Natural Disaster: I Started By Hoarding Tens Of Billions Of Supplies-Chapter 533: The Ark’s Headquarters
Gazing up at the heavy artillery mounted along the walls and the multitude of guards stationed at the wall and the entrance, Yao Ran's heart sank.
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'It won't be easy to escape once we get inside,' she thought.
Noticing the change in her expression, Jiang Chen moved closer and whispered, "Don't worry. I just received an update from headquarters. There has been a slight change in the plan, but everything is still under control."
Hearing this, Yao Ran gave him a slight nod and remained silent to avoid drawing suspicion from the kidnappers.
After walking for a while, the leader said, "Wait here."
Leaving those words behind, he approached one of the soldiers guarding the side gate.
With her head lowered, Yao Ran's gaze followed the leader. When she saw him show a coin to the soldier, she took note of its shape and color.
Before long, the leader returned and commanded, "Let's go. Once we hand them over to the soldiers, we can collect our payment."
The moment the kidnappers heard the word payment, they all cheered and began excitedly discussing how they would spend their earnings.
Upon arriving at the side gate, the leader stated, "Sir, we brought twenty-eight ability users this time. Seven of them are female, and the rest are male."
The soldier took the list from the leader, then turned to motion to two nearby soldiers. "You two, take them away."
One of the soldiers stepped forward and said coldly, "If any of you dare to cause trouble, don't blame me for not giving you a chance to survive."
After issuing the warning, he turned and walked ahead.
Yao Ran exchanged glances with Jiang Chen and the others before following him. With one soldier leading the way and the other guarding the rear, they stepped into The Ark's headquarters.
As the gate closed behind them, the soldier looked at the leader and said, "You, come with me. The rest of you, wait here."
With that, the leader followed the soldier to collect his payment while the other kidnappers sat down to rest.
Floating in the air, Long Yu and Shi Xuan observed as the two soldiers escorted Yao Ran and the others inside. The two of them exchanged looks before Long Yu controlled the wind, carrying them swiftly past the wall.
Whoosh~!
Just as they crossed over, the alarm suddenly blared.
Wung~! Wung~! Wung~!
The sharp sound echoed through the area, and the guarding soldiers immediately sprang into action.
A group positioned themselves behind the heavy artillery mounted on the walls, while others raised their weapons, scanning the surroundings vigilantly. On the watchtowers, soldiers activated their vision and detection abilities, searching for the intruder.
Realizing how sensitive the sensor system was, Long Yu flew higher. Below them, the soldiers continued searching, but after more than ten minutes, they found nothing.
By the time they shut off the alarm and dismissed it as a false alert, Long Yu and Shi Xuan were already far from the wall.
Meanwhile, on the top floor of the headquarters, Gao Shuwei called the main control room.
A few seconds later, a male voice answered, "Director Gao, what can I do for you?"
"Why did the alarm go off just now?" Gao Shuwei asked.
The staff member checked the report before replying, "The soldiers said one of the traders accidentally triggered it."
Gao Shuwei was silent for a moment before asking, "Have they checked it thoroughly?"
"Yes, Director. The soldiers searched the perimeters three times before turning off the alarm."
Gao Shuwei frowned at the response and instructed, "Increase security by one level. The alarm wouldn't have gone off so easily, so make sure a thorough patrol is conducted today."
Though the staff member thought he was overreacting, he simply replied, "Yes, Director. I will arrange the patrol immediately."
"Good."
Ending the call, Gao Shuwei fell into deep thought. After a long silence, he ordered, "Inform the laboratory and dormitory to tighten security. We might have rats sneaking in today."
"Yes, Director." The assistant nodded and hurried off to carry out the command.
Turning his chair around, Gao Shuwei gazed out of the floor-to-ceiling windows.
As his eyes swept over the majestic city below, he muttered in a cold, intrigued tone, "Who has come today? Why can't I see it? Could it be Xiao Ran? Or… is it A Yu?"
Leaning back in his chair, he smirked. "No matter who it is, the future has changed. What I want—I can finally get it this time. Grandpa, consider this my farewell gift to you and Xiao Ran."
After saying this, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the rare tranquility.
While the soldiers increased patrols around the city, Yao Ran, Jiang Chen, and the others were led to the dormitory.
A staff member handed each of them a set of clothes with a number sewn onto them. "From now on, the number sewn on the clothes is your name. You have three minutes to take a shower, starting now."
After she finished speaking, another staff member ordered, "Follow me."
Not wanting to draw suspicion, Yao Ran had no choice but to comply. Inside the shower room, she merely wet her hair and body before quickly changing into the new clothes.
Two minutes later, she stepped out and waited for the others. Soon, everyone came out of the bathroom, now dressed in identical white uniforms.
The staff member nodded in satisfaction at their punctuality. "Now, I will show you the dining area and then your living quarters. Starting tomorrow morning, a staff member will take you to your assigned work area."
Her gaze turned sharp as she added, "If any of you cause trouble, there will be consequences. A minor offense means extra work. A serious offense means death. Do you understand?"
After she said that, Yao Ran and the others nodded in unison. "Yes, Ma'am."
Satisfied with their obedience, the staff member allowed them to have ten more minutes to eat. By the time they were shown to their small, white-walled room containing two bunk beds, the sun had already slightly tilted to the western sky.
