42: Chapter 42 The Eiffel Power Plant Under the Night

...

According to the plan, Lin Fang arrived outside the Golden Gate Thermal Power Plant half an hour later, having spent some effort mainly to confirm the locations of the surveillance cameras.

Under the night sky,

an old man with half-white hair, dressed in a retro gentleman's suit, was squatting by the roadside, deep in thought.

Lin Fang checked his phone's map to confirm his target's location—the Eiffel Power Plant, 20 kilometers away. It was several times larger than the Golden Gate plant, with a staggering daily output of 3 million kilowatts. As one of San Francisco's main power suppliers, it was valued at approximately $2 billion.

This thermal power plant, located far from the San Francisco city area, was the resource Lin Fang intended to take away this time.

Having tasted the fine grains of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Lin Fang had become picky. Aside from a few useful items, he now disdained many things. This large power plant was one of the few high-value targets under his sustainable development plan.

It was also an experiment for Lin Fang. He had already tested small structures (like dog houses) without issue, but would the Black Watch acknowledge an industrial base like this?

If it worked... heh heh...

To avoid exposure, the main roads with numerous cameras were obviously not an option. Lin Fang chose a small path instead, which required crossing an unnamed mountain range with an elevation of about 400 meters. To conserve energy, he had prepared a second-hand Revel Bikes mountain bicycle.

Almost ready. Time for the 20-kilometer cross-country ride!

In the shadows, the old man did two sets of burpees as a warm-up, then mounted a bicycle that appeared out of thin air. With a *kuch-kuch* sound, he sped off down the narrow, winding path to the left.

——

The next day,

"Hiss——"

Who am I? Where is this? Orson Sinclair woke up in bed, feeling completely off. His entire body ached terribly, as if it had been crushed by a millstone.

What had that evil spirit done with his body?

Dragging his heavy frame out of bed, Orson saw a haggard old man with puffy eye bags in the mirror. His expression turned mournful. God, have you seen this? This evil spirit has abused my body so cruelly.

"Father, Father, are you alright?"

Anxious shouts came from outside the door. Orson recognized the voice—it was his eldest son, Noah. This seemed to be his own room at the power plant. What had that evil spirit come here for?

The door opened, and Noah Sackler was startled by the old man's appearance. Was this still his father, who always emphasized gentlemanly demeanor?

"Father, what's wrong?" Noah asked with concern.

Orson didn't answer. Instead, he fixed a sharp gaze on him and spoke coldly, "It's none of your concern."

Seems fine, Noah thought, relieved. "Father, you said yesterday you wanted to return by ten o'clock. It's almost time. And Father, you won't believe this, but something major happened at the Eiffel Power Plant last night."

Noah's expression turned peculiar at this point. He seemed to want to laugh, but his eyes also showed worry. "The Eiffel Power Plant has disappeared!"

Due to early competition, the forces behind the Eiffel Power Plant were practically at odds with the Sinclair Family. Noah and the current head of the Eiffel Power Plant were mortal enemies. To make matters worse, Noah's own influence was smaller, and he was constantly subjected to the other's humiliation.

What?

Orson clearly hadn't processed this.

Noah repeated it: the Eiffel Power Plant had mysteriously vanished last night, leaving only a massive crater.

"Noah, have you seen it yourself?" Understanding what he meant, an expression of horror appeared on Orson Sinclair's face. That was a vast industrial base covering nearly a million square meters. What kind of power could make it disappear like that?

Satan's punishment?

"After receiving the news, I went to the Eiffel Power Plant immediately. Apart from the dormitory buildings, all the other structures were gone. I even saw Daed..."

Noah could barely contain himself, showing an expression that was both wanting to laugh and afraid to. "He was sitting on the ground and didn't look too good."

Orson Sinclair glared at him. "I'm going to see for myself now. Call all the family's security personnel to the power plant and increase patrols."

"Our power plant must not have any incidents!"

After giving these instructions, Orson hurried downstairs. He intended to visit the Eiffel Power Plant. He wouldn't believe such an absurd thing had happened without seeing it with his own eyes.

"Good morning, sir," the driver was already waiting below. Seeing Orson come down, he hurriedly opened the car door for him.

After getting in the car,

Orson Sinclair gazed out the window, feeling restless. If the Eiffel Power Plant had truly disappeared, then the cause must be an unimaginable, mysterious force. What did it need the power plant for? Would it target his family's industry next, given their proximity?

And that evil spirit possessing him...

This evil spirit was too powerful. The Bible and the cross had no effect on it whatsoever.

Had the gates of hell opened? Was the world descending into chaos? How would the Sinclair Family survive? Orson lowered his head and sighed. Recent events had left even this seasoned old man feeling powerless.

Hmm? What's this? Out of the corner of his eye, Orson noticed something unusual—a faint brownish ring around the edge of his leather shoe.

Although it had been cleaned, Orson's sharp eyes still recognized it as a trace of mud.

Good grief, how did mud get on his shoes? He never walked in... Orson's eyes suddenly widened. Connecting this to the unusual state of his body that morning, a chilling suspicion arose in his mind:

He himself was the one who stole the Eiffel Power Plant!

——

Previously, Orson had thought returning to the scene of the crime as the perpetrator was an incredibly foolish act.

But today, he himself was that foolish person. Because Orson had no choice. He needed to confirm whether he would be thrown into prison or some supernatural Research Institute.

"Lord, have you seen? Please hear my prayer, punish this evil spirit, and deliver me from danger."

On the way to the Eiffel Power Plant, Orson silently recited prayers from the Torah in the car. Yahweh, as the omniscient, omnipotent, and wholly benevolent deity of Judaism, would surely help him.

Arriving at the Eiffel Power Plant,

The scene before him elevated Orson's fear of that evil spirit to its peak. No one could remain calm in the face of such a miracle.

The soil at the edge of the million-square-meter crater was perfectly neat and smooth, like a peeled hard-boiled egg. It looked as if a giant spoon had scooped out a piece of the earth! Was that evil spirit feeding?!

Orson's hands and feet turned icy cold at that moment. Only his lifelong self-discipline kept him from collapsing to the ground.

At the crater's edge,

Orson stood frozen for over half an hour before he regained the strength to move, as if his blood had only just begun to circulate again.

A moment later, Orson slowly walked towards the crowd gathered there.