But no one answered her; only a few thugs stared at her with the same look they had on prey.

Inside Brother Long's secret hideout, the phone rang abruptly, breaking the tense atmosphere.

Brother Long slowly picked up his phone, glanced at the caller ID, and a smug smile appeared on his lips.

"Hello, who is this?" Brother Long asked, pretending to be serious.

"Brother Long, it's me, Viper." Viper's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"So, is everything settled?" Brother Long asked, knowing the answer already.

"It's all done! Lin Yue has been taken to the warehouse." Viper's voice was filled with excitement.

"Good! Well done!" Brother Long laughed heartily. "I knew it, I trust you to get things done!"

"Brother Long, what do we do next?" Viper asked.

"Wait for my call," Brother Long said, then hung up the phone.

He turned around, looked at his group of thugs, and a ferocious smile appeared on his face.

"Brothers, the show's about to begin!" Brother Long's voice echoed in the dimly lit basement, sending chills down everyone's spines.

Brother Long dialed Lin Fan's number.

Lin Fan was currently in his office, handling company affairs.

He paused for a moment when he saw the caller ID; it was an unfamiliar number.

"Hello, who is this?" Lin Fan answered the phone, his tone calm.

"President Lin, how have you been?" Long Ge's sarcastic voice came from the other end of the phone.

Lin Fan frowned immediately; he recognized that voice all too well.

"Brother Long? It's you!" Lin Fan's voice turned cold.

"Hahaha, Mr. Lin, you really have a good memory!" Brother Long laughed smugly. "How about that? You didn't expect me to call you, did you?"

"What do you want?" Lin Fan asked coldly. He had already guessed that Brother Long's purpose was definitely not good.

"It's nothing serious, I just wanted to ask Mr. Lin for a favor." Brother Long's voice was tinged with mockery.

"Help? There doesn't seem to be anything I can do to help you," Lin Fan said.

"Don't be so quick to refuse, Mr. Lin. You'll definitely help me with this." Brother Long chuckled. "Because your sister, Lin Yue, is in my hands now."

Lin Fan's expression changed instantly, and a surge of anger welled up from the bottom of his heart.

"What did you say?!" Lin Fan's voice rose eight octaves, trembling.

"I said, your sister Lin Yue is in my hands now!" Brother Long repeated, his tone full of smugness. "How about it, President Lin, is this news explosive enough?"

"Brother Long, if you dare to touch a single hair on my sister's head, I'll make sure you suffer a terrible death!" Lin Fan said through gritted teeth, his voice sounding like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Oh dear, Mr. Lin, don't get agitated. How could I bear to touch your sister? She's a beauty, I cherish her more than anything." Brother Long's tone became even more lewd. "However, if you don't obey, then things might change..."

"What exactly do you want?" Lin Fan asked, suppressing his anger.

"It's very simple. I want you to come up with a ransom of 50 million, plus 30% of the shares in the Lin Group!" Brother Long demanded an exorbitant amount.

"You're dreaming!" Lin Fan refused without hesitation. "I will never agree to your terms!"

"Mr. Lin, don't be so heartless. Isn't your sister's life worth more than this money and shares?" Brother Long continued, "I advise you to think it over carefully. I don't have much patience."

"Don't hurt my sister, come at me if you have a problem!" Lin Fan said.

"Mr. Lin, are you trying to bargain with me?" Brother Long's voice turned cold. "Let me tell you, you have no right to bargain with me! Either agree to my terms, or you can wait to collect your sister's corpse!"

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you, I'm not some kind of saint. My brothers are all ruthless thugs, capable of anything!" Brother Long threatened. "You'd better not call the police, or I guarantee you'll regret it!"

"I'll give you 24 hours to think it over. If I don't see the money and shares by this time tomorrow, you can expect to be collecting your corpse! Oh, and by the way, I'll also show you the current situation of your dear sister!"

After saying that, Brother Long hung up the phone and handed it to one of his subordinates.

"Take some photos of her and send them to Lin Fan so he can see his sister's current 'miserable state'!" Brother Long instructed.

The subordinate took the phone, walked up to Lin Yue, and took a few photos of her with the phone.

In the photo, Lin Yue is tied to a chair, her hair is disheveled, her face is streaked with tears, and her eyes are filled with fear and despair.

Brother Long looked at the photo and nodded in satisfaction.

"Send the photos to Lin Fan, and then send him a text message telling him that if he doesn't behave, this is what will happen to his sister!" Brother Long said.

The subordinate immediately complied, sending the photos and text messages to Lin Fan.

Lin Fan's phone vibrated, and a multimedia message popped up on the screen.

He clicked on the photo and his pupils contracted sharply. In the photo, Lin Yue was tied up to a dilapidated chair, her hair disheveled and scattered over her shoulders. Tears were clearly visible on her once fair cheeks, and her eyes were filled with fear and helplessness, like a frightened fawn.

"Damn it!" Lin Fan slammed his fist on the desk, the solid wood surface making a dull thud, as if it were also venting his anger.

Immediately afterward, another text message popped up: "Mr. Lin, do you see? This is what your sister looks like now! I advise you to behave and listen to me, otherwise, I can't guarantee what will happen next!"

The text message was full of threats and arrogance, as if mocking Lin Fan's powerlessness.

Lin Fan stared intently at his phone screen, his knuckles turning white from the pressure, the veins on the back of his hands bulging like twisted earthworms. His chest heaved violently, as if a flame was burning within him, threatening to incinerate him completely.

"Brother Long..." Lin Fan gritted his teeth, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, filled with endless hatred, "If you dare to lay a finger on my sister, I'll tear you to pieces!"

After his initial anger subsided, Lin Fan quickly calmed down. Now was not the time to act impulsively; Lin Yue was still in Brother Long's hands, and he had to find a way to rescue her.

He forced himself to calm down, his mind racing as he considered countermeasures.

"Call the police? No way, Brother Long said that if we call the police, he will kill her..." Lin Fan's mind flashed with Lin Yue's terrified face. He dared not gamble; he couldn't afford to lose.

"Should I just agree to his conditions? No, that won't work either. Brother Long is a greedy man. Even if I give him money and shares, he might not let Lin Yue go. He might even escalate his actions..." Lin Fan frowned. He couldn't entrust Lin Yue's safety to the conscience of a kidnapper.

"What to do... what to do..." Lin Fan paced back and forth in his office, feeling like a trapped beast, driven to the brink of despair.

Suddenly, Lin Fan's gaze fell on the telephone on his desk.

"Right! How could I forget about him!" Lin Fan grabbed the phone as if it were a lifeline and dialed a number.

"Hey, Lao Chen, it's me, Lin Fan." Lin Fan's voice was low and urgent after the call was connected.

Old Chen is the head of security at the Lin Group and one of Lin Fan's most trusted men. He was once a special forces soldier, highly skilled and experienced.