The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress

Chapter 1077: Chapter 1077 Needing Her Help

"Mr. Greyson, your phone," the soldier said, handing it to Luke. He took it immediately and checked the time. It was already late, and an hour had passed. While an hour might not seem long, in a situation like this, it was more than enough time for Dave’s life to be in serious danger.

The fact that there was still no news of Dave’s whereabouts or condition only heightened the urgency. They couldn’t afford to wait any longer; a more decisive, thorough plan of action was needed.

The abductors hadn’t made any contact, no ransom demands, no calls to the government, which was even more alarming. It suggested they might not just be after leverage; they could truly intend to harm Dave.

"This isn’t good..." Luke murmured, his brow furrowing. His eyes landed on Hera’s contact in his phone. He then remembered the livestream showing her going out of her way to rescue Rafael, and then there was also the recent incident with Leo.

Now that he knew her true identity, he realized she had Gerald’s intel network backing her. That meant her information could easily surpass what he, or even the government, had. Gerald’s network routinely supplied intelligence to the authorities when they requested it, after all.

Given that they still had no news of Dave’s whereabouts, Luke decided it made more sense to seek Hera’s help rather than rely on just one option.

After thinking it through, Luke pushed himself up from the bed and slowly reached for the neatly placed shoes beside him.

"Mr. Greyson, do you need to use the restroom? I can help you," the soldier offered.

Luke shook his head. "No, I need to get back. I’ll find someone to help. Every second counts, and Dave’s life could be in danger." He quickly typed a message to his assistant, asking them to come to the hospital to pick him up and sending the pinned location to ensure they knew exactly where to go.

"But sir, you’re injured too," the soldier said, concern lacing his voice. "The doctor said your body took quite a beating and needs rest. Even though there are no internal or visible injuries, it’s still best to be careful and rest for at least two days before you’re discharged."

He hesitated, unsure whether to help Luke up or gently push him back onto the bed. He didn’t dare touch him outright, not now that he knew Luke was the mafia boss of the East Faction, a secret only their team was aware of, and one that, if revealed, could put Luke’s life in danger.

"I know my body best. I’ve taken worse beatings than this," Luke said, his tone calm but firm. "Aside from the pain, nothing’s wrong with me."

Though his voice was measured, the sharpness and intensity in his eyes made the soldier’s skin crawl. He froze, sensing the raw anger radiating off Luke; it was not directed at him, perhaps, but undeniable.

The fury likely stemmed from the traitor, from seeing Dave abducted right under his watch, from the sting of failure in the operation. Luke’s blood boiled, and in that heat of rage, the physical pain barely registered anymore.

Luke wanted this settled as quickly as possible so he could deal with the traitor personally. He wanted to capture that person with his own hands and force the truth out of him, why he had betrayed Luke, why he had tried to wipe them all out.

And more than that, there was another troubling possibility.

While it was clear that tonight’s ambush had been orchestrated by the Northern Faction and that they were now working with the Western and Southern Factions, there was no guarantee that all three were fully aligned in every move. Each faction had its own ambitions. It would not be unusual for one to act without the knowledge of the others.

Which meant the group that abducted Dave might not be the same group behind the ambush.

It could be one of the three factions acting independently. Or it could be an entirely different enemy taking advantage of the chaos created by the factions to seize Dave for their own purposes. An international syndicate. Political enemies. Anyone.

Dave’s identity was too valuable.

Anyone could be a suspect.

On top of that, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Dave’s boldness and cunning had earned him countless enemies over the years. He had stepped on too many toes, crossed too many interests, and offended too many powerful people.

And now, with his aggressive war on drugs, even more parties had reason to want him gone.

It wasn’t just the mafia that had been affected. Certain figures in the political sphere had also felt the impact. No matter how well they tried to hide it, some officials had accepted bribes to turn a blind eye to the movement of drugs in the country.

So when Dave decided to act, it wasn’t only criminal networks that suffered.

Their interests were threatened as well.

After all, the money flowing through the drug trade was enormous; tens of millions could be dismissed as small change in that business. With Dave determined to eradicate drugs from the country to protect the innocent citizens, those involved stood to lose one of their most lucrative sources of income.

For some of them, silencing Dave, whether through abduction or assassination, would be the easiest way to protect both their profits and their reputations, especially those with positions inside the government. If Dave continued his war on drugs, it would only be a matter of time before their involvement was uncovered.

They must be growing increasingly desperate.

And if word of Dave’s operation had somehow leaked, it was also possible that the Northern Faction had deliberately spread the information, using others as a blade to deal with Dave in case their own attempt failed.

All these thoughts raced through Luke’s mind as he hurriedly slipped on his shoes and staggered out of the room. Seeing him in that state, the soldier assigned to watch over him felt utterly flustered, unsure of what to do.

With no better option, he quickly called the acting team leader who had taken over in the captain’s absence.

"Sir, Mr. Greyson is leaving. He said he’s going to ask someone for help to search for the Young Minister. What should I do? Should I follow him, or stay here to watch over the captain and the others?" the soldier asked anxiously over the phone.

After hearing the soldier’s report, the line went quiet for so long that he thought the call had dropped. He glanced at the screen and saw it was still connected, so he waited.

A moment later, the voice on the other end finally spoke.

"If Mr. Greyson truly has a way to help us find the Young Minister, then let him. But we can’t allow him to leave unguarded in his condition; he’s injured, and he could be targeted as well. Stay with him for now. If his own men arrive to pick him up, remain at the hospital and focus on protecting the captain and the others."

"Understood, sir. Consider it done," the soldier replied before hurrying after Luke, who had already left the room and was now standing in front of the elevator, waiting for it to arrive.

Seeing Luke stand so straight, as if he felt no pain at all, the soldier quietly took position behind him. He chose not to speak, knowing his role now was simply to keep watch without irritating Luke.

When the elevator arrived, Luke stepped in and pressed the button for the ground floor. The soldier followed, remaining silent at his back.

Once they reached the lobby, Luke did not head outside immediately. Instead, he went to the cashier to settle his discharge bill, along with the expenses for the other injured soldiers. The soldier behind him watched with quiet gratitude, his lips pressing into a thin line.

After paying, Luke moved to the lounge area and sat down to wait for his people to arrive. The soldier stood behind him like a sentinel. Neither of them spoke as they waited for nearly half an hour.

Though it was already late, a few people were still around. Luke’s once-white suit was now stained and dusty, yet his striking appearance still drew attention. A few young women gathered the courage to approach him, hoping to ask for his number.

But as soon as they stepped closer and felt the cold, oppressive air around him, and they saw the sharpness in his eyes, they hesitated and quietly backed away, not daring to disturb him anymore.

Unable to approach him, the women settled for taking discreet photos, hoping to at least admire his face in private later, even if a man like him could never be theirs in real life, he might at least belong to them in their dreams.

Luke, lost in his thoughts, didn’t notice a thing. The soldier did, but seeing that Luke paid no attention, he chose to ignore it as well, pretending as if he wasn’t seeing anything.