Ghost Capital Prison.

This facility held the world’s most heinous criminals, each one notoriously evil and infamous.

There were special agents who had stolen national secrets, assassins who had killed presidents, and warlords who had slaughtered tens of thousands of captives…

Qi Dengxian, dressed in a prison guard’s uniform, was in his father’s study, practising calligraphy. His strokes were measured and precise, every line imbued with robust vigour.

“Second-in-Command, trouble! The God of Slaughter and Greedy Wolf are fighting…” A prison guard stumbled in, panic written all over his face.

Qi Dengxian let out a soft “Oh,” then casually tossed a finished piece of calligraphy to him. “Take my writing to them. Tell them to go sweep the toilets for three days. If they disobey, tell them I’ll shove their heads back into the toilet bowl myself.”

“Yes, Second-in-Command!” The guard froze for a second before hurriedly grabbing the paper and running off.

The God of Slaughter was the renowned King of Assassins, imprisoned for assassinating the President of the United States.

Greedy Wolf was the leader of a massive underground organisation, jailed for trafficking nuclear warheads.

“Second-in-Command, bad news! The Butcher is throwing a fit about the cafeteria food and has injured several brothers!” Another guard rushed in, flustered.

Qi Dengxian raised an eyebrow. He tossed another just-finished sheet of calligraphy to this guard and said indifferently, “Make him wash dishes in the back kitchen for a month. If he doesn’t listen, I’ll go there personally and hang him up in the plaza for three days and three nights!”

The guard caught Qi Dengxian’s inscription, turned, and trotted away.

The Butcher, a terrifying warlord who had massacred over ten thousand prisoners, a ruthless hegemon who viewed human life as mere grass!

“Second-in-Command, trouble again, again, again, again! The Night Demon, the one who wiped out that General’s family in the Snow Country, has gone crazy! He’s tearing apart the confinement room!”

Qi Dengxian felt a headache coming on. He threw out the piece he had just written and said coldly, “Tell him to break his own two legs and lie quietly in his cell for a month. If he’s short by even a day, I’ll throw him into the cesspit to soak for a day!”

The guard didn’t dare delay; he grabbed the paper and ran out as if his pants were on fire.

Qi Dengxian slapped his forehead, unable to stop himself from cursing, “So much damn trouble in this little prison. My old man has been gone for three years without a single word, leaving me here to die of annoyance!”

He walked out of the study, checked the time, and went to the playground for his routine patrol.

As soon as the inmates exercising on the playground saw Qi Dengxian appear, they immediately stood at attention, heads bowed low, not daring to look him in the eye.

“Second-in-Command, Second-in-Command, have a smoke… Can you help me send this letter to my family? Once it’s done, I’ll give you a hundred million. My family has plenty of money!” An oligarch worth hundreds of billions, jailed for selling off national resources, ran up with a smile, offering Qi Dengxian a cigarette.

“Good day, Second-in-Command…” The former richest man in Huaguo, guilty of severe monopoly crimes, bowed deeply.

“Good afternoon, Second-in-Command!” The former head of US Military Intelligence, who had sold state secrets, also lowered his head in imitation.

Not a single inmate here was an ordinary person. The reputation of any one of them was enough to shake a region if released.

Yet, in this moment, they obediently lowered their heads and addressed Qi Dengxian with utmost respect.

“I’m in a bad mood lately. I hope you all won’t cause trouble,” Qi Dengxian said.

“Uh… Yes, yes, yes!” They paused, then hurriedly agreed.

Qi Dengxian had just returned to his office when a guard came running in frantically, shouting, “Second-in-Command…”

Qi Dengxian’s brow twitched with displeasure. “What is it now?”

“Oh… it’s not the inmates this time. A General has arrived from the outside to escort a prisoner here. A very beautiful female General,” the guard said with a fawning smile.

Qi Dengxian uttered a simple “Oh.”

The guard continued, “This female General asked for the Second-in-Command by name. She says she knows the First-in-Command!”

Qi Dengxian paused. “She knows my dad? Let’s go take a look…”

Outside the prison, dozens of soldiers stood in battle formation, guarding a cage. Inside the cage sat a gloomy man.

“Heheh, when I get out of here, I’m counting every one of you. None of you will survive!” The man threatened with a sinister air.

The surrounding soldiers turned their heads away, as if afraid he would memorise their faces.

