Chapter 0011: Turning the Tide

Zhou Yunkang froze at Chen Liuhe's icy words, then erupted into derisive laughter. "Hah! You think *you* get to decide my fate? Trash like you? I could crush a dozen of you under my heel! You're a fucking joke!"

Chen Liuhe narrowed his eyes slightly, inhaling deeply. "Last chance. Do you want to live… or die?" His voice remained eerily calm, betraying no emotion.

Zhou Yunkang rose to his full height, glaring down at Chen Liuhe with contempt. "Negotiate? You're not worth the breath. Stop pretending to be someone you're not. You have until tomorrow night. When I return, I'll either take this club or collect your corpses!"

He slammed his empty glass onto the floor in front of Chen Liuhe, sneering. "One way or another, I'm leaving with what I came for. Think carefully." Turning on his heel, he strode toward the door.

"You think you can walk out after all that?" Chen Liuhe's voice slithered through the air like a blade.

Zhou paused, glancing back mockingly. "What? Got a problem, little rat? Try stopping me."

"If you won't talk, we won't talk." Chen Liuhe's lips curled into a chilling arc. In an instant, the atmosphere shifted—the unassuming man vanished, replaced by something predatory.

Without warning, Chen Liuhe snatched the glass ashtray from the table and hurled it at Zhou's head.

***THUD!***

A wet crack echoed as the ashtray split Zhou's scalp. Blood cascaded down his neck. The sudden brutality left everyone stunned—even Qin Ruohan choked back a scream, her hands clapped over her mouth.

*He's insane!* Her mind reeled. *Attacking Zhou Yunkang? The Black Dragon Society will skin us alive!* Despair flooded her. Even if they survived tonight, retaliation was inevitable.

Chen Liuhe paid her no mind. He stared coldly at Zhou writhing on the floor. "Keeping you here isn't hard."

"Y-you bastard! I'll have you dismembered!" Zhou howled, clutching his bleeding skull. No one had dared lay hands on him in years.

"Drag him here."

Huang Million, seething, obeyed instantly. He grabbed Zhou's hair and hauled him bleeding across the floor to Chen Liuhe's feet.

"Your death isn't certain… yet." Chen Liuhe pressed a shoe against Zhou's skull. "But if you keep testing me, I'll make it *artistic*." His tone—casual, almost conversational—somehow magnified the threat. Qin Ruohan felt her blood turn to ice.

"Your Black Dragon Society has power, but my brother and I?" Chen Liuhe leaned closer. "We're gutter rats with nothing to lose. Murder? Disposal? Easy. We'll vanish afterward."

He ground his heel, drawing a whimper. "I gave you face earlier. You spat on it. Now…" He smiled. "Shall I gut you here? Clean your organs like you 'cleaned' my shoes?"

Zhou's bravado crumbled. "D-don't! Let's talk! Whatever you want!"

"Hmph. All bark, no bite." Chen Liuhe removed his foot, patting Zhou's bloodied cheek. "Sit. Talk well, and I'll forget your… enthusiasm."

His voice dropped to a whisper. "Or I'll wash your insides *personally*."

Trembling, Zhou allowed Huang Million to prop him onto the sofa. Chen Liuhe tossed a stack of photos onto the table. "Admire your work, Zhou. Truly… inspirational."

Zhou's face drained of color as he flipped through the images—compromising shots of him entangled with his father-in-law's mistress. His hands shook.

"How…?!"

Chen Liuhe cut him off. "Your wife might tolerate affairs. But your father-in-law? The *Dragon Head*?" He tsked. "How many pieces will he carve you into?"

Zhou's composure shattered. "What do you want?!"

"A fair trade." Chen Liuhe steepled his fingers. "These photos for the club. Simple."

"Impossible!" Zhou croaked. "The Dragon Head wants the entire—"

"Then make him *unwant* it." Chen Liuhe's smile turned glacial. "Convince Zhang Yongfu to accept 20% shares. Or these photos go public… along with your intestines."

Zhou's throat bobbed. The unspoken threat hung thicker than bloodstains: *Without your father-in-law's favor, you're nothing.*

"I… I'll try."

"Good." Chen Liuhe stood, suddenly all business. "Get that head stitched. We'll await… *good news*."

As Zhou staggered out, Huang Million grinned. "Sixth Brother, you broke him!"

Chen Liuhe lit a cigarette, watching smoke curl toward the ceiling. "Snakes always fear bigger snakes."