"Hmm..."
"Where am I? Wasn't I just in the dormitory?"
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Hao slowly opened his eyes in a daze, looking around blankly.
It was a dimly lit and empty stone-tiled house, covered in dust and cobwebs.
The windows on the roof were shattered, allowing faint light to filter through, revealing Lin Jianjun and his wife tied to iron chairs, unconscious beside him...
"Huh (òωó?)?!!"
Seeing this scene, Lin Hao was instantly shocked awake.
He instinctively tried to stand up, only to realize that he was in the exact same position as his parents—tightly bound to an iron chair, unable to move.
"I… I've been kidnapped?"
Lin Hao wasn't stupid; he immediately realized what was happening and frantically called out his parents' names.
"Daddy! Mommy!!!"
"Something's wrong! We seem to have been kidnapped! Wake up! Help! Is anyone there?!!!"
As Lin Hao's wailing cries for help echoed.
Lin Jianjun and his wife gradually woke up one after another.
"Ah... Xiao Hao? This... what is happening?"
"Hubby~~ Save me! I can't move, I'm tied up!"
"Damn it, it seems we've been kidnapped? But who in Magic City doesn't know the Lin family is going bankrupt? What's the point of kidnapping us now?"
"......"
Realizing they were in danger, Lin Jianjun and his wife instantly panicked.
They vaguely remembered that not long ago...
Several men dressed in black, fully covered, had broken into their house.
They had used some unknown gas to knock them out, and when they woke up, they were here...
Perhaps the Lin family trio's cries for help were too loud, alerting the kidnappers outside.
Creak! Creak!
Under their panicked gazes, the rotting wooden door was pushed open, and two burly men walked in, their wolf-like eyes scanning the Lin family trio.
Both men wore masks, obscuring their faces.
"Who are you?! Let us go immediately, you bastards! I am the chairman of Lin Corporation!"
"You cowardly rats! How dare you kidnap me?! Release us now, and I will pretend this never happened!"
Lin Jianjun was panicking inside.
But he didn't want to appear weak, so he put on a tough front and threatened them.
The burly man leading them sneered disdainfully.
If Lin Corporation was still the hundred-billion-dollar empire it once was, he wouldn't have dared to kidnap them so openly.
After all, the social impact would be too big and might attract government attention.
But now, the situation was different...
A fallen phoenix is worse than a chicken.
Lin Corporation was on the verge of bankruptcy.
As long as they were careful not to cause any deaths, his backers could easily cover up a minor incident like this.
Of course, he couldn't be bothered to explain so much to Lin Jianjun...
He pulled out his phone and began taking pictures of the three tied-up Lin family members.
Seeing that the kidnapper ignored him, Lin Jianjun realized that, given his current status, he couldn't scare off these ruthless criminals.
To intimidate them, he had no choice but to bring up his biggest "backer" at the moment.
"You... What do you want to release us?"
"Let me tell you, my eldest son is Su Shengtian's grandson-in-law and also the heir to the Su family."
"I am his beloved father! If you dare touch his father, my son Lin Xuan will definitely not let you off."
"......"
Hearing this, the burly man finally cast his gaze over and said in a deep voice:
"But I heard a little rumor..."
"Your family and Lin Xuan don't get along well. Didn't you even kick your eldest son out of the house?"
Seeing that the kidnapper seemed slightly hesitant, Lin Jianjun immediately feigned composure and shamelessly said:
"Rumors, all just rumors! Xiaoxuan is my dear son. Our father-son relationship is great."
"You'd better release me immediately! Otherwise, my son Lin Xuan will definitely not spare you."
Beside him, Bai Yuelan and Lin Hao exchanged glances, grasping at straws, and started lying through their teeth:
"That's right! My brother loves me the most! If he finds out I'm kidnapped, he will stop at nothing to save me. Uncle, you'd better let me go now."
"Xuan'er was raised under my watch! He respects me, his mommy,
"......"
They thought that by bringing up "Lin Xuan" as their backer, the kidnappers wouldn't dare to harm them anymore.
Maybe the kidnappers would even be afraid of the Su family's power and send them away immediately.
