CHAPTER 484: CHAPTER 289: CAMP_2

Cheston En must have known that he wouldn’t get anything out of her by asking, so he directly invited Murphy to dinner, hoping she would offer some travel advice. Murphy, an ordinary woman nearing thirty, was also taken by Cheston En’s good looks.

Amanda sensed something was amiss and secretly called the police.

Because of this, Murphy and Amanda argued. Murphy felt Amanda had ruined her romantic encounter, never considering that Amanda, unlike her, had blood on her hands and was ruthless enough to push her off the rooftop...

So he was trying to seduce her. That Cheston En, he actually had some ideas... Dean stroked his chin. Indeed, if Amanda hadn’t interfered, Cheston En might have actually managed to get some useful information from that Murphy. It also made him glad he hadn’t gone to rescue that unlucky fellow, Cheston En, but had kept an eye on the hotel instead.

"I’m just at the bottom level, and we have single-line contact with each other. I only know the phone number of my superior, but I’ve never met them face to face. If you need it, I can give you both the phone number and the email address used for messages."

Amanda looked at Dean with pitiful eyes.

Dean grinned, "You mean to give me that warning phone number?"

Amanda had mentioned the phone issue before.

Dean was sure that calling that number would definitely alert the enemy. This made him breathe a sigh of relief. Because Amanda was acting this way, it meant she hadn’t had time to inform her superiors about Murphy! As long as he could learn from Amanda how the Blackstone Organization abducted the tourists, he could set a trap and ultimately destroy the entire Blackstone Organization!

A new round of interrogation began...

Interrogation, in reality, is a simple and brutal affair. Under torture, few carbon-based lifeforms can withstand round after round of it, save for those with high intelligence and incredibly strong willpower.

「Ten minutes later.」

A streak of flame shot out from the small room, and the smoke triggered the hotel’s fire alarm, throwing the recently quieted hotel into chaos once more...

「」

By the time the local police carried out a charred body from the hotel after extinguishing the fire, Dean had already returned to the dilapidated mill, accompanied by Wade and his two companions.

The three of them stood in a line while Wade recounted the information obtained from Cheston En.

"Dean, your companion said there’s trouble at the local police station and they’re looking for you. He said you should be careful. Also, he’s not in good shape and hopes you can rescue him soon."

Wade had an odd expression as he spoke, clearly having seen Cheston En’s miserable state.

Dean shrugged. "Is he broken?"

Wade shook his head. "I don’t think so... not yet."

"Then he’ll be fine."

Dean had already called headquarters for backup, explaining the local police situation. Plus, with the consecutive deaths at the hotel, the local officers shouldn’t have time to trouble Cheston En. By the time the local station was free, the support team would likely have arrived. The key was that as long as he himself remained unharmed, Cheston En wouldn’t be in mortal danger. Therefore, finding the Blackstone Organization was the top priority right now!

Dean stood up and patted Wade’s shoulder. "Well done. Now, just help me with one more thing, and all your past offenses will be wiped clean."

"What is it?"

Wade sighed in relief. The three of them were just small-time crooks; they really didn’t want to get involved in an investigation that clearly looked very dangerous.

「」

The mountain range was extensive. However, apart from some overly confident hikers, most people chose fixed routes to enter the mountains, generally camping only on the periphery and not venturing too deep.

At these entry points, basic campsites had been set up for hikers arriving by car to park their vehicles.

Dressed as a hiker, Dean parked his car, paid the parking fee, registered his information, and, shouldering a large backpack, walked alone into the jungle ahead.

According to Amanda’s testimony, she and her brother had originally lived in the Philippines, involved in the shadowy business of organ smuggling to Thailand. Later, due to internal conflicts, they fled for their lives to the United States.

Having grown accustomed to spending lavishly, their savings dwindled a few years after arriving. With no other means of livelihood and unwilling to endure hardship, they eventually returned to a life of crime. Because they had prior experience in this line of work, they already possessed the necessary channels and contacts. After some trials and tribulations, the two arrived here, becoming a link in the kidney supply chain.

The so-called "Blackstone Organization" was entirely a fabrication by Amanda. They also didn’t know the final destination of the kidneys.

Amanda and Murphy, who joined later, were mainly responsible for providing the organization with information about hotel guests—their movements, family situations—and selecting suitable "unfortunate souls" to pass on to the next stage. Similar setups existed in hotels in several nearby towns. This was primarily because hikers are generally very healthy, offering a wider selection.

The next link in the chain was the "hunting team" to which Amanda’s brother belonged.

As mentioned before, the nearby towns relied on out-of-town tourists for their livelihood. Consequently, in the gentler areas of the mountain range, free camping cabins, open spaces, and signal towers had been built. These areas were stocked with emergency supplies, and there were even two helicopter landing pads.

Based on target information provided by their accomplices, the hunting team would wait at a campsite for tourists to enter the mountain range. When a target appeared, they would approach, find an opportunity to incapacitate and abduct them, then disguise them as injured hikers to be transported away by helicopter. Even if other tourists noticed, they would never imagine that what appeared to be a rescue helicopter was actually a harbinger of death.

Kidney transplantation is not a simple matter. It requires matching blood types, lymphocyte toxicity tests, panel reactive antibody examinations, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing, and so on. Preserving the kidneys is also difficult, so they only moved on the victims after finding a suitable buyer.

If Dean wanted to find out where the victims were being held captive, he had to go to the campsite and find Amanda’s brother. Before setting out, he had Wade and the others use hacking techniques to send his modified information via the email address Amanda had provided.

「」

In the afternoon, Dean arrived at the first campsite.

There were only two fixed campsites within the mountain range: one located closer to the edge and another deeper in. The sites were rather basic, with only a few areas constructed with concrete: a small restaurant and warehouse, a large circular helipad, and an area that appeared to be designated for barbecues. The remaining areas were grassy, with the only commendable feature being that the ground was quite flat.

There weren’t many tourists at the campsite. This was normal, as most people were out to experience the beauty of nature; aside from restocking supplies, most were reluctant to stay overnight at the campsite itself. They preferred scenic spots deeper within the mountains and waters.

After a quick survey of his surroundings, Dean walked past a few tents pitched on the open ground and headed to the camp restaurant, where he sat down to wait for his prey to take the bait. The restaurant was small. The first thing he noticed was a row of power strips where several tourists were charging their devices.

"Welcome to Camp Home, what can I get for you?" a middle-aged waitress asked enthusiastically, approaching Dean as he entered.

"I need a glass of very cold water and some food to replenish my energy."

"No problem."

Over ten minutes later, a simple hamburger meal was placed in front of Dean. He glanced at the bill and rolled his eyes. It seems tourist traps are the same all over the world, he thought. This fast-food meal, which would cost just a few US dollars elsewhere, is fifty-eight US dollars here.

He deliberately ate very slowly, but even by the time he finished, no one had come over to strike up a conversation.

When he was paying, the waitress said with a smile, "Tonight, there’ll be a campfire gathering on the open ground. Some people make good friends there, and others share hiking experiences. I hope you have a wonderful evening."

Dean looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, then responded with a smile, "Thank you."