บท 324: Chapter 324: Kidnapping
Nobody could respond to Hadley's exclamation; they could only stare dumbfounded at the big screen.
The scene shifts back to fifteen minutes earlier...
The brand-new RV was bouncing along a rugged, gravel-strewn trail in the wilderness. Despite the rough terrain, the path was relatively smooth, which did little to affect York's driving skills. He glanced at the central console.
"We've been in a no-signal area for about half an hour now."
Confirming this, York anticipated what might lie ahead and reassessed the surrounding environment.
True wilderness, with wild grass proliferating and towering trees on both sides.
"Sometimes I really don't understand people's thought processes. Choosing to live away from the hustle and bustle, in a no-signal area, means taking on many risks."
A fleeting thought crossed his mind as York quickly spotted a landmark.
"Found it. According to Kurt's memory fragments, we just need to locate this deliberately erected signpost, about half an hour away."
Looking at the dilapidated, lopsided signpost beside the road, York redirected his attention and drove the RV past it.
The deeper they drove, the more secluded it became, until a second path appeared. York noticed something new within a 150-meter radius on his 3D map.
A decrepit, small gas station emerged by the roadside.
It looked incredibly out of place but somehow still blended naturally with the surroundings.
York smirked, reminded of those classic American road horror movies he had seen in his previous life, which always featured a rundown, eerie gas station or similar structure.
"And there would always be a creepy owner that instantly frightened the audience."
York thought of many films like *Hills Have Eyes*, *Wrong Turn*, and even *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre*.
With an unchanged smile, York drove towards the station, pinpointing the owner hiding in a small room using his 3D map.
"In this world, however, this place is just a surveillance outpost set up by the management bureau, much like the cabin in the movies."
As York approached the 150-meter mark, he drove into the station.
The gas station was desolate, with an unsettling odor wafting through the air.
York shifted the RV into park, allowing a ripple of energy to spread from him, instantly dissipating the pervasive smell.
The intended target, Marm, hiding in the room and waiting for an opportunity to emerge, sensed something amiss. He peeked out the window, his face marked by confusion.
Just then, he heard a shout from outside.
"I see you, come out."
Marm hesitated, his pupils shifting.
"Not coming out, huh? Alright."
Accompanying these words, Marm, focused intently, suddenly heard the crisp sound of a can being pulled open, followed by something hitting the ground.
At that moment, as someone meant to be a spy, an image flashed through his mind.
A grenade had been thrown into the neighboring room, rolling on the floor.
"Fk!"
Stunned, Marm reacted quickly, smashing through the window.
Three seconds had passed.
The next second.
Boom!
An explosive shockwave, carrying dust and debris, erupted from the neighboring room, blowing out the walls of the room where Marm was.
"Fk!!"
Marm, whose face could star in a horror film, crawled out from the dirt outside the blown-apart shack, staring blankly at the collapsed structure.
Thinking quickly, he stiffly turned back, only to see a large hand reaching out.
Startled, Marm tried to counter, but the hand moved faster than he anticipated, effortlessly grabbing his entire head.
"You finally came out."
Hearing this, Marm felt overshadowed by the towering figure before him, more imposing than a mountain.
"You're looking for death!"
As a specially selected operative from the military, Marm's eyes hardened with fury, compounded by the anger from the explosion. He attempted a counter-grapple, aiming to break the neck of the person before him.
But...
Marm suddenly realized that his exerted strength seemed to disappear into the abyss, leaving no trace.
"There's no need for futile resistance, you're no match for me."
York said with a smile, allowing Marm to flail about while looking at the collapsed shack.
He was pleased with the effect.
It was like a natural announcement of his arrival.
Clearly.
York's guess was not wrong. Two hundred meters away, in a well-concealed building that had picked up on the explosion, the soldiers inside were slower to react than York's actions.
"Stop flailing!"
Watching Marm struggle to free himself, York kindly advised.
"I know there are cameras outside besides the spies."
Speaking, York grinned, "I need you to tell them, I'm here, no, the savior of the world, or humanity's backbone is here."
"Who are you!"
Panic was evident on Marm's face as he
clutched the large hand above him, staring intently at York.
He naturally knew who the person was, from the target's dossier.
The man was a young professor from Cornell University, closely associated with the targets and hastily added to the list by the management bureau.
But from the grenade York had thrown and his recent words, it seemed the young professor knew everything.
"Who am I?"
Hearing the all-too-familiar question he had heard countless times, York smiled warmly.
"Didn't I just introduce myself? Humanity's backbone and savior!"
"Damn!" Marm reached out to throw a punch at the young professor, but the difference in arm length was too great, and he couldn't even touch York's chest.
"Stop struggling."
York's expression remained unchanged as he released his grip.
"Yeah, better not struggle."
Despite the advice, how could Marm listen to York? As soon as his movements were restored, he positioned himself to throw a punch at York's face.
But at that moment, Marm found that his brain could no longer command his body.
The air around him suddenly solidified, immobilizing him completely.
"What's going on?"
Marm was bewildered, looking at the young professor before him.
York didn't answer, waving his right hand, the collapsed shack as if seized by an invisible giant hand, all debris was pushed aside.
Then, various devices inside levitated and flew out, along with a stool and an iron chain.
This miraculous and superhuman scene caused Marm's pupils to dilate slightly.
He abruptly looked at York, his expression filled with bewilderment.
"Who are you really?"
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