Volume One, Chapter 16: If One Does Not Look Out for Oneself, Heaven and Earth Will Condemn Them

In the past few days, I’ve been intermittently asking A-Long about Max’s situation. Each time I asked, he said Max was still receiving treatment at the hospital. I had always believed that Max was still there—after all, his injuries had been severe, not something to recover from in just a few days. But now, others were saying Max was dead. Who was lying?

Nothing happens without a cause. I didn’t know why, but I felt compelled to get to the bottom of this. Seeing that A-Long was about to finish his cigarette, I lit one for him and asked, “Hey man, who told you Max is dead?”

“I’m pretty familiar with the security guard who stands at the door. We were chatting after dinner, and I asked him what happened afterward. He told me Max died early, that night they took him from the office somewhere outside and kept him there. The next morning, when they went to check the body, it was already stiff.”

A chill ran through me, and an overwhelming sense of fear and worry surged inside. The message from the guard was beyond doubt—he had no connection to Max, no reason to lie. Besides, Max was the one they dragged away that very night. They would know better than anyone.

So it was clear: A-Long’s claim that Max was still in the hospital was a blatant lie.

A living person, gone in an instant.

Max’s fate made me fully realize just how dark and terrifying northern Myanmar really is. I witnessed firsthand how, for these powerful groups, killing a man is no different from slaughtering a chicken.

Back in the office, I messaged A-Long, asking where he was, determined to confront him and find out whether Max was alive or not. I also wanted to ask: was it really worth killing someone over a mere hundred thousand yuan or so? Was it necessary?

Maybe my tone was a bit harsh. A-Long thought something was wrong and hurried back. He came up to me anxiously, asking what was going on. I ignored him and walked toward the small partition, with him trailing behind.

Inside the partition, I fixed my gaze on him and asked, “A-Long, we’re brothers, right?”

“What else would we be if not brothers?”

He looked nervous under my stare, then said, “Dongzi, what’s the matter? Tell me, I’m about to worry myself sick.”

“Alright. Just be honest with me—how is Max now?”

He was taken aback, clearly not expecting such a serious confrontation over this. His expression turned indifferent, and he smiled, saying, “He’s still in the hospital. You saw how badly he was hurt that night. Of course, he needs a long time to recover.”

Even after all this, he still wanted to keep lying?

I wanted to see how far A-Long could spin this, so I said, “If he’s in that hospital, take me there to see him now.”

“What’s the point of seeing that bastard?”

“It’s work hours now, not convenient to go out.”

“Another day then. I’ll take you to see him another day.”

I’ve always admired how thick-skinned A-Long is. He lies without blushing or hesitation, his tone never betraying a hint of guilt.

Calling each other brothers, yet still deceiving me.

At that moment, I felt an indescribable exhaustion. I shook my head helplessly, sat down, lit a cigarette, and smoked silently.

“Dongzi, why do you seem so strange today?” A-Long stared at me from across the table.

I didn’t respond—just kept smoking quietly.

The atmosphere inside the small partition turned awkward.

Silence can be more torturous than words.

A-Long tried several times to get me to talk, but I ignored him. He grew visibly anxious, his face filled with grievance as he asked, “Dongzi, just say what’s on your mind. Don’t be like this.”

After hesitating a few seconds, I said, “Don’t you get it? What I want to say is obvious.”

“This is pointless, you know?”

A-Long paused for two seconds, probably thinking carefully about what I said earlier, then tentatively asked, “You know everything?”

“What else could it be?”

I looked him in the eye. “You keep saying we’re brothers, but have you ever been honest with me?”

A-Long’s guilty smile appeared. “Dongzi, we’re brothers—I really don’t want to lie to you.”

“The reason I didn’t tell you the truth is because I saw how much you cared about that bastard. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to accept the truth right away.”

I sighed deeply, at a loss for words.

I thought we had known each other since childhood and were quite close, but at that moment, A-Long felt like a stranger.

Since when did he become so ruthless, so callous with human life?

“Dongzi, it’s all in the past. There’s no need to overthink about someone you don’t even know.”

“We’re here for one purpose only: making money.”

“How to get more money—that’s what we need to focus on.”

Money really can make a person lose all principles and conscience.

Since coming here, I have seen this truth firsthand.

Rubbing my face hard with both hands, I asked, “Max’s fees were only about a hundred thousand. Was his life really worth so little?”

“Besides, if he couldn’t pay, wouldn’t his family have covered it?”

“Even if his family didn’t care, couldn’t he keep working to pay off the debt?”

“Killing him outright—working for a company like that makes me scared to stay, you know?”

Honestly, since learning that Max was dead, I’ve been filled with fear and disappointment about this place.

Not long ago, that man in the water prison died—I don’t even know his name. After understanding the risks of what he did, I could accept that the group wouldn’t let him go. If he got into trouble, the entire operation would be affected, and then the whole group. I had no strong feelings about it.

But Max’s case—I just couldn’t accept it.

He simply didn’t want to work anymore, didn’t want to cover the fees or run away. There was no risk involved, so I didn’t understand why they had to kill him.

Thinking back to that night, I realized that from the moment Max was caught, his fate had already been sealed.

The group’s higher-ups wanted to make an example—killing to warn others was not just for show; it was for real.

“You don’t understand!” A-Long took a deep drag of his cigarette and exhaled. “Different places have different rules.”

“Do you know what the company’s top bosses fear the most?”

I shook my head, thinking: if I knew, why would I waste time arguing with you here?

After a pause, A-Long continued, “Alright, I’ll tell you about something that happened last year, then you’ll understand!”

He began recounting an incident from the previous year.

After hearing it, I fully grasped why the bosses here were so cruel and ruthless.

In the end, everyone acts only for themselves, or else they perish.