305: Chapter 305 Arrival

"New Life" organization members and others were roughly pressed to the ground, not daring to offer the slightest resistance. Beside them, the brave soul who had dared to fire a shot moments ago now lay with only half his body remaining.

The weapons in these soldiers' hands were incredibly powerful, seemingly some kind of energy weapon.

Qiao Tianyou's wrists and ankles were bound behind his back with a flexible yet incredibly tough specialized restraint, contorting him into an extremely uncomfortable position. His entire body was forced into a curled-up posture, resembling nothing so much as livestock awaiting slaughter.

The other women, including Shasha, wept pitifully, their faces streaked with tears, but the soldiers acted as if they saw nothing, instead tightening the bindings even more securely.

After completing these tasks, the captives were hauled one by one into the interior of the ghost-like aircraft. The cabin was spacious, equipped with two rows of seats featuring safety harnesses similar to those on roller coasters.

The armored soldiers silently took their seats and fastened the buckles above them.

Clearly, this was a precursor to the aircraft's takeoff.

The members of the "New Life" organization received no such courteous treatment. They were secured to the floor, a dozen or so people crammed together in an extremely awkward, contorted pile, unable to move.

For the first time, Qiao Tianyou felt genuine terror welling up inside him, his heart flooded with fear—the instinctive human reaction to facing the unknown.

Any talk of a bright future now was utterly meaningless.

It was over. Everything was over. Inheriting the family business, soaring to great heights, the gates of the cloud city... all of it had vanished like a mirage.

If he had known in advance that this company possessed such terrifying armed forces, he should have planned more thoroughly.

Just as Qiao Tianyou was wallowing in regret, the next second, he was slammed by an immense force of inertia. The secured "cargo" pile nearly broke free from its restraints.

The faces of the "New Life" group turned a purplish-red, their breathing became labored. Some wore expressions of utter horror. Just how tremendous was the acceleration to cause such an effect?

Fortunately, just as someone was on the verge of losing consciousness, the aircraft stabilized, carrying this group toward an unknown destination.

To an outside observer, the exterior of the aircraft began to slowly change. Ripples, like water distortions, appeared on its surface. Through it, one could still see the blue sky and white clouds beyond. The entire massive silhouette of the Shadow Raven aircraft began to blur, eventually vanishing from the sky.

Leaving behind only a thunderous roar.

When Qiao Tianyou saw sunlight again, he found himself on an island. The soldier who had been hauling him removed his restraints and casually tossed him onto the beach. Coarse sand grains embedded themselves in his skin, causing him to grimace in pain.

Shasha and the others were thrown down one after another. Everyone lay sprawled on the ground, gasping for air, their eyes scanning their surroundings with utter bewilderment.

After depositing these people, the company's aircraft departed directly.

By this point, Qiao Tianyou and the others had also witnessed the changes the aircraft underwent. Even as it became completely invisible, some still couldn't believe their eyes, rubbing them in disbelief.

"We shouldn't have opposed this company. They are far too powerful," someone said despondently. The recent ordeal had shattered his understanding of the world.

"What's the use of saying that now? What we need to figure out is why they dumped us here."

After speaking, Qiao Tianyou stood on a rocky outcrop, his gaze cold as he surveyed the surroundings. There was nothing particularly special about the place—just a vast island with somewhat sparse vegetation.

Next, Qiao Tianyou checked his wristwatch and looked at the sky.

The sun was blazing fiercely at this moment.

"It's 1 PM. Judging by the sun's position, we're likely on a remote island in the Northern Hemisphere, close to the equator."

"Johnny, you and I will explore this island, see if there's anything usable. The rest of you are responsible for finding fresh water and food. We don't have a single drop of water on us. In this environment, dehydration will set in quickly."

"Listen up, everyone. No matter if they're toying with us or what, as long as we're alive, there's always a sliver of hope!"

Qiao Tianyou's words rallied everyone's spirits, and they began to move into action.

——

America, Washington, D.C., the White House.

Bathed in the afternoon sun, this neoclassical-style white sandstone building still appeared solemn and serene.

At this moment, within this structure representing the political and power center of America, many people were moving with some haste.

Inside one of the conference rooms...

America's currently serving President TP sat in his seat, deep in thought. As the nation's 46th president, having taken office just two and a half years ago, he had no shortage of worries lately.

Ultimately, it all came down to the rise of one young man.

President TP looked at the dossier on the desk. He had reviewed this file a long time ago.

Shortly after that company released its revolutionary anti-cancer drug, this dossier had been delivered to the White House by elite agents under his command.

Initially, he hadn't paid it much mind, thinking it was just another Silicon Valley-style overnight success story, something that might require extra attention from the Commerce Department or the FDA at most.

Yet in the blink of an eye, this Central Continent youth he had overlooked rapidly grew into an entity that the American government could not ignore—indeed, one it viewed with apprehension.

The Third-Party Technology he founded seemed to operate with cheat codes enabled, churning out various technologies and novel pharmaceuticals one after another, much to the dismay of American corporations.

It was brazenly encroaching upon the American domestic market. The antibiotic production cooperation on their end felt more like charity from the other party.

Recently, this company had even launched a space station into orbit—a feat NASA couldn't even dream of pulling off...

Thinking of this, President TP rubbed his temples in frustration. The root cause of all this was this young man named Lin Fang.

As much as he disliked admitting it, the power now held in this young man's hands was capable of altering the global landscape.

*Sigh*, he hoped that fellow Yori would bring him some good news. He also wondered why they had suddenly called for this seemingly pointless meeting.

A short while later, the assembled high-ranking officials of the American government were all present.

President TP finally learned the news that his CIA Director, Yori Lacktrey, had come to report. The president was utterly shocked and asked again, unable to believe it, "You're saying Lin Fang is dead?!"

Lacktrey was a middle-aged man in his fifties, his face bearing the calm demeanor characteristic of intelligence personnel:

"Yes, Mr. President. Please forgive me for only informing you now, but it was necessary for operational security. After all, this company's intelligence network is terrifying."

"Let me now brief you on the complete sequence of events."

Lacktrey recounted, word by deliberate word, his orchestration of the explosive attack in Houston City.

In truth, there was a reason for his secrecy toward this president. This president was somewhat... unreliable, often posting information online. If the company had caught wind of anything amiss prematurely, it would have been disastrous.