A hundred and eighty million…
Even if the Mo family sold off all their organs, they could not come up with even one-tenth of this amount.
The owner of this luxurious gambling cruise ship was most unlikely someone with a kind heart. They would not bat an eye seeing them being fed to the fishes.
The Mo family members panicked as their faces turned paperwhite. They shivered uncontrollably. The three Mo ladies cried till their tears smeared the mascara, looking quite horrifying.
Mo Er Qian tried his best to stabilize his voice and talk some logic into the guards but they all treated him like air.
Not long after, the tiny storeroom door creaked open. A middle-aged man wearing a traditional Tang suit walked in with a smile on his face.
The muscular bodyguards immediately greeted him as Steward Zhao.
"You've worked hard," Steward Zhao nodded then sat down on a stool that one of the guards had brought over. He fidgeted with the two walnuts in his hand.
"These are the people who owe 180 million in gambling debts?"
"This is a scam! You all set us up!"
Before the bodyguard could reply, Mo Wu Hang cried out, "You're breaking the law! This is a criminal offense! This is against the law!" His eyes were raging but his voice was shaking.
"The law?"
Steward Zhao laughed heartily, "It's a common principle to pay your debts, where's the crime in that? Moreover, this is the high seas, I'd like to know which country's laws we're breaking?"
"Shut up," Mo Er Qian cast Mo Wu Hang a glare then turned to Steward Zhao and said, "Mr. Zhao, I think there has been a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?"
"Yes. we've been set up. We don't actually owe 180 million in gambling debt. I hope you can investigate this matter thoroughly. Your people may have colluded with someone from the outside. Considering that those who come here are all prestigious, if this were to spread, you might lose all your patronage. This will gravely affect your business, wouldn't it?"
"A set up?" Steward Zhao raised his brows and laughed, "You're a very eloquent person, and also quite skillful at stirring up dissension. Pity… It's not persuasive enough. I've seen too many who tried all sorts of ways to revoke their debts. If you don't pay 180 million today, I'm afraid I can't let you leave this ship."
"What are you going to do?!"
The second aunt remembered some of the films she had seen, causing her to scream in fright, "This is against the law! Against the law!"
"Tut… It seems you have no intention of paying this debt," Steward Zhao smiled and signaled to the two bodyguards, "One finger is ten thousand. There are eight people here, let's just collect eight hundred thousand in interest first."
"Yes." Two bodyguards immediately took a cleaver and went to Mo Shi Hong. One picked him up by the collar and the other grabbed his hand.
Mo Shi Hong was shaking like a chicken when he was pulled from the ground. He struggled and screamed, "This is a crime! You're committing a crime!"
The knife rose and came down. A little finger stained with blood rolled on the ground.
Mo Shi Hong howled uncontrollably. His whole body shook and twitched uncontrollably.
The other Mo family members cried and screamed in horror.
Although they knew that they would not get out of this unscathed, they did not foresee the severity of the situation they were in. Witnessing the swiftly chopped finger rolling on the ground, they were immediately hit with the cruel reality as fear took over their whole body.
Under Mo Wu Hang was a pool of liquid, he had peed due to fright.
Seeing Mo Wu Hang as such, the bodyguard advanced towards him, intending to make him his next victim. Mo Wu Hang struggled as he howled in tears and snot, begging Steward Zhao to spare him, "Steward Zhao, you're a good man so please spare me. Please, I beg you! We'll pay you! We'll pay you! We'll do any work to pay you back! Please don't chop our hands!"
Everyone else except Mo Er Qian knelt down and begged, "That's right, we'll be your slaves to pay you back! Please spare us, spare us…"
Steward Zhao's eyes swept across the Mos and smiled. He then looked at Mo Er Qian and beckoned the bodyguards.
The two bodyguards let Mo Wu Hang go and went to Mo Er Qian. One pressed him down and the other raised the knife. Mo Er Qian had turned pale as a sheet and could no longer hide his fear.
