Chapter 161: What? She's Gone?

The old subordinate donated all the money he had received to refugees in Africa. The old leader followed the mayor closely, glaring coldly at this man who wore a human mask but harbored a rotten soul. As they got into the car, the mayor called for several police officers to accompany them to Mag's house. In the car, the mayor put on a convincing act, continuously urging, "Hurry! Drive faster! But be careful! We need to resolve this matter immediately!" The driver, who wasn't the mayor's usual driver, mistakenly thought the mayor was a good person. He glanced at the mayor with admiration and drove as fast as he could. Outwardly, the mayor wore a look of urgency, but inside, his anxiety burned like he was being roasted over a fire. He desperately hoped that Sol had already slept with Irene. That way, he could explain everything as just a lover's quarrel. He could say that the girl’s parents had introduced her to a suitor, but she didn’t want to marry and, unable to break free from her family’s control, retaliated in this way. As long as the PR on the internet was handled well, the public would easily buy the official story! He believed this would solve all the problems. Besides, after making such a fuss, did that girl really think she could stay with her family? The mayor thought that calming the girl down wouldn't be too difficult. After all, would she not fear the gossip and judgment after losing her purity? The mayor’s thinking was outdated. He couldn’t accept that a woman who wasn’t "pure" was still valued, but in modern times, especially among young people in big cities, no one cared about that anymore. The mayor was lost in his optimistic thoughts, but before the car even reached the village, his phone rang. It was the old leader’s current superior. This superior was in his thirties but had such skill, cunning, and vision that the old leader often lamented that he was nothing compared to this young man. The superior’s icy voice came through the phone, "Mayor, you’d better pray that the girl streaming this is unharmed. I’m telling you right now, someone very powerful is protecting her." "Don’t think that just because your mentor is here, you can get away scot-free after taking money and doing nothing." "You need to rescue that girl immediately! Otherwise, be prepared for the National Security Agency to get involved!" With that, the call ended abruptly. The mayor’s forehead was drenched in cold sweat. The voice had shaken him to his core, and he looked at the old leader in panic. The old leader, looking as if he had aged several years in an instant, leaned back in his seat and said wearily, "Go rescue her!" The old leader was exhausted. He was someone who refused to admit his age, still fighting for the people even in his sixties. But now, in his old age, he was being dragged down by one of his own students! He felt that his reputation was utterly ruined. Fine, he thought, he was getting old anyway. After this incident, the city government would no longer keep him around. His wife had been nagging him to retire for years, and now, it seemed her wish would finally come true. He hadn’t taken a proper rest in years. It was time. His last piece of advice to this student was to hurry and rescue the girl. The old leader knew that his superior wouldn’t stay in the city for long. He was just a young nobleman sent to gain experience. Once his training was over, he’d return to the capital to take on a high-ranking position. If even someone like him was being used to deliver warnings, how powerful must the people behind that girl be? The old leader looked at the mayor with a mix of pity and disgust. Did this student of his really understand what he was up against? The mayor felt like the world was spinning around him. He wasn’t a fool—quite the opposite, he was exceptionally smart! How else could he have hidden things from the old leader and remained in his position for so many years without getting his hands dirty? That was the mayor’s skill and cunning. When the old leader first confronted him, he wasn’t worried. Even when they were being cursed online, the mayor wasn’t worried. He believed everything could be resolved. But after that phone call, the mayor was truly panicking! Sol, that fool… of all people, why did he have to provoke someone with connections to the capital? Why couldn’t he be content with the many young female students they had trafficked before? Those girls were always so gentle and obedient, and they could cook—no matter how they were treated, there was never any trouble! Even if they were killed and fed to the dogs, there would be no evidence left behind! But now, look what’s happened! The car had just entered the village when a group of villagers wielding sickles and hoes surrounded them. The mayor quickly ordered the police officers in the back to get out with their guns. It was only then that the situation was barely brought under control. As the mayor stepped out of the car, an old man rushed at him, slapping him hard across the face, leaving it red and swollen. "Give me back my daughter! You shameless bastards! Animals!" The mayor’s face darkened completely. A man in his thirties stepped forward from behind the old man, pulling him back and smiling ingratiatingly at the mayor. "Don’t mind him, Mayor. This is my father. He’s old and a bit senile." The old man squinted in the darkness, struggling to make out the faces. "Hey, this guy looks familiar. Son, did I just hit the wrong person?" The mayor was about to snort in disdain when the old man spat, "So what if I did? I hit him anyway!" Before he could say more, the younger man dragged him away from the crowd. The mayor had never been so humiliated. He scowled and said, "Enough! Someone tell me what’s going on here! Where’s the girl?" A red-haired woman was pushed forward to speak on behalf of the crowd. The mayor vaguely recognized her. The woman’s voice was loud as she feigned ignorance, "What? What girl?" The mayor sneered, "Don’t play dumb with me! Let me tell you, there’s a city leader in the car! If I wasn’t here, the army and the FBI would be! You’d better tell the truth! If that girl is unharmed, we can talk!" "But if we can’t find her… you’ll all be dead!" The woman’s eyes darted around. She quickly realized they were dealing with a tough opponent this time and said immediately, "She’s not with us! She left in the village chief’s car, and Sol was with them!" The mayor almost jumped in anger. "A bunch of idiots! That Sol is only good at ruining things!" In the past, the mayor had controlled everything in the village. He had instructed the village chief to use a combination of threats and rewards to force women into submission. After a beating, they’d be shown some kindness, and gradually, they wouldn’t want to leave. But when Sol took over part of the operation, he used extremely brutal methods! The mayor hadn’t been happy about it, but he couldn’t stop Sol from gaining more power. And since nothing had gone wrong for so many years, he had let it slide.