The Show Begins!

The destination is Heathrow Airport.

It's about a 40-minute drive from the embassy.

Ian knew this was the road to hell.

He remained silent and numb, seemingly reminiscing about his short life. He knew the airport was the end of his life, and that demon wouldn't allow him to live—because it would expose his secret.

Moreover, Ian himself believed that dying at the hands of this demon was better than falling into the hands of the Round Table and the government—it's conceivable that if these people discovered he didn't have any superpowers, he couldn't even imagine the terrible torture he would suffer... He didn't even dare to think about it.

How are you going to kill me?

He paused for a moment. "Or rather, what are your plans after your friend returns home safely?"

The demon's reply was light and calm, "I have my own plans; it's none of your business."

Ian smiled bitterly. It was true. He was now just a puppet, controlled by the threads at the tip of this demon's fingertips, powerless to control himself, and nothing that happened in the outside world concerned him.

"After seeing my wife and daughter, can you briefly give me my freedom?"

Ian whispered, "I'll never see them again... I want to give them a hug in person."

Before Kang De could speak, he continued, "I won't play any tricks. Trust me, exposing or revealing you is meaningless to me; it would only endanger them."

"Yes, yes, hug me as much as you like."

Kang De said calmly, "After all, your wife and daughter are going to China soon, and you'll never see them again. Look how badly your media is portraying us; aren't you worried?"

Ian wondered, "What are you worried about?"

"Look, a foreigner, a single mother, with her daughter, coming to a foreign land, a different cultural environment, an unknown future—she's bound to be a target, right?"

Kang De said nonchalantly, "Maybe one day they'll be kidnapped by the underworld and taken to a low-class brothel, drugged and forced to work, being fucked by all sorts of thugs, illegal workers, drug addicts, and the like all day long, living a life of unbearable suffering, losing all hope, and gradually turning into talking pieces of flesh."

"That's not the worst part. The worst part is that one day, some superhuman might inexplicably dismember them and execute them by slow slicing, and the people who come to clean up the mess will not only complain that they deserved to die but also add to their workload—after all, why would foreigners come to China?"

Ian's anger was reignited; he was both shocked and furious. "You!"

Immediately, Kang De said calmly, "Oh, sorry, wrong script. That's your United Kingdom, free capitalist behavior. Don't worry, we socialists treat foreigners very well."

--Ian then realized what Kang De was talking about.

He recalled the video that had been anonymously mailed to the BCC and attracted the government's serious attention.

It wasn't filmed by Richard.

Ian was immediately struck by the utter absurdity.

He understood why Kang De had targeted and manipulated him in this way.

It wasn't just a whim; there was a reason behind it.

"Why?"

This reason was even more unacceptable to him than "the devil acted as he pleased, targeting poor me, which is why my life was ruined for no reason."

He asked incredulously, "Just because of this?"

Kang De said calmly, "You find that strange?"

Ian became agitated. "All I said was those words, and you're going to destroy everything I have?"

"Not really. If it weren't for saving someone, hearing you say something like that, I'd probably find a secluded spot and beat you to a pulp. At most, I'd investigate whether you'd done anything heinous, and if so, I'd kill you. I don't have time to play around with trash like you for so long."

He scoffed, "You had such a wonderful day today simply because I was planning a rescue, and you just happened to run into me. Your level was also just right, so you got lucky."

Ian wasn't listening at all; his voice was a mix of crying and laughing, "Just because of this? This?"

"You seem to think it's perfectly normal for innocent women who come to foreign lands alone to make a living to be sold into low-class brothels, ruined, and then tortured to death."

Kang De calmly replied, "Understood. I'll make a call and send your wife and kids directly to Thailand. Southeast Asia has become a playground for white trash relying on racial welfare; it's time for yellow people to have a taste of something new."

"... you!"

Ian's anger lasted only a moment, then he fell silent for a moment, and whispered, "I... I was wrong..."

"Come on, don't try to deceive me, Ian. The fact that I'm telling you this now means I no longer believe you'll repent. Your wife and children went to China to live a peaceful, upper-class life, while other people's daughters are destined to be sold, humiliated, and murdered when they come to Britain. This is the arrogance and selfishness etched into your bones. You've fabricated a lie about universal values for the whole world, but you yourselves don't even believe it."

