Is this what a zombie is?

22. Successfully obtained number 9527

The prison van traveled along the highway leading to the suburbs, and the city lights outside the window were gradually replaced by desolate fields and forests.

The setting sun dyed the horizon a magnificent blood red, and the light filtered through the cracks in the iron window, casting mottled, fence-like shadows on Jiang Chen's face.

An hour later, a massive fortress made of gray-black rock and steel appeared on the horizon.

It is like an ancient behemoth lurking in a mountain valley, silent and repressive, exuding a chilling aura that makes one's heart tremble.

This is Blackrock Prison.

"get off!"

With a harsh shout, the prison van door was flung open. Blinding searchlights instantly enveloped him, and two cold-faced prison guards, wielding batons, dragged him out of the van and into a brightly lit room.

"Get rid of your naked body!"

The order was concise and left no room for doubt.

Jiang Chen calmly unbuttoned his shirt and took off his brand-new casual clothes one by one, revealing his fair but well-defined and muscular body.

After checking the clothes and confirming that no contraband was smuggled in, a prison guard pointed to a metal cubicle at the other end of the room.

"Go inside and wash yourself thoroughly."

As soon as Jiang Chen stepped inside, a powerful jet of water gushed out from the high-pressure water gun above his head, slamming into his body.

The violent rinsing lasted for nearly three minutes until the prison guards felt it was enough and then turned off the water valve.

"Put them on!"

A set of gray, rough-textured prison uniform was thrown on the ground, with a string of black numbers printed on the chest.

Congratulations on receiving the serial number 9527.

From today onwards, he is no longer Jiang Chen, but simply prisoner 9527.

After changing into prison clothes, Jiang Chen was escorted by two prison guards, one on each side, through a series of heavy iron gates and officially entered the cell block.

When the last iron gate leading to the prison area slammed shut behind him, Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.

In his eyes, the world had undergone a dramatic transformation in an instant.

The air is no longer just air.

Wisps of gray gas, like a viscous liquid with life, filled the entire space.

They seeped from the cracks in the tightly closed cell doors, rose from the contorted faces of the prisoners, and finally gathered at the top of the dimly lit ceiling of the corridor, swirling, tumbling, and tangling, forming a visible, nauseating gray sea of ​​clouds.

He once asked Cat Master what this unique gray gas in his field of vision was.

Cat Master told him that it was extreme evil, resentment, despair, hatred... in short, negative emotions, or negative energy.

On both sides of the long corridor are rows of prison cells.

Through the gaps in the iron bars, countless gazes were cast out, scraping at him like knives.

Those gazes contained numbness, curiosity, and scrutiny, but more than anything, they contained undisguised malice, like a pack of hungry wolves eyeing a new prey that had intruded into their territory.

"when--"

Jiang Chen arrived at just the right time, around dinner time.

So the warning officer took Jiang Chen to familiarize themselves with the cafeteria first.

Jiang Chen originally thought that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would never be able to leave prison for the rest of his life.

My understanding of prison comes from both the written word and through films and television shows.

What left the deepest impression on Jiang Chen was the Hong Kong films from more than ten years ago. At that time, gangster films and prison movies were still very popular.

In my memory, the prison canteen was also a hotspot for conflict because weapons were present there.

Metal plates, forks, and chopsticks can all become deadly weapons.

When Jiang Chen entered the canteen, hundreds of prisoners dressed in the same gray prison uniforms were crowded there. The clattering of stainless steel plates, the rude shouts, and the screeching of chairs dragging on the floor blended into a noisy symphony.

The gray gas here was denser than in the corridor, and more of it clung to each prisoner, churning and surging with their emotional fluctuations.

Jiang Chen ignored all of this and stood in line for food with a blank expression.

He carried his tray, his eyes quickly scanning the chaotic cafeteria, finally finding an empty seat in a deserted corner.

He had barely sat down, and before his chopsticks even touched the food, a huge shadow loomed over him.

A burly man carrying a tray sat down next to him with an air of authority.

The burly man's eyes were extremely strange, with a playful look as if he were examining his prey. He looked Jiang Chen up and down his fair face, a greasy smile spreading across his lips.

He deliberately moved very close, and a mixture of sweat and cheap tobacco odor wafted over me.

"New guy, what did you do wrong?" His voice was husky and frivolous. "Look at you, all that pretty boy, with your delicate skin. Did you manage to please some rich woman out there?"

As he spoke, his rough, calloused hand, covered in scars, reached across the table and unabashedly touched Jiang Chen's thigh.

"Don't be afraid," the burly man said, pressing his hand down with irresistible force, his smile growing increasingly lewd. "Here, I'll protect you. I guarantee no one will dare to bully you tonight."

Jiang Chen put down his chopsticks without uttering a single unnecessary word.

His right hand moved like a black lightning bolt, striking first and grabbing the burly man's wrist with perfect precision, his five fingers tightening like iron clamps.

The burly man's smile froze. He was about to pull back when he found that the other man's hand was welded to his wrist and wouldn't budge.

The next second, Jiang Chen twisted his wrist outward sharply.

"ah--!!!"

"It hurts, it hurts, it's about to break, it's about to break!"

The pig-like screams brought a brief moment of silence to the noisy cafeteria.

Hundreds of eyes from everyone in the cafeteria were focused on this corner, their gazes filled with a mixture of amusement, amusement, shock, fear, and admiration.

After all, this burly man was a well-known gay man, and he wasn't exactly a pushover; his physique spoke for itself.

Many fair-skinned newcomers were forcibly turned gay by him after they joined.

The moment he saw Jiang Chen, he added him to his list of targets, but unfortunately, Jiang Chen turned out to be a tough opponent.

You want to turn me gay, huh? Well then, I'll straighten you out.

"Don't move! What are you doing?!"

Two prison guards in the distance immediately noticed the commotion, brandishing their batons and rushing over while shouting sternly.

Just as Jiang Chen was about to speak, and even prepared to receive another beating from the police baton, the burly man actually smiled obsequiously.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I caused him trouble. It's all my fault. Please don't make things difficult for this handsome guy."

Jiang Chen: (；￣Д￣)

For the first time, he felt aversion towards the word "handsome guy".

"Number 9527, come with me. Take him to the infirmary."