After listening to Zhao Tianyi’s detailed explanation, the group of small-time thugs couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst into tears.
“We were just fighting! How did it turn into a murder case?”
“Isn’t this how fights usually go? You hit me, I hit you, worst case we get locked up for a few days. How… how come the laws in Bright Pearl City are different? Are we really gonna get executed? I don’t wanna die! Waaah…”
“Don’t scare me like that! Who said anything about execution? Lawyer Zhao said ‘attempted,’ got it? Attempted means it didn’t actually happen.”
“But we’d still get locked up for eight to ten years, right? Oh my god, I haven’t even gotten married yet!”
“Holy shit! That long? Lawyer Zhao, please don’t charge us with attempted murder! We never meant to kill anyone! We were wrong! Please!!!”
“……”
A bunch of grown men—who hadn’t cried when they lost the fight, hadn’t cried when they were stripped naked—now bawled their eyes out at the thought of rotting in prison or facing a firing squad.
The scene was as pitiful as it could get.
Brother Pao, their leader, looked at his wailing underlings, his face deathly pale, utterly despairing.
Only one thought echoed in his mind:
Bright Pearl City is cursed!
Damn, the laws here are nothing like back home.
This is terrifying!
Too scared to hold back, Brother Pao finally spoke up: “If we compensate willingly, can we get a lighter sentence?”
“My friend, excellent question!”
Zhao Tianyi flipped to the last few pages of the document. “Given that you surrendered on your knees… er… demonstrated a decent attitude of remorse, and in the spirit of humanitarianism and building a harmonious society, we are willing to consider issuing a letter of forgiveness—provided the compensation is fully paid.”
Brother Pao immediately declared, “We’ll pay! We’re willing to pay!”
Pleased by his enthusiasm, Zhao Tianyi nodded. “Good. Let’s settle this in one go, alright?”
Brother Pao nodded frantically. “Yes, yes! No matter the amount, we’ll pay!”
After all, they were already on the hook for the 435,000 yuan in damages to the store. What was a little more?
Little did he know, those would be the most regrettable words he’d ever spoken.
Zhao Tianyi pulled out his calculator again, fingers flying across the keys with practiced ease.
“First, the store’s losses were already calculated at 435,000 yuan—that’s fixed. Next, we have personal injury compensation, covering medical fees, lost wages, nutritional expenses, emotional distress, and damaged work uniforms…”
Every item he listed was punctuated by a tap of the ‘+’ button.
To Brother Pao and his crew, each ‘beep’ felt like a curse, making them break out in a cold sweat despite the winter chill.
Finally, when they heard the number ‘12,888,’ they collectively exhaled in relief.
Thank god, just over ten grand. Totally manageable.
The whole thing had been so nerve-wracking they nearly had heart attacks.
Wiping his sweat, Brother Pao asked with newfound hope, “Lawyer Zhao, that’s… that’s it, right? Everything’s added up?”
Zhao Tianyi nodded. “Yep, all done.”
Just as Brother Pao was about to say they’d gather the money—
Zhao Tianyi casually added, “The 12,888 yuan is per person. We have 339 people here, so multiply that by 339—total comes to 4,369,032. Add the 400,000+ for the store, and we’re looking at 4.8 million.”
“Tell you what, I’ll be generous and round it up. Let’s call it 5 million!”
The moment the words left his mouth—
Brother Pao’s eyes rolled back, his legs gave out, and he collapsed in a dead faint.
The others weren’t faring much better—faces ghostly pale, hands clutching their chests.
Now, they all shared Brother Pao’s earlier thought:
Bright Pearl City is definitely cursed!
“Lawyer Zhao, we don’t have that kind of money! Can we do installments?”
“Lawyer, look at us—over a hundred guys here. Just pick whoever you like and send ‘em to a coal mine to work off the debt!”
“I can haul bricks! I’m strong!”
“I can drive a tractor—will that count?”
“Lawyer, my… my kidneys are still good. Wanna check?”
“……”
Each suggestion was wilder than the last, making Zhao Tianyi’s eye twitch.
Even Li Xiaohui winced, whispering to Yu Xin, “Lawyer Zhao’s words hit harder than our clubs. This is murder without bloodshed!”
……
In a grand hall, two rows of wooden chairs lined the sides—five on each, perfectly aligned.
At the far end stood an imposing rosewood throne, its back framed by a massive scroll bearing the character for “Loyalty.”
Currently, eight out of the ten chairs were occupied—by the three hall masters of the Loyalty Union, several retired elders, and other key figures from allied groups.
Normally, the gang’s leader was elected by these very people. A majority vote was all it took.
But in reality, this system had only been used once—over half a year ago, when Pan Xing took the seat.
On paper, the Loyalty Union had two leaders: Liu Lei and Pan Xing.
In truth, there were three.
The first was an absolute madman—ruthless in fights, fearless in crime, downright lawless.
Just as he was about to establish the Loyalty Union, he dropped dead.
His second-in-command, Liu Lei, found himself thrust into the leadership role, bewildered but surrounded by loyal brothers.
He never wanted to form the gang, let alone lead it.
What kind of undercover cop becomes a gang boss?
But he still had leads to chase, so he played along, reluctantly founding the Loyalty Union under pressure.
In the end, though, things didn’t go well for him.
Which was why Liu Yutong joked that the leader’s seat was cursed.
The current boss, Pan Xing, was still fighting for his life in the ICU.
The Loyalty Union’s three hall masters:
Lei Zhen of the White Tiger Hall—a burly, middle-aged brute with a face full of menace.
Wu Rong of the Vermilion Bird Hall—nearly sixty but sharp as a blade, his piercing gaze betraying decades of underworld experience.
And Scarface of the Black Tortoise Hall, best described in two words: career thug.
Notably, the vacant Azure Dragon Hall’s seat was occupied by a woman in a red, fur-lined qipao.
