Chapter 184: I’m Not A Fool With Money To Burn!
“Cao Ye, take another look at this knife.”
“Stop, stop, stop~” Seeing Liu Zhan’s excited look, Cao Weida really couldn’t take it anymore. What kind of fetish was this!
Death by a thousand cuts is death by a thousand cuts, live flaying is live flaying. You introduce it to the prisoner? What’s the point of introducing it to us!
“Ahem, anyway, Liu Zhan, my time is limited. Let’s just get started directly and not waste time.”
“Anyway, I’ll leave two people here. If you need anything prepared, just ask them for it.”
With that, he turned his gaze to everyone in the interrogation room.
Everyone’s eyelids twitched, and they all retreated a step in unison, turning their heads away. Not one dared to meet his eyes.
“Little Ear.”
“Big Brother Cao!” Little Ear jumped in fright and bolted for the door: “I just remembered something I haven’t done yet. I’ll go now!”
If it were anything else, he naturally wouldn’t hesitate, but for something so disgusting, he really didn’t have the mental capacity to handle it. Better to slip away.
Cao Weida chuckled wryly. He really hadn’t meant to keep Little Ear there. He just wanted to say he was thirsty and ask him to fetch a cup of water.
He then turned his gaze to the two patrolmen who had dragged the human trafficker in.
The two patrolmen shuddered and immediately ran out: “Master Lian, we’ll help you!”
Fine, these two couldn’t be relied on either.
So, he looked at the interrogators.
The three interrogators were just about to run when Cao Weida barked at them: “Stand still! If you dare run, this old man will break your legs!”
The three interrogators were on the verge of tears, wanting to run but not daring to.
They weren’t inexperienced in interrogating prisoners and considered their own methods quite perverted on normal days, but even they found Liu Zhan’s methods too perverted.
Three thousand cuts, death by a thousand cuts!
Just thinking about it made them tremble!
“Alright, stop looking so glum.” Cao Weida said irritably: “You don’t need to attend the whole time. Just hand over tools when Liu Zhan needs them.”
“Yes, Cao Ye.” The three had no choice. With him saying that, they could only agree.
However,
“Cao Ye, out of us three, which two should stay?”
Cao Weida looked them over back and forth. The three looked hopeful, all wishing they weren’t the two.
He smirked inwardly: “You three have such deep brotherly affection. It wouldn’t be right to leave any out. More manpower is good too, so all of you stay to help Liu Zhan.”
“Ah?~” The three wailed inwardly.
Cao Weida didn’t care what they thought and got up to head out: “Arrange a separate room specifically for Liu Zhan to practice his family craft. This is still the interrogation room, and we have to entertain that bunch of beasts. We can’t waste it!”
“Liu Zhan, I’ll arrange two people for you each day. That should keep you busy enough, right?”
Liu Zhan was stunned for a moment, then shook his head with difficulty: “Cao Ye, you might not know this, but death by a thousand cuts requires ensuring the prisoner doesn’t die early from excessive blood loss. The process must be meticulous. If it’s just dozens of cuts, half a day is enough, but for live flaying with three thousand cuts, or even the ultimate 3600 cuts, it takes days.”
“No need for three thousand cuts. Thirty cuts will do!” Cao Weida hurriedly said. Though at first he was so furious he itched to have them flayed three thousand cuts one by one!
But if he really had to order three thousand cuts, it would make him sick just thinking about it.
Crucially, it wouldn’t look good for his reputation.
Although most people wouldn’t object even if they knew, he was afraid some saints and ‘saints’ would use it as an excuse to attack him.
To avoid complications, better to kill them off quickly. Flaying them thirty cuts would count as vengeance for those poor children.
Sigh~ I’m still too kind.
Of course, there was another reason.
The people handed over by the last batch of black-hearted merchants selling opium and such would keep him busy killing for another two days.
With this batch of scourges, he could go several more days without going out to meet his KPI. He needed that urgently.
After weighing it all, he chose the most cost-effective option.
“I have one more requirement: absolutely don’t kill them for me. I want to finish off this batch of scum with my own hands!”
“Rest assured, Cao Ye. I’ll get it done.” Liu Zhan naturally had no objection. Three thousand cuts might be tricky, but did they understand the value of twelve generations of heritage for thirty cuts?
But inwardly, he felt a bit disappointed. Thirty cuts was too simple, not enough to showcase the value of his family craft!
“No buts. Speak up directly. No need to beat around the bush.”
“Yes, well, ever since executioners were abolished, our family has had no steady income, so things have been tight financially.” Liu Zhan looked a bit embarrassed and awkward as he said:
“To ensure the prisoner doesn’t bleed to death during the punishment, we need medicine to help, so…”
Cao Weida understood. Wasn’t it just a lack of money? Easy fix.
