The surveillance camera in the corridor perfectly captured the scene.

Watching from behind the camera, Tian Tao's sleepiness vanished; Feng Mu's startling words made him laugh out loud, and the other prison guards in the control room laughed until they couldn't keep their mouths shut.

"I originally thought Li Bashan was just a brawny man with muscles in his brain, but unexpectedly, this new prison guard also has mush for brains."

"No wonder they're from the same school. What's the name of their martial arts hall again? I passed by Martial Arts Hall Street and remembered, oh, it's called [Douqiong Martial Arts Hall], located deep inside the street, with an odd decor. It looks like the most rundown martial arts hall on that street."

"Maybe Li Bashan ate too much and bankrupted the martial arts hall..."

"Hey, I feel sorry for the owner of the hall. What kind of disciples are these, all with abnormal brains? The hall must be full of lunatics or idiots."

"Don't insult lunatics or idiots. They wouldn't dream of becoming prison chiefs, hahaha—"

The unrestrained laughter echoed in the control room, as if it would lift the roof off.

In the corridor, the conversation continued.

Wang Cong gently rubbed his sore eyes, filled with fatigue and confusion, and asked:

"Feng Mu, don't you feel angry? If it weren't for these prisoners misbehaving at night, we wouldn't be so tired on night duty."

Upon hearing this, Feng Mu showed a hint of surprise in his gaze. He looked at Wang Cong seriously, knowing that as a true friend, he had the responsibility to correct Wang Cong's wrong mindset.

His smile faded as he spoke sternly, "Your thinking is wrong. It's not these prisoners that keep us up; it's those who assign us the night shift. Therefore, we shouldn't bring such emotions to work, much less transfer this anger onto others."

Wang Cong's eyes widened. He didn't misunderstand this principle; he just subconsciously ignored the cause and effect.

Unexpectedly, Feng Mu's words struck a chord, and Wang Cong's heart tightened sharply. He nervously glanced at the corridor's flickering red monitoring light, a chill rising within him.

He urgently grabbed Feng Mu's arm, and in his panic, his doubts and fears surged out like a tide: "Feng Mu, have you angered our district chief? Aren't you afraid at all?"

Feng Mu did not rush to answer Wang Cong's question but calmly replied, "Why should I be afraid?"

Wang Cong's voice grew lower, almost whispering, "Someone like me, marginalized, oppressed, doing heavy labor in prison, every day feels like struggling in a nightmare. Aren't you afraid you'll end up just like me?"

Feng Mu stopped walking and stared at Wang Cong intently, as if trying to gain insight into his deepest thoughts.

His voice was low yet firm, "Neither you nor I have made mistakes. We have no reason to be bullied or to be afraid. Those who should truly fear are the ones who bully others."

Wang Cong froze, confusion flashing in his eyes: "Huh?"

Feng Mu gently straightened the wrinkle on Wang Cong's collar, his voice soothing yet powerful, as if able to calm the deepest waves of someone's heart:

"I don't know why you are isolated and bullied, but I guess it's because of your unique traits, making you a thorn in their side. So, have you ever thought that your very existence challenges them? The more they bully you together, the more it proves that deep down they harbor fear towards you."

Wang Cong's gaze remained confused; he seemed not to fully comprehend Feng Mu's words but did harbor a deep desire for Feng Mu to say more.

Whether deceit or encouragement, Wang Cong, bullied for so long, desperately needed a sliver of spiritual solace and recognition, even if it was just a tiny bit of warmth.

Feng Mu did not shy away from the camera's surveillance; his words were filled with sincerity and determination:

"Those who bully the weak, no matter how strong they appear outside, are cowards, the dwarfs of the spirit. And those who are isolated and bullied aren't necessarily true weaklings. Perhaps, with the right opportunity, a giant could emerge from those hurt souls, unconquerable and resolute."

Wang Cong's breathing quickened, his bloodshot eyes trembling fiercely.

