Bai Hao hadn't slept all night. He sat half-leaning against the bunk, like an injured kitten huddling alone through a lonely, cold night. When the first rays of morning light crept into his cell, a faint, weary smile finally touched his numb face.
Sunlight, dispelling the darkness, bringing light.
Feeling the slight warmth in the light, Bai Hao reached out a hand, wanting to grasp the illumination. His hand seemed coated in a layer of gold. He clenched it, forming a golden fist.
He didn't know how long he sat like that before the cell door opened.
"Bai Hao, out!"
Hong Wu stood outside the cell with two guards, his voice stern.
Hearing the call, Bai Hao moved his stiffened body. Using one hand to brace against the bunk's post for support, he slowly and painfully stood up. Waves of pain shot from the numerous wounds on his body, as if countless ants were gnawing at him.
He glanced at several exposed wounds. The doctor from last night had done a decent job; the wounds had already scabbed over. In a few days, they should heal.
Dragging his heavy steps, Bai Hao walked to the cell door.
Hong Wu gave a slight nod. The two guards immediately stepped forward, supporting Bai Hao on either side. This prevented him from potentially collapsing mid-step. In truth, Bai Hao wasn't in such dire straits, but each step caused the wounds on his body to ache faintly, naturally slowing his pace and making him appear unsteady.
After walking for about five minutes, passing through several heavy alloy doors and long corridors, Hong Wu, Bai Hao, and the two guards arrived at the visitation room.
Two stern-faced guards stood at the door.
Hong Wu knocked lightly, then pushed the door open, addressing Yan Yifei and Bai Fei inside. "He's here."
"Bring him in quickly," Yan Yifei said, a flicker of relief crossing her face.
Hong Wu nodded, gesturing to the two guards behind him. They immediately helped Bai Hao into the visitation room.
The room wasn't large—a small, single-person visitation booth.
The moment he entered, Bai Hao saw his beautiful, intelligent senior sister, Yan Yifei. His heart trembled slightly, a surge of emotion rising within him. He had feared it might be someone from the Ning family coming to gloat at his condition.
Seeing Yan Yifei, Bai Hao felt as if he had suddenly glimpsed a ray of sunlight—a ray capable of dispelling darkness.
When Yan Yifei saw Bai Hao covered in wounds, the slight relief on her face vanished, replaced by concern mixed with threads of anger.
Bai Fei, standing to the side, also changed expression slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Junior Brother, what happened to you?" Yan Yifei asked, her brow lightly furrowed, concern evident in her tone.
Bai Hao sat down opposite Yan Yifei, a look of joy on his face. "Senior Sister, I'm fine."
Yan Yifei pressed, somewhat urgently, "Fine? You call this fine? What happened with all these injuries?"
Bai Hao maintained his cheerful expression, smiling. "Just some superficial wounds. They've been treated. A few days of rest and I'll be good as new."
Bai Fei narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Bai Hao carefully. He said softly, "These injuries look recent. If I'm not mistaken, within the last twelve hours. It seems the 'hospitality' here at the detention center is quite exceptional."
A flicker of surprise crossed Bai Hao's face as he examined the handsome young officer.
"Junior Brother, this is Bai Fei, military personnel stationed at Boli Corporation," Yan Yifei introduced.
Bai Hao nodded at Bai Fei. "These injuries were from last night."
"I see," Bai Fei said, hands clasped behind his back, a trace of gravity appearing on his face. "It seems you were targeted from the moment you arrived. To end up like this on your very first day..."
Before Bai Hao could speak, Yan Yifei asked anxiously, "Junior Brother, what exactly is going on with this matter? Teacher is very worried."
Bai Hao gave a bitter smile. After a few seconds' pause to collect his thoughts, he began a slow narration: "The day before yesterday, after classes ended at Seagarden Academy, I was leaving. Just outside the main gate, I ran into..."
He spoke for a full ten minutes, recounting the events from encountering the three troublemakers outside Seagarden Academy, to the Southern Precinct, and finally to this South Suburb Detention Center, outlining the general sequence of events.
