Future Masters in Modern Times

Chapter 18: Rescuing a Beauty

Two members of the Doomsday Empire were sprinting at full speed, their target being the Soul Crystal in Zhao Wuji’s hand. Who knows what they intended to do with it? From a distance, they spotted Zhao Wuji standing there, and the device in their hands indicated that the object was right where he was. A menacing glint flashed in their eyes as they reached for the handguns on their belts, intent on killing the man in front of them first and asking questions later. “Hmm?” Zhao Wuji sensed a wave of murderous intent rushing toward him. “You want to kill me?” Without a word, Zhao Wuji charged straight at the two men. “Then I’ll take your lives!” Seeing Zhao Wuji charging toward them, the two assumed he was trying to escape, and their faces twisted into savage grins. “Die!” He was closing in! In the split second before he reached them, Zhao Wuji swung his arms out, lashing them through the air like whips with a sharp crack. Then his arms struck the two men’s faces with brutal force. Two crisp “crack” sounds rang out,Zhao Wuji had wrenched their necks at an unimaginable angle; their cervical vertebrae had actually been twisted out of shape in the blink of an eye—an instantly fatal attack. After killing the two men, Zhao Wuji’s expression remained unchanged. He absorbed their life essences, only to discover that the device in their hands was beeping. He bent down to pick it up, and the beeping grew even more intense. Having lived in the future world in his previous life, Zhao Wuji understood such devices better than most; after just a few glances, he realized its purpose. It turned out to be a detection device. If Zhao Wuji’s guess was correct, this device was designed to detect the living soul crystal he held in his hand. However, Zhao Wuji was certain that these people were searching for the living soul crystal not to absorb it and enhance themselves—as he had done—but to use it as a form of energy; this was evident from the device’s structure. He put the device away; it would prove quite useful for detecting soul crystals. If his guess was correct, they were likely the ones who had triggered this explosion. Standing where he was, Zhao Wuji surveyed his surroundings, thought for a moment, then sprinted off in one direction at breakneck speed. He intended to blend in with the prisoners and find a way to escape this prison; time was of the essence—once the guards realized what was happening, it would be much harder to get out. The Silver Hair Squad captain had been waiting for news from the other two, but so much time had passed without a single word. “I can’t wait any longer,” he said, his face darkening as he decided to leave on his own. With the prison in such chaos right now, it was definitely a good opportunity to escape. Hugging the wall, he slowly made his way out of the medical Center. A dense, dark mass of people loomed in the distance. After a moment’s thought, he dashed toward the crowd. The number of inmates surrounding Catherine and her group was dwindling; it was clear they were about to break free from the center of the crowd. Catherine and her group were safe for the time being, and even the bodyguards surrounding her let out a sigh of relief. Catherine gently pressed her hand to her chest, feeling her heartbeat gradually slow. “It seems I’m safe for now. But…” Catherine thought of her brother and the others; by now, they were probably still struggling in the crowd! Coming to Lobestan Prison had definitely been a mistake. If she’d known it would turn out like this, she would have stopped Adelaide from coming here in the first place. Catherine’s face was clouded with worry, and she looked somewhat pale. What she hadn’t anticipated was that what happened next would be the truly terrifying moment. The Silver Hair Squad captain, frowning, was sprinting frantically toward the crowd when suddenly, a group of people came into view: a beautiful blonde girl, protected by a circle of bodyguards, was making her way toward him. It was Catherine and her group. The Silver Hair Squad captain’s previously somber gaze suddenly burst with ecstasy. Could it be? If he wasn’t mistaken, wasn’t that the young lady from the Du Pont family? As members of the Doomsday Empire, they were well-versed in the affairs of the great families; they could often identify these powerful figures the moment they saw them. He had no time to wonder why the young lady of the Du Pont family was here; he knew only that seizing this opportunity would raise his chances of escaping prison to about sixty or seventy percent. “Heh, heh, you’ve shown up at just the right time.” A twisted grin spread across the Silver Hair Squad captain’s face as a chilling laugh escaped his throat. He cast a sinister glance at the bodyguards surrounding Catherine, snorted coldly, and came up with a plan. Just as Catherine and her group were trying to make their way through the crowd, they suddenly noticed a man rushing toward them. The man steadied himself and said, “Are you Miss Catherine? I’m a member of the National Security Agency of the United States.” As he spoke, he pulled out his ID. The bodyguards, who had been on high alert, relaxed their guard at that moment—they could still tell whether the ID was genuine or not. “Miss Catherine, come with me. We at the NSA will ensure your safety.” He moved closer to Catherine—whether intentionally or not—and the bodyguards didn’t find anything amiss, so they loosened their perimeter. The Silver Hair Squad seized the opportunity to slip into the protective circle and grabbed Catherine by the shoulder. Because the Silver Hair Squad captain was too eager and applied too much force, Catherine immediately felt a sharp pain. “Could you let go, please? You’re hurting me.” In response to the pain, Catherine