The Abusive Novel System Pleads with Me to Resign
Chapter 143

The Crown Prince's gaze seemed intent on tearing Shen Ying apart, yet she stood up and sauntered toward him.

As if completely unaware of the treasonous words she had just uttered, she looked at him and said, "Yes, begging."

"Has Your Highness never begged before?"

The Crown Prince's eyes turned icy. "Who would ever be worthy of my pleas?"

Even now, surrounded by countless people eager to assist him, he had never considered the idea of asking for help.

Born into a whirlpool of interests, he was the greatest interest himself. Everyone around him merely begged for scraps of benefit.

Even those with sincere hearts were loyal to his status, his symbolism, the hope he represented.

That hope was his repayment to them—never had there been a situation where he needed to ask for help.

Yet Shen Ying, hearing his response, declared with certainty, "If you don’t know how, then learn. It’ll come in handy someday."

Her confidence that he would one day lower his head infuriated him beyond measure.

Then Shen Ying added, "Your Highness conspired with prisoners to plan an escape, even attempting to contact the outside world, exposing the secrets of the Sky Prison and endangering its security."

"That’s a serious crime within these walls. Failing to punish you would be an insult to the prison’s regulations."

The Crown Prince’s face darkened with humiliation and anger. "What do you want now?"

Shen Ying smirked. "Don’t get too excited. Considering Your Highness granted me access to your surveillance system, I’ll let this debt accumulate for now."

"But if you’re caught again, the punishment won’t be so light."

The Crown Prince snapped, "What part of this looks like excitement to you?"

The system watching this exchange nearly fainted—was that really the point?

But before he could retort, the warden’s fingertip grazed his collarbone.

A single light scrape of her nail sent a shiver down his spine, his skin prickling with goosebumps.

Shen Ying chuckled, withdrawing her hand. "Seems Your Highness enjoys being ignored."

"After being overlooked, even punishment feels like a thrill."

"But then again, a temple without worshippers, without gazes upon it, must be unbearable."

The Crown Prince fled the warden’s office in disarray, feeling as though if he listened any longer, he wouldn’t recognize himself anymore.

He wanted to argue, but his body betrayed him.

Furious, he thought—he wasn’t like Lu Yu, a modified human. How could he lose control of his own body? She must have done something to him.

Not long after the Crown Prince left, Team Leader Yan and his group finalized their report.

He was smart enough to realize that since they had chosen to stay, their future depended on Warden Shen’s goodwill. Before submitting the report, he made sure to let her review it.

But Shen Ying couldn’t be bothered to look, telling them to handle it themselves.

Then, connecting to the communication network, Team Leader Yan provided a comprehensive explanation and institutional justification for Warden Shen’s use of a private account for fundraising.

The people on the Imperial Star were stunned—what was this man doing?

They had sent him to liaise with the Crown Prince, to build a case against Warden Shen and end the communication blackout.

And yet here he was, using his professional expertise to patch up procedural loopholes for her instead.

It nearly gave the Imperial Star officials a stroke.

When asked about the Crown Prince’s condition, the answer was predictably: "His Highness is perfectly safe. For his security and to uphold regulations, I won’t be returning."

The Crown Prince’s faction was livid. Meanwhile, Zheng Yanhui and the others also submitted their reports.

But since they had been touring the prison at the time, they knew little, and Shen Ying had only allowed them one communication attempt.

By the time they realized Team Leader Yan had betrayed their side, it was too late.

No matter how much the system wanted to scream, it couldn’t stop the massive sum Shen Ying had amassed from flowing into her accounts.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince returned to the prisoners’ activity area.

Lien and Lu Yu took one look at his frosty expression and knew things hadn’t gone as planned.

Lu Yu asked urgently, "What happened? What did the warden do to you?"

The Crown Prince bristled. "What do you mean, ‘do to me’? As if she can do whatever she wants?"

Lien and Lu Yu exchanged glances—what was wrong with him? His usual composed arrogance was nowhere to be seen. Clearly, he’d suffered a major blow.

Before they could press further, Niu Xi, passing by, remarked with utter nonchalance, "Isn’t that exactly how it is?"

"If the warden wants to do something to us, can we even resist?"

Might as well lie back and enjoy it.

The Crown Prince choked on his words, while Lien and Lu Yu glared at the idiot.

Niu Xi, oblivious to their reactions, strolled past them, hands behind his head.

Lu Yu felt his control over this ox of a man slipping, but there was no time to deal with him now.

Changing the subject, he asked, "Did Your Highness meet with the investigation team?"

The Crown Prince’s expression darkened. "Oh, we met."

Lu Yu smiled. "Good. I heard they’re only staying a day and leaving tomorrow. I was worried the warden would keep you separated."

But the Crown Prince let out a cold laugh. "Too bad the moment we met, their leader defected."

He glanced at them. "And don’t worry about them leaving—that bastard has decided to stay in the Sky Prison. They’re not going anywhere."

