I Run Away with the Earth to Save the World [Unlimited Flow] - Chapter 95

Although Tang Song and Jing Qizhen joked about the situation, the group knew the circumstances were special. Even if the car was technically overloaded, they had to pretend everything was normal to keep moving.

After all, the three kidnappers under the seats, though causing the overload, weren’t exactly taking up much cabin space.

For now, the group ignored the kidnappers, prioritizing their reunion with the others. David, however, although unable to see the kidnappers’ faces, took out his frustration by occasionally stepping on the face of the one under his seat while describing the situation to Caroline in detail.

Tang Song focused on driving, leaving Jing Qizhen to update their allies through the earpiece, saying, “We’ve captured one bodyguard and three would-be kidnappers targeting David.”

The teammates on the other end were energized. “We’ve caught two groups here! We’re questioning them now. The first group is mercenaries hired to seize the special items from the erosion areas. The second group claims they were sent to kill David but I don’t think they’re being truthful. Most importantly, we’ve found a suitable house on an isolated farm, perfect for regrouping. Come over!”

Jing Qizhen was momentarily surprised. “Huh?”

He knew that large farms in rural America were incredibly isolated. If the farmer didn’t spread the word, it could take weeks for anyone to notice anything unusual happening there. It did seem like an ideal temporary base. But there was still the issue of the farm’s owner.

While they were technically engaging in kidnapper-like activities, Jing Qizhen felt their goals were entirely different from those of real criminals. As volunteers protecting Earth, their ‘kidnapping’ was for global safety and peace!

Tang Song replied calmly, “Don’t worry. I know the farm owner through a colleague. They’re not one of us but we can reach an understanding. We just have to eat all their crops, vegetables, and premium beef. Later, they can report it as theft and claim the insurance.”

Jing Qizhen: “…” Fair enough.

Si Jiayang pulled out his phone. “Ah, premium beef? Let me look up some recipes.”

As he browsed recipes intently, Si Jiayang added, “With beef like this, the key is to highlight its natural flavor and texture. Honestly, though, these minimalist cooking techniques aren’t to everyone’s taste. Humans’ love for high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar and calorie-dense foods like fried and grilled dishes is deeply ingrained in our genes.”

Michelin restaurants are meticulous and refined when it comes to food but the street-side stalls have their own unique charm and soul!

Without looking back, Tang Song said, “Just go ahead and stew it. If we’re making steak, I’d marinate it thoroughly, cook it well-done until no blood is left, and sprinkle some cumin on top.”

Si Jiayang: “…Got it, I understand.”

Why look at new recipes? Isn’t potato beef stew, tomato beef pot, cold sliced braised beef, spicy beef strips, or sizzling beef stir-fry just as good?

David: “…” Actually, he preferred the fresh, tender texture of medium-rare steak.

But at that moment, David decided to respect the dining preferences of the professional rescue team, even though he was technically the one paying them.

Since interrogating anyone in the minibus wasn’t feasible, especially with one bodyguard and three kidnappers crammed together, they had to postpone questioning. The confined space made it impossible to separate them for individual questioning.

David, though anxious and worried, followed Jing Qizhen’s advice and suppressed his urge to get immediate answers.

Meanwhile, except for the Earth diligently monitoring the surroundings, everyone else in the minibus busied themselves with their phones, aside when rotating drivers. They joined Si Jiayang, a culinary expert, in earnestly discussing and researching recipes for their time at the remote farmhouse.

The farmhouse that their teammates found was quite far, requiring nearly five hours of driving. Along the way, they stopped at a lone gas station to refuel.

Jing Qizhen shook his head. “Overloading increases fuel consumption.”

The three kidnappers and one bodyguard stuffed under the seats, unnoticed by the lone gas station attendant: “…”

The only small comfort for the captives was the abundance of food in the vehicle. Initially, everyone had been tense but as the long journey under the night sky dragged on, the atmosphere relaxed. The minibus was filled with the sounds of unwrapping snacks, crunching chips, munching popcorn, and sipping drinks.

