The cell was tiny—hardly four square meters—and suffocatingly oppressive. Even though winter was barely ending and people still wore coats outside, it was unbearably hot in here.
Lee Sin climbed back onto his top bunk. Until he acquired the lock-picking skill, he had little to do but kill time, scout his next target for "release," and crave a cigarette. He desperately missed the taste of nicotine.
Michael Scofield, who had been leaning against the bars staring at the corridor, suddenly spoke. "What brought you here?" His voice was calm, but his eyes were searching.
Lee Sin smiled. "It's a funny story. I woke up this morning with a blank slate—total amnesia. I only found out from a guard in the yard that I'm in here for five counts of murder. What about you?"
Michael frowned, his expression darkening. Without turning his head, he replied, "Armed robbery." Then, he added a pointed question, "Were those five people... did they deserve it?"
Lee Sin realized immediately where Michael was going. Michael's high level of empathy made him a "good man," even in a place like this. A good man wouldn't want to break out of prison with a cold-blooded mass murderer.
'I almost forgot,' Lee Sin thought. 'He's probably already thinking of a way to cut me out of the plan and replace me with someone more "noble." Or at least someone less dangerous.'
"I honestly don't remember," Lee Sin said, shaking his head. "But I don't feel like a killer. For all I know, I was framed." He paused, looking down at Michael. "Do I look like a murderer to you?"
Michael didn't look back. "Who knows?" he replied indifferently.
Just then, a guard marched up to their cell. "Scofield! The Warden wants to see you. Move it!"
Michael stepped back silently, waiting for the door to slide open.
"Michael," Lee Sin called out before he left. "If you can, bring back a newspaper. I need to know what's happening in the world outside."
Michael paused for a fraction of a second. "I'll see what I can do."
Once Michael was gone, Lee Sin was alone. He summoned the Five Poison Gu to examine it. The insect was still small, its five colors vivid even in the dim light of the cell. However, after poisoning Biggs, the creature seemed lethargic, as if it were in a deep coma.
Lee Sin nudged it with a finger. No reaction.
'Is there a cooldown?' he wondered. He focused his mind on the command: 'Get up and get to work!'
[Warning: Excessive toxin depletion. Entity is in a weakened state. Recovery time: 7 hours and 30 minutes.]
"..."
As expected, his "cheat code" had limitations. He couldn't just go on a killing spree. Shaking his head, he retracted the Gu and closed his eyes to catch some sleep.
…
During the afternoon yard time, the hierarchy of Fox River was on full display. John Abruzzi was playing cards with his crew, and Michael was already making his move toward them.
Lee Sin had his own path to pave. His eyes locked onto a black inmate nicknamed "C-Note," the man known for being the prison's primary smuggler.
Lee Sin approached C-Note and the hulking man standing guard beside him. "Hello. I heard you're the man who can get anything."
C-Note looked Lee Sin up and down with clear disdain. "You heard wrong, kid."
"I don't think so," Lee Sin smiled. "I'm not looking for trouble. I just want to buy some cigarettes."
C-Note hesitated. He didn't like Lee Sin's overly confident attitude, but he never turned down a chance to make a profit. "Where's the money?"
"Think of it as a... zero-interest loan," Lee Sin said with a grin.
"What?" C-Note's eyes narrowed in fury. "You new fish! You looking for a fight?!"
The big man next to C-Note balled his fists. Lee Sin knew Warden Pope had zero tolerance for brawling; getting thrown into "The Shoe" (solitary) would ruin his plans. He immediately raised his hands in mock surrender and backed away.
"Hey, relax. I'm a man of my word. Two packs of cigarettes and some matches. Have them for me by tomorrow, and you'll see why it was a good deal."
C-Note was fuming. He barked at his bodyguard, "Get him!"
Lee Sin didn't stick around to test his Wing Chun against a giant yet. He turned and bolted into the crowd.
"Don't let me catch you again, Pretty!" C-Note yelled after him.
Lee Sin smirked as he slowed down. He had already set the stage. Tonight, or as soon as the Gu was ready, he would "release" that bodyguard. When C-Note saw his muscle drop dead without a mark on him, he'd get the message.
He headed back toward the bench where Charles Westmoreland sat. Since he couldn't get a newspaper yet, the "old man" was his best source of info. He needed to know if this was just the world of Prison Break or something more complex—a crossover world.
He sat down next to the old man. Before he could speak, Westmoreland looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Newcomer, you're too restless. All that running isn't good for your health."
"I'll be fine. I'm not the one in trouble," Lee Sin said, tilting his head. "Charles, you've been here a long time. Tell me about the outside world. I've got a bit of a memory gap."
"My name is Charles Westmoreland, as you seem to know," the old man corrected calmly. "But what makes you think I'd share anything with you?"
Lee Sin leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Because, in exchange, I can tell you something about your daughter."
