She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 490

"There won't be a war," Lucian stated flatly.

Channing frowned, challenging him. "Why wouldn't there be? Based on my understanding of the military landscape, constantly backing down is only going to embolden them to push further."

"That is classified military intelligence. I cannot disclose any more details." Lucian's tone was completely indifferent. "If there's nothing else, both of you can leave."

Joanna and Channing exchanged a quick, loaded glance before exiting the study.

The moment they were back in Baldwin's room, Channing's expression darkened completely. "I heard recently that an arms dealer known as the X Arms Syndicate is brokering a massive deal with Harmony Country. A war should be breaking out any second now, so why is he so casually taking a business trip?"

"Because word on the street is that the leader of the syndicate, Queen X, sold Harmony Country a batch of cutting-edge, high-endurance weaponry that completely outclasses whatever Ares Global is peddling to the allied nations." Baldwin turned his laptop around, displaying a highly encrypted forum on the dark web. "Where is Luna? Her father must be pulling his hair out right now. Ares Global's aggressive sales push just completely backfired. After purchasing their discounted weapons, multiple clients received comparative data reports directly from Queen X, exposing that Ares Global was essentially selling them high-priced garbage. Their reputation and credibility have taken a massive hit, making the geopolitical landscape even more volatile."

Channing's face hardened. "No wonder Luna has been so depressed lately. If a war doesn't break out soon, our revenue stream is going to completely dry up."

Joanna's voice hitched with anxiety. "Then what are we supposed to do? Shouldn't we reach out to our contact?"

Baldwin replied grimly, "I've already reached out through a secure channel. Their plan is to manufacture a conflict that will force Lucian to step down from power."

"What kind of conflict?" Joanna stared at her husband, her heart skipping a beat. "Wasn't the original agreement that if we could just convince Lucian to abandon the President's faction, he wouldn't be harmed? They even said they'd secure him a spot in the Cabinet once the President was ousted."

Baldwin's voice was heavy. "Plans change. But regardless of what happens, Lucian is still my son. I will make sure they leave him his life."

...

On the day of departure, Lucian finalized all of his corporate affairs, handing full executive authority over to his most trusted aides.

He met up with Loyce by a highly inconspicuous black van. The moment he stepped inside, he noticed another man sitting in the back.

The man offered a casual wave. "Hello."

Lucian frowned. "Gerard?" He shot a look at Loyce. "If my memory serves me right, he's an internationally wanted fugitive."

Gerard was notorious for his unparalleled disguise skills. He frequently swapped faces to casually stroll into the private vaults of billionaires and wipe them clean. Even the FBI couldn't pin him down, and he currently had a hundred-million-dollar bounty on his head from both the authorities and the criminal underworld.

"Relax, General. I'm just here on the boss's orders to give you a little makeover," Gerard said with a cheeky grin.

Yarden gave the man a quick once-over and laughed. "You only brought a single bodyguard with you?"

Loyce replied coolly, "Is one not enough? Is it dangerous here?"

"Of course not!" Yarden insisted. "Yavon County was just awarded the title of 'Most Beautiful County' a couple of days ago. We have tourists flooding in all the time. You have absolutely nothing to worry about when it comes to safety. It's getting late, and I'm sure you're exhausted from the drive. I've set up a banquet at a local restaurant, let's head over and get you something to eat."

The group made their way to the busiest main street in Yavon County. It was bustling with activity. Loyce had barely taken a few steps out of the car when a dark figure suddenly bolted out of a nearby alley.

Always on high alert, Loyce immediately prepared to dodge, but Lucian, who had been shadowing her every move, was faster. He grabbed her shoulder and yanked her firmly behind him.

The girl didn't crash into Loyce. Instead, she slammed into a local man who had seemingly wandered into her path by accident. The impact sent her sprawling hard onto the pavement, and before she could even scramble back up, a man sprinting furiously behind her caught up and grabbed her roughly.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! Don't you know we have VIPs visiting our county today?!"

Before Loyce could even open her mouth, Yarden and a group of local officials instantly swarmed the scene. A subtle, highly aggressive tension and fury flashed in all of their eyes.

The girl was violently dragged several feet away. She wrapped her arms desperately around a streetlight, locking her terrified gaze onto Loyce. Her lips trembled as if she were staring at her final lifeline. "Help me! I don't know him! I was kidnapped! Please, I'm begging you, help me!"