Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 527: You Are All Liars

In the hospital where little Harry was staying, located in the Paris city center, it was quiet in the hallways as night fell. Occasionally, a nurse would pass by pushing a cart, but most of the medical staff had gone off duty.

After enjoying an authentic French dinner and buying some fruits and snacks, Lin Ruoxi and the Stern siblings returned to the hospital to visit Harry, who was still in the recovery phase.

Lin Ruoxi sat by little Harry's bedside, feeling a bit uncomfortable. It wasn't because she had treated the unscrupulous siblings to a meal, but she couldn't stand their cheesy actions and sentimental words.

What made Lin Ruoxi want to escape several times were the Stern siblings' "compliments" towards her, calling her things like an angel on earth, the modern-day Virgin Mary, or akin to the goddess Venus.

She wondered if these siblings had never been treated to a meal before. Just because she had been generous, their flattery was over the top.

If they didn't possess membership to Paris Fashion Week, Lin Ruoxi would even doubt whether they were truly from a distinguished noble family!

Little Harry's mother was sitting on the other side, peeling an apple for her child. She felt a bit helpless towards Lin Ruoxi's enthusiasm and was pondering how to express her gratitude.

"Miss Lin, please don't refuse. Once Harry is discharged tomorrow or the day after, please come to our home as our guest. I know you're not an ordinary lady, but this is a token of our gratitude," Harry's mother invited again with sincerity and a hint of pleading.

Seeing the mother's earnest expression, Lin Ruoxi felt it would be too much to refuse again, so she smiled and nodded.

"Is sister coming to my house? That's great!" Harry immediately sat up, his little face full of excitement.

"Harry, lie down! You're being disobedient again," his mother scolded with a smile, making Harry lie down again.

Harry snorted proudly but then pouted in disappointment, "It would be even better if Dad could come home. We could all host sister together."

"Them?" Stern, who had been whispering with Alice at the door, suddenly turned around and said with a beaming smile, "Little guy, did you just say 'them'? So that means we are also invited? Haha, how generous! We'd be delighted to accompany Miss Lin to your home."

Harry stared blankly at the shameless Stern. He wanted to explain that he meant another uncle named "Yang" and didn't know the Stern siblings.

"Anyone who is a friend of Miss Lin is welcome," Harry's mother quickly agreed.

Lin Ruoxi rubbed her temples, feeling a headache. These siblings were like sticky candy. Would they ever let go? Did they have no shame?

At this moment, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Stern said eagerly and walked to open the door.

Standing outside was none other than Goodman, who had been absent for a day.

"What are you doing here?" Lin Ruoxi's expression turned cold, similar to her usual demeanor at work, as she asked.

Goodman, as usual, was dressed in a white suit and a red tie. He politely greeted Harry's mother in the room and then acknowledged Stern and the others before responding, "Ruoxi, I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight. I know Mr. Yang is not here, and you must feel lonely by yourself."

Sensing something off in his tone, Lin Ruoxi shook her head and said, "No need, I'll be with Stern and Alice. You go ahead with your business."

Goodman's smile froze, and he stared blankly at Lin Ruoxi.

After a long pause, Goodman let out a sneer, ran his hand through his hair, and lowered his head, speaking in a sinister tone, "Lin Ruoxi, Lin Ruoxi, I gave you one last chance, and you still turned it down."

"What are you talking about, Goodman?" Lin Ruoxi felt increasingly uneasy, sensing something was terribly wrong.

Goodman didn't answer immediately. Instead, he clapped his hands lightly.

Suddenly, several tall men in black, wearing peaked caps and looking like law enforcement officers, burst into the room! If you looked closely, you would notice that each of their uniforms had a golden sun insignia on the chest.

Lin Ruoxi's face turned cold as she stood up abruptly, "Goodman, what is the meaning of this?"

"Ha ha, what do I mean?" Goodman lifted his head, his face full of mockery. "Lin Ruoxi, do you know why I have always been the director of the Yu Lei International branch in Europe?"

Lin Ruoxi remained silent, realizing that Goodman wasn't looking for an answer.

Goodman's eyes were filled with gloom as he continued, "I joined Yu Lei International right after graduating from university. The old president promoted me because of my outstanding abilities, not because I tried to curry favor with her. Several times, I considered leaving Yu Lei International. With my skills, I could have easily become my own boss.

