Urban Seduction: Housewives Club

In a certain cave in a certain country on a certain continent.

Several braziers burned in this cavern, large enough to accommodate a hundred people. Though not as bright as daylight, the flames provided clear illumination. Twenty-three people stood quietly beneath a platform just over a meter high, making no sound.

At that moment, a person wearing a bronze mask emerged slowly from a small cave. Though this person came out silently, the twenty-three individuals seemed to sense it simultaneously, all rising to bow and saying in unison, "We pay our respects to the Sovereign!"

With the sound of the salute, the masked figure was exposed to the light of the flames. Strangely, he cast no shadow! However, the others seemed unperturbed by this peculiarity, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.

Ascending the platform and taking a seat on the only stone chair, the masked figure raised a hand and said, "Dispense with the formalities and be seated!" Though wearing a mask, his voice did not sound muffled.

Once everyone had taken their seats on the stone benches flanking the platform, the masked figure spoke again in a clear and melodious baritone, "During my three months in seclusion, has anything unusual occurred?"

The twenty-three individuals looked at each other, seeming to find nothing worthy of being called "unusual"! However, the man seated at the first position on the left side, a handsome and charismatic middle-aged man of Chinese descent, appeared nervous, with sweat glistening on his forehead in the reflection of the firelight.

"Luo Shu, the head of the China region in the Eastern Hemisphere, do you have anything to report?" The masked figure's eyes, shining with an eerie light that was not reflected by the flames, fixed on "Luo Shu."

"Sovereign..." Luo Shu clenched his teeth, as if making a firm decision, suddenly stood up and knelt down, confessing, "The Number Five Laboratory in the Yanshan Mountains of China has been exposed. The equipment, research data, and several researchers are now in the hands of the Chinese National Security Bureau..."

"What?" The other twenty-two people were surprised, evidently not informed beforehand by Luo Shu.

The Sovereign remained unperturbed, his tone still indifferent as he asked, "If the Number Five Laboratory is lost, so be it, as long as our people are safe..."

"Sovereign..." Sweat finally dripped down Luo Shu's forehead, "The Flame Messenger and the Rock Sentinel have also been captured by the Chinese National Security Bureau..."

"The Flame Messenger possesses A-level strength, and the Rock Sentinel also has A-level ability. Together, they could accomplish great things. How could they have been captured by the Chinese National Security Bureau?" Luo Shu's twenty-two colleagues expressed their surprise and doubt.

After a flicker of eerie light in the masked figure's eyes, he calmed down again and explained to Luo Shu, "China is a mysterious country with countless extraordinary individuals. It's not surprising that the Flame Messenger and the Rock Sentinel fell there..."

Seeing the masked figure offering an explanation, Luo Shu felt grateful and said, "Thank you for your understanding, Sovereign..."

"Enough." The masked figure waved his hand, solemnly saying, "Find out where the Flame Messenger and the Rock Sentinel are, and rescue them at all costs! We cannot let our brothers fall into the hands of those incompetent fools..."

"Sovereign is benevolent..." The twenty-three people, including Luo Shu, sang praises in unison.

"Hehe..." The masked figure seemed to enjoy the flattery, smiling before turning to Luo Shu and asking, "Have you settled the Holy Maiden? Her strength should have greatly increased since I last saw her six months ago. Has she reached A-level yet?"

The masked figure's series of questions made Luo Shu, who had just relaxed a bit, tense up again, even more so than before.

Noticing Luo Shu trembling, the masked figure had a faintly ominous premonition and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong? The Holy Maiden hasn't encountered any problems, has she?"

"Forgive me, Sovereign!" Despite pressing his forehead tightly against the cold ground, Luo Shu couldn't stop the sweat pouring out, "The Holy Maiden... she has also fallen into someone else's hands!"

"What?" This time, the exclamation came not only from Luo Shu's twenty-two colleagues but also from the masked Sovereign.

Unable to contain his emotions any longer, the masked figure stood up abruptly, his eyes flashing with an eerie light, and said sharply, "You actually lost the Holy Maiden..."

With a trembling heart, Luo Shu cried out in agony, his voice hoarse with pleading, "Sovereign, please have mercy... Spare me this time..."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The masked figure snorted coldly, unmoved.

