Fu Yucheng was about to die in half an hour.
On the silver-white metal wall of the cell, a simple old-fashioned clock hung, and the angle formed by the hands was becoming smaller every minute.
11:30 in the morning.
At twelve o’clock, when the hour and the minute hands coincide, the dull bell of the prison tower would ring, signaling the time for execution.
According to the tradition of the imperial prison, all death row inmates about to be executed could enjoy a sumptuous ‘decapitation meal’, also known as ‘execution meal’. This last meal usually has fish and meat, and, if you are lucky, there will even be a small glass of good wine.
Today, the death row inmate’s beheading meal was very different from usual, strange even.
It was a cup of sweet “mint ice cream with crushed nuts”.
Captain Guo, that cup you are holding is for me, right?”
Fu Yucheng leaned lazily on the head of the bed, looking indifferently at the ice cream in the other’s tray. He raised his eyebrows in a playful manner. “Seriously, seeing the place I’m in, and the stuff in that cup, don’t you think it is funny? ”
The death row was located in a small cubic cell made of metal.
Opposite the door of the cell, a narrow single bed lay flush against the wall, and the bed was stacked haphazardly with thin bedding. At the head of the bed was a small desk and a chair, all firmly fixed on the floor to avoid being used as weapons by prisoners.
In the corner at the end of the bed, there was a simple toilet and a wash basin, with a thin and old light blue towel placed on top.
Other than that, there was nothing else in the room.
This cell was originally already small and cramped, but today, five heavily armed men had barged in, suddenly making it seem even more so.
Besides the special police captain Guo Changjian, who was carrying the ice cream, the rest of the special police officers stood forming a semicircle facing the bed. The high-energy directional infrasonic guns in their hands were all pointed at the unarmed prisoner sitting on the bed.
Each of them, as if facing a major enemy, held the infrasonic gun tightly in their hands, with their back slightly bent. A very tense, combat ready posture.
The palm of the young special police officer on the far left was sweaty, and the cold sweat made the gun handle slippery.
This young man swallowed quietly, and subconsciously held the gun tighter, while repeatedly reminding himself that this lazy and harmless man in front of him was the most dangerous felon in the history of the imperial prison. Good looking and easy to underestimate.
Indeed, Fu Yucheng was a very handsome and attractive man.
His body was slender and thin, his dark eyes faintly dark green, the long and narrow eyelids had dramatically raised corners, and the lightly colored lips seemed very soft and touched people’s heartstrings.
Regrettably, the long-term isolation and cruel torture he had suffered had made this handsome prisoner look very haggard. His bare wrists and ankles were covered with large bright red scars, some of which were inflamed and ulcerated. It had been caused by high-frequency currents. Very severe burns.
And under the cover of the large blue prison shirt, there likely were more scars.
In spite of his poor circumstances, the prisoner’s expression was very calm, even a little nonchalant.
At this moment, he looked down and leaned against the head of the bed, not acting like a condemned prisoner, but more akin to an aristocratic youth who lounged drunkenly in a nightclub and could make any dancer fall in love.
It’s a pity that what this handsome young man wore on his neck was not the exquisite satin bow tie of the nobles, but instead a cold silver metal collar.
A mental suppressor.
The red indicator light on the suppressor was flashing like crazy at a very high frequency. This meant that the suppressor had been turned on to the highest setting. Within a minute, the powerful mental interference pulse could make ordinary people attempt suicide by slamming their head into the walls repeatedly because of the pain.
For Fu Yucheng, who was a psionic manipulator with extremely keen senses, this kind of torture was tantamount to a long, long death of a thousand cuts.1
He had been wearing it since the day he entered the imperial prison. By now, it had been almost nine months.
However, during these long nine months, Fu Yucheng did not have any mental breakdown, nor even showed signs of aggression. From time to time, he would even make a bad joke or two. It could almost be said that he was completely harmless.
Nonetheless, as one of the people directly responsible for the management of the imperial solitary confinement prison, Guo Changjian has always been very careful in handling these affairs. He placed the tray on the small desk at the head of the bed, and immediately backed up two steps, carefully keeping a relatively safe distance from the person across him.
Captain Guo stared at the prisoner on the bed and said solemnly, “Mr. Fu, there are still 28 minutes until the execution, so please eat as quickly as possible.”
Fu Yucheng did not answer.
He stared down at the ice cream on the table, with his face seemingly entranced, as if he was thinking of something distant.
The ice cream cup was not an ordinary glass, but an exquisite white crystal cup. The spoon was made of sterling silver. On the slender and elegant handle of the spoon, a rose in bloom, symbol of the royal family, was clearly embossed.
In the crystal cup, pale green mint ice cream, plump macadamia nuts and almonds, and crunchy golden waffles were densely layered on top of each other, and finally topped with rich and smooth artisanal chocolate sauce, looking very appealing.
I wonder how long it took to make, he sighed inaudibly, and opened his mouth slowly.