Feng Mu didn't expect a few words to ignite Wang Cong's courage to resist; that wasn't realistic since even the glory of darkness wasn't filmed in a single day.

As he said himself, Wang Cong still needed a catalyst, but just having a catalyst wasn't enough; a seed had to be planted in his heart in advance.

Feng Mu whispered, "Wang Cong, do you think you are a dwarf?"

Wang Cong's lips trembled slightly, attempting to speak several times, but in the end, swallowed the words that reached his lips.

Rationality and fear, like two invisible chains, bound him tightly. His gaze, complex and profound, focused unwaveringly on Feng Mu, remaining silent.

Feng Mu knew that today's time was almost up. He smiled and said, "The bloodshot in your eyes is terrifying. You should go sleep for a while; dawn isn't far off, and I can handle the rest of the shift alone."

After hesitating for a moment, Wang Cong slowly nodded, dragging his weary body back to the dormitory.

As soon as his body touched the bed, he couldn't help but collapse, pulling the blanket over his head.

Despite being utterly exhausted, his mind was abnormally active, tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep.

"Am I a dwarf?" This question echoed repeatedly in his heart. "A giant? Haha—, there's no giant in my heart, only a dwarf stuck in the mire. Haha—haha—, I am that dwarf. I just want to crawl out of this mire quickly..."

Wang Cong buried his head deeply under the blanket, his face flushed red, trying to scream exuberantly but ultimately not daring to let the sound escape beyond the blanket's cover.

At this time, Feng Mu was unaware that Wang Cong's approach was part of a script arranged by Chang Wei. He wasn't the omniscient and omnipotent God; even if he knew everything, he might not care.

Because none of it mattered; everyone's destiny had a price marked by fate, and when God's auction hammer finally fell, Satan offered the fairest price.

As for who was Satan in this prison, it depended on who seemed most like an angel.

Bang—bang—

The dormitory door was slammed open, and the burly Tian Tao strode in, his face dark. He walked quickly to the bedside, rudely lifted the blanket, like capturing a frantic chick, and grabbed Wang Cong's collar.

Wang Cong, frightened by the sudden assault, hurriedly sat upright; his face was pale as paper, and his heart fluttered wildly, as if it would leap out of his throat.

"I am a dwarf, haha, tell me, am I truly a dwarf?" Tian Tao's eyes bulged, roaring as though ready to devour someone.

Wang Cong's throat was tightly constricted; the pain nearly prevented breathing, and he struggled, stammering: "No, no, no, Captain, you're not a dwarf."

Tian Tao slightly relaxed his grip and looked down at Wang Cong, curled on the bed, like a giant overlooking a dwarf.

His voice remained fierce, tinged with menace: "Then tell me, who's the dwarf?"

Wang Cong gritted his teeth, tolerated the sore throat, and answered with difficulty, "It's me, it's me, I'm the dwarf."

Tian Tao's expression slightly eased; he smirked, reeking breath spraying Wang Cong's face:

"Remember, you're just a dwarf, don't have delusions, you can't become a giant, but you can grow taller. Do you know how?"

Memories of Chang Wei's conversation flashed through Wang Cong's mind, and he lowered his voice to reply, "By stepping over other dwarves' corpses, I can rise up."

Tian Tao laughed heartily, seemingly satisfied with the answer: "Good, you understand. Remember, I'll be watching Feng Mu, and watching you too. Now, get up and go to the night shift."

Tian Tao continued cursing: "Damn it, Feng Mu told you to rest, and you actually did? Did you get my approval? Do you listen to him or me?"

Wang Cong hastily climbed out of bed, clumsily put on shoes, and fled from the dormitory.

Feng Mu saw Wang Cong running breathlessly to him and frowned slightly, as if he had read something from Wang Cong's panic.

But he didn't ask much, simply extended his hand silently, gently smoothing the wrinkle on Wang Cong's collar.

…...

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