The Abusive Novel System Pleads with Me to Resign
Chapter 138

"Donation account?" Lien hesitated for a moment. He hadn't paid much attention to it at the time.

But now it dawned on him that they might have taken things for granted. Naturally, donations to the Sky Prison would flow into the prison's account—that was common sense.

Otherwise, with such massive funds pouring in—Lien alone had contributed ten billion—and countless wealthy individuals involved, the warden must have extorted an unimaginable sum.

Lien hadn't deliberately memorized the account number, but with his 3S-level mental acuity, recalling something he'd seen was effortless.

He closed his eyes, focused, and then recited the dozens of digits flawlessly.

As he recited the numbers, the Crown Prince's expression grew increasingly grim.

Finally, he exhaled sharply. "This isn't the prison's account."

The Crown Prince and Lu Yu couldn't hide their disappointment, but Lien exploded at the news.

His eyes burned with murderous intent, his entire body radiating dark energy, his emerald-green irises tinged with a bloody hue.

He glared at the Crown Prince and Lu Yu. "So, you're telling me I gave it away for nothing?"

"For this damn plan, I humiliated myself, took on that disgraceful body, told those pathetic lies, and endured hours of inhuman torment."

"And now you're saying the account was wrong from the start?"

Seeing him on the verge of violence, Lu Yu quickly intervened. "Calm down. I understand how you feel."

"Understand my ass! I got screwed over!" Lien roared.

He'd been taken advantage of—compromising far too much in bed just to keep the other party engaged.

None of it was something he'd ever agree to in real life.

Lu Yu was momentarily stunned by his outburst—what kind of spoiled-brat logic was this?

But he pressed on. "Think carefully. You can vent your anger anytime, but if you cause trouble now, the warden might catch on."

"Do you really want to give her an excuse to drag you in for interrogation?"

The Crown Prince wasn't as diplomatic as Lu Yu. Seeing Lien's aggrieved expression, he sneered. "Quit whining over such petty humiliation."

"You should be grateful you even had the chance to contribute. That's your ticket out of this prison. Otherwise, I guarantee you'll never set foot outside."

Whether Lien heeded Lu Yu's words or not, he didn't lash out. Instead, he gave the Crown Prince a deep, mocking look. "With your track record of constant failures, don't talk about restricting me—do you even stand a chance of getting out yourself?"

"Your enemies plan to keep you locked up till you rot."

Lu Yu stepped in again as the mediator. "This isn't the time for infighting. We never expected success to come easy."

"This is the Sky Prison. We need patience and the resilience to endure repeated attempts and failures."

Then he shifted to the main issue. "If the warden didn't use the prison's account, we need to find out where the money went."

Lien scoffed. "Where else? She extorted it for herself, not for anyone else."

The Crown Prince disagreed. "Impossible. A high-security facility like the Sky Prison, filled with wealthy and underground figures, has strict monitoring on all staff accounts to prevent collusion."

This was why he had assumed she'd use complex methods to launder the money.

But transferring funds within the prison system wasn't something just any account could handle—an unfamiliar, unaffiliated account would raise red flags immediately.

The warden might command the prison's systems, but she still had to abide by anti-corruption protocols.

Lu Yu pressed, "But what if she really did use her personal account?"

The Crown Prince smirked. "Then even if this operation fails, it doesn't matter. She's handed us a golden opportunity."

"If she dared to funnel that much money directly into her own account, even with the prison in lockdown, authorities would demand an emergency investigation."

Once outsiders arrived, their escape would become a hundred times easier.

Lu Yu was convinced. The warden wasn't foolish enough to make such a blunder—otherwise, she wouldn't have been so meticulous in guarding against them.

He immediately summoned Niu Xi. "That riot you incited the other day—did you collect your reward yet?"

Niu Xi shook his head. "Not yet. The warden said I could claim it anytime, but I figured it'd be a waste to cash in so soon after my last indulgence."

Lu Yu frowned. "Indulgence? That counts as a reward?"

Niu Xi realized his slip and quickly corrected himself. "Ah, no—just some organic vegetables, premium stuff from the eco-layer."

Lu Yu didn't press further. "Go claim your reward now, and try to dig up info about the donation account."

Niu Xi nodded and left, though none of the three held much hope.

The bull wasn't exactly skilled at extracting information—it all depended on how heavily the warden guarded the account details.

That woman was unpredictable. Some things they assumed were top-secret, she'd casually reveal without a second thought.

And that was terrifying—it meant she operated with absolute control and confidence.

Niu Xi had the mechanical guards notify the warden, and before long, he was summoned to her quarters.

He deliberately chose dinner time, and true to her promise, a lavish meal awaited in her private dining room.

The room had three transparent walls, including the domed ceiling, capable of projecting any holographic scenery or offering an unobstructed view of the cosmos.

When Niu Xi arrived, no projections were active, so he could see the prison's surroundings clearly—his first real glimpse of the outside world since his imprisonment, even if through glass.