Due to the torture, Fu Yucheng’s voice was a bit hoarse, but it was still pleasant to the ears. “Captain Guo, if I’m not mistaken, this cup is from the White Rose Palace, right?”
Guo Changjian was stunned.
He hesitated for a moment, and then truthfully replied, “Yes, Mr. Fu. This cup of ice cream was delivered by the White Rose Palace in a suspended refrigerated truck early this morning.”
“Tsk, such an annoyance.” Fu Yucheng couldn’t help but sneer. “After half a year in power, Chunfeng still remembers the small cup of ice cream from back then. He’s so righteous. I’m moved.
However,” he gently stroked the crystal glass, his tone cold, “since I still remember that situation, this thing shouldn’t be used to blackmail me.”
Guo Changjian looked at him confused, “Mr. Fu, what are you talking about”
“Nothing.” Fu Yucheng glanced at the captain of the special police with indifference, and inadvertently caught a red string on the other’s wrist. “This year is your 36th since your birth.”2
Guo Changjian nodded cautiously, “Since last Friday.”
With the rapid advancement of medical technology, the average life span of human beings has already exceeded one hundred years. And the average life span of a psionic manipulator is closer to one hundred and fifty. Captain Guo, although he is thirty-six, barely looks twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.
“Happy birthday.” Fu Yucheng’s smile seemed to have a hidden meaning, “Captain Guo, I wonder if you have heard some elder talk about how a person’s birth year often goes poorly for them.3 If you are unlucky, you might even run into a great disaster.”4
There is no doubt that even in such an unpleasant situation, this prisoner was still an extremely beautiful man, and his smile was pleasing to the eye. However, this pleasing smile made Guo Changjian’s hair stand on ends, as if he were being stared at by a pair of emotionless vertical pupils of some bloodthirsty beast.
He forcibly ignored the tingling sensation on his scalp, and insisted solemnly, “Mr. Fu, time is running out, please eat as quickly as possible.”
Fu Yucheng lowered his head and gently rubbed the smooth and cold crystal cup with his slender fingers, as if caressing a lover’s soft naked skin.
“Captain Guo, you may not be very knowledgeable about crystal. Although it is very brittle, its strength reaches 7 Mohs. Its fractured edges become extremely sharp and can easily penetrate the human body. Half a century ago, in the fifth ecoregion of the empire, in that one famous noble murder case, the murder weapon was a fragment of a crystal vase from the bedroom.”
Having said that, Fu Yucheng made a small pause, and then shook his head with regret. “Captain Guo, you are a very cautious person. I personally appreciate this. However, bringing this cup of ice cream to me today might just be the most fatal mistake you will make in your life.” He looked at him with a pitying look. “I’m sorry.”
Guo Changjian was an excellent, outstanding special police member. His response was extremely fast. Before the other party’s voice had stopped, he leaped a few steps and said sharply, “Set the directional infrasonic guns to the highest level.”
The pupils of the four surrounding special police officers suddenly shrunk, and almost simultaneously they raised the high-energy directional infrasonic guns in their hands.
The four bright blood red spots produced by the laser sights concentrated in the center of the prisoner’s eyebrows. Because of how tense the gunmen were, the light spots swayed slightly.
For a while, the tension in the cell almost solidified into a solid body, so quiet that one could have heard a needle fall.
“Puff, don’t be so nervous.” In this extremely suffocating atmosphere, Fu Yucheng suddenly smiled.
In the center of the four blood red spots that kept shaking, he smiled lightly like a spring flower, and then slowly raised his hands.
“Captain Guo, don’t worry, I won’t do anything. Look, I can’t do anything in this situation.”
This horrible condemned prisoner looked at Guo Changjian, shamelessly showing a very innocent expression. “I’m just kidding. You know, the imperial isolation prison is extremely boring. I was kept here for nine months. In addition to torture, I don’t even have anyone who speaks. I wondered if you guys wanted to smother me. That’s too inhumane.”
Guo Changjian ignored his nonsense, his eyes still fixed on the delicate crystal cup on the table. His throat became dry, and his heart thumped in his chest.
This person is more dangerous than a mutated snake, how could he be so negligent.
“Don’t worry, Captain Guo.”
As if he could read what the other party was worried about, Fu Yucheng chuckled. “When the crown prince was five years old, there was a mad maidservant who cut his neck with a crystal glass fragment. If it weren’t for his brother who arrived just in time, his life would have ended back then. Ever since, every crystal cup in the White Rose Palace has to go through several safety processes, and it will only be broken into fingernail-sized fragments. The only harm it can cause is slice your own hands, nothing else.”
Guo Changjian stared at him without saying a word.
“Hey, Captain Guo, don’t be so reluctant. I swear I told you the truth.” Fu Yucheng’s expression was a little helpless, as if the other party was an unreasonable kid, “Can I put my hands down? I’m tired and this is a little silly.”
