Slap!
A loud slap echoed across Xiaotian's face.
Uncle Nan was trembling with rage as he pointed at Xiaotian and shouted, "How did I raise such a disgraceful beast for a son?!"
Xiaotian lowered his head, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Dad! Can't you see the reality of the situation? If we want to survive, we can only rely on ourselves!"
"You... you…" Uncle Nan clutched his chest and collapsed onto the bed.
"Dad, I'm doing this for both of our lives. Please don't blame me." Xiaotian didn't dare look his father in the eyes. He gritted his teeth, turned, and walked out again.
---
Ten hours later.
Morning.
Outside the gates of Tianrun Pharmaceutical Company.
Wrapped in a military overcoat, Xiaotian braved the biting cold and spoke to the security guard at the gate. "I want to see your boss. I have a major deal to discuss with him!"
The guard looked Xiaotian up and down. Since the disaster began, he had seen countless people try every means to get into Tianrun, begging for help.
Xiaotian was just another one of them. Without even lifting his eyelids, the guard sneered, "Who the hell do you think you are? You want to talk business with our boss? Get lost before I lose my temper!"
"Fifteen hours ago, I accidentally ate a toxic fruit. Thirteen hours ago, the hospital declared me terminal and sent me home to die. You can check my case file at Central Hospital anytime," Xiaotian said coldly. "But here I am, standing alive in front of you. Do you understand what that means?"
The guard froze.
"I'm the first person to survive after acute poisoning symptoms appeared." Xiaotian grabbed the guard by the tie, narrowing his eyes and growling, "Now\... do I have the right to see your boss?"
The guard's pupils contracted. If this was true, it was way beyond his pay grade.
"If you're lying, I swear I'll show you what happens to liars at Tianrun!" the guard warned viciously. Then he turned to his colleague, "You stay here. I'm taking him in to see Manager Liang!"
They entered the building.
The other guard, now alone, stood at the gate, his heart pounding nervously.
Five minutes later, four burly, intimidating men with icy demeanors rushed out of the building. The guard immediately recognized them—they were Manager Liang Tianyu's personal bodyguards. Unlike outsourced security like him, they were Liang's trusted inner circle. Leading them was Chen Nan.
"Did anyone else see that man just now?" Chen Nan asked coldly.
"N-No," the guard stammered.
"From this moment, hand over all your communication devices. The company will arrange a private room for you. You are not to contact the outside world under any circumstances." Chen Nan's expression was emotionless. "If I find out you tried to leak anything… the consequences will be severe."
The guard shuddered at Chen Nan's killing intent.
He had a feeling... he'd just accidentally witnessed something earth-shattering.
---
Back to Lin Fan.
As Lin Fan looked at Chen Nan and the others, a cold smirk appeared on his face.
He had heard of Tianrun Pharmaceutical. In fact, everyone in Nancheng had. But not for any good reason.
Tianrun had operated in Nancheng for three years, and its rise to power was far from honorable. Originally an outsider company, it partnered with a highly respected local entrepreneur in the medical equipment industry. Using the man's reputation and connections, Tianrun quickly expanded and seized control of the city's medical lifeline.
But when business began to boom, the company's manager, Liang Tianyu, conspired with outsiders to create chaos, eventually sidelining the original partner and kicking him out of the company entirely.
That betrayal caused public outrage—especially since the elderly entrepreneur, who had mentored Liang, suffered a heart attack from the stress and died shortly after being rushed to the hospital.
But business scandals rarely made the general public care.
What made Tianrun infamous was something else.
A year ago, during a dry winter, a widespread flu epidemic hit Nancheng. Nearly two out of every ten residents caught it, and hospitals and clinics were overwhelmed.
At the peak of the crisis, Tianrun made a bold announcement: one key ingredient for its flu medication was unavailable, so production would halt. The remaining supply? Sold at ten times the original price.
The city exploded with rage!
