Chapter 28: The Death Row Prisoner in the Container

Under the cover of night, a cargo truck carrying a shipping container pulled away from a side gate of Stanley Prison. The driver, familiar with the route, navigated a series of practiced detours before disappearing completely into the darkness.

Inside the container, a single incandescent bulb hung from the ceiling, swaying with the slight jolts of the journey. Four men sat within, each wearing a set of brand-new prison uniforms. Song Ren stood in the corner, his back against the wall, remaining silent.

Not far from him stood a muscular brute. His physique was imposing and well-built; the prison uniform clung to his body like a tight-fitting suit, outlining dense, powerful muscles that were hard to ignore.

The other two were a pair of uneven height. The tall one had a cold, rigid expression, a crimson centipede tattooed along the side of his face. He sat with his arms crossed, eyes closed as he rested. The shorter one was bald, lacking even eyebrows. His obsidian pupils darted around, taking in his surroundings before he let out a scoff.

"Looks like it’s just the four of us this time."

"Well? Don't you all want to say hello?"

"Who knows? We might run into each other in the ring later."

The speeding truck rumbled on, but no one inside the container answered him. The bald man didn't seem bothered; instead, he chuckled and introduced himself. "My name is Xu Shao, a death row inmate from Block 6 of Stanley Prison. How about we make friends? I’m a man who really enjoys making friends."

The interior remained deathly quiet.

However, the tall man, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. "The serial dismemberment case in Mong Kok three years ago?"

"You're actually still alive?"

Xu Shao curled his lips. "Tsk, tsk. Such a minor matter, yet you recognize me? It is truly my honor."

The muscular man’s gaze grew colder. "Scum."

Xu Shao’s smile vanished instantly. He rubbed his smooth, egg-shaped head and shot the muscular man a sinister look. "Hey, let's not act like we’re any different from one another."

"We’re all damn death row inmates here. Who are you trying to fool with this saintly act?"

"State your name, let's get to know each other?"

The muscular man hunched his shoulders. "Lu Zhengyang, from Block 4. And don't you dare put me in the same category as you. I am a human being; I don't compare myself to beasts."

Xu Shao muttered the name to himself, and his expression suddenly shifted.

"Damn it! The mass murder case in Lantau Island four years ago!"

"Hell, what right do you have to call me scum?"

"You didn't even spare a one-year-old child. When it comes to being heartless, I have to bow down to you."

A look of pain flickered across Lu Zhengyang’s face. He furrowed his brows and roared, "You’re full of shit!"

"I didn't see that little brat hiding!"

"Vengeance has its source and debts have their creditors. It was a gangland feud; no matter how low I sink, I wouldn't lay a hand on a child!"

Xu Shao recounted the tale with a mocking tone: "Heh. After the killing, you set a massive fire to destroy the evidence, and ended up burning the one-year-old alive inside."

"They say that when the police found the body, it was a gruesome sight."

"Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside—cooked through."

He licked his lips at the end, adding with a mutter, "What a pity. A well-cooked little brat—it must have tasted delicious."

A murderous glare appeared on Lu Zhengyang’s face. He slammed a fist against the side of the container, creating a thunderous boom. "Shut your mouth!!!"

The atmosphere grew volatile, as if it might erupt at any second. Xu Shao, however, was not the least bit intimidated by the brawny Lu Zhengyang; instead, he seemed full of provocation.

At this moment, the tall man spoke again with cold indifference: "Quiet down, all of you. We’re all from the same place."

"Besides, after this, as long as you don't die in the ring, you’re bound to run into each other at the top. Why bother bickering here?"

"If you don't like what you see, just beat the other guy to death once you’re in the ring."

With that, he suddenly turned his head toward Song Ren in the corner.

"Hey, what about you? What do they call you?"

Lu Zhengyang and Xu Shao both fell silent, turning their gazes toward Song Ren.

Song Ren raised his eyebrows slightly but did not answer. He was a replacement for a death row inmate from Block 9, brought in to participate in this underground fight club at the Fuh-Sing Building. Because of this, he had no desire to introduce himself. Moreover, these death row inmates all touched upon aspects of humanity that Song Ren despised.

The tall man sneered, the centipede tattoo on his face appearing particularly ferocious. "Ho, interesting. Brother, you’ve got quite the temper."

Song Ren looked at him, and only then did he speak, his voice calm. "Spare me the 'brother'—don't elevate me so high. I’m hardly worthy of such a title from the likes of you."

The tall man’s rigid brows arched.

Before he could speak, however, Xu Shao interrupted. "Hey, skinny, you’ve talked so much, but you haven't introduced yourself yet."

The tall man glanced back at him.

It was just a single look, but Xu Shao’s brow furrowed immediately. Damn it, what was with this guy's eyes? It was as if he were looking at a dead man.

The tall man said calmly, "Du Youbang, of the Fook Yee."

Xu Shao froze. A member of a triad...

The muscular Lu Zhengyang looked up in surprise.

"Bang-ye of the Fook Yee?"

"Even you ended up on death row?"

Bang-ye of the Fook Yee? Xu Shao muttered the name twice before it finally dawned on him. Before he had been incarcerated, this name had carried a terrifying reputation.

Though the Fook Yee was considered a declining triad, that decline had only set in over the last two years. The primary reason for their downfall was that Bang-ye, their leader and decision-maker, had been sentenced to death and locked away in Stanley Prison.

Du Youbang of the Fook Yee, nicknamed Bang-ye. He had been the head of the Fook Yee more than two years ago and was also the previous "Double-Flower Red Pole" of the organization, having earned a fearsome reputation in the underworld with his iron fists.

Everyone had expected that under his leadership, the Fook Yee would return to its peak. Instead, there was a traitor within the ranks, and Du Youbang, as the leader, was arrested and charged with twelve counts of intentional homicide and dozens of counts of intentional injury. The charges of kidnapping and extortion were numerous as well, leading to an easy death sentence. With rival triads jumping in to pile on the pressure, Du Youbang’s guilt was effectively set in stone, leaving him without even the slightest chance of escape.

From that point on, the Fook Yee began its decline.

It could be said that a few years ago, Du Youbang’s name and influence were comparable to that of Wong Po of Western District, if not greater. But one careless move had cost him everything.

Du Youbang was nearing forty, but his tall, lean frame was packed with dense muscle. Beneath his prison uniform, his chest and back were covered in tattoos of demons and monsters, which, paired with the scarlet centipede on his face, gave him a cold, rigid aura that warned everyone to stay away.