Then let the witch offer her loyalty

The latter fetched scissors and a first-aid kit, cut open Chu Fan's pants, and treated his burns.

Qin Wei, showing utmost courtesy, personally handed Chu Fan a cup of tea and said calmly, "Tell me, start from the beginning. How did you and Chen Moxin meet? What happened after you met?"

With trembling hands, Chu Fan picked up the teacup, took a sip, and began to recount his past with Chen Moxin in a low voice.

After listening, Qin Wei stroked his chin and asked, "You just said that Chen Moxin killed more than 30 people in a loan sharking organization and then tried to pin the blame on you."

"And later, in order to fight for custody of the witch, he conspired with you to murder her father... Do you have any evidence of these things?"

Chu Fan shook his head and muttered, "There's definitely no such thing. If there were, he would have killed me long ago."

Qin Wei slammed his hand on the table: "Then what you're saying is just like farting! Without evidence, what good is your mouth alone?!"

Chu Fan hurriedly waved his hands and protested his innocence: "You can't say that! What could I do? It's all in the past. If there's no evidence, there's no evidence. Do you expect me to travel back in time to gather evidence for you?"

"Brother, I'm begging you, I'm just a nobody, you can crush me with a flick of your finger!"

"I really don't want to get involved in your battle of gods! Can you show me a way out?"

Qin Wei squinted and said, "You just said that Chen Moxin came to see you last night? Not long before I sent people to look for you?"

Chu Fan nodded without hesitation: "Yes, he kept trying to fool me, wanting me to become some kind of frontier godfather."

"I don't want to listen to him at all. I know my own limitations. I'm lucky if I can make a living. What kind of godfather am I!"

"But if I shake my head, he'll kill me! I had no choice but to agree!"

Qin Wei grinned coldly, his voice turning sinister: "How can I believe you're not putting on a show of self-inflicted suffering in front of me?"

"Perhaps what you're telling me now is all at Chen Moxin's behest. You two have been in cahoots all along, using this self-inflicted injury to trick me into trusting you."

Chu Fan's expression froze: "No...then how do you want me to prove it?"

Qin Wei fiddled with the tea pet on the table and said meaningfully, "Little brother, actually, I don't care what you really think or which side you're leaning towards."

"Because in my view, people are naturally inclined to seek benefits and avoid harms. The benefits I'm referring to can be things like wealth, status, emotional value, personal ideals, and so on."

"The harm we are talking about is the price we have to pay for it, such as time, money, health, life, reputation, and so on."

"So don't think that those loyal people are so great. In the end, it's just that the benefits they gain outweigh the harm they have to bear."

"Those with ulterior motives are not necessarily despicable; it's just that the harm they have to endure outweighs the benefits, forcing them to change course."

"The world is bustling with people coming and going for profit. If I want to use someone, the method is very simple: I will make them realize that the benefits of joining me outweigh the harms, and the harms of not joining me outweigh the benefits."

"You too. Chen Moxin wants you to be the godfather of the frontier, right? Fine, then you can be the godfather. Anyway, so many people have died and the frontier is in chaos. It's time to support a decent leader."

At this point, Qin Wei took out a cigarette from his pocket.

Before he could even reach for the lighter on the coffee table, Chu Fan had already picked it up and respectfully lit his cigarette.

Qin Wei smiled and glanced at Chu Fan, letting him light his cigarette. He took a drag and slowly exhaled, then continued, "I'll put in a good word with the other groups on the border."

"Although most of the people who used to work directly with me are dead, I still have some influence. As long as I show that it's my idea, the people below will definitely listen to me."

"You can choose for yourself, see who wants to use it, how to use it, and where to use it. It's all up to you. Just don't go too far."

Chu Fan was overjoyed at this windfall.

He knelt down in front of Qin Wei with a thud, bowing and kowtowing repeatedly: "Uncle Qin, I heard that you have no children and my parents died young. If you don't mind, I would like to take care of you in your old age!"

Qin Wei kicked him and laughed irritably, "Have you been watching too many TV dramas? Don't you know that line is unlucky?"

"Don't be too happy yet, and don't rush to express your opinion. This is a transaction. I gave you something, and you have to leave something with me in return."

He snapped his fingers after saying that.

A short while later, a box was pushed in from outside.

This is a square wooden box, about half a person's height, that wobbles constantly when placed on the ground, clearly indicating that there is a living creature inside.

