An effective way to communicate

Bang.

A sharp report rang out, and a bullet flew over Li Mucheng's head.

The kneeling punks stared at the handgun in Chen Ying's hand. Although they had guessed it was real, when it actually went off, a few of the timid ones still wet their pants.

Thank goodness. Thank goodness that bastard Ying didn't dare actually kill anyone.

But he was so crazy. Who knew what the next shot would bring?

Their minds were in turmoil.

"Sorry, I only just got this gun. My aim's bad. I missed."

Chen Ying looked at the handgun in his hand.

"But I definitely won't miss the next one. Let's keep voting and see who deserves the next shot."

Chen Ying looked at Brother Cheng, whose crotch was soaked.

"Brother Cheng, you really are wise and mighty. You've soaked your whole pair of pants. Your reward is the first vote."

Brother Cheng gasped for breath. He still hadn't recovered from that shot.

"Brother Cheng?"

Chen Ying called again, but Brother Cheng still didn't react.

"Crazy bastard. Looks like I'll have to shoot at you again."

Chen Ying aimed at his forehead and pulled the trigger.

Click.

"Ah..."

Brother Cheng let out a piercing shriek, as though he and his mother were both being violated.

"I'm not dead? I... I'm not dead!"

"Brother Cheng, you've really got something. Even that didn't kill you. Heaven really does favor scumbags."

Chen Ying looked at the remaining kiddies.

"All right, the four rounds left are all the genuine article. Which friend should go next? A zero percent chance of survival, certain death, and the best of luck."

Chen Ying had arranged the rounds in advance. He hadn't spun the cylinder at all. This was exactly the effect he wanted.

"Brother Cheng, you wasted your chance just now. Why don't you call the shots this time? Who gets the next bullet?"

Brother Cheng's eyes swept viciously over everyone before him before he finally pointed at the toad-like, lumpy-faced boy on the other side.

"Aji. Him."

That bastard Aji was the one who sold me out just now. Fine, let that bastard Ying shoot him dead this time, then I'll call the police.

That's right. Once that punk Ying kills someone, he's finished.

I've got to endure this. Endure it first, then deal with everything else afterward.

Bastard. This punk was only sick for a few months. How did he develop such powerful fists? What martial arts school would take trash like him?

Countless thoughts ran through Brother Cheng's mind.

Chen Ying smiled at his answer.

"Aji, right? Your boss wants you dead."

Lumpy-faced Aji knelt on the ground.

"Brother Ying, I was forced into it too. If I didn't follow him and bully people, he'd bully me. Brother Ying, let me go. I really... I'm my parents' only son..."

"Brother Ying, I..."

"Following a boss like that is a real joke. He keeps all the good things for himself and makes his underlings take the fall when trouble comes. Brother Aji, I really feel wronged on your behalf."

Chen Ying shook his head.

"Yes, Brother Ying, Young Master Ying. That piece of shit Cheng isn't human."

"But rules are rules. I've already made myself clear, so I can't just change them. Brother Aji, you won't blame me, will you?"

Chen Ying pointed the gun at his head.

"Brother Ying, I'm really sorry. I... Brother Ying, can't we talk this over... Brother Ying, I want to follow you. Brother Ying..."

Tears and snot streamed down Aji's face. He didn't even know what he was saying.

"If you cursed me out or told me to fuck my mother, at least you'd have some backbone. You're like a puddle of mud, yet you claim you're part of the underworld. Who knows whether you're running with gangsters or wallowing in a cesspit."

Chen Ying sighed.

"But how about this? Even if you're going to die, you can still vent a little. Go slap Brother Cheng a hundred times. At least you'll feel a little better."

Slap him?

Aji looked at Brother Cheng on the other side.

"Don't understand? Slap him across the face. Smack him. Hit him. Don't want to? Then you can die right now."

Chen Ying cocked the hammer and put his finger on the trigger.

"Thank you, Brother Ying. Thank you, Brother Ying. I'll hit him."

Aji crawled over and slapped Brother Cheng hard across the face.

"Bastard, you set me up?"

That single slap left half of Brother Cheng's face swollen.

"You set me up first."

Brother Cheng glared at Aji.

"Still talking back? I'll make sure Brother Ying shoots you dead. Bastard, screwing over all of us brothers."

Aji delivered another vicious slap.

