Chapter 36 Imprisonment and Release

  Sitting on the straw in prison, listening to the wails and screams of real prisoners from neighboring cells, looking at the chaotic and humid environment in front of them, smelling the stench in the cell, the students almost vomited. Looking at the dozens of students squeezed into three cells, the old prison guard sighed: "What's all the fuss about? Now it's done, there are orders from above, 'severe punishment for dereliction of duty'!"

  Seeing the students unmoved, the old prison guard felt unsatisfied and continued: "Do you know what 'severe punishment for laziness' means? It's like this, ka-cha!" He made a vicious slashing motion with his hand. Seeing the students still unresponsive, the old prison guard became enraged. To prove that he was telling the truth, he sneered and said: "You don't believe me? Ah! In Nanyang, hundreds have been killed! Look at you all, pretending to be human, but when it's time to face the execution ground, you'll all be crying for your fathers and mothers!"

  Several students who heard his words finally showed a hint of fear in their eyes.

  When had they ever suffered such hardships? Moreover, hearing the prison guard's words, it seemed that this time was for real. Thinking back to the beheading scene he had only seen in movies, he would soon experience it himself. The one who needed to shout "Eighteen years later, another good fellow" was none other than himself! They wouldn't naively think "a head rolls off and a big scar remains", although now in the Republic era, the death penalty had been changed to civilized hanging or shooting. Just thinking about being pushed onto the execution grounds by the prison cart, surrounded by onlookers, made one's hair stand on end. Someone had already shouted out "Ah ma!" and fallen to the ground with a thud. The prison guard looked at his handiwork with satisfaction, picking his teeth as he walked away.

  At this time, Zhang Lieyang, although somewhat disdainful of the fainted classmate, saw that the classmates on the side were in a flurry and immediately went over to check their pulses and heartbeats, finding them both okay. After giving them some basic first aid, Zhang Lieyang waited for a while before the two students slowly came to, seeing Zhang Lieyang in front of them and bursting into tears. One of them said: "Zhang Lieyang, do you think they really will 'chopping' us off? I'm scared... Waaah..."

  Another strange question was asked: "Zhang Lieyang, I didn't see you in the procession, how did you get caught too?!"

  Zhang Lieyang smiled and said, "I'm not caught, how can they let you guys out?! Can't even bear a few days of hardship, yet every day shouting 'Heaven will entrust a great responsibility to this person also, must first make his heart and will suffer, starve his body and skin, empty and exhaust his body'! How come it's not working just after a short while?!" Upon hearing Zhang Lieyang's words, all the classmates who were originally crying stopped.

  At this time, a core member of the Zhejiang University Literature Society, Hua Tianming, approached Zhang Lieyang and said: "Zhang Ge, it seems that 'the tall tree in the forest will be blown down by the wind' is true! How do you think the police came to catch us first? Is it because they saw the leadership quality on our bodies?"

  Zhang Lieyang looked at Hua Tianming's self-indulgent appearance and couldn't help but feel both annoyed and amused, so he casually said: "I think it's because you look too flashy, the police don't think you're a good person!"

  Hua Tianming feigned great surprise and said: "So you even figured out that I'm the reincarnation of Pan An?"

  Zhang Lieyang lost his smile and said: "You also want to be that kind of sissy? Don't disgust me!"

  The old prison guard listened to the two men's nonsense, and the students on the side gradually relaxed their mood, no longer having the panic they had when they first came in. Gradually, everyone gathered around, starting to chat and laugh. The students in the adjacent cell were also infected by their optimism, and some even began to discuss the benefits of using straw as a mattress and the cool environment in the detention room during winter.

  Zhang Lieyang and Hua Tianming exchanged a glance, feeling satisfied with the reaction of their classmates. Reality never lives up to one's imagination. When everyone was so hungry they were weak, looking at the dinner that had been served, still no one was willing to lift a hand. What kind of things are these? If these blackish lumps could still barely be called mantou, then this bucket with a few rotten vegetable leaves floating in it, which was supposed to be "vegetable soup", was far from being edible.

  Zhang Lieyang glanced at the steamed buns and vegetable soup, then looked around at the students, smiling to himself: "It seems that this time the authorities aren't joking with them, they really are treating these people like prisoners!"

  Suddenly, a student in the adjacent cell stood up and walked to the cell door, pressing against the iron bars and shouting loudly: "I protest! You are abusing prisoners!"

  The several prisoners in the opposite cell who were wolfing down their food suddenly stopped, looked at each other for a few moments, and then burst out laughing. One of them even laughed while saying: "Boss, did you hear that? They're still picking dishes! I bet they don't know yet, this is the death row!"

  Zhang Lieyang was startled in his heart, and whispered a few words to Hua Tianming. Hua Tianming nodded. Zhang Lieyang then beckoned to the classmates to gather around, and said in a low voice: "We have decided to go on hunger strike to protest against the authorities and demand better food. Do you agree?"

  Everyone nodded, and then Zhang Lieyang contacted the students in the adjacent cell again, explained the meaning, and finally everyone agreed to go on a hunger strike. So Zhang Lieyang stood up, walked to the gate of the cell, and loudly told the old prison guard through the gate: "Tell your prison chief that from now on, all of us students will go on a hunger strike! If the food is not improved for one day, we will not resume eating for one day!"

  Lao Yin was startled by Zhang Lieyang's voice, but after listening clearly to what Zhang Lieyang said, he couldn't help but laugh and say: "You'd better starve to death, so I won't have to deliver food to you every day!" After finishing his meal, he muttered to himself: "Hmph! Still on a hunger strike! I've seen many of your kind before. When they first come in, who doesn't think they're some big shot? But later on, don't they all become obedient little grandsons?"

  Several prisoners fawned and said: "Yes, sir!" Then came a string of flattering words, which made the old prison guard feel comfortable. He casually threw a few leftover chicken bones to them, and the prisoners immediately scrambled for them, making the old prison guard laugh loudly.

  Zhang Lieyang smiled and took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, taking out two American-style hand grenades from his pocket and throwing them over. He then heard two explosions, one after another, followed by a group of prison guards rushing in with weapons. The captain, who led the team, saw the chaotic scene in the cell and angrily asked: "Who did this?!"

  "We just told the officer lying on the ground to inform your superiors that from now on, all of us students will go on a hunger strike! If the food doesn't improve in one day, we won't resume eating for one day!" Just after he finished speaking, two explosions were heard, and then you guys came in!

  After hearing Zhang Lieyang's words, the prison guards couldn't figure out what was going on and left! They didn't conduct any further investigation and just treated it as an unexpected event.

  For three consecutive days, it was the same food. Several classmates who were on a hunger strike had already fainted from starvation. Zhang Lieyang and Hua Tianming were also worried, fearing that if they continued to starve themselves, someone might really die. Did the authorities not care?

  Just as they were worried, the prison guard opened the cell door and dropped down two food buckets with a "bang", lifted the lid of one bucket and said: "Eat!"