Chapter 349: Daylight Kidnapping

’What about Mr. Zi?’

Rayen stiffly turned toward the driver’s seat. A lone shadow was still vaguely visible under the cloth that covered Rayen’s head.

"Cough. Cough." Zi Xu’s familiar voice entered Rayen’s ears.

Aside from the person who was threatening Rayen with a hard object, no one else had boarded the van.

"M-Mr. Zi, what’s this?" Rayen asked, trembling.

But the shadow of the figure in the driver’s seat did not react at all. It was as though a crime wasn’t currently happening behind him.

"Let’s go," the unknown person instructed.

Rayen felt the van moving again as Zi Xu’s shadow moved to drive with ease.

’... Did he betray us?’

Bitterness rose from Rayen’s throat. Despite this, he didn’t dare move, afraid that the object on his waist would suddenly go bang. Is this the danger Mini Plotter mentioned?

’Wait. Where’s my phone?!’

Suddenly, Rayen’s heart raced. He almost forgot about it for a moment with how fast everything unfolded. If these kidnappers were also a part of the organization that Lee Seoha mentioned, then they might do something about their phones.

’Damn Plotter. Why can’t it wake up earlier to warn us ahead of time?!’

As the car drove off, Rayen tried to observe his surroundings through the small gaps in the cover over his head. However, it was too dark inside the car to see anything.

Rayen had no idea where Zi Xu had taken them. He even tried to take note of the twists and turns of their route, but there were too many that he had already lost count of them.

Finally, after an hour, the van slowed to a halt. Haru’s cries had long stopped too. The unknown man withdrew the hard object to open the door.

’This is my cha—’

"We’re finally here. Are you ready to see your other teammates?" the unknown man said.

Immediately, Rayen stopped his wishful thinking. His shoulders slumped.

"....."

’They also have the others?’

It should be impossible. They’re supposed to be on a short break after their promotional activities, so everyone must be in the dorms. These people shouldn’t be able to kidnap them from there.

Unless...

The unknown man then turned to Zi Xu without waiting for Rayen’s response. "Hey, manager, tie them neatly."

Zi Xu obliged, getting off the driver’s seat. One by one, Zi Xu tied their wrists together using one long rope.

’Someone else must have helped.’

Just with Zi Xu cooperating with this unknown man, Rayen could already confirm that as a possibility. Someone other than Zi Xu must have betrayed them too.

"Why are you doing this?" Rayen asked, his voice was only audible between the two of them.

Zi Xu did not respond right away, as though thinking of the right words to say.

Rayen continued, "Are you also part of—"

"Cough. Cough. Don’t talk anymore..."

Zi stepped back once he was done tying them.

"Get out," the unknown man said.

Without a choice, they did as he wanted. The unknown man tugged the rope, signalling them to start walking. However, Rayen’s mind was racing as he did.

’What should I do?’

He couldn’t even access his phone to retrieve any page. What could he use to escape and also rescue his teammates?

As Rayen tried to think of a solution, the smell of grass reached his nose.

Through the gaps in the black cloth, Rayen observed the entire place. There were lots of fuzzy green things all around that seemed like leaves of trees and grass. The ground also crunched with every step, unlike paved roads in the city.

’Just where on earth did they take us?’

Even if they somehow manage to run away, how do they even return to the city?

Still walking blind, Rayen failed to notice a small rock on his path. Immediately as his foot stepped on it, he lost his balance. He fell face-first. Fortunately, strong arms managed to catch him before he could land.

"Oops, careful there. What will I do if you ever damage your face?" the unknown man said, holding Rayen up until he could stand straight. "I told them covering your heads is too much, geez."

"....." Rayen was rendered speechless.

After 5 minutes of walking, they finally reached the end of the grove.

"Let’s wait here," the unknown man said.

Rayen looked around through the small gaps of the cloth covering his head. The shadows of trees had become sparse. Instead, in front of them seemed to be a huge wall. It was so tall that its shadow loomed over the group.

As Rayen continued to observe, several footsteps sounded from behind them. Even though he couldn’t see clearly, he still glanced behind him.

A group of people was approaching from the way they came.

"Hey! Don’t touch me there!"

Rayen’s brows furrowed.

’Is that someone I know?’

The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he heard it. It was definitely not one of their members, though.

"Oh, sorry. Sorry."

"Where did you take us?" another familiar voice asked, annoyed.

"Hehe... You’ll learn about it later."

The owner of the annoyed voice only clicked his tongue in response.

’Why do they sound familiar?’

Before Rayen could even dwell on it more, they heard the wall in front of them rumble. The tall shadow looming overhead them slowly parted.

’So it was a gate.’

The unknown man pulled them to enter.

Rayen tried to memorize the direction they took to enter, counting each step, so that later, if they managed to escape this place, they only had to figure out how they could get back to the city.

Left turn. Fifteen steps. Left again, then five steps, and then right turn.

Finally, they stopped.

The creaking sound of a door opening echoed in the silent hall. The three kidnappers’ shadows stepped forward, each facing the members of SEEDZ.

They removed the cover on their heads. Immediately, Zi Xu’s wry smile appeared in Rayen’s vision.

Pop pop pop!

"Welcome to House of Idols!"