Tao Yu was exasperated by his habit of pulling the elder card despite being a colleague, but now wasn’t the time to argue. She forced a smile. “I didn’t want to interfere, but Baldy and his crew were about to beat Yue Linze to death. I was afraid that if I didn’t step in, someone might actually die.”

“You know Yue Linze?” Old Chang looked at her in surprise.

Tao Yu remained composed. “How would I know someone like him? He told me himself when I was taking him to solitary.”

Old Chang nodded, then warned, “Stay away from him. And that Baldy isn’t any better. They’re the two biggest troublemakers in this prison. Next time they fight, don’t get involved. Do you hear me?”

“But what if they kill each other? I’m a guard. I can’t just pretend I didn’t see anything,” Tao Yu said carefully, worried that Yue Linze might find himself in a similar situation again. She couldn’t simply agree with Old Chang.

Old Chang glared at her. “Haven’t enough people died in this prison over the years? When have the guards ever interfered in these messes? Your only job is to make sure these murderers don’t escape and threaten public safety. Don’t worry about anything else.”

Tao Yu frowned, disagreeing with his words.

Old Chang sipped his tea. ‘This tea is definitely better than what I make,’ he thought. He looked at Tao Yu, his expression softening. “Don’t worry. While those two troublemakers are always causing problems, they know their limits. Just stay out of their affairs.”

“But today…”

“What about today?” Old Chang glared again. “Do you think Yue Linze is some pushover? By the time I got there, his men had arrived too. I’m the one who stopped them. Even without you, he wouldn’t have been seriously hurt!”

“....” Tao Yu’s lips twitched. 

“Fine, I won’t interfere in these matters again.”

She hadn’t been able to analyze the specific rules of this fragmented world with her instruments beforehand. She had to experience them firsthand. Seeing Yue Linze injured had made her act impulsively.

Seeing that she wasn’t arguing, Old Chang’s expression softened. 

“You’re still young. You don’t understand how things work here. Life on this island is dull. If we don’t let them find some way to entertain themselves, they’ll cause real trouble. You broke the rules today. Remember not to do it again.”

“Okay, I understand,” Tao Yu replied humbly, not bothering to ask what constituted ‘real trouble’ if a gang beating didn’t.

Old Chang looked at her, then said slowly, “Alright, since you’re new, I’ll let it slide this time. From now on, just take care of your assigned area and turn a blind eye to everything else.”

“Okay, I understand.” Tao Yu replied politely. After a moment’s thought, she asked, “Is Yue Linze in my area?”

If he wasn’t, it would be harder to get close to him.

A flicker of discomfort crossed Old Chang’s face. “Yes.”

“Good.” Tao Yu smiled. Even fate seemed to be on her side.

Old Chang’s lips twitched. Seeing that she didn’t seem particularly upset, he said slowly, “Not just him, Li Xun too.”

“Who’s Li Xun?” Tao Yu asked, confused. She didn’t recall meeting anyone by that name.

Old Chang cleared his throat. “Baldy.”

“....” Tao Yu was speechless. After a moment, she said slowly, “I thought you said there were only two major troublemakers in the prison.”

Old Chang felt a pang of guilt for assigning both of them to her, but she was the newcomer, so naturally, she got the toughest assignments. He opened his mouth to explain, but Tao Yu sighed. “Fine, two it is. One sheep or two, it’s all the same. I’m going to the infirmary to get some medicine. See you later.”

With that, she turned and left, leaving Old Chang with a belly full of pronouncements he hadn’t had the chance to deliver. He let out a long breath, muttering to himself, “Why is this kid so agreeable? It’s making me uncomfortable.”

Tao Yu breathed a sigh of relief as she left the office. Judging by Old Chang’s expression, he’d had a whole lot more to say.

She rubbed her aching chest, her face grim as she headed towards the infirmary.

As she approached, she saw a crowd gathered outside. She frowned and asked, “What’s going on here?”

They all turned, startled to see her. Then, as if realizing something, their expressions turned hostile. A burly man with a scarred face stepped forward menacingly. “You’re the guard who broke our rules?”

Seeing the clear threat in his eyes, Tao Yu discreetly gripped her baton. “That’s me. What about it?”