Chapter 330: The Affinity of the Rich_1

Chapter 330: Chapter 330: The Affinity of the Rich_1

That evening, in the core district.

"So, newbie, why exactly did you go and steal from your employer? It was clear you’d get caught, right?" The inmate in cell number seventeen leaned on the railing and asked the inmate in the adjacent cell fifteen.

"Sigh, ever since I was little, I’ve always prayed that I would become rich. I’ve pretty much worshipped every god I’ve heard of, hoping that one day I’d wake up to find gold or jewels beside my pillow. But, as it turned out, it was all in vain."

The new inmate in the core district, assigned to cell fifteen—Prisoner 1562 "Susan Feng"—leaned on the railing as she responded.

Aiden had arranged a single cell for her, allowing her to only occasionally exchange a few words with the inmates in the nearby cells.

"So you just went ahead and stole things?"

"No, I just realized one day that divine charity probably isn’t dispensed that way. So I thought I should steal something expensive and then pray to the gods not to get caught." Disguised as a maid, Sophie Carter deliberately sighed, "But now it seems it was all in vain."

Her joke elicited a burst of laughter from the surrounding cells, with one inmate laughing while bemoaning, "Haha... damn it, stop telling jokes... My rib ain’t healed yet, I can’t laugh!"

After the incident with the Red Shark Pirates, many of the escaped prisoners had been severely beaten and still had not fully healed.

"With your ability to talk the talk and act, why not go on stage yourself?" Fille from the next cell, number thirteen, leaned on the railing and joined the conversation, "You could probably make a decent amount of money, right?"

"Who would support someone with average looks like me?" Sophie sighed, "Actually, I’ve learned a bit of singing and acting by following Miss Carter’s example. She even told me that I had a talent for performing arts. I joked with her, ’If I entered this industry, wouldn’t I be competing with you?’ And she actually replied, ’With your looks, I’m not worried.’"

"Haha, that’s so real!" Fille laughed, "I do remember that pop star was really popular. When I had my shop outside, people often named her as the one they wanted to see in their dreams."

"What!?" Sophie raised her voice involuntarily.

𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"It’s pretty normal. Good looks, good figure, high popularity... If she really entered this business, the line of men would probably stretch all the way down Fireworks Alley." Fille was oblivious to the new inmate’s reaction next door, "Whenever I get such a request, I hike up the price. The fans are always willing to pay; set the price too low and they’ll get upset, saying it’s an insult to their idol."

"Isn’t that all insults anyway?" Sophie felt a mix of emotions, "Oh well, if it’s just in dreams..."

"That star must rake in a lot of money, right? I remember she bought a luxurious apartment in Goldenspring Garden in the uptown district?" Fille continued the topic.

"Yes, she’d just bought it... That’s where I was caught." Sophie replied.

"You’ve been there, what’s the place like? I’ve considered buying a place in Goldenspring Garden myself."

"It’s quite nice... wait, you want to buy?" Sophie was a little surprised, "If I may be so bold, do you have that kind of money?"

"I can afford one or two apartments there, for sure. Have the property prices there been shooting up a lot recently?" Fille responded matter-of-factly.

"Not really..." Sophie realized she might have underestimated the purchasing power within this prison if she could find someone whose consumer level was on par with her own.

...Although it was someone who managed a prostitution ring.

"Does it make sense for you, a succubus, to buy a mansion?" Carmilla, who lived in the diagonally opposite cell ten, suddenly chimed in, "Most of the time you’re either out pimping or dining in jail, right?"

"Buying it won’t make it go bad, and real estate is appreciating right now," Fille replied.

"That’s right, the housing prices in Silvertown and Black Iron City are seeing a considerable increase," Sophie agreed.

"You know about this stuff too, as a maid?" Fille asked.

"I’ve often heard Miss Carter mention it..." Sophie took the opportunity to start chatting with the succubus in the next cell about the wealthy people’s topic of house speculation.

Meanwhile, the witch duo from cell twelve kept observing the newcomer in the diagonally opposite room.

"This new girl is fitting in a bit too well, quite eloquent," Presia whispered to Daili, "Is she really just a little thief who stole something?"

"I discreetly asked the jailer about it, and their story matches what she’s said about herself. She’s just a common inmate, a maid who stole from her employer. Apparently, there was some issue with her behavior, and the warden requested she be transferred here," Daili answered.

"So you think that’s all there is to it?" Presia asked, "They made a single cell specially available for her, which might be explained by the possibility of her being a common person who could get ruined by the other inmates..."

"How could that be? To be so open among so many oddities, could a regular maid have ever seen such scenes?" Daili shook her head, "And look closer—she’s been locked up in the core area and has been clamped with extra shackles, which have been painted with an identifying color. This means our warden takes this newcomer very seriously. There are only a few red-level inmates who normally wear shackles, right?"

"Hmm, to be honest, I always feel there’s something odd about this girl, but I can’t quite put my finger on it," Presia pondered.

The two witches exchanged glances but neither spoke aloud the suspicions they had in mind.

From this seemingly ordinary maid, they both sensed the same kind of extraordinary but opposite quality that they had felt in another old friend of theirs.

At this moment, Fille and Sophie were getting along even better as they chatted.

"You’re a maid and yet you know about the Silvertown family’s handbags?" Fille said.

"I was in charge of managing those luxury items for Miss Carter. Oh my, I never thought I’d meet such a tycoon in jail. How about I work for you when we get out?" Sophie joked with her.

"No thanks, I’m afraid you might clean out everything in my house."

"Didn’t you say this was your fifth time in here... Then that’s just perfect. If I get caught, I could come in to keep you company," Sophie countered.

...

Fille rarely had the chance to talk about wealthy people’s topics, as there were hardly any prisoners in jail with financial resources on her level. And how could those high society ladies and rich young heiresses possibly deign to sit and chat with a pimping succubus?

Suddenly, she felt a strong connection with the newcomer and even thought she might be willing to spend a little money to provide some protection for her if necessary.

Just then, the doors to the core area opened.

"Warden’s inspection, everyone up to the door!" the voice of the district warden Flandre boomed from the direction of the gate.