Future Masters in Modern Times

Chapter 13: The Doomsday Empire

At Lun Private Airport, a top-of-the-line, custom-built Gulfstream private jet sat quietly on the tarmac. Around the aircraft, more than a dozen staff members were busy making final preparations for takeoff. “Beep,” “beep”—the sound of car horns rang out. Bodyguards from two escort vehicles got out one after another, scanning their surroundings warily until they confirmed it was safe. Only then did one of the bodyguards approach the Lincoln, bend down, and report the situation to Housekeeper Amanda through the car window. “Master Adelaide, Miss Catherine, you may get out now,” Housekeeper Amanda said with a smile as she turned around. “All right, Catherine, let’s get out,” Adelaide said, glancing at Catherine. Catherine nodded in agreement, so Adelaide stepped out first, followed by Catherine. The bodyguards pulled out their scanners and gave the plane a thorough scan. A moment later, they signaled to Housekeeper Amanda from a distance that it was safe to board. After seeing the signal on the report, Housekeeper Amanda turned to the brother and sister waiting nearby and said, “The plane has been cleared of any safety issues. Master Adelaide and Miss Catherine may now board.” “Let’s go, my dear sister,” Adelaide said with a smile, looking at Catherine with a touch of impatience. As soon as Catherine saw the look on Adelaide’s face, she felt a pang of displeasure. She was already beginning to regret tagging along with him, but given her competitive nature, there was no way she was going to back down now. At the foot of the boarding stairs, two blonde flight attendants stood on either side of the aircraft door, smiling as they welcomed them. Adelaide and Catherine walked up the stairs and boarded the plane. “Mr. Adelaide, Miss Catherine, welcome aboard.” When they reached the cabin door, the two beautiful flight attendants, beaming with warm smiles, placed their hands in front of their waists and gave a slight bow. Adelaide nodded and stepped inside, while Catherine gave a gentle smile, thanked the flight attendants, and walked lightly into the cabin—a gesture that greatly endeared her to them. Private jets are synonymous with luxury. Although the exterior of this particular private jet appeared unremarkable, anyone stepping inside would be secretly awestruck by the opulence within. The interior of the plane was clearly custom-designed to resemble the presidential suite of a top-tier hotel. The creamy white ceiling evoked a warm and comfortable atmosphere, while the floor was laid with premium rosewood. Scattered throughout the cabin, the lighting fixtures emitted a soft glow, and the circular sofa was plush and comfortable. In addition, the plane featured a bedroom, a dining area, and a bathroom—every amenity was provided. It truly lives up to its reputation as a luxury reserved only for the wealthy. The Du Pont siblings looked perfectly composed as they sat down on the plush sofas. Before long, a flight attendant poured freshly ground coffee into their white porcelain cups, and the aroma immediately filled the air. Four flight attendants stood around them, ready to serve at a moment’s notice. Adelaide picked up her coffee, blew gently on it, took a sip, and then set the cup down. Catherine, meanwhile, picked up a thick book and began reading. “Catherine, don’t you want to chat with me?” Adelaide glanced at Catherine and asked with a smile. Catherine snorted derisively, flipped through several pages of her book, and then set it down on the coffee table. “Chat about what? Your boring hobbies?” Adelaide didn’t seem to mind. “Catherine, you’ll never understand the daily details of my hobby—or maybe none of you women do.” “Is that so? Adelaide, Sister Alice doesn’t understand either, does she? Next time, I’ll be sure to have a good talk with her.” Catherine wasn’t the least bit upset, because she knew exactly where Adelaide’s weak spot lay. “Oh, Catherine, don’t be like that. You’re always using Alice to threaten me.” Adelaide was exasperated, but Catherine replied impassively, “Well, then, you don’t have to let me threaten you.” Adelaide didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He decided he wouldn’t argue with his younger sister anymore—he was truly afraid of her. Housekeeper Amanda walked in and cleared her throat lightly; the two immediately stopped arguing. “Master Adelaide, the plane takes off in half an hour. The flight will take about ten hours, and we’ll be landing at the Duchy of Rems Air Force Base. I’ve already made all the necessary arrangements. Once we arrive, we’ll take a helicopter to Lobestan Prison.” “All right, let’s get some rest first.” Adelaide stood up and walked toward the bedroom inside the plane. A short while later, Catherine, tired from reading, also made her way to her own bedroom. After an unknown amount of time, the plane took off from the private airport and disappeared into the horizon. The Doomsday Empire is the world’s largest terrorist organization. Governments from many countries have attempted to