But that old woman told me that if I performed well, not only would she make me the chairman of Yu Lei but she would also arrange for me to be with her granddaughter, which is you."

Lin Ruoxi was stunned. Her grandmother had never mentioned this to her, but judging by Goodman's expression, it seemed to be true.

"Judging by your expression, it's clear that the old woman never told you about this. That's right, she deceived me. She sent me to Europe, claiming it was to train me and gave me the director's position. She knew very well that I was the best candidate for the job here. But to make me willingly work for Yu Lei, she used you as bait.

"Actually, I know she intended to use me. But I believed that as long as I worked hard to expand the business in Europe and achieved the best results, you would eventually look at me differently because I know you are a woman who treats her work as her life."

Goodman paused here, clenching his fists and speaking harshly, "But now I see I was completely wrong. You and that old woman are the same! Both of you are liars! You pretend to be all about work, but secretly, who knows what kind of seductive woman you really are, sneaking around and marrying some brute!"

"I don't understand what you're saying. If you don't want to continue, you don't need to insult me. You can resign anytime; I never forced you to take the director's position," Lin Ruoxi said coldly.

"Resign? Are you joking? Ha ha," Goodman sneered, "I've dedicated so many years to Yu Lei, staying alone in Europe, for what?! What did I get in return?! And you tell me to resign?!"

Lin Ruoxi remained silent, feeling a bit scared. After all, this was a foreign country, and although she was Goodman's superior, it didn't mean she could truly suppress him.

Goodman gave a wicked smile, "I won't resign. I still intend to become the chairman of Yu Lei International. Lin Ruoxi, if I can't get what I want, I won't let anyone else have it either. That worthless man named Yang, who married you, should have been dead long ago!"

"You..." Lin Ruoxi's eyes widened. She never imagined Goodman would investigate her relationship with Yang Chen.

Goodman stopped speaking and signaled the men in black beside him to take action.

The five men in black swiftly entered the room, using grappling techniques to subdue Stern and Alice. One of them controlled Lin Ruoxi, and even Harry and his mother were detained.

Harry's mother immediately screamed, but no one in the hospital seemed to hear.

"It's useless. This hospital has been under my control for a while now, just waiting for you to come," Goodman said smugly, walking over to Lin Ruoxi and reaching out to lift her chin.

Lin Ruoxi's heart was racing, and she was on the verge of fainting. Being restrained, she couldn't avoid Goodman's humiliation. She was frantically thinking why Yang Chen had to be away at this critical moment. Little did she know, Goodman had planned this for when Yang Chen was not around.

"Slap!"

The man holding Lin Ruoxi immediately slapped Goodman's hand away, saying mechanically, "The lord has said that no one is to harm the hostages before the plan is complete."

A flash of malice appeared in Goodman's eyes, but he held back from touching Lin Ruoxi.

The five men in black then efficiently took out cloths laced with anesthetics and used them to render Lin Ruoxi, the Stern siblings, and Harry's mother and son unconscious, before taking them out of the hospital room.

Goodman was the last to leave, taking a final look at the now empty hospital room. A cold smile played on his lips.

Meanwhile, Yang Chen, sailing on a cruise ship towards a French military island in the English Channel, had no idea what was happening at the hospital.

He never had the habit of calling his women, whether he was in Zhonghai or abroad. Despite being complained about many times by his women, Yang Chen had tried to change, but he never got into the routine of calling or texting like other couples.

He constantly thought about his beloved ones in Zhonghai and even fantasized about taking all these women to the Mediterranean beaches for a holiday, basking in the sun and doing whatever they wanted. But rationality told him that if he really forced it, Lin Ruoxi would react with more than just a cold war—she might launch a metaphorical atomic bomb.

Perhaps it was because, in his formative years, relying on communication to maintain relationships felt too ephemeral and was often mixed with things like "eavesdropping" and "signal interception," which made him wary. Yang Chen preferred face-to-face interaction.

The Louis XVI cruise ship departed from the port of Le Havre at precisely 8 PM. The journey to the island took only half an hour, even with the ship moving at a deliberately slow pace.

