Chapter 849: Unfriendly Visitors, Danger

Chapter 849 -705: Unfriendly Visitors, Danger

Especially the style of those Mechanical Department staff who are on equal footing with them—he’d only just gotten a taste of it.

Honestly, the impression was far from good.

Feng Mu lifted his eyes, looked at Guan Chong and asked directly:

“Mobility Department? What are they here for?”

Guan Chong’s gaze flicked, seemingly unintentionally, toward Li Shang and Chang Erbing on the sofa, a perfectly measured hint of hesitation appearing on his face.

Feng Mu took in their reactions, waved his hand casually, and said in a tone that brooked no refusal:

“No need to be formal. Captain Li is a friend of our Second Prison, he’s one of us. Nothing to hide here. Just say it.”

When Li Shang and Erbing heard the words “Mobility Department,” they had originally intended to get up and take their leave politely. Now, hearing Feng Mu’s completely unreserved way of speaking, their hearts warmed a little, and that impulse to stand up and say goodbye vanished instantly.

He followed the momentum and settled back onto the sofa, his body even more relaxed than before, and his face dutifully showed a curious expression.

Besides, Li Shang was genuinely curious about what the Mobility Department was here for. He truly wanted to dig up more of his friends’ secrets so he could better blend into the circle.

In short, this stretch of time was when Li Shang’s curiosity would be at its peak.

He knew full well that curiosity could sometimes bring danger, but the lure of “being recognized” and “being accepted” outweighed his concern about potential risks.

He really just wanted to be thick as thieves with his friends!

Only then did Guan Chong stop hesitating. His expression turned serious, his voice dropped low, and his tone grew a shade heavier:

“Two people from the Mobility Department came. Attitude’s pretty tough. They said there’s an urgent official matter and they need you, Minister, to cooperate with an investigation.”

At that, Feng Mu’s eyes flickered slightly, and for some reason, scenes from those TV dramas he’d watched in his previous life popped into his mind.

He remembered clearly how, in those shows, anyone “invited back to cooperate with an investigation” would, upon hearing that line, go gray-faced and devastated on the spot.

And their ultimate fate was usually one-way only—they ended up reporting to prison.

Only, the problem is, I’m already in prison; prison is my home.

So Feng Mu wasn’t nervous at all. In fact, he found it amusing, the corner of his mouth lifting in a meaningful curve:

“Heh, looks like these guests aren’t here with good intentions.”

Murder flashed in Guan Chong’s eyes—he was one step short of directly asking whether they should keep the Mobility Department people here in the prison.

The killing intent in his eyes was impossible to hide, and Li Shang couldn’t help secretly clicking his tongue.

He had originally thought Feng Mu’s way of doing things was already crazy enough, already far from playing by the rules. He hadn’t expected the trusted subordinates around him to all seem infected, each one more reckless than the last, treating key departments of the Executive Government as if they were nothing, and casually entertaining the notion of killing them.

Still, Guan Chong did have some sense.

He didn’t, in front of these two “outsiders,” Li Shang and Erbing, directly ask Feng Mu whether they should take action.

Even though the Minister had already said Captain Li was a friend and there was no need to hide anything.

But Guan Chong wasn’t stupid. Words like that are fine to hear, but in his heart, anyone from outside the walls was fundamentally untrustworthy. Only those on the inside, family who had been tested, could be entrusted with any real trust.

And even then, it was only “barely” trustworthy at best.

After all, based on Guan Chong’s own, admittedly unscientific, observation and intuition, the average level of loyalty the Second Prison “family” had toward the Minister had only just scraped past the 100% passing mark—which was so low it made him livid.

Sometimes Guan Chong almost wanted to crack open their skulls to see what on earth they were thinking all day long.

Whether they, like him, thought of the Minister when they slept, thought of the Minister when they ate, and even… when taking a dump, had the Minister’s figure and teachings circling in their minds…

Guan Chong’s thoughts drifted for an instant, then snapped back to Feng Mu. He said in a low voice:

“Liu Yi deliberately left the Mobility Department guys hanging for a bit, then forced them to hand over their phones. By now Gong Qi should have stripped all the data out of their phones…”

Listening to Guan Chong’s report, Feng Mu’s face showed a hint of amusement:

“Liu Yi did well. His brain’s actually quite nimble.”

Feng Mu was quite appreciative of the initiative Liu Yi had shown in dealing with the sudden situation.

