The Ugliness of Human Nature

"Ah! Someone's been killed!" One of the bar girls screamed in terror, staring at the security guard lying in a pool of blood, utterly panicked.

"Run! Call the police, quick!" A security guard shouted, bolting toward the door. The people standing outside, shaken by the sudden violence, scrambled to leave, desperate to distance themselves from the three vicious killers inside.

It was only now that everyone seemed to realize just how terrifying these three middle-aged men were. They also started to understand why earlier, even when Chen Liuhe and Huang Baiwan were repeatedly humiliated, they still bent over backward to appease them. Perhaps they had already recognized the danger of provoking these men.

Thinking about it now, Chen Liuhe and Huang Baiwan didn't seem like cowards after all. It was the others who were acting like fools. After all these years in the underworld, they couldn't even read the room, unlike the two seemingly unremarkable men who looked as out of place as farmers.

But no one had the luxury to ponder much right now; all they wanted was to get out of this place.

Just as they were about to flee the room, a deafening bang froze everyone in their tracks, their legs nearly giving out as they instinctively halted. None dared to take another step.

It was the scar-faced man inside the room. He was holding a pitch-black pistol, and had just fired a shot into the ceiling, leaving a gaping hole. It was a real gun!

"Call the police? Heh, anyone who takes one more step out of this room, and I'll blow their brains out!" The scar-faced man sneered, his face twisted with malice.

He pointed the gun toward the few people standing outside and barked, "Get in here, now! And don't forget to lock the door. Try anything funny, and I'll send you straight to hell."

Once everyone was inside, the door was locked, and the room was filled with the stench of blood. The bar girls and security guards were pale with fear; some even started sobbing.

Who among them had ever witnessed something like this?

The room felt isolated from the world, the air thick with fear. Some people were trembling uncontrollably, while others were so scared they lost control of their bodily functions.

Amidst all this chaos, the only one who remained calm was Chen Liuhe, standing in the corner with a lazy, indifferent smile on his face, as if none of this had anything to do with him.

"Idiots," Huang Baiwan, standing beside him, muttered, though his face was pale. He was an ordinary man, and ordinary people fear death. He was no different.

"Sixth Brother, what should we do?" Huang Baiwan asked quietly, seeking comfort in Chen Liuhe's presence. The only reason he could maintain some semblance of calm was because he trusted Chen Liuhe, this enigmatic man who seemed to have everything under control.

"Just watch the show," Chen Liuhe replied with a faint smile. These idiots had gotten themselves into this mess. It wasn't his job to save them. Not yet, at least. Let them suffer for a while.

Glancing at Huang Baiwan, whose forehead was covered in sweat, Chen Liuhe chuckled, "Old Huang, you're scared of this small scene? How are you supposed to do big things with me if you can't handle this?"

Huang Baiwan's eyes widened, and after wiping the sweat from his forehead, he grinned, "Sixth Brother, courage comes with practice. Just from what you said, I'd die for you."

"Game over. We're dead," a security guard muttered, crouched on the floor, his face filled with panic.

"Bosses, please let us go. We're just workers, earning barely two thousand a month. We don't want to die," one of the security guards, a towering man standing over six feet, knelt on the floor, crying for mercy. All of his bravado had vanished.

These three men were clearly hardened criminals—why else would they carry guns? Why else would they stab someone without flinching?

They knew they had messed with the wrong people today, and there was nothing left to do but beg for their lives.

At this moment, they hated Fu Jianfeng, the man who had foolishly provoked these killers. If it weren't for him, they wouldn't be in this life-threatening situation.

Perhaps if they had let Chen Liuhe and Huang Baiwan handle the situation earlier, none of this would have happened.

"Ha! A bunch of cowards! Weren't you all tough earlier? Come on, show me how tough you are now!" The scar-faced man laughed maniacally, kicking a security guard to the ground and glaring around the room.

When his gaze landed on Chen Liuhe, he paused, then pointed the gun at him. "What are you staring at? Do you want to die?"

Chen Liuhe shrugged helplessly. "Big brother, that's a bit unreasonable, don't you think? Eyes are meant for looking. And right now, you three are the most eye-catching people here."

"Fuck! You've got guts to talk back, huh?" The scar-faced man snarled, stepping forward as if to teach Chen Liuhe a lesson.

