Luo Hai’s gaze swept across the room.
At first, no one answered. Then, as the silence stretched on, someone eager to stand out raised a hand.
Luo Hai gestured for him to speak.
“It’s… the loss of humanity and moral decay…”
“Wrong.” Luo Hai shifted his gaze to another raised hand. “You.”
“Uh… it’s our lack of respect for the law and disregard for the rules…”
“Wrong.” Luo Hai’s voice was calm. “Anyone else?”
Many prisoners were still eager to answer. Though some hands lowered, others took their place.
“It’s because we weren’t kind enough. If only we had been more compassionate to those around us—”
“Wrong.” Luo Hai cut him off. “Anyone else?”
This time, hands slowly dropped, and silence filled the room.
Eugene did nothing. He didn’t raise his hand, nor did he show any intention of speaking. He simply lifted a brow, watching with curiosity to see how this would unfold.
He saw Luo Hai lean forward, his sharp gaze sweeping over the room like a blade before he finally spoke.
“The reason you’ve ended up here is because you’re too weak.”
The unexpected answer left the entire room in stunned silence.
“The crimes you committed, the ambitions you sought to fulfill—all of it crumbled before the power of the government and the law.” Luo Hai’s gaze remained emotionless as he looked over them. “Morality, order, justice… These abstract concepts mean nothing when faced with an overwhelming disparity in power.”
He stepped down from the podium, the sound of his polished leather shoes striking the marble floor echoing through the room.
“You aren’t sitting here listening to six hours of ideological education because these lessons make sense, nor because they will change you or make you turn over a new leaf. You’re here because—” Luo Hai’s voice remained calm—”I have the power to make you.”
The room stayed silent, but the prisoners’ expressions shifted. Fear, anger, and resentment flickered across their faces. Yet Luo Hai remained unmoved.
“Society is a vast jungle,” he continued, walking through the rows of prisoners, his eyes sweeping over each one. “The strong make the rules. You aren’t here because you weren’t skilled enough, or because you weren’t ruthless enough. You’re here because you dared to challenge a power you could never defeat—the order and law of this society.
“You lost the game of survival.
“And because you failed to become the hunters, you became the prey.
“As simple as that.”
Luo Hai walked to the center of the hall, passing each row of prisoners, his gaze sweeping indifferently over them.
“Because you were ignorant and weak, arrogant and conceited, believing you could oppose absolute authority, you lost everything—power, status, wealth, dignity. That is why all you have left is the space confined by these four walls and ceiling, and the breaths I allow you to take.”
His words echoed through the vast hall. The oppressive atmosphere he exuded was almost tangible, filling the air with an undeniable weight.
Now, no one dared to speak. No one dared to look at him. No one dared to show even the slightest expression that might provoke the prosecutor.
After a pause, Luo Hai stepped back onto the podium. This time, he turned his gaze to Eugene. His voice was steady—almost gentle:
“So here is my personal advice: be smart. Don’t be a fool. The world will not stop for your misfortune. Never think about challenging an unbeatable force for the sake of a few. No matter how righteous, correct, or self-sacrificing you believe yourself to be, against the overwhelming power of society and the law, you are nothing more than a moth to a flame—heading straight for destruction.”
Eugene said nothing. He simply looked at Luo Hai, meeting his piercing gaze.
Luo Hai leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the podium. A few strands of hair fell over his forehead, half-covering his eyes.
Lowering his voice to a near whisper, just loud enough for Eugene to hear, he said, “In the end, what awaits you won’t be a hero’s trophy. It will be a cold grave.”
With that, Luo Hai straightened up, walked through the hall, and exited through the back door. The hall remained silent, frozen in stillness, until a prison guard hit his baton against a desk, announcing the end of the lesson. Only then did the prisoners stand, their movements filling the air with noise.
The bald prisoner sitting next to Eugene let out a sigh, as if he had just seen a toaster grow hair. “Damn, I never expected that pretty-boy prosecutor to actually have some real authority.”
The two-meter-three gangster also stood up, looking thoughtful. “I’ve been in prison for ten years, and no one has ever impressed me. But this kid Luo Hai… damn. Why has he never taught us before?”
“Maybe because our dear prosecutor spends most of his time tormenting a certain prisoner,” Eugene said with a fake smile.
The gangster suddenly turned serious and smacked Eugene hard on the back, nearly sending him stumbling forward. “You—stick with him. You’ve got potential. A bright future ahead.”