Upon hearing Lee Sin's words, Westmoreland's expression shifted drastically, his eyes turning fierce. "New fish, you'd better be joking with me!"
Lee Sin shook his head solemnly. "I'm sorry, Charles, I'm not. The news about your daughter isn't good, but it's something you need to know."
Westmoreland shuddered, panic clearly etched on his weathered face. "What happened to my daughter?!"
Lee Sin didn't budge. "Information for information. Give me what I want first."
Westmoreland didn't hesitate. "What do you want to know?"
"The outside world. The more detail, the better," Lee Sin said. "Specifically, tell me about the major cartels—the groups making the real money."
Westmoreland began to speak, and Lee Sin listened intently. As the minutes ticked by, Lee Sin realized the scope of this reality. This wasn't just the world of Prison Break. It was a crossover of every criminal empire he had ever read about.
In this version of America, the drug trade was booming. Most of the marijuana came through Mexico, where "Plaza" owners were making fortunes. But the tide was turning. Mexico had begun a massive crackdown, and a new player from Colombia—a man named Pablo Escobar—was starting his legendary, unconventional rise to power.
As for the U.S., it was a battlefield of corporate capital and high-end corruption—things Westmoreland had only heard whispers of.
"Now," Westmoreland gasped, leaning in. "Tell me about my daughter."
Lee Sin paused. He had one more thing to confirm. "One last question. What do you know about New Mexico? Ever heard of a man named Heisenberg?"
Westmoreland shook his head decisively. "Never. Doesn't ring a bell."
'Makes sense,' Lee Sin thought. 'Walter White is probably still a chemistry teacher at some high school right now.'
He looked at the anxious old man and decided to stop the torture. "Your daughter has esophageal cancer. It's late-stage. She's currently at Sacred Heart Hospital in Indianapolis. The doctors... they give her about three months."
Westmoreland's face went ashen. He seemed to deflate, collapsing back onto the bench, unable to speak.
"I'm sorry," Lee Sin said, though the words felt hollow. "I know you can't get out, but she's still mobile. You should try to get her to visit you while there's still time."
Westmoreland snapped out of his daze, glaring at Lee Sin with a mixture of grief and fury. "You'd better be lying!"
"I'm not. You can confirm it with a few phone calls to the hospital."
The strength left Westmoreland's body. He swayed, and Lee Sin reached out to steady him.
"Thank you," the old man whispered weakly.
"Don't thank me," Lee Sin said, his voice dropping to a low, cold whisper. "I'm not a good person. I have one more thing to say. I'm getting out of here in a few days. I know where your five million dollars is buried. Don't tell your daughter about it. I'll give her enough to be comfortable for her remaining time, but the rest... the rest belongs to me."
Westmoreland's pupils dilated in pure shock. His entire body began to tremble. Even the tabby cat in his arms seemed to sense his terror.
"You... you... how do you..." Westmoreland stammered, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Lee Sin sighed. "Like I said, I'm not a hero. But think about it, Charles. It's the best solution. Your daughter doesn't need five million dollars for three months of life; it would only bring her trouble. And me? I'm the only one who can actually get to it."
With that, Lee Sin stood up and walked away, leaving the broken old man behind.
…
Yard time ended, and the guards funneled the A-Block inmates into the mess hall for dinner. Prison life was agonizingly structured. Lee Sin, used to eating at 8:00 PM in his past life, found the early schedule jarring. The food was mediocre—not quite slop, but far from a meal.
After dinner came the showers.
A large group of inmates crowded the public bathhouse. Lee Sin was acutely aware of the danger. He was handsome, his skin was fair, and in a place like Fox River, that made him a target—like Tang Sanzang entering the Kingdom of Women.
'Looks like tonight's the night I make a name for myself,' he thought with a sigh.
He had been washing for only a few minutes when a shadow loomed over him. It was Elkato, a mountain of a man standing nearly 1.9 meters tall. The other inmates quickly cleared the area, sensing blood in the water.
Lee Sin stopped washing, grabbed a towel, and wrapped it around his waist. He turned to face the giant with a calm smile.
"If I were you, I'd turn around and walk away right now," Lee Sin said.
Elkato grinned, his eyes fixed on Lee Sin. He didn't stop moving.
"Oh," Lee Sin sighed. "I guess you've never heard of Bruce Lee."
He shifted his weight, settling into a classic Wing Chun stance—the Man Sao and Wu Sao guards. He beckoned Elkato with a flick of his fingers. "Come."
The onlookers laughed. To them, Lee Sin looked like a toy.
"I'll be gentle," Elkato mocked, reaching out a massive hand to grab Lee Sin's neck.
Two minutes later.
Elkato was on the floor, howling in agony, his joints wrenched and his breath stolen. Lee Sin adjusted his towel and walked out of the shower room. The prisoners who had been watching scrambled out of his way, their laughter replaced by cold, hard respect.