At Qin Wei's instruction, his trusted confidants opened the box.

Inside, there was a little girl who was tied up tightly. She looked very young, and it was unclear where she had been tied up. Her mouth was sealed with tape, and she was staring wide-eyed in terror, making muffled noises.

"Take off your clothes," Qin Wei ordered Chu Fan.

Chu Fan stood there, stunned, his eyes filled with confusion: "Brother... what are you doing..."

Qin Wei revealed a meaningful smile: "Didn't you just call me Uncle Qin? Why has the seniority changed back? Take it off when I tell you to. If you can't take it off, I'll call someone to help you."

Before Chu Fan could react, several of his confidants approached him and forcibly stripped him naked.

Chu Fan stood there blankly, naked and huddled there.

At this moment, a trusted confidant turned on a video camera and began filming the girl.

Qin Wei said to Chu Fan with great interest, "Little brother, go ahead, what are you waiting for? It's time for the actors to go on stage."

Chu Fan seemed to realize something, and a look of horror flashed in his eyes: "Uncle Qin... what... what are you going to do..."

Qin Wei's smile grew even more playful: "What do you mean, 'Do what a man should do'?"

Chu Fan looked at the girl in horror, and the girl looked at him with fear and helplessness.

"Uncle Qin...she's still a child!"

"Haha, look at what you're saying. If I were to find you a normal girl, wouldn't it turn into a pornographic film shoot?"

Qin Wei threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out. He pointed to the camera in his confidant's hand and said, "I will keep this video. Consider it your pledge of allegiance to me."

"Do what you're supposed to do in front of the camera, and then—"

Qin Wei smiled, his indifferent voice filled with coldness.

"Strangle her."

"Go, Chu Fan. Once you've done this, you'll be the true godfather of the frontier."

Chapter 222 Strangulation

"Brother Fan...Brother Fan!"

As the call came, Chu Fan's eyes gradually focused, and he came back to his senses and looked ahead.

This is a conference room with more than 30 people in it. The people present are the new leaders of a large-scale violent group on the border after the massacre at the Golden Jade Hotel.

Chu Fan sat in the main seat, with a dragon-headed staff beside him, and the newly appointed leaders all looked at him with fawning smiles.

The man who had spoken earlier loosened his tie, bowed and scraped to Chu Fan, and said with a smile, "Brother Fan, we have all been taken care of by Uncle Qin all along. He is like a father to us."

"Don't worry, since he has already said that we should follow you, we will definitely listen to you."

Chu Fan stroked the dragon-headed staff in his arms and said calmly, "I am very happy that everyone is cooperating so well. We are all making a living on the frontier and working for Uncle Qin, so naturally we must be of one mind."

"Without further ado, I need to explain a few things. First, the cooperation between our various parties."

"I know some of you here and have interacted with you before, while I am not very familiar with some of you or do not know you at all."

"There's a saying that goes, 'Understanding is the foundation of cooperation.' If I don't even understand the situation, how can I talk about leading everyone to progress together?"

Chu Fan tapped the ground with his dragon-headed cane and said slowly, "So for the next period of time, I will send some people to your side. They are all brothers I trust, and you can rest assured about their character and strength."

"I hope everyone can give me some face and talk to them about the various situations and business matters within their own groups. I'll also try to find them some important jobs so that we can work together better."

The leaders present looked at each other, and all of them seemed a little embarrassed, forcing a dry laugh.

No one made a statement; they didn't say no, but they also didn't say yes, which clearly indicated that they had concerns.

A man with a scar on his head crossed his arms, snorted coldly, and voiced everyone's concerns: "Brother Fan, this doesn't seem very fair, does it?"

“We’re all on the same side here, so let’s not hide anything and let’s speak frankly. What you’re doing, claiming to promote communication and mutual understanding, is actually just driving nails into our ranks.”

“You’ve just been put forward as the person in charge, and you’re worried about being sidelined and want to secure your position, which I understand, but you can’t be so direct.”

"What's the difference between you forcing people in like this and raping an omega? If anything happens in the future, will it be the people you sent in who have the final say, or us?"

Chu Fan silently looked at the scarred man, his voice as calm as ever: "It sounds like you have a problem with me."

Scarface was a tough guy. He tilted his head and looked Chu Fan in the eye without flinching: "You know what, I actually feel really uncomfortable about it."