Nearby stood a woman with two stars on her shoulder. She was heroic and striking, her tall, upright figure exuding a dashing aura with every movement.

She was the Eldest Miss of the capital’s Yu Family, Yu Xiaolong.

Yu Xiaolong watched with cold eyes as Qi Dengxian walked out of the prison. His uniform was worn casually, lacking any spirit or vigour, which she found irritating.

“You must be Qi Dengxian?” Yu Xiaolong asked. Her gaze was condescending, and the two dragon stars shining on her shoulders carried a distinct arrogance.

Qi Dengxian found her look somewhat repulsive. “Who did you catch?”

“One of the Four Kings of the Underground World, the King of Terror, Big Beard. Higher-ups designated this location for his imprisonment.” Yu Xiaolong stepped forward and handed a file to Qi Dengxian.

Qi Dengxian signed it casually and asked, “You were looking for me?”

Yu Xiaolong spoke calmly, “I am Yu Xiaolong. I came to tell you that we are not people from the same world.”

At the mention of the name, Qi Dengxian was clearly startled for a moment, then frowned.

Yu Xiaolong’s indifferent gaze fell upon his shoulder insignia, two small white stars, a Rank 2 Prison Guard.

“I am breaking this engagement,” Yu Xiaolong said flatly, her eyes holding a trace of pity. The Grand Young Master of the Qi family was actually here, guarding a broken-down prison.

“Do you have any objections?”

After saying this, she took out a marriage contract and methodically tore it into two pieces right in front of him.

Behind her, the soldiers looked at Qi Dengxian with disdain, their expressions tinged with contempt.

A tiny Rank 2 Prison Guard thought he could match General Yu, a Lieutenant General?

Yu Xiaolong sighed, shaking her head slightly. With a touch of sympathy, she said, “I know this is a significant blow to you. But, as you can see, we simply do not belong to the same world.”

As she spoke, her gaze swept over her own shoulders and then his.

Qi Dengxian said nothing.

Yu Xiaolong handed out a business card. “As compensation for the broken engagement, you can take this card and ask me to do two things for you.”

“As the former Young Master of the Qi family, you should leave this ghostly place as soon as possible. If you do, there might still be hope for you to return to your clan.”

“The King of Terror is in your hands now. Make sure he stays in that cage. Otherwise, many people will die…”

“To capture him, our military lost many elites. Even I suffered minor injuries.”

Having said her piece, Yu Xiaolong turned and jumped into her vehicle. Without waiting for Qi Dengxian’s response, she gave the order and led her team away.

“He has completely degenerated since leaving the Qi family.”

“Guarding a place that never sees the light of day… no matter how much talent he had, it would be ground down to nothing.”

“I spoke to him, and he was so numb he didn’t even reply. Clearly, he realises the gap in our status.”

Yu Xiaolong let out a mocking laugh. If Qi Dengxian came to her with the card, she would give him a chance, get him out of the prison and into the military. He could still have a small future.

Qi Dengxian watched Yu Xiaolong’s departing figure with a slightly stunned expression. He slowly withdrew his gaze.

The business card in his hand instantly crumbled into powder.

“Is she mentally ill…?”

Qi Dengxian muttered, then casually unlocked the heavy padlock on the cage.

The King of Terror inside immediately shoved the cage door open, grinning ferociously. “Kid, you should have listened to that woman’s advice!”

“I didn’t expect you to have that kind of relationship with Yu Xiaolong, the Goddess of War of Huaguo!”

“But you’re pitiful. Dumped by her… Tsk tsk, I almost don’t have the heart to kill you…”

Qi Dengxian suddenly lashed out with a backhand slap.

Pa!

The renowned King of Terror, whom the military had spent immense effort to capture, was knocked out cold on the ground.

“I’m in a bad mood. Why are you being so noisy?”

Qi Dengxian cursed in annoyance. He grabbed the King of Terror by the ankle and dragged him into the prison like a dead dog…

“Second-in-Command, Second-in-Command, your letter!” A postman ran over hurriedly, stuffing an envelope into Qi Dengxian’s hand. He glanced at the new prisoner now resembling a dead dog, without any surprise.

Qi Dengxian took it and looked, his spirits instantly lifting. “A letter from my dad!”

NOTES

Snow Country: A common webnovel pseudonym for Russia.

Huaguo: “Hua Country,” a common fictionalised name for China in urban webnovels.