Reborn in 1993, Dark Sea

There are no coincidences in this world. All so-called coincidences, if not arranged by someone, are arranged by God.

An Xiaohai glanced at the clock hanging on the wall; it pointed to 6 o'clock.

An Xiaohai secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The fight between Kunji and Li Yong occurred after lunch. The two were then taken to write self-criticisms. When they returned to the workshop, it should have been around 5:00 PM.

At 5:30, the prisoners finish their work and go to the canteen for dinner. Only after all the other prisoners have left will Kunji put the cigarettes and lighters in the designated location.

An Xiaohai had calculated the location of the cigarettes and lighters repeatedly. As long as Li Yong and Ma Xiaowei continued to rest on the steps where they usually sat, they would likely find them.

Li Yong couldn't leave; he had to finish his work for the day. Ma Xiaowei certainly wouldn't leave either, not because he was particularly loyal, but because being alone meant he was likely to get beaten up.

According to their usual routine, they would probably take a break on those steps after working for half an hour to 40 minutes.

This should be the time.

By this time, it was already getting dark, and the two of them might not be able to spot the smoke and lighter on the grass.

If the two of them hadn't found the cigarette and the lighter, nothing would have happened today; at most, they would have discovered that the paint had been tampered with.

It's possible that many people tamper with the paint, making it difficult to pinpoint who did it.

Even if the investigation somehow leads to Kwan Kee, and Kwan Kee can't deny it, they could say it's revenge for what happened during the day.

This is reasonable, and the punishment will not be too severe.

However, if the two of them found the cigarettes and the lighter, things would take a different turn.

With such a commotion during the day, Li Yong and Ma Xiaowei certainly wouldn't dare take the cigarettes and lighter away. They couldn't take them back anyway; the lighter would be confiscated by the prison guards during the inspection, and they would both be punished.

They also dared not smoke in front of others, because they couldn't explain the source of the cigarettes. If An Xiaohai found out, he could cause them trouble.

What will Li Yong and Ma Xiaowei do then?

If you want to smoke, you can only do so in the workshop area. But where in the workshop area can you find a place to smoke in secret?

There's only one answer: the bathroom.

The exhaust pipe in the bathroom had been destroyed by Kunji. The enclosed and cramped space was now filled with flammable paint dust, and it was paint dust mixed with icing sugar!

As long as Li Yonggan lights the lighter there, his world will return to complete peace, while the outside world will be completely different, awakened by earth-shattering thunder!

Of course, even if everything goes as expected, the explosion may still not happen, since An Xiaohai only knows the principle and has not undergone rigorous testing.

Everything is possible!

As for whether Li Yong and Ma Xiaowei would find the cigarettes but not smoke them? There was no suspense at all. An Xiaohai knew all too well what these heavily addicted prisoners would do when they saw cigarettes.

We can only wait, but fortunately the wait won't be too long, at most an hour.

"Ah Hai, why are you eating so slowly today? Hurry up and finish your food, the tea is getting cold."

After spending some time together, Third Brother grew to like An Xiaohai more and more. Before, it was just to repay a debt of gratitude, but now it's different; the more he looks at him, the more he likes him.

Third Brother even considered whether he should just call An Xiaohai over to work with him after An Xiaohai left.

An Xiaohai's position is a bit awkward. If he's to be his subordinate, it would be beneath him. If he's to be a collaborator, he's not quite qualified.

The circle of trendsetters is very closed, and it is very difficult for outsiders to break in unless they can gain the approval of most of the trendsetters in the circle. However, it is too difficult to achieve this, and language alone is an insurmountable barrier.

This is what it means to be "not qualified".

However, if An Xiaohai could become her son-in-law, then none of this would be a problem.

However, the third brother was still very hesitant about marrying his daughter to An Xiaohai, since no matter how outstanding An Xiaohai was, he was just a released convict.

Pity!

"Oh, I have a bit of a toothache today, so I ate a little slowly."

"Toothache? Is it serious? Toothache isn't a disease, but it can be excruciating! That's what everyone says on GG forums, haha."

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An Xiaohai, suppressing his nervousness and trepidation, dawdled in the cafeteria. Meanwhile, Li Yong and Ma Xiaowei were very excited!

I only smoked one cigarette from that pack of Polo cigarettes, which is more like a whole pack!

This solves a big problem!

Li Yong and Ma Xiaowei's families had long since severed ties with them. Their so-called brothers outside wouldn't dare approach them now. They were dirt poor and couldn't afford cigarettes.

That's great! At least I can satisfy my craving for several days. Besides, these are An Xiaohai's cigarettes and lighter, so why not take advantage of them!

"Brother Yong, hurry up! Let's go to the restroom and grab a bite!"

"What's the rush?" Li Yong glared at Ma Xiaowei. "We've had a long break already. Let's get back to work. Next time we have a break, we'll go have a good time!"

"But I really can't wait, I haven't smoked in so long..."

"So we have to endure it even more! If we say we're going to the toilet now, the guard might follow us, so what's the point of hitting us then! Let's wait until the next break time."

"Alright, I'll listen to Brother Yong..." Ma Xiaowei agreed dejectedly.

In order to get to smoke as soon as possible, Li Yong and Ma Xiaowei immediately got to work. Li Yong was in charge of spraying paint, and Ma Xiaowei was in charge of flipping the workpiece over.

After working for more than ten minutes, Li Yong suddenly stopped.

"Brother Yong, what's wrong?" Because they were wearing thick masks, the two had to shout to communicate.

"Damn it, something's not right with this paint, it feels weird!"

"Something seems off."

"It's a bit sticky and doesn't color very well!"

"What should I do then? Should I go and get a different bucket?"

