CHAPTER 464: CHAPTER 278: SIGNS, UNDERGROUND HUNTING GROUND_2

Underground passage, explosives.

When these two words are combined, any normal person would know the result once triggered.

A look of concern appeared on her face. "I received a call from the chief today. He said that this Ross’s identity is somewhat unusual and asked us to do everything in our power to rescue his fiancée. It seems our only option is to request support from the bomb disposal team."

Louise’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for the surrounding officers to hear.

Hearing that the bomb disposal team would be involved, the surrounding officers all breathed a sigh of relief.

Better them than us.

Captain Louise—she’s a good one!

Dean ignored the subtle undertones in Louise’s words. "Have we received any information about the condition of this building?"

There were still some elderly residents living in this town. Besides, this is the information age. Even if it’s just some basic information, much can be found online, so the efficiency of information gathering is far beyond what it used to be.

Louise nodded. "The colleague who went to question the town’s residents hasn’t returned yet. But at the police station, a colleague found something online. This opera house was apparently a community project, privately funded by a wealthy man to satisfy his wife’s desire to perform. And that wealthy man is the suspect’s father. The information came from a website that recommends quiet towns around Las Vegas for secluded living. The site detailed the story of this town, which included the opera house right in front of us, now in ruins."

"No more detailed information?" Dean furrowed his brows. What he wanted was the original topographic map of the opera house.

Louise shook her head. "This place has been abandoned for many years. We might be able to find some old records at the town’s administration center, but it will take time."

As she spoke, a Caucasian officer ran over from the distance, panting. "Captain Louise, I asked the elderly residents here. The opera house originally had two floors above ground and one below, but it was damaged in a major fire over twenty years ago. A few years ago, some people came here to try to repair it. Anyway, that group busied themselves for nearly a year. Ultimately, they accomplished nothing significant; they just used explosives on the unsafe structure, transforming it into its current state."

Hearing that people had been working here a few years ago, Dean became even more reluctant to risk going down.

Louise called for backup.

While they waited, Dean received a call from Ross. Over the phone, Ross was not in a good mood. "Dean, what’s the situation now?"

Dean sighed heavily. "Ross, it’s complicated. The suspect might be hiding in an underground space, and there are explosives buried in the passage leading to it. We also have no idea what the situation is like down there. This creates a significant hindrance and threat to our rescue efforts."

Ross fell silent for a moment, as if he’d had an idea, his tone brightening. "Dean, are you saying the suspect and Gaia might be underground, but there are explosives in the passageway, so you’re not sure how to rescue them?"

"Yes. If our only goal was to kill the suspect, we could just wait outside for him to emerge, or even detonate the explosives and bury him. But we want to save your fiancée. We don’t know her condition right now. And the explosives in the passage... if mishandled, they could cause the entire underground space to collapse. That’s what’s making this so difficult."

"What if we..." Ross paused, then continued, "used an excavator to dig open the underground space from above? That way, you wouldn’t have to use the passage. You could directly access the underground area from the top."

Seriously?

Hearing Ross’s ’brilliant idea,’ Dean instinctively wanted to reject it.

If this were a construction crew from China, maybe. But here in the United States... heh.

So, Dean could only respond vaguely, "In theory, it’s possible..."

He was just about to mention that time efficiency was a problem, but Ross had already excitedly hung up the phone. It wasn’t long before Dean discovered what "money talks" truly meant!

「At this moment.」

「Underground.」

A handsome man was touching the gauze on his neck, emotionlessly watching Gaia, who had a face full of horror and was completely strapped down to an operating table.

This was a small room resembling a Butcher’s workshop.

On the rust-stained steel operating table, Gaia was like a pig awaiting slaughter, her limbs restrained, able only to feel helplessness and despair in the cold.

CLANK~ The iron chains collided, emitting a sharp, spine-chilling sound.

With fear in her eyes, Gaia looked at the expressionless man and forced herself to appear calm. "My boyfriend is a big deal. Let me go, or he’ll never forgive you!"

"A big deal?" The man grinned. "No wonder they found this place so quickly."

Upon hearing this, hope, which had nearly died in the already desperate Gaia, rekindled in her eyes.

This lunatic!

She had only realized after her initial escape that the room at the end of the passage, this place that resembled a Butcher’s workshop, had no exit!

This meant she probably couldn’t get out at all!

But now things were different.

Gaia believed that as long as her fiancé Ross knew where she was, he would dig a hundred meters into the ground if he had to, to rescue her!

The key now is to stall this madman in front of me!

Gaia mustered what little courage she had left. "I apologize for being a bit rash earlier. As long as you don’t hurt me, I’m willing to comply with all your demands!"

The man simply smiled, turned, and walked towards a corner of the room. In the corner lay a rectangular object covered by a tarpaulin.

Gaia tilted her head, trying to discern her impending fate.

The tarpaulin was pulled back.

When she saw what was beneath, tears involuntarily spilled from Gaia’s eyes.

Lunatic! This man is a complete lunatic!

Help me! Ross, please come save me! I’m so scared!

Underneath that tarp was a blackened, shriveled corpse seated in a wheelchair!

The handsome man, looking at the corpse, showed more tenderness in his eyes than he had ever shown towards Gaia. He knelt down, gently caressed the mummy’s face, leaned in to kiss its lips, and murmured, "Mother, I’ve found a woman who looks very much like you. I’ll bring her to you very soon..."

CREAK~ Accompanied by the harsh, grating sound of a rusty wheel.

The man pushed the wheelchair towards the operating table.

The bit of courage Gaia had just summoned completely vanished.

She cried out in despair, "You lunatic, what on earth are you planning to do!"

The man selected suitable tools from those hanging nearby, laying them one by one on a small instrument tray, and said gently, "Don’t cry, don’t be afraid. I’ll give you an anesthetic soon. You won’t feel any pain!"

"Spare me! Please, spare me! I’ll give you lots of money—anything you want, I’ll give it to you!"

This torment of awaiting death shattered the rekindled hope of the naive girl, pushing her already fragile psyche to the brink of collapse.

Even though she knew it was futile, driven by the primal desire to survive, Gaia began a frantic struggle.

This action, however, angered the handsome man.

He grabbed Gaia’s throat in a fit of rage, his entire body pressing down on her, and snarled viciously, "You bitch! I told you not to move, or I’ll make you experience the agony of being skinned alive and having your organs removed!"

Before Gaia could respond, he shook his head neurotically, muttering to himself, "No, pain would cause the muscles to tense and ruin the skin’s perfection. Then Mother wouldn’t be able to be restored to her most beautiful state..."

Gaia was so terrified she nearly wet herself. She finally understood the man’s purpose!

This madman actually intended to peel off her skin, remove her organs, and transplant them onto the mummified corpse in the wheelchair!

Madman! Oh my God, somebody help me!

But today, it seemed God was resting.

After lengthy preparations, an injection was administered to Gaia’s neck, causing her to lose consciousness completely.

Such perfect skin, and hair...

After anesthetizing Gaia, the handsome man meticulously put on gloves and chose a suitable skinning knife.

At this moment, he was grateful to the Mysterious Organization that had renovated this Underground Hunting Ground. He had learned many things from the organization’s website that he’d never encountered before, including various criminal techniques. In return, the Mysterious Organization had placed him in this yet-to-be-opened Underground Hunting Ground as its Keeper.

Unfortunately, due to his own private desires, the man had no intention of letting this place, filled with precious memories of his Mother, become a playground for others. He intended to leave with his ’resurrected’ Mother.

Just as he was lost in these memories, a vibration suddenly came from overhead.