That same afternoon, the rescue operation for the hostages reached its climax.

  Although Bookstore Owner had already fallen into the hands of Hako, these delegate s whose family members had been kidnapped didn’t trust each other, and some were even hostile. It could hardly be called cooperation—it was more like everyone doing their own thing on site. The red cloth strips were just there to distinguish the enemy from the allies, a reminder for the same faction not to attack their own by mistake in the heat of battle.

  The absence of Bookstore Owner didn’t affect the traitors’ dealings with the Chinese; after all, the hostages were in their hands, and with their betrayal of the Kingdom already discovered, there was no turning back.

  The Russian crouched on the back of a giant lizard camouflaged in the environment’s colors, listening to the distant and near sounds of gunfire and crashes.

  The surrounding road map had already been engraved in Tolya’s mind. He noticed that Salamander had deviated from the path to the old warehouse and seemed to be attempting to circle around to the back.

  As expected, the giant lizard reached the old warehouse through a forest with no roads. With one claw, Salamander tore through the barbed wire, then squeezed through, heading directly for the back door. With another claw, the iron door was ripped off quietly.

  Salamander exchanged a glance with Tolya, and the Russian knew it was his turn to act. After sneaking into the warehouse, Tolya found that the inside was covered with dust sheets, and four medical tents had been set up. The plastic sheeting draped over the equipment made it easier for Tolya to conceal his presence. Since the Hyena team had been wiped out on the way, the hostages were ordered to stay inside the tents and not move.

  Nemo had allowed Tolya to shoot only at the thighs or tires, so the Russian had to manually strangle the ordinary security guard stationed at the back door. There weren’t many guards inside the warehouse, likely because the battle outside was so intense that most of them had gone to help guard the front gate. Only one unlucky guard remained, having lost a game of rock-paper-scissors and was stuck watching the back door.

  For these ordinary henchmen, the ongoing superpowered battle was irresistibly enticing.

  Fortune favors the bold.

  Both sides secretly harbored sinister desires—if they could ambush these superpowered individuals with guns, they could make a fortune. Compared to that, guarding the hostages was a waste of time. After all, this group of elderly, weak, and female hostages didn’t have any means of escape. Even if they did, they wouldn’t get far. There were already pursuit teams deployed nearby.

  Indeed, the vehicles close to the warehouse were destroyed at the first opportunity, whether they belonged to the traitors from the Kingdom, the rescue alliance, or the Chinese buyers. Everyone was determined to prevent the other side from taking the hostages. So, they all prioritized destroying the vehicles. Personnel and vehicles could always be replenished, but this chaotic battle was all about speed and the number of people taken down.

  Tolya, armed with a submachine gun, moved through the medical tents one by one, confirming that there were no hidden ambushes inside. The hostages, upon seeing this unfamiliar, terrifying figure, didn’t dare to resist. Tolya ordered them to gather quickly, counting the people. To his surprise, there were twenty-seven hostages, ten more than the family members he had initially known about. Although the extra hostages were within expected limits, the burden was certainly more than double what he had anticipated.

  One more person meant one more risk, especially with the Kingdom delegates who had hidden the fact that their family members had been kidnapped. The chances of these people trying to seize the hostages after the rescue operation succeeded had increased. Not only could they save their important relatives, but they could also take advantage of the situation to exploit their competitors’ weaknesses.

  The Russian pulled out a phone connected to Salamander and signaled for them to listen in silence, then played a recording from Salamander.

  "I am Salamander, representing the Grimm Group and the families commissioned to carry out this rescue mission. Your family members with superpowers are currently outside, drawing the enemy’s attention and buying time for your escape. Please quietly follow orders and retreat to the transport vehicles one kilometer away. We will escort you to the Grimm Group, where the safe handover of the hostages will take place."

  After Salamander’s harp-like, calm voice finished speaking in English, it was repeated in Chinese and Spanish. This time, the hostages included people of various skin colors and ethnicities, a complete racial fusion.

  "Move towards the back door, quickly!" Tolya urged in a low voice.

  The hostages were quicker to fall into line than Tolya had expected. After all, their family members were superpowered individuals, so they understood the risks they had to take in life. The kidnapping experience over the past few days had pushed these hostages, who were on the verge of despair, to grasp any potential lifeline without hesitation.

  Even so, when they stepped out through the back door, they were met by the sight of a giant lizard waiting for them, and they couldn’t help but be terrified.

