Cam

I held my breath, waiting for the result. The atmosphere became unbearably suffocating.

Crocodile held the three photos Cam had given him. He examined each one carefully—every detail, every face. After a long while, he picked one up and handed it to Cam.

Cam glanced at it briefly, then passed it to me.

The face in the photo came into sharp focus. It was a man wearing a black jacket, a dragon tattoo winding around his neck. He had his arms around two others, but those two looked like corpses. Their arms and legs were covered in bruises, their faces drenched in blood. The most striking detail in the photo was the lit cigarette between his lips, along with his smug smile—like a predator proudly displaying its trophy.

"His name is Dũng Châu." – I whispered, a shiver running down my spine.

Cam spoke in a low, analytical tone:

"Dũng Châu is the leader of a gang specializing in loan sharking. His group has at least thirty members, split into smaller teams of five to six, preying on students. They operate meticulously—luring victims into their trap before squeezing them dry with sky-high interest rates."

I fell into deep thought. If what Cam said was true, then Dũng Châu had been in the game for a long time, running a well-structured operation. Confronting him directly now would be suicide.

I turned to Cam, my eyes filled with trust.

"Cam, how do we handle this?"

Cam seemed to have already planned everything. He stepped forward, placing a firm hand on Crocodile's shoulder. His voice was calm but carried a deeper meaning:

"Crocodile will be the one to decide how to handle this. Because he's the one who took the loan."

"No way! You're using my little brother as bait?!" – Octopus roared, grabbing Cam by the collar.

Cam remained silent, simply nodding—confirming that Octopus was right. The tension in the air thickened. I could see everyone growing restless, and if I didn't intervene now, an internal fight could break out. Taking a deep breath, I raised my voice:

"Stop it! Cam, what exactly is your plan?"

Cam adjusted his collar, his eyes cold and sharp:

"Crocodile will go to the place where he borrowed the money. When their leader shows up, you and I will lure him away from his men. The managers and employees will handle the rest of the gang, but we avoid unnecessary fights. The main goal is to take down the head. When a snake loses its head, the body crumbles on its own."

Octopus clenched his fists, his voice firm with resistance:

"No way! What if they ambush my brother? What if they outnumber us and we can't hold them off? There are thirty of them! And how do you even know their leader will show up?"

I understood Octopus's fear. But right now, only one person could make the final decision.

I looked straight at Crocodile and slowly asked:

"Crocodile, can you do this?"

The whole group fell silent. A gust of wind blew past, carrying a sense of unease. Crocodile clenched his fists, then gave a small nod. I turned to Cam, signaling that the plan was a go.

"Alright, we follow Cam's plan! Vice Chairman, it's time to take back justice for our company!"

After thirty minutes of strategizing, we set off. I could feel my heartbeat pounding, over and over again. The atmosphere among us grew heavy—no one spoke the entire way. Only when my legs started aching from the long walk did we finally arrive.

Before us stood an old warehouse, about forty meters long and twenty meters wide. It looked abandoned—covered in dust and cobwebs.

Cam signaled everyone to spread out and find hiding spots. He and I crouched behind a large rock, surrounded by thick bushes. Kneeling down, I carefully observed the scene.

Crocodile, trembling, stepped forward toward the warehouse and shouted:

"I… I'm here to pay back the debt, including the interest!"

The rusty metal door creaked open. A man stepped outside, scanning Crocodile from head to toe before motioning for him to enter.

But according to Cam's plan, Crocodile wasn't allowed to go inside. Swallowing nervously, he shouted again:

"I… I'd rather stay out here!"

The man frowned, his voice rough and impatient:

"Are you stupid? Pay up and scram! The total, including the interest and the price for beating up my boys, is two million VND!"

He smirked, stepping closer to Crocodile.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you shouting anymore? You came here to beg for a discount, huh? F no, kid!"*

He threw his head back, laughing loudly—then suddenly raised his hand.

SMACK!

I clenched my teeth in rage. Crocodile had just been slapped!