On Saturday, at 12:30, the cafeteria was overcrowded.

Zhang Chi was finishing eating and was cleaning up the plate, when the radio sounded "beep-".

Unlike the usual short weather forecast prompts, it is prolonged, much like the sound of an air raid siren.

Suddenly, the faces of the old prisoners in the cafeteria changed.

In the corridor on the second floor, next to the fence, there were two prison guards, one of whom was wearing a different suit from all the prison guards Zhang Chi had ever seen, pure white, with a triangular badge inlaid on the shoulder of the clothes.

"Silence!" Said another prison guard standing next to the white-clothed prison guard.

In fact, without him having to speak, the entire hall was so silent that you could hear a needle dropping.

"949 - 5 points deducted, location, weaving workshop, time: Wednesday 9:30, 20 AT032 buttons were twisted while weaving, and stole to the bathroom. Basis for deducting points: Article 28 of the Regulations on Rehabilitation Camps. ”

"223 - 3 points deducted, location, farmland, time: 9:23 on Monday, it is confirmed that all three acres of Jinghong flowers have withered due to overwatering. Basis for deducting points: Article 112 of the Regulations on Rehabilitation Camps"

"333 - 3 points deducted, location: weaving workshop, time: 11:03 on Friday, more than 10 minutes of contact between heads and ears during work hours. Basis for deducting points: Article 239 of the Regulations on Rehabilitation Camps"

"764 - 1 point deducted, location: farmland, time: 16:12 on Wednesday, overtime without weeding. Basis for deducting points: Article 37 of the Regulations on Rehabilitation Camps. ”

“……”

After reading the codes of about a dozen prisoners, the white-clothed prison guard finally put down the electronic board in his hand.

He looked down at all the prisoners in the hall and said one by one: "The above prisoners, rectify immediately." The review will be submitted to Room 212 on the first floor of the office building by Monday. ”

After saying that, he turned around and left.

and others completely disappeared into the corridor, and the entire cafeteria suddenly exploded.

"So many people are detained this time?"

"The newcomer's week is like this, and he doesn't understand the rules......"

"Jinghong flowers can still be overwatered, isn't this flower particularly short of water?"

Zhang Chi walked through the aisle with a dinner plate and heard someone ask-

"Who is he?"

She deliberately walked a little slower, her ears pricked up.

"The white-clothed policeman specializes in production discipline. Every Friday at this point, he will come to announce the prisoners who have deducted points for the week. ”

"Why haven't any of the mine people been arrested?"

"There are no cameras in the mine, so scratch it. The prison guards all spared their lives, and no one wanted to go into the hole. ”

“…… You mean, there are cameras in the fields and weaving workshops? ”

"Yes, otherwise how do you know if you're lazy?"

"It's over. I've always ...... I've been ......"

"Lazy all the time? Haha, it doesn't matter. Everybody's like that. When you're tired, desert for a while. It depends on luck whether you catch it or not, if you are unlucky, you will be caught for 5 minutes if you are distracted, and if you are lucky, it doesn't matter if you don't do anything for an hour. ”

"Wait, where did I read the "Reform Camp Regulations", I never talked about it in class before."

"I don't know. Nobody knows. Only the white-clad police have the regulations in their hands. No one knows the specific details, everyone is crossing the river by feeling the stones, knowing where others have deducted points, and next time they will have a good eye......"

If the rules are very obvious, everyone will start looking for loopholes in the rules. If the rules aren't obvious, then everyone will make up the rules themselves.

The unknown is fearful because people take it upon themselves to raise it to a level of fear that they can't accept.

They tremble like frightened birds, and no longer dare to tempt and act on their own.

It's really vicious.

Zhang Chi thought to himself.

Walking to the place where the dinner plate was played, she met Zhou Ke.

His face was pale - if she remembered correctly, he was on the list of points deductions that the white-clothed police read just now. 3 points. The newcomer's score is the lowest, and if there are no other newcomers in the code just now who have deducted more points than him, he is at the bottom of the week - he has modified mechanical prosthetics, he can't mine, and his work score is also the lowest.

