The Abusive Novel System Pleads with Me to Resign
Chapter 148

Shen Ying looked at Lu Yu with a smile and said, "I thought you were better at reading the situation."

"Since I dared to bring you here, I’m not worried about finding a way to take you back."

"Originally, buying a spare part and having some fun could’ve made up for your mistake, but you just had to call in a whole crowd."

"Could it be that you’re holding onto some hope, thinking I’ve lost my mind and come out here to get myself killed?"

Lu Yu grew increasingly wary, though his expression remained unchanged.

He knew full well that someone as shrewd as her wouldn’t be reckless or ignorant of the consequences.

But now that he was outside, there was no way he wouldn’t seize this opportunity—it was instinct for anyone imprisoned in the Sky Prison.

It was a gamble, and Lu Yu believed he could afford to lose. So what was there to hesitate about?

With composure, he replied, "The warden has gone to such lengths, yet you blame me for taking the bait? Isn’t that a bit like blaming the victim?"

This was clearly entrapment—an open scheme at that—so there was no point in accusing him of making a move.

As Lu Yu finished speaking, the mustached man who had spoken earlier added, "It’s not just Warden Shen. Our boss has always had a way with people. I’m sure he’s made plenty of friends in prison, receiving favors from all sides."

"We’d love to host the inmates of the Sky Prison for some leisure time on our home planet."

"After all, drifting endlessly in the dark void of space must be unbearable for anyone."

Shen Ying chuckled. "I appreciate the kindness, but I’m afraid the others in the prison won’t be able to accept the invitation. If you really feel bad, you could just compensate me in cash. I’ll hold a gratitude banquet on your behalf when I return."

The mustached man hadn’t expected the warden of the Sky Prison to say something like this. For a moment, he wasn’t sure if she was serious or mocking him.

He didn’t bother pressing further and simply said, "Warden Shen, perhaps you should ask the others in the prison for their opinions first."

Then he ordered a subordinate nearby, "Send someone to bring the Sky Prison inmates down for a visit."

The subordinate nodded but didn’t leave. Instead, he moved to the side and began directing the fleet that had already arrived nearby to search for the Sky Prison.

Lu Yu picked up a reflective headpiece and smiled at Shen Ying. "Warden, since the new part hasn’t been installed yet, a breach of a few dozen square meters would be easy to detect within this planetary vicinity."

"My subordinates are straightforward—not the best with words—and they’ve made this gratitude banquet a rather loud and aggressive affair."

"There’s no need for that. Right now, the prison’s top priority is preventing the Crown Prince from contacting the outside, isn’t it?"

"If the warden can accept the fact that a prisoner went missing during a spare parts purchase, we won’t need to make such a scene."

"Not even a whisper of this will reach the Prince’s faction, who are desperately searching for their leader across the universe."

This was a clear threat—if they doubted his faction’s influence, they could always involve the Prince’s forces if necessary.

Hearing this, Shen Ying laughed. She reached out and grabbed one of Lu Yu’s horns, stroking it as she said, "I thought someone with such long horns would have sharper instincts."

"Who told you the Sky Prison is still in its original location?"

Lu Yu’s heart skipped a beat, but he suppressed the tingling sensation from his horn and the rising irritation, keeping his tone indifferent. "Oh? So it’s already moved."

"I was wondering why the warden would risk exposing the prison."

He wasn’t disappointed—he hadn’t expected things to go that smoothly.

Right now, the warden herself in his grasp was his greatest bargaining chip.

He continued, "I’ve heard that without operating from inside the prison, even the warden can only make it jump once every four hours at the fastest."

"Keeping the prison away from you for so long—aren’t you worried about losing signal contact?"

Shen Ying replied, "No need to worry. It’s not that far, though even within a single star system, finding it would still be like searching for a needle in a haystack."

Lu Yu never dared to underestimate Shen Ying, but his subordinates weren’t as patient.

The mustached leader said impatiently, "Boss, if Warden Shen isn’t willing to cooperate, we don’t need to force it."

