Chapter 1610
Chapter 1610 Tiger
Wolf's concern for Wynter had led him to act impulsively, making him vulnerable to false leads.
The location he had been tracking was actually a decoy Wynter had left behind, designed to prevent anyone from trying O monitor her movements.
In reality, the cars leaving the village were merely the usual distraction they used. It wasn't that anyone in Nexus had sensed something abnormal, it was just part of a well-rehearsed plan for them to put a few cars out at times like this.
The purpose was to divert and shift attention away from the town center in case someone from above came to investigate.
This method was thanks to Fredric working in the province. They would never have thought of it otherwise. After all, the ones most familiar with criminal investigation techniques were, of course, their insiders.
Thanks
powerful connections shielding them, it was easy to escape suspicions. As long as they used the right methods, no one would notice any suspicious activities other than the demolition project. Moreover, this project served as an ideal cover for them.
They were the safest as long as they were not found. This plan had allowed them to bypass numerous surprise inspections in the past.
The sudden power outage in town had set Edward on high alert. Paranoid by nature and meticulous in his methods, he mobilized the entire town, ensuring that every corner was active and ready to respond to potential disruptions.
For an ordinary surveillance team, his decoys and distractions could have easily gone unnoticed. And of course, Wolf, despite his skill, had allowed his emotions to cloud his judgment.
Tracking the decoy cars risked exposing their movements, just as Edward intended. His bait served a single purpose-to flush out any hidden threats.
In typical cases, a lack of movement was often a precursor to a major operation. If the Special Unit were to act on Wolf's impulsive decision, it could lead to a disaster.
Luckily, other than Wynter, the Special Unit also had an experienced criminal investigator on the team, Dahlia Carroll. She wore a pair of thick, black-rimmed glasses and looked like a character straight out of a TV show.
Normally, she appeared somewhat slow and detached, but in moments like these, she was sharp and quick.
She immediately raised her head to say, "Hold off. Based on the boss' style, she wouldn't leave without sending us a signal.
"Right now, the town's without power. The fact that she hasn't sent any updates means everything's proceeding as planned. Our job is to report the situation here. We should wait for the boss' order."
Despite his narrowed gaze, Wolf remembered Wynter's advice when he first joined. She had always told him to ask Dahlia when in doubt. This meant that if Wynter wasn't around, uncertain decisions would be left to Dahlia to make.
"I've analyzed the opposition's approach. This is an organized, highly intelligent group. For Valen Village to stay unnoticed all these years and for Nexus Corporation's records to be this airtight shows that they have strong evidence-covering and counter-surveillance skills.
"The cars may seem like they're leaving in random order, but they're actually following two distinct routes. I suspect they're very familiar with us, and this is a baiting tactic. We can't lose our cool right now." Dahlia adjusted her thick glasses.
She was speaking a lot, intending to calm Wolf down. After all, if Wolf really lost it, he could tear the place down, and only Wynter could truly restrain him. With Wynter's safety on the line, he was understandably on edge. Wolf could barely hold still, feeling an urge to smash something. But since the message had emphasized that he
should cooperate with the operation, he reluctantly lowered his ears, keeping a fierce look on his face.
He narrowed his eyes and placed his feet down. Nothing seemed to have changed on the surface, but something stirred underground.
The evil spirits who had emerged from the ground and shrunk back after the encounter with Dalton were now glancing at one another. They instantly realized that this place, once rich with the malicious energy to nourish them, no longer felt as hospitable for their survival.
If they weren't mistaken, they had just sensed an Ancient Beast's presence. They couldn't believe Ancient Beasts still existed at this age. They thought these creatures had long been suppressed by Heavenly Luck
Legends said they'd been torn apart, some leaving only skeletons buried in icy wildernesses, while others vanished without a trace. Their existence was only a myth now. But now, here it was. Had an Ancient Beast awakened?
The evil spirits instinctively retreated. Though they couldn't identify which Ancient Beast had reawakened, they knew that whichever it was could devour them all in a single bite!
The evil spirits could sense the danger in the underworld. However, on the surface, everything remained calm and peaceful.