"Toad Aji, you're really hitting me?"

The third slap left blood at the corner of Brother Cheng's mouth.

"I'll hit your mother's stinking cunt."

"Fine, hit me. Sell me out. Let's see how you die in a minute."

"Bastard, you think you can really get away?"

The fourth slap, then the fifth.

Aji put all his strength into it, beating Brother Cheng as though he meant to kill him.

After twenty-odd slaps, Brother Cheng's face had swollen like a pig's head, and he no longer even had the strength to kneel. Aji kept hitting him hard.

"Bastard..." "Piece of trash..." "I'll fuck your ass..."

The remaining punks exchanged looks. Watching the scene before them, every one of them was utterly despondent.

"It's fine. There'll still be three bullets left and six of you. Your survival rate is a whopping fifty percent."

Chen Ying stared at them as he spoke.

"Of course, if someone tries to run, I'll fire a few extra bullets, and your chances of survival will get even higher. Any friends here willing to make a heroic sacrifice and give their brothers a chance to live?"

Silence fell. Only the dull smacks of palm against face echoed.

Seventy... eighty... ninety-seven, ninety-eight...

By the end, Aji was exhausted, and Brother Cheng's face looked like a risen steamed bun smeared with cinnabar.

Even using all his strength, Aji couldn't slap someone to death.

Besides, by the end, he no longer had the will to keep hitting him.

The hundredth slap would mark his own death.

"Ha... hahaha... ha..."

Brother Cheng laughed.

"Asshole, what are you laughing at?"

Toad Aji had run out of strength too, and he panted as he asked.

"I'm laughing because you're going to die, you nutcase."

A savage look showed on Brother Cheng's face.

"Hit me. Why don't you dare hit me anymore? Beat me to death."

"Ass... asshole..."

Aji's face was covered in tears.

"This is your boss. This is your loyalty."

Chen Ying looked at the others and shook his head.

"Yisheng? Rank-and-file gangsters? You're just having a wet dream. Wake up already."

He exhaled a stale breath.

"I'm no demon, after all. I don't want to wipe you lot out. Here's what we'll do. Everyone take off your pants. Put your trousers aside and pull your underwear over your heads."

The others exchanged looks. There was excitement in their eyes, but they also had no idea what trick Chen Ying had arranged this time.

"So shy? If you don't like it, we'll carry on."

He swung the handgun across them, and they all obeyed. Only the gorilla-like Aheng lay on the ground. His collarbone was broken, and he couldn't move his arm or get up.

"Brother Ying... I..."

Aheng looked troubled.

"Aren't you his brothers? Help him, for fuck's sake."

Chen Ying really couldn't stand watching.

Only then did the others gather around and help Aheng complete the process.

In the end, a bunch of bare-assed assholes knelt on the rooftop with underwear over their heads.

"Brother Aji, thanks for the effort. Find a lighter or some matches on Brother Cheng and burn all these trousers."

Aji's lips trembled as he found a box of matches in Brother Cheng's trousers, but no matter what he did, he couldn't light them.

"Reporting... reporting to Young Master Ying. The matches are soaked in piss. They won't light..."

"Bloody hell, sorry. I didn't think that through. You lot have such healthy bladders, and your trousers are so wet they won't burn."

"How about this? Let's have a race."

Chen Ying pointed at the door nearby.

"I'll count to ten. Start running now. Whoever's slowest gets shot. You'd better get outside the school gates and bring people back to corner me."

Bang.

Chen Ying fired a shot into the sky.

"Hurry up. I'm starting the count now."

Even the gorilla with the broken collarbone found some strength now. With underwear on their heads, they scrambled to run out ahead of one another.

The punk in front yanked away the iron bar wedged against the door and raced downstairs without looking back.

The school immediately erupted.

"Whoa, streakers!"

"That guy looks like a pighead."

"Look at those little earthworms. What are they showing off for?"

"Isn't that Brother Cheng? He's so tiny."

"Hey, you lot! No streaking at school."

The old gatekeeper stood at the entrance, watching the gang scramble out through the gates.

"Trying to play gangster?"

Chen Ying looked at the handgun in his hand.

Mr. Wen was right. Developing Bright Strength and snapping someone's collarbone wasn't as persuasive as this handgun.

"Buddy, you really are the most effective way to communicate with punks."