Era of Magic and Martial Arts-Chapter 219 - 203: Feng Mu’s Confidence—I Will Win Them Over

Wang Cong detected a deeply hidden aura of danger emanating from Feng Mu, like a wisp of dark smoke, stirring unease in his heart.

However, strangely enough, within this shroud of fear, he chose not to retreat completely. Instead, he mustered unprecedented courage, attempting to continue speaking.

In that elusive aura of danger, Wang Cong felt an attraction as deadly and alluring as poppy, pulling him in an indescribable way, making him both afraid and unable to resist moving a little closer.

It was as if, if he could just get a little closer, he could truly draw the little bit of what he desired from Feng Mu...

Wang Cong first gently twisted his neck, glancing around to ensure no one was eavesdropping nearby, then slightly raised his head, eyes passing through the corridor to the distant surveillance camera, confirming it couldn't possibly pick up their conversation.

Only then did he lower his voice significantly, trembling slightly as he asked, "If, and I mean if, I wanted to make some progress, what do you think I should do?" 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Feng Mu responded with a calm expression, "First, you need to understand what everyone is judged on in the rules of the last-place elimination system."

Wang Cong pondered for a moment, then replied, "I think it tests how much benefit we can bring to the prison. In other words, it's about who can extract the most from the prisoners they manage."

Feng Mu replied noncommittally, "Hmm, elaborate on that."

Wang Cong answered, "Take our No. 1 Light Prison A Division, for example. Division Head Chang Wei has three floor captains under him."

"Using Captain Tian Tao as an example, he is in charge of the floor we're on, overseeing a total of 14 prison guards. The money these 14 prison guards receive from the prisoners each week must all be gathered to him on Monday for centralized submission."

"Captain Tian Tao's performance is the sum of the performance of these 14 prison guards."

"He needs to compare this performance horizontally with the other two captains and even all the captains across the divisions for ranking. If he ranks last for two consecutive weeks, he'll be demoted."

"And the vacant position will be filled temporarily by one of the captains ranked higher, which means there might be a future scenario where a captain manages multiple floors across divisions."

"Or, if the captain at the top has no intention of overseeing other areas, the warden will promote one of those outstanding prison guards to fill the vacancy."

As Wang Cong explained, his tone grew somewhat dejected:

"So, if I want to replace Captain Tian Tao, first I must ensure Captain Tian Tao's ranking is at the bottom among the captains. Secondly, I must ensure that I can extract enough money from the 41 prisoners in the 5 cells I manage, to stand out among the prison guards."

"However, if I perform too well, wouldn't that actually help Captain Tian Tao improve his performance? This is too difficult."

The more Wang Cong thought, the more discouraged he became, and the fire in his eyes dimmed.

Feng Mu, on the other hand, grew more interested the more he listened, his eyes shining brighter.

You see, the prison hadn't formally issued specific documents and regulations about the [last-place elimination system], although the news was already widely circulated within the prison.

However, as someone who had been sidelined and bullied for a long time, Wang Cong could gather such detailed information in such a short time and articulate it so clearly. These ideas must have been churning in his mind over and over.

"Ha—, it looks like Wang Cong, you're not as timid and complacent as you've always seemed to be," Feng Mu squinted slightly, feeling quite gratified inside.

A person's words might deceive others, and sometimes even themselves, but their actions cannot lie.

Feng Mu looked earnestly at Wang Cong, as if through those eyes, he could peek into the most hidden corners of Wang Cong's heart.

He admired, "See, you've already outlined a blueprint for advancement yourself. According to you, stepping up only takes two steps."

Feng Mu paused briefly, then slowly raised one finger, "First step, make sure the other prison guards on the same floor don't collect much money, collectively lowering Captain Tian Tao's performance."

Then, he raised a second finger, "Second step, you collect much more money than the other guards, making your share particularly prominent in Captain Tian Tao's performance."

Listening to Feng Mu's summary and recapitulation, Wang Cong was reinvigorated by the other's unhurried yet powerful tone.

He hesitantly asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty, "But specifically, how do I do that? How can I ensure the other prison guards don't collect much money?"

Feng Mu grinned, "The best way is to make sure they can't come to collect money at all."

Wang Cong was stunned on the spot, trembling inside, yet his mind unwittingly followed Feng Mu's words, involuntarily plotting various scenarios to prevent his fellow prison guards from collecting money.

A dangerous thought flashed through his mind—if there were none of them, naturally no one would come to collect money, right?!!

This thought accelerated his heartbeat, his face shifting unpredictably.

Watching Wang Cong's ever-changing expression, Feng Mu smirked, "Sadly, unless they all collectively fall ill, it's practically impossible."

Wang Cong was suddenly jolted awake, his heart tightened sharply, terrified to realize how crazy his earlier thoughts had been: "I must have lost my senses just now, what was I even thinking?"

Feeling guilty, he glanced at Feng Mu, slightly sweaty palms wiping away cold sweat from his forehead.

At this moment, Feng Mu's voice rang out again, with a hint of deep meaning:

"Therefore, we can only try to persuade the prisoners on this floor not to cooperate with them, to either collectively hand over less money or refuse to hand over any money in the coming days, or even next week."

Wang Cong obediently nodded, then asked doubtfully, "How could that be possible? Apart from the cells we manage, how can we interfere with the affairs of prisoners in other cells?"

Feng Mu chuckled, "Of course, it's impossible during the day, but don't forget, at night, the entire floor is only under the two of us during the night shift. At that time, theoretically, we control the entire floor, don't we?"

Feng Mu retracted his two fingers, meaningfully saying, "After all, we both have to thank Captain Tian Tao for giving us this opportunity."

Wang Cong's mouth opened wide, his eyes flickering continuously, and finally asked, "How should we persuade these prisoners to cooperate with us rather than with the other guards?"

Feng Mu slowly reached into his clothes, taking out a notebook filled with scribbles, his voice gentle yet firm, each word seemingly charged with irresistible power:

"Because I never resort to beating them at every turn, I respect their dignity, I listen diligently to their demands, I understand them better than any other guards, and I am willing to help improve their dire situation!"

Wang Cong's mouth gradually dropped open, his eyes showing more and more surprise as he stared at the sleek black notebook in Feng Mu's hand, suddenly feeling a tingling sensation on his scalp, as if electrified.

As Feng Mu spoke, he slowly and firmly handed the notebook over to Wang Cong, his smile so warm it could melt a snow mountain:

"Heart to heart, I believe these prisoners will be touched by me, they will surely stand on our side."

Wang Cong took a deep breath, receiving the notebook, yet it felt heavy, as if carrying an immeasurable weight, almost stifling his breath.

Then, he heard Feng Mu whisper in his ear, "And I will definitely stand by your side, I will help you, Captain Wang Cong!"

Wang Cong's breath seemed to halt at that moment, his face, neck, and hands erupting with goosebumps, a shiver of emotion.