CHAPTER 379: CHAPTER 379: ENCOUNTERING THE QUINTON FAMILY’S ELDEST BROTHER

He is cold-hearted and indifferent, but he does have people he cares about.

The disappearance of his parents has always been a taboo for the Crawford Family. Over the years, he has investigated many places, and news about the airplane surfaces every year. However, none of the places truly reveal the airplane’s whereabouts, and the wreckage found was never that of the plane.

Cole Crawford took a drag on his cigarette, hearing gunshots outside, with some buildings even catching fire. Despite the heavy rain, firefighters still rushed to extinguish the blazes.

Below was a cacophony of crying and cursing.

He didn’t like this country; everything seemed to linger in the most barbaric times.

After finishing his cigarette, he threw the butt into the trash can. Just as he turned around, he saw Hugo Quinn walking over, toweling his hair dry.

"Want one?"

He reopened the pack, raising an eyebrow.

Hugo shook his head, a towel wrapped around his waist.

Cole glanced at him and then averted his gaze.

"You’ve got quite the body, no wonder Eleanor Hollis likes it. My brother is still a kid, can’t offer anyone a sense of security."

Xavier Crawford is already in his twenties, but he hasn’t experienced much. Even his physique resembles that of a young boy, though he has everything he should, just not as solid and resilient as Hugo.

He still needs to grow.

Hugo paused briefly, putting the towel aside.

"Xavier is truly unfortunate to have a brother like you, never able to escape your grasp."

Cole didn’t say anything, tacitly acknowledging. Over the years, no matter how rebellious Xavier was, he never leaped beyond Cole’s sight.

Xavier’s skills were impressive—he is renowned as The King of Assassins. Yet Cole knew everything about him, including how many people he had killed, how much money he earned, and how many bottles of water he had drunk.

He protected this brother too well; if anything happened to him, Cole would be too lonely in this world, left only with power struggles among the uncles.

Having someone to care about was quite nice.

The noise outside grew louder; tonight, the local police probably wouldn’t be resting.

Hugo closed the window, fearing it might become a target for certain people.

"Get some sleep. Let’s go out and check tomorrow."

Cole nodded and turned to bed.

Hugo returned to his room and lay down.

He picked up his phone and found missed calls from Eleanor Hollis. He hadn’t taken his phone out with him, and with the time difference, it wasn’t the right moment to call her.

He could only send a text message.

—"I’m fine. I’ll come back after wrapping up everything here. Take care of yourself."

After sending the message, he waited ten minutes before putting his phone down.

The next morning, the trio got up early. Many stalls downstairs were in chaos, but fortunately, their hotel was the best around and under government protection, so it was not severely affected.

"Hugo, look over there."

Cole said softly, his gaze fixed by the window.

Over there sat a few Caucasians, strikingly different from the local dark-skinned residents, quietly observing them as well.

"Are they assassins?"

Hugo couldn’t sense malice from the few people, but it made him more apprehensive.

"Hmm, not sure if they’re here to target us."

He had noticed them this morning when he left, exiting from next door.

The Caucasian men seemed aware of their discussion and flashed a quick smile before hurrying out.

Hugo and Cole exchanged a glance, leisurely finished their meals, and followed them out.

The daytime streets were more peaceful; calls to buy filled the air, as if last night’s riot never happened,

People were discussing the outbreak of disease in Mortistown. It’s said all the police sent there had died, transforming the entire town into a ghost town.

This situation was a disaster internationally, given Africa’s mixed residency not limited to locals, prompting other countries to send teams for aid.

The few Caucasian men earlier, trained and initially presumed assassins, were now seriously gathering information from locals, suggesting they were national investigative personnel.

Hugo felt relieved, but as he planned to leave, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see his older brother behind him.

Collin Quinn extinguished his cigarette and patted Hugo’s shoulder.

"I saw you earlier, thought I was mistaken. What brings you here?"

In the Quinton Family, Hugo and his brother weren’t particularly close. Collin spent years in the army, rarely emerging, and showed little interest in family affairs, akin to a transparent man.

"I’m here investigating the airplane issue."

Collin nodded, walking alongside him.

"This place will soon be on lockdown. You should head back now, Hugo. This disease is no joke, many countries have secretly started evacuating their citizens. Stay here longer, and you might risk death."

Once locked down, everyone would be at the mercy of fate.

Hugo glanced at him, "Then why aren’t you going back?"

Collin’s face stiffened. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to return; he simply couldn’t. They had received an order to assist here at all costs and needed to visit Mortistown.

"We’re heading to Mortistown with international teams. I’ll investigate the airplane’s matter, while you and your friends should return."

He noticed Cole Crawford and Lan Yancy beside Hugo and wished for their safety.

Upon hearing they were going to Mortistown, Cole’s eyes brightened, instantly asking.

"May I join you, disguising as one of your men?"

Collin immediately wanted to refuse, but Hugo spoke up too.

"Brother, let Cole and me go. We finally found leads on the airplane; we can’t just return defeated."

Collin regarded his brother, who had always been exceptional in the Quinton Family.

"Alright, but don’t stray from my sight."

Once agreed, Hugo and the others returned to the hotel.

Hugo decided not to bring Lan Yancy, preferring someone outside to relay information.

Early the next day, they donned isolation suits, joining Collin’s group.

Collin had brought ten people this time; all understood it was a gamble. One wrong move could cost their lives.

Mortistown was where the outbreak started, rumored to have no survivors. Their task was to identify the outbreak’s cause and relay findings to experts; otherwise, the disease’s treatment could never be researched.

Though they’d heard of the horrors within, anxiety grew heavier as the car drove deeper.

The eerie silence was unsettling. Not even birds made a sound. As if there was no life here, aside from the wind, everything was still.