Instinctively, Huang Baiwan stepped forward, despite his fear. He knew this was the time to show loyalty. If he backed down now, he'd never win Sixth Brother's trust again.

"Third, stand down." The eldest of the three men, who seemed to be their leader, called out. He gave Chen Liuhe a long, appraising look.

After a moment, he spoke, "I didn't notice it before, but you've got some guts, brother. Seen your share of big scenes, huh?"

"You're joking, big brother. I'm just a regular guy. What big scenes could I have seen?" Chen Liuhe replied with a smile.

"But look at them, scared out of their minds, while you don't seem afraid at all," the man said.

"You've got it wrong. I'm terrified, probably more than anyone here. It's just that my nerves are a little stronger," Chen Liuhe said nonchalantly.

The man chuckled coldly and dropped the subject. Instead, he pointed to the group cowering on the floor. "You two, get over here and squat with them. Behave yourselves, or the bullets won't care where they land."

"Just let us live, and you're in charge," Chen Liuhe said, as he and Huang Baiwan obediently squatted with the others.

At that moment, the scar-faced man approached Fu Jianfeng, who was already as pale as a ghost. Grabbing him by the hair, he sneered, "So, Mr. Manager, still think you're tough?"

"No, no! Big brothers, please don't take it out on us. We didn't mean any harm. Just let me go, and I'll forget this ever happened, okay?" Fu Jianfeng begged, sobbing, utterly terrified. In the face of death, all his pride and dignity had crumbled.

"Ha! Weren't you acting all tough earlier? Now you're just a pathetic coward," the scar-faced man sneered, smacking Fu Jianfeng across the head with the butt of his gun.

Before Fu Jianfeng could even cry out, the man yanked him to his feet. "We're in a bad mood, and you've pissed us off. What do you think we should do about that?"

Panicking, Fu Jianfeng blurted out, "It's easy! You guys are looking for fun, right? The girls here, they're all yours. Do whatever you want with them."

At that, every woman in the room glared at Fu Jianfeng in fury. The bastard had just sold them all out.

"Heh, women are a given, but that's not enough. I need to kill a few people to cool off," the scar-faced man said, pressing the gun against Fu Jianfeng's head.

Terror-stricken, Fu Jianfeng pleaded, "Don't kill me! Please, kill them instead! That guy, and him!" He pointed at Chen Liuhe and Huang Baiwan. "One's a manager, the other's the head of security. They're the ones responsible for all of this! It's their fault! Kill them instead!"

As soon as he said that, everyone around Chen Liuhe and Huang Baiwan scrambled away, leaving a wide space around them.

Furious, Huang Baiwan cursed, "You shameless bastard, Fu Jianfeng! You're the one who caused this, and now you want us to take the fall? Over my dead body!"

"Shut up! You're the head of security, aren't you? Who else should take the blame?" Fu Jianfeng shot back, fully revealing his ugliest side.

Chen Liuhe remained calm, saying, "Bosses, I think you know who's really to blame here."

The scar-faced man glanced at Chen Liuhe, then at Fu Jianfeng. Keeping the gun pressed to Fu Jianfeng's head, he said, "Between those two and you, I think I'd rather kill you."

"No, no, please, boss! If you kill me, you won't get away either! Let me go, I swear I won't call the cops! I'll pretend nothing ever happened!" Fu Jianfeng begged, sobbing uncontrollably.

Scarface kicked him to the ground. "Cops? You think I'm scared of the police? Let me tell you, each of us has already got blood on our hands. What's one more? Do I look like I give a damn?"

That remark sent a fresh wave of panic through the room. These three were hardened killers—they weren't bluffing. Everyone's hearts sank; they knew this night might really be their last. Seeing how ruthless the trio was, it was clear they had no plans to leave witnesses alive.

"Third Brother, hold off on the killing. I haven't had any fun in a week. Grab a couple of those girls for Second Brother. It's bad luck to mess around with a dead guy lying around," said the man known as Second Brother.

"Ha, well said. Let's have some fun first. Show these wimps what real men are like," Scarface chuckled, abandoning Fu Jianfeng. His eyes swept the crowd until he grabbed two terrified hostesses, dragging them over. With a swift pull, he tore their tops apart with a loud rip, exposing their lace bras and pale, trembling skin beneath.