Chapter 3 - Chapter: A Gamble on Repairing the Mecha

Lin Jie's single point of the finger instantly silenced the noisy recreation area.The onlookers, who had been wearing mocking grins a moment earlier, quickly wiped the smiles from their faces. Even the two warriors cornering Lin Jie softened their expressions, looking far more compliant."Simon... Is this kid with you?" one of the warriors asked the bald giant, his face paling instantly. If Lin Jie was indeed associated with Simon, he'd truly messed with someone he shouldn't have."No," Simon replied flatly, shaking his head without hesitation under everyone's gaze.The moment he spoke, all whispers faded away. Even from a distance, his voice cut through the silence clearly enough for everyone to hear. He sat beside the mecha, staring coldly at Lin Jie. "Brat, I don't care what tricks you're playing. But let me tell you—my mood's already bad today. You'd better not 招惹 me."So this kid was just stalling for time... At Simon's words, the two killers'狰狞 grins returned. They inched toward Lin Jie, one from the front and one from the back—like villains spotting a lone little girl in the middle of the night.He was just a prisoner with no connections and no powers. If he died, so be it. The Ninth Prison spanned fifteen zones, covering over a third of the entire planet. People died here almost every day. In a few days, everyone would forget about this incident, and the Ninth Prison would remain the Ninth Prison."I never said I was with you, and I'm not playing any tricks," Lin Jie remained calm despite being boxed in. He tilted his head to look at Simon, who was still by the mecha. "When I said I'd survive because of you, I meant I can help you. You need me."At this, the two killers froze again. They shot Lin Jie a fierce glare, then turned to Simon as if waiting for their boss's orders. Even if they thought Lin Jie was lying, when Simon was involved, they didn't dare take any chances. If they killed Lin Jie and accidentally ruined Simon's business because of it, they'd have nowhere to cry.In Zone T, Simon's influence was, in some ways, greater than the warden's."You say... I need you?"On the other side, Simon stood up and walked toward Lin Jie. The warrior blocking Lin Jie's front scrambled out of the way like a hyena confronting a lion, letting Simon approach Lin Jie unobstructed. At nearly two meters tall, Simon made Lin Jie—who was just over 1.8 meters—look small by comparison. "Then you'd better explain clearly. What do I need you for? You should know—tricking me won't be any more pleasant than dying."Trick you? I'm trying to cooperate with you... Lin Jie first met Simon's gaze for a few seconds, then tilted his head slightly and pointed at the combat mecha behind Simon. "I can fix it. Is that enough?"Fix it?Simon glanced skeptically at the mecha behind him, then back at Lin Jie. For the first time, a flicker of change crossed his eyes. After studying Lin Jie for a moment, he slowly turned around, made a "follow me" gesture, and strode toward the mecha first.Lin Jie followed behind. Seeing that the two killers didn't dare stop him, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.No matter what—his gamble had paid off.In Zone T: An Office"Damn it!"Jenna stared at Lin Jie, who was unharmed, her eyes growing more venomous. As the largest and most advanced prison in the Karl Star Nation, the Ninth Prison was blanketed in comprehensive security surveillance. Jenna could see every move below clearly.And it was precisely because of this that she felt even angrier.Was a prisoner who'd had no connections and been on the verge of death really going to survive? Was this man—who'd just insulted her—really going to get Simon's protection so easily?"Who the hell is Lin Jie?"Jenna turned around, hurried to her desk, pulled out a communicator from the drawer, and dialed a number. After a few short rings, a man's voice came through the other end: "Ms. Jenna. Did you get the job done?""Before that... answer me one question first," Jenna ignored his question and asked directly. "That Lin Jie—Is he a mechanic?"The line fell silent for a moment. Then, the man's voice turned serious: "Ms. Jenna, I remember I told you not to try investigating Lin Jie's past. It seems you didn't listen to me.""I wasn't investigating him..." Jenna's face changed, but she forced herself to explain, recounting what had happened between Lin Jie and Simon."You know who Simon is, sir," she added after finishing. "If Lin Jie really has the ability to fix mechs and gains Simon's protection, I'll have no chance to make a move."Again, silence descended on the other end—this time, it lasted longer.The office was bathed in soft lighting, and a small greenhouse off to the side held a variety of plants. But this supposedly relaxed space felt oppressively tense under the weight of the silence."Foolish... You're even more foolish than I thought, Ms. Jenna," the man's voice finally returned, but it was cold and sharp. "Killing a mere ordinary person—and you managed to make it this complicated. I'm curious what you've even been thinking.""Sir, please let me explain—""I don't need explanations. I need results," the man cut her off sharply."But he's with Simon now! What am I supposed to do?" Jenna frowned. Though the man hadn't explicitly confirmed it, his response might as well have told her: Lin Jie was indeed a mechanic.And that raised a problem.How was she supposed to kill a mechanic protected by Simon?"That's your problem," the man's voice grew impatient. "I don't care about Simon—he has nothing to do with me. All I want is Lin Jie dead. Everything else is none of my business.""None of your business?" Jenna's eyebrows shot up, her own anger flaring. She spoke coldly: "Sir, don't forget—your politicians only care about so-called 'balance of interests.' You dare not put men like Simon on trial, so you dump them all here. That's why my Ninth Prison has become what it is today. Are you sure this has nothing to do with you?""Watch your tone, Warden!"A sharp rebuke suddenly came through the communicator, cutting off whatever else Jenna had been about to say.The rebuke seemed to calm her down. She stared coldly at the communicator, saying nothing more."Good. It seems you know what to do now," a satisfied voice came from the other end after a moment. Then the call ended, leaving only the beeping of the disconnected line.Bang!In the next second, Jenna grabbed the communicator and slammed it to the ground. It hit the wall and shattered into pieces.She leaned forward, her hands braced on the desk, breathing heavily with rage. Her eyes grew colder and colder."Lin Jie..."