After packing up my things, she led me back to that office building.
I glanced around as we walked. There were many buildings inside the prison—rows of cell blocks surrounded by barbed wire, each belonging to a different section, and some that looked like factories.
I almost asked Sister Ma what those factory-like buildings were for, but when I saw the stern look on her face, I swallowed the words back down.
Instead of taking me to see Instructor Kang, Sister Ma brought me to the door of an office marked "Psychological Counseling Room." Her tone was cold as she said, "Remember this—this will be your office from now on. Don't wander around. During work hours, stay in the office. After work, eat your meal and go straight back to your quarters. If something happens, don't say I didn't warn you."
Her words carried the weight of both warning and threat.
I stepped inside. The office was spacious. Sister Ma pulled a thick book from the desk drawer and handed it to me. "This contains the prison rules. Read it carefully. The phone here only works for internal lines—you can't call outside. Under the glass on your desk, you'll find the numbers for every department. I'll bring you your uniform later. Any questions?"
Before I could respond, she cut me off with a frosty, "Good. No questions."
Without another word, she turned and left.
The empty office, the empty corridor outside, the empty yard… just looking at it all made my chest tighten with a suffocating sense of pressure.
Why did it feel like I had come here to serve time, not to work?
I sat down and flipped through the thick manual of rules. They went into excruciating detail—even specifying the exact minutes for breakfast. Bored, I skipped ahead and browsed the internal directory instead. Instructors, directors, department heads… page after page of names. It looked like there were plenty of staff here.
Finding a towel, I started tidying up the office. Just as I was cleaning, the desk phone rang.
It was Instructor Kang, asking me to come pick up my uniform.
When I arrived, she was still seated, browsing inappropriate images on her computer.
"Hello, Instructor Kang," I said, knocking on the doorframe.
She glanced up and waved me in. "Xiao Zhang, sit, sit. So, how are you adjusting to the environment?"
I replied politely, "I'm getting used to it, thank you, Kang-jie, for your concern."
Her face flushed slightly as she closed the webpage. She stood up, chest out, and leaned in close to me, her forehead almost brushing mine.
Although she was older than me, women at her age carried a unique allure that young girls simply didn't have.
I quickly averted my eyes, swallowed hard, and turned my head aside.
"Xiao Zhang, every newcomer feels like this at first," she said warmly. "With time, you'll adapt. By the way, there's another new hire who came in with you. We're planning a little welcome gathering for you both. Right now, it may look like there aren't many people here, but when it's after hours or during meetings, you'll see plenty of colleagues."
I thought to myself: a welcome gathering, here of all places? But then again, maybe it wasn't so bad. Being the only man in a women's prison—surrounded by female colleagues and inmates—who wouldn't enjoy that kind of attention?
My imagination started running wild… until—
"Xiao Zhang."
Her voice snapped me back to reality.
"Your main duty as a psychological counselor," she continued, "is to guide and support the female inmates. I reviewed your résumé—you majored in psychology, didn't you?"
I nodded, though my gaze kept drifting to her. My thoughts were no longer on her words.
She noticed. Sharp-eyed, she stood and walked toward the door. "Don't be nervous," she said casually. "All newcomers feel the same way."
With a bang, she shut the door.
My heart jumped. What was she trying to do?
She walked back toward me. "Xiao Zhang, people my age carry many worries. You studied psychology—you can help me, can't you?"
She leaned in, brushing against me.
I stiffened, taken aback. She smiled faintly. "Hot day, isn't it?"
Her closeness stirred something inside me, and I fought to keep control.
"Kang-jie… what are you…?" I stammered, holding onto her hands as she reached out.
"I've been in this place too long. My whole body feels tense. Why don't you give me a massage?" she said softly, her breath grazing my ear.
My mind was a storm. I couldn't give in—this was my first day. For all I knew, it could be a trap.
Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself. "Alright, Kang-jie. Why don't you sit? It'll be easier if I massage your shoulders properly."
She agreed, and I began to press her shoulders. She closed her eyes, clearly enjoying it.
After a while, she straightened her clothes and brushed her hair back from her forehead. "Very good. You have skilled hands, Xiao Zhang. Don't laugh at me—it's just that after so long here, anyone would start to feel restless. You'll understand in time."
She got up and walked toward me. I instinctively stepped aside.
Heading for the door, she added, "Don't mention this massage to anyone. People love to gossip."
"I won't, I promise," I said quickly.
Opening the door, she gave me a faint smile. "You're a smart young man. Work hard—your future's bright."
But as she turned the handle, the door suddenly swung open from the outside, bumping into her. It was Sister Ma, walking in.
Kang's expression darkened instantly.
"I'm sorry, Instructor! I didn't know you were right behind the door," Ma apologized quickly.
"Even if I weren't standing there, don't you know how to knock?" Kang snapped.
Flustered, Ma bowed her head and muttered an apology.
"Louder!" Kang barked.
"Yes, Instructor Kang!" Ma shouted, her face burning.
In this rigid hierarchy, even half a rank higher meant you could crush someone beneath you.
Ma handed me the uniform. I took it quickly and slipped out of the office.
Too crazy. All of this was just too crazy.
For a moment, I thought every woman in this prison had lost her mind. The inmates, I could understand—they'd been deprived of men for years. But Kang? She should have a family. Why was she like this too?
Shaken, I hurried back to my office and slumped into the chair. Scenes from earlier replayed in my head—the desperate inmates Ma had warned me about, the gruesome story of men driven to death, Kang's body leaning close… one after another, they kept flashing in my mind.
If she had taken her time, step by step, I probably wouldn't have been able to resist.
Back in the counseling room, I finished cleaning, then opened the handbook again.
By noon, my stomach was growling. Shouldn't someone have come to get me for lunch by now?
Just as I thought that, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," I called.
A young officer walked in—short hair, bright smile, her eyes curved like crescents when she grinned, revealing small tiger teeth. "Zhang-ge, it's lunchtime. Kang-jie asked me to come get you."
So young and cheerful—hard to imagine her handling hardened inmates. Maybe they used a softer approach?
I nodded. "Alright."
As we walked, she introduced herself. Her name was Li Yangyang. She had joined earlier this year, not long before me. Unlike me, though, she was a direct corrections officer who dealt with inmates every day. Li Yangyang… like Pleasant Goat, I thought with a faint smile.
Still, she was half a head shorter than me. How could such a small girl keep inmates under control?
When we reached the cafeteria, I was surprised. It was huge and spotless, not unlike the army canteen I'd seen during military training in college. Plenty of dishes, neatly arranged.
Li Yangyang helped me get a tray, and we sat together.
Looking up, I noticed that everyone—whether eating or serving food—was female. And now they were all staring at me, whispering among themselves.
I leaned toward Li. "Why are they all looking at me?"
She giggled. "Because you're a guy. I've never seen a man here before either."
I muttered under my breath. "They're officers, not inmates. What's the big deal…"
As we chatted, a figure approached. "Hey, handsome!"
The voice was rough. I looked up, startled—it was a short-haired officer who looked just like a man.
I instinctively responded, "Uh, yeah, big bro? What's up?"
She stared at me. "Wait… you're actually a man!?"
I blinked, then realized—she wasn't a man, just had cropped hair and a masculine frame.
Turning to the others, she shouted, "Hey everyone, he really is a guy! I thought he was like me!"
The whole cafeteria burst into laughter.
Even Li Yangyang couldn't hold back her giggles.
My face burned. I ducked my head and focused on my food.
After lunch, Li led me back to my office. She mentioned she had classes to attend—some sort of training session.
Alone again, I slumped in my chair. No computer, no phone, not even books to read.
How on earth did people survive in here?