Qin Qinghan nodded, but then she asked with confusion, "Mom, didn't you just say Dad lost 100,000? How come it's now 80,000?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Yu's face clearly showed some embarrassment. After a moment, she muttered, "Well… today, when you weren't home, I took your ring and sold it."
Qin Qinghan's expression immediately changed as she heard this. Yang Yu huffed and continued, "That so-called billion-dollar Blue Sea gemstone? It's just a high-quality imitation, nothing special. I thought it would fetch a good price, but it only sold for 20,000."
After hearing Yang Yu's words, Qin Qinghan's face grew even darker, her gaze mixed with conflicting emotions. She suddenly realized why Ye Fengwu's expression had been so ugly when he got the ring—he must have known the ring was no longer the original.
However, he didn't confront her directly but just left without saying a word.
Realizing this, Qin Qinghan's eyes turned red with worry. She scolded, "Mom, how could you take my things? Don't you know I just gave the ring back to him today? If he finds out the ring was switched, how will he look at me?"
Yang Yu grumbled, "Why return it? He's been living off us for free, and that ring was cheap for him."
Qin Qinghan felt deep shame, her voice bitter. "Mom, you don't understand. I've already kicked him out today."
Yang Yu was momentarily stunned. "Good, he should be kicked out. He ate for free, lived for free, and even gave you a fake ring. He boasted about it like it was priceless, talking about Blue Sea gemstones, the one and only in the world, hmph…"
Qin Qinghan shook her head helplessly, but the urgent matter now was saving her father first, and then trying to get the ring back.
She had hardly any friends around, let alone someone who could lend her 100,000 yuan.
After a sleepless night, the next morning, with bloodshot eyes, Qin Qinghan finally dialed Chen Nan's number.
"Qinghan, I'm busy. What's up?" Chen Nan's phone rang a few times before it was picked up.
Qin Qinghan hesitated before stammering, "Chen Nan, could you… lend me 80,000 yuan?"
"80,000…" Chen Nan was surprised at first, then asked, "Is something going on?"
Qin Qinghan didn't dare tell Chen Nan the whole truth. Instead, she said, "I… I want to transfer Jing Si to another school, so I'm a bit anxious."
Chen Nan replied directly, "I can transfer 50,000 yuan to you immediately. The remaining 30,000 I can give you tomorrow."
Qin Qinghan breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Chen Nan. 50,000 will be enough."
Chen Nan said, "Okay, I'll transfer it right away. And remember, if you're in trouble, just call me."
"Mm, thank you!"
After hanging up, Qin Qinghan searched for an app on her phone. She had bought her car for over 70,000 yuan, and having driven it for less than two years, it should be worth about 30,000 to 40,000 yuan.
Since Gao He had only given her one day, Qin Qinghan couldn't wait for the remaining 30,000 from Chen Nan. Instead, she decided to sell her car.
However, in her urgency, she ended up selling it for only 30,000 yuan.
With the 80,000 yuan in hand, Qin Qinghan arrived at the address Yang Yu had given her—a large, crowded card room.
The place was packed, and most of the players were young men, each exuding a tough vibe, making Qin Qinghan instinctively feel tense.
Suddenly, a stunning beauty like Qin Qinghan entered the smoky card room, and the noisy atmosphere instantly quieted down.
Some people even started whistling at her.
"Yo, is the beauty here to play too? Come sit at our table, I guarantee you'll win."
Immediately, a young man covered in tattoos on his arm gave Qin Qinghan a lewd smile.
"Beauty, come to our table. If you win, it's yours; if you lose, it's on me."
Many others also invited her.
Qin Qinghan remained cautious, nervously asking, "I… I'm looking for Gao He. I want him to release my father."
Hearing this, the tattooed youth stood up and approached her, his eyes full of playful amusement. He smiled, "You must be Qin Qinghan, huh? You really are a stunner, way more beautiful than those movie stars."
Qin Qinghan bit her lip, murmuring, "This is troublesome."
The young man waved his hand. "Follow me."
He then led her into a private office.
As the door opened, Qin Qinghan saw Qin Zhi. He wasn't bound up but was sitting stiffly in a chair, his face pale.
When Qin Zhi saw Qin Qinghan, he began to sob, "Qinghan, I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I was too greedy. You have to save me!"
On the other side of the office, a man in his thirties, smoking a cigar, sat in a swivel chair. His fierce face bore a grotesque scar.
This was Gao He, the owner of the card room. By day, the card room ran normal business, but at night, he organized shady card games.
When Gao He saw Qin Qinghan, he was clearly stunned, thinking to himself that Liu Fu had been right—Qin Qinghan's beauty and aura were far beyond those of movie stars.
Qin Qinghan felt a pang of sadness upon seeing her father, but she knew she couldn't show weakness. She placed the bag with 80,000 yuan on the table and said to Gao He, "Here's 80,000. Please release my father."
Gao He blew out a puff of smoke and chuckled, "80,000, that was yesterday's price. Today… it's a different price."
Qin Qinghan was visibly upset. She retorted, "What do you mean? I gave you the money on time!"
Gao He reclined in his chair, his lecherous gaze shamelessly roaming over Qin Qinghan. He sneered inwardly at her modest dress.
Then he spoke, "Your father's situation is serious. In our line of work, the biggest taboo is cheating, and your father crossed that line. So, unless you come up with 200,000 by 5 PM, I'll send you a severed arm."
Qin Qinghan was both angry and fearful, while Qin Zhi cried out, "Qinghan, I didn't cheat! They set me up, they're framing me!"
Though Qin Qinghan believed her father, she knew that with him in their hands, she had no choice but to comply.
After a long pause, Qin Qinghan gritted her teeth, "Fine, I'll get you the 200,000 tomorrow, but you have to guarantee you won't hurt my father."
Gao He smirked, "Beauty, today it's 200,000. Tomorrow it could be 400,000. So you'd better hurry."
Qin Qinghan became even angrier. "What more do you want to let my father go? We've done nothing wrong to you."
Although Qin Qinghan was gentle by nature, she was sharp-minded and could tell that Gao He never intended to release her father.
Gao He put his cigar in the ashtray and smiled playfully, "I'm giving you a chance. Tomorrow night, attend a dinner. As long as you go, your father will be released and the debt will be cleared."
Qin Qinghan's eyes widened in shock. This was their real plan—to trap her father just to get her to attend a dinner.
But Qin Qinghan had her principles. She shook her head, "I'll repay you the money, but I won't attend the dinner."
Gao He seemed to have expected this response. He calmly said, "In that case, wait for your father's severed arm. And don't you dare call the police, or what you'll receive won't be his arm, but… his body."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Zhi's face turned pale with fear, but he gritted his teeth and said to Qin Qinghan, "Qinghan, this mess is my fault. Don't go to that dinner."
Hearing her father's words, Gao He frowned. The tattooed youth next to him immediately stepped forward and punched Qin Zhi in the face, causing a cut on his lip.
Seeing this, Qin Qinghan panicked and shouted, "Stop! I'll go…"
Qin Zhi spat out a mouthful of blood and said, "Qinghan, don't go…"
Gao He laughed. "Didn't you get assaulted by a criminal eight years ago? Why be so concerned about your body now?"
Qin Qinghan's expression turned cold as she glared at Gao He. "Give me the time and place. I'll go, but you must keep your word."
Seeing that Qin Qinghan agreed, Gao He finally smiled with satisfaction. "Don't worry, as long as you arrive at Fenghao Hotel tomorrow night at 8 PM, your father will be released."
"A promise is a promise," Qin Qinghan said coldly. She then turned to Qin Zhi. "Dad, you will leave here."