"Since the creatures in here already think we're going to kill them, then in that case, I'll just kill all of you," Jiang Fan said, his patience worn thin. He was about to unleash his fury when, to his surprise, the child he was addressing frantically kowtowed.
"No, please, absolutely not! I beg you, please don't kill us. We'll do anything you ask," the child pleaded.
Jiang Fan let out a cold laugh. "Anything? You'll do anything?"
"Then I need you to bring me your core. If you can't get it, I can kill you at any moment." Jiang Fan then produced a fruit, tested its sharpness with a small knife, and applied it to both the child and the adult. "There. That's enough. You've both been poisoned. If you don't give me an answer within seven days, you'll die from the poison."
"It's up to you now. We're the only ones with the antidote. You can try asking others for help, and see if you can be saved."
Upon hearing this, both the child and the adult were terrified. They hadn't expected Jiang Fan and Yao to be so powerful, so easily discovering them.
"We'll do it, we'll do it! Don't worry, we will," the adult said. "We'll find a way to get this 'core' for you. But you have to promise us, if you get the core, you won't kill us. Please let us go!"
"If the core is given to you, our lives will be in your hands. I don't want to be responsible for the deaths of all my companions. If you use this core to harm our other companions, I will be a sinner for eternity."
Jiang Fan repeated his earlier statement. He had no interest in the lives of these strange beings. He had only captured the child and the adult out of necessity. "Don't worry. Like I said, I have no interest in your lives. I just want to get out of here. Once I'm out, you can keep your cores and whatever else you want; I won't take any of it."
The child nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. "Alright then, I'll go and help you find the core."
Meanwhile, Dai Xiaomei and Zhou Niannian, who were pretending to comfort the child, had already planted listening devices nearby. "It's okay, we trust you. Once you find the core, we'll return it to you. Don't worry, you won't harm anyone, and you'll even protect many people."
Having been completely bamboozled by Zhou Niannian and Dai Xiaomei, the child became convinced. "Okay, I understand! I'll definitely get the core back. Don't worry." The child, seeing how kind Zhou Niannian and Dai Xiaomei were, was completely taken in, unaware that they had installed listening devices on him.
Jiang Fan and Yao, watching this unfold, couldn't help but chuckle. "Indeed, women are like man-eating tigers. I didn't expect them to be so meticulous, capable of handling such details."
"You can say that again," Jiang Fan and Yao said, marveling at the actions of Zhou Niannian and Dai Xiaomei. Meanwhile, Gun Gun was idly picking at his fingers.
"What do we do now? Just wait here? I'm worried we'll encounter danger. After all, these creatures want to kill us. What if it's not the child who comes in, but a group of tough guys? We're done for," Zhou Niannian said.
Jiang Fan looked at her and smiled. "Don't you have the devices installed? What are you afraid of? Just listen to what they say through the devices, and you'll know. If they plan to deploy any high-tech vehicles or aircraft, it won't be difficult for us to leave."
Zhou Niannian was incredulous. She hadn't expected Jiang Fan to notice her little ploy. Hearing his words, she blushed and chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm fully aware of what you're all doing. If it weren't for your devices, we probably would have fled by now. But since you've installed them, we just need to listen to what they're saying."
Zhou Niannian quickly picked up her earphones and listened to the conversation between the child and the adult.
"Those few people are beasts! I didn't expect them to be so wary of us. What should we do now? We can't escape, and we can't fight back," the adult complained to Zhou Niannian, his voice full of resentment. Zhou Niannian merely turned away with a sigh.
"Stop spouting nonsense! It's most important to get this done. I care more about my own life than letting them go," she said.
Jiang Fan was very pleased to hear this. "That's right. Life is most important. Why play coy with me? As long as you find the core for us, you'll be able to survive." After saying this, Jiang Fan nodded with satisfaction. "In that case, there's no need for us to leave. We'll all wait here. They don't intend to harm us; they plan to help us find the so-called core."
Jiang Fan nodded quickly. "However, it's best if we don't go out before then. It's too dangerous out there. If we encounter any powerful animals, we're done for. I'll tell you, I encountered a lion."
Just as Jiang Fan was about to describe how dangerous his encounter was, his companion let out a cold laugh. "We ran into a rhinoceros, a really huge one. It chased us relentlessly. If we hadn't been fast enough, we would have died."