I stared at the stone. No matter how it was cut, this piece was worthless—just a chunk of trash.
I examined the surface and said, "The outer layer is dull and gray. There's nothing inside but rubble."
"Stop acting like a saint. Xiaomi's told me everything," Liu Qiang sneered. "Heh, you all came here for this stone, didn't you?"
I squinted at him as Kun Sang let out a cold laugh. "What do you mean, Liu Qiang? Do you think we came all this way for this?"
Liu Qiang hesitated for a moment, chuckling awkwardly. "Boss Kun Sang, this kid's a con artist! He claims this is worthless, but it's a treasure—a priceless gem. They're trying to deceive you, but lucky for you, I saw through their trick."
Kun Sang's eyes bore into me. "Is that so?"
I laughed lightly. "It's trash. Why would I deceive you? Let's cut it open and settle the matter."
"Zhao Fei, you better not mess up. If you ruin my stone, I'll make sure you regret ever being born," Liu Qiang threatened.
Ignoring him, I examined the stone. "No matter how we cut it—horizontal, vertical—it's worthless unless there's real material inside. Wang Gui, cut it straight down the middle."
At my command, the stone was hoisted onto the cutting table. Liu Qiang began to panic. "This stone's worth eighty million! I borrowed from Shou Hou and Chen Xi to get it. If you dare play tricks on me, I swear I'll kill you…"
I ignored his rant and gestured for Wang Gui to proceed. The cutting machine roared to life, its shrill grinding filling the air, loud enough to make ears ring.
Liu Qiang and his black-faced henchman watched anxiously. Meanwhile, Kun Sang moved to the door and locked it quietly. The two men didn't notice. Then came a sudden barrage of gunfire, followed by agonized screams. My pulse quickened, a strange exhilaration rising within me—an indescribable thrill that sent shivers down my spine.
The cutting machine halted. Wang Gui and Zhao Kui stared outside, their expressions frozen. Liu Qiang and his companion turned, stunned. I noticed Four-Eyes Dog pointing a gun at Liu Qiang, leaving him momentarily speechless.
Kun Sang's men swiftly subdued the black-faced man. The metallic scent of blood filled the air, igniting a primal, almost bloodthirsty excitement in me. I licked my cracked lips and allowed myself a small, triumphant smile. This was all a show…
"Four-Eyes Dog, are you courting death? Put that gun down!" Liu Qiang shouted, enraged.
The man trembled, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry, Boss Dong… I was forced…"
Liu Qiang's jaw clenched as he turned to Kun Sang. "Boss Kun Sang, what's the meaning of this?"
Kun Sang smirked. "No meaning at all."
Just then, the door creaked open. In walked Boss Wei, Qian Guang, Zhuzi, and Qian Laowu, their bodies soaked in blood. Qian Laowu licked his lips, his gaze as chilling as a predator's. "All clear. Forty-two of them taken care of."
"You…" Liu Qiang stammered, his legs buckling.
Ma Lan laughed coldly. "Liu Qiang, you think you're untouchable?"
Kun Sang interrupted, "Enough. The stone's been cut. Show him what's inside so he won't rest easy even in death."
I nodded. "Continue."
The cutting resumed. Sparks flew as the blade met the stone, the grating sound echoing in the tense silence. Liu Qiang broke into a cold sweat, his companion's face ashen. Everything was unfolding exactly as planned. Liu Qiang's doom was sealed.
We waited, every second stretching into eternity. The longer the anticipation, the sweeter the vengeance would taste.
After half an hour, the machine stopped. The stone was split open, revealing… nothing. A worthless brick. The disappointment in the room was palpable.
"Just as I said—a brick. Zhao Fei, you're something else," Boss Wei quipped, laughing bitterly.
I smiled faintly. My father's wisdom about reading stone surfaces had proven true yet again.
The room fell silent, all eyes turning to Liu Qiang. He dropped to his knees, despair etched across his face. "Qian Guang, I lost. Take everything—my assets, my territory, my status. Just spare my life…"
Qian Guang chuckled. "That was always mine to begin with. You've racked up so much debt, even Chen Xi and Shou Hou won't let you off. Sending you off is doing you a favor."
"Damn you, Qian Guang! If you kill me, who'll pay them back? They'll come for you next—six million!" Liu Qiang roared.
"This is Myanmar," Qian Guang replied coldly. "Once you're ground into concrete and buried in a foundation, who'll ever know?"
Liu Qiang tried to stand but collapsed in a heap, sobbing uncontrollably. A group of men wheeled in a massive cement mixer, its sharp blades glinting ominously.
The machine roared to life, its noise a harbinger of doom. Kun Sang issued the order: "Proceed."
Zhuzi walked over to the black-faced man and knocked him unconscious with a single punch. Hoisting him up, he tossed him into the mixer. The man's agonized screams were quickly drowned out by the machine's relentless grinding, the sound of bones snapping reverberating in the room.
I swallowed hard, both horrified and relieved. This could have been my fate.
The metallic scent of blood was overwhelming, yet I forced myself to watch. This was the price of failure—a fate I could never afford.
All eyes turned back to Liu Qiang. He knelt there, pale and trembling, while Four-Eyes Dog's shaking hands kept the gun trained on him.
"You idiot," Liu Qiang spat. "If I die, you'll meet an even worse end."
Four-Eyes Dog said nothing, glancing at Qian Guang for instructions.
Suddenly, Liu Qiang lunged, snatching the gun. Before I could react, he aimed it at me.
A gunshot rang out.
I froze as Wang Gui shielded me, the bullet tearing through his shoulder. Blood sprayed everywhere, and time seemed to stand still.
But Liu Qiang couldn't fire a second shot. Zhao Kui wrenched the gun from his grasp, striking him down.
Ma Lan stormed over with a stone in hand, slamming it against Liu Qiang's head repeatedly until he was unrecognizable.
Finally, exhausted, she threw the stone aside and barked, "Get rid of him. He disgusts me."
Without hesitation, Liu Qiang was tossed into the mixer, the haunting crunch of bones marking his end.
I clutched Wang Gui tightly. This was the reality of losing here. It was merciless, brutal… and final.
I could only thank the heavens I had won.