But Tianrun had already monopolized the medical supply chain, and importing meds from elsewhere would take too long. Desperate patients had no choice but to pay—tenfold, even hundreds of times the original cost by the end.
Only after the flu passed did the truth come out. A high-ranking exec from Tianrun, drunk at a banquet, revealed it all: there was never a shortage. The company faked it to drive prices up.
Tianrun Pharmaceutical made a fortune. Their valuation doubled.
But in the hearts of Nancheng's people, the company's reputation hit rock bottom.
Backstabbing. Greed.
That's what Tianrun meant to the public.
And now, this was the company Lin Fan had to face.
His expression turned colder. There was no way he'd hand over his ancient-grade crops to a company like that. The moment he cooperated, they'd treat him like a donkey on a production line—exploiting him without end.
"That medicine that cured the acute poisoning," Lin Fan said, expressionless, patting Xiaotian on the shoulder, "was a one-time thing. I happened to have a single dose, and I already used it on him. There's no more."
"Oh? Just one pill?" Chen Nan chuckled. "So you're still not being honest. Fine. I'll make you talk."
He pulled out his phone and, right in front of Lin Fan, made a call. "You're at that farm, right? Break in. Grab the little girl. Force her to eat the poisoned fruit."
Chen Nan hung up and grinned wickedly at Lin Fan. "Let's see if you're still lying."
In that instant, a terrifying aura burst from Lin Fan.
His pupils shrank sharply. His expression darkened, his gaze like a lion about to devour its prey.
For the first time, Chen Nan—usually ruthless and decisive—stepped back involuntarily.
How could a human have such a terrifying gaze?
"Why do you have to push me?" Lin Fan clenched his jaw until his teeth creaked. "All I ever wanted was to live a quiet life in this apocalypse with my little sister. Why must you people keep destroying it?"
"Weakness is a crime," Chen Nan replied after a pause.
"You're right," Lin Fan nodded. He took a deep breath, then leaned close to Xiaotian's ear and stared directly at Chen Nan. "Then from today on—I will become a merciless demon. And remember, this demon… was your creation!"
Chen Nan suddenly felt an uneasy chill creep into his heart.
---
Meanwhile, outside the farm gate.
Eight strong men stood by two excavators. After receiving a call, they climbed into the driver's cabins and started the engines with a thunderous roar.
Xinxin sat on a small stool, resting her chin on her hands as she looked at the gate and sighed deeply.
Li Jiaxin, age 7. Hobbies: eating and watching TV.
But the strawberry platter in front of her remained untouched.
The cartoons on TV didn't make her happy either.
With her big brother gone, even strawberries tasted bland. The Paw Patrol just wasn't as fun. And the strange robots at home? Totally boring…
They were just clunky metal dummies. How could they compare to her big brother?
Li Jiaxin, age 7. More accurately, her favorite thing is... snacking while cuddling in Lin Fan's arms, watching TV while being carried by him.
It was never about the stuff.
It was about being with him.
Since Lin Fan left, she had checked the clock seventeen times. He still hadn't returned. She was anxious—and now, hearing the roaring engines outside, she was even more upset.
Clenching her little fists over her ears, she shouted, "So annoying!"
Xiao Hei sat beside her, tongue out, gently licking her leg.
"Invader detected. Initiating counterattack."
Two full-size combat robots stood behind her. Their mechanical voices echoed ominously.
"They're bad guys, right?" Xinxin pointed at the gate. Irritated, she added, "Can you make them stop? I really want to blow their heads off!"
"Command acknowledged, little master. Adjusting engagement mode. Preparing to destroy invader cranial and brain tissue."
The robots' eyes flashed green. A barrel extended from one's arm.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out. One of the attackers fell to the ground, head shattered.
"Per your command, one invader has been neutralized," the robot reported.
Xinxin covered her mouth in shock, then nervously hugged Xiao Hei. "X-Xiao Hei… I think I messed up! Y-You can't tell big brother what happened, okay? Or he'll think I'm some violent little monster… Waaah! I'm a cute little girl, not a brute!"