Qian Huan spoke with hidden sharpness, simultaneously hinting to Zhou Hu that in this prison, many people had already begun to align themselves with him, the prison chief.

Zhou Hu understood the implication, or rather the warning, in Qian Huan's words.

His face turned rigid, and many suspicious faces suddenly popped into his mind. He also suspected this might be the prison chief's bluff, a strategy to sow discord.

However, he couldn't help but start speculating and doubting.

The main issue was that Zhou Hu found it hard to grasp Qian Huan's style.

Initially, he thought the newly appointed prison chief was a cowardly, soft "second-generation official," but now it seemed the other party's actions were somewhat extremely dangerous.

Zhou Hu's gaze pierced through the bulletproof glass, falling on the seemingly relaxed prison chief handling official business, and a cloud of apprehension rose in his heart:

"Maybe it's not fear of death, but excessive caution?!!"

He took a deep breath, ready to speak, but before he could, Qian Huan suddenly lifted his head, his sharp gaze sweeping over Zhou Hu as he spoke first, with a tone of undeniable resolution:

"Since the person you recommended has already voluntarily stepped down, why not just go with my suggestion and replace them with my designated candidate?"

Zhou Hu opened his mouth, about to refuse.

Qian Huan didn't give Zhou Hu a chance to refuse, saying quietly, "Well, I've already signed and stamped my name, the Prison Chief probably wouldn't disagree, right? Well, then it's settled like this. Once the person is recruited, they will be assigned to your zone, and I'll have to trouble you to take good care of them."

If this were yesterday, Zhou Hu would definitely have retaliated without hesitation.

But today, from the moment he entered, his momentum had been invisibly diminished, and the conversation completely fell into Qian Huan's rhythm.

Several times he wanted to speak, but Qian Huan skillfully blocked him each time. Zhou Hu's face was somber, and he ultimately chose silence, acquiescing to Qian Huan's arrangements.

Seeing that Zhou Hu made no further objections, Qian Huan then pretended to finish his work, laid down his pen, and plastered a gentle smile back on his face: "Supervisor Zhou, is there anything else we need to discuss?"

Zhou Hu didn't continue entangling in Chang Wei's nephew's "life and death" issue, and instead changed the subject, asking: "Can I know the background of the new recruit the prison chief hired?"

This time Qian Huan didn't beat around the bush and directly answered Zhou Hu's question: "No special background, just the younger brother of Li Bashan, the section head of Zone B, which you're in charge of."

Qian Huan paused slightly, then continued in a mocking tone: "Speaking of which, Li Bashan also brought his resume report to me last time."

"I figured I should follow the proper procedures, so I returned it, asking him to submit it to you first. Unexpectedly, Supervisor Zhou, you recommended someone else. I've heard it was a child of a relative of your Zone A section head, Chang Wei."

Zhou Hu remained silent, but his mind was racing with thoughts.

Qian Huan, seeing Zhou Hu didn't respond, was not angry. Instead, he continued:

"I ultimately decided to replace Chang Wei's nephew with Li Bashan's younger brother after careful consideration."

"After all, in the end, this spot still falls within your Zone 1, just as the meat still rots in your Zone 1's pot."

"Several other zone chiefs also filed requests for personnel from me, but I rejected them all."

Qian Huan sighed deeply, summarizing with deep meaning: "Supervisor Zhou, I hope you understand my good intentions, all my adjustments are for the harmony and stability of Zone 1. Don't let my good intentions down."

Zhou Hu's temples throbbed with his veins bulging, and he gritted his teeth as he thanked: "I thank the prison chief for going through so much trouble for me."

As he finished speaking, Zhou Hu pushed the door open and stormed back to Zone 1 in a rage.

Chang Wei and Ma Xuan quickly approached, eagerly asking: "Boss, what did the prison chief say?"

Zhou Hu suppressed his inner irritation and recounted everything that had happened in the prison chief's office in detail to them.

Ma Xuan listened quietly, his face gradually revealing a thoughtful expression, while Chang Wei's face turned livid, like dark clouds gathering. Several times he impulsively wanted to rush to the prison chief's office but was firmly restrained by the quick-eyed and quick-handed Ma Xuan.

Ma Xuan advised in a calm tone: "Chang Wei, calm down. If the boss went and got nothing, what can you achieve by going?"

Chang Wei's face remained grim, his voice low: "But my nephew's situation is uncertain!"

Ma Xuan glanced at Zhou Hu's stern face, feeling a slight chill but not surprised.

He slowly walked behind Chang Wei, firmly pressing down on his shoulders, and said in a heavy, slow manner:

"Chang Wei, calm down first. You said it yourself, your nephew is missing, no evidence of life or death, so he might not necessarily be harmed."

Ma Xuan continued to persuade: "Assuming this has nothing to do with the prison chief, charging in recklessly won't solve the problem, and might even provoke the prison chief's dislike towards us."

Chang Wei sneered, clearly not taking this assumption seriously: "How could it not be related to the prison chief?"

Ma Xuan looked Chang Wei in the eye with determination, his tone cold and eerie: "But if this really has to do with the prison chief, rushing in would be directly strangling the slim chance your nephew has to survive."

Chang Wei was startled, realizing Ma Xuan made sense. He must not act impulsively now; he had to stay calm. After all, as long as the Patrol Office hadn't found his nephew's body, it couldn't be declared that there was no chance of him being alive.

Seeing Chang Wei's emotions finally settle, Zhou Hu slowly patted his shoulder, speaking with firm and weighty assurance:

"Rest assured, I will find a way to help you find your nephew, but we can't rush this matter. We need to figure out what cards the prison chief is hiding before we plan further."

Chang Wei took several deep breaths. He had thought about relying on the Patrol Office, but he wasn't as naive as his sister.

Although the prison and the Patrol Office were different systems, considering the pervasive corruption and darkness he'd witnessed in the prison, Chang Wei instinctively didn't have high hopes for the Patrol Office.

Chang Wei nodded heavily: "I'll follow your lead, big bro."

Zhou Hu grinned: "The person replacing your nephew will be reporting to our zone in a couple of days, and the prison chief has asked me to take care of him."

Zhou Hu's tone suddenly turned icy: "It just so happens, I have the same idea. I've decided to place him in Zone A, for you to personally watch over."

"After all, he is the younger brother of Zone B's section head, Li Bashan, so technically he's one of our own in Zone 1. Ha—"

Ma Xuan supplemented from beside him: "Li Bashan must have allied himself with the prison chief. If the prison chief is implicated in your nephew's disappearance, Li Bashan surely has problems too."

Chang Wei's face twisted, and a savage glint flashed in his eyes as he croaked, "Don't worry, big bro, I'll give him a proper welcome. By the way, what's his name again?"

Zhou Hu frowned, having tossed the resume sent by Li Bashan into the trash without a second glance, he couldn't recall the name.

Ma Xuan pondered for a moment, then said: "Feng Mu, I believe that's his name."

"Feng Mu? Tomb!?" Chang Wei emitted a sinister laugh, "That's quite an auspicious name. Once he's here, within a week, Zone A will become his actual grave."

Ma Xuan reminded: "Proceed cautiously, don't give the prison chief any leverage. Everything must be done covertly."

Chang Wei's eyes gleamed with a sly chill: "Don't worry, I've got it under control. Coincidentally, a batch of minor offenders was just transferred from Prison No. 4 yesterday, perfect for me to make use of them..."

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