At 7:11 PM, a time that should have been reserved for dinner, Yinsen was still driving on the winding mountain road, his stomach growling with hunger.
This rugged road was deserted except for Yinsen car, as it led to only one destination—the estate at the mountain peak, an estate that belonged solely to Raiden.
"Damn it, I can't imagine anyone but someone like Raiden daring to live in such a place. If something unexpected happens, perhaps the police and ambulance would arrive slower than the hearse!" Yinsen muttered to himself, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
He had been driving for nearly an hour.
Yinsen didn't enjoy driving, and his car was nothing like the expensive sports cars Tony and Raiden drove. Yinsen was behind the wheel of an old Ford, a model from the 1990s.
However, acquiring this car had taken considerable effort, and between the purchase and subsequent repairs, it had cost Yinsen over a hundred thousand dollars.
"Screech~"
Suddenly, a strange noise came from the side of the road, growing louder and mingling with various chaotic sounds.
Before Yinsen could react, a large tree on the right side of the road came crashing down toward the highway.
Seeing this, Yinsen yanked the steering wheel to the left, causing the car to swerve violently and slam into the guardrail on the left side of the road.
The old car, battered by the intense collision, was now in shambles, with thick smoke billowing from the hood, enveloping the entire vehicle.
"Cough, cough."
The interior was filled with smoke, and the dashboard lights flickered. Yinsen waved his hand in front of his face, struggling to sit up.
Thanks to the seatbelt, Yinsen wasn't seriously injured, though the violent impact left him feeling nauseous.
But just as Yinsen unbuckled his seatbelt and prepared to get out to assess the situation, the delayed deployment of the airbag gave him a heavy blow to the head.
"Damn it!" Yinsen muffled voice emerged from beneath the airbag.
"BANG"
The slightly deformed door groaned in pain as Yinsen "struggled" to free himself from the driver seat.
Standing up, he looked back at his now seemingly totaled car and could only shake his head in resignation. It seemed that next time, he would have to invest in a better car.
Yinsen walked around the car and looked at the road. A large tree lay across the center of the highway, blocking the entire path.
"This is just my luck!" Yinsen sighed, stepping forward to touch the tree trunk.
It was a tree full of vitality, so how could it have suddenly fallen?
With some confusion, Yinsen walked toward the tree's roots to investigate. But before he could reach them, a whistling sound made him feel a sudden numbness in the back of his neck. He quickly reached up to feel a dart embedded in his neck.
"What is this..." Before Yinsen could finish his sentence, he collapsed straight to the ground.
After lying unconscious on the ground for nearly five minutes, five or six people emerged from the surrounding woods, and a convoy of vehicles immediately arrived on the road to pick them up.A group of people disembarked from the convoy, all heavily armed, well-equipped, and organized. After moving Yinsen into a vehicle, they began the cleanup work on the highway.
First, they towed Yinsen car into a truck. Then, they cut down the trees that had fallen across the road and threw them into the woods. Finally, they repaired the damaged sections of the highway.
After this meticulous cleanup, the convoy quickly departed, seemingly erasing all traces of their presence as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, our victim, Yinsen, lay quietly in a pickup truck.
His hands were encased in a "metal block" and his feet were shackled with an iron chain.
The convoy took Yinsen away, heading westward.
...
At this time, Raiden, unable to contact Yinsen, had no choice but to go to Tony house alone to check on him.
Raiden didn't take Pepper words too seriously. He thought Pepper was just overthinking due to missing Tony too much.
After all, young people in love tend to be overly dramatic.
Moreover, what kind of person was Tony?
That guy was surely holed up in his lab, caressing the legs of his suit as if it were his first love.
Thinking of this, Raiden couldn't help but shiver because the image of Tony being so perverse was unsettling.
Raiden found it as convenient to visit Tony house as returning to his own home.
Since Tony had granted Raiden high-level access, he could come and go freely.
After parking the car in the garage, Raiden looked around—no one was there. He walked towards the living room—still no one.
But Raiden wasn't in a hurry. He first poured himself a glass of cola, added two ice cubes, and then confidently headed towards the underground lab.
"Sir, Mr. Akatosh has arrived" JARVIS informed Tony, who was sitting in the lab with a troubled expression.
"Really? Where is he?" Tony turned off the monitor in front of him, rubbing his face as he spoke.
"He's heading towards the lab" JARVIS replied.
Tony nodded, turned the monitor back on, but the content displayed was no longer the same.
Raiden arrived outside the lab and, as expected, saw Tony busy inside.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Raiden tapped on the lab's glass. Tony turned to look at Raiden, feigning a surprised expression, and gestured for him to come in.
Raiden smiled and walked towards the entrance, stepping inside.
"Hey, Tony" Raiden said, giving Tony a hug.
"Oh, Raiden, what brings you here?" Tony asked in Raiden's ear.
Raiden let go of Tony and said.
"Pepper mentioned she hasn't seen you in a few days and was worried, so she asked me to check on you."
"Oh, I've been busy improving the suit these past couple of days" Tony said, turning slightly and pointing to the suit hanging behind him.
Raiden nodded, looking around.
"By the way, I heard from Pepper that you've started working at the company?" Tony suddenly asked.
Raiden turned back to Tony, nodding.
"Yeah, mainly because there are more people at the company, which helps me practice controlling my emotions. But I find working quite interesting."
Raiden was speaking when he suddenly noticed several densely written manuscripts filled with data on Tony's desk. This was quite intriguing.
Tony actually using paper in his own lab? That was truly rare.
Raiden walked over, picked them up, and took a look. However, it was clear that Raiden couldn't understand a thing.
But the moment Raiden picked up the manuscripts, Tony became visibly flustered.
He quickly stepped forward, snatched the manuscripts from Raiden's hands, and placed them aside.
Raiden furrowed his brow and asked. "What's wrong?"
Tony tried to play it cool, shaking his head and saying. "Nothing."
"Nothing?" Raiden scrutinized Tony and then said.
"Buddy, I'm not some clueless side character from a second-rate movie. What's really going on?"
Tony looked at Raiden, took a deep breath, and with some hesitation but firmness, said.
"I just... I was thinking, maybe it's time for us to go back to the Middle East!"
With that, Tony walked out of the lab and headed upstairs.
Well, a few days ago, this might have been the best way to divert Raiden attention, as he had been obsessed with going to the Middle East to kill those terrorists.
But now, Raiden had become more rational and emotional, better able to control himself...
though going to the Middle East was still a fantastic idea!
Raiden didn't press Tony further about the manuscripts.
After all, from any perspective, Raiden shouldn't force Tony to reveal something he didn't want to share.
Perhaps when the time was right, Tony would tell him himself?
Just as Raiden was thinking this, Tony suddenly came downstairs and said.
"Raiden, I can't get in touch with Yinsen!"
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