By early evening, villagers were starting to return from their jobs in the city. The influx of cars blended in with the typical rush-hour traffic, making it impossible to distinguish which vehicles might hold any real threat. Thankfully, the Special Unit hadn't acted impulsively. Had they moved, their cover might have been blown. Soon, the very vehicles that had driven out earlier circled back, as if nothing unusual had transpired.
"They've managed to get the power equipment working again. It's already past 5:00 pm. Another outage would definitely raise suspicions," Dahlia murmured.
She knew their counter-surveillance measures were extremely thorough, so they couldn't afford any hasty moves. "Relay all updates here directly to the boss."
This time, Wynter might need to handle everything by herself until nightfall. To catch them in the act, they would have to wait until the group finally did the things they wanted to.
When Wynter received the message, she was scanning documents in the examination room. The wording alone was enough to make her feel sick to her stomach.
The records mentioned phrases like "The Great Fox King wants a lamb's uterus", "The Tiger King prefers lamb's hearts", and "Defective lambs are best for soup".
At first glance, it looked like an assortment of metaphors involving animals. But Wynter couldn't take them at face value, especially in this environment.
If her suspicions were correct, then "fox", "tiger", and "lamb" referred to people. The first two represented those seeking twisted pleasures. And the "lamb" was most likely a chilling reference to the female students brought here!
In some of Cascadia's oldest myths, spirits and monsters referred to humans as "four-legged lambs". Here, it seemed clear that these girls' fate involved far more than mere trafficking or exploitation.
What was more alarming were the words "uterus" and "heart".
Wynter didn't hesitate. She quickly took out her phone and captured every detail of the documents and the scene before her.
The facility boasted cutting-edge medical equipment, yet its purpose starkly contrasted with that of a hospital. While a hospital saved lives, this place was meant to strip life away.
The guards stood outside, casually smoking and chatting, blissfully unaware of their critical oversight. Their biggest mistake was being adamant 1 bringing "Eliana" in. Now that they had captured her, they failed to keep an eye on her.
Elsie had previously already observed her behavior with suspicion. Wynter, however, was shrewd enough to sense this and had calmly sipped her fruit juice, ensuring they saw her drink.
What no one knew was Wynter's immunity to common sedatives. And while she drank, she pressed a silver needle hidden in her sleeve against key acupuncture points, keeping herself fully alert.
Wynter had always been ruthless, not just toward criminals but toward herself as well. This relentlessness had been the reason why she was able to take on Special Unit operations from a young age.
Once she'd gathered enough evidence, she sent everything to the team.
"Boss, here's the current status. No luxury cars have entered the town, and the cars that exited are already back in town along with the working population. What should we do?"
Wynter replied with a single word, "Wait."
Wolf finally calmed down after reading the words, easing the intense energy he was exuding.Material © NôvelDrama.Org.
"Look up every business partner this company has had over the years. I need detailed information on each of them, "Wynter instructed. "Also, check if they're part of the Chamber of Commerce."
"Understood," Dahlia responded swiftly. "Boss, they've restored the power supply, and the electricity at your location will resume in less than ten minutes.
"Don't worry, though. Wolf has full control over their main servers. We're ready for your next command and can shield you from surveillance when you need it."
Wynter smirked. "Excellent. We'll take it slowly. Let's wait for them to fully reveal themselves before making our
move."
"Understood."
The team members withdrew their attention, blending back into the town. Among them were college students, repair workers, and, most crucially, electricians who could easily enter carrying tools.
They were accompanied by officials from the urban construction office and moved about town, ostensibly
inspecting and addressing any safety concerns.
Jarek, on the other hand, was quite enthusiastic after all, he had misjudged things regarding the land acquisition. He figured he might as well curry favor with the higher-ups, hoping to get a bit of the limelight.
Once this development zone was built, the main labor force would come from his village, and they'd stand to
profit handsomely.
Besides, since word had already come from "that side", he naturally wanted to keep up appearances. When the time came, he'd be in for quite a share of benefits.