"Never mind, go get some more banana oil, mix it in, stir it a bit, and maybe that will work."

"Okay!" Ma Xiaowei went off eagerly, wanting to finish quickly so he could go for a smoke!

Adding banana oil made the smell even more pungent.

"Brother Yong, is it done?" Ma Xiaowei asked loudly while stirring the paint.

"It seems a bit better. Okay, that's enough. I'll spray a little more!"

"Alright, let's continue!"

"Okay, continue!"

Li Yong pressed the spray gun in his hand and continued spraying. If it doesn't paint well, he'll just spray more. Anyway, they don't have to pay for the paint, so who cares?

Old Fang, the prison guard standing not far away, watched the two men work for a while, frowned, covered his nose, and moved back a bit. The smell of paint was particularly pungent today, and it even smelled a little sweet.

It might be a counterfeit or substandard product, damn it, I wonder if it's toxic? Few of these business people are good; they're all heartless!

Thinking of this, Lao Fang subconsciously took a few steps back.

Twenty minutes later, Li Yong and Ma Xiaowei stopped their work almost right on time.

"Reporting to the guard, we'd like to take a break and use the restroom!" Li Yong shouted. His voice was somewhat muffled through the thick mask.

"Alright, go ahead, one by one. I won't go myself. Hurry back!" Old Fang said, covering his nose.

To escort Li Yong and his men to the toilet, they had to pass through a factory building shrouded in smoke.

Old Fang thought about it and decided to let it go, since they couldn't run away and nothing would happen to them.

"Yes, I'll go right away!"

Under Ma Xiaowei's reluctant gaze, Li Yong headed towards the restroom, not forgetting to turn back and give Ma Xiaowei a reassuring look before leaving.

Old Fang watched Li Yong walk into the doorway leading to the restroom, and wondered if he should also find a place to have a smoke.

But just then, Lao Fang suddenly realized that Zhang Kun, who had been marking lines on wooden boards in the next factory, had disappeared without a trace.

Old Fang was startled and broke out in a cold sweat. He quickly looked around and, thankfully, spotted Kunji.

Kunji was sneaking around to another factory building, stuffing things into his pockets as he went.

Well, this guy really hasn't changed his ways!

"Zhang Kun, what are you doing?"

Old Fang suddenly shouted, and Kunji was clearly startled, jumping up as if he had been stung by a bee.

What angered Lao Fang was that Zhang Kun, seeing that things had been exposed, not only did he not come to apologize to him, but he also turned around and ran away!

Old Fang was so angry he laughed. This is a prison! Where do you think you can run off to?!

"Zhang Kun, you stop right there! Ma Xiaowei, you stay right here and don't move, don't go anywhere! This kid has gone too far!"

Kunji wouldn't listen to Lao Fang and ran even faster. Lao Fang ordered Ma Xiaowei to stay where he was and then leisurely chased after them.

"This kid, are you kidding me? Just wait until I catch you, I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!"

Meanwhile, An Xiaohai was drinking tea and chatting with his third brother in the canteen, while other prisoners were also sitting in groups of three or five in the canteen.

Recently, a new television was installed in the mess hall, which can also broadcast the evening news. The prisoners prefer to watch it here, since the new television is much larger than the one in the media room, and the mess hall is spacious and the atmosphere is less oppressive.

"Ah Hai, what are you muttering to yourself?" Third Brother noticed that An Xiaohai seemed a little off and asked.

"It's nothing, I was just reciting a scripture."

"You still believe in Buddhism?"

"You could say that..." An Xiaohai nodded, "Mainly because my mom is a big believer, so I memorized a few scriptures so I can make her happy in the future."

"Good! That's great! You're such a filial child, unlike the others in my family... Ah, it's rare indeed. Buddha will bless you and your mother."

"Thank you, Third Brother."

"No need to thank me, you should thank Buddha. By the way, what scripture are you reciting? How about I learn it with you? We people in Chaotou are very devout in this stuff. Teach me, okay?"

"Of course," An Xiaohai nodded with a smile, and glanced at the clock again.

The clock struck 6:35; it's about time!

In the paint shop's restroom, Li Yong frowned and waved his hand. What's going on? The smell in this restroom is terrible; it's even affecting visibility!

And the paint really does smell wrong, it's a little sweet, no wonder it felt weird when I sprayed it earlier.

"Could it be that the exhaust pipe is broken?" Li Yong looked up and around for a long time, but he couldn't see where the exhaust pipe above his head was broken.

"What bad luck. Maybe I shouldn't smoke anymore; it would be a real problem if it caught fire..."

As an experienced spray painter, Li Yong was certainly aware of the fire safety regulations for spray booths. Li Yong was about to give up, but stopped after taking two steps.

"Wait a minute, isn't it good that it's on fire?! Anyway, the lighter and cigarettes are from Kun Kee, which means they belong to that damned undercover agent An Xiaohai!"

If this really catches fire, and the higher-ups investigate, he'll be lucky to escape with his life!

Haha! How come I didn't think of that?!

Li Yong's eyes darted around, wondering if he should just set a fire and kill An Xiaohai and the others.

"No, we can't do this recklessly. We need to at least distance ourselves from it... Right, at least we can't do it ourselves! How about we get Ma Xiaowei to do it later?... That bastard's as cunning as a devil, he probably won't fall for it..."

Li Yong looked at the lighter in his hand. It was a Z brand, very exquisite, with a pattern on it that he couldn't identify.

"Damn it, An Xiaohai, you're the one who got me into trouble! I'll screw you over!"

Li Yong decisively lit a cigarette, opened the lighter's cap, and forcefully flicked the roller.

The roller rubbed against the flint, emitting an eerily bright light!