"I really don't understand. In terms of age and qualifications, who among you isn't older than you? In terms of the time you've served Uncle Qin, who among you hasn't served you longer?"

"Aren't you just a middleman? How can a mere seller act so arrogantly towards us? I really don't understand."

Scarface had been in the underworld for so many years, he was not stupid. After talking back to Chu Fan, he clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Brother Fan, I didn't mean to cause trouble. It's just that we're family, so I spoke so directly. Please don't take offense."

"I'm really curious, can you satisfy everyone's curiosity? How exactly did you talk to Uncle Qin to get him to hand over such an important position as the head of the company to you?"

Chu Fan rested his hand on the dragon-headed staff, his knuckles taut and white, staring intently at the scarred man with a half-smile.

Suddenly, Chu Fan stood up, slowly walked behind the scarred man, and put his hands on his shoulders.

The scarred man remained calm, his expression unchanged.

Don't be fooled by those movies where the gangsters are all ugly and shabby, and they'll slam their fists on the table and smash things at the drop of a hat.

People who rise to the rank of leader are definitely not the frivolous thugs depicted in movies.

This meeting was, after all, a formal meeting between the leaders of various factions.

He really didn't believe that Chu Fan could beat him up.

"Shh-"

Without warning, Scarface felt his breath catch in his throat as his neck was being strangled.

Chu Fan's right hand passed through the scarred man's chin, while his left arm quickly wrapped around the scarred man's neck from behind. The two arms crossed and locked together, directly locking the scarred man's neck with a rear naked choke.

The leaders were all taken aback.

"Brother Fan, what are you doing?!"

Scarface's eyes bulged out, and he kept grabbing Chu Fan's wrists with both hands, trying to break free.

However, in the absence of an absolute power difference, naked tethering is unsolvable.

With the blood vessels in his neck compressed, Scarface felt his strength rapidly draining away. His face quickly turned red, his veins bulged, and his eyes became bloodshot.

Chu Fan pressed his cheek against the scarred man's head, ignoring everyone's gasps, his expressionless face as cold as a stone sculpture.

"Uh—ha...cough ha..."

Scarface struggled frantically, falling off the chair and dragging Chu Fan along, violently tossing and rolling them around.

Under immense pressure, the capillaries in Scarface's nasal cavity ruptured, and blood quickly spilled out, mixing with sweat and falling to the ground. The roar from his throat grew increasingly sharp and rapid.

Chu Fan's face remained expressionless, his arm muscles taut like steel cables, holding the other person firmly no matter how much they struggled.

"No, Brother Fan, we're all on the same side, is it really necessary to make such a fuss?!"

"Let's talk this out, don't resort to violence!"

"That's enough of a lesson; otherwise, someone might die!!!"

Scarface's eyes began to roll upwards, blood vessels spreading across his eyeballs like a torn spider web. His mouth twitched as he spat out a few drops of bloody saliva. He could no longer roar; only his hoarse breathing sounded like blades scraping against each other.

In contrast, Chu Fan tightened his grip even more, as if he wanted to crush the air itself, his gaze as cold and piercing as that of an executioner.

This sight immediately sent chills down everyone's spines.

At first, they thought that Chu Fan felt challenged and wanted to teach Scarface a lesson.

But now we realize something is wrong.

This is not as simple as just learning a lesson.

That's a murderous look in my eyes!

Naked chokeholds are very fast-acting. In less than ten seconds, Scarface's hands had lost all strength and were futilely clinging to Chu Fan's arms. Bloody saliva spilled from his mouth, and his body gradually lost its support, sliding towards the ground.

On the other hand, Chu Fan did not let go even after the other party was unconscious. He maintained the strangulation posture and even tightened the grip as the other party lost resistance.

Under Chu Fan's abuse, the scarred man's chin was almost touching his chest, and his neck was bent into a hook shape.

They continued to strangle him for several minutes until his face turned deathly gray and his eyes became completely unfocused. He was strangled to death.

"Crack!" Chu Fan exerted force and snapped the scarred man's neck to finish him off, making him completely dead before throwing the corpse aside and standing up.

He didn't even look at the person he had killed with his own hands; he simply gripped the person's shoulder and twisted the person's neck from side to side.

"Crack, crack—" The sound of bones grinding together was dull, menacing, and sent chills down one's spine.

Chu Fan slowly sat back down, his face devoid of a cold, sinister smile or anger, only a chilling indifference.