"AH!!!" Mo Er Qian screamed as the knife came down.
Steward Zhao fidgeted with the walnuts in his hand. He looked at the Mos and said, "Honestly, I'm not a very unreasonable person. This debt, as long as you can afford to pay it, I naturally wouldn't touch your fingers, toes, eyes, kidneys, stomach and whatever else."
The Mos were shaking even worse than before. This man… He was going to cut off more than just their fingers!!!
"But I don't believe that you're able to repay this sum of money. The Mo family of Hua Xia had long collapsed, am I right? It's impossible for you to even pay back 20 million so how are you going to pay me back 180 million?"
Steward Zhao shook his head and smirked, "It's a pipe dream if you think I'll let you go but that doesn't mean I won't give you a chance to live. If you're obedient and determined to pay this debt, alright, I'll show you a way."
"What is it? Steward Zhao just say the word, as long as you don't chop off our hands and feet and take our organs, we'll do anything. We'll do any kind of work! We'll be your slaves! Steward Zhao, please…"
"There's no need for you to be slaves."
Steward Zhao looked at Mo Shi Hong with a sinister smile, "Since I'm not a cold-blooded person, I've made a list of tasks you can do to help you repay the debt. Once you've completed each of them, I'll subtract the corresponding amount from the total sum that you owed. But there's one rule, every day, you have to be able to pay back 200 thousand or else, I'll have to chop off one of your fingers. Regarding this, I'll be lenient and let you decide among yourselves who will get the special treatment."
Steward Zhao clapped his hands and the bodyguard behind him took out a piece of paper and showed it to the Mos.
Mo Shi Hong picked it up and after looking through, his face turned red with rage!
This man was inhuman! He's not even worthy to be called a man! He's worse than an animal!
How could anyone be this cruel?!
The others came to have a look and all their faces turned ghastly! They trembled in hate, crying and swearing at Steward Zhao, "You're not human. You're an animal! Heaven is blind! You'll die a horrible death!"
What was listed weren't tasks at all. It was simply ways to kill them!
A beating – 10 000¥
Confined with a violent mental patient – 10 000¥
3-day confinement with no food and water – 20 000¥
Electric shock session – 20 000¥
Iron needles to ten fingers – 25 000¥
Each task had to be completed at least once every week. Otherwise, everyone would be forced to do it three times without being able to earn any credits for their debts.
Furthermore, there was an interest rate they had to pay which included food and using the toilet. To be exempted from this, they would have to kowtow, beg, and bark like a dog…
Steward Zhao is simply not human. Even animals are better than him! How could a person be this vicious?! This cruel! Who could endure such tortures?! Who could endure it?!!!
Who?
Mo Di did.
Mo Di not only had to endure it all by himself but what he had suffered was many times worse. And there was no one to take turns with him in a seemingly endless loop of tortures. The Mos had each other to share the pain while Mo Di had to endure alone. Compared to him, they had it easy.
The Mos had lost the will to argue. Or rather, they dared not do so. Surrounding them were stout men holding knives while they were like fish waiting to be slaughtered!
They did not want to do any of the tasks but if they didn't, they would have to face worse treatments! Starting with their fingers being cut off, then to their toes, spleen, stomach, kidney…
They didn't want to be handicapped, much less lose their lives!
They were now fully aware that this was not about the money. Whether or not they were willing to pay their debts, Steward Zhao would still enforce this set of rules upon them.
Steward Zhao moved the walnuts in his hand. Looking at their eyes teeming with rage, hate, and despair but not daring to retaliate, he smiled.
"I'm glad you've finally understood the rules. There's one more thing I'd like to emphasize, according to this payment method, if you can do the bare minimum required every day, in exactly five years from today, you'll be able to pay off all your debts and interests. Everyone buck up, your future is still bright!"
Steward Zhao smiled and continued, "Alright, now that we're clear. Let us begin. Shall we start off with the highest paying task? Who among you will go first? Do you want to draw lots or volunteer?"