"The warden has prison matters to attend to, and we shouldn’t detain her. Let her leave on her own."

Shen Ying smirked. "And then get shot by a squad of snipers the moment I step out of this room?"

She glanced at the mustached man. "Since I brought your boss out, I’m responsible for bringing him back."

"That’s a warden’s duty."

"Of course, given the prison’s unique circumstances, the primary goal is to bring him back—whether alive or dead doesn’t really matter."

As she spoke, her eyes flicked to the collar around Lu Yu’s neck.

This wasn’t an accessory every prisoner could earn—only those with formidable psychic abilities, whose combat power exceeded the mechanical guards’ suppression threshold, were granted the honor of wearing an inhibitor collar.

In other words, it was a mark of his exceptional strength.

But because wearers were so dangerous, aside from its suppression function, it also contained a micro-bomb.

With a single thought from Shen Ying, Lu Yu’s head would explode.

Unsurprisingly, her words enraged everyone in the room.

Several of the younger men near the mustached leader looked ready to attack, but Lu Yu raised a hand to stop them.

He ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‍chuckled lightly. "Warden, why go to such lengths?"

"You’re not some desperate outlaw with nothing to lose. You’re just out here buying a spare part—no need to stake your life on this gamble."

If she killed him, she wouldn’t leave this room alive either.

His life was in her hands, but she was equally isolated and vulnerable right now.

Lu Yu went on, "I know the warden enjoys life’s pleasures. Didn’t you just come into a fortune?"

"I’ve done some rough calculations—it’s an astronomical sum, enough for the warden to live in luxury for ten lifetimes."

"Not to mention an entire prison that answers only to you, with thousands obeying your every command."

"A young, powerful warden who controls everything—does she really belong in a life-or-death gamble here?"

Shen Ying nodded. "True. I’ve worked hard to embezzle—ahem, raise—such a fortune, and I haven’t even spent a single credit. Of course, I can’t afford to die."

Lu Yu’s smile deepened—until Shen Ying added, "How about this?"

"You donate a sum—no less than what Lien gave—and let me rescue a few more modified individuals from their unfortunate circumstances. Once we’re back in prison, I’ll overlook today’s incident."

"Deal?"

Lu Yu hadn’t expected her to still be fixated on playing the savior at this point. But with this, negotiations had clearly broken down.

The mustached man waved a hand, and instantly, countless red dots appeared on Shen Ying’s body—laser sights from aimed guns.

He grinned. "Warden, you’re welcome to try—see if you can execute our boss faster than we can blow your head off."

Shen Ying didn’t flinch. She looked at him curiously and asked, "Why not just shoot me outright?"

"If you’d taken me by surprise and killed me immediately, your boss would already be free by now."

The mustached man's face twitched, standing up abruptly—something rarely seen: "Warden Shen, don't misunderstand. Even now, unless absolutely necessary, we don’t want to oppose the government."

Shen Ying’s tone grew even more puzzled: "Why? Haven’t you been cozying up to the government lately?"

"To take control while the boss was away, you should know many in the government are furious with me for refusing their attempts to contact the Crown Prince."

"Now, if you suddenly kill me, the death of the prison system’s overseer would automatically trigger a connection to headquarters. That would work in your favor."

The mustached man’s expression darkened, and he hurriedly turned to Lu Yu to explain: "Boss, I would never betray you."

"Every order you gave before your imprisonment, I followed meticulously. Every coded message you sent, I treated with utmost seriousness."

Lu Yu glanced at him but said nothing. The other two core members also fixed their gazes on him.

Lately, this guy had been making waves, his influence growing within the organization. But at least in action, he hadn’t slacked on the boss’s commands.

Just as Lu Yu was about to say something to reassure his subordinate, Shen Ying cut in first: "Of course you wouldn’t slack off. Who would reveal their motives when the boss has only been gone six months and his influence hasn’t faded?"

"But you’re good at hiding it. These two—" Shen Ying looked at the other two members—an elegant silver-haired old man and a scruffy, unkempt middle-aged man.

