Restrictive Zone

RA 17 - Joke

Jiang Chijing was slightly unused to not seeing that familiar figure in the library.

Inmates often came in and out of prison. Today someone would be released from prison, tomorrow someone else would be transferred to another prison. Nobody would find having less any weird.

Or, maybe, Zheng Mingyi was just a little bit special. After all, they were just a few pages away from completing Strawberry Planting Techniques, and Jiang Chijing kept feeling like he had left something unfinished.

In the past few days, Yu Guang kept finding excuses to run over to the infirmary. Jiang Chijing didn't know how many times it was that he told Luo Hai not to indulge this kid so much, but the moment that Yu Guang eagerly called "Dr. Luo", Luo Hai would, against every rule, allow Yu Guang to use the computer.

"You're really going to spoil him," Jiang Chijing said. "Since when was there an inmate with as much freedom as he does?"

"You know him. He's just a silly kid, he doesn't have a bad heart." This was Luo Hai's excuse every time.

Jiang Chijing sighed, not knowing what to say.

Luo Hai's type was exactly the younger brother sort, especially those that needed him to look after them. A person's preferences were like genes that were engraved in their bones; they weren't that easy to change. Jiang Chijing also had his own preferences, so he knew that he was in no position to tell Luo Hai what to do.

"Man." Behind the computer, Yu Guang slumped in the office chair, crestfallen, staring vacantly at the ceiling as he said, "The God of Go has disappeared again."

"It's only been a few days, do you miss him that much?" Luo Hai asked.

"He hasn't replied to any of my messages," Yu Guang said despondently. "He used to always reply to me, I don't know what's going on this time."

"Maybe your idol can't be bothered to deal with you." Jiang Chijing knew what was on Luo Hai's mind; seeing Yu Guang so fixated on someone else, he couldn't resist but jibe at this ungrateful brat.

"He's actually lazy to deal with others. But I'm an old fan of his, he treats me differently."

Well then. The idol filter this kid had was too thick. Jiang Chijing patted Luo Hai's shoulder in consolation.

"It's highly probable that capitalists have set their eyes on him." Yu Guang sat upright, his expression grim as he analysed. "Someone who divulges the will of the heaven like him must be a thorn in the capitalists' side. Maybe he's even been locked up already."

Yu Guang, this kid, had always liked conspiracy theories. But at the mention of incarceration, bafflingly, Zheng Mingyi came to mind.

There were so many great gods at stir-frying stocks; it couldn't be so coincidental, right?

But the timing did seem to match...

"You actually believe his nonsense?" Luo Hai elbowed Jiang Chijing, disrupting his thoughts. "That idol of his probably just doesn't want to be on the forum anymore."

There were all sorts of online interest groups to cater to everyone's passions. However, it was possible that real life got in the way, changing someone's interest level.

Come to think of it, Jiang Chijing once had online friends too, but pretty much-lost contact with all of them by now.

"Something must have happened to my idol." Yu Guang obviously disagreed with what Luo Hai said. "I must help him."

"Are you sure?" Jiang Chijing picked up the conversation. "Did you forget the mission that you came into prison for?"

"What mission?" Luo Hai asked.