The three of them secretly sighed in relief.
Although having to rely on Lin Xuan's name to escape made them feel extremely humiliated and uncomfortable,
for the sake of their safety, they had no choice but to use that "bastard" as a borrowed authority.
But to their disappointment...
Faced with their blatant threats, the burly man didn't show a hint of fear; instead, he nodded in satisfaction.
"Since you all have such a good relationship, I'm relieved."
"I was actually worried that the rumors were true and that your family ties were broken. If that were the case, kidnapping you would be meaningless!"
After saying this, the two kidnappers turned around and left, leaving the Lin family trio in utter shock...
"Daddy, did we bet on the wrong horse?"
"These people seem to be targeting brother specifically?"
Lin Hao was completely dumbfounded.
From the kidnappers' words, it wasn't hard to tell...
Their real target was clearly that bastard Lin Xuan, and they had kidnapped them just to threaten him???
But Lin Xuan had already severed ties with them. Maybe... he was even hoping for their early demise?!
Why would he ever save them?
Now they were totally screwed!!!
On the side.
Lin Jianjun, bound tightly with ropes, turned pale and started cursing non-stop.
"That bastard! It's bad enough that he causes trouble outside all the time. Now he's even dragging us into it?!"
"Damn unfilial son! How does he even have the face to keep living in this world?"
"..."
He was truly about to be driven insane by Lin Xuan.
He had originally decided to completely abandon that unfilial son, never to have any contact with him again, so that he would spend the rest of his life in the agony of losing his father's love!!!
But who would have thought that this bastard would keep haunting him like a ghost.
The trouble he caused was now dragging him down as well?!
As the three Lin family members fumed with rage, openly and secretly resenting Lin Xuan...
Thousands of miles away, the person in question was leisurely enjoying some snuggling time with the fragrant sleeping beauty in his arms.
Ding dong!
Suddenly, a notification sound came from his phone.
Lin Xuan curiously picked it up and saw it was from an unknown number, with a text message. He clicked it open on a whim.
Then he grinned—interesting~~
The message contained a high-definition photo.
Inside a dimly lit room.
The three Lin family members were neatly tied up in a row on iron chairs.
[If you don't want your relatives to be harmed, send me the formula for 'Beauty Pill' immediately, or face the consequences.]
Looking at the clearly threatening message, Lin Xuan found it more and more amusing.
"It seems that under the temptation of great profit, some forces just couldn't sit still."
"But come on—even if you want to threaten me, at least grab an innocent little girl or something!"
"Maybe then my saintly side would have kicked in, and I might have stepped up to save her. But you just had to kidnap these three? Ridiculous~~~"
Because the profits from the [Beauty Pill] were too enormous, it was enough to make any faction go green with envy and plot wicked schemes.
So, for now, Lin Xuan couldn't quite figure out who was behind it.
But honestly, it didn't matter who it was...
After all, he didn't care at all about the lives of those three weirdos.
So, he casually replied to the message.
[Eat shit, you whole damn family.]
Thousands of miles away.
The kidnappers, who thought they had everything under control, were already fantasizing about how they would celebrate with the huge reward...
Ding dong!
The burly leader's face lit up with excitement as he impatiently took out his phone and checked the message.
"That bastard!!!"
He instantly flew into a rage, stormed into the back room in three big strides, and glared viciously at the Lin family trio.
"Looks like your dear son didn't take my warning seriously!"
"Come, let's shoot a video. You'll beg that punk—if he hands over the [Beauty Pill] formula, I'll let you go."
It was only then that the Lin family trio realized the kidnappers' ultimate goal… the formula.
And judging by his expression, he'd already been rejected by Lin Xuan.
Now he was back in a fury, looking to settle the score—scaring the three into desperately explaining:
"No, brother, you're mistaken! I, Lin Jianjun, have long since severed ties with that unfilial son! Threatening him with us is useless!"
"Uncle, we were just joking before! My brother is jealous that I took Daddy's love away from him—he resents me deeply! How could he possibly give in to your threats?"
"Yes! That child despises me, his stepmother, to the core! He will never compromise. Brother, just let us go! You're wasting your time!"
