Chapter 352: Torture of Human Nature

The Platinum Association, General Manager’s office.

The two Chu brothers sat side by side on the sofa, a glass of whiskey next to each of them. In front of them was a laptop, its screen displaying the room where the Gao father and son were currently located.

The video was high-definition, the audio crystal clear.

“Brother, do you think Gao Zhengyang will do it?”

Chu Zhengnan took a sip of his whiskey and asked Chu Zhengxiong.

“Most likely.”

Chu Zhengxiong didn’t give a definitive answer. After all, in a test of human nature like this, anything was possible.

One thought leads to heaven, another to hell.

In the span of a single thought, heaven and hell were but a hair’s breadth away.

“Brother, what if Gao Zhengyang really does it?”

Chu Zhengnan asked again, “Are we really going to keep working with Gao Zhengyang’s Jiuyang Trading afterward? And continue to support Jiuyang Trading’s expansion nationwide?”

Instead of answering directly, Chu Zhengxiong posed a question of his own. “Zhengnan, back in the private room, what did you see in Gao Zhengyang’s eyes?”

“Fear, hope, apprehension, despair…”

Chu Zhengnan thought for a moment before adding, “And a hint of lifelessness.”

“You didn’t see hatred?”

Chu Zhengxiong asked in return.

“He wouldn’t dare!”

“I’d skin him alive!”

Chu Zhengnan’s expression turned vicious, his eyes filled with cruelty.

“That’s right…”

“He doesn’t dare, so you didn’t see it.”

Chu Zhengxiong’s gaze was profound. “But have you ever considered it? After he leaves our sight, when he’s tossing and turning in the middle of the night, constantly replaying the events of this evening… do you think his eyes will still be free of hatred?”

Hearing this, Chu Zhengnan fell silent.

“Fear and despair are the most fertile soil for the seeds of hatred to take root and sprout.”

At this point, Chu Zhengxiong’s tone shifted. “Since the seeds of hatred have already been sown, that makes us enemies. So why would we continue to support Jiuyang Trading’s growth? How is that any different from funding the enemy?”

“So, you mean… you were just lying to him earlier, Brother?”

Hearing Chu Zhengxiong’s explanation, Chu Zhengnan instantly understood his brother’s meaning.

“It’s easy to get your hands dirty, but hard to wash them clean.”

“If I hadn’t lied to him, why would he have done it himself?”

“The bigger our enterprise gets, the more people will be watching us.”

“We must be cautious and meticulous, as if walking on thin ice. Only then can we ensure a smooth landing.”

“The era of fighting and killing is over. We have to use our brains more.”

Chu Zhengxiong sighed softly. “Force is always the last resort. We can’t be without it, but we can’t use it carelessly either.”

“So what’s your plan, Brother?”

Chu Zhengnan suppressed the vicious glint in his eyes. He knew Chu Zhengxiong always planned three steps ahead; he had probably figured out a countermeasure long before Gao Zhengyang even arrived at the Platinum Association.

“Our group is on the verge of expanding its operations, and our demand for liquor is bound to increase. Even if today’s incident hadn’t happened, Jiuyang Trading can no longer meet our group’s current needs, whether in terms of supply chain coverage or cost.”

“Some time ago, I already sent people to contact several large-scale liquor suppliers with nationwide distribution channels. Now, if our group wishes, we can cut ties with Jiuyang’s supply at any time.”

“If it weren’t for today’s incident, I was planning on letting Gao Zhengyang’s Jiuyang Trading keep its original foothold in Ji Province. But now that this has happened, there’s no need to leave it for him anymore.”

Chu Zhengxiong watched the computer screen, his eyes filled with indifference as he observed Gao Zhengyang, who was torn with anguish and pain in the face of Gao Hailong’s incessant pleas.

“If Gao Zhengyang really does it, I want you to clip the part of the video where he makes the move himself. Then, remove the audio from the clip.”

“After our group’s new liquor supplier has completely replaced Jiuyang Trading, send someone trustworthy to submit this video to the police, claiming to be a whistleblower.”

At this, Chu Zhengxiong raised an eyebrow slightly. “Chopping off someone’s right hand… that counts as aggravated assault, right? With conclusive evidence, the minimum sentence should be at least ten years, shouldn’t it?”

