"Mr. Du... Mr. Du! Please, have a seat, do sit down."
As soon as he saw the visitor, Lin Hai hurried to his feet, urging the two women to leave quickly, his expression as fearful as a mouse that had just seen a cat.
The visitor gave him a glance, sat down on the couch, and crossed his legs, "Lin Hai, you’ve been living quite the good life, eh! Borrowing my money and not paying it back, out and about seeking pleasures, having fun?"
Lin Hai put on a smiling face and walked over to the man, obsequiously pouring him a drink.
"Mr. Du, just give me a little more time. I promise, just one more big gamble, and I’ll be able to pay back everything I owe you, with interest."
"Hmph! Lin Hai, cut the crap. I’ve already given you three extra days, and if you don’t pay up today, don’t blame me for not being nice. You should know how miserable people who don’t pay me back end up."
The man shoved Lin Hai away, speaking fiercely.
Lin Hai staggered and nearly fell. Lin Qian, standing by the side, subconsciously reached out to steady him.
She could see now; the man who had just come in must be an underworld figure.
And her own biological father had probably taken out another high-interest loan.
Why couldn’t he change his ways?
Lin Qian felt disgusted inside. As soon as she had steadied him, she let go.
A faint fragrance from the woman reached his nose, and Lin Hai’s eyes flashed as he looked at Lin Qian, seeing an opportunity.
Timing could be more important than planning.
Now he had a way out.
"Mr. Du, I’ve really been tight on cash recently, I can’t pay you back principal plus interest. However, I can offer her as collateral."
Lin Hai pointed at Lin Qian, leaving her stunned in her tracks.
What had she just heard?
Her father said he’d use her as collateral!
Absolute bastard!
"Dad, are you really my father? Four years ago, you sold off my two children, and now you want to use me as collateral? Are you still human?"
Lin Qian was furious, glaring at Lin Hai.
"Daughter, at least call me ’Dad’. Please, do me this favor just once. You can trust me, Mr. Du is a good man, he’s always kind to women. Just obey, and you definitely won’t be at a loss."
Lin Hai shamelessly looked at Lin Qian, his eyes gleaming.
"You..."
Lin Qian was so angry she was at a loss for words, but also knew that the current situation didn’t allow her to delay any further, so she quickly headed for the door.
"Stop her."
The man, who had been silent, issued an order, and the black-clad individuals quickly blocked Lin Qian’s path, preventing her from leaving.
"What are you trying to do? Let me out."
Lin Qian clenched her purse, backing away with a guarded look on her face.
From beside the couch, Lin Hai looked smug, obsequiously bowing to the man surnamed Du.
"Mr. Du, look at how my daughter’s a real beauty. Even if she’s had kids, look at her skin, her aura, hardly different from a young girl."
The man surnamed Du narrowed his eyes, staring at Lin Qian with interest, a hint of lust flickering in his gaze.
"Lin Hai, is she really your daughter?"
He knew Lin Hai’s background.
He indulged in all sorts of vices: eating, drinking, prostituting, gambling.
Four years ago, he suddenly came into money, opened up a foreign trade company, and became a big boss.
Sadly, he wasn’t cut out for business and ruined the company within just four years.
He did have a daughter, and four years ago, she’d been pregnant out of wedlock, then dropped out of sight.
This woman, with her pretty looks, didn’t resemble Lin Hai at all.
Was she really his biological daughter?
"Mr. Du, guaranteed genuine."
Lin Hai’s eyes flashed slightly, full of obsequiousness.
"Alright, the son repays the father’s debt, let your daughter repay it for you."
"Ah, Mr. Du is wise."
Lin Hai nodded repeatedly, greatly relieved in his heart.
Hearing their conversation, Lin Qian was infuriated, glaring at Lin Hai angrily, "Dad, if you still consider me your daughter, let them let me go. I am a human being, not a commodity, and cannot be bought or sold."
"My daughter, don’t be stubborn, whether you acknowledge it or not, you are the daughter I finally recognized. Do something for dad, consider it repayment to me."
Lin Hai shamelessly glanced at Lin Qian, then turned to Mr. Du, his eyes rolling as he whispered in his ear, "Mr. Du, the small bottle on the table contains something potent, just give it to her and I guarantee she will obediently submit to you. I’m leaving now; I wish you a pleasant night."
Mr. Du smiled lecherously, understandingly glancing at Lin Hai, as a surge of excitement rolled through his heart.
His gaze swept again over the woman before him, fair-skinned and beautiful, with a slender waist and long legs, an air of elegance not found in those gaudy women of ill repute.
Sleep with her for a night, then tame her and present her to those business partners with refined tastes—it ought to be a foolproof deal.
The man surnamed Du’s face was full of interest as he gave a signal to a few black-clothed bodyguards.
The bodyguards took the hint and followed Lin Hai out.
Only Lin Qian and the man surnamed Du were left in the private room.
Lin Qian’s nerves were tightly wound as she pondered how to escape.
Suddenly, the man spoke up, "Miss Lin, I don’t want to make this hard for you. Just finish these few bottles of alcohol, and I’ll let you leave."
He lined up several bottles and lifted his eyes towards Lin Qian.
Lin Qian was startled, looking at the man doubtfully.
"Really? Just by finishing all this alcohol, I can leave?"
"Yes, or do you not want to drink and would prefer to do something else?"
A sly glint flashed in the man’s eyes as his gaze swept over the bottles on the table, curling into a mischievous smile when he spotted a small bottle.
"No, I’ll drink."
She had no other choice, did she?
She could only hope that this man would keep his word.
Lin Qian took a deep breath, grabbed a bottle, and gulped it down with her eyes closed.
The man greedily watched her fair swan-like neck as she swallowed repeatedly.
Taking advantage of Lin Qian’s distraction, he took two clear pills out from the small bottle and slipped them into one of the bottles.
Lin Hai said this was good stuff.
This old man, old as he was, sure knew how to play.
Lin Qian had no idea she was being plotted against and, after finishing one bottle and tossing it aside, she bit her lip and reached for another.
Watching the woman unknowingly drink up the drugged bottle to the last drop, the man smiled triumphantly.
Lin Qian finished two bottles, looking at the remaining three on the table, and swallowed hard.
Just three more to go, she could do it.
But suddenly, her head began to feel dizzy, and a wave of irritation started to rise inside her, making her inexplicably want to remove the restraints on the outside.
"I’m so hot."
Lin Qian breathed heavily, her words carrying a hint of seductiveness that startled her, and she quickly covered her mouth.
Something was wrong!
There was something in this alcohol...
"Little beauty, you’re making brother crave you. Are you hot? Just wait, let brother take good care of you."
Mr. Du couldn’t wait any longer, he wrapped his arms around Lin Qian’s waist and moved towards her red lips.
Panicked and desperate, Lin Qian narrowly avoided the man’s filthy mouth and, with a smack, slapped him across the face.
"You, don’t mess around, or else..."