This was precisely why sometimes, even after an investigation, nothing substantial was uncovered. Unless Valen Village was thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom, it would never be truly clean.
Wynter glanced at her watch, analyzing the situation. The urgency to restore power confirmed the location's importance. They weren't planning to relocate-whatever was happening would unfold right here no matter the
situation.
The cars that had left earlier might have been sent out to probe their surroundings. She was sure the enemies were ensuring that there were no undercovers. These vehicles' return would signal the real beginning.
And if this was their strategy, they likely wouldn't draw attention to themselves with luxury cars entering. Closing her eyes briefly, Wynter recalled Valen Village's detailed map and surroundings. someone wanted to enter undetected, focusing on external access points wasn't the answer-they'd need to operate from a different angle, ensuring safety while avoiding notice.
But how would they manage to get in without being detected? For those entering, identity confirmation was inevitable. There had to be a point for verification.
Abruptly, Wynter's eyes snapped open. "The 4S dealership on Southwest Road. Any car entering the town has to pass by that dealership."
With the steady flow of luxury cars arriving there in one day, it wouldn't raise suspicion. She gave a quick command, "Send part of the team to take cover in the 48 dealership."
It might not be feasible to take down every suspect within the town. After all, there might be those who managed
to slip through. Hence, the dealership would serve as the last net to catch them all in one sweep.
Sure enough, it was just as Wynter had thought. The 48 dealership near Valen Village was especially crowded with
returning customers today.]
Moreover, these customers were all wealthy and influential. They hadn't come for maintenance in some time, and
now they'd finally gathered together.
Naturally, the staff had to step forward to serve them, and the salespeople were especially eager, hoping to
perhaps sell another luxury car.
"It's too dark of a color. Let's pass on that today," a middle-aged man said, dressed sharply in a suit with a family ring glinting on his finger. He placed a black card on the table. "I only want a maintenance service today."
The moment the black card touched the surface, one of the attendants, who had been keeping an eye on the proceedings, stepped forward. "Excuse me, sir, may I ask who you are?"
The man, Hozier Moodie, was gaunt to the point
tinged with purple. "Tiger," he murmured.
emaciation. He removed his sunglasses and spoke with his lips
"Ah, it's a pleasure. Welcome, our new guest. Per our standard procedures, please come with me to change into the
attire you previously reserved with us," the attendant replied smoothly.
Hozier was visibly anxious. He hurriedly asked, "Am I really able to" "Sir, this isn't the place for discussion. Please change first," the attendant interrupted.
Hozier gritted his teeth. A friend had referred him here. He didn't quite understand the place, but the more
complicated the process, the safer it was.
At first, following the GPS, he could hardly believe that someone would actually conduct this kind of business around the city center. But the fact that it existed was good-it was his only chance to survive!
Just then, the electricity came back. Every machine roared to life in an instant.
Listening to the sounds outside, Wynter reclined back on the hospital bed. Edward, who had vanished for quite
some time, rushed back in.
"We don't have time. Get them all to the venue first. You all know who the rare goods are meant for. There shouldn't be a need for me to say more.
"Make sure everyone checks each guest's information carefully no mistakes allowed. Alright, notify them to
start letting people in," Edward instructed.
Melanie merely replied with an unenthusiastic nod.
Thus, the girls were carried out of the dark room. However, they did not ascend to the surface. Instead, they were
led into a dimly lit, cold interior where a faint light barely illuminated the surroundings. In the center of the basement was a stage with a table, surrounded by dozens of chairs.
Wynter and the others were brought there with their eyes covered. They couldn't see anything but could smell the
strong scent f disinfectant mixed with the noisy voices around them.
The other two girls were terrified. "Where is this? Didn't they say we were going through a second round of
interviews and were sponsored to study abroad?"
But no one responded to them. Meanwhile, Wynter had already figured out their purpose. She kept quiet, trying to
convey fear of the unknown through her expression.
Soon, the leader gave orders to a few masked individuals, "Take them to another room and wait for the boss' instructions. I'm heading to the auction site now, so keep a close eye on them!"
After speaking, he too donned a mask and walked toward the stage.