Guo Changjian gritted his molars hard and said “you-” mutedly.
At this time, an old voice came from his in-ear communicator, “Guo,5 there is no problem with the cup. The suppressor worn by the prisoner is working well, and there is no threat from him for the time being.”
Guo Changjian was stunned, and glanced at the silver-white cell wall beside him. It was a one-way view wall.
At this moment, dozens of senior police inspectors and first-class psionic experts behind the wall were frowning. More than a dozen pairs of eyes were staring at the serious prisoner who was about to die but still not resting in peace.
Guo Changjian took a deep breath and nodded very lightly.
His eyes were still staring at Fu Yucheng vigilantly, and his left hand made a downward gesture very slowly.
" "The four heavy-duty special police officers slowly lowered their muzzles by fifteen degrees, but they still maintained a ready combat posture in preparation for any sudden movements.
“Fu Yucheng, I suggest you stop playing tricks.” Guo Changjian said word by word, “It’s not funny at all.”
“Captain Guo, you really don’t have a sense of humor.” Fu Yucheng shrugged disapprovingly. “It’s so tiring to live so proper all your life. There was an old saying in China a hundred years ago: to be a man the most important thing is to be happy.”6
Guo Changjian “…”
If he could have, he’d immediately strangle that man.
Over the next fifteen minutes, under the extremely unkind gazes of everyone both inside and outside the cell, Fu Yucheng slowly ate the cup of ice cream, unceremoniously scraping the bottom of the cup clean.
The soft ice cream produced by the White Rose Palace Royal Dining Room was the best ice cream in the empire. The texture in the mouth was soft and smooth, and the mint and milk flavors distinct enough.
“Thanks, it doesn’t taste bad at all.” He sighed, feeling like he hadn’t eaten his fill, then picked up the white hot towel on the tray and wiped the corners of his mouth carefully.
After doing all this, Fu Yucheng looked up at Guo Changjian, “Captain Guo, I have something to do when that one person comes over. I have to speak to him face to face.”
Guo Changjian wondered “What person?”
Fu Yucheng was silent for a moment.
He lowered his eyes. His expression was rather strange, seemingly unable to answer such an extremely simple question.
After a while, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, revealing a sarcastic smile, “Who else would it be? Naturally, the noble regent prince of White Rose Palace who I’ve supported and trusted my whole life, my good brother Rong Yuan.”
“What nonsense are you talking about? How can His Royal Highness and you, rebel, call each other brothers?” Guo Changjian frowned and looked at him as if he were a madman, “Besides, His Royal Highness so many things to do, why would he come see a death row prisoner?”
Fu Yucheng didn’t even bother to answer.
He picked up the crystal glass on the table and played with it casually. The cup was empty, just like the friendship he and that person once had.
The two of them met at a young age and had the same great teacher. During the hardest, most difficult times, they would go through fire and water without hesitation, not even fearing death.7
Unfortunately, people change.
Sharing bitterness but not sharing sweetness is probably one of the deepest roots of human betrayal, they break out of the swamp floors without scrupules like a rotting flower.
Outsiders may find this cup of ice cream from the White Rose Palace inexplicable, but Fu Yucheng effortlessly understood the meaning behind it.
This is a threat from the current Prince Regent.
A despicable and bloody threat.
A threat he had to accept.
This noble Prince Regent really knew his former friend very, very well.
Now, they had become a crown prince and a prisoner. The distance and class difference between the two was more than tens of thousands of miles, even though they still had some kind of tacit understanding when fighting side by side in the past. It was funny in a way that could be called dark humor.
Fu Yucheng suddenly wanted to laugh.
The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, but found that he couldn’t truly smile and tell the truth. It was rare for him to not be able to laugh
In this crystal cup in hand, the complicated lines on the material reflected dazzling bright lights. It looked almost like a summer afternoon dream: light, transparent, false and fragile.
Suddenly, a burst of unspeakable defeat and exhaustion swept across like a raging tide, completely flooding him.
Damn it all. Everything in this world.
The fucking empire, the fucking royalty, the fucking prince, the fucking ice cream.
Fu Yucheng closed his eyes and suddenly applied force in his hands.
With a soft “click”, this delicate crystal cup was crushed to pieces. Dozens of small fragments plunged deeply into his palm, and warm and viscous blood slowly flew from his fingers. He didn’t even feel the pain.
So be it.
“What are you trying?” Guo Changjian took a step back vigilantly, “I’m warning you.”
“Enough.” Fu Yucheng raised a hand and interrupted the other party directly. “Tell Rongyuan that he won.” His tone was calm, as if discussing what to eat for dinner. “I agree to cooperate with the operation.”
However, he must accept my three conditions. The first one is that I get to leave this place and return to Earth.”
So here’s my new project ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿
How did you like the first chapter? The danmei + scifi combination was too interesting to pass up.
Updates won’t be too fast since I’m a student and this is just a hobby, but they’ll be pretty regular. Please look forward to more~
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