"One’s too old, his energy waning, handing over some oversight duties to his son, convinced they share the same stance."

"The other, drowning in guilt and shame, exiles himself, fighting off rival factions to atone."

"Neither noticed your ambition."

Before the mustached man could speak, the old man frowned. "What are you implying, Warden Shen?"

Shen Ying smiled, opening her terminal and projecting an email to the old man.

She still had access to the Crown Prince’s banking surveillance system. For an organization like Lu Yu’s, tracking the core members’ key accounts wasn’t hard for her.

Even the most convoluted, rule-bending hidden accounts were transparent to her.

The old man opened it—a massive sum in an account from the lawless star systems, untraceable to any identity. But the registration photo was his son’s, and the source of the funds, traced back—

The old man’s gaze turned murderous as he looked at the mustached man. "You wanted to push Warden Shen to desperation, to eliminate the boss first."

Without waiting for an explanation, he barked at the middle-aged man, "Restrain him."

As the middle-aged man moved to act, Shen Ying lazily interjected, "Why bother? No need to trouble this uncle."

"He’s been fighting for the organization nonstop, riddled with hidden injuries. Facing Mustache here today could be life or death."

"Just a few wrong words, unintentionally altering someone’s fate. Years of servitude should be penance enough. No need for this."

Everyone, including Lu Yu, was baffled—except the middle-aged man, who froze.

Lu Yu, realizing Shen Ying had struck a nerve, wanted to change the subject. But she wasn’t done.

"Really, never drink too much. Loose lips sink ships."

"Who’d think an offhand joke could ruin a life?"

The middle-aged man’s eyes filled with anguish. Of the three, his loyalty to Lu Yu was unquestionable.

Once, to manipulate the warden, Lu Yu had mentioned a man who’d been like a father to him—the old man who ran the repair shop downstairs. He’d looked after Lu Yu until he was ten, then passed away. His son took over the shop.

Perhaps out of respect for his father, the son had kept an eye on Lu Yu.

After Lu Yu’s biological father gambled him away to a gene-modding den, his awakened psychic powers went berserk, killing many. From there, he built his own faction.

The middle-aged man had been part of his earliest inner circle, their bond deeper than even Bat and the others.

Now, Lu Yu guessed the truth, but the middle-aged man couldn’t forgive himself.

His voice was hollow. "Business was slow that day. I’d had too much to drink. Your father came to borrow money, said he was desperate."

"I ignored him. Tossed him a flyer, told him if he needed cash, he could sell himself for gene modding. They’re always short on test subjects."

"The next day, the gamblers came for you."

Intentional or not, his words had given that bastard a quick solution. Had he waited two more days, Lu Yu would’ve boarded a ship to another planet, become a repairman for some corporation.

His life wouldn’t be what it was now.

As he finished, the middle-aged man raised his gun to his mouth. Lu Yu had made every wrongdoer pay—only he remained.

Before he could pull the trigger, Lu Yu roared, "Enough!"

He scanned the three—one blind with age, one scheming, and the last—

His gaze landed on the warden, a familiar helplessness rising. With just a few words, she’d set his organization on the brink of chaos.

If she kept talking, blood would spill.

If he were free, it wouldn’t matter. But his life was in her hands. If she dared suggest her own execution, she had a plan.

Lu Yu couldn’t risk her fanning the flames.

To the old man, he said, "Prepare 20 billion. Transfer it to the warden’s account."

To the middle-aged man: "I knew about this. When I killed that bastard, he tried blaming you."

"Even if you hadn’t given him the idea, that addict would’ve sold me anyway."

"This isn’t so bad."

Finally, he studied the mustached man and smirked. "You’re clever. What happened before today, I’ll overlook."

"But if you can take control before I return, I might accept that outcome."

The mustached man paled, bowing deeply.

Lu Yu stood. "Warden, since we’ve got the parts, let’s go back."

Shen Ying almost pouted. "But I’m worried about the poor souls trapped in—"

Lu Yu gritted his teeth. "Trapped? I don’t force modded people into that line. They choose it."

The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!