Initially, Dean believed that Charlie would continue to inflict pain upon himself until death, but he never anticipated that Charlie would actually offer him a chance to redeem himself through good deeds.


    Consequently, Dean’s desperate existence suddenly seemed to glimmer with a faint hope.


    Filled with excitement, he nodded vigorously without a second thought, expressing his earnestmitment: “Rest assured, sir, I will take excellent care of him and ensure his satisfaction!”


    At that moment, John Lawrence felt a wave of darkness wash over him, nearly causing him to faint. He couldn’t fathom the torment Dean would impose if he exchanged his fate for Charlie’s favor.


    With this thought, he immediately knelt down, pleading, “Sir, please forgive me this time. I’m old and can’t withstand any more trouble!”<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    Charlie waved his hand dismissively, saying, “It’s alright, don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.”


    He then turned to Dean, who was still on the ground, and said earnestly, “Listen closely. No matter what happens, you must ensure Mr. Lawrence’s safety. Do you understand?” Dean, without a moment’s hesitation, nodded vigorously.


    “Hear me clearly, understand?” he reiterated.


    After that, he quickly nced at John Lawrence, whose face was streaked with tears, and added, “Lawrence, don’t worry, I’ll be very gentle!”


    However, instead of feeling any reassurance, John Lawrence realized that his future looked grim.


    He turned to Charlie, wanting to plead for mercy once more, his voice trembling as he said, “Sir, I…”


    Charlie interrupted him coldly, raising a hand to silence him. He threatened, “This is the best deal I can offer. If you refuse it, I’ll include someone else in this arrangement.” He pointed towards Dean on the ground.<fnaae0> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n find?novel</fnaae0>


    With a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, he added, “I’m sure he’s not the only one in this cell with simr interests, right? What about the guy with the broken leg?” John Lawrence hadn’t anticipated such an unyielding stance from Charlie. Overwhelmed, he copsed, sobbing uncontrobly.


    Charlie, maintaining a facade of amusement, remarked, “Crying? You’ll need to cry, too!”


    Upon hearing this, John Lawrence, despite his tears streaming down, felt his sobs echoing like a runaway tractor. Yet, he fought to regain hisposure.


    He recognized that surrendering under the current conditions was his best option; stubborn resistance would only worsen his predicament. It was reminiscent of Japan in 1945—if they had surrendered honestly, they might have avoided two atomic bombings.


    Noticing that John Lawrence had fallen silent, Charlie ignored him and cleared his throat, announcing coldly, “From now on, I am in charge here. Everyone must obey me unconditionally, 24 hours a day. Any resistance or disobedience will lead to consequences worse than what you face today.”


    Having learned this lesson recently, no one dared to speak up. They all nodded in unison, like an oil extraction machine operating at twenty times its average speed.


    Seeing the evident fear in their eyes, Charlie felt a sense of satisfaction. He thenmanded, “Everyone, pay attention!” At once, everyone stood at attention as quickly as possible, with Dean stumbling to join the formation at the end of the line.


    The boy with the broken leg struggled to rise, but the moment he stood, pain forced him back to the ground.


    Charlie nced at him and said calmly, “You don’t need to stand in line.”


    The boy, drenched in nervous sweat, sighed in relief and replied, “Thank you, sir!”


    Charlie disregarded the gratitude and continued barking orders, “Everyone, turn right!”


    Everyoneplied immediately, yet one boy turned ny degrees in the opposite direction.


    Charlie recognized this kid as one of Dean’s younger associates, who had been cheering upon arrival.


    Pointing at him, Charlie asked, “What’s your issue? Are you intentionally defying me?”


    Terrified, the boy shook his head vigorously, his face a mask of distress. “I’m sorry, sir… I’ve always been a bit confused about directions…”


    “You can’t tell left from right?” Charlie smiled slightly, “No problem, I can assist you.”