Chapter 279: Tie Me Up, Let Him Go

Chapter 279: Chapter 279: Tie Me Up, Let Him Go

The two sides instantly clashed, and the superpowers of Frost Shaw and Leo Colby were especially eye-catching.

One wielded ice, the other, Thunderbolt.

Countless small icicles rained down from the sky, clearing a path for the group. Frost Shaw wasn’t aiming to kill, merely to temporarily incapacitate them.

Leo Colby stood at the rear of their group. With a light stomp of his foot, hundreds of deep purple, serpentine currents of electricity shot toward their attackers. The men felt their bodies go numb before losing consciousness altogether.

Working together, the two of them easily took down the entire group.

Frost Shaw led the others in a charge. Inside the bungalow, Hank Lowell heard the clamor of the fight. From the sounds of it, he could easily tell who was on the losing end.

His face turned grim. He grabbed Quincy Shaw by the collar, dragged him forward, and kicked the door open with one foot.

With a loud BANG, the group outside froze. All eyes snapped to him.

Frost Shaw’s group didn’t dare to make a move. A pistol was pressed to Elder Shaw’s temple, and they couldn’t risk a gamble on who was faster.

Elder Shaw was blindfolded and gagged, but they could still see the evidence that he had been dragged; the clothes on his side were tattered and torn.

Frederick Shaw’s hands trembled with anger. He knew he’d be no help if he went out there, so he could only fret in helpless frustration.

Lily Hart put an arm around his shoulder to comfort him. "It’s okay. Trust them. They’re very capable."

Hank Lowell sneered. "So, you all came? And I see some well-known faces. Did you bring the hundred thousand Crystal Cores? Otherwise, I’m not letting him go."

"It’s not that easy to get a hundred thousand Crystal Cores together. Give us some time," Frost Shaw said, using a delaying tactic. He kept one hand behind his back, secretly gathering his power.

Leo Colby, standing shoulder to shoulder with him, added, "That’s right. Give us some time."

Hank Lowell scanned the group, ignoring their bullshit. "Where’s Lily Hart?" he demanded. "I want to see her."

"She’s not here." Frost Shaw frowned. ’Why is he asking for Lily Hart by name?’ "Do you know Lily Hart?"

A disdainful smile played on Hank Lowell’s lips. His tone was sarcastic and unsettling. "The famous Boss Hart... who doesn’t know her these days? Cut the crap. Either give me a hundred thousand Crystal Cores, or bring Lily Hart to trade. Otherwise, this old man dies right here!"

Frost Shaw’s brow furrowed with worry. ’Lily Hart just told us to rescue him, but how are we supposed to do that in this situation?’ Leo Colby and the others also wore grim expressions, as if trying to intimidate Hank Lowell with their sheer presence.

But Hank Lowell wasn’t scared in the slightest. He held Elder Shaw’s life in his hands. If worst came to worst, they could all die together.

Watching from a distance, Lily Hart saw they had reached a stalemate. Steeling herself, she led Frederick Shaw out into the open. ’I’m wearing the Protective Clothing anyway,’ she thought. ’And if things get really bad, I can just summon the RV.’

She took Frederick Shaw’s hand and walked toward the bungalow. A gust of wind swept her hair back, making her look like a fearless warrior.

Hank Lowell’s eyes narrowed, his gaze tracking her every move. He had heard plenty of rumors about Boss Hart—many of them about her beauty. Seeing her today, he realized they hadn’t been exaggerated.

In this bleak, ruined world, she was truly like the sun, capable of bringing warmth to everyone.

"So you’re Boss Hart. Did you bring the hundred thousand Crystal Cores?" Hank Lowell asked, refocusing on his original goal.

Lily Hart didn’t hesitate to curse him. "A hundred thousand my ass! Let him go, now! Or you’ll be the one dying here!"

Hank Lowell was stunned. ’Wait, who’s the kidnapper here?! Who gave you permission to be so damn arrogant!’

He pressed the barrel of the gun harder into Elder Shaw’s temple, leaving a clear indentation. The force was obvious, and Lily Hart could feel Frederick Shaw’s body tremble beside her.

