Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Tu Liang’s eyes were dull.

He was ashen and listless.

He was looking at Brother Steel and lifted a corner of his lips. He did not attempt to say anything nor did he listen to instructions.

It was totally scorn and sarcasm.

Brother Steel couldn’t stand that behavior.

“D*mn, you’ve guts! I like this type!”

Next, he spat on his hands and motioned for two of his men to get the whip.

Wapush! Wapush! While he was whipping Tu Liang, he shouted at the two subordinates. “Hurry up and make the fire bigger! I’m going to see how tough are his bones—”

The atmosphere at the wooden shed started to get uneasy.

The two of them followed Brother Steel’s instructions.

Brother Steel was terribly excited as his eyes were as though gleaming with bloodlust—

He was waiting. He wanted to see Tu Liang lower his head before them and admit his mistake.

Compared to torturing Tu Liang physically, Brother Steel wanted to win him mentally.

He hoped to see Tu Liang cry for mercy before him.

… It would be more pleasurable than physical abuse.

Tu Liang’s head hung weakly, blood was trickling down from the corners of his mouth and dripping onto the soil where it quickly got absorbed, forming a dark patch on the ground.

Such a scene…

One could not bear to see it.

There was no reaction from Tu Liang for a long time. It was as though he was dead.

“Snap—” Brother Steel placed the metal whip on to the stove of fire where it started to make snapping sounds.

In the fire, the whip turned red gradually with black smoke rising, and soon, he pulled it out in a careful manner.

The two subordinates were frightened and dread to be implicated. They stood as far as they could from Brother Steel—

There was fear, tension, as well as excitement on Brother Steel’s face.

The cruel scene made one’s hair stood on end.

The muscles on Tu Liang’s body seemed tense but he remained motionless.

Brother Steel dragged the metal whip closer. “Are you begging for mercy? Hey! Just bleeping beg for mercy!”

Tu Liang did not utter a word.

There were no brave words nor was there any slogan. He just looked at Brother Steel coldly.

“D*mn!” Brother Steel was provoked. He raised the whip…

He whipped once! Wapush!

The red-hot metal whip hit Tu Liang. The smoke came out from the whip upon impact.

The excruciating pain made Tu Liang cry out in pain reflexively.

Such a scene also unnerved Brother Steel’s two subordinates.

“Beg for mercy! Just bleeping beg for mercy!”

Brother Steel roared and started to continue whipping Tu Liang as he saw Tu Liang’s eyes were now bulging and red as he stared back at him, gnashing his teeth as he refused to utter a word of mercy.

“Just a sentence! You bleeping beg for mercy and I will let you off!”

Tu Liang gritted his teeth. The amount of perspiration was as though overflowing on his forehead…

He snorted and gasped heavily, but he did not say a word.

He’s obstinate! Tough! Truly strong-willed!

Brother Steel was so agitated that his cheeks were red. He cussed again and wanted to continue whipping him.

“Wait!” Huang He suddenly held his arm.

Now that someone stopped him, Brother Steel actually felt relieved and his anger dissipated much.

He turned his head and looked at Huang He gloomily. “Brother Crown Prince, you… you’re pitying him?”

“Mm.” Huang He did not deny that. “If you want to see it this way, I’m fine with it, too.”

Brother Steel’s expression changed a little. “What do you mean?”

Huang He looked at Brother Steel’s face. “If you feel that it’s more beneficial to us if he’s dead… Then you can continue to do it. But in my opinion, anyone who has brains would know that in our current situation, keeping him alive is far more useful to us than torturing him to death!”

“What use is he to us?” Brother Steel sneered, “If you mean we can use him as a hostage… Heheh, Xie Wanwan is worth so much money, yet I’ve bleeping gave her up. Why would I be bothered by a policeman?”

Huang He squinted his eyes. “Now I finally know the reason why you can only stay in Vulture’s Mouth to look after the base!”

Brother Steel glared at him. “What do you mean?”

Huang He let go of his arm slowly.

“Please pardon me for saying this. You’re too straightforward. You’re also impulsive and irascible; your methods of dealing with matters are only limited to violence and never use your brain to think things through. People like you are only suitable to be the vanguard and never entrusted with the important tasks… No wonder you’re only the tyrant in Vulture’s Mouth!”

That sure hurts!

His words managed to draw out the resentment within Brother Steel.

He threw the whip aside and ignored Tu Liang for the time being. He was only focused on Huang He.

“From what you’ve said, what’s my mistake?”

Huang He gave him an assuring look. “What makes you think Xie Wanwan is more important than a policeman?”

“She’s an A-List celebrity…”

“A starlet like her is not the same kind as the police!”

“Tell me then, what use is Xie Wanwan?”

“It’s needless to ask this question!” Huang He looked at Brother Steel as though he was a fool. “Didn’t you already treat her as a live bomb and threw her out?”

Yeah!

He also thought of it this way and had done so accordingly. How was he wrong?