Beside him stood his fellow inmate, the fellow he had called, with a hand on his waist.

Zhou Ke saw her.

His face turned from white to red. Unconsciously, he pulled his body out of his cellmate's palm.

"Your plate is still so clean...... Zhou Ke barely squeezed out a smile, "I heard that the justice and the Tiger people have gone to look for you......"

Zhang Chi suddenly thought of 110's words-

"Do you know why he's ignoring you now? He is organized, you don't, he looks down on you. ”

Zhang Chi: "I don't like waste. Zhang Chi automatically ignored the second half of the sentence.

Zhou Ke said: "It's good. No waste. Very good. ”

Zhang Chi finished putting the plate and was about to leave, but Zhou Ke said behind his back: "Actually, I think it's good for you to join the Tigers." ”

"There are too many rules for the justices. You're not used to it. ”

***

Saturday at 3 p.m., 9 hours until free day.

Zhang Chi works in a weaving workshop.

There are no fixed seats in the weaving workshop, only fixed classification, rows 1-5 are for doll-making desks, rows 5-8 are for handmade blankets, and 9-12 rows are very large for weaving products other than dolls and handmade blankets. If you arrive early, you can choose the table you want to sit at, and if you arrive later, you can choose an empty work desk.

There are not many prisoners in the weaving workshop today, and there are empty tables for each category, and Zhang Chi still chooses the table for making dolls. The table is single, and the tables of the same kind are not far apart, less than half a meter apart, and you can see what the person next to you is doing when you turn your head. There is an aisle in the middle of the different types of tables, a total of three large aisles, and prisoners are usually diverted from the aisle to the bathroom or pantry.

Zhou Ke sat behind her, and next to him sat his roommate. They came relatively late, at least later than Zhang Chi.

Maybe it was unintentionally chosen, maybe it was chosen on purpose. No one knows.

Zhang Chi finished closing the teddy bear, and Zhou Ke's voice sounded behind him - the timing of the opening was too coincidental, as if she was deliberately waiting for the matter at hand to stop.

"Have you decided which one to choose?"

The sound is not too loud, but because the space is very narrow, it is close and can be heard clearly.

Maybe the prisoners next to them heard something, but they couldn't take their eyes off it, and no one dared to provoke the tigers, let alone talk about reporting - talking was forbidden during work. Prison guards occasionally come in to check on the weaving workshop, but most of the time, they only stand guard outside the weaving workshop.

——The formaldehyde smell of the cloth inside is very strong, and there are some specific fabrics, which are very bright, but slightly toxic, and there is nothing for small pieces of decoration, which is allowed to enter the market, but the processing personnel are faced with a thousand times the amount of poison. Long-term inhalation is not good for the body, but what is not a good method, people here don't know.

If you find that other workers are lazy, you can go out and report it to the prison guards. Of course, unless there is a real hatred, in most cases, no one will do such a thing.

No one wants to be like a machine, from the start to the end of the rope tightened, one eye closed, everyone is better.

Zhang Chi: "What to choose?" ”

Zhou Ke: "You...... Are you going to the Chancellor or the Tiger? ”

Zhang Chi said: "No. ”

Zhou Ke was stunned: "What?" ”

Zhang Chi bent down and took out a new roll of cotton thread from the basket on the side: "I said I didn't choose." ”

Zhou Ke didn't speak, and after a while, when the roommate sitting next to him got up and went to the bathroom, he leaned his head forward again, and was about to approach Zhang Chi's shoulder, and said, "Are you ...... Look down on me? ”

Zhang Chi's hand weaving cotton thread paused: "What? ”

Zhou Ke's voice trembled a little: "I, I know, others are talking about me behind my back, you ...... So I don't dare to look for you these days, I'm afraid you think the same way as them. ”

Zhang Chi felt a little inexplicable.

Zhou Ke continued: "Actually, I am gay. ”

Zhang Chi: "......"

Is this something worse than a crime?

Zhou Ke said: "I am in love with him. ”

Zhang Chi didn't know what to say.

Zhang Chi: "Hmm...... I wish you all happiness. ”

Zhou Ke: "......"

