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Chapter 45
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The Hidden Game Chapter 46
As expected, the conversation took the turn Caleb had anticipated. It seemed that, regardless of whether people came from ordinary backgrounds or the elite class, they couldn't escape one eternal topic—matchmaking."My niece is very capable. She has a high income, so she doesn't care much about a man's financial status—it's all about feelings. I'm guessing a job like yours doesn't give you many opportunities to meet women, let alone outstanding ones. How about it? Want to give it a try and meet her?"It was true that Caleb's job didn't involve much interaction with women, but that had never been an obstacle to his dating life."Is your niece already twenty-nine? You barely look like you're in your thirties," Caleb said, smoothly changing the subject.It wasn't just flattery—these successful people took great care of themselves, and this woman looked like she was in her early thirties at most."How could that be? In my thirties? That's a bit of an exaggeration, don't you think?" sh
The Hidden Game Chapter 1
On a weekend afternoon, Caleb Johnson was jolted awake from his nap by a series of loud thumping noises. The sound was not unfamiliar—he heard it nearly every weekend. It was the neighbor across the street practicing boxing.Caleb sat up, reaching out to pull aside the blackout curtains in his bedroom. The gentle afternoon sunlight slipped through the gap, casting a line of light and shadow across his fingers.Waking up from a nap always left him with a dry mouth, and on days when the boxing sounds were particularly loud, that dryness seemed even more pronounced.Caleb crossed his legs and stretched lazily, then slowly turned to open the nightstand drawer and retrieve a monocular telescope. The world through his eyes instantly transformed into a perfect circle, the magnified image revealing the pale yellow exterior of a building.Caleb's neighborhood was situated on the outskirts of the city. There were no high-rise buildings, only rows of two-story villas. To maintain a uniform an
The Hidden Game Chapter 2
Once summer began, the temperature began to rise steadily.Unlike the noisy city, the tranquil neighborhood lacked the persistent clamor of urban life. The only disturbance was the occasional sound of trains crossing distant bridges, their brief whistles echoing across the quiet streets.Caleb had never been fond of summer. The blinding sunlight and sticky sweat were detestable to him, and he rarely engaged in outdoor activities under the scorching sun. Even the inmates at the prison joked that his pale skin made him look nothing like a correctional officer.However, Caleb found himself unexpectedly reassessing his opinion of the season this summer.It wasn't due to any profound reason—it was simply because the hotter it got, the more revealing his neighbor's clothing became.Normally, when the man came home from work, he would immediately change into unremarkable loungewear. The loose-fitting white T-shirt he usually wore concealed his impressive physique, making Caleb's covert o
The Hidden Game Chapter 3
On a sweltering afternoon, the asphalt road reflected the blazing sunlight, as if it were emitting suffocating waves of heat.Neighborhood workers had once again arrived at Caleb's neighbor's doorstep, grumbling about the scattered shards of glass and the black ink stains on the walls.Caleb had just gotten home from work and emerged from his garage.Upon seeing him, the two neighborhood workers approached and asked, "Mr. Johnson, do you know when Mr. Zephyr will be home?"Caleb politely shook his head, indicating that he wasn't sure.In this clean and orderly neighborhood, all residents took pride in maintaining the environment. People regularly trimmed their lawns and kept their gardens pristine. Even the public roads outside the yards were occasionally washed down.Yet, amidst this harmonious environment, one house stood out in disarray. Glass shards littered the ground, and ink stains on the walls went unaddressed. It was an eyesore, starkly contrasting with the otherwise wel
The Hidden Game Chapter 4
As soon as Caleb finished speaking, the telecom scammer who was sitting closest to him immediately greeted, "Good day, Officer Johnson!"His sycophantic, fawning tone made it seem as though he was about to offer Caleb a cigarette.Some inmates made a habit of currying favor with the correctional officers, with this telecom scammer being a textbook example.Caleb himself didn't particularly mind this kind of behavior. Occasionally, he'd grant small favors to certain inmates. However, his treatment of them was not based on whether they tried to please him, but rather on his own unique sense of morality."Open your copies of the Inmate Regulations handbook," Caleb instructed, stepping back to the whiteboard.He turned around, picked up a marker, and wrote "Obey the Rules" in bold letters.In stark contrast to his refined appearance, Caleb's handwriting was forceful and sharp. Each stroke cut into the whiteboard like a blade, giving those words an imposing weight. But only Caleb knew
The Hidden Game Chapter 5
For Caleb's statement to be accurate, the correct answer should have been "of course not".In a few days, Marcus would discover that there were no cameras installed in the bathhouse and restrooms. After staying a bit longer, he would also learn that even in places with cameras, there were blind spots and instances of malfunction.It wasn't some monumental secret. The reason for not upgrading the surveillance system was that the prison was already heavily guarded by correctional officers. There were also patrolling teams who were on duty around the clock. As a result, the need for surveillance cameras was not as critical.At Southern Prison, the officers rarely relied on cameras. Only Caleb alone possessed a secret unknown to others.The library was located in a corner of the administrative building's second floor. Further in, there was a storage room that the inmates had taken over.Originally, the storage room had been filled with cleaning supplies such as mops and small carts. H
The Hidden Game Chapter 6
The three test papers were returned to Block 3's supervisor. If things went as expected, Caleb would need to work on Marcus' attitude.Caleb had some free time again. As usual, he finished his lunch before noon, then returned to his office area to read and wait for the inmates to arrive.The inmates' rest period was from noon to two in the afternoon, the most free time they had during the day. Some inmates took naps in their cells, but most preferred to be out and about. Since lights out was at ten at night, daytime was precious.Recently, as the weather grew warmer, more inmates had been coming to the library to pass the time."Officer Johnson," an inmate said, approaching Caleb's desk with a detective novel. "I finished this one. Do you have any other recommendations?"Caleb glanced up from a distant corner, took the book, and scanned it as he said, "The works of this author are all good. You can check out their other books."The inmate went to the detective novel section to fi
The Hidden Game Chapter 7
Before Caleb could respond, the patrol officers had already led Marcus away.In truth, Caleb wasn't sure how to answer.Unlike the pinhole cameras Caleb had set up, the prison's surveillance cameras were large, white, and rectangular, clearly visible and impossible to overlook. The recreational room was only about 107 square feet, with a completely empty ceiling. It was obvious that no cameras were installed there.Even if there were cameras, they would be connected to the surveillance room, not the library.When Caleb rushed over earlier, Marcus had been facing away from the door. Also, Nine's two subordinates were directly blocking the entrance. There was no way Caleb could have known it was Marcus causing the commotion the moment he opened the door.Yet, Caleb had blurted out Marcus' inmate number almost the instant he turned the doorknob.In other words, Caleb already knew what was happening in the recreational room before he even entered.Caleb prided himself on being cauti
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