CHAPTER 8 Eyes in the Shadows
Eyes in the Shadows
Far from the towering walls of the research facility, a black taxi remained parked beneath the shade of a withered oak tree overlooking the main entrance.
The engine had long since been switched off.
Inside the vehicle, the driver who had brought Xia to the facility sat quietly, a pair of military-grade binoculars pressed against his eyes.
His calm demeanor from earlier had completely vanished.
Instead of looking like an ordinary taxi driver, he now moved with the discipline of a trained operative.
Every few seconds, he scanned a different section of the facility.
The perimeter fence...
The guard towers...
The patrol routes...
The surveillance cameras mounted on every corner...
Nothing escaped his attention.
"Four patrol teams..." he muttered under his breath.
He lowered the binoculars and sighed.
"This place is a fortress."
Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a secure satellite phone and dialed a number from memory.
The call connected after only one ring.
"Report."
A calm young voice answered from the other end.
The voice was soft...
Yet it carried an authority that made even seasoned men obey without question.
Arthor straightened instinctively.
"Young Master.I've completed my reconnaissance."
"What did you find?" The voice replied
Arthor glanced toward the facility once more.
"The security here is far beyond anything we anticipated.There are heavily armed soldiers stationed around the entire perimeter."
"I counted multiple patrol teams, surveillance drones, thermal imaging systems, biometric checkpoints, and enough cameras to cover every blind spot.I couldn't get close without exposing myself." Arthor said
Silence answered him.
The young man seemed to be processing every word carefully.
"So...You couldn't infiltrate it." The man on other side said
"Yes, Young Master."
Arthor replied honestly.
Well...not without detailed blueprints or inside assistance.I'd be dead before reaching the second security checkpoint."
Arthor frowned slightly.
"What concerns me isn't the security itself.It's why a warehouse job would require military protection."
Another moment of silence followed.
Finally, the young man spoke again.
"Did you learn anything about the recruitment program?"
Arthor shook his head despite knowing the other man couldn't see him.
"Very little.The employees are extremely disciplined,no one speaks about their work,Every document is classified,i couldn't gather anything substantial."
He paused before continuing.
"However..I did discover something unusual."
"I'm listening."the young man said
"The company has identical facilities operating across the United States,but that's not all."Arthor went into details
"There are confirmed branches in China...Russia..."Germany...and at least six other European nations."
Arthor's voice became increasingly serious.
"I suspect there are even more hidden facilities operating under different corporate names,they're covering their tracks exceptionally well boss."
The line went silent
After nearly half a minute, the young man finally spoke .
This is no longer just Dem and Stark."
"No, sir." Arthor replied
"I believe multiple elite families are involved,the funding required for a project of this scale would be astronomical.No single corporation could support it alone."
Arthor slowly lowered his voice.
"...Including your own family."
Arthor suddenly regretted saying those words.he knew exactly who the Young Master was,he also knew the complicated relationship between the young man and his father.
A cold voice broke the silence.
"You knew all this...and you still drove her there?"
"I'm sorry, Young Master." Arthor quickly apologized
If I had refused, she would have found another way eventually,ithought it would be better if I stayed close and observed."
The anger in the young man's voice lessened slightly.He knew Arthor was right.
Xia had been desperate,nothing would have stopped her from attending the interview.
"How did she look?" The voice asked
Arthor hesitated and said
"Nervous,but determined."
"She has no idea what she's walked into."
The young man let out a long breath.
"That's exactly what I was afraid of." And the man went silent again.
Arthor waited patiently.
"Listen carefully,If anything unusual happens...if armed personnel leave the facility..."lIf you see emergency vehicles...Or if Xia Zhao comes out looking even remotely different...Call me immediately.
Arthor nodded firmly.
"Understood."
The call was about to end when he remembered one final question.
"Young Master...What are you going to do now?"
A faint metallic sound echoed through the speaker, as though the young man had picked up a set of car keys.
His voice turned frighteningly calm.
"It's time I stopped chasing rumors,It's time...to speak with my father."
The call disconnected.
Arthor slowly lowered the sat phone and looked back toward the massive facility.
The giant steel gates remained tightly shut.
Multiple people already entered the facility probably applying for " the job" , but not a single person left.
Somewhere behind those walls...
A young woman named Xia Zhao was unknowingly taking her first step into a conspiracy that stretched across nations and involved some of the most powerful families in the world.
Arthor tightened his grip on the binoculars.
"I hope you're stronger than you look, Miss Xia...Because I have a feeling...your life will never be the same again."
Far away, a black luxury ferrari sped down the highway toward the city.
Inside, a handsome young man with brown hair sat in the drivers seat, staring with cold, unreadable eyes. He picked up his phone and dialed a Number he hasn't called for a long time.
"Father...we need to talk."