out their names, even remember their faces, having spoken and eaten together.

Most importantly, they aren't something that can be erased with a stroke of a pen and burned clean in the incinerator; behind them all are Prison family members.

The Prison's high walls can block prisoners' family members, a random autopsy report can dismiss them, but dead Prison Guards' family members, use your brain a little and you know, that absolutely isn't something a single high wall can stop.

Zhou Hu previously only wanted to kill one new Prison Guard, and even that required meticulous plotting; 100?

Zhou Hu was horrified to the extreme; he finally understood why he was merely a small Security Bureau Chief while Lou Duan could sit firmly as the Prison System's number three.

The gap between them is probably the difference between 1 and 100.

Seeing the two not speaking, Lou Duan let out a cold laugh and said:

"What, you can't even handle the simplest thing like killing now?"

Zhao Xing swallowed hard, saying fearfully:

"No, I just think 100 Prison Guards is slightly too many?"

The corner of Lou Duan's mouth hooked into a cold stern arc, mocking:

"Many? In your eyes it may be many, but believe me, this number is not many at all; in the eyes of those Councilors in the Executive Government who are used to looking at report figures, this number is merely just enough for them to blink once."

Zhao Xing opened his mouth, associating with his own usual indifference when reviewing prisoner death counts, and found himself powerless to refute.

Lou Duan continued: "If you don't work yourself ragged as a dog, what right do you have to wag your tail and beg for pity from the master? So, to make the Executive Government take back the flesh they cut out, the sacrifice of 100 Prison Guards is unavoidable."

Zhou Hu now fully understood; he took a deep breath and asked: "Pin the deaths of these 100 Prison Guards on Qian Huan?"

Lou Duan frowned: "Don't frame him, too crude; just learn from Qian Huan, do it cleanly and that's enough."

Afraid Zhou Hu wouldn't understand, Lou Duan explained again: "Don't add your own drama; be a good dog and wag your tail, the master will naturally protect his own face."

Zhou Hu gave an "mm", indicating he understood.

Zhao Xing hesitated, then asked uncertainly: "The Executive Government won't necessarily see through our act, then what?"

Lou Duan grinned, revealing neat teeth, laughing: "The truth doesn't matter, the opinions of one or two smart people never matter; what matters is how the fools see it."

Lou Duan paused, speaking that "Game Rule" which fools don't understand and smart people tacitly understand:

"The world is a giant stage play, a small group of smart people on stage weave lies to perform for the fools below; the Executive Government is no exception, the face it protects isn't real face, but the 【Mask】 worn on its face."

Zhou Hu and Zhao Xing stood dumbstruck, feeling a inexplicable shock from the depths of their souls.

Zhou Hu's breathing grew rapid, feeling his life illuminated by these words; his hoarse voice said: "I'll do it, what about you?"

Zhao Xing looked at the murderous light revealed in Zhou Hu's eyes, then at Lou Duan's meaningful gaze, his eyes conflicted, conscience still somewhat uneasy: "100."

Murderous light fully revealed in Zhou Hu's eyes; he said in a sinister voice:

"Wishy-washy, are you doing it or not? Lou Station Chief said their sacrifice is worth it; if your conscience bothers you, afterwards just squeeze a bit more pension out of Qian Huan for them."

Zhao Xing did have some conscience bothering him, but more was doubt in his heart.

Doubt about the "Game Rule" Lou Duan just spoke of, but not doubt about the "Game Rule" itself; on the contrary, it was precisely because he believed this "Game Rule" that he was trembling with doubt.

Lou Station Chief said the world is smart people performing for fools; then in Lou Station Chief's eyes, are he and Zhou Hu the smart ones or the fools?

What Lou Station Chief told us, could it also be carefully fabricated lies?

Zhao Xing couldn't think of an answer; most importantly, he realized he probably had no option to refuse, otherwise he'd most likely become one of those 100 Prison Guards.

Zhao Xing took a deep breath, his face turning cold and hard again, and said:

"What do I have to be uneasy about? The people weren't killed by us; their deaths all count on Qian Huan's head; on the contrary, they should thank us for going to get their pensions back."

Hearing this, Zhou Hu laughed heartily; Lou Duan's face also showed a smile; he sat back on the sofa and said calmly to the two: "Drink tea."

The tea was already cold, but cold tea quenches thirst and soothes the throat better.

Zhou Hu and Zhao Xing began discussing plan details, very fairly each claiming half the headcount.

Lou Duan sat quietly beside them the whole time listening quietly, not giving a single suggestion or pointer, just as he said, killing is the simplest thing, no one needs pointers, it's engraved deep in human genes, an innate instinct mastered from birth.

Two hours later.

Zhou Hu and Zhao Xing left together.

After the two left, Lou Duan lightly picked up the two exquisite porcelain teacups and casually tossed them into the Trash Can.

Then, Lou Duan slowly stood up, walked to the tall Floor-to-ceiling Window, overlooked the scene below, a meaningful smile floating on his face.

He could feel Zhao Xing had doubts in his heart, but it didn't matter, because he truly hadn't lied to the two; everything he said today was his decades of life insight.

Though merely a few sentences, the value and wisdom contained within could be called priceless.

Lou Duan didn't lie; he just left out one sentence — smart people don't care about truth, but they care about being deceived!

Lou Duan habitually touched his nose bridge, muttering to himself:

"So I was wrong, not 100, but 102, heh — but your sacrifice can preserve the Second Prison for me, that makes it worth it."

As a Superior, the only thing Lou Duan could do was, after success, ask the Executive Government for an extra pension for Zhou Hu and Zhao Xing.

……

On the other side.

Feng Mu had just walked out of Tian Tao's home; the generous pension he brought slightly soothed the grief of Tian Tao's family members. Tian Tao's wife, holding back her sorrow, gripped Feng Mu's hand tightly and, full of gratitude, saw him out the door.

"Captain Tian Tao took good care of me while he was alive; this is what I should do. Don't see me out, go back quickly." Feng Mu comforted Tian Tao's wife with a face full of grief.

Across his retina, lines of reward settlement subtitles drifted slowly past...

End of Chapter