Kang De's voice was cold and deep, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

"You should be glad I'm not a cruel person, otherwise I would have made your wife and children look like those women you put in body bags, and then we'd see if you could still say those things."

Ian's inner world was completely silent.

"But you'll still get what you deserve... This is the final leg of the journey, the final stage has arrived, Ian Crook, prepare for the final comedy."

Heathrow Airport is now in sight.

The convoy leading the way flashed its lights, and the driver whispered, "Gentlemen, we're almost there. Mr. Ian, your family has arrived, and the China guests have also arrived at the airport. The Home Secretary, on the orders of the Prime Minister, is accompanying them to China and will take over from the Ambassador."

Ian nodded silently.

Ian stared blankly at everything in his field of vision, fear and numbness rising and falling within him.

He missed his wife and daughter terribly and longed to see them. This morning, he kissed his wife's cold cheek and rubbed his rough face against his daughter's, feeling his little angel's innocent and playful struggles and laughter. These were things that happened every day, but now they seemed incredibly precious.

How he wished time could stand still this morning, forever and ever.

In a secluded corner of the airport, as the high beams swept across, Ian's mental state became extremely volatile.

In the cold, dark winds of London, two figures huddled together, helplessly curled up.

The vehicle slowly came to a stop nearby.

Ian remained motionless.

"Get out! Get out!" Ian cried out in the mental world, "Please! Move!"

Kang De said calmly, "Are you sure?"

Ian paused for a moment, then asked, "What?"

"Then so be it."

No sooner had Kang De finished speaking than Ian pushed open the car door and ran toward the two figures. Under the blinding headlights, after the initial glare, the mother and daughter recognized the face of the person closest to them in the world. They cried out in unison and rushed toward Ian.

"Let me hold them! Give me back my body!" Ian screamed, his mind reeling. "Vanessa! Shanna! My treasure! My love!"

Then Ian cried out, "Vanessa! Shanna! My darling! My love!"

Ian snapped angrily, "--You're not allowed to call them that!"

"Not only do you have to shout that, but you also have to cut off your sense of touch and hug them with your body. You won't feel anything; they'll actually be hugging a stranger—doesn't that sound exciting?"

Ian roared in fury, "You bastard!"

Kang De scoffed, "What a fool! Is this the time to worry about such things?"

The former special agent, whose mental state was on the verge of collapse and whose mind was filled with thoughts of his family, paused in surprise.

Then he heard a loud engine roar.

Turning his head, he saw the car that had brought him to the airport speeding backward. Through the car window, he could see the ambassador in the back seat shouting excitedly and pounding on the back of the driver's seat.

Ian's mind went blank. "Oh no! The ambassador has escaped! Go after him!"

He said anxiously, "How could you forget about him!"

However, this was merely a helpless cry from the depths of his mind; he could do nothing about it.

Kang De replied nonchalantly, "What's it to me? You were the one who told me to hurry up and get out."

"You!"

Despite saying that, Ian still had to play his part completely.

Breaking free from his wife and daughter's embrace, Ian suddenly veered backward toward the reversing car.

However, a series of gunshots rang out from not far away. The Metropolitan Police's counterterrorism SWAT team, which had escorted the mother and daughter there, raised their rifles and aimed them at the helpless mother, daughter, and Ian. The roar of helicopter engines in the sky meant that the Special Air Service was approaching.

"Ian" remained expressionless, gritted his teeth, and charged forward, chasing after the retreating vehicles.

However, a sharp edge whistled through the wind, and a razor blade, gleaming coldly, swept across the sky, leaving a deep trench in front of him. "Ian" stopped, black flames erupting from his body. The Barber waved to him from the driver's seat of the parked Aston Martin.

The other person opened the door and got out of the car, and razor blades floated in the air.

"You really disappoint me."

Todd said, "We devised three plans and corresponding follow-up schemes to rescue that United States from you. We wanted to distract you and get you out of the way. The clerks racked their brains, devised strategies, but none of them worked. You made such a fatal mistake for two lowly, filthy mortals. My brother, mortal emotions are just a burden. I hope this will be a profound lesson."