By the time they reached the remote farmhouse, the sky was completely dark.

Si Jiayang, holding hands with Manman, cheerfully proposed, “It’s almost 11 p.m. How about I make some handmade noodles for everyone as a late-night snack?”

He knew that while their teammates waiting at the farmhouse excelled at surviving in harsh environments and were able to find food and preserve stamina, making delicious meals required actual cooking skills.

Old Xiao, who wasn’t a fan of snacking and preferred proper meals, eagerly nodded. “I think that’s a great idea. Thanks, Jiayang!”

The mention of food instantly energized everyone. Those helping move the kidnappers and attackers even paused mid-task. One teammate abruptly dropped a captive onto the ground with a dull ‘thud’ and enthusiastically volunteered, “I’ll take you to the kitchen and help wash and chop the vegetables!”

Though he wasn’t great at cooking, he prided himself on his knife skills.

Jin Guijuan followed, adding, “I’ll help too.”

After all, with so many people to feed, it wasn’t fair to leave all the work to Si Jiayang. Kneading the dough alone would take ages.

Si Jiayang nodded and headed to the kitchen with the volunteers.

Meanwhile, Jing Qizhen and the remaining group turned their attention to the two groups of attackers, the kidnappers, and the bodyguard who had defected.

A quick glance among them was enough to establish an unspoken agreement: separate them for questioning and interrogate them one by one.

However, Tang Song first signaled for Jing Qizhen and the others to step aside as their teammates, who had arrived earlier, began securing the captives in different areas.

Tang Song’s reasoning was simple. “Try to avoid direct contact with these people for now.”

It was not like questioning them and locking them up would solve everything, so better to stay cautious.

Tang Song’s team members were all professionals. The demands of their work required them to maintain a much higher level of vigilance than the average person. Under those circumstances, showing their faces was acceptable. However, Jing Qizhen and his group, who had previously been ordinary individuals and were now masquerading as rescue experts, were safer by comparison. While they would inevitably draw some attention, their ‘civilian’ status afforded them a layer of protection.

Jing Qizhen and the others nodded, agreeing to Tang Song’s arrangement.

Even if it was just a psychological comfort, it was better to stay on guard.

Tang Song sighed and shook his head. “This place is still too dangerous. After all, it’s not home turf and there’s only so much we can handle. Let’s question them first. If things get too complicated, we’ll return for now and have my colleagues send in some real professionals to deal with them.”

Jing Qizhen glanced at Tang Song, then chuckled.

Tang Song’s so-called professionals were the real deal, not like their group, who were just passing as erosion area rescue ‘experts’ while making some side money.

David, who had been trying his best to remain a low-maintenance employer, finally started to relax. He couldn’t help but agree. “I understand you’re carrying some special items from the erosion area. Those items are indeed dangerous. Caroline mentioned they’re extraordinary and have already attracted a lot of attention.”

“Huh?” Tang Song paused, then smiled. “I was referring to the danger facing our non-combat personnel. As for the special items we’re carrying, they’re secondary. People always come first!”

David was somewhat surprised but nodded in agreement before quietly resuming messaging Caroline.

Caroline: [I’m at the police station. Is everything safe on your end?]

David: [It seems fine for now. They’re about to interrogate the attackers and someone’s gone to the kitchen to cook…]

Seeing the word ‘cook,’ Caroline was momentarily confused but her reply quickly shifted back to the main issue, [The police are interrogating suspects here too. I’ll send you the results once we have them.]

Meanwhile, Tang Song’s team had securely locked up the attackers and kidnappers in separate areas of the farmhouse. They also casually installed cameras and microphones.

Watching their efficient setup, Jing Qizhen couldn’t help but feel a bit stunned.

The Earth, having thoroughly scanned the farmhouse perimeter and confirmed its safety, redirected its attention back to Jing Qizhen. Excitedly, it commented in his mind, “I know this! Kidnappers use phone calls instead of showing up in person to make their captives more anxious and scared!”

