Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 491: Destroy Evidence

Goodman initially didn't react but then couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "Mr. Yang, you're quite the joker. Our company's drivers are practically Paris experts, driving around the city every day. Even though I didn't handpick them, they know Paris like the back of their hands. How could they get lost?"

"Is that so? I think Mr. Goodman should take a look outside. It feels like we're heading in the opposite direction," Yang Chen said, lightly tapping the window with the wine bottle.

Goodman felt a surge of irritation. Did this man think he was an idiot? A lamb skewer seller, who somehow landed a position as a director at Yulei International and got to stand on equal footing with him, even accompanying Lin Ruoxi to Paris. No matter how lucky Yang Chen might have been, the difference in their capabilities was clear. Despite whatever facade he put on, Yang Chen was still a low-class commoner. What could he possibly know?

"Mr. Yang, may I ask, have you been to Paris before? Do you know where the Sofitel Hotel is? Are you familiar with Paris's routes?" Goodman asked, suppressing his anger and trying to remain calm.

"Rue Boissy d'Anglas, number 15. Is that correct?" Yang Chen replied in perfect French.

Goodman was utterly dumbfounded. He never expected that Yang Chen, who seemed so crude, could speak French! What shocked him even more was that the address Yang Chen gave was indeed the Sofitel Hotel's address. He couldn't believe Yang Chen had guessed it by chance.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Goodman finally turned his head to look out at the road. To his horror, the car was indeed not heading towards the city center but was speeding northeast, away from Paris!

"What's going on?!" Goodman muttered to himself in shock, feeling a chill run down his spine.

Lin Ruoxi, who had been silent, didn't know the specifics of Paris, but she immediately realized Yang Chen was right. The car wasn't heading to the hotel but to an unknown location.

Realizing something was wrong, Lin Ruoxi turned her gaze to Yang Chen, hoping he could explain what was happening.

Yang Chen shrugged, seeming to anticipate her question. "I know the route is wrong, but I have no idea why this is happening."

Goodman, now fully alert, quickly moved to the front of the car and pressed a button to communicate with the driver. In this modified luxury stretch Bentley, the passenger area was soundproofed to prevent the driver from overhearing conversations. Communication with the driver was only possible through an intercom.

"Spiel! Spiel, what are you doing?! You're going the wrong way! Do you hear me, Spiel?!" Goodman shouted angrily.

However, no matter how much Goodman shouted and cursed, the driver named Spiel didn't respond, as if he couldn't hear anything.

"Stop shouting; it's no use. Didn't you notice the Mercedes that was following us is gone?" Yang Chen said, sipping his wine and smiling. "It seems while you weren't in the car, the driver and bodyguards were tampered with. Either the driver and bodyguards were replaced, or someone bribed them. Unfortunately, I don't know your driver, or I could have checked before we got in if he was the original one."

Goodman's face turned pale as the realization hit him. He quickly turned to Yang Chen and asked, "What should we do now? If what you say is true, we're in serious danger."

Yang Chen smirked, "Relax. Panicking won't help. First, let's see where they're taking us. Whoever is behind this has gone to great lengths, so they must have a specific plan. Once we know what we're dealing with, we can figure out how to handle it."

Lin Ruoxi, though concerned, felt a strange sense of security seeing Yang Chen's calm demeanor. She nodded slightly, trusting his judgment.

Goodman, despite his fear, realized Yang Chen's point. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself, though the uncertainty of the situation gnawed at him.

Goodman was stunned. He never considered that the driver could have been replaced. Looking back, he realized the Mercedes with the bodyguards was indeed gone! Though he was an excellent manager, he had never faced such a situation before. At that moment, he understood that the three of them were being "kidnapped" in a subtle way!

"How could this be? No! I need to call the police!" Goodman quickly took out his phone, but as soon as he dialed, he discovered there was no signal!

"Don't bother. The car must have a signal jammer. You won't be able to make any calls," Yang Chen laughed. "They aren't stupid. Of course, they anticipated you having a phone."

Goodman's legs went weak, and he slumped back into his seat, not knowing what to do.

"Seriously, Mr. Goodman, you sure jinxed it. Just now, you mentioned how unsafe Paris was, and as soon as we landed, we got kidnapped," Yang Chen said, clicking his tongue. "I wonder where we're being taken. Is this how our first day in Paris will be?"

"Stop joking around and think of something," Lin Ruoxi, though not panicking, said. Seeing Yang Chen so composed made her feel there was nothing to fear, but she still nudged him to stop teasing Goodman.

Goodman's face turned from pale to flushed. Although he didn't understand why Lin Ruoxi wasn't scared, seeing Yang Chen so relaxed gave him some hope. After all, Yang Chen's sudden display of speaking French had already surprised him.

"Mr. Yang, seeing how calm you are, you must have a way to get us out of this, right? My safety isn't important, but Ruoxi is the pillar of Yulei. Without her, Yulei International would collapse. She's just a girl; she can't afford to be in danger," Goodman said, hoping Yang Chen had some plan. It was evident he was more concerned about his own life, but he still uttered these flattering words to Yang Chen.