"Are you laughing at me?" The voice sounded particularly miserable.

Zhang Chi didn't know what to say.

Zhou Ke: "I know. You're going to think of me like that. ”

"He didn't force me, I volunteered. I like him. He likes me too. It's not as you think, what sells dignity. He was very nice to me. I've always liked him like that. We're good. ”

Zhang Chi: "...... So? ”

Zhou Ke choked up and said slowly: "Nothing." Just wanted to explain it to you. You're my friend, and I don't want you to get me wrong. ”

Zhang Chi suddenly thought of a sentence he had heard somewhere - the princess needs to be pampered because the king will never give her the same rights as the prince.

Trying to prove that being loved is a sign of disempowerment.

Because they cannot be equal in power to someone whom they feel oppressive, they need to prove that they love him to the point of transcending reason, to convince him that he will not hurt himself, or to show the outside world that the overthrow of their very unequal rights does not exist.

Zhang Chi: "Hmm. I know. ”

She lowered her head and continued to make a teddy doll, and after a while, suddenly a big hand pressed her doll, raised her head, and saw Zhou Ke's cellmate standing in front of her.

Zhang Chi stood only to his chest, and when he sat down, he could only reach his waistline, and the first thing she saw was the badge, which said 093, and his gaze was up, his resolute chin, beast-like chewing muscles, and angry eyes.

Zhang Chi didn't know why, and suddenly, she heard a sobbing sound - maybe it had been there for a long time, but she was too attentive when she was working, and she was not disturbed by anything, and the sound was not loud, just behind her. She turned her head and saw Zhou Ke lying on the table, his eyes red.

In the entire workshop, only 093 stood alone, a tall man of 1.9 meters, blocked in front of other people's tables, one after another, more and more eyes gathered here.

Zhou Ke raised his head, pulled 093's sleeve, and sobbed and said, "Don't, it will attract the ...... of the prison guards."

Zhang Chi looked at Zhou Ke and said, "What's wrong with you?" ”

Zhou Ke was just about to speak, and 093 said, "Take care of your mouth." ”

Zhang Chi: "? ”

Zhang Chi was a little puzzled, but before she could ask anything, 093 sat back.

Zhou Ke didn't answer her question, he just said to 093: "I don't have a relationship. Whatever they say. ”

***

At 6:10 p.m., there are 5 hours and 50 minutes left until the free day.

After eating, Zhang Chi went back to the dormitory, carefully studied the "Points Handout", reviewed all the notes of the prison guards about the free day in the last class, and summarized the following key points based on the news he had learned from other prisoners this week:

1. You must work for 3 hours on a free day, otherwise 2 points will be deducted.

However, free days are not mandatory, there is no roll call in the morning, and the signs are not collected in the evening, and the updated signs on Saturdays are valid for two days. Therefore, in the case of enough points, it is completely possible to ignore the deduction of points, and some elderly people may not go to work on free days.

2. All scoring stops at 9 o'clock sharp. Not a second late.

3. Most of the prisoners were unarmed.

Prisoners are not allowed to smuggle items from the workplace. However, mechanical prosthetics are not in the category of weapons, and the regular mechanical prosthetics circulating in the market are a kind of medical equipment, but after entering the black market, many mechanical prostheses have been privately installed and have strong lethality. There is no doubt that the prisoners here are the latter.

Transhumans, with their unique advantages.

Zhang Chi closed the book and pulled out the screw needle from the foot of the bed, which was slightly longer than the palm of his hand, and could be hidden in the sleeve tube, trouser tube, and the sole of the shoe. Zhang Chi temporarily put it under the pillow.

As soon as 12 p.m. is past 12 p.m., it's time to hunt.

No one ever guaranteed that everything would happen only during the day.

After doing all this, Zhang Chi felt that something was wrong.

It's so quiet.

She pushed open the door, walked through the hallway, and walked through the door—almost all of the rooms were silent, and she took a few steps back, standing on her tiptoes to look at the fence on the door—all empty.

Not only that, but looking down from the guardrail on the fifth floor, there was no one walking around on all floors.

It's almost hallucinating.