Jing Qizhen: “But during police interrogations, face-to-face questioning seems more intimidating, doesn’t it?”

The Earth responded confidently, “But you’re not the police right now. You’re playing the role of the bad guys in a double-cross scenario!”

Jing Qizhen: “…You have a point.” He was left speechless.

The Earth: “Right?!”

Manman, watching Lu Lingxi fiddle with a microphone, asked in surprise, “Does this have a voice changer?”

Jing Qizhen: “…” He suddenly realized their group had completely embraced the kidnapper routine.

Approaching the setup, Jing Qizhen picked up the microphone. Observing the first group of attackers through the cameras, he spoke into the voice changer in a deliberately bizarre accent, “You knew the special items from the erosion area are fragile, which is why you chose to snipe from a distance with rifles, right?”

The first group of attackers, battered and tied to chairs, couldn’t move. To be honest, trying to discern subtle facial expressions from their swollen, bruised faces was a bit of a challenge…

As everyone’s attention fell on the swollen face, Yan Hong, who excelled at reading expressions, observed carefully and said, “From his earlier expression, he seemed a bit surprised.”

Jin Guijuan gave Yan Hong an admiring glance. It was impressive that Yan Hong could still pick up on subtle details from such a beaten-up face.

The team member responsible for capturing the attackers noticed Jing Qizhen’s slightly awkward expression as he looked at the attackers. The team member quickly whispered, “We didn’t mistreat the captives. Their faces got swollen during the scuffle when we accidentally hit them too hard.”

They truly hadn’t done it on purpose. It was just that hitting someone’s head was the most efficient way to incapacitate them without causing lasting injuries.

Jing Qizhen: “…I understand.”

Only then did the team member retreat, reassured.

A little while later, Si Jiayang’s late-night snack was ready. It was just a simple bowl of hand-pulled noodles in clear broth but the aroma was mouthwatering.

When Si Jiayang carried the pot out, the meal’s enticing scent even attracted the farm owner’s border collies. The dogs had silently gathered around him, following closely behind, wagging their tails so enthusiastically they looked like they were trying to power a fan.

Everyone grabbed bowls and chopsticks, or forks, and began eating the midnight snack while keeping an eye on the captives.

In the dead of night, the previously battered attackers were in agony from their injuries and unbearably hungry. Against the background sounds of eating, Jing Qizhen and his team managed to question everyone and piece together the situation.

Jing Qizhen summarized the findings succinctly, “The first group of attackers knew about the special items from the erosion area. They were tipped off by relatives of the people trapped in the villa.

“The second group was hired by the relatives of one of the deceased to take revenge on David. But they also knew about the darknet black market and intended to use the revenge mission as a cover to steal the special items.

“The third group consisted of the kidnappers and David’s bribed bodyguard. They had bigger ambitions. They wanted to use David to uncover the secrets of the erosion area.”

Tang Song commented, “It’s hard for them to make a move domestically. For them, David is indeed a good point of entry.”

David, who had been calm until now, suddenly panicked. “They’re all targeting me? This isn’t going to end, is it?”

Jing Qizhen gave him a sympathetic look. “Isn’t that obvious?”

In the erosion areas back home, Tang Song had everything under control, making it difficult for outside forces to intervene. People emerging from the Copenhagen erosion area were likely already connected to darknet forces. The African tribe had its own methods of physical isolation. If the Earth hadn’t directly informed Jing Qizhen about it, it might have taken them months to notice anything unusual there.

By process of elimination, the only soft target left was David, the owner of the Boston villa where the incident began.

David: “…”

Caroline, who was still on the call with David: “…”

Until today, it had always been David who worried over Caroline’s eight-day disappearance in the erosion area.

But starting today, it seemed the roles would reverse. Caroline, who had narrowly escaped, would now live in constant fear that her good friend might be kidnapped by any number of mysterious forces.

Jing Qizhen added one final comment, “And most importantly, no one seems to understand that fairytale book. Even we’re confused by it.”

David: “…”

He got the message. He’d have to fend for himself.