After getting interrupted by Huang He, he felt that he really seemed like a fool?

Somehow, there was a lingering feeling that Brother Steel felt something was not quite right.

Nevertheless, as Huang He’s gaze was too sincere, he didn’t manage to find anything to refute him.

Huang He puffed a sigh and adjusted his shirt and collar. “If there’s a mirror here, I really wanted you to take a good look at yourself.”

Brother Steel: “…” He couldn’t understand.

This boorish man had ignorance written all over his face.

“Times are different now, old brother!” Huang He looked at him seriously. “Earning a living in this industry now requires one to be cultured and self-restrained. I don’t understand that you could jolly well choose to become a refined Drug Lord, why did you choose to become a hooligan with petty tricks?”

“Petty tricks?” Brother Steel was still looking at him.

“Right, that’s indeed a petty trick.” Huang He took a look at Tu Liang whose body was covered in scars. “I’ll be frank, in this aspect, Brother Six is much better than you… If Brother Six wants to deal with someone, he doesn’t engage in blatant physical abuse. His methods were always refined and cultured.”

A cultured way of killing people?

Wasn’t that still killing people?

Brother Steel was now completely muddled.

“Brother Crown Prince, are you saying that I’m unrefined and uncultured, so you don’t like me?”

“About there.” Huang He gave him an ironic look and then looked at Brother Steel’s subordinates— two sleazy-looking thugs. “People should keep up and advance with the times,” Huang He fiddled his hair gently. “Don’t you understand this logic? Aye!”

“…” Keep up with the times?

Huang He: “If you’re the most trusted subordinate of your boss, do you think he will keep you here in this deserted place to guard this base where you don’t even know when you’ll face the threat of death? Hur! The subordinates that he liked are already enjoying themselves and touring around the world! Whereas you, you are being treated as the coolie!”

Sounds so reasonable!

He was spot on about the discontent inside Brother Steel’s heart.

He had a brooding gaze as he thought of those “societal workplace rules”.

“D*rn! You’re so right!” Brother Steel puffed a sigh and placed a hand on Huang He’s shoulder where he gave a few pats. “Those bootlickers only know who to curry favor and did nothing at all.” He continued to vent, “Yet these people hold more important positions than me! Why didn’t anyone tell me about this in the past?”

Huang He gave a sneer. “Not everyone is as sincere as me!”

Sincere? Brother Steel nodded his head heavily. “I can see that. Brother Crown Prince is indeed an honest person! Forthright!”

Huang He remained expressionless.

Brother Steel suddenly felt something was amiss and looked at him.

“You actually know my boss?”

“Nope.”

“You met him before?”

“I’ve never met him before.”

“So how did you know about all these?”

“I guessed.”

Brother Steel suddenly felt annoyed, as though he had been played. “What’s the use of saying so much then!”

Huang He pointed at his head. “Our brains are here for a reason. Do think more, old brother!”

“…” Brother Steel squinted his eyes at him. “Are all the police so bleeping cunning?”

“This is called logical deduction!” Huang He laughed. “If you’re going to meet your boss, bring me along! I’ll definitely help you… to get an important position.”

Brother Steel seemed interested. “Really?”

“Of course!” Huang He gave a snort. “Do you think it’s easy to climb up amongst the ranks in the police force? I can even make it to the position of the Captain of the Criminal Investigation Unit. Of course, I’ll be able to convince your boss!”

Brother Steel nodded his head.

Suddenly his expression changed. “Hur, is that right? I remember you didn’t manage to be the Captain for long!”

Huang He: “…”

“Well, believe it or not.” He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “I’m here for a business deal after all. I’m not that interested in your matters as well. I’m worried that you might have gotten on the bad side of your boss. The next time… if you accidentally offended him, you won’t even know how you died.”

Brother Steel did not respond for a long time.

Originally, he did not trust Huang He as well.

Ever since Huang He arrived in Nanmu, Brother Steel was wary of him.

But the words he said had invoked a strange feeling of trust.

He thought that if Huang He was colluding with Bai Muchuan, he totally need not do all of these…

Firstly, he would not come to expose Bai Muchuan.

Secondly, there were many occasions that Huang He could point his gun at him.

There was no reason to wait till… when Tu Liang was about to die from the torture?

“Let’s go, brother! We’ll drink some liquor!”

…

In the living room of the wooden house,

There were a wooden sofa and a few chairs in the living room.

Brother Steel had been criticized by Huang He that he was just a boor earlier. The sight of the shabby furniture made him uncomfortable in front of Huang He.

“Brother Crown Prince, do make do with all these for the time being—after the police leave us alone, we’ll go back to my villa and I’ll treat you better wine…”

Huang He did not mind that as he shrugged his shoulders and sat down.

Brother Steel started to smoke with his smoking pipe. After giving him a glance, he motioned to his subordinates with a glance.

In no time, a subordinate placed something on the table with a meek smile.

“Brother Crown Prince…” Brother Steel moved his mouth. “Give it a try?”