Is this what a zombie is?

21 years of imprisonment

Ai Yi confirmed with her eyes, while Jiang Chen's eyes were so firm in his determination to join the Party that there was no room for discussion.

"Alright, my family does have a legal team, so if you want to go to jail, it's still possible. I'll have them take a look and see how many years they'll sentence you."

It would be relatively easy for Jiang Chen to get in now, since he is already accused of excessive self-defense.

Ai Yi walked around Jiang Chen twice, her gaze sliding from Jiang Chen's handsome and refined face down to his slightly thin shoulders and his fair and tender skin, which was like that of a baby.

As he looked at it, he clicked his tongue and shook his head with a worried expression.

"I'm not saying this to be mean, but with your delicate skin and tender flesh, if you really went to prison, wouldn't it be like a lamb being led to the slaughter...?"

Ai Yi hesitated to speak, but her expressive face said it all.

"I reckon on your first night in there, you'll be getting your soap picked up and covered in sweat."

Jiang Chen didn't explain, but calmly walked to the corner of the ward, where there was a solid wood bed for caregivers.

It is made of solid materials and is heavy; it would be difficult for two ordinary adults to lift it.

Jiang Chen simply grabbed one of the bed legs with one hand and lifted the solid wood bed, which weighed at least 100 pounds, with one hand. He did not hold it above his head for three seconds.

But Ai Yi understood what Jiang Chen meant, silently gave a thumbs up, and then began to applaud.

"Okay, I was overthinking it. You're not even a normal person anymore."

The worry came quickly and went quickly; Ai Yi's mind immediately jumped to another dimension.

"But then again, if you go in and serve a few years, you'll have a criminal record when you come out. Does that mean you can forget about taking the civil service exam or getting a job in a public institution?"

Jiang Chen casually put the bed back in its original position, the heavy solid wood bed making a dull thud as it hit the ground.

"I studied medicine and never planned to take the civil service exam. At worst, I just won't go to a public hospital."

"That makes sense!" Ai Yi slapped her thigh. "The doors of my family's hospital are always open for you. If you don't like it, I'll build you another hospital just for you, called 'Jiang Chen Memorial Hospital,' how about that?"

To be honest, it wasn't that great, but he did feel Ai Yi's feelings.

However, what was said in jest was taken to heart by the listener. Ai Yi's words, "You're not even a normal person anymore," still haunted Jiang Chen.

The incense of resurrection prolongs his life, maintaining his abnormal state.

Cultivating thunder magic gradually transformed his body, granting him power far exceeding that of ordinary people, but also taking him further and further away from the concept of "human."

This feeling is like standing on the edge of a cliff, with the warmth of human life behind you and an endless, cold, and lonely abyss in front of you.

He is walking step by step into the abyss, with no way to turn back.

……

A dozen days later, the city court held a hearing.

"This court hereby pronounces its verdict: the defendant Jiang Chen, for excessive self-defense resulting in death, is sentenced to ten years imprisonment and shall be sent to Blackstone Prison to serve his sentence immediately."

"Bang!"

The gavel fell, sealing the deal.

Chen Gang, who was in plainclothes and in the audience, was completely stunned.

No, what happened to the professional legal team you were promised? What are you doing?

How could someone in a favorable position still be sentenced to ten years?

The legal team also expressed their helplessness, saying that not being acquitted was no different from losing the case for them.

But this sentence was requested by the young master, and it was the first time they had ever accepted such a request.

However, if the compensation is sufficient, the whole thing doesn't require much effort.

What else can be said? The young master is so generous!

Chen Gang stared at Jiang Chen in the defendant's dock, whose expression remained calm and composed, as if everything was under control.

I glanced at it again, and there was Ai Yi next to me giving me an OK sign, looking like she'd got it all figured out and was ready to praise me. My mind was a complete mess.

What is this?

As he expected, even if Jiang Chen couldn't defend himself, his situation would only be capped at three years at most.

With Ai Yi's help, getting a suspended sentence wouldn't be a problem, and they might even actually go to jail.

The reason he pressed on relentlessly, even resorting to physical evidence, was to use police pressure to force Jiang Chen to reveal the secrets of that extraordinary world.

But then this happened. Ten years—how many decades does one have in a lifetime? To play such a big game, he still ended up in Blackstone Prison, the most heavily guarded prison in the entire province.

Have these two godfathers fallen out, or are they playing some kind of game that he doesn't understand?

After the trial ended, the bailiffs put cold handcuffs on Jiang Chen.

On the way to be escorted away, Chen Gang stopped him in the courthouse corridor.

"Why?" Chen Gang's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared in a low voice, his emotions somewhat out of control. "Why would you rather go to jail for ten years than tell me what really happened that night?"

"I just want to know the truth!!!"

In Chen Gang's eyes, Jiang Chen saw repressed obsession, pain, and hysterical madness.

It is a kind of despair caused by being tormented by a certain belief for a long time, but never finding an answer.

At that moment, Jiang Chen understood the other person's persistence, because he had a similar persistence.

Although he didn't know the root of Chen Gang's obsession, whether it was his family or his friends.

But he doesn't want an ordinary person to get involved in this world that can't be explained by common sense.

"Officer Chen, some abysses can swallow you up even if you only glance at them, so it's best to stay as far away from them as possible."

"It's more dangerous than you think. Stubbornness will only harm you and those around you."

After saying that, he ignored Chen Gang, who was standing there dumbfounded, and, escorted by the bailiffs, walked without looking back towards the light at the end of the corridor, and the deeper darkness that followed.

The prison van was parked in a secluded spot in the backyard of the courthouse, where Ai Yi and Cat Master were already waiting to see them off.

"Brother, everything's arranged. Someone inside will take care of you."

Ai stepped forward and gave Jiang Chen a tight hug.

Jiang Chen nodded and whispered to Cat Master, "See you tonight, Cat Master."

He was to be searched before entering prison, and there was absolutely no way he could bring something like the Soul-Returning Incense in. So he entrusted it to Master Cat for safekeeping beforehand, asking Master Cat to deliver it to him that night.

The heavy car door closed, separating the two worlds. The prison van slowly started moving, carrying Jiang Chen, and headed towards that steel cage—Black Stone Prison.

Blackstone Prison currently holds over three thousand prisoners, including notorious criminals from across the province and even those from other provinces.

Basically, every one of them is a criminal; a quarter of the prisoners are serving life sentences, and more than half are serving sentences of twenty years or more.

Murderers, drug kingpins, gang leaders, and even terrorists—they've got it all, and each one is a talent.

Here, getting a reduced sentence is impossible, but getting a longer sentence is possible, because these prisoners also form cliques.

As the saying goes, wherever there are people, there is a world of intrigue, but this place is a cesspool of filth.

Brawls, gang fights, and other heinous incidents such as "love education" occur every day.

It's best not to bring soap when you take a shower, or you'll be responsible for the consequences.

Coming in standing up and leaving lying down is still relatively mild; the worst thing is never having to worry about constipation again.

Every so often, prisoners die. If you have the willpower to wait until you're released, you might as well start over and succeed at anything.