Yang Chen frowned, showing a thoughtful expression. After a moment, he took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag.

Lin Ruoxi and Goodman didn't bother to stop him from smoking in the car. They just watched him, hoping he would quickly come up with a solution.

After exhaling a cloud of smoke, filling the car with a white haze, Lin Ruoxi couldn't help but cough twice.

"Well, there is a way," Yang Chen said, staring deeply out the window. After a pause, he continued, "I just haven't thought of it yet."

Goodman's jaw dropped, as if he had turned to stone.

Silence, a deathly silence.

After nearly half a minute, Lin Ruoxi's rare angry voice broke the silence. "Yang Chen, you're dead meat!"

The stretch Bentley sped along the highway at such a speed that jumping out to escape was impossible.

Inside the car, Yang Chen leisurely drank wine and smoked cheap cigarettes. After being tricked by Yang Chen, Lin Ruoxi cursed him a few times and pinched him hard several times before sitting back, sulking silently.

Goodman, however, looked miserable, having no mood to maintain his usual noble image.

Unnoticed, as the car traveled on yet another highway, night had fallen. The sky outside was dotted with stars, and the occasional streetlight and billboards flashing by indicated they were moving farther and farther from Paris.

Goodman had planned a luxurious hotel stay and a lavish dinner for Lin Ruoxi and Yang Chen, but now they were being kidnapped. He had no idea where they were being taken and, recalling recent rumors, felt a sense of foreboding.

The pressure became too much, and Goodman soon fainted, remaining unconscious for a while.

Yang Chen shook his head and sighed as he saw Goodman faint. "He looks strong but has such a weak heart. Tsk tsk."

Lin Ruoxi sat in the soft seat, hugging her knees. Occasionally, she glanced at Yang Chen across from her. He continued to smoke and drink, having already finished four bottles of wine. Luckily, the car had a portable toilet; otherwise, she wondered how he would relieve himself. "Yang Chen, you're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" After a long silence, Lin Ruoxi finally spoke.

Yang Chen responded with an "Ah?" pretending not to understand.

"You definitely have a way to escape. You're just choosing not to, aren't you?" Lin Ruoxi said with certainty.

Yang Chen grinned, "I have to hand it to you, my dear wife. You figured it out. I really do want to see what they're planning and where they're taking us."

"It's not that hard to guess. You're never serious, always pretending to be bullied, but in the end, it's you who does the bullying. I've been tricked by you so many times, I'm used to it by now," Lin Ruoxi said, pouting slightly. Without her usual professional demeanor, she looked more like a pure and innocent young woman. "You better not mess things up. If you play around too much and something goes wrong or we miss this important business, you're dead."

Yang Chen waved his hand, lazily smiling with a cigarette in his mouth. "Relax, relax. We haven't even consummated our marriage yet; I don't want to die just yet."

"You..." Lin Ruoxi was both embarrassed and angry, her cheeks flushing bright red. She glanced at Goodman to ensure he was still unconscious before feeling a bit more at ease. She shot Yang Chen a glare, not daring to say more.

Finally, after a stretch of slightly bumpy road, the car drove into a dark space and came to a stop.

Goodman seemed to wake up from the vibrations, looking around and seeing Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi still in the car. He seemed somewhat relieved but quickly started trembling again upon realizing they were surrounded by darkness.

"Where...where are we?" Goodman couldn't help but ask.

Lin Ruoxi looked at him helplessly. She hadn't expected Goodman to perform any heroic deeds, but his noble facade had completely disappeared in the face of danger.

"On the way here, they seemed to deliberately choose bumpy, unlit roads, so there were no street signs. We have no idea where we are," Lin Ruoxi kindly explained.

Goodman's face fell even further. "Are...are we going to be killed?"

"No, if they wanted to kill us, they would have done it on the way," Lin Ruoxi replied.

"That's not necessarily true," Yang Chen said, chuckling. "Maybe they want to extort all they can from us before killing us and getting rid of the evidence."

"Ah?!" Goodman shouted in terror.

Lin Ruoxi glared at Yang Chen. "Stop scaring him. Not everyone is as fearless and carefree as you."

At that moment, the door of the Bentley was opened from the outside.

In the darkness, two flashlights were turned on, emitting blinding beams of light.

Four tall, mysterious figures in black military uniforms, wearing leather military boots, armed with metal helmets and goggles, appeared outside the door. Each held a black, gleaming automatic rifle. Their imposing presence exuded a strong, intimidating military aura, making it hard to breathe.

One of them scanned the car, finally locking his gaze on Goodman, who was dressed in a white suit.

Despite the helmet and goggles obscuring the man's expression and eyes, Goodman could still feel the intense scrutiny. He trembled, his body stiff with fear, and swallowed hard.

"Click!"

The man raised his automatic rifle, and in a flash, the dark barrel was aimed directly at Goodman's forehead!