CHAPTER 377: CHAPTER 377: MALICIOUS TACTICS

He could only let Lan Yancy and the others remain on standby, waiting for him to join them later.

However, Grandeur had been very busy lately, and by the time he finally had a chance to go over, it was already two days later.

He didn’t tell Eleanor Hollis why he was going to Africa. If Eleanor knew there was an outbreak there, she wouldn’t have let him go.

The entire international community was under a news blackout regarding the outbreak.

Eleanor Hollis personally took him to the airport, carefully tidying up his luggage for him.

"Finish work early and come back soon. I’ll take good care of Grandeur."

Hugo Quinn looked at her smiling face, couldn’t help but kiss her, and then nodded.

Eleanor waited until he passed through security, and only when she couldn’t see his figure anymore did she turn to leave.

"You said Hugo Quinn has gone to Africa?"

Grace Wexler put down her lipstick. Wasn’t there an outbreak in Africa recently? It’s estimated that the international community will soon issue a notice banning travel there until the situation calms down and only then will it reopen.

Isn’t Hugo looking for death by going there now?

Her lips curved up. A few days ago, Lan Yancy also went abroad, and now there’s no reliable person watching over Grandeur.

"Let him take action."

"Yes."

Grace Wexler looked at herself in the mirror, her face full of pride. Without Hugo by Eleanor’s side, she was nothing to fear. Just take her down while Hugo is away.

Without Eleanor, Hugo would be nothing more than a paper tiger.

At that moment, Eleanor was at Grandeur, specifically in Hugo’s office, handling the paperwork since Hugo was away.

The office door was knocked on, and she said come in, then saw Xavier Crawford walk in.

Xavier noticed her sitting in Hugo’s office, a flash of confusion in his eyes.

"Eleanor, where’s Hugo? I have something to discuss with him."

They had an appointment last time, but because Grace Wexler injured her leg, he had to take her to the hospital, and the cooperation with Hugo didn’t go through. He came voluntarily today, but Hugo wasn’t there.

"He left for Africa this morning, said it was a business trip."

Eleanor put down the documents in her hand and asked the assistant to get Xavier a coffee.

Xavier frowned, going on a business trip to Africa?

Africa had been quite chaotic recently due to the outbreak, with unrest everywhere. What is Hugo doing there now?

"Isn’t there something going on in Africa recently? A ban is about to be issued from above, prohibiting travel there for the time being."

Eleanor paused. She didn’t know what was happening in Africa, but now hearing Xavier say it, she instantly became nervous.

"What happened?"

"Disease outbreak. Once the ban is issued, Hugo won’t be able to return for a while until the outbreak is over."

Eleanor’s heart shook; she wasn’t aware of this news at all.

She suddenly became worried—was Hugo really on a business trip to Africa?

Xavier took a sip of coffee; since Hugo wasn’t there, he had no reason to stay, but seeing Eleanor so worried, he couldn’t help but offer comfort.

"It’ll be fine. Perhaps Hugo himself didn’t know about the outbreak there. An old friend of mine told me he’s on a mission in Africa and will be back soon because of this."

Just as he finished speaking, there was another knock on the office door, and the assistant led an old man inside.

"Miss Hollis, this gentleman claims to be your relative."

Eleanor looked up and realized she didn’t know the man.

The old man’s expression suddenly turned crazed, rushing toward Eleanor.

Eleanor didn’t have time to dodge, but luckily Xavier was there and kicked the old man away.

The man had a strong smell of gunpowder, very dangerous.

"Eleanor, you killed my granddaughter! You should pay with your life!"

The old man took off his coat, revealing it was full of explosives.

Eleanor’s face instantly changed. If the explosives went off, the entire office would be destroyed. Hugo had just left the country; she couldn’t let Grandeur get into trouble.

"Sir, calm down. I don’t know your granddaughter."

But the old man was so agitated, he couldn’t hear her at all. The explosives on him had already started a countdown. In five minutes, they would explode.

Eleanor gritted her teeth and suddenly stood up, seeing the assistant standing by in shock, she quickly pounced on the old man.

"Come help me hold him down!"

Only then did the assistant snap out of it, and the two of them pinned the old man to the ground with combined force.

"Eleanor Hollis! You won’t die a good death! Let go of me!"

Eleanor held him down tightly, then looked up at Xavier. This man was the King of Assassins; he should know how to defuse the bomb, right?

"Xavier, defuse the bomb. If there’s only a minute left and you haven’t done it, then hurry up and leave."

She didn’t want to drag him down to die.

Xavier didn’t speak, found a pair of scissors, and knelt in front of the old man.

The old man kept struggling, but because of Eleanor and the assistant’s suppression, his struggles were in vain.

Xavier’s hand trembled slightly holding the scissors. There was a mess of wires on the bomb—white, yellow, black, red—each color representing a different mechanism.

Only five minutes left; whether they lived or died depended on his next decision.

Xavier’s eyes turned cold as he held the scissors and instantly cut a black wire.

The original five minutes immediately became two minutes and thirty seconds; the time instantly halved.

Eleanor’s heart almost stopped. The black wire halved the time; it seemed that only one of the four wires was the real switch, the rest either halving the time or detonating the bomb.

The person who strapped the bomb to the old man is truly terrifying; they didn’t detonate it directly but gave them a chance to survive, which is precisely when they suffer most.

She could imagine it as if someone was like a cat toying with these dying mice.

"Eleanor."

Xavier placed the scissors next to the yellow wire, sweat on his forehead.

Eleanor and the assistant’s hearts were about to jump out of their throats. There were only two minutes and ten seconds left. If the time halved again, only one minute would remain.

"Don’t be afraid; even in death, I’ll stay with you."

Xavier wasn’t planning to run. Eleanor was the first woman he cared about. He had a responsibility to Grace, but he couldn’t stand by and watch Eleanor have an accident, especially now that Hugo was out of the country, Eleanor couldn’t have an accident.

"Click."

The sound came, and the hearts of all three shivered; the timer’s countdown suddenly paused.

Just when they thought the crisis was over, the time suddenly sped up, quickly reaching fifty seconds.

Eleanor was almost driven insane by this bomb. Seeking a way out in such tension and despair made everyone’s pores stand on end.

Who, who would play such a cruel trick?

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