"Don’t be afraid," Lily Hart whispered, reassuring him. "He won’t hurt your grandpa."

Having been cursed out of the blue, Hank Lowell’s patience wore thin. He snarled, "I told you! Either a hundred thousand Crystal Cores, or you trade places with this old man!"

"Since you can’t scrape together the Crystal Cores..." He began toying with a dagger in one hand, his tone flippant. "Then how about we say one arm is worth ten thousand Crystal Cores? What do you think of that?"

He spoke as if he were a butcher selling pork. Lily Hart’s anger flared. ’I should just summon the RV,’ she thought, ’but I’m afraid he’ll shoot the instant it appears.’

"Fine," Lily Hart said firmly. "I’ll trade places with him."

’Elder Shaw is too old to endure this kind of abuse,’ she thought. ’He has a superpower, but his rank is too low.’

Hank Lowell raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Well, what do you know. The rumors weren’t wrong after all. You really are close to this old geezer. What, are you two sleeping together?"

"Psycho," Lily Hart retorted, rolling her eyes. "Speaking of which, you’re so scrawny. Are you and that big henchman of yours a thing?"

Roman Rowe couldn’t help but chuckle, understanding her implication. At a glance, it was true: Hank Lowell was thin and wiry, while the henchman beside him was tall and brawny.

’They actually look... pretty good together...’

"You—!" Hank Lowell’s face turned livid. ’I’m straight!’

"Enough dawdling. I’m coming over, you let Elder Shaw go!" Lily Hart said. She gave Frederick Shaw a push toward Frost Shaw and strode forward.

Frost Shaw and the others were worried, but they didn’t try to stop or dissuade her. They knew they needed to trust her and follow her lead.

Hank Lowell felt that ever since Lily Hart had appeared, he’d lost control of the situation. He raised his guard, watching her approach step by step, feeling an inexplicable, oppressive aura from her.

When she reached him, she held out her hands. "Here. Tie me up and let him go." Then she glanced over her shoulder and shouted, "Someone come get Elder Shaw!"

Hank Lowell was completely baffled by her actions. He’d never seen someone with such a death wish.

Frost Shaw quickly stepped forward. His worried gaze flicked to Lily Hart, but seeing her calm and composed expression, he felt reassured. ’She must have a plan.’

The henchman stepped forward, roughly yanked Lily Hart over, and tied her hands tightly with a coarse rope.

Frost Shaw shot daggers at the man with his eyes, but the henchman was completely oblivious.

Once Lily Hart was securely tied, the pistol was pressed to her temple.

Hank Lowell then let Elder Shaw go, giving him an unceremonious shove forward. Frost Shaw caught him securely, steadying him by the shoulders.

He pulled the wad of cloth from the old man’s mouth and removed his blindfold.

He hadn’t been able to speak or see, but he could hear. He knew Lily Hart had risked her own life to trade for his.

Therefore, the moment the blindfold came off, Elder Shaw said anxiously, "Lily Hart, you shouldn’t have—" ’...done this for me. I’m just an old man. If I die, I die.’

Before he could finish, Frost Shaw pulled him away. He couldn’t let him interfere with Lily Hart’s plan.

Once the two were a safe distance away, Hank Lowell let out a sinister laugh. "Boss Hart, you’ve finally fallen into my hands!" His shoulders convulsed with laughter, and his already gaunt frame looked even more unsettling.

"You should stop laughing. It’s creepy," Lily Hart said bluntly.

Hank Lowell was speechless. ’I’ve lost count of how many times this woman has left me at a loss for words!’

Meanwhile, Frederick Shaw took his grandfather’s hand. "Grandpa, are you okay? Does it hurt?" he asked, his own eyes welling with tears as he looked back toward Lily Hart with great concern.

Elder Shaw shook his head and patted the boy’s head, his own gaze also turning to Lily Hart, his face etched with worry.

They were all worried sick, but Lily Hart had already started casually chatting with Hank Lowell. "So, what’s it going to take for you to let me go?" she asked. ’Though I could break free of these ropes in seconds if I wanted to.’