With that, the gangster walked away like some wise master from a comic book, hands clasped behind his back, leaving Eugene utterly dumbfounded.
What the hell?! What future? He was a death row inmate! Did they mean that kind of “journey”—as in, across the River Styx in the underworld?!
Eugene sighed, waiting for the other prisoners to leave before finally standing up and walking out of the hall.
As expected, Luo Hai was standing in the hallway outside. The light poured over his shoulders, accentuating his tall and upright stance.
“Are you satisfied now?” Eugene shoved his hands into his pockets and looked up at him.
Luo Hai crossed his arms and said indifferently, “Didn’t expect you to be so good at reciting.”
“I was in the top five of my class back in school,” Eugene raised an eyebrow. “I won a scholarship every year in college.”
“I know. I read your records.” Luo Hai sneered. “Your alma mater must be so proud of you now.”
“My alma mater has always encouraged students to pursue independent careers.” Eugene replied without blinking.
“With your education and abilities, you could have found a great job in the Upper District. Why did you choose to become a terrorist and end up like this?” Luo Hai stared at him, his gaze cold and ruthless.
Eugene chuckled lightly. “Even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me. Why should I bother? No matter what I say, you’ll assume I’m lying, that I’m just covering up some intricate, evil scheme.”
“Because that is the truth!” Luo Hai’s voice rose, his eyes darkening. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them. “Drop the fake innocence, Oddis. Twenty days is more than enough time for me to come up with new ways to make you suffer.”
Eugene smirked, still relaxed, his amber eyes calmly meeting Luo Hai’s sharp gaze. “Don’t you think you’re a bit arrogant sometimes? You want everything around you to follow your rules, maintain order, obey authority, and develop according to a predetermined path. You’re terrified of anything or anyone slipping out of your control.”
Leaning in, Eugene lowered his voice, his lips nearly brushing Luo Hai’s ear. “What are you so afraid of, Luo Hai?”
Luo Hai suddenly stepped back, glaring at him in anger. Eugene laughed, stuffing his hands back into his pockets and leaning against the wall.
“It doesn’t matter how many times you ask.” Eugene said, “I got caught because I missed you. I wanted to see you, that’s all.”
For a moment, Luo Hai had the overwhelming urge to ignore all the rules and restrictions of the prosecution office—to land a hard punch on this incorrigible criminal’s jaw, to tie him down and interrogate him until he pried the truth from that ever-smirking mouth.
Eugene watched with amusement as Luo Hai’s face turned from pale to stormy. Then, without another word, Luo Hai spun on his heel and walked away, as if summoning ten years’ worth of patience just to keep himself from snapping on the spot.
Eugene caught up from behind, grabbing Luo Hai’s hand, the grin on his face widening. “What, already mad?”
Luo Hai’s expression was ice-cold as he shook off Eugene’s hand without hesitation.
But Eugene was shameless as ever, stepping close again. “Don’t be like that. Didn’t you have fun today? Come on, don’t be mad. It’s all my fault. What do you want for dinner? I’ll cook for you when we get back.”
Here we go again.
Luo Hai could feel the anger swelling in his chest.
Once again, Eugene was treating this like some kind of game—reducing crimes, murder, and terrorist plots to something as trivial as a lover’s quarrel.
How could he do this?
How dare he do this?
And of all people, why was it him?
Rage burned in Luo Hai’s chest like a fireball, igniting every nerve, making his blood feel like molten lava. Something in him was about to break through his skin.
“Seriously, calm down. I’ll make you anything you want,” Eugene coaxed playfully, grabbing Luo Hai’s hand again. “It’s still early, we can even buy fresh ingredients—”
Before he could finish, Luo Hai jerked away as if electrocuted. “Don’t touch me!”
He used so much force that Eugene stumbled back two steps, looking at him in surprise.
Something wasn’t right with Luo Hai.
Simple anger couldn’t explain his trembling fingers, the redness in his eyes.
“What’s wrong with you?” Eugene dropped his playful tone.
“Nothing.” Luo Hai answered briefly, pressing his shaking wrist against his side and turning to leave.
“Are you seriously—” Eugene frowned and grabbed Luo Hai’s arm, pulling him back.
“I said I’m fine!” Luo Hai raised his voice.
But it was too late. Eugene had already noticed the sweat on his forehead, the labored breathing, and the subtle, hidden traces of moisture in an unnoticeable spot.
Eugene’s expression went blank for a second before he finally spoke.
“Are you… in heat?”
