Chapter 302
Maisie idly swirled the hot spring water with her toes. โAlright, letโs get in the hot spring already. Iโm exhausted after that long ride. Now that weโve finally had dinner, I really need a good soak to unwind.โ
โYeah, Iโm definitely joining in. This hot spring looks so inviting. Iโm going to soak for a good long while.โ As Zinnia spoke, she crouched beside the steaming hot spring, trailing her fingers through the water.
The guy waiting outside listened through his earpiece, catching both the voices and the faint splashing sounds. Once he was sure Zinnia and Maisie were in the water, he slipped away quietly.
Maisie perked her ears up, listening for any signs of movement from the outside. Once she was sure the guy had left, she pulled her feet back out of the water.
She began pacing slowly along the edge of the hot spring.
Then, she knocked on the wall of the next room and called out softly, โEmily, could you come over for a sec? I need to talk to you.โ
โOn my way,โ Emily responded.
Emily came over to their room soon. Before Maisie and Zinnia could speak, Emily raised a finger to her lips, signaling them to stay quiet.
Both Maisie and Zinnia immediately understood and kept quiet.
Emily swiftly searched the room and soon found two small black devices. โAlright, you can talk now,โ Emily said, chuckling at how the two girls were holding their breath in silence.
Maisie scoffed, โSo, those guys arenโt completely brain-dead after all.โ
โAt least these guys had half a brain between them. Theyโd planted bugs and eavesdroppers. Looks like the infiltrators here are sharper than those down the mountain,โ Maisie thought.
Word had leaked out two days ago that Zinnia and the others would be coming here for vacation. This was their first stopโif those guys had any sense, theyโd definitely plant someone inside.
Those people mustโve had their own tricks to escape, so it was no surprise they could plant bugs.
Emily whispered, โGive me a sec to disable this. Just keep chatting so they donโt get suspicious.โ
Emily pulled a palm-sized cell phone from her tracksuit pocket and began reprogramming the bugs.
Zinnia and Maisie chatted about all sorts of things, such as what they should eat the next day, what to do after the hot spring, if there were any good new shows recently, and fashion. It was all just carefree and innocent chatter.
The eavesdropper lurking in the shadows scowled and gritted his teeth. โDamn those spoiled rich girls!โ he thought resentfully. โWhile weโre working ourselves to the bone, all they do is have fun every day!
He had been listening to nothing but this trivial chatter and had completely lost interest. Therefore, he turned to eavesdrop on the men in the hot spring.
Stephenโs voice came out. โHey, Warren, wanna see whoโs bigger? OMG, I didnโt know you had it in you! You really make me feel so small.โ
Hearing this mundane topic, the eavesdropper immediately lost interest and began to have doubts. โThereโs no way thatโs Nathanโhe wouldnโt talk about something this boring,โ the eavesdropper thought.
And just like that, he lost interest in both sides.
Nash turned and glanced at Zamir, who was lounging lazily on the sofa. โI donโt think that guy is Nathan either,โ Nash said. โThis job shouldnโt be too toughโonce we pull it off, we can get out of here.โ
โI told you it wasnโt him. Whatโs Boss so paranoid about, anyway? If they had found us, we would have been caught already,โ Zamin sneered, that Boss being a coward.
โHeโs always doubting everything. Seriously, itโs just two girls. With so many of us, how could we possibly mess this up?โ
โLaystoland has the strictest security controls,โ Nash said, casually taking out a cigarette. โItโs good that Boss is being cautious.โ
He flicked his lighter and lit the cigarette. โLetโs get out of here once this job is done. If things blow up, none of us will make it out alive.โ
Zamir suddenly spoke up. โYou know, I kinda like it here in Laystoland. People actually live such safe and peaceful livesโnothing like where we come from.โ
Nash fell silent for a moment. โPeace is such a blessing,โ he said quietly. โToo bad we donโt belong to this country. After everything weโve done, thereโs no way this country would ever accept us.โ
Who wouldnโt want to live in a peaceful country? Nobody wanted to spend their days hiding like rats and dancing on a knifeโs edge.
Meanwhile, over at the menโs hot spring, Stephen shouted, โHey, Warren, come on! Letโs have an arm wrestle. You look thin, but youโre really strong!โ
Stephen and Nathan sat facing each other across a low table. Stephen rolled up his sleeve and planted his elbow firmly on the coffee table, ready for an arm-wrestling match.
Stephen flexed his muscular arm, making his biceps bulge. Nathan also stretched out his arm. Compared with Stephenโs visibly strong build, Nathan was wiry. His muscle definition was strikingly elegantโlean yet not scraggly.
Their wrists locked together, and their arms strained against each other in a test of strength.
Stephen strained with all his might but couldnโt force Nathanโs arm downโyet Nathan couldnโt budge him either. Their arms were locked in a stalemate.
Stephen was genuinely surprised.
โItโs all about technique,โ Nathan said with a gentle smile.
Time crept by. The night grew deeper. All sounds on the mountaintop seemed to be deliberately muffled. An ominous tension hung heavily in the air.
โMaisie,โ Zinnia murmured, โIโm so sleepy. I just wanna sleep.โ She rested her head on the little couch, let out a soft, sleepy yawn, and idly poked at the pillow in her arms.
โMan, Iโm really sleepy too,โ Maisie mumbled sleepily. She was sitting beside Zinnia, idly scrolling through her phone. โHow about we take a nap?โ
Up above, a hidden bug was glowing red, just a little bit.
โEmily,โ Zinnia called out softly.
There was no response from next door.
โIt seems that Emily is already asleep. Letโs also get some rest. After a short nap, we can go back to the villa to have a proper sleep.โ Maisie put a peeled grape into Zinniaโs mouth.
โOkay. Iโm so sleepy. Maybe I havenโt been resting today, so I just keep wanting to doze off.โ Zinniaโs cheeks puffed as she chewed, the sweet tart juice of the grape flooding her mouth. Her eyes crinkled with delight.
โWarren, maybe Iโve just been too tired these days, but Iโm suddenly exhausted. Keep an eye on the young ladies. Iโm going to take a nap. Iโll relieve you later,โ Stephen said as he kept a vigilant eye on the surroundings by the window.
Nathan sat in the chair, his gaze lowered to the mountain surveillance feed on his tablet.
The surveillance footage showed three figures stealthily approaching from the base of the mountain. There were two more on the mountaintop.
The hidden bug pulsed with a faint glow, silently confirming it was functioning as intended.
Not far away, in a private room, Nash relaxed his expression as he listened to the sounds coming from the bug. โThe drugโs taking effect. Theyโll be out cold any minute now.โ
Zamir also felt much more at ease. โThat man really isnโt Nathan after all. If he were, with his sharp senses, he would have detected the drug in the air.
He thought to himself, โIf that man were really Nathan, it would be a complete nightmare. However, after several tests, weโre sure itโs not him. Things have become much easier. As for those two girls? No problem.โ
Just the thought of how Nathan wiped out their entire base made their spines tingle. To think that he single-handedly destroyed an entire underground syndicateโthat kind of power was truly terrifying.
If it werenโt for the poison still lingering in their bodies, they would never want to cross paths with Nathan again in this lifetime.