Yan Yifei and Bai Fei listened quietly and attentively.
"As you describe it, there's a ninety percent chance someone is scheming against you from behind the scenes," Bai Fei, standing to the side, mused thoughtfully.
Yan Yifei also grew more certain of her earlier suspicion. "Junior Brother, have you offended anyone recently?"
Bai Hao took a deep breath. "The Ning family."
"The Ning family?" Bai Fei was slightly startled. "You mean the head of the four great families of Baoli City, the Nings?"
Bai Hao nodded, then briefly recounted slapping Ning Weiwei at Seagarden Academy and encountering Ning Dapeng at the Southern Precinct. To be honest, he had only suspected the Ning family initially, but seeing Ning Dapeng confirmed that they were undoubtedly behind this scheme.
"Heh, Junior Brother, it seems you have quite the nerve, daring to strike the Ning family's young lady. The price for playing the hero saving the beauty is rather steep," Yan Yifei said, a teasing note in her voice now that she had a clearer picture. With this understanding, resolving the matter became more straightforward.
Bai Hao initially wanted to explain that it wasn't about being a hero saving a beauty, but after a moment's thought, he let it go. Explaining further might only muddy the waters.
"If it's the Ning family, then things are complicated. I've heard the Nings have some connection with the Yan family, one of the Five Great Families. That Ning family heir is a character who struts around Baoli City unimpeded," Bai Fei said, a troubled look appearing on his stern face. A family with ties to one of the Empire's Five Great Families was no ordinary force. A mere major like himself could do little. Even if his superior, already a major general, intervened, it would likely be difficult.
Hearing this, Bai Hao's heart sank with bitterness. Boli Corporation was his last lifeline. If they couldn't help him, he could only resign himself to the Ning family's machinations, likely facing several years in prison. His bright future would be utterly ruined.
"Junior Brother, don't worry. With Teacher and me here, we won't let you suffer. Regardless of whether the Ning family is the head of the four great families of Baoli or has ties to the Yan family, daring to scheme against a member of our Second Team means we'll make them regret it," Yan Yifei declared, a thread of anger in her tone.
A warm current flowed through Bai Hao's heart. His somewhat low spirits instantly felt much better. A satisfied smile appeared on his face. Although he didn't know why Yan Yifei spoke with such confidence, he was willing to believe her, and believed her absolutely.
Seeing Bai Hao's wounded smile, Yan Yifei couldn't help but smile helplessly herself. She said softly, "Xiao Fei, I want to get Junior Brother out of this detention center. He's covered in injuries. I won't be at ease until he gets a full medical check-up at a hospital. Besides, the environment here is poor and probably detrimental to his recovery."
Bai Fei's sword-like brows arched slightly. After a few seconds of thought, he said, "That will likely be very difficult. While this uniform represents the military, my duty is only to protect Boli Corporation's security. I cannot interfere with Baoli City's normal judicial processes. We could forcibly take him, but the consequences would be severe, beyond what either of us could bear."
Bai Hao chuckled lightly. "Senior Sister, I'll be fine here. I'm in a solitary cell now, no one else to cause trouble. As long as you can find a way to clear my name, I can stay here for ten days or even half a month without issue."
Yan Yifei sighed softly. Her earlier statement had been born of momentary worry. Interfering with the Empire's normal judicial processes was something even the great families wouldn't dare do blatantly. In this age of advanced networks, exposure wouldn't just mean simple interference; it would be trampling on the Empire's dignity. Under the public's watchful "all-seeing eyes," they would likely be stripped of a layer of skin. So, after brief consideration, Yan Yifei understood the stakes. Getting Bai Hao out quickly wouldn't rely on force, but on influence—influence greater than the Ning family's.
Bai Fei's expression remained stern, but his tone shifted slightly. "However, I can go have a 'chat' with that so-called warden of yours. If he's willing to do a favor, we might arrange something like medical parole to get him out. But I don't hold much hope. After all, he's tied to the Ning family behind this."