Ian retreated step by step, back to his wife and daughter.

He said in a deep voice, "Let them go, and I will join you and pledge my loyalty. That's the agreement."

The sharp blades around the Barber swirled and whistled through the air. He stood ramrod straight, his bearing impeccable, exuding aristocratic elegance. "This is the first act of disrespect you have committed today—loyalty to the Round Table is an unparalleled honor, not a bargaining transaction. Your offense and blasphemy deserve punishment."

"Ian" gritted his teeth and said, "I'm willing to accept it, as long as they leave."

"This is your second mistake. Don't try to threaten the Round Table."

The Barber looked at Ian's trembling, terrified wife and daughters. "I'm sorry, they can't go anywhere. They'll stay in Britain; the Round Table will take care of things."

"Ian" let out a roar, referencing the roar of Ian in the spiritual realm.

"Despicable! Shameless!" he roared, "You promised!"

The Barber said nonchalantly, "This was agreed upon by the Britain government; what does it have to do with us?"

"Why! Why did you do this!" the betrayed man roared. "I would have joined you! I promised you, you didn't have to do this!"

"First, how can we tolerate a member's cherished family being controlled by China? Second, if they are so important to you, then you absolutely cannot let them leave."

The Barber said calmly, "This is your biggest weakness, my brother. We'll help you overcome it."

Ian's expression shifted drastically. He suddenly shouted, "Where are the government officials! Where is the Minister of the Interior! What we agreed on! Where are the China diplomats! I'm the one who saved you! You promised me! All you needed was for me to take my family with me! All you needed was for them to take me with you!"

"I'm sorry."

Surrounded by counter-terrorism forces, the Home Secretary emerged from the darkness and calmly stated, "The China are not here. It's just us, Ian, just you and us."

"Ian" roared in grief and anger, "We made a deal! It was a bargain!"

"No, it wasn't a transaction. Mr. Ian, Miss An and Miss You Yu were rescued thanks to the cooperation and tireless efforts of officials from various departments, represented by the Prime Minister. After a day of hard work, the missing China citizens were rescued. We offered them our apologies and condolences, and sent them back to their homeland. This is our responsible, fair, compassionate, and humanitarian act."

"It has nothing to do with you."

The Home Secretary's bald head reflected a cold light in the eerie lamplight, and his Britain accent was now filled with arrogant mockery. "You're nothing but a damned terrorist, bought and corrupted by Northern Ireland terrorists, kidnapping the United States ambassador, sowing discord between the two countries, threatening the Britain government, and you even dared to negotiate with us—don't you know that you once worked for Military Intelligence Section 5? We will never negotiate!"

"Bastard!"

"Ian" shouted sternly, "Where are the China?! I want to talk to the China!"

"Nobody talks to terrorists. Do you think the China care about that? They don't even know anything, all they know is that we rescued people—you don't really think they know you're doing something, do you? You don't really think you're talking to the China ambassador, do you? Hahahahahahaha!"

At this point, the Home Secretary couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Didn't you order the recruitment ad for agents fluent in Chinese to be posted on Military Intelligence Section 5's website? Hahahaha!"

In the realm of the mind, Ian's rage is many times more intense than "Ian" himself.

"These bastards! Bastards! Damn them!"

A torrent of profanities erupted from him Ian roared, "How dare they do this! How dare they do this!"

"Oh, your reaction time is even more ridiculous than the dumbest sloth in Bolivia."

The China man said with great emotion, "You work for Military Intelligence Section 5, and you don't even know what kind of people your own government and race are? Prime Minister Churchill would definitely give you a good spanking with a shit-stirring stick."

Ian's soul trembled, and his soul plummeted to the bottom of the abyss.

He seemed to realize something, and said in a trembling voice, "This was all part of your plan?"

Kang De smiled and said, "Ah?"

"Don't play dumb! This was all part of your plan, you bastard! You! You! You did this on purpose, didn't you? Did you already know? Did you know they would back out!?"

Ian yelled, "Didn't you promise me? Didn't you say you'd save my family?"

"Oh." Kang De smiled. "I was just teasing you, is that not allowed?"