Then, his breath caught. He pointed ahead. "That's—"

Shen Ying, already seated, followed his gaze and smiled. "Yes, we're currently near the Imperial Capital Star."

"If the prison exploded right now, the capital might even notice."

Niu Xi's mind reeled. They'd been scheming endlessly to reconnect with the outside world, yet here they were, hovering right beside civilization, powerless to act.

He couldn't tell if the warden had jumped to this location deliberately or at random.

For a moment, he nearly forgot his mission.

Shen Ying gestured to the seat across from her. "Sit."

"This is nothing. Soon, I'll introduce a 'fresh air' program—letting exemplary prisoners step outside and experience the real world again."

"I have high hopes for you. Keep it up, and you might be among the first."

Niu Xi was stunned by her boldness, yet a flicker of anticipation stirred in him.

He took his seat, eyes widening at the feast before him—luxuries even the simulation pods rarely offered.

After all, not everyone had the credits to simulate a tycoon's lifestyle.

His appetite surged, and he dug in without restraint, savoring real food for the first time in ages.

And though it might be inappropriate to say, setting aside her position, the warden was an undeniably stunning woman.

A beautiful companion for an extravagant dinner—he couldn't have asked for more.

However, Niu Xi hadn’t forgotten the main matter at hand. He spoke up, "After that day, the remaining guys should’ve gotten the message, right?"

Shen Ying nodded, not hiding the praise that he’d played a part in this. "They’re all smart people. If they still couldn’t read the room by now, then there’s nothing more to say."

Niu Xi shrugged carelessly. "No big deal. If there are any more like that, leave them to me. I’ll make sure they appreciate the value of safety."

Leaning in a little closer, he added, "So, the warden managed to secure quite a bit in donations for the prison this time, huh?"

Shen Ying smiled. "Are you hinting that your reward was too small?"

Niu Xi rubbed his horns. "Not at all. Before I got locked up, I was part of the underworld. Money just naturally catches my interest."

"Can’t get my hands on any now, but hearing about it is still satisfying."

Then, as if doing a good deed, he added, "But I heard the previous warden never accepted donations. With such a large sum suddenly coming in, won’t the outside world give you trouble?"

Niu Xi had originally planned to fish for information gradually, but he hadn’t expected the warden to outright reveal the final answer.

She chuckled. "Not at all. I didn’t deposit the money into the prison’s account."

"Transferring it back and forth would’ve been too much hassle. I wired it directly into my personal account."

Niu Xi froze, completely stunned.

Recalling his boss’s earlier speculation—how they’d been absolutely certain the warden wouldn’t use her personal account—otherwise, the fallout would be catastrophic for her. But she’d gone and done it anyway.

Niu Xi was so dazed that the subsequent simulated chamber experience passed by in a blur, with the warden leading him through it absentmindedly.

By the time he snapped out of it, he realized the warden’s earlier mention of "milking cows" had literally been about him.

And what panicked him even more was that he could actually produce milk.

Niu Xi had never experienced anything like this, but he was honest with himself about how he felt.

Though he walked away feeling like the so-called "reward" was highly questionable, he had to admit the farm game had been pretty fun.

Especially the cow care part—it was the first time he felt that being a bull wasn’t entirely without its perks.

Niu Xi returned to his cell in disarray. By then, it was already late, and all the cell blocks were locked down. Any intel he’d gathered would have to wait until tomorrow.

The cowboy could only drift off to sleep, still lingering in the afterglow of Happy Farm.

The next morning, he headed straight to the cafeteria and relayed everything to Lu Yu.

Lu Yu and the other two were just as stunned—especially the Crown Prince, who had been the most confident in his assumptions. His face practically stung from the embarrassment.

After a long silence, Lu Yu spoke dryly, "Should we verify this? What if she was just lying to Niu Xi?"

Then he asked Niu Xi, "Did she use this answer to coax you into doing something you didn’t want?"

Niu Xi shook his head. "Nah, she mentioned it over dinner. Everything after that, I was fine with. No pressure."

(Though he’d certainly gained some eye-opening experiences.)

Lu Yu turned to the Crown Prince. "Any way to confirm this?"

The Crown Prince gestured to a nearby guard, whispering a few instructions.

The guard left and soon returned, bowing to the prince. "It’s true. Secretary Zhu also got the news this morning."

"The investigation team from headquarters decided to come inspect the warden on their own. They should arrive tomorrow."

The three of them found it all a bit surreal. "That fast? The warden agreed?"

The guard nodded. "She did. The docking coordinates are already set. The warden didn’t show any resistance to the investigation."

Now they were truly at a loss, unsure what game she was playing.

If she was just going to let investigators in so easily, what was the point of cutting off communications in the first place?

Wasn’t it supposed to restrict their escape plans?

Right now, the Crown Prince hadn’t managed to contact the outside world, and his subordinates were surely frantic.

Any idiot could guess the investigation team would have the prince’s people mixed in—hell, the whole team might be his.

Didn’t that mean their escape was practically within reach?

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