Chapter 3

Over the next forty-eight hours, I barely slept.

Late on the second night, I sat in the temporary command center, surrounded by various files and documents. The ashtray overflowed with cigarette butts, countless cups of coffee consumed.

"Sir!" Rex suddenly burst in, his face showing barely suppressed excitement. "We found it!"

I stood up abruptly: "Speak!"

"Three months ago, a private medical facility in the suburbs purchased large quantities of 'Death Angel' serum." Rex quickly opened the file. "It's an extremely rare banned substance that can put someone in a state of suspended animation—heartbeat and breathing almost undetectable, lasting up to 72 hours."

My heart pounded: "Continue."

"This medical facility claims to be a rehabilitation center, but it's actually a secret base of the West Coast Business Alliance. And the person who signed for the drug purchase..." Rex paused, "was Marcus Voss."

"That damned animal!" I slammed my fist on the table, the wooden surface instantly cracking.

"There's more important discovery," Rex pulled up satellite surveillance images. "We tracked where those drugs went and found Marcus has a secret manor outside the city. Three months ago, witnesses saw him transport a large insulated box into the manor late at night."

"Insulated box..." My eyes flashed coldly. "Large enough to hold a person."

"Exactly. And according to our thermal imaging scans, there are life signs in the manor's basement." Rex lowered his voice. "Sir, Miss Elena may still be alive!"

Alive!

Those two words made all the blood in my body boil. I forced myself to calm down, thinking quickly: "Why would Marcus fake her death? Why not just kill her?"

"We investigated Voss Group's equity structure," Rex pulled up another document. "Miss Elena holds 51% absolute controlling stake in the group. According to company bylaws, shares can only be transferred with her personal signature. If she died, these shares would be distributed according to her will—Marcus would only get a small portion."

"So he needs her alive to force her to sign over the equity." I gritted my teeth.

"Right. And we also discovered that in three days—this Friday—Voss Group will hold a special board meeting. The agenda is 'handling former Chairman Elena Voss's remaining issues.'"

I narrowed my eyes: "They're going to completely strip Elena of her power that day."

"Should be. Once the board passes the resolution, Marcus can legally take over the entire group. By then, even if Miss Elena is still alive, she'll have no value..."

He didn't finish, but I understood his meaning.

By then, Elena would truly be silenced.

"Prepare for action." I stood up, eyes burning with fierce flames. "We're going tonight to rescue her."

"Sir, please wait." Rex stopped me. "That manor is heavily guarded with at least fifty armed bodyguards. And we're not certain of Miss Elena's exact location. Attacking rashly might alert them..."

"Then what do you suggest?" I suppressed my rage. "Watch her locked up there?"

"I suggest more detailed reconnaissance first, to map out the manor's interior layout and guard deployment. Then formulate a thorough rescue plan to ensure foolproof success."

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. Rex was right—I couldn't let anger cloud my judgment. Elena had already suffered so much; I couldn't let her face any more risk.

"You have twelve hours." I said gravely. "After twelve hours, regardless of preparation, we move."

"Yes!"

Rex was about to leave when my phone suddenly rang.

Unknown number.

I answered without speaking.

"Kyle Voss?" A voice processed through a modulator came through. "I've long admired the War King's reputation."

"Who are you?"

"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is I have what you want."

"Speak clearly."

"Want to see Elena Voss? I can arrange it. But on one condition—stop investigating and leave Asgard City."

"Wishful thinking." I sneered.

"Don't rush to refuse. You should know Elena's situation is very dangerous now. If you continue causing trouble, she'll die miserably."

"You're threatening me?"

"No, I'm just stating facts." The voice behind the modulator was chilling. "War King, no matter how capable you are, you're just one person. And we are a network spanning the entire empire. You can't fight us."

"Is that so?" I sneered. "Then I'll test just how sturdy your network is."

"Give you ten seconds to consider—"

I hung up directly.

"Trace the signal source!" I shouted to Rex.

Rex immediately operated the equipment but shook his head after ten seconds: "They used a relay. The signal bounced through servers in dozens of countries—can't locate it."

"Doesn't matter." I sneered. "If they're calling, they're panicked. Continue according to plan."

Just then, my phone received an MMS message.