Ian was speechless; he roared like a wild beast.

Unable to control his body, unable to make any expression, unable to do anything, he could feel his wife and daughter sobbing in despair. The two innocent people could only hold the most important man in their lives in fear. They were in a cold airport, surrounded by special police, government officials, and superhumans. Everyone was ill-intentioned, everyone was heartless. They were sacrifices, fish on the chopping block, powerless playthings.

But Ian can't do anything, he can't do anything at all.

He howled and struggled in agony, cursing viciously.

Should I leave?

Kang De quipped, "Leaving behind a mortal Ian, along with his wife and children, surrounded by the Britain government and the Round Table. They want to detain your family and control you, this powerful superhuman, but then they suddenly discover that you're just a mortal—what do you think will happen?"

--Ian's soul was frozen.

He cried out in anguish, "Oh no, please don't! Please! Don't do this! Please save my family! They are innocent, at least don't leave them here! Please!"

"Innocent? Aren't the women who were kidnapped, bullied, tortured, and murdered innocent?"

Kang De said, "How does it feel? Ian Crook, used, deceived, manipulated, humiliated, struggling to survive, trying to protect what he cherished, only to find it all meaningless, oppressed and toyed with by the malice of fate, manipulated by violence he could not resist, his cries for help went unanswered, and no one could help him."

"You will die in agony and despair, taking your family with you. No one will sympathize with you; they'll only know you as a damn terrorist. You're so evil, your wife and daughter must be bitches too."

Ian cried out in despair, "Help me, please, save them! I'll do anything, my soul, everything I have, I'll give you anything..."

"What use is something so filthy?"

Kang De said, "Well, there is something I need you to do..."

Ian, as if grasping at a straw, exclaimed, "I'll do anything! Anything!"

"Here's the thing, originally, we wanted you to feign surrender and follow the Round Table's envoys to their lair and high-ranking officials. This task had to be done by you personally..."

Currently, Ian's body is controlled by Horus's exoskeleton, but this thing will be detected as soon as it passes through a security gate or detector, so Ian has to act personally.

"I'll do it! I'll do it!"

"I wasn't finished yet... but suddenly, after realizing the Britain government and the Round Table's treacherous and despicable plans, I changed my mind. Why should I eradicate this cancer for Britain?"

As Kang De spoke, fierce black flames erupted from Ian's body.

"You're forcing me," he said in a deep voice, "Does it really have to come to this?"

"No need," the Barber said. "We'll take care of your family. All you need to do is surrender, and we won't harm them... This is the only way forward, because the Round Table wants to reclaim its honor and punish your offense. If you refuse to kneel, then we'll have no choice but to..."

A distant hunting horn sounded, coming from all directions, its direction indistinguishable.

A terrifying hoofbeat resounded out of nowhere, and warhorses wreathed in Shadow flames galloped from the darkness. A knight in tattered robes and a deerstalker helmet rode in, the chains rattling incessantly.

Then another enormous Black Demon Hound stepped out, its body massive, its eyes as large as discs, and as red as blood.

A boat floats in the void, a hellish vessel laden with the mournful cries of death, sailing from the dispersing mist.

The Barber's voice was calm and cold.

"--Let you face the wrath of the Round Table."

But the real Ian was still crying out in despair in the mental world, "What do you want to do?"

Don't you find it interesting?

As the black flames burned fiercely, Kang De chuckled, "The Britain government and the Round Table broke their promise, tore up the agreement, and engaged in a fierce battle with Ian, resulting in an extremely intense supernatural war."

"In the chaos, the American Empire ambassador and the Britain Home Secretary were both killed, Ian and several other Round Table members perished together, Heathrow Airport suffered a massive shock and disruption, and the secrets of the superhumans were almost exposed. All of this stemmed from the Round Table's greed and the United Kingdom government's shortsightedness."

"More importantly, Ian had already recorded the whole story with a miniature camera and secretly distributed it all over the world, especially to the American Empire president's email account."

Do you think this script could win Academy Award?

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PS1: Update... Feels like I'm going back again, damn it. In my experience, setting a goal is a bad idea, but I still want tomorrow to come earlier... Damn it.