Chapter 278: Ransom My Ass

Chapter 278: Chapter 278: Ransom My Ass

He was blindfolded, but he could still sense the pitch-black darkness around him. A cloth was stuffed in his mouth, and he couldn’t move a muscle.

But he was calm; he didn’t shout or scream. ’These people must have a reason for kidnapping me.’

’As long as they have a purpose, this will be manageable. It means they’re unlikely to torture me. But to dare kidnap me at the gates of Central Command, in broad daylight... These are not simple people...’

"Elder Shaw? Elder Shaw?"

The quiet call of the Space Ability User reached his ears.

"Mmph?! Mmph?!"

Elder Shaw instantly realized it was Jack Miller calling him. They were in the same small, dark room, and he did his best to make a sound in response.

Before Jack Miller could speak again, Elder Shaw suddenly sensed a sliver of light seep in, followed by a gust of cold wind WHOOSHING past his ears.

’Did they open the door?’

Blindfolded, Elder Shaw had to rely entirely on his other senses.

Two men entered the room, their steps heavy, their boots thudding against the ground.

Elder Shaw instinctively recoiled, but his back met a cold wall. There was nowhere to retreat. He heard them speaking.

"What’s the plan, Boss? We got him."

The man they called Boss, Hank Lowell, said sharply, "First, make them hand over the supplies."

"Yes, sir!"

Then, Elder Shaw heard the heavy footsteps approaching, until something cold was pressed against his neck. His breath hitched. It was a knife.

"Elder Shaw! Elder Shaw!" Jack Miller could see and hear, but his hands and feet were bound tightly with what seemed to be some special material. He couldn’t break free at all.

Hank Lowell said viciously, "Don’t scream. The supplies, hand them all over!"

The knife at Elder Shaw’s neck pressed in deeper. He didn’t even dare to breathe too deeply, afraid his throat would be slit by accident. ’I haven’t watched Fred grow up yet. I can’t die.’

Soon, the gag was ripped from his mouth. He immediately said, "You can have the supplies, on the condition that you let us go."

Hank Lowell scoffed and kicked Jack Miller in the chest. "It’s not your place to negotiate with me. Let us see the supplies first!"

"Jack Miller, give them to them," Elder Shaw said quickly, holding his breath.

Jack Miller was obedient, only saying, "The space here is too small. I’m afraid it won’t all fit." He was stalling for time, though he didn’t know if it would work.

Another kick landed, sending Jack Miller doubling over and coughing violently.

"Jack Miller!" Elder Shaw cried worriedly. He couldn’t see, only sense the faint light that filtered in.

TING... It sounded like something had been tossed on the floor. He heard the boss say, "Stop dawdling. Transfer all the supplies into this Space Ring."

Jack Miller gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain in his chest. He forced himself to concentrate and transfer all the supplies they had procured that day out of his personal space.

After a long while, Jack Miller said, "That’s everything."

Hank Lowell laughed with satisfaction. Elder Shaw, noticing the blade was still at his neck, kept his head still and said, "Can you let us go now?"

"Let you go? When did I ever say that? Just this handful of supplies? It’s not enough!" Hank Lowell’s laughter abruptly ceased, his voice turning ice-cold.

"Then what do you want?" Elder Shaw grew calmer. It would be much easier to handle if all the man wanted was wealth.

Hank Lowell paced back and forth in the small, dark room. The THUD, THUD of his boots on the cold floor pounded against Elder Shaw’s nerves.

"I hear you have a good relationship with Boss Hart of the lottery shop. If I were to use you as a threat, do you think she’d give me the supplies I want?" A cold glint flickered in Hank Lowell’s eyes.

Elder Shaw scoffed, mimicking him. "Me? This old bag of bones? You’re overestimating my worth."

"We’ll see if I am or not soon enough." A murderous intent curled Hank Lowell’s lips. He commanded, "This old man’s Light Brain! Get it!"

"Yes, sir!" the henchman responded.

He had already taken both of their Light Brains during the kidnapping, and now he handed them over to his boss, Hank Lowell.

Hank Lowell took the device, used Elder Shaw’s fingerprint to unlock his Light Brain, then precisely located the contact ’Lily Hart’ and dialed her number.

The call connected quickly, and Lily Hart’s bright, sunny greeting came from the other end. "Elder Shaw, you only just left. What is it now?"

Elder Shaw’s mouth was gagged again, but he could hear Lily Hart’s voice, and it put him inexplicably at ease.

Hank Lowell chuckled sinisterly and returned the greeting, "Well hello, Boss Hart. I’ve kidnapped Quincy Shaw. Want to ransom him? One hundred thousand Crystal Cores, and he’s all yours."

"Ransom my ass!" Lily Hart immediately hung up.

Hank Lowell was stunned. He cursed, "Who the hell said you and Boss Hart were close?"

Inwardly, Elder Shaw laughed.

Silence fell over the dinner table. Everyone had heard the man’s words and looked over. Frederick Shaw asked in a trembling voice, "My... my grandfather was kidnapped?"

"Just a scammer," Lily Hart said reassuringly, while simultaneously telling her system to locate Elder Shaw’s Light Brain.

[That exceeds my permissions, Host...]

’Cut the crap. Then locate the batch of supplies I sold today. That should work, right?’ Lily Hart urged.

[Alrighty, Host.]

The system was strictly forbidden from locating the Light Brain of any human other than its Host, but locating products sold by the Host was perfectly fine.

A detailed map quickly appeared on Lily Hart’s Light Brain.

Lily Hart shot to her feet. She had to save him—not just because he was Frederick Shaw’s grandfather, but also because he was the only neutral one among the five directors of Central Command.

If Elder Shaw were to fall, Central Command would likely collapse with him, falling completely under the control of The Mysterious Clan.

"Come on, we’re going to save him," Lily Hart said, quickly getting up and heading for the door.

There were far fewer customers at night compared to the daytime. Lily Hart couldn’t be bothered with them; she announced that business was over for the day and they were closing up.

The customers understood, quickly gathering their things and leaving together.

Lily Hart closed up the shop. The others rushed back to the convenience store, and she took a moment to comfort Frederick Shaw, "You just be good and wait for us at home. Your grandfather will come back safely."

Tears welled in Frederick Shaw’s eyes. "Can I go with you? I promise I won’t cause any trouble!"

Time was of the essence, so Lily Hart didn’t have time to lecture him. She had no choice but to agree, and the group quickly headed toward the located position.

Frost Shaw carried Lily Hart on their back, while Roman Rowe carried Frederick Shaw. This method greatly increased their travel speed. As they approached the destination, they slowed down, and the group found cover to hide behind.

The call hadn’t mentioned how many enemies there were. Upon arrival, they discovered a surprisingly large force—a hundred-odd people surrounding a small, one-story house, leaving no gaps.

Lily Hart considered this for a moment, then asked Frost Shaw and the others, "You can handle them, right?"

Leo Colby took a moment to perceive their strength, finding they were all Fourth and Fifth Rank superpower users. He nodded and said confidently, "Yes."

"Alright, then let’s go straight in. Our goal is the rescue. Don’t get bogged down in the fight," Lily Hart instructed. Everyone agreed, their expressions turning serious.

Lily Hart and Frederick Shaw watched as the others left cover. They charged toward the house at incredible speed. The group over there quickly realized something was wrong and fell into combat stances.