"Xiao Fei, go try then. If it doesn't work, don't force it. The Second Team has the ability to handle Junior Brother's situation; it just requires some time. Junior Brother, don't worry. At most three days. I promise I'll get you walking out of this detention center with your head held high," Yan Yifei stated calmly.
"Then I'll go talk with Warden Ye." Bai Fei nodded and walked out with steady steps.
A short while later, Bai Fei entered Warden Ye Sang's office, a barely concealed coldness on his face, a thread of anger in his tone. "Warden Ye, Bai Hao gets beaten to this state on his very first day here? He is, after all, an employee of Boli Corporation. Aren't you showing a bit too much disregard for our company?"
Ye Sang wore an ingratiating smile, motioning for Bai Fei to sit, hastily brewing a pot of tea. "Major, this really has nothing to do with me. As you know, the situation in detention centers is complex. All sorts of people end up here—hoodlums, murderers, robbers. Inside the cells, there are bullies and kingpins. Newcomers easily clash with them. Fights and brawls are commonplace. I only learned today that Bai Hao is a Boli employee, otherwise this wouldn't have happened. However, let me add, Bai Hao didn't come out worse for wear. The other nine men in his cell are in far worse shape than him. One of them is seriously injured and was sent to the hospital last night."
"You're saying Bai Hao beat the other nine men in the cell?" Bai Fei showed a trace of surprise.
Ye Sang nodded. "Yes. His skills are quite formidable. One of those nine was an underground boxer. He was beaten until his mouth was full of blood. Aside from Bai Hao, not a single man in that cell could stand."
Bai Fei was inwardly startled. He hadn't expected the seemingly slender Bai Hao to be such a tough character. He knew a bit about underground boxers; each was a ruthless fighter. Even a seasoned soldier like himself, in a bare-knuckle brawl, would likely lose nine times out of ten. And Bai Hao hadn't fought just one, but nine. This further piqued his curiosity about Bai Hao. He'd have to find an opportunity to spar with him properly.
After a moment's silence, Bai Fei got straight to the point. "I want to take him out of here."
Hearing this, Ye Sang's expression changed slightly. He dared not release Bai Hao lightly. The one wanting to "teach him a lesson" was the head of Baoli City's four great families, the Nings. Letting Bai Hao go would likely offend the Ning family, which would be very detrimental to his future. But he also didn't want to offend this major representing the military. He was in a difficult spot. Both sides were people he'd rather not cross, yet they had clashed here. How was he to choose?
Seeing Ye Sang's conflicted expression, Bai Fei said coldly, "What? Not possible?"
"Major, I'm afraid that won't be possible." Though internally struggling, Ye Sang made his choice quickly. After all, a strong dragon couldn't suppress a local snake. The Ning family was that local snake in Baoli City. In terms of pure force, the Nings were no match for the military. But in terms of influence within Baoli City, the Nings definitely surpassed the military personnel stationed at Boli Corporation. More importantly, while the military personnel at Boli represented the military, they didn't interfere in local affairs. Forcibly removing Bai Hao would be blatant interference in judicial procedures.
A cold glint flashed in Bai Fei's eyes, his tone hardening slightly. "What if I forcibly remove Bai Hao?"
Ye Sang narrowed his eyes, studying Bai Fei, trying to gauge the seriousness behind his words. Forcibly removing someone from a detention center was no joke. Quickly, he resumed his ingratiating smile. "Major, if you forcibly remove Bai Hao, I certainly won't stop you. But have you considered the consequences? That would constitute interference with normal judicial activities..."
Before Ye Sang could finish, Bai Fei gave a dismissive snort, stood up directly, and strode quickly out of the room.
"Major, take care."
Ye Sang hurriedly stood to see him out. Once Bai Fei was gone, the smile vanished from his face, replaced by a flicker of anger. Clearly, he wasn't fond of having his good intentions met with such coldness.