Chapter 49: Unexpected Departures and Dire Discoveries

“Huh, why did she leave so suddenly?!”

As he watched his senior sister’s retreating figure, the blush on his face slowly faded, swiftly replaced by a sense of inexplicable loss that flooded his heart.

What was happening to him? Why this sudden shift in his emotions? This feeling was unlike anything he had experienced before. While he had known disappointment, the depth of this current desolation felt profoundly different.

‘What is wrong with me?’

It was truly strange.

****

However, at that very moment, while he was still lost in thought, Huang Beifeng and the others arrived.

“Oh? I’m starting to wonder if I misjudged things before. How did you escape such a great danger only to find such good fortune immediately after?”

Softly settling beside him, Huang Beifeng couldn’t resist teasing him once more.

“By the way, this table looks rather expensive, doesn’t it? And Mu Rong Luo Ye, how did you get out of danger? Also, this meal—you weren’t rescued by some passing rich lady who then decided to treat you to this feast, were you?”

‘Aside from the “lover” part, she’s remarkably close to the truth,’ he mused.

He had initially intended to explain, but recalling his senior sister’s instruction not to reveal her role in his rescue, he swallowed the words he was about to utter.

“Well, honestly, I wish I knew myself. One moment I was unconscious, and the next I woke up here. As for what happened in between, I’m completely in the dark.” He spoke nothing but the truth.

“Furthermore, I’m just as curious about this elaborate spread. When I regained consciousness, I was alone, and there was no one else around. The bill for this meal has already been settled, but as for who paid for it, I haven’t the slightest idea.”

“Is that so?”

Huang Beifeng cast a suspicious glance his way. While it might have been possible to deceive Can Ye and Tang Xiao Rou, concealing anything from Huang Beifeng appeared to be a far greater challenge.

Indeed, her eyes still held a questioning glint. Yet, he found himself without the energy to offer further explanations. A peculiar, heavy feeling, as if something was lodged in his heart, made him profoundly uncomfortable.

****

“– My Lady, how did it go? Did you manage to charm him? –”

Yet, after his own voice faded, silence lingered on the other end.

“– Hmm, something’s off. The call isn’t disconnected, so why isn’t she answering me? –”

The wait didn’t last long, however, before Mo Yuyan’s voice finally came through.

“– How is the information gathering proceeding on your end? –”

Upon hearing Mo Yuyan’s words, The Captor was slightly taken aback, though her response was entirely logical given the circumstances.

“– The results are almost compiled, My Lady. Our initial assumptions were correct. Based on the current intel, their objective doesn’t seem to be merely finding her. It appears there are other goals involved, which we believe to be their secondary objective. –”

“– Finding her is only the secondary objective? –”

“– Indeed. It’s likely there’s a much more significant aim. After all, if it were simply about locating her, MRZZ could easily achieve that with their vast resources. Therefore, while we don’t yet know the precise nature of their primary objective, its realization demands an entire city’s population – specifically, the people of this city – as sacrifices. –”

To imagine a city of a million people, sacrificed en masse, made one wonder how terrifying the entity or goal they served truly was.

“– They are truly a bunch of madmen, –”

Mo Yuyan halted her steps, her fingers gently gripping the bridge’s railing. Unbeknownst to her, the section she held had been bent out of shape by her unconscious grip.

“– However, My Lady, there’s no need to worry. I’ve just contacted the Leader. He’s been investigating the primary objective, so our task remains the secondary one: finding her. –”

“– Understood. –”

With the Leader personally involved, there was no cause for concern. Mo Yuyan knew the sheer terror of the Leader’s power, though even her understanding was but the tip of an iceberg.

As for the secondary objective, finding her, Mo Yuyan was determined to succeed.