In a small room, there was an old bed and an equally antiquated bookshelf. Originally, this was a storage room, but Qin Fangtan had ordered someone to clear out this room. The person living in this room was Zhou Xun, to be accurate, it was intentionally arranged by Qin Fangtan. In his eyes, a dog would be satisfied with a place to take shelter from the rain.

With a "creek" sound, the door slowly opened and someone walked in. Just as the door closed, a crisp slap landed on the person's face. Zhang Xun was not able to steady himself and stumbled, hitting his head on the bookshelf.

Before he could react, a force pulled him and pressed him against the door.

Zhou Xun looked at the angry faces and said calmly, "I let the person go."

As soon as the words were uttered, a slap landed on his face again.

Qin Fangtan gripped the man's chin tightly, and sneered, "Do you think he can escape? Anyone I seek revenge on won't get away, even if they are dead, I want to see their corpse!"

Zhou Xun moved the corners of his mouth and said self-deprecatingly, "I know you have that ability, that's why I stayed. You're angry, wishing you could tear my skin off; I can satisfy you. I let Zhou Ye go, so if you want to vent, go ahead and attack... If you still can't calm down, just throw me off the balcony. That way, one life for another, the Zhou family won't owe you anything anymore."

"One life for one life?" Qin Fangtan laughed and snorted. He forcefully grabbed the person's hair, making them look at him.

"Zhou Xun, listen closely, your worthless life means nothing! I am determined to torment you, to make you wish for death!"

After speaking, Qin Fangtan looked back at the bodyguard behind him and said coldly, "Take him to the basement."

"Yes."

Under the glaring lights, a person was kneeling on the ground, their swollen face being fiercely gripped by someone.

"How pitiful, Xun Ge. Why do you always enjoy provoking me so much?"

Zhou Xun didn't say anything. His eyelashes trembled for a moment, and quickly lowered his gaze, no longer looking at anyone.

Qin Fangtan smiled and let go of his hand, standing up. The person next to him stepped forward and handed him a whip.

Taking the whip, Qin Fangtan couldn't help but give it a careful look. With a satisfied click of his tongue, he then said to the person kneeling on the ground, "This whip is made from horse's tail. The feeling of being whipped with it is truly unforgettable."

As he spoke, Qin Fangtan swung the whip into the air, and a heavy sound resonated through the air, indicating the immense force behind it.

"Search his phone."

"Yes, Master Qin."

Several strong men were preparing to search him. Zhou Xun knew what they were thinking and started struggling hard. However, he was forcefully pinned down by the strong men and couldn't move.

Qin Fangtan looked at the smartphone in the hands of the burly man and smiled softly. The dog who tried to escape was rolling back personally!

"Pa—"

(Note: In English, we do not typically include quotation marks when translating novel paragraphs without dialogue. However, I have added quotation marks in this response to match the original text.)

A heavy and resounding whip landed on Zhou Xun's body. He suddenly jolted, and a hardly audible groan escaped from his mouth.

Qin Fangtan's mouth curled slightly as he faced the two burly men and said, "He hit you on camera, understand?"

"Understood."

"Okay, let's begin."

The burly man took the whip and mercilessly lashed it upon Zhou Xun's body. Whip after whip, completely disregarding the trembling figure in pain.

Qin Fangtan looked at this scene, his face turned cold as he stared intensely at the person on the ground.

"Heavier."

As soon as the words fell, the strength of the burly man's subordinates increased slightly.

After being hit with about ten lashes, Qin Fangtan narrowed his eyes discontentedly and snatched the whip from the person's hand. In a cold tone, he said, "Did you not eat? Do you know what it means to make it even harder?"

The strong man immediately lowered his head. Qin Fangtan didn't even look at him, picked up the whip, and fiercely lashed it onto Zhou Xun's body. The whip's end landed on Zhou Xun's face, instantly leaving a red mark where it struck.

The hand holding the whip tightened even more, and there was an intense hatred in Qin Fangtan's eyes. It was as if he was hitting a puppet, over and over again, wishing to beat the person to a pulp.

After being whipped dozens of times, Zhou Xun's clothes were already soaked in sweat, clinging to his skin. Through the fabric, one could still see the red welts from the lashes.

Hmph, you do seem to have some endurance. I'll just see how long you can endure.

After Qin Fangtan threw the whip back into the hands of the muscular man, he said with a gloomy expression, "With the force I used, give me a hundred lashes."

"Yes," he replied.

For a moment, the sound of whips cracking and painful groans echoed ceaselessly.

Qin Fangtan looked at the beaten person expressionlessly. However, he knew that every time the whip lashed onto someone's body, he would experience a sense of pleasure, almost wanting to beat the other person until they cried and begged for mercy!

At the end of the one hundred lashes, the person on the ground was left with only half a life left, even the soft strands of hair became drenched.

Qin Fangtan walked up to the person and reached out to grab their hair. With a beaming smile, he said, "Xun Ge, your younger brother will come to find you very soon."

Zhou Xun opened his mouth, but no words came out. Instead, fresh red blood flowed from the already bitten mouth.

Qin Fangtan pretended to show pity and made clicking sounds with his tongue. He then said to the burly man beside him, "Didn't you see Mr. Zhou Xun bleeding? Hurry and bring a basin of water. And also, bring some salt to disinfect."

"Yes, Lord Qin," she replied obediently.

Soon, several strong men returned carrying water and carrying salt.

Qin Fangtan tore open the salt bag and poured the entire bag of salt into the water. He reached out his hand and stirred it a few times, saying, "Alright, go and disinfect Mr. Zhou Xun."

As soon as the words were uttered, the burly man walked over to Zhou Xun carrying a basin. With a quick twist of his hand, the water poured down and drenched him completely.

Moans of pain echoed in the basement, as the person on the ground trembled uncontrollably. Their fingers tightly gripped the floor, having been ground to the point of bleeding.

Qin Fangtan squinted his eyes and stepped on the person's hand, slowly saying, "I gave you the key, providing you with some freedom. But instead, you don't want freedom and insist on opposing me. Since that's the case, I won't show any mercy. As long as your little brother doesn't return, you will stay in this basement."

After speaking, Qin Fangtan slowly moved his feet and said to the person who was holding the phone, "Send the video to Zhou Ye and tell him that if he wants me to spare Zhou Xun, he should come back on his own."

As soon as the words were spoken, the person calmly turned around and left with a serious expression on their face.

Zhou Xun watched as the figure of the person walked away, their silhouette gradually fading before their eyes. Exhausted, they wearily closed their eyes.