Feng Mu stood frozen in place, his head slightly tilted, looking askance at the bloodstain smeared on his shoulder, his expression slightly stiffened.

Before coming to report in, Feng Mu had already more or less learned about the uniqueness of Prison No. 2 from his senior brother, Gong Qi.

Unlike other prisons, which were completely under the jurisdiction of the Executive Government's prison system and received salaries, subsidies, maintenance funds, and other funds from above,

Prison No. 2 was corporatized, with only 51% of its shares owned by the prison system, while the remaining 49% was cleverly transferred to a subsidiary of the Bright Group—Celestial Light Capital Co., Ltd.

It was a demonstration site for the semi-privatized pilot operation of share reform.

The reform was driven by the increasing financial pressures faced by the Executive Government in recent years.

As a public infrastructure reliant on subsidies to maintain operations, prisons had long been mired in the quagmire of losses.

The thin profits made by inmates on sewing machines were but a drop in the ocean compared to the colossal operational expenses.

Thus, the Executive Government of Zone 9 had long wished to shed the burden of the prison system, but was at a loss for how to do so.

Until five years ago, when Member of Parliament Wang Xinfa first proposed a groundbreaking "Proposal for the Privatization of Prisons" at a meeting, bringing a ray of hope to this troublesome issue.

Of course, the subsequent process was fraught with resistance, as prison privatization involved not just financial issues,

but also a series of complex legal, ethical, and social issues, as well as the strong subjective will within the prison system not to be discarded as a burden.

The most critical problem was that there was no qualified large capital willing to venture into this new field full of unknowns and risks at the time.

The turning point again appeared under the active leadership of Member of Parliament Wang Xinfa, successfully attracting the attention of Celestial Light Capital.

After fierce bargaining and in-depth discussions, Prison No. 2 emerged as an experimental field for privatization reform.

The Executive Government and Celestial Light Capital reached a consensus, with both parties signing a "Five-Year Plan Agreement."

This agreement stipulated that after the five-year term ended, both parties would decide whether to renew the agreement based on the results of their cooperation, or to initiate stock buyback provisions for longer-term cooperation or a smooth exit.

The main focus of this was on the management, operation, and profitability of the privatized prison.

And this year marks the fifth year of the pilot operation, with six months remaining until the agreement expires at the end of the year.

From the current situation, all aspects have yielded little benefit; neither management nor profitability, neither the prison system nor Celestial Light Capital, are very satisfied.

Therefore, after the previous warden died suddenly from a myocardial infarction due to overwork, Qian Huan was parachuted in with lightning speed.

Feng Mu's mind raced; he had anticipated some of this before arriving, but seeing the real situation in the prison left him a bit startled:

"Charging inmates protection fees? What genius thought up this revenue idea; it's so primitive, so barbaric, and so crude."

After all, most inmates hardly have any money; even if you squeezed his relatives dry, how much would you really get? Please, think about it. If he truly had a fortune, would he still end up in prison?

Feng Mu, however, was different. With a slight shift of thought, within a second, several more efficient (evil) and promising (cruel and insane) monetization strategies quietly emerged in his mind.

"What are you staring off into space for, I'm talking to you, did you hear me?"

Tian Tao put away his electric baton and looked at Feng Mu, who stood there silently, a cold laugh on his lips,

"You wouldn't be hesitating, sympathizing with the inmates, would you? If so, you better hurry and submit your resignation report to the warden."

Feng Mu snapped back to reality, shook his head, and stood at attention as he replied, "Report, Captain, I was just thinking about where to send this corpse."

Tian Tao slightly furrowed his brow and instructed in a flat tone:

"Go call Qin Liang over, have him perform an autopsy and sign off on the confirmation, then you can assign two inmates to take the body to the incinerator for cremation."

With that said, Tian Tao turned and left, leaving Feng Mu alone in the room with the corpse.

Occasionally, as the prison guards outside patrolled, they would glance inside, each face wearing an indifferent look, without a nod or word exchanged with Feng Mu.

Feng Mu felt isolated by his colleagues, but he didn't mind, offering the same warm smile to each prison guard he passed by on patrol.

Wang Jiao stood against the wall with the inmates inside the room, the atmosphere tense and silent.

Feng Mu turned his head, his gaze gentle as it swept over them, speaking softly:

"You don't need to be so afraid. I'm not like other prison guards; I believe in reason and that many things can be resolved through communication. There's no need for all the bloodshed, it's too rough and barbaric."

He looked down at the corpse on the ground, its head sunken in, and slowly squatted down to gently close the deceased's terrified eyes, his voice filled with deep pity:

"Ah, what a pity for a life, how could one die over just a bit of unpaid money, it's too tragic."

The inmates froze in place; since being transferred to this prison, they hadn't encountered a prison guard with such empathy.

Feng Mu waved gently at them, speaking kindly:

"No need to stand around foolishly, go sit on the beds. The medical examiner might take some time to arrive, so we might as well take this chance to chat and get to know each other."

1/4 hour later.

Under Feng Mu's gentle soothing and guidance, the inmates cautiously began to speak.

Initially, it was Feng Mu guiding with questions and the inmates cautiously responding, but as time passed, they saw that Feng Mu maintained a kind expression, listened intently, and meticulously recorded their thoughts and requests in his notebook.

The inmates exchanged glances, seeming to truly sense the stark difference between Feng Mu and those indifferent prison guards. Their guard gradually melted away, and they began to bravely share some of their thoughts and demands.

"At home, it's just my bedridden mother left; my old man is a gambling addict, there's no way they could send money to me in prison..."

"I spent all my money on women..."

"I'm innocent, the company framed me, I need to appeal, but the guards told me I'd have to pay a filing fee first, and all my money goes to food and lodging..."

"..."

After a brief conversation, Feng Mu had a rough understanding of these inmates' family situations and character traits.

He gently laid down his pen, closed his notebook, with a faint smile on his lips, he said:

"I have a basic understanding of your difficulties and demands. Regarding the prison's fee system, I will consolidate your feedback and propose suggestions to the warden in hopes of some improvements."

Seeing the tension on the inmates' faces, Feng Mu immediately reassured them in a gentle tone:

"Don't worry, I believe your opinions are valid."

"Indeed, the prison should not subject you to inhumane treatment over some fee collection issues. In my eyes, your living itself holds the greatest value; you shouldn't just die silently."

Feng Mu gently closed his notebook and shifted his gaze to Wang Jiao, his tone growing serious:

"Although I may not be able to directly assist you in appealing, if you are indeed wronged, I will do my utmost to find a self-help pathway for you, and I just hope you'll seize the opportunity when it comes."

In the eyes of Wang Jiao and the other inmates, the numbness and fear that once resided were gradually replaced by a glimmer of hope.

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

.....

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