Chapter Thirty-Six: Boss, Please Come Back Soon

“Then I’ll have to trouble you, Zunye, to clear the way for us,” Hu Lei said, turning his head to address the corpulent and dangerous convict beside him. Hu Lei’s injuries had mostly healed by now.

Zunye patted his round belly, sending waves through his fat with a resounding slosh. He glanced at the young girl, sneering lecherously, “You’re being too polite, Brother Lei. Your daughter has promised to use her ‘Midnight Ecstasy’ on me with all her strength afterwards. If anything, it’s her who’s going to have a hard time tonight.”

As he spoke, Zunye’s piggish eyes roved up and down the girl. Only when Hu Lei, whether deliberately or not, stepped forward to shield her did Zunye finally avert his gaze.

The girl showed no reaction to Zunye’s words. From start to finish, she hadn’t cast a single glance at anyone else—save for the man who claimed to be her father, who was genuinely good to her. As for the others, she simply couldn’t be bothered. All they wanted was to indulge in her ability, “Midnight Ecstasy,” to lose themselves in its intoxicating rapture just once. Anyone who had tasted her power found themselves hopelessly addicted, as if to a drug—one taste and they could never quit.

Zunye was one of these addicts.

Just thinking that, after tonight, he would once more experience that transcendent bliss made Zunye shudder with anticipation. The very thought was enough to make his mouth water.

He bellowed for the sixth floor convicts to charge, his body’s fat jiggling as he moved. But as he barreled forward, the fat began to solidify, growing rigid and lumpy, until his entire form became grotesque and menacing. He hurled himself at the man-sized cave entrance in the faux rock park.

From above, the convicts of the thirteenth floor hurled stones at the attackers below.

The park’s only entrance and exit was this natural fissure in the cliffside, a winding passage that forced any visitors to walk several meters before reaching the true interior. It was a perfect stronghold—easily defended, difficult to seize.

If they could just hold it, everyone might survive the night.

But—

A thunderous crash rang out as Zunye slammed himself into the rock wall, embedding his body deep within it. Cracks spread outward, showering the ground with rubble.

Zunye extricated himself, flexing his body. The view beyond the shattered wall hinted at open space—just a few more blows and their force could break through.

He Jing’s expression grew grimmer. She had already directed most of their firepower at Zunye, but the stones bounced off him as if he were made of tofu. He was unscathed, and after stretching, he even looked up and grinned at her.

A chill ran down He Jing’s spine at that smile. Its meaning was clear: “You can’t escape. Struggle all you like. When I get in, you’ll see how I deal with you.”

What now? How could they survive the forty minutes that remained?

He Jing’s gaze slid past the convicts to the distant free men, her brows knitting tighter. If the convicts broke in, being killed would almost be a mercy. If they were handed over to the free men, the outcome would be far worse.

Hardening her resolve, she shouted to her companions, “Hold the line at all costs! Wait for Boss Mu to return! If we can’t stop them now, there will be no peace for any of us!”

With that, she took the lead, hefting a boulder half her size. Her face flushed, jaw clenched, she roared and hurled the stone straight at Zunye’s greasy head.

A dull, heavy thud followed, and those nearby stared in shock as Zunye staggered back several steps. Though he was covered in dust and dirt, he had suffered only a minor scrape. Then they looked at He Jing, swallowing nervously. This woman, when she lost her mind, was really something else.

But He Jing was far from finished. Blood still colored her cheeks as she seized another rock and flung it into the densest part of the crowd.

“Damn it, are we going to let a woman outdo us? Let’s kill those bastards!”

“Take my Mount Tai Smash!”

Spurred on, the thirteenth floor convicts went berserk, their eyes reddened as they fought with reckless abandon. A rain of stones poured down upon the attackers below, filling the air with screams and dust. The assault forced the attackers to retreat, casualties mounting rapidly.

Zunye glared murderously at He Jing, his veins bulging and skin beginning to petrify, blood-red spikes erupting from beneath the skin—a terrifying sight.

“Warning, warning. Dangerous convict Zunye,” a cold electronic voice intoned. “‘Final Punishment’ detects imminent use of superpowers. Cease immediately, or face execution.”

A guttural, unwilling snarl rumbled from Zunye’s throat as he stared at the ordinary convicts above—ants, whom he could usually slaughter at will, now daring to resist him. Even a woman had managed to injure him. It was infuriating—unbearably so.

Just as Zunye was about to lose control, a pair of hands landed on his shoulders. Hu Lei had stepped beside him, crushing incoming stones with bare hands. Blood seeped from his temples.

“Keep your power in check. Don’t overdo it.”

Zunye, hearing this, withdrew the blood-red spikes into his body. His fat grew even more compact, muscles bulging with power.

“Let’s do this together!”

“Alright!”

With that, the two men charged forward, breaking through the hail of stones to batter the rock wall below. The wall shook violently; those above struggled to keep their footing. Some convicts slipped and fell to their deaths.

“Ah Ning! Damn it, I’ll kill you all!”

“Let these scum be buried with our fallen brothers!”

Seeing their comrades perish, the thirteenth floor convicts erupted with rage, blood boiling, hurling everything they could lay their hands on down at their foes. What did it matter if their enemies were dangerous convicts? Their own boss, Mu You, was a force to be reckoned with as well.

As long as they held out until he returned, they would be fine.

At that moment, every convict was desperately hoping for Mu You’s swift return. Earlier, He Jing had told them how Mu You had risked his life to save her and Xu Chen, holding off the free men alone so they could escape death.

Such a leader was unheard of in the Convict’s Paradise.

Never before had a strong man stopped for the sake of the weak, much less shielded them from harm. Previously, this was unimaginable to the convicts.

The stronger a person, the more ruthless they became.

The lower ranks were mere stepping stones to the powerful—disposable, unworthy of slowing down for. Who would risk their own progress for the sake of such people?

But Mu You would.

The strength of ordinary convicts was insignificant; they needed a leader. With someone like Mu You, they had surrendered to him body and soul.

“Hold on!”

“The boss will be back soon!”

“Hang on, brothers! Wait for Mu You!”

Under the shadow of death, Mu You’s status in their hearts soared to unprecedented heights. Everyone was waiting for him to appear.

“Stop dreaming. If he hasn’t shown up by now, he’s probably not coming back. Didn’t you see Xu Chen’s already dead? I saw Mu You take one of those arrows before, and didn’t He Jing say he was found deeply unconscious? You’re pinning your hopes on someone like that? You might as well surrender. Maybe, since we’re from the same building, they’ll show us mercy.”

Just as morale was at its peak, a discordant voice rang out, chilling the atmosphere like ice water poured onto red-hot steel.