Chapter 6114

At that moment, chaos erupted in the bar. Everyone who had been drinking, enjoying the live music, and dancing just moments ago was now terrified and screaming. Yet, despite their fear, the patrons dared not defy the black-clad militants; they all raised their hands and crouched down on the ground. Bernard Arnault was filled with dread, and his first instinct was to believe that these individuals had come to kidnap him. After all, he was a prominent figure on the Forbes rich list. Tawanna was equally terrified, as she feared she was the intended target. After all, a similar incident had occurred in Japan not long ago. One of the men in black approached Bernard Arnault, lifting a young man from the crowd as easily as one might lift a rabbit, and sneered, “Mr. Arnault, you look much younger in person than on TV.” Bernard Arnault replied, his voice shaky, “Who are you? What do you want here?” “What do we want?” the man in black replied with a smirk. “We want to make some headlines and show the world our power and existence.” He raised his eyebrows and smiled at Bernard Arnault, adding, “Come on, Mr. Arnault, pick up your phone and call the highest-ranking officials in the Maldives to inform them of what’s happening here. Tell them to send elite soldiers for your rescue.” “Oh, and by the way, I almost forgot: the Maldives doesn’t have elite soldiers. They’re just third-rate troops with poor training and inferior gear.” Bernard Arnault was intensely anxious and quickly spoke in a timid tone, “Don’t worry, I won’t report this to anyone! If you need money, I can give you all the cash on White Horse Island. If that’s not enough, give me a bank account, and I can have my assistant call you immediately. Just please, don’t hurt us; we can work something out!” The man in black suddenly turned vicious. He raised his hand and struck Bernard Arnault in the face, causing blood to trickle from the corner of his mouth as he angrily retorted, “Do you think I’m joking? You’re going to call, and you’ll do it obediently. Speak any more nonsense, and I’ll break both your legs!” It was only then that Bernard Arnault realized the gravity of the situation—that they truly expected him to call for help. He tentatively replied, “I have contact information for the Minister of Defense; can I call him directly?” “Of course!” the man leading the group said with a smile. “Let’s do it now, immediately.” Bernard Arnault pulled out his cell phone, and just as he was about to dial, he caught sight of the signal strength indicator in the upper right corner. With a distressed expression, he said, “I’m sorry; the network here is experiencing some issues, and all communications and internet access are down. I can’t reach anyone outside right now.” When the man in black heard this, his anger flared. He slapped Bernard Arnault again, this time with such force that two of his back teeth were knocked out, and he cursed furiously, “Are you messing with me? This whole island has no internet?” “It’s true…” Bernard Arnault said, feeling utterly aggrieved and terrified after being hit twice. “There was nothing wrong with the internet earlier, but for some reason, it suddenly went out. I even suggested checking it out, but then you came in…” At that moment, the man in black pulled out his own phone, looked down, and confirmed there was indeed no signal. His fury intensified.

He had planned to orchestrate a significant event that would grab the world’s attention, but now that the network was down, all of those plans were in jeopardy. Fuming, he grabbed Bernard Arnault by the collar, his eyes glinting with menace. “I don't care how you do it. You must contact the Maldives officials, or I will take your life!” He then turned to Tawanna, who was cowering in the crowd, and coldly asked, “Miss Sweet, you are a top international star. Is there any way for you to reach the Maldives officials?” Tawanna blurted out nervously, “This is my first time in the Maldives, and I didn’t arrange anything with them in advance…” “Darn it!” The leader in black aimed his pistol and shot Bernard Arnault in the right knee. The bullet shattered his kneecap, sending bone splinters and a torrent of blood everywhere. With a thud, Bernard Arnault collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony and letting out a wail like a wounded animal. The man in black pointed his gun at him and declared, “White Horse Island is your territory, and you’re responsible for solving any problems that arise here! I don’t care what means you use; you must restore the internet!” Bernard Arnault, fighting through the excruciating pain, urged the manager, “Quickly, find a way to notify the technician to check the equipment and see if something’s wrong!” The man in black ordered his subordinates, “Take that person with you. If anyone tries to play games, shoot him on the spot!” “Understood!” The group quickly zeroed in on the manager, dragging him away. Meanwhile, the leader of the black-clad men stepped onto the stage where Tawanna had just performed, took hold of the microphone, and smiled, “Don’t be scared—let me introduce myself. My name is Daniel Drake, and I’m a member of the renowned mercenary organization Dragon Temple. If you cooperate with us, I guarantee none of you will be harmed. But if anyone dares to scheme against me, I will shoot them in the head!” “The Dragon Temple?!” Shock rippled through the crowd. This included Hamid. His first instinct was to reveal his identity and inform Daniel Drake of the Dragon Temple that he had a good relationship with their leader, Wesley. However, a moment later, he realized something was off. He didn't know much about the Dragon Temple in the past, nor whether they might engage in acts of terrorism. But the Dragon Temple that had been conquered by Charlie would never resort to such actions, especially not with Charlie himself present on the island. Even if Wesley were to show up, he wouldn’t dare to act recklessly. This indicated that the man claiming to be Daniel Drake was not affiliated with the Dragon Temple at all! But why was he adopting their identity? Hamid’s mind raced as he pondered that they seemed intent on notifying the Maldives officials, and making the situation worse. In this light, they must be planning to stage a terrorist incident that would shock the world and tarnish the Dragon Temple’s reputation! At that moment, the leader of the black-clad men, who called himself Daniel Drake, scanned the frightened crowd, his gaze landing on Hamid, who stood beside two pregnant women. His pupils dilated slightly, and he quietly shifted his gaze to someone else. In truth, tonight, Hamid was the real target he intended to hunt!