At this moment.
Lin Jianjun's hatred for Lin Xuan had reached its peak.
That damnable unfilial son actually dared to watch them die without lifting a finger???
Even if their father-son relationship had deteriorated to this extent, he was still his biological father!
Seeing his own father in life-threatening danger because of him...
Shouldn't he, under such circumstances, give in to all of the kidnappers' demands?!
Even if that formula was worth a fortune...
But any human with a shred of decency would know that compared to wealth and power, a father is irreplaceable.
Could that be measured in mere money?!
If he handed over the formula and took the chance to rescue them, maybe he could regain their favor and mend their broken relationship.
But that bastard...
Did he truly wish for my death?!
Lin Jianjun tilted his head back, tears streaming down his face, his heart brimming with hatred.
He couldn't help but think of his ex-wife, that wretched woman.
If she appeared before him now, he would slap her to death without hesitation...
Open your damn eyes and look!!!
This is the son you raised?!
Unfaithful, unfilial—he should have died along with you back then!!!
No matter how much hatred Lin Jianjun harbored in his heart.
At this moment, the burly kidnapper had already lost his patience.
Seeing that the Lin family still refused to comply, he squatted before Lin Jianjun, smirking coldly as he grabbed his little finger.
"No matter how bad your relationship is, you are still his family. You are his father."
"I don't believe that kid could be that heartless, completely disregarding your life. He's just being stubborn—he won't cry until he sees the coffin."
"Since that's the case, I'll show him... the price of disobedience!!!"
With that said.
The burly man drew his dagger, and with one swift motion—
He cleanly chopped off Lin Jianjun's little finger.
Blood splattered everywhere!!!
What followed was Lin Jianjun's ear-piercing scream of agony and the horrified shrieks of Lin Hao and Bai Yuelan, who were scared out of their wits.
"Ahhhh!!!"
None of them had expected the kidnappers to be so ruthless. They... actually did it?!
Ignoring the severed finger on the ground.
The burly man sinisterly turned on the recording function, signaling the Lin family to beg for help.
After witnessing the kidnappers' cruelty...
Did they even need his urging?
The three members of the Lin family, utterly terrified, frantically pleaded into the camera.
They desperately begged Lin Xuan to consider their family ties and hand over the formula, or else they would all be killed.
At this moment.
All their past hatred, jealousy, and anger toward Lin Xuan became meaningless.
To survive, they were even willing to swear loyalty to Lin Xuan like dogs...
...
Meanwhile, at the Su family residence.
Lin Xuan received a new text message.
Seeing that it was a video, he didn't want Su Qingge to think too much about it, so he went alone to the bathroom and sat on a golden toilet.
He then opened the video and saw the exact moment when Lin Jianjun's finger was chopped off, followed by the three Lin family members crying and begging for help.
"Son, please save Daddy! My finger was chopped off—it hurts so much! I'm willing to acknowledge you as my son again! Quickly hand over the formula!!!"
"Brother, please save us! I'll never fight for Dad's love again. As long as you save me this time, I'll leave immediately and give Dad back to you."
"Xuan, I'm a bad woman—I don't deserve to be your mother. Please save me! Xiao Hao and I promise we'll never show up in your life again. Wuwuwu..."
...
Below the wailing video was another threatening text message.
[Hand over the formula immediately.]
[Otherwise, every half hour, I'll chop off another finger. Once I'm done with fingers, I'll move on to toes, until they bleed dry.]
Looking at the obviously threatening message, Lin Xuan smirked with disdain. (￣_,￣ )
Though he was a bit surprised by the kidnappers' ruthlessness.
But he still went ahead and composed a series of replies...
[Please stop bothering me. If I go crazy, even I'd be shocked.]
[F* your mother, you dead street rat! Are you so full you have nothing better to do?]
[A bunch of super idiot losers, nothing better to do, f*.]
[F* you, you dead idiot. Believe it or not, I'll s*** right on your head.]
[Your legs are uneven, your mother stinks, you piece of s* dog.]
[Even an idiot would say your words make no sense, you dead idiot.]
[Seriously, at least be creative. You're not even qualified to curse properly.]