Lien and Lu Yu were stunned. What kind of situation was this? Just moments ago, someone had slipped them a mech—things were looking up.

They had been counting on the investigation team’s departure to trigger the opening of the shields and restore communication signals.

The Crown Prince explained the whole story, though he conveniently left out the part where he’d been bound and left helpless for hours.

Still, Lien and Lu Yu could easily imagine the humiliating scene.

But that wasn’t the main issue. Learning that their plan had been anticipated at every turn—that each step had not only been predicted but also exploited for massive gain—left even the cunning Lu Yu reeling.

"How did she—forget the rest, how did she turn Team Leader Yan so quickly?"

Lu Yu zeroed in on the critical point. "Even if she claims she used Your Highness’s surveillance system to uncover financial transactions..."

"Before becoming warden, she wouldn’t have known much about politics. The surveillance system isn’t omniscient—she’d have to match those numbers to individuals and understand them deeply."

He studied the Crown Prince, suspicion growing. "No offense, but aside from the prominent figures, most rebels don’t wear their allegiances on their sleeves or in their records."

"Even you, Your Highness, don’t know every enemy, do you? How did she deduce Team Leader Yan’s stance from a mere contact’s account?"

The Crown Prince, previously too furious to think straight, now sobered at Lu Yu’s words.

"Are you saying she didn’t rely on my surveillance system to identify him?"

If that were true, then things had just gotten far more intriguing.

As the two men grappled with the warden’s mysterious trump card...

Then Lien's voice drifted over, tinged with bitterness: "So, after suffering such a huge loss, not only did I gain nothing, but it turns out it was all a trap he deliberately set."

"And you two idiots sold me out just to walk into that trap?"

Even the Crown Prince, let alone Lu Yu, was getting fed up with his endless complaints.

Lu Yu didn’t hold back: "At least you got a mech out of selling yourself. Some of us walked away with nothing, and we’re not the ones whining."

The Crown Prince was stunned: "What? You got a mech?"

Lu Yu smirked meaningfully: "Funny enough, it was gifted by one of your own investigators. Seems like the people under Your Highness have quite the agendas."

"Out of just a handful of investigators, one switched sides without hesitation, and another smuggled weapons for the pirate boss."

"I wonder what other surprises the remaining ones have in store."

The Crown Prince ignored his provocation. Meanwhile, Zheng Yanhui, after reporting the incident, made her way to the warden’s office.

Shen Ying, seeing her arrive so quickly, thought to herself—her efficiency was impressive.

Clearly, the system had long grown tired of her laziness and procrastination.

Shen Ying smiled warmly. "What brings you here?"

Zheng Yanhui put on an innocent expression. "Warden Shen, I’ve been thinking. Since I can’t leave the Sky Prison for now, I don’t want to waste my time idling in the leisure zone."

"As a public servant, serving the nation is my duty. So, rather than lounging around on an extended vacation, I’d like to contribute to the prison in some way."

"Could you assign me a position, Warden? Anything you deem suitable will do."

Shen Ying nodded approvingly. "The prison is well-staffed, but your enthusiasm is truly touching."

"Very well, which department would you prefer?"

"As long as it’s not a technical or classified role, I’ll consider any position you’re qualified for."

Zheng Yanhui was surprised by how accommodating she was—quite different from the arrogant, domineering figure who had forcibly detained them earlier.

But she didn’t dwell on it. Seeing the warden’s agreement, she said, "I’m not trained for other departments."

"Let me be a prison guard. I should handle patrols and maintaining order just fine."

Shen Ying’s smile deepened. "A guard’s duties go beyond just patrolling."

"As frontline personnel interacting with inmates, the job comes with significant risks."

Zheng Yanhui shrugged it off. "In any other prison, I’d know my limits."

"But the Sky Prison has the best security systems, plus robotic guards on patrol. Regular inmates can’t easily harm staff."

Of course, exceptions like Lien and Niu Xi existed—top-tier combatants whose strength rendered such protections nearly useless.

Shen Ying pretended to deliberate before finally relenting. "Alright. Secretary Zhu will take you to get fitted for a uniform. From now on, Miss Zheng, you’re a temporary guard at the Sky Prison."

Zheng Yanhui, pleased, was about to follow Secretary Zhu when Warden Shen added, "Ah, there’s a task for you."

Without hesitation, Zheng Yanhui replied, "Your orders, Warden?"

Shen Ying smiled gently. "Prisoner No. 3077. He’s hiding a valuable item on his person."

"Find a way to make him surrender it willingly."

At that moment, Zheng Yanhui didn’t realize who Prisoner 3077 was—or what the "valuable item" might be.

She kept her thoughts hidden, and since the warden had just clashed with Team Leader Yan, she never suspected it involved her.

Assuming it was just some inmate hiding stolen goods, she figured this task would be a breeze with her new authority.

Confidently, she agreed, "Understood. Prisoner 3077, right? Consider it done."

The system: ["…"]

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