Chapter 94: This Job Is Unbearable

The people above have black hearts and rotten intestines; they suddenly changed the rules, and everyone’s income plummeted, causing the jailers to erupt in fury.

All the jailers crowded at the door of the duty room, demanding an explanation. Even those off-duty had rushed over. The share dropped from three-tenths to one-tenth—how were they supposed to live now? Were they being treated like beggars?

We bear the blame and do the hardest, most grueling work—and this is all we get?

“What exactly do the higher-ups mean? They owe us an explanation.”

“How are we supposed to keep doing this job? You shift leaders take most of it, and what’s left gets split among us—how much is that even worth?”

“Are they forcing us to cut the prisoners’ food budget?”

“There’s no food budget at all. Since the start of this year, the higher-ups haven’t allocated a single grain of rice. Instead, they’ve been siphoning money out of the prison.”

“This is outrageous. We work ourselves to death, get pointed at behind our backs, while the officials sit back and enjoy it, untouched.”

“Shift leaders, give us a clear answer—what are we supposed to do from now on? No money, yet still expect us to follow the rules? That’s asking too much.”

“Exactly! No money, why should we follow the rules?”

“Who cares about this stupid rule—I’m done with this job.”

“I’m done! I’m done!”

The jailers were in an uproar.

Chen Guanlou said nothing, remained as quiet as a chicken, occasionally glancing at the other two shift leaders. With two senior shift leaders present, it wasn’t his place to speak—he wouldn’t steal the spotlight.

Shift Leader Wang, in his early forties, was a veteran of the prison, having served as shift leader for over a decade. He looked around, cleared his throat, and raised his hand to quiet the crowd. “Listen to me—one word. Crowding here at the duty room won’t get you anything. If you want a real answer, go to the official office outside and speak to Xiao Fan, or the prison vice-director.”

“Old Wang, you’re just stirring up trouble!” Shift Leader Wu snapped. If things escalated, the higher-ups would hold him accountable too. “Don’t listen to Old Wang’s nonsense. This is a decision from above—it’s not something Fan the vice-director can change. All we can do is obey.”

“Our prison is still lucky. The neighboring offices haven’t paid a single copper in salaries for over half a year—they can’t even get their monthly rice rations. At least we still get paid and have food to eat. Don’t be ungrateful. If you cause trouble and lose your posts, there won’t be any medicine for regret.”

“Don’t be a coward, Wu Head!”

“You’ve saved enough over the years, Wu Head—you don’t have to worry. We’re still waiting to take our pay home to buy rice and cook meals. We can’t compare to you.”

Shift Leader Wu was furious. He slammed his fist on the table and shouted, “I’m genuinely thinking of your interests, and you repay me by calling me a coward? Am I a coward? I’m a jailer too—I know your hardships. But it’s your own fault for gambling away your money every chance you get. You never save anything.”

“Think: when has it ever been up to jailers like us to change the higher-ups’ decisions? Don’t overestimate yourselves, and don’t underestimate those officials. They’re ruthless! They’ll use our heads to make an example of someone. No one wants to be the chicken. So stay quiet.”

Wu’s words were cruel—and brutally realistic.

Jailers being beheaded wasn’t a rare occurrence.

Chen Guanlou had been here over a year and had already seen several jailers lose their heads. Jailers were worthless; their heads were even more worthless. Officials chopped them off without a second thought.

Wu had indeed spoken from reality, delivering a hard lesson. Some timid jailers quietly slipped away, silently accepting the inevitable.

Others grew even angrier, their chests swelling with rage—they couldn’t hold it in.

“According to Wu Head, we’re supposed to just accept this silently, not even complain? And keep obeying these stupid prison rules?”

“We’ll follow the rules—but only if we get paid. Otherwise, don’t blame us for copying the officials’ ruthlessness and stirring up trouble among the prisoners.”

“The men locked in the Jia-graded cells are all disgraced officials. Their families are filthy rich—so squeeze more money out of them. We stick together. Anyone who talks is a traitor.”

“We won’t let the higher-ups humiliate us like this.”

“Everyone agree?”

“Insolent!”

“Absurd!”

“Do you want to die?”

Wu and Wang both shouted angrily.

“Don’t listen to them—that’s a way to get yourselves beheaded. Do you really think the higher-ups don’t know about your secret payments? You’re naive. Every meal, every movement in the interrogation room—they know everything. You don’t need to ask us whether you’ve been slipping money; just check the daily expenditures. Everything is clear. If you don’t believe me, ask Chen Tou. He handles the ledgers. Does he need to see you personally to know who’s embezzling?”

Wu’s words instantly turned the fire onto Chen Guanlou.

Chen Guanlou, seeing he couldn’t avoid it, cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Secret payments? Absolutely not. The accountants sent by the Ministry of Justice—I’ve spoken with them—they’re all seasoned veterans. Not even a single copper can be hidden. Trying to falsify accounts or embezzle under their watch is basically suicide.”

“So Chen Head’s saying we’re stuck with just one-tenth?” A jailer protested bitterly.

Chen Guanlou glanced at him. “For now, yes. But I believe any policy starts strict. Once you get past the initial phase, you’ll understand.”

This was far more effective than Wu’s words.

The jailers murmured—there was truth to that.

All policies had loopholes—that was the jailers’ hard-won experience. At first, everything was rigid, nitpicky, just waiting to catch a few birds to make an example. But once you survived the toughest early phase, Heihei —the oversight loosened, and opportunities opened up. What was once legal income became secret slush funds.

As for those accountants—no one believed they weren’t corruptible. Eventually, they could be bribed.

“We follow Chen Head!”

“Chen Head speaks sense.”

“There’s a difference between the educated and the uneducated. Chen Head studied—he understands the officials’ minds.”

“Chen Head’s just as heartless as those officials.”

“Pfft! Don’t say that about Chen Head. He’s just perceptive. If you can’t speak properly, go stand in the corner.”

The jailers praised him.

Chen Guanlou was torn between laughter and tears.

Wu Head sighed in relief. “Chen Head really knows how to handle things. I talked myself hoarse and couldn’t convince them. You speak one sentence, and they change their minds.”

“Ah, old age, old age—I’m useless now!” Wang Head muttered bitterly. “Compared to you young ones, we old men are only fit for thin porridge.”

“Don’t mock me, Wang Head,” Chen Guanlou replied gently. “We’re all here for the prison—for the Jia-graded cells. You don’t want things to spiral out of control, do you?”