Chapter 2249 - 2450: Tracking

After sending the message, Hao Jian's entire body exuded a fierce aura. People as far as ten meters away felt a chill in the air. Their faces were filled with fear, yet they dared not move or utter a single word.

For Hao Jian, money naturally wasn't important. Having reached where he was now, he didn't even know how much he had accumulated. To him, it was just numbers.

However, if the other party took the money and still didn't release Shu Ya, and she even suffered the slightest harm, the consequences would be unbearable for them.

At least, with his current abilities, there weren't many who could provoke his anger. Once enraged, the consequences would be unimaginable, and few could withstand the weight of his power.

Nonetheless, he wasn't foolish enough to simply hand over the money and then wait passively for them to release Shu Ya. That would be too passive and brainless; Hao Jian would never do such a thing.

If they wanted to play a game, he'd play along. Money in the front, with his skills, he'd silently hide hundreds or even thousands of meters away. As soon as the other party appeared, while ensuring Shu Ya's safety, he would immediately rescue her.

At the same time, he'd force them to reveal their intentions and the motives behind their actions.

He believed that with his skills, if he wanted to hide, an average person wouldn't be able to locate him. Therefore, this was absolutely foolproof.

The car moved ahead, while he followed behind cautiously, maintaining a distance without losing track. Since the message was sent, there had been no updates from the other party, and he wasn't sure about the current situation. The transaction was set at a suburban location, far from the city center, showing that the other party was quite cautious in this regard. The distance from the private airport to the transaction site was deceptively short, but in truth, they had a bit of a drive.

What puzzled Hao Jian most was how the adversary knew he had boarded the plane the moment he did, and shortly after he landed, they called. They were fully aware of his whereabouts, which was quite unexpected.

Who exactly was the opponent? What was their goal? How could they know his movements so clearly, to the point of being almost infallible? Could it be someone close to him? Spice Ginger? The thought of betrayal by Spice Ginger seemed impossible, since they had been together for so long. The more he pondered, the more confused he became.

While thinking, the fleet of cars had entered an abandoned factory in the suburbs. According to the information sent by Spice Ginger, the factory had ceased operations over a decade ago due to pollution issues during its use. Consequently, no one lived nearby anymore; not a single soul could be seen for miles around.

The choice of this abandoned factory by the opposing side seemed logical, eliminating many troubles. Even if the police were involved, they'd be long gone before the authorities arrived. Such meticulous planning in details was commendable.

The cars slowly entered the abandoned factory. As per instructions, people drove the cars in for the transaction and then left, ensuring safety and no loose ends before the release. In compliance with the requirements, they parked the cars and left hastily, restoring the factory to its former quietness.

They were merely following orders, fearing the consequences of any mistakes, as the responsibility would defy their capacity. Quickly leaving, the factory returned to its usual silence.

Hao Jian stood not far away, with his extraordinary vision locked onto the car holding four billion US dollars, constantly surveying the surroundings. If anyone appeared, he'd capture them immediately, then rescue Shu Ya at once and take down the criminals.

Minutes passed, then ten, but no one showed up. Apart from the excessive quietness, nothing else was visible. Possibly due to severe pollution, not even small animals could be seen nearby, adding to the eerie silence.

The silence was so abnormal that it was frightening, explaining why no one lived nearby and why visitors were unlikely. It was eerily too quiet.

Hao Jian observed for about half an hour, yet there was no sight of the enemies. This surprised him, as people usually couldn't resist so much money and would come for it. Yet, after half a Chinese hour, there was still no sign of anyone, which seemed too unusual.

Nevertheless, Hao Jian's patience far exceeded that of ordinary people. If half an hour passed without any movement, he'd continue waiting. Previously, during assignments, he could lie in sand or mud for four to five days without moving. Compared to those conditions, half an hour was effortless.

Indeed, unable to resist the allure of money, they emerged after an hour. Initially, one person came out to scout. Finding no one around, he gave a signal, and immediately seven or eight more appeared. They inspected the surroundings and promptly hauled the US dollars from the vehicle.

Then they brought out several more vehicles to load the money into. Without hesitation, they drove off with their cars full of US dollars, disappearing in a cloud of dust.

Hao Jian watched everything from a distance, hearing their conversations clearly despite the distance. They were cautious, only leaving after transferring the money. They planned to leave immediately, relocate the money, then divide the spoils.

Among them, Hao Jian didn't see Shu Ya. Besides the group of men, there were no others. Their tone suggested Shu Ya was somewhere else, though they hadn't mentioned the location, forcing Hao Jian to be cautious.

His initial thought was they'd bring Shu Ya for the transaction. Once she appeared, he'd rescue her, as his skills would make it a simple task amidst the crowd. However, they hadn't brought Shu Ya, which threw off Hao Jian's plans. Thankfully, he was prepared; otherwise, he might have been confused.

If they were taking the US dollars back to their base, he'd follow to assess the situation. Once he found Shu Ya, he'd save her immediately. If not, he'd capture them, then extract Shu Ya's whereabouts by force.

He wouldn't believe that if Shu Ya suffered even a tiny bit in their hands, they wouldn't face dire consequences.

Hao Jian maintained his distance, trailing them as they drove into a workshop of unknown purpose, although it appeared to contain several large warehouses. The group parked the vehicle carrying four billion US dollars inside one.

Hao Jian leaped onto the warehouse roof, silently observing the situation within.

The group, upon exiting, wore expressions of excitement. Receiving such a large fortune was colossal, and despite their number and probable masterminds behind them, this amount was immense for them too.

Smiles on their faces were thus understandable.

"Brother Xiong, this business has brought us quite the profit; a comfortable life for us all!" exclaimed a subordinate to the leader excitedly.

The man addressed as Brother Xiong wasn't visibly excited; he remained calm, saying, "Anyone who can produce such an amount without blinking isn't someone we can afford to offend. Just follow orders from above; chasing profits might lead to falling off a cliff."

The subordinates listened, the excitement fading, replaced by rationality.

Indeed, as Brother Xiong said, those who casually presented such an enormous sum were either rich or powerful. Not someone they could afford to provoke. Following upper management's directives was vital, avoid succumbing to temptation, or they might end up in Hell.

Humans must curb their greed, or they might face unpredictable doom.

"Brother Xiong is right," responded the reprimanded subordinate.

Brother Xiong smiled, though not visibly, then turned to others, "Alright, let's not delay. Quickly report to Brother Li."

"Yes!" they nodded, promptly following Brother Xiong out of the warehouse.

This wasn't a regular warehouse. As soon as they left, it was sealed again, highly technological, effectively preventing any burglary attempts. Leaving the four billion US dollars here was no concern for them.