There were three main types of people in the prison. The first type was the gang members, who made up the majority of the prisoners in the prison. They were also the most "indestructible" group. No matter what era it was, and who was in power, these people would always make up the majority of the prisoners.
The second type of people belonged to the more fashionable criminal group. Most of them were related to fraud and fraud. These people were not gang members. The reason they were put in the prison was not because they had done anything wrong, but because they were not careful enough and were not cunning enough, so they were caught by the police or agents.
The third type of people basically did not exist in the Saibin Regional Prison. These people had not committed any crimes, and they could even leave the prison anytime they wanted.
Being in the prison was just one of their methods. Of course, it was also possible that they had been tricked. Most of these people would serve their sentences in some of the more famous Federation prisons. Even though they were in prison, they could still influence the entire Federation's politics, economy, culture, and even military affairs.
As for the others, they all had their own reasons, but there were not many of them. People like Michael Jr. who did not have a gang background were often recruited by the gangs in prison. Many gangs also saw prison as the main source of fresh blood.
No one would be discriminated against here. Of course, there were still classes. If the prison could eliminate classes, then … wouldn't it have succeeded long ago?
There were people, classes, and society. Because of his young age, little Michael was not treated too harshly. In a place like this, where individual courage was valued, bullying a child would only earn one's disdain, not respect.
However, if Michael Jr.'s father was a person with a "license," then the situation would be different, because most of the people here were caught by those with a "license."
In this strange atmosphere, it was lunchtime. In the Saibin Regional Prison, after lunch was lunch break. After lunch, it was free time, followed by dinner and an hour and a half of entertainment time. They could watch TV for a while.
After that, it was time to shower, take a nap, and finally, turn off the lights. Every day was very fulfilling, at least much more fulfilling than when they were drunk outside.
Little Michael carried a rubber plate to the food counter. A few days ago, the convict in charge of the food counter would give him more meat and vegetables than the others, but today, the convict scooped a spoonful of mush from the edge of the vegetable bowl and directly put it on little Michael's plate.
He looked at the prisoner who was getting his meal. The prisoner looked impatient. Before he could say anything, a sudden force exploded behind him. He was pushed forward by someone and fell to the ground.
Lying in the mushy vegetable soup, he didn't know what to do. The prison guards in charge of watching these prisoners just glanced at them and then looked away. As long as these people didn't riot, they wouldn't interfere with the conflicts between the prisoners.
The prison was a unique small society with a unique social structure. If nothing major happened, no one would take the initiative to interfere.
Little Michael got up and was about to pick up his plate when a foot stepped on it. He bent over and looked up. The person who had stepped on his plate was looking down at him, one with a blank expression and the other with a cold expression.
No one in the restaurant cheered or jeered. Most people just looked at them with half-smiles. If the person didn't reveal little Michael's identity and background, there might have been people who stood up to stop him, such as those who wanted to recruit him into their gang.
But now, everyone was watching a good show. Those who had a "license" and their families were instinctively hated here.
The person who stepped on little Michael's plate turned his ankle and crushed the rubber plate on the ground, leaving behind a … footprint with some yellow and black stains. There was also a faint stench coming from it. Little Michael's stomach immediately contracted. Then, the urge to vomit made him run to the trash can and vomit out some of the things that he hadn't digested in the morning.
He didn't realize that his good days were over. Just as he was vomiting, someone suddenly pulled down his pants, picked him up, and threw him headfirst into the trash can. There was some leftover garbage, saliva, phlegm, and his vomit. For a moment, his mind went blank.
When he was pulled out by the prison guards, he didn't even have time to react. He only felt that everything had changed in an instant.
At the same time, a piece of news began to spread rapidly in Saibin City and even the entire state. The leader of the investigation team of the Federation's tax bureau abused his power and caused an innocent citizen to almost be sent to meet God.
Just as Lynch had predicted, he didn't use the power of the judiciary to challenge the tax bureau's law enforcement authority. Instead, he used the media to tear them apart. This move played a very important role.
Michael was sent to the city limits that day and was detained at his residence. The director of the Saibin City Federation's tax bureau personally bailed Michael out temporarily. If he continued to stay in the police station, the reporters would only find more points to attack the tax bureau. For example, "If he didn't do anything wrong, why was he detained in the police station?"
He had to get Michael out. At least this way, those stupid citizens wouldn't be led by the nose by the media.
In Michael's home, the director lost his temper, which was rare. "You were too impulsive. Do you know that the headquarters scolded me for more than half an hour over the phone today?"
At seven o 'clock in the morning, a large number of reporters surrounded Lynch like flies that smelled the stench … No, it was more like bees that smelled the fragrance of flowers. From nurses to doctors, they even made up shocking articles with their own imaginations. There were even two Federation level media outlets among them. Before nine o' clock, basically all seventeen states in the Federation had already known about this matter. The public opinion had begun to ferment.
In fact, this kind of thing happened countless times every year. However, this time, it was obvious that there was a mastermind behind it. The Federation's tax bureau began to pay attention and warned the director that if he couldn't settle this matter as soon as possible, the Ministry of Supervision might send a commissioner to Saibin City to conduct a secret investigation.
By then, Michael wouldn't be the only unlucky one. It wouldn't be as simple as being "exiled" to a remote place. Not only would they lose their jobs, but they might also go to jail.
For these "licensed" people, it was easier to kill them than to go to jail. They would be severely humiliated by the people they sent to jail. They would suffer a fate worse than death.
Michael lowered his head and said nothing. He had a bad temper, but he was no fool. He already knew the consequences of his impulsive actions. It was too late to say anything now. It was better to wait for the director's anger to subside before discussing how to deal with the aftermath.
The director scolded him for a while more before finally sighing. "I really want to protect you, but the higher-ups want to throw you out to appease the public …"
Michael looked up at the director with a trace of disbelief in his eyes. He was at least a middle-level cadre. How could he give up just like that?
The director avoided his gaze and shook his head with a bitter smile. "You've picked the wrong opponent, do you know that?"
Without waiting for Michael to answer, the director continued, "I thought Lynch would sue you. If he really did that, it would be simple. Once it involves the issue of law enforcement power, the headquarters will be on our side, no matter what you do."
"But I heard that he has already forgiven you in front of the media. He even put in some good words for you and gave up the idea of suing you. Do you know how much trouble you're in now?"
Michael might not know, but the director knew very well that the more magnanimous Lynch was, the angrier the media and the public would be. Even if part of their anger was directed at Lynch — angry that he didn't dare to stand up for their rights.
But most of their anger was directed at Michael and the people behind him. Under the frenzy of the media, Lynch's concession would be seen as a concession because he didn't dare to fight against the tax bureau. In the end, it was still a problem of the Federation's departments having too much power.
Over the years, the issue of whether the various departments of the Federation had too much law enforcement power had been discussed hundreds and thousands of times, but every time, there was no conclusion. This time, it would definitely be the same, but someone had to be responsible for it.
Michael, no one was more suitable than him.
"I'll try my best to protect you, but if …" He patted Michael's arm. "Don't blame me for not doing my best. In fact, the best way now is for you to beg Lynch. If you can appear in front of the media together, things might turn around!"