The three thieves story is a really good one and does reveal how slippery trust can be even amongst comrades! It's really a dilemma to balance trust while also keeping an eye open for cracks that eventually break the bond. If money is put into the equation, loyalty is quite cheap to purchase. And we sadly can't scold people for choosing survival over maintaining a highly esteemed human quality.
I read about the three thieves story when I was a kid, and over 20 years later, it still remains relevant. It seems like humans will be human, and time and evolution cannot fix things like disloyalty and greed. However, I think people owe it to their partners, comrades, business people to be loyal. It just gives you this cutting edge value when you're loyal
Yes, easy to stand out when you're loyal in this day and age. It could be a form of leverage too.