  "It’s Salamander!" a black girl whispered in excitement, clearly a superhero fan.

  After the initial shock wore off, many of the adults also showed signs of relief.

  "Old people, children, those who can’t run, or pregnant women, please come forward to be carried by Salamander. Those who can run, stay close by. We will leave all at once, and no one can be left behind," Tolya ordered in a deep voice.

  Recognizing the difference between superheroes and encountering a giant lizard was something many people still couldn’t bring themselves to do. In the end, it was the children who, with Tolya's assistance, climbed onto the back of the Salamander, tightly gripping the feathers. The two mothers also tied their young children to the older, volunteer children. They clung to the giant lizard like barnacles. Tolya also helped an elderly woman onto the Salamander’s back, and the children eagerly stretched out their hands to help hold her in place. The other two male patients, who had been injured during the kidnapping, used their strong upper bodies to climb onto the giant lizard without assistance.

  The remaining fifteen were all able-bodied hostages. The Salamander immediately began to move quickly, while Tolya stayed behind, guarding against pursuing soldiers and assisting those lagging behind. Two minutes later, a guard who noticed the hostages fleeing came after them. Tolya promptly shot him in the knee twice.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  The guard, collapsing in a dramatic fashion, cried out in pain, alerting others. The battle in front of the warehouse immediately became more intense, with frantic gunfire echoing in Tolya’s ears. It sounded almost like a desperate cry, but these were all ineffective shots.

  The angry superpowered individuals whose families had been kidnapped had begun to kill, both as a means of venting their rage and to eliminate the pursuing soldiers, making it easier for the hostages to escape.

  The traitors from the Kingdom dared not turn around. as the superpowered individuals who could serve as delegates were all evenly matched in strength. Any opening at this point would result in a fatal strike, so they could only deploy backup personnel to chase after the fleeing hostages.

  The traitors' only reliance was the fact that superpowered individuals would never dare to call the police for help from the authorities. They still had a chance to recapture the hostages. Moreover, the hostages were still valuable, and capturing a real superpowered individual would be a significant prize, even if only as a corpse, which could be worth a lot.

  The sly Chinese team retreated first, intending to intercept the fleeing hostages halfway.

  A five-man team of Chinese appeared from behind, firing at Tolya and the giant lizard.

  "Get down behind Salamander!" Tolya shouted, then unleashed a barrage of gunfire, knocking down two men. He drew his pistol and took down another, all while dodging bullets and closing the distance with the enemy. A few stray bullets hit the Salamander’s scales, sparking, which made the nearby hostages’ hearts race. The Chinese drew knives, intending to fight two against one. However, the Salamander’s long tail swung, unexpectedly knocking one of them into the air with such force that he slammed into a tree branch, unsure if he was dead or alive.

  This supernatural horror stunned the attackers for half a second. In the blink of an eye, the Russian kicked one opponent’s ribs, picked up the knife, and stabbed it into the ankle of another, while the Salamander’s tongue lashed out, pulling down a sniper from the tree and slamming him to the ground.

  Tolya immediately picked up the sniper’s rifle—more free weapons were always welcome—and signaled the hostages to climb onto the Salamander once again. This time, everyone moved much more smoothly. Although the people walking on foot were gasping for breath, they managed to reach the spot where the cargo truck was parked.

  Tolya quickly checked the truck: the tires were normal, and it seemed undisturbed. It appeared that the traitors and the Chinese buyers were indeed being delayed by the Kingdom’s forces. Nemo had picked a good, hidden spot. Tolya immediately opened the rear door of the truck.

  "Everyone get in the back, find a place to hold on, and cover each other. I’ll drive," Tolya ordered. Despite the cramped space, he managed to squeeze all the hostages inside.

  As Tolya gripped the steering wheel, he exhaled heavily. Nemo had been right—no superpowered individuals had joined the Chinese side in the battle.

  If an enemy superpowered individual used their abilities within the United States, they would certainly be pursued by national authorities. It wasn’t worth sacrificing a real combat-ready superpowered person just to capture a batch of test subjects.

  Furthermore, most physical-type superpowered individuals could be replaced by heavy weapons.

  Tolya started the vehicle and resumed communication with the Salamander.

  "Salamander, can you keep up with me?" Tolya asked, noticing that the Salamander’s maximum speed on flat ground was no more than forty kilometers per hour. It seemed that flat running wasn’t the Salamander’s strong suit, or perhaps it was simply a close-combat type powerhouse, not suited for long-distance, fast running.

