He returned to Tianfan Pharmaceuticals, but Chu Fan did not go upstairs, choosing to wait below. He knew what the promised surprise was and wanted to see who would deliver it to find a way in. Therefore, before the delivery person could enter the lobby, Chu Fan stepped in front of him.
"Who gave you the box?"
The delivery youth glanced at Chu Fan with a strange look, ignored him, and tried to sidestep into the building. The next second, he was lifted off the ground, box and all, by Chu Fan and carried outside. Smelling the scent of blood emanating from the paper box, Chu Fan's mood soured. In a cold voice, he asked, "I'll ask you again, who gave you the paper box?"
The delivery youth, thoroughly frightened, shook his head and said, "I don't know!"
"I took the order online and picked it up at the designated location!"
"When I picked it up, it was just this paper box left on the ground, with no one around!"
Ji Ningyue hurried over and asked, "Where did you pick it up from?"
After the youth gave the address, Chu Fan took the paper box and let him leave. Ji Ningyue quickly notified people to go to the pick-up location to check for surveillance, hoping to find out who had left the paper box. Looking at the paper box and smelling the blood within, Chu Fan's expression turned grim, guessing what might be inside. He hadn't expected the other party to actually dare to do as Nan Zi'an had said. This was courting death!
"Xiao Fan..."
Just as Chu Fan was about to open the paper box to confirm its contents, Qin Xue's call suddenly came from not far away. She had just been informed by the front desk that another person had delivered a paper box, but Chu Fan had intercepted them at the entrance. Realizing something was wrong, the couple rushed downstairs.
Upon reaching them, Qin Xue's face turned deathly pale as she looked at the paper box in Chu Fan's hand, her entire body trembling uncontrollably. The severed ear delivered earlier belonged to someone else; it was a show of force. This series of events indicated that the other party also wanted to seize control. To gain control, they could no longer use someone else's belongings to deceive. Therefore, it was certain that the paper box contained something related to their daughter. What had to be faced, would eventually be faced. To avoid upsetting his aunt, Chu Fan signaled Ji Ningyue to block the couple, then turned and carried the paper box to a corner.
The paper box was opened. A bloody little finger immediately met the eye. Chu Fan's fists slowly clenched. An intense coldness emanated from him. From the faint scar on the little finger, Chu Fan knew that the other party was not faking this time, but had truly cut off Nan Bai Xuan's little finger and sent it here to flaunt their power. They were telling him, through this act, not to think he was invincible and had already won.
"Xiao Fan, what's in the box?"
"Hurry and tell your aunt!"
Qin Xue, being held back, could only ask. Chu Fan closed the box, handed it to Ji Ningyue, and said, "Take it back and preserve it with the best technology." If a finger was severed, as long as not too much time had passed, it could be reattached. Some things didn't need to be said explicitly; everyone understood. Realizing the contents of the box were indeed related to her daughter, Qin Xue's eyes rolled back, and she fainted from the shock. Nan Zi'an supported his wife and glared fiercely at Chu Fan.
"Didn't you guarantee that Xuan Xuan wouldn't be harmed?"
"Look at you! If it weren't for you, would this have happened?"
At this moment, Nan Zi'an blamed everything on Chu Fan, believing that if he hadn't been so arrogant and dismissive of the warning, if he hadn't provoked the other party, their daughter wouldn't have been harmed. The gamble had failed. Chu Fan ignored Nan Zi'an, stepped forward, moved past him, and supported Qin Xue as they went upstairs.
Back in the office, under Chu Fan's massage and treatment, Qin Xue slowly woke up.
"Xiao Fan, tell your aunt, what's in the box?"
"Don't worry, tell me, your aunt is ready."
Facing his aunt's eager gaze, Chu Fan replied, "It's Xuan Xuan's left little finger."
"Waaah..."
Qin Xue could no longer contain herself and burst into tears. Beside them, Nan Zi'an gnashed his teeth, staring at Chu Fan with hatred in his eyes. Sensing Nan Zi'an's hatred, Chu Fan turned to look at him and retorted, "What? You have a problem with me?" The coldness in the Demon God's eyes was like ice needles piercing Nan Zi'an's heart. He realized that to save his daughter, he still needed Chu Fan to produce the dragon-shaped jade pendant. This was not the time for arguments, so he turned to the side.
Listening to his aunt's pained cries, Chu Fan felt extremely conflicted. The dragon-shaped jade pendant was crucial to him, and he could not hand it over. The other party had investigated him, so they must know his strength. Daring to act like this meant they had already planned their escape routes. Once the dragon-shaped jade pendant was in their hands and taken away, it would be very difficult to find it again.
Just then, he felt his phone vibrate. Chu Fan took it out and saw a new message from the other party.
"You've received the surprise, haven't you!"
"This is just the beginning!"
"If you want to play, I don't mind playing along."
"Every hour from now on, I will send another surprise to your doorstep."
Qin Xue leaned closer and, seeing the message content, knew that if they continued to delay, her daughter would suffer even greater harm. She tightly grasped Chu Fan's arm, tears streaming down her face, and pleaded, "Xiao Fan, only you can save Xuan Xuan now!"
"Auntie begs you, if he wants that thing, just give it to him, okay?"
"Things can be found again if lost, but there's only one Xuan Xuan. Can we stop the stalemate?"
Seeing Chu Fan's lack of reaction, Qin Xue's body slumped, and she knelt before him.
"Xiao Fan, please, auntie begs you!"
"Auntie..."
Chu Fan bent down and lifted Qin Xue from the ground. Facing his aunt's grief-stricken eyes, he nodded. "Alright!"
Qin Xue's face was filled with gratitude.
"You want the jade pendant? Fine!"
"Exchange it in person!"
"Otherwise, we're done talking!"
Although the first gamble had failed, Chu Fan was not completely at the mercy of the other party. He knew very well that if he bowed his head, he would be completely restricted by them. Therefore, if they wanted the dragon-shaped jade pendant, it had to be an in-person exchange. Only then could he ensure that he would see Nan Bai Xuan while the dragon-shaped jade pendant would not be lost. A message quickly came back.
"An in-person exchange is impossible. Don't think I don't know what you're plotting."
"Have your uncle bring the jade pendant to my designated location. Once I get the jade pendant, I will naturally tell you where she is."
"Dare to waste more of my time, and you'll be ready to receive the next surprise."
Seeing the other party's unyielding attitude, Qin Xue said, "Xiao Fan, please stop struggling, okay?"
"If too much time passes, Xuan Xuan's severed finger won't be able to be reattached!"
As a Demon God, this was the first time he had been put in such a passive position. Looking at his aunt's tear-filled eyes, Chu Fan had no choice but to compromise and nodded. After replying to the other party, Chu Fan walked into the restroom and took out his phone to call Ji Ningyue. Although Nan Bai Xuan's life was important, in Chu Fan's eyes, the dragon-shaped jade pendant, which involved greater secrets, was more important. If it weren't for not wanting his aunt to be sad. Who was Nan Bai Xuan to him? Let alone just a little finger being severed, even an arm being sent to him would not move him in the slightest. The other party was so arrogant; it was not the style of a Demon God not to retaliate.