wiggled her shoulder, trying to break free from his grip. As she looked up, she suddenly noticed the madness and malice flashing in the Silver Hair Squad captain’s eyes and immediately sensed something was wrong. “It’s too late, Miss Catherine.” With a shrill laugh, the silver-haired captain clamped his hand around Catherine’s neck. “Come with me!” The bodyguards raised their weapons in unison, aiming them at the silver-haired captain. “Who are you, exactly? Let the young lady go at once!” A chill ran down their spines—if the young lady were to come to any harm because of this, they would certainly be held accountable. Having anticipated this, the Silver Hair Squad captain pulled a bomb from his coat and said cruelly, “Do you want your beautiful young lady’s body to be reduced to ashes? This bomb is linked to my physical condition; if there’s the slightest fluctuation in my condition, it will explode. With a ‘boom,’ it’ll all be over—do you want to try it?” Seeing the mad, piercing glint in his eyes, the bodyguards dared not attempt it, fearing they might trigger the bomb. The Silver Hair Squad captain’s mind raced with thoughts. If he could escape from here with the Du Pont family’s young lady as a hostage—or even bring her back to the organization—then not only would the organization not hold him accountable for the failure of this mission, but they would actually reward him for it. The more he thought about it, the more promising it seemed, and he paid no heed to Catherine, whose neck was already marked with bruises. Catherine’s mind went blank. Having grown up sheltered in a “greenhouse,” she had never faced such danger before. She could clearly feel how close death was to her. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she was too weak to cry; she could only let the silent tears trickle slowly down her cheeks. Death—a word that had once been foreign to her—was this now her fate? The Silver Hair Squad captain’s laughter was piercing, standing in stark contrast to the bodyguards’ grim expressions. “What are you waiting for, young lady? Come with me.” The Silver Hair Squad captain tightened his grip. Catherine gagged and shook her head slightly. “Just kill me. If you think I’m going to take you out of here, you’re dreaming!” In that brief moment, Catherine decided she would rather sacrifice herself than become a burden to her family. A cold gleam flashed in the Silver Hair Squad captain’s eyes. “Are you forcing my hand, Miss Catherine?” Catherine let out a faint, cold laugh; tears streamed into her mouth, tasting bitter. She turned her face slightly and stared intently into the Silver Hair Squad captain’s eyes. “You cowardly wimp—kill me! Right now.” ” The Silver Hair Squad captain’s expression immediately darkened; it seemed he intended to make her suffer a little first. The Silver Hair Squad captain lightly wiped his cuff, and a streak of watery light poured out—revealing a sharp blade. “I’ll count to three. If you don’t leave by then, I’ll slash your face first. It’s up to you to seize this chance.” “1.” A cold voice came from the Silver Hair Squad captain’s mouth. Catherine had long since given up hope and closed her eyes. “2.” The Silver Hair Squad captain wavered the blade, bringing it close to Catherine’s cheek. “3.” Catherine’s eyelids trembled slightly as she waited for the cold blade to slice across her skin. “Thud!” A heavy blow rang out, but the cold sensation Catherine had been waiting for never came. Her eyelashes fluttered twice, and she slowly opened her eyes—then she froze. Her bodyguard froze as well. At that critical moment, a figure descended from above and kicked the Silver Hair Squad captain flying. Having just escaped danger, Catherine hadn’t yet had time to compose herself when she found herself curiously staring at the figure who had suddenly appeared. It was an Asian man who, at first glance, appeared completely ordinary. Yet, for reasons she couldn’t explain, the moment Catherine met his eyes, she was utterly captivated; she was completely drawn in by his mysterious aura. He was none other than Zhao Wuji. Just moments ago, while frantically trying to escape, Zhao Wuji had witnessed the scene unfolding before him. An inexplicable surge of anger and indignation welled up within him—he couldn’t stand seeing a woman being threatened like this. A scumbag like that deserved to die. As for the bomb, Zhao Wuji could tell at a glance that it was a remote-controlled device. All that talk about it being linked to his physical condition was nonsense—he just needed to stop him from pulling out the remote and detonating it. The Silver Hair Squad captain’s mind was still in complete disarray. Who knows where this prisoner had suddenly come from to throw his plan into chaos? Moreover, that prisoner was simply too powerful. The captain’s ribs on his upper chest were completely shattered, and thick, viscous blood was welling up in his throat. Sensing his end was near, he tremblingly pulled out his remote control, desperate to detonate the bomb. But would Zhao Wuji let him succeed? Zhao Wuji had already made his move the moment the captain reached for the remote. It was precisely because of this close range that Zhao Wuji could unleash his full power. He leaped high into the air, his right hand forming a hammer, and brought it crashing down with an incredibly fierce strike. The Silver Hair Squad captain’s head burst open like a watermelon. Even the bodyguards couldn’t help but flinch at the sight. Immediately afterward, they suddenly felt that the man before them looked familiar—wasn’t this Zhao Wuji, the one who had appeared in that video the other day? Their purpose in coming here had been to target him, yet they never expected that in this moment of crisis, it would be him who saved Catherine. It was simply unimaginable.