Max nervously stole a glance at Shawn Young sitting beside him. Shawn had a half-smile, half-smirk on his face, his eyes glinting with something strange. Max's heart skipped a beat—he was genuinely scared that if Shawn got pissed off, he might just go berserk and wipe out Max, Leo Chen, and everyone else in the room! After all, Max was convinced Shawn absolutely had the power to do it!
"Uh—Mr. Max, now that you've had your fun, shouldn't we get down to business?" Shawn Young grinned at Max, but there was a flash of menace in his eyes. He'd already decided: if Max tried anything funny again, he'd take him out, then deal with Leo Chen and the others. But Shawn really hoped it wouldn't come to that—he still hadn't found Tang Qianqian and the others, and needed Leo to lead the way. So for now, he held back, not wanting to spook anyone.
"Oh! Oh! Right, right, business first! Mr. Chen, let's go check on those China agents!" Max caught the dangerous glint in Shawn's eyes and felt his scalp tingle. He quickly played along, turning to Leo Chen.
Leo Chen glanced curiously at Max, then at Shawn Young, frowning in confusion. "Hmm? Bro, you look kinda new here! What's wrong, don't like it here? Beautiful women, booze—what's the rush to run off to some bloody mess?"
Shawn Young was startled by the question, secretly anxious. He hadn't expected his impatience to slip through and make old fox Leo Chen suspicious. His face darkened, a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes, and he quietly gathered his energy, ready to flip out on Leo at a moment's notice.
"Uh—what's up, bro? Did you get triggered just now? Want to find a woman to cool off?" Leo Chen sensed the killing intent in Shawn's eyes and got a little spooked. But when he looked down, he saw that Shawn's 'third leg' was pitching a tent in his pants. Leo burst out laughing, thinking Shawn must've been fired up by Max and that wild scene with the black beauty just now.
"Uh—uh—I—I—" Shawn Young was caught off guard by Leo Chen's comment, freezing for a moment, totally at a loss for words.
"Heh heh—what's youth without a little wildness! Bro, you look strong and fit, bet you're a beast in bed! Heh—man to man, the better you are, the more women flock to you! Since you're Max's buddy, you're one of us now. If you want a woman, just pick one here! Heh, we're all guys—I get it—" Leo Chen grinned at Shawn, acting all 'understanding'.
"N-no, maybe not for now. Let's handle business first!" Shawn Young hurriedly replied.
"Oh?! Bro, you don't like the women here or something? What's the rush?" Leo Chen noticed Shawn Young acting pretty weird.
"Oh! Mr. Chen, here's the thing—my buddy here has seen too much action, got a bit traumatized, mild PTSD and all. Now he's got this thing for bloody violence and torture—only seeing blood gets him really excited! That's why he prefers getting it on with women in prison cells!" Max, thinking fast, blurted out a random excuse. He could feel Shawn Young's murderous vibe ready to explode, and if Shawn snapped, it wouldn't just be Leo Chen in trouble—Max might get caught up in it too.
"Uh—PTSD?! What's that supposed to mean?" Leo Chen asked Max, looking puzzled.
"Oh! PTSD—it's post-traumatic stress disorder. When someone goes through crazy threats or disasters, it messes with their head. You get all kinds of mental issues—happens a lot to us mercenaries who've spent years on battlefields. The place is so brutal, tons of soldiers end up with PTSD. It's even called 'shell shock' sometimes! For us mercs, it's pretty common—makes you anxious, scared, bloodthirsty, cruel, irritable, and totally unpredictable. Sigh—my buddy here gets pissed off super easily these days!" Max explained, giving Shawn Young a sympathetic look.
"Oh! So that's it! No wonder our bro here looks ready to kill someone, heh—" Leo Chen said, suddenly enlightened.
"Yeah, I wanna smash someone! Really bad—take me to beat someone up! I need blood to feel alive!" Shawn Young shouted, stomping hard—"Bang!"—and kicked over a leather sofa. He bared his teeth in a wicked grin, looking every bit the crazed psycho.
"Alright! Alright! I'll take you right now—let you have at those China agents! Heh, they're tough as nails—perfect for someone like you! I bet Gerhard will love having you help torture them! Let's go! Hahaha—" Leo Chen laughed, waving everyone along as he led Max and Shawn Young deeper into Nick Carter's palace.
They walked inside, pushed open a back door, and found a whole new world—way more lavish than outside. There was even a small swimming pool, surrounded by mahogany wine cabinets and fancy furniture. By the pool sat a huge soft bed, with whips, candles, shackles, ropes, and even a blood-stained dagger on it. The blood was dried and dark—clearly, that knife had been lying there for at least two days.
"Heh heh—this is Nick Carter's private playroom. He loves bringing in a bunch of women, messing with them, and slicing his own flesh with that dagger for kicks. Gets him all worked up. Surprised by how hardcore Nick Carter's tastes are?" Leo Chen said with a weird laugh, introducing the place.
"Oh! Heh heh—never would've guessed!" Max said, shocked that Nick Carter, that skinny, dark guy, was such a hardcore freak. Guess you really can't judge a book by its cover!
"Heh—Mr. Carter's hobbies are definitely one of a kind. Over there is his private prison—he loves locking up pretty girls and playing with them. But right now, Gerhard's using it. Gerhard's a gentleman, he doesn't mess around like that. Still, things are a bit crazy now, so bro, you might be just the help Gerhard needs! I bet he'll appreciate it—" Leo Chen laughed, leading Max and Shawn Young to a spot by the pool. There, a dazzling golden metal door gleamed brightly. Leo stopped outside, reached out, and knocked gently.