“Naturally. I asked you to help, so I won’t have you work for free and pay out of pocket too. Whatever you need, just say it.”
He wouldn’t do something as black-hearted as making the horse run without letting it graze, like those capitalists.
“Cao Ye, everything I need is on this.” Liu Zhan handed over a sheet of paper.
Cao Weida took it, opened it, and read: Special salve containing hemostatic herbs and anesthetic components, but with weak anesthesia to prolong blood loss and keep the wounds fresh with pain.
Seeing the words ‘fresh’, Cao Weida’s mind involuntarily conjured up certain images, making him shudder.
He continued reading.
Mulberry hemp paper or hemp paper, for pressing wounds to absorb blood while isolating external infection.
Wet cloth, for wiping blood from the prisoner’s face or around wounds.
Fine hemp rope.
Indeed, professionals were professionals.
“Got it. I’ll have someone prepare the items shortly.” He stood up and tossed over a cigarette: “Smoke it slowly. Get more when it’s gone. Plenty to go around.”
He then pulled ten silver dollars from his pocket and handed them over:
“This is hardship fee. Death by a thousand cuts without dying, and I’ll reward you another ten silver dollars each. But if they die, no reward.”
He was really afraid Liu Zhan might accidentally kill one or two. These were his KPIs, after all!
Using money to secure his KPI for just this small amount? A great deal.
Liu Zhan was overjoyed. Ten silver dollars per person?!
Two per day, that’s twenty silver dollars?!
Sixty cuts for twenty silver dollars? Where else could he find such a good deal?!
His dad was right. Their family craft would definitely see use one day!
See, here it was!
Before coming, Master Lian had told him there were over a dozen, nearly twenty human traffickers. If he flayed them all, that’d be nearly two hundred silver dollars?!
“Thank you, Cao Ye! This one won’t fail the mission!”
He was thrilled inwardly. With this money, he could afford a wife!
The rest would let him eat and drink well for years!
At that moment, the human trafficker who had just fainted woke up and happened to hear these words.
Instantly, his eyes bulged like copper bells, and he opened his mouth to beg for mercy.
But before he could say two words, the three interrogators, seeing Cao Weida’s impatient expression, stuffed his mouth shut.
With his mouth blocked, he couldn’t make a sound, only muffled desperate whimpers.
Cao Weida was very satisfied with their actions and also noticed their envious looks when they heard the earlier words.
Cao Weida wasn’t stingy. They were helping out, so some incentive was needed. “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten you. Find a quiet spot soon. When monthly pay is issued, each of you gets an extra twenty silver dollars allowance.”
The three were elated. The slight resentment from being forced into the task instantly vanished with the twenty silver dollars reward.
Amid their great joy and endless thanks, Cao Weida left the interrogation room.
“Big Brother Cao.” Little Ear walked over with a silly grin.
Cao Weida rolled his eyes irritably. “You little punk, pretty quick on your feet.”
Little Ear shrank his neck and scratched his head. He hadn’t wanted to run, but just imagining the blood spraying everywhere made him unable to bear it.
He quickly changed the subject: “Big Brother Cao, that Jia Guangzheng sent you a pair of cloth shoes. He said his wife stitched them by hand, guaranteed comfortable. They’re in your office, as thanks for your life-saving grace.”
“That old guy.” Cao Weida felt a bit odd. He didn’t know if Jia Guangzheng was just too unlucky, with some so-called world correction making him get caught and nearly killed repeatedly.
Or if he was too lucky, getting saved by him every time.
Still, the fact that he sent a pair of cloth shoes made him a bit pleased.
Not just anyone could wear shoes stitched by Jia Zhangshi.
It was a kind of symbol??
Of course, that was a joke. Mainly, he knew the Jia family really had no money left. Probably the most presentable thing was his woman’s hand-stitched shoes.
“I’m heading to the hospital to visit Fujita Sosuke, that little devil. You go to Gendarmerie Headquarters first, coordinate the list of people caught these two days, then organize addresses and such from the list. Visit them one by one. If they have money, get it fast. If not, make them borrow it!”
“If they can’t even borrow, and there’s no other way, then tell them to work off the debt for this old man!”
“That Jia Guangzheng too. Notify him not a penny less. Isn’t he working at the steel rolling mill? Either borrow from his boss or have his woman come work as a nanny to pay the debt.”
“Thinking a pair of shoes can settle the debt? Impossible!”
He’d definitely save people, but he wouldn’t help for free.
Ono Shiota was willing to swap people, which was already their luck. If they wouldn’t pay, he’d have to foot the bill!
He wasn’t a sucker.
After assigning the tasks, Cao Weida hurried straight to the hospital.
