A Bumpy Road to Power

No one answered.

Dirk Carter thought the people outside hadn't heard him clearly, so he stood up.

He had just walked to the door.

When he heard someone outside shout, "Mr. Carter, someone's here to catch you, run!"

The moment that voice sounded.

Dirk froze on the spot, a shiver ran through him.

It was the voice of that flight attendant, Liza Yuill.

Why would she be outside?

In an instant he linked it to everything that had happened at the airport today, and suddenly understood.

At this moment.

The group of people escorting Liza along the corridor outside also panicked.

They hadn't expected Liza to warn him in advance.

The short–haired man first kicked Liza hard in the lower abdomen, making her bare her teeth in pain.

Then he shouted at his men, "What are you standing around for, go to the front desk and get someone to open the door!"

"No need."

With a creak.

The locked door was actually pulled open by Dirk.

That caught the panicked group off guard.

The short–haired man reacted the fastest.

He suddenly drew his gun, aimed it at Dirk, and said in a low voice, "Get inside!"

Dirk backed up.

The six of them dragged the writhing Liza in as well.

Then they shut the door.

"Are you okay?"

Dirk tried to go help Liza up.

But one of the men shoved him away.

Liza was taken to the bedside and pinned down.

Dirk had a gun pressed against him and was forced to sit on the sofa.

Sitting opposite him was the short–haired man leading the team, the one they'd called "Director Yu" on the phone.

The others were rummaging through Dirk's luggage, as if looking for something.

In less than a minute.

Someone shouted, "Found it."

He really had found something.

In Dirk's luggage, he found his ID card, his work ID, and a sheet of paper.

Without even looking at them, he handed the stack straight to the short–haired man sitting across from Dirk.

The short–haired man's gaze never left Dirk. He took the stack from his subordinate, picked up the ID card first, glanced at it, and muttered, "Dirk Carter, from Serenity State."

Then.

He opened the second document.

Just one glance.

The short–haired man's expression immediately grew serious, his whole body giving a little jolt.

He stared at Dirk in disbelief and asked, "You're the Secretary of The County Committee of Helios County?"

"Yes."

Dirk replied.

When they realized the man they'd grabbed was a County Committee Secretary.

The other five all looked a little shocked.

One by one, they started to panic.

But the short–haired man remained calm.

He opened that sheet of paper.

And saw that it was actually a red–headed official document.

Looking more closely, it turned out to be a transfer order from the Organization Department of the State Committee.

This time, he couldn't help sucking in a breath.

Because Dirk wasn't just a County Committee Secretary; he was now also a Deputy Mayor of Veridia City, a deputy–department–level cadre.

With that kind of status, the short–haired man should have been wary.

But he just tossed the documents aside.

And said, "I don't care who you are. Talk. Where are you hiding him?"

"Who?"

Dirk asked.

The short–haired man snorted coldly. "Don't play dumb with me. You were on the same flight back as Ezekiel Sawyer, and you're the one who covered his escape. You think it's fun pretending with me?"

"Who is Ezekiel Sawyer?"

Dirk asked.

The short–haired man thought Dirk was messing with him.

He flew into a rage.

He lifted his gun and pressed the muzzle to Dirk's forehead.

Snarling viciously, he said, "Mayor Carter, I'm talking nicely to you. Don't push me too far, or don't blame me for what happens."

At this moment.

Dirk's mind was spinning nonstop.

Of the six who had come in, five were men and one was a woman.

Two men and the woman looked familiar; they were the three who'd been tailing him at the airport exit.

For these people to find him this quickly.

Plus Liza's handcuffs and the service pistol in the man's hand, he could judge that they were police.

But how could police just beat people at will, point guns at someone's head at will?

In that moment.

Dirk was a little dazed.

He really couldn't tell who was good and who was bad.

"Officer, I don't believe you'd actually shoot. The second you pull that trigger, the lot of you are probably going to get skinned alive."

Dirk tested him with a line.

The short–haired man heard this.

And gave a cold laugh.

Then he raised the gun and slammed the grip into Dirk's head.

With a thud.

Dirk was knocked over and fell back onto the sofa.

Seeing this from the corner, Liza immediately cried out through tears, "Mr. Carter, are you okay?"

Her shout.

Drew the short–haired man's attention.

Like something had just occurred to him.

He sneered, "Well, well, what a loving couple. I haven't even done anything yet and the woman's already worried? Fine. Since you won't talk, don't blame me for being rough with your woman."

With that.

He shot a look at the man holding Liza.

That man nodded.

He yanked Liza up from the floor.

And shoved her to a spot about five meters from Dirk.

The short–haired man slowly stood up.

His eyes swept all over Liza's body.

He licked his lips and said, "No wonder she's a flight attendant, this figure really is all curves. I wonder if what's under all that fabric is just as hot."

"Pah! Pervert! Bastard!"

Liza spat right in the short–haired man's face and started cursing.

Dirk also knew exactly what this guy wanted to do.

He pushed himself up.

And said, "If you've got something to take out, take it out on me, don't bully a woman."

"Oh? Feeling protective now, huh? Then answer my question. Where are you hiding him? If you keep clamming up, your woman's going to suffer."

The short–haired man said slyly.

"I really don't know where the man you're talking about is."

Dirk answered.

"Still being stubborn, are you? I want to see how long you can keep that mouth hard."

After saying that.

The short–haired man suddenly pulled a dagger from his waist and pressed it under Liza's chin.

Never having gone through anything like this before.

Liza tensed up.

Dirk didn't dare move recklessly either.

But on this matter he truly wasn't lying.

From start to finish, he really hadn't asked that middle–aged man's name, nor what exactly had happened.

Liza had been dragged straight from home.

On her upper body she was wearing a very loose casual shirt.

Below, a pair of baggy shorts.

Very much home clothes.

The sharp dagger stayed under her chin for a moment.

Then slowly slid down and stopped at the shirt buttons.

With a light flick of the tip.

The thread of a button snapped and it fell to the floor.

The shirt fell open to either side.

Her cleavage and pale skin were exposed.

Dirk panicked.

He tried to stand up.

But the others gave him no chance.

A gun pressed to his temple.

"You son of a bitch, you call yourself a cop? You're worse than an animal!"

Dirk cursed.

The short–haired man didn't seem to care at all.

He said, "This beauty's shirt only has four buttons. There are three left now. If you still won't talk, your woman's going to end up stripped bare…"

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