It was as if responding to this call of murderous intent, the shadow beneath Luo Shu's body unexpectedly "came alive," transforming into countless black threads that fervently rushed toward his body, as if seeking to merge with it.

However, it seemed that the method was incorrect, as the black threads, desperate to merge with his body, did not actually integrate. Instead, under some inexplicable external force, they cut through Luo Shu's skin and flesh, forcibly drilling into him.

Like undergoing a thousand cuts, Luo Shu screamed in agony, hoarsely pleading, "Sovereign, have mercy... Spare me this time..."

The masked figure coldly snorted, unmoved.

Luo Shu writhed and trembled on the ground, blood seeping from the hundreds of wounds on his body, wetting his clothes and leaving an imprint on the ground with a post-modern artistic feel.

Luo Shu was no ordinary character. In the world of supernatural abilities, he was famous under the nickname "Angel of Wings." He was the only S-level psychic in the world, with almost substantial psychic power. Although his other abilities were close to zero, relying on the invisible void blades formed by his psychic power and the Illusion Eye that could pull enemies into a realm of illusion, he still managed to firmly hold a position among the top ten super experts in the world of supernatural abilities!

However, this outstanding superpower was completely powerless against the masked figure's attack. One could imagine the strength of the masked figure, known as the "Sovereign," who could manipulate shadows!

Just as Luo Shu's breath grew weaker, the elderly European man seated on the first right suddenly stood up and said, "Sovereign, please calm your anger! Although Lord Luo Shu's crime is unforgivable, we still need him to explain the details. Please spare his life..."

The other twenty-one people, for reasons unknown, all stood up to plead for Luo Shu.

Perhaps the masked figure had never intended to kill Luo Shu. As soon as the European man finished his plea, the masked figure made a slight hum and sat back down. The black threads that had tightly bound Luo Shu rapidly reassembled into a single mass, returning to their original form as his shadow.

With the Sovereign's acquiescence, a middle-aged European woman lightly waved her hand, and in a gentle white light, the wounds on Luo Shu's body quickly healed, alleviating the pain caused by his injuries.

One minute later, apart from his tattered clothes and exhausted appearance, Luo Shu had fully recovered!

"Luo Shu, tell us what happened!" The masked figure's cold voice contained a hint of anger.

Luo Shu shivered slightly and, still gasping for breath, quickly recounted what he had speculated about the incident.

After he finished, the masked figure asked with slight surprise, "So you mean, the Holy Maiden did not fall into the hands of the Chinese National Security Bureau but left with another young man?"

"Yes!" Luo Shu nodded vigorously, speaking with certainty, "This was witnessed by our informant stationed at the farm! At the time, the people from the National Security Bureau stayed at the farm, while the Holy Maiden was carried away by that young man!"

Ma Junwei was somewhat surprised. "Do you know who that young man is?"

"Yes." Luo Shu did not dare to delay and took out a laptop from a suitcase beside the stone bench. After some fiddling, he respectfully handed it to the masked figure.

Taking a look, the masked figure saw a news page on the screen with a large photo and a headline: "The Most Handsome Chairman of the Board in Chinese History."

The headline did not interest the masked figure, as his gaze was fixed on the very clear color photo!

"Hahaha... It's great that the Holy Maiden is safe!" The masked figure laughed heartily, as he saw the little girl holding the leg of the "Most Handsome Chairman of the Board in Chinese History," who was crucial to his grand plan,!

Although it was unclear what Luo Shu showed to the "Sovereign," judging from his current demeanor and the words "the Holy Maiden is safe," it was enough to explain the situation. Therefore, the elderly European man and the others all relaxed.

After carefully reading the news content, the masked figure became even more pleased. "So it's a local group from Shanghai, China! Hehe, good... Luo Shu, since the Holy Maiden is in Shanghai, which is your territory, I will leave the task of bringing her back to you! I hope you can redeem yourself with success and not disappoint me again..."

Touched, Luo Shu said with overwhelming gratitude, "Thank you, Sovereign, I will definitely redeem myself with success and live up to your expectations!"