Spy war in the Republic of China, peak undercover

Lu Yang sat behind his large desk, looking at Wang Ming, who was smiling flatteringly across from him, and secretly thought to himself: This Wang Ming was from the Chen family, and seemed like a pawn that could be used.

"Deputy Warden Wang, let's talk. I just arrived and don't know much about the situation here." Lu Yang said.

Wang Ming nodded quickly, "Warden Lu, if you ask, I will tell you everything I know."

"Let's talk about the leaders here first."

Wang Ming leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "We have five prison blocks here, each with a warden. There's also Li Jixian, the office director who's in charge of logistics. He's the most difficult one to deal with."

"Oh? How difficult is it?" Lu Yang became interested.

"This Li Jixian is no ordinary person; he is a distant relative of Deputy Minister of National Defense Dong Qiuguo.

He relied on this relationship to bully others in prison.

Lu Yang raised his eyebrows, "What about the five district heads?"

Wang Ming glanced around, as if afraid of being overheard. "It's strange, but three of the five district chiefs are said to have secretly joined the Military Control Commission. Another is a relative of the Minister of Justice's third wife. The remaining two have gang backing."

"So complicated?" Lu Yang frowned.

"That's right. Warden Lu, you have to be more careful. These people have complicated backgrounds and it's not easy to offend them."

Lu Yang nodded, "I understand. What about the prisoners? Who are they?"

Wang Ming sighed, "Almost all the prisoners now are convicted criminals. In the past, there were some bandits, bullies, murderers, etc., but now there are very few. The number of convicted criminals is increasing, and those arrested by the Military Control Commission and the police are also sent here."

The two of them chatted for most of the morning.

Lu Yang noticed that none of the so-called leaders came to welcome him, the new official. Clearly, they looked down on this less than thirty-year-old boss who had come through nepotism.

Wang Ming also noticed this and said awkwardly, "Warden Lu, it's almost noon. Why don't we go eat? The warden has a separate dining area."

Lu Yang waved his hand. "Don't worry. Walk with me. I want to inspect the prisoners."

Wang Ming was stunned for a moment, but still nodded in agreement.

The two walked out of the office building, crossed an open space, and came to the area where the prisoners were held.

Lu Yang looked up and saw five tall buildings standing in front of him, each with the words "XXX Prison District" written on it.

As soon as I entered the first prison area, an unpleasant smell hit me in the face.

The mixture of dampness, mold, and sweat was nauseating. Lu Yang frowned, but endured the discomfort and continued walking inside.

On either side of the corridor were cells surrounded by iron bars. Each cell was packed with prisoners. Some sat on the floor, lost in thought, some leaned against the wall, whispering to each other, and still others lay on simple wooden beds. Their eyes were empty, their faces filled with despair.

"This is where ordinary prisoners are held," Wang Ming explained. "Mostly petty thieves, but there are also some minor political prisoners."

Lu Yang nodded and continued walking forward. As he passed a cell, he noticed a young man reading inside. The man looked up at Lu Yang, a glint of unyielding in his eyes.

"Who is that?" Lu Yang asked.

Wang Ming took a closer look. "Oh, that's a college student. He was arrested for participating in the student movement."

Lu Yang nodded thoughtfully and continued walking forward.

The situations in the second and third prison areas are similar, both are places where ordinary prisoners are detained.

But in the fourth prison area, the situation was different.

"All those held here are serious criminals," Wang Ming said in a low voice. "There are murderers and some important political prisoners."

Lu Yang noticed that there were obviously many more guards here. A fully armed prison guard stood at the door of each cell.

Lu Yang stopped in front of a cell. Inside was a middle-aged man, covered in wounds and with bruises all over his face.

"What's going on?" Lu Yang asked with a frown.

Wang Ming explained somewhat awkwardly: "This is a job. I just interrogated him a few days ago."

Lu Yang didn't say anything, just looked at the man silently and continued walking forward.

Ward 5 was the most heavily guarded area in the entire prison. It held important political prisoners, each cell isolated and with two armed guards at the door.

"Who are the prisoners here?" Lu Yang asked.

Wang Ming looked around and said in a low voice, "They are all important people. There are senior cadres of the Communist Party and some important members of the Military Control Commission."

Lu Yang nodded, his eyes sweeping across the cells. Suddenly, he stopped in front of a cell.

Inside sat a middle-aged man, dressed in rags, but still revealing an extraordinary aura. The man looked up at Lu Yang, a complex glint in his eyes.

"Who is this?" Lu Yang asked.

Wang Ming took a closer look and his expression changed. "This... this is an important cadre of the Communist Party. He is said to be an underground member who has been lurking among us for many years. He was only caught some time ago."

Lu Yang nodded thoughtfully, looked at the man again, and then continued walking forward.

After walking through the five prison blocks, it was already noon. Lu Yang felt a bit heavy-hearted. He had seen too many prisoners beaten beyond recognition, but also some indomitable fighters. This made him even more determined.

"Deputy Warden Wang," Lu Yang suddenly said, "I'd like to know how the food situation is for these prisoners?"

Wang Ming was stunned for a moment. "Food? Just ordinary prison food. Two meals a day, porridge and steamed bread with pickles..."

"Take me to see it." Lu Yang interrupted him.

Wang Ming had no choice but to take Lu Yang to the prison kitchen.

As soon as I entered the door, a unpleasant smell hit me in the face.

Several prisoners were busy in front of a big pot. Something was cooking in the pot, and it gave off a strange smell.

Lu Yang frowned, "Is this the food for prisoners?"

Wang Ming explained awkwardly, "Warden Lu, well... the prison has limited funding, and we're lucky to be able to ensure that the prisoners don't starve to death..."

Lu Yang didn't say anything, but just looked at the big pot silently, with a plan in mind.

"Okay, let's go back." Lu Yang turned and walked out.

Back in the office, Lu Yang sat in a chair and closed his eyes in thought.

Wang Ming stood aside, at a loss.

After a long while, Lu Yang opened his eyes and said, "Deputy Warden Wang, I'd like to know about the funding situation of our prison."

Wang Ming was stunned. "That... I have to ask Li Jixian. He's in charge of logistics and knows all this best."

Lu Yang nodded, "Then call him over."

Wang Ming hesitated for a moment, "Warden Lu, Li Jixian is...not easy to get along with. How about I go and talk to him first?"

Lu Yang waved his hand, "No need. Just call him over."

Wang Ming had no choice but to nod and agree, then turned and left.

Lu Yang leaned back in his chair, a sneer on his face.

A new official wants to start with three major changes? No, he doesn't want three major changes, but a complete and utter conflagration.

"Damn it! Don't they know about my reputation as Lu Yang? All five district heads showed up. Low-key? I'm low-key!"