I was acting crazy in North America, and all the crazy people there took it seriously.

Chapter 81 We're Going to Seek Refuge in the Light (Bonus Chapter for 300 Monthly Tickets)

As the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, when the light in someone's eyes goes out, the light in someone else's eyes shines again!
In a state prison in Tennessee, oppression and despair seeped into every brick and stone like the damp air.

Here, prisoners and guards are held together in cramped cells, deprived of sunlight, fresh air, and any form of recreation.

The harsh environment led to mental health issues among many prison guards, who treated prisoners like livestock and frequently used various methods to torture and abuse them.

Every day here is torture.

If Fox River No. 1 Prison is a sweatshop disguised in the guise of civilization, then this place is a naked hell on earth.

Compared to hell on earth, sweatshops seem almost compassionate.

Ethan and his seven cellmates had had enough of this inhuman torture and had long planned their escape.

The good news is that Ethan is an engineer, and a very versatile one at that.

Taking advantage of his time doing cleaning and maintenance work in the prison, Ethan discovered that the air vents in the cells were actually pipes for water, electrical wires, and other equipment, which could be used as a workshop for preparing escape materials and an escape tunnel.

After finalizing their escape plan, the eight men split into two groups, with each group taking turns digging a tunnel near the ventilation shaft every night.

They used stolen restaurant spoons as shovels, digging a little bit every day for several months.

They also painted old cardboard to make it appear as if the walls around the vents hadn't changed.

To avoid being discovered by the night patrol guards, Ethan also obtained toilet paper and soap, stole some hair from the barbershop, and smuggled cement and paint while cleaning, making several realistic head models.

Every night, he would place the head model on his pillow to pretend that he was asleep, and the prison guards never noticed anything unusual in the dim light.

Thanks to Ethan's sharp technical mind and the team's months of secret effort, they quietly dug a narrow but feasible tunnel leading to the outside of the prison walls.

Everything is ready; they just need the right night to embrace their freedom.

The bad news is that the closer they get to freedom, the more demoralized the escape team becomes!

Some prisoners with shorter sentences wavered. If they failed, not only would their sentences be extended, but they might also be imprisoned in an even more terrible place. They preferred to endure it a little longer.

Those prisoners with longer sentences or younger, more hot-blooded inmates couldn't bear it for even a minute longer! Even if they only had one day of freedom after being released, they would still rush out! Dying outside was better than rotting here!
Tension and fear of failure began to permeate the cramped cell.

Ethan knew that if this disagreement continued, the escape plan would definitely fail, because someone would surely betray him in order to get a reduced sentence.

Just when he was at his wit's end, a crumpled copy of the Chicago Sun-Times, which had passed through countless hands, changed everything.

"Humane Prisons: America Has Finally Become a Beacon for the World!"

When Ethan first saw the headline, he scoffed. If America, in its current state, is the beacon of the world, then the world should just be destroyed.

But for some inexplicable reason, he picked up the newspaper and began to read it under the dim light of the cell.

Then, a light shone in his eyes.

He diligently collected the latest issues of the Sun newspaper: "Chicago Gangs Fight Crime," "Chicago Gangs and Private Prisons," "Fox River Takes Over," "Private Prisons Represent the Light"... a stream of information converged in his mind!

An extremely bold, even absurd, idea took shape in the mind of his engineer, who was accustomed to precise calculations.

That evening, he gathered all his hesitant fellow prisoners, holding the crumpled copy of The Sun, like a prophet holding a sacred text.

“Brothers, I understand your concerns,” Ethan’s voice was calm and persuasive, “but we were wrong. We’re not planning a prison break.”

Everyone was stunned, looking at him with confusion. Ethan held up the newspaper, pointing to the article, "Look at this! Look at Chicago! We're not running away, we're heading towards the light!"

The other inmates were dumbfounded: "Seeking refuge...in the light?"

“That’s right!” Ethan suppressed his excitement. “For those with shorter sentences, like Old Joe, you don’t need to be afraid. We’re not running away; we’re going to a more civilized and humane jurisdiction.”

"Judges and the media in Chicago will praise our choice and may even help us get a reduced sentence! This is not about aggravating the crime, it's about pursuing progress!"

He turned to the other prisoners serving longer sentences: "And you have even less to fear! Look at what's written here!"

"A private room, a gym, a library, a radio! This isn't prison, it's a vacation! We've moved from hell to heaven!"

Someone asked hesitantly, "But...why should they take us in? We're still fugitives!"

Ethan smiled confidently: "Good question! They'll definitely accept us! And they'll be very happy to welcome us!"

"Because our arrival is a living, undeniable advertisement! It is a symbol of turning to the light!"

"..."

The inmates stared wide-eyed at this unheard-of theory.

Absurd? It sounds utterly absurd!
However, Ethan, with his meticulous logic and beautiful vision, managed to bridge the gap between the differing opinions of the entire team.

An escape attempt that might have failed due to internal divisions has been reactivated!
The plan was executed as scheduled.

On a stormy night, Ethan led seven fellow inmates and escaped from prison undetected through a tunnel.

Upon his release from prison, Ethan displayed his caution and wisdom.

He deliberately led his team south, leaving clear footprints and some discarded debris, misleading the pursuing prison guards into believing they were fleeing south.

It wasn't until roll call the next morning that the prison guards discovered that eight people had escaped, and then they followed the trail south to capture them.

This bought them time. By the time the prison guards realized something was wrong, they were already in the stolen car, speeding north towards their "land of light"—Chicago.

A few days later, the eight men, weary from their journey but with burning eyes, finally stood in front of the gates of Fox River No. 2 jail in Chicago.

Ethan miraculously prevented anyone from sneaking away halfway!
The guard, seeing the suspicious group, gripped his baton: "What are you doing here? This is a prison, get out of here!"

Ethan straightened his clothes, held up a crumpled copy of The Sun that was illegible, and said in as solemn a tone as possible:

"Inform your superiors. We are criminals who escaped from the Tennessee State Penitentiary. We traveled thousands of miles not to escape punishment, but to seek the light."

"We volunteer to go to jail!"

The seven fellow inmates behind him also cooperated by showing expressions of longing for the "light of civilization".

The guards in the post, and the prison guards who rushed over after hearing the news, were all gaping in astonishment, their batons nearly falling to the ground!
After a long pause, someone finally managed to squeeze out, "Holy shit...are you guys serious?!"

The whole world seemed to be distorted by magical reality for a second in that instant!

……

　Extra chapters after extra chapters, so many extra chapters!

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(End of this chapter)