  The Russian wasn’t a biology expert and didn’t know that the Salamander’s running speed was already twice that of a normal lizard, and faster and more enduring than most human superheroes on foot. It felt fast while riding, but once the vehicle started, the speed couldn’t compare. Though Tolya couldn’t drive too fast with a truck full of hostages, at least 50-60 km/h was necessary. If the traffic was light, he intended to speed up, which would inevitably put more distance between them and Salamander, especially since the superhero might stop to fight the pursuing soldiers.

  The problem was that enemies could also appear ahead and block the road.

  Although Nemo wanted Tolya to prioritize the safety of the hostages and himself, everyone knew it was safer to stick with a superhero. But moving with a giant lizard? That was truly a test of a truck driver’s intelligence. Tolya had a full load of hostages in the back of the truck—there was no way he could afford to be engaged in a gunfight while speeding.

  "Look for the gap in the passenger seat near the handbrake. I placed a positioning tablet there. Once we enter the city, I’ll jump from a building rooftop. Keep an eye on the higher ground. Between New Orleans and Lone Star City, there’s a special transport waiting to move me." This message was pre-recorded by the Salamander for the driver.

  Tolya controlled the steering wheel with one hand and used his right hand to feel around. Sure enough, he found the item the Salamander had mentioned.

  Later, Tolya asked Nemo why Salamander hadn’t given him the positioning tablet before transforming, and why it hadn’t informed him about Salamander's usual movement habits. Nemo answered coldly that it was to prevent Tolya from getting the tablet too early and wearing it, risking being killed or injured during the rescue operation, thus wasting an important piece of equipment and exposing Salamander’s actual movement position to danger. By hiding the tablet in the truck, at least it could ensure that the backup driver assigned to take over the mission could do so smoothly.

  In any case, Salamander’s recording hinted that Tolya should try to take routes with dense buildings, as the giant lizard could leap between buildings, compensating for its lack of speed on flat ground. Superheroes typically avoided revealing their habitual abilities and movements, so for the Salamander to share such personal information was already quite generous.

  Nemo had discussed with Tolya that the interstate highway would be relatively safe for their journey. He wouldn’t constantly be under threat from the hostages' families or the Chinese forces. There would still be moments to catch a breath. Even if the enemy tried to force the car, they couldn’t make any drastic moves. If the enemy got too close, Tolya could always shoot their tires. A car crash would be more harmful to the Kingdom's superpowered forces and the Chinese pursuers.

  As for Tolya, he could always use the excuse that he was entrusted with transporting the hostages to safety.

  Tolya also considered shooting out the tires and windows, but the enemy’s tactics and budget didn’t align with his expectations.

  Before leaving New Orleans, they were ambushed again. A heavy truck blocked the entire road, and two black vehicles immediately surrounded them from behind.

  So cliché! Tolya almost wanted to scream to the sky.

  He opened the car door for cover, picked up the rifle he had scavenged, and shot several times, piercing the cargo truck’s fuel tank. The driver, scared, jumped out of the truck. The Russian muttered to himself about why the driver was making such a big fuss—it wasn’t going to explode immediately; it would take time for the gasoline to evaporate and create the special effects in the movies.

  Tolya just wanted to force the driver out so he could take him down, and he admitted that the rich Chinese private cargo was still pretty useful. But no matter how skilled Tolya couldn’t handle a three-vehicle encirclement alone. Luckily, during this delay, Salamander caught up. It leapt down from a rooftop, smashing the front hood of one of the black vehicles. By the skin of its teeth, it didn’t kill anyone, but the airbags deployed, and the people inside seemed dazed or trapped, unable to move for the time being.

  Salamander then rammed another black vehicle off the road, sending it flipping several times.

  Seeing that the heavily injured truck driver had run far enough, Tolya decided not to waste the chance to create a firework display. He fired another shot into the ground, igniting the evaporating fuel, and the truck blocking the road instantly turned into a massive fireball.

  Feeling incredibly relieved, the Russian returned to the driver’s seat, reversed, and took another route through a different neighborhood before continuing toward the interstate highway.

  Just like Nemo said, after releasing all that pent-up frustration, Tolya felt like he could score a perfect 1000 on an exam.*

  *The SAT score in the U.S. has a maximum of 1600, with additional points for the writing section, which is calculated separately.