There were over two hundred participants in this secret meeting, mainly representatives from various national security agencies, focusing on issues related to "Apollo" and "The Realm of Gods." After all, their primary concern was protecting their countries and leaders.

A smaller number of invitees, from large international organizations with special interests, were more interested in the "Sword of Death." For them, the death of any country's leader was of little consequence. Organizations like Jaguar, Takamagahara, the Vatican, and the Dark Council were particularly keen on obtaining it, if only to prevent their rivals from doing so.

At 8:40 PM, the cruise ship docked steadily at the island, guarded by French troops. This island was also one of NATO's military installations in the English Channel, typically off-limits to civilian vessels.

The more than two hundred attendees disembarked under the guidance of officials from Security Bureau 7, such as Federza. Their attire and appearances were remarkably diverse. They followed the coastal road towards the island's only square building, which occupied nearly half the island's area. From a distance, the building's roof, designed as a flat runway for fighter jets to take off and land, made efficient use of the island's limited land resources.

The island's regular troops had been replaced with special forces, as the meeting's content was too sensitive for ordinary soldiers.

Yang Chen trailed leisurely at the end of the group, pretending not to know Soren and the others. Members of Excalibur and Takamagahara were openly hostile towards him, especially the cold-looking Prince and the mysterious Nurarihyon, who kept casting cold glances his way. But everyone knew this was not the time for personal grievances, so they didn't bother Yang Chen too much.

Upon entering the building, the path inclined downwards, revealing an underground space likely designed to prevent airstrikes.

"Hades, you seem distracted," a magnetic baritone voice whispered in Yang Chen's ear.

Yang Chen turned his head to see Prince Sargeras of the Blood Clan walking beside him. Sargeras, skilled in certain sound transmission techniques, made sure their conversation wouldn't be overheard.

"As expected of someone who's lived for thousands of years, there's no hiding anything from you," Yang Chen joked lightly.

Sargeras smiled politely, "In a few thousand years, the things I can remember might only span a few centuries. Beyond that, my memories are quite blurry. Besides, human civilization progresses so quickly that for us vampires, who spend most of our time sleeping, the outside world is always full of novelties. But you, Lord Hades, seem rather indifferent to the 'Sword of Death,' which many here hold in high regard. It seems to me that the Sword of Death should have the deepest connection with you."

Ignoring Sargeras' curious and speculative gaze, Yang Chen countered, "I'm curious, where's your precious daughter, Miss Lilith?"

Sargeras glanced around and shrugged with a smile, "That child is always mischievous. I have no idea where she's gone."

"Hmph," Yang Chen chuckled and shook his head, "Impatient father and daughter."

"I don't understand what you mean, Lord Hades," Sargeras replied with an unchanged expression.

Feigning ignorance, the two continued their conversation while the group entered a brightly lit, massive conference hall. Rows of semi-circular arranged tables and chairs, spotless and pristine, were set up. In the front rows, nameplates for major countries and organizations were already placed.

Since Yang Chen had joined in the middle, he didn't have an assigned seat, so he casually found a spot at the back, propped his feet up on the chair in front of him, and yawned, waiting for the meeting to begin.

The attendees, being mostly efficiency-driven and impatient, didn't care much for formalities, so the meeting commenced promptly.

Federza, acting as the host and representative, took the stage first, giving a report on the "Realm of Gods" and the "Apollo" incidents. He then proposed the idea of uniting global forces to eradicate terrorist organizations.

After a few NATO countries echoed some standard rhetoric, the critical issue emerged: Who would lead the counter-terrorism efforts? And why should everyone cooperate with that leader?

A silence filled the room as representatives exchanged looks, the tension palpable. Each nation had its own agenda and interests, and none were willing to easily relinquish control or follow another's lead.

Sargeras, sitting beside Yang Chen, leaned in slightly, his voice low and composed, "It seems that without a clear leader, this coalition won't go far. What do you think, Lord Hades?"

Yang Chen stretched lazily, not bothering to hide his boredom. "I think they're wasting time. But if they want to solve anything, they'll need someone powerful and impartial. Unfortunately, finding such a person is easier said than done."

Sargeras nodded, his eyes glinting with understanding. "Indeed. Power and impartiality are rare traits to find together."

As the debate in the hall grew more heated, it became evident that this impasse might take longer to resolve than anticipated.