Even though Liu Yi’s personal capability still looked rather weak in his eyes, in other areas—like improvisation, loyalty, and execution—he was starting to show strong potential.

And not just Liu Yi. People around him like Guan Chong, Song Ping’an, and the rest were, in Feng Mu’s eyes, all unpolished jade, each with their own kind of potential.

All they needed was the right opportunity to patch up their weaknesses in raw strength.

Then they would definitely be able to shield the Second Prison’s development, and shine for the construction of Zone 9.

Li Shang and Erbing listened quietly, then exchanged a glance and simultaneously showed a knowing smile.

Their smiles seemed to say—Look, the Second Prison even confiscated the Mobility Department’s phones but didn’t take ours. Shows they really do see us as friends.

Both Li Shang and Erbing felt a warm glow in their chests at the same time.

Feng Mu caught every nuance of their expressions and understood perfectly, but didn’t call them on it.

Only then did he turn to Guan Chong and ask:

“So, where are those two ‘honored guests’ from the Mobility Department now?”

Guan Chong replied:

“Liu Yi’s leading them around in circles in the Second Prison.”

Feng Mu glanced at Li Shang and Erbing, pondered for a moment, then said to Guan Chong:

“Have Liu Yi bring them over. With Captain Li here, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Even though Li Shang had no idea why Feng Mu had such strong confidence in him, hearing this still made him unconsciously straighten his back.

Guan Chong responded with a single “Understood,” said nothing more, turned, and left quickly to make arrangements.

Three minutes later, footsteps could be heard outside the door, coming closer and finally stopping at the office entrance.

The door was pushed open again. Liu Yi stepped aside, and Zhao Lu and his colleague walked in one after the other.

Zhao Lu’s stride was very large, his leather shoes striking the polished concrete floor with a sharp “clack-clack.”

As soon as he came in, he locked onto Feng Mu, who was sitting at ease, as if he’d sighted his prey.

“Heh, Feng Mu, you’re quite the big shot, aren’t you? I hear they call you some kind of Minister here in the Second Prison?”

The moment Zhao Lu opened his mouth, it was dripping with sarcasm.

Feng Mu naturally caught the tone, but didn’t snap back. Instead, he blinked innocently and explained in a calm voice:

“It’s just a job title. Is there some issue with it, some regulation it violates? It’s you two who look rather unhappy—are you angry about being asked to hand over your phones just now?

If that’s the reason, then I’ll apologize on behalf of my subordinates. However, confiscating all external communication devices is indeed a safety protocol that we established when the Second Prison was founded. On that point, I ask for your understanding and forbearance.”

Feng Mu kept bringing up “Second Prison regulations” and “duties of the position,” making Zhao Lu feel as if he’d punched into cotton—no way to put strength behind the blow.

His expression instantly turned even uglier, like he’d swallowed a fly and couldn’t spit it out.

He realized that if he kept tangling over “being left to cool” and “having his phone taken away,” not only would it be pointless, it would make him look petty and easily led by the nose.

He couldn’t waste time on this.

He snorted heavily, straightened his back, and his voice turned cold and hard:

“Feng Mu, we don’t have time to trade quips with you. We’re here under orders from the Mobility Department. Now we officially notify you: there’s a case that requires you to come back with us immediately to cooperate with the investigation.

Please come with us right now!”

The confusion on Feng Mu’s face deepened; he asked seriously:

“Cooperate with an investigation? What kind of case requires my cooperation?

I don’t recall having done anything wrong recently. Or is it that there’s been some lapse in the management of the Second Prison that’s alarmed the Mobility Department?”

Zhao Lu seemed to have anticipated this question. His chin lifted slightly as he said:

“The investigation concerns a classified case and must be strictly kept confidential from the outside for now. All you need to do is come with us. As for the details, once we arrive, you’ll naturally be informed.”

This spiel was enough to intimidate plenty of people; in fact, it had successfully intimidated many in the past, and their ultimate fate was self-evident.

But Feng Mu wasn’t buying any of it. The more the other side dodged and refused to speak plainly, the more his guard went up.

Seeing that Feng Mu didn’t seem intimidated and instead looked even more suspicious, Zhao Lu’s expression darkened, his gaze turned sharp and vicious, and he stepped forward, his voice turning icy:

“Feng Mu, I suggest you get clear about the situation. We’re here representing the Mobility Department, representing the will of the Executive Government.

If you refuse to cooperate, the nature of this matter will change, and the consequences will be very serious. You’d better think carefully.”