eradicate this cancerous tumor festering within modern civilization, but because the organization is so well-hidden, they have been unable to completely eliminate it. Before long, it reemerges, posing a persistent headache. In an underground hall shimmering with a cold, metallic sheen, a man in a black work uniform was rapidly operating an instrument with both hands. Before long, the large screen in front of him began to flicker incessantly. After an unknown amount of time, the flickering suddenly stopped, and the man immediately reported the situation to his superiors: “Headquarters, Headquarters. This is Base 9. Target object detected.” ” After a moment, a cold voice came through the headset: “Report the target’s location and its energy reaction level.” The man tapped away at the control panel and reported, “The target object is located at Lobestan Prison. Its energy reaction level is Class E.” “Class E? That’s too low a value! However, you may dispatch a standard team from your base to search for it.” “Roger that!” The man in black picked up the microphone beside him, turned it on, and ordered, “Team C, report here immediately. You have a new mission to carry out.” A few hours later, in an incredibly desolate desert, a three-person squad suddenly appeared. No one knew where they had come from or why they were there. After arriving, the three remained stationary for a long time until a helicopter appeared. They nimbly climbed the rope ladder lowered by the helicopter and boarded the aircraft. “Here’s the intel for this operation. Take a look!” A silver-haired man wearing a form-fitting combat suit handed out the documents to the other two. After receiving them, the two glanced at the materials and fell silent, deep in thought. “Captain, our target location is actually Lobestan Prison. Sending just the three of us to such a dangerous place suggests the target isn’t particularly valuable. So…” “Exactly. If we can successfully retrieve the target, that’s great; if not, the Organization won’t lose much.” The captain’s voice was somewhat cold, but only for a moment. Then his icy, stern, and resolute voice rang out: “We swear undying loyalty to the Doomsday Empire and unconditional obedience to all the Organization’s arrangements!” The other two team members paused for a moment, their gazes suddenly turning just as icy: “We swear undying loyalty to the Doomsday Empire and unconditional obedience to all the Organization’s orders!” Inside the small helicopter cabin, the three voices ultimately merged into one, echoing over and over again throughout the cabin. On the vast plain, a car bearing the United States flag sped across the open countryside; it belonged to the National Security Agency. Inside the vehicle, there were four people, including the driver—all NSA agents. Their primary mission was to enter Lobestan Prison to retrieve the bodies of inmates. Since the prisoners held at Lobestan were no ordinary criminals, even if they died accidentally in custody, the relevant authorities were required to enter the prison to retrieve the bodies for identification. That was precisely the purpose of the agents in this vehicle. “Conrad, how much further until we reach the prison? Damn it, there’s hardly a soul around here. Not even a single bird in sight,” a white man asked the driver, letting out a curse as he spoke. “Born, you’re too impatient. We’ve still got an hour’s drive ahead of us,” the man named Conrad teased Born with a smile. Born slumped back in the back seat, “It’s not my fault. As staff at the U. S. Security Agency’s local branch, we have to stay here all year and handle the body retrieval. It’s like we’ve been hit by a truck. There’s no good food here, no hot United States chicks—basically, nothing.” His tone grew increasingly listless; he seemed too tired even to complain properly. “Shut your mouth, Born.” The two men who had been silent until then were thoroughly fed up with Born’s rambling and cursed at him. “Born, you bastard—you should never have joined the Security Bureau.” “Stop arguing!” Conrad suddenly shouted, his expression wary as a barbed-wire barrier, about ten meters long, suddenly appeared in front of them. “Oh, Conrad, what’s going on?” Conrad slammed on the brakes, sending everyone in the car lurching from side to side. “We’re not worth anything—who would stop us?” The others muttered a few complaints. As soon as the car came to a stop, Born was the first to pull open the door. “I’ll see for myself what’s going on.” ” The pent-up resentment in his heart suddenly burst forth, and Conrad frantically tried to stop him: “Born, don’t get out under any circumstances.” But it was too late—Born had already stepped out of the car. “You bastard, come out if you’ve got the guts…” A gunshot rang out with a “bang,” cutting off Born’s words abruptly. The others in the car turned pale with shock and quickly drew their weapons. There stood Born, his face still contorted with anger, staring blankly with eyes wide with shock. A bloody hole had appeared between his eyebrows—he had been shot dead on the spot!