“According to Article 234 of the Criminal Law, anyone who causes another person’s death, or causes severe injury and serious disability through particularly cruel means, shall be sentenced to a fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years, life imprisonment, or death.”

Chu Zhengnan, known to the outside world as “Violent Bear,” recited the articles of the Criminal Law with surprising ease. “If Gao Zhengyang really does it, he’ll meet the criteria for ‘causing severe injury and serious disability through particularly cruel means.’ And since the right hand is a critical functional limb, the sentencing will definitely be on the heavier side.”

“Oh…”

“Well then, for the sake of our many years of partnership with Gao Zhengyang, we should pull some strings for him. Let’s try to ensure he spends the rest of his life in prison.”

Chu Zhengxiong nodded slightly. His tone was gentle, but the content of his words was as cold and heartless as the dead of winter.

“What about Gao Hailong?”

“And Gao Zhengyang’s wife, Hu Mei?”

Chu Zhengnan asked Chu Zhengxiong again.

“Once Gao Zhengyang is behind bars, Hu Mei is just an ordinary housewife. She probably won’t dare to stay in the country. She’ll most likely take Gao Hailong and flee abroad.”

Chu Zhengxiong watched the drama of human nature playing out on the screen, completely engrossed and savoring every moment. “As we all know, it’s very chaotic overseas. If a widow and her orphan son were to run into some kind of ‘accident’ abroad… well, that would be a perfectly normal thing to happen, wouldn’t it?”

The words were left unspoken, but Chu Zhengnan understood their meaning completely.

“And what if they don’t leave?”

As Chu Zhengxiong’s younger brother, Chu Zhengnan had followed him for years as they built their empire. He could roughly guess his brother’s thoughts, but he didn’t dare to make a decision on his own. He asked the question to confirm if his own ideas aligned with his brother’s.

“Then we’ll force them to leave.”

Chu Zhengxiong replied softly, leaning forward slightly. The events unfolding on the screen had reached their climax.

…

“Dad!”

“I’ll never do it again!”

“From now on, I’ll listen to you and Mom!”

“I’ll behave myself from now on! I’ll never cause trouble again!”

“I’m still young! I don’t want to be crippled! I can’t lose my right hand!”

Gao Hailong watched as Gao Zhengyang slowly picked up the machete in front of him. He was terrified to his very core, and a foul-smelling liquid began to trickle and drip from between his kneeling legs.

“Hailong, don’t be afraid.”

“Even without a right hand, you can still live a life free from worry.”

“Dad will take care of you for the rest of your life.”

Gao Zhengyang stared at the gleaming edge of the blade, his voice like someone muttering in a trance.

“You can’t do this!”

“I’m your son! You can’t do this to me!”

“I’m begging you, let’s just leave!”

“I’ll never do it again!”

“I’ll never, ever do it again!”

Gao Hailong wailed himself hoarse, slamming his head against the floor as he kowtowed desperately to Gao Zhengyang.

“Never again?”

“In middle school, you led a gang fight and broke a kid’s nose and three of his ribs. That’s what you said then.”

“In college, you were street racing late at night and hit and killed an old woman crossing the road. That’s what you said then, too.”

Gao Zhengyang’s voice started soft, but it grew louder with every word.

“But—”

“When the hell have you ever changed?”

“Every time you get into trouble, all you know how to do is hide behind your mother and let me clean up your mess! And once the storm passes, you go right back to your old ways without a shred of remorse!”

Gao Zhengyang was now roaring, his eyes bloodshot.

With that, he violently yanked up Gao Hailong’s right hand.

SCHLICK…

The machete rose and fell. Blood splattered everywhere.

…

The Platinum Association, General Manager’s office.

Seeing that Gao Zhengyang had made his final decision, Chu Zhengxiong picked up his glass and downed the whiskey in one gulp, his expression unchanging throughout.

“Get the medics in there. Then help Gao Zhengyang get his son to the hospital.”

Chu Zhengxiong stood up, gave the order in a flat voice, and then strode out of the office.

Chu Zhengnan watched his brother’s tall, broad back, lowered his head, and replied quietly:

“I’ll arrange it at once…”