Black Raven Prison (23) The Trump Card

After Zhang Dafu left, Zheng Kai turned to Zhou Kui and said, “Brother Zhou, there’s really no need to make things so complicated… Why don’t we just follow the original plan?”

The tool Zhou Kui held was their last trump card, though it wasn’t immediately useful.

This tool was called “Activate or Deactivate,” capable of forcibly turning facilities on or off.

Moreover, it was a B-level tool that could be used twice, each time lasting five minutes.

Zhou Kui had initially noticed the surveillance cameras around them and planned to use this tool to forcibly shut down the monitoring system.

That way, they could simply exit through the main gate.

But the tool only affected a single camera at a time, and with so many underground cameras, using it on one at a time was pointless.

They had to get into the monitoring room and forcibly shut down the main system so that all cameras would be disabled.

Because of this limitation, they couldn’t quickly clear the way and had to venture into the prison itself.

What surprised them was that the staircase they initially took down had disappeared, so even if they could shut down the cameras, they couldn’t get down anymore.

They thought it would be a prolonged struggle, but Su Yun gave them a big surprise by securing them access cards for the elevator!

This meant they could finally execute their original plan.

Seeing his elder brother still hesitant, Zheng Kai urged, “Brother Zhou, think about it! There’s no need to drag this out. Let’s just head to the fifth floor, disable the cameras, take the elevator down, and get out. Otherwise, we’re stuck here scratching wounds and freeloading at the hospital every day! I just want to finish this quickly.”

Zhou Kui agreed it made sense. With Zhang Dafu’s information on the monitoring room location and Su Yun’s access cards, clearing the way was just a matter of time.

As for the guards in the monitoring room, the rules didn’t forbid them from confronting them physically as long as they weren’t injured, and with their combined strength, they could handle them easily.

Seeing Zhou Kui moved, Zheng Kai quickly added, “I’ll go get Zhang Dafu and Sister Yun. Let’s prepare to leave now.”

Zhou Kui hadn’t wanted to reveal his trump card, but considering Su Yun had generously given them the card, he decided not to hide it any longer. After clearing the level, they would part ways.

“Good. Go notify them. We leave tonight.” Zhou Kui’s mind was already set on returning to confront One-Eye properly.

Since One-Eye dared to betray him, he must pay the price!

If it weren’t for the cooperation of these veteran players, he wouldn’t have known how to survive this ordeal.

Zheng Kai’s tone brightened when Zhou Kui agreed. “Alright!” he said, then left the ward to gather everyone and brief them on the escape plan.

***

Not long after, Zheng Kai returned with Zhang Dafu and a striking short-haired woman. “Sister Yun, if your people are ready, we can leave tonight.”

Su Yun was more experienced than the others, having already cleared an A-level dungeon and countless others below that level.

She didn’t immediately agree. “Not yet. My team is still exploring the underground level. Once we confirm it’s safe, we’ll proceed with Brother Zhou’s plan.”

Zhang Dafu couldn’t hide his smile. “Great! Finally, we can get out of here!”

He trusted veteran players—they even saved them the trouble of scouting. Now all they had to do was wait for the news.

By 5 p.m., Su Yun’s team returned from below. The leader whispered something in her ear, but the volume was too low for Zhou Kui and the others to catch.

“I understand,” Su Yun said after the briefing, signaling her team to stand down.

Zhang Dafu’s impatience showed. “How is it? Is it still safe down there? Can we leave now?”

Su Yun’s expression turned troubled. “All the NPCs on the underground level are gone, but there’s a new morgue entrance where the staircase was originally.”

Zheng Kai spoke up, “We don’t have to worry about that entrance, right? The morgue sounds creepy, and since we’re leaving through the front gate, we won’t go near it.”

If there was something terrifying down there, it would be a disaster to encounter it—he didn’t want to take that risk.

Zhang Dafu agreed, “Right, since we can leave now, there’s no need to explore further.”

With freedom so close, and life only once, Zhang Dafu felt there was no room for jokes—better to get out quickly.

Zhou Kui crossed his arms, his face somber. “Actually, I want to go down and take a look…”

If he wanted to return and take revenge on One-Eye, coming back empty-handed would be a huge loss.

Though clearing an S-level dungeon guaranteed a minimum reward, it would only cover this dungeon’s losses and some rent—hardly enough to give him a voice.

He’d still be overshadowed by One-Eye when he returned.

Suddenly, Zhou Kui remembered that the dungeon had not just the main boss but also a strange boss.

The latter was easier to kill and offered a substantial reward.

If he could claim that reward, he would have leverage and could finally vent his anger.

If his guess was right, the strange boss was hidden on that secret underground floor.

Seeing this, Zheng Kai could only warn again, “Brother Zhou, this is too dangerous! It’s not necessary!”

Revenge was important, but life mattered more.

But Zhou Kui was determined to go down and see for himself. Zheng Kai knew he couldn’t change his mind and stopped trying.

***

As his loyal underling, Zheng Kai decided to follow his brother on the adventure. Zhang Dafu, having survived this far with their help, naturally chose to come along as well.

Zhou Kui then told Su Yun and Zhang Dafu the plan. “This is the situation. I hope you’ll assist me in taking down the boss.”

Su Yun was taken aback at first, but quickly nodded. “I see… We’ll help, but the rewards must be shared equally.”

“Agreed. It’s settled. After we get the kill reward, we leave as planned,” Zhou Kui said, already envisioning victory.

They planned to move at night but wondered if the underground level would have lights on. Without illumination, it would be a major problem.

Zheng Kai, always perceptive, pointed out this concern. “If we go down at night, I’m worried there won’t be light and we won’t see the path.”

Su Yun then said, “I found several cardboard boxes in the indoor playground earlier. When I opened them, there were quite a few flashlights inside. We can use them for lighting.”

Zheng Kai was overjoyed. “That’s a huge help! At least we’ll have a light source.”

Su Yun then added, “By the way, speaking of the strange boss, haven’t you thought about hunting the main dungeon boss as well?”

The kill reward for the main boss was much more lucrative.

Zhou Kui sighed, recalling the figure in the white coat. “That… better to leave it. A girl in our cell is very close to him—it’s strange.”

Zhang Dafu hurriedly chimed in, “Number 3 is not someone to mess with. She has a special relationship with the dungeon boss. It’s best to avoid contact.”

When he was in solitary confinement, he clearly felt how much that man cared about Number 3.

Just recently, when Number 3 was locked up, the man took her back immediately.

Su Yun was curious but didn’t press further. She had been in the cafeteria and knew the situation.

From their description, the dungeon boss would probably be defeated by that girl.

Anyone who could approach the boss without being killed must be formidable.

Su Yun thought it best to keep her distance.

“Rest up for now. We’ll act at night,” she said with a smile before returning to her ward.

Once inside and the door closed, her smile vanished, replaced by a dark, unreadable gaze.