While Luo Xia and Li Bai competed to take down the gangsters aboard the cargo ship, Matt drove his off-road vehicle in pursuit of the last human-trafficking container, eventually reaching a military exclusion zone.
The place was guarded by layers of checkpoints. Even though Matt was far more capable than an ordinary person, he still couldn't sneak into the military zone.
With no other choice, Matt called Luo Xia. Hearing what Matt said, Luo Xia replied bluntly, "Then come back first and help take care of the people on the ship."
"But there are still people in another container who were taken away!" Matt said, agitated.
Luo Xia fell silent for a few seconds, then said calmly, "Matt, you're not a god. You can't save the whole world."
"But can't we at least try? If your robots can help..."
Matt hadn't finished speaking when Luo Xia cut him off.
"If we were just dealing with some gangsters, I'd help you. But I'd never agree to risk charging into a military exclusion zone. They're in a completely different league, and we don't know anything about what's inside. If we go in, there's a ninety percent chance we'll be shot dead on sight," Luo Xia said.
Matt wasn't a fool. Luo Xia's reasoning made sense.
A military exclusion zone was nothing like the shadowy corners of the docks. Even though neither Luo Xia nor Matt was ordinary, against a disciplined force of soldiers, they'd be nothing more than moving targets if they were discovered.
Matt took a deep breath. "But I can't just stand by and do nothing."
Luo Xia was speechless on the other end of the call. All right, this man was a true saint, the very embodiment of resilience in the face of disability. On the other side of the Pacific, he'd be one of the country's ten most inspirational figures—assuming he didn't get censored while fighting for justice.
In every respect, Luo Xia admired Matt. But that was exactly why he couldn't stand by and let him get himself killed.
"Matt, it's not as if there's nothing we can do. We can't break in and rescue them, but we can use other means to keep them alive," Luo Xia urged.
"What can we do?"
"We stick to the plan we discussed earlier and get the story into the public eye. It's the middle of the night. Even if they really plan to use those people for human experiments, they won't start working in the middle of the night, when everyone's half-asleep. Besides, if they want accurate data, they'll first give the test subjects thorough examinations to make sure none of their physical parameters could significantly skew the results.
"That means we still have time! As long as we move fast and expose this as soon as possible, I believe the military will have reservations. They might even release those people to distance themselves from the scandal," Luo Xia said.
"But there's an even greater chance the military will kill them to silence them." Matt's intelligence wasn't limited to his knowledge of the law. In fact, he understood these underhanded tactics better than anyone.
"Don't worry. If I'm suggesting this, it's because I'm confident the military won't dare kill them to silence them. My robots can't charge into a military exclusion zone to kill people and rescue anyone, but they can take pictures of key evidence for us to use as leverage in negotiations with the military. But you'll have to use your legal expertise to make sure the whole world hears about this and get the people from Global Consolidated Investment sent before the Supreme Court to face trial," Luo Xia promised Matt.
Matt thought it over carefully and realized this was the best option they had. He immediately turned the car around and headed for Hell's Kitchen. He had to get back to the law office and start carrying out his plan with Luo Xia.
Just before they hung up, Luo Xia asked, "Is Peggy still there?"
Matt sounded a little awkward. "Yeah, she's asleep."
"Asleep? You... put her to sleep?" Luo Xia asked.
"She started fighting me as soon as she saw me. To keep her safe, I had to let her sleep for a while," Matt said with some helplessness.
Well, first she'd been drugged and knocked unconscious, then Matt had physically knocked her out again. Today had truly been Karen Page's unlucky day. Hopefully, the blonde beauty wouldn't be too traumatized when she woke up.
On the ship, Luo Xia watched over the women and children who had just been freed. Most of them were starving. The ship's entire supply of preserved rations hadn't been enough to fill their stomachs, and some bold souls had even gone to the kitchen and cooked the refrigerated ingredients.
Watching all these people who had suffered so terribly celebrate their new lives on a deck like a scene from hell gave Luo Xia a deep sense of satisfaction.
Luo Xia wasn't a saint, but when he came across people in need, he was glad to help if he could.
The Russian gang members at the docks tried several ways to climb aboard, but aside from giving Li Bai a few more heads to count, they accomplished nothing.
Now all they had to do was set Matt's plan in motion. The police, hospitals, and newspapers would all send people to this shadowy corner of the docks in short order, exposing the horrifying crimes.
Meanwhile, Luo Xia had to hurry to the military exclusion zone and have Li Bai and Violet sneak inside, locate the people being held there, photograph the evidence, and use it to negotiate with General Ross.
Luo Xia believed that as long as he handled things carefully, rescuing them shouldn't be a problem.
But the plan didn't seem to be keeping up with events. Just as Luo Xia leaned against the railing, gazing into the distance and wondering how soon the police would arrive, he heard hurried footsteps behind him.
Luo Xia turned around and saw a truly startling sight. Well, the kind where a very well-endowed woman's chest bounced dramatically as she ran.
As she ran toward him, Luo Xia worried she might accidentally fall. More surprising still, he actually recognized the woman making such a dramatic entrance.
"Daisy?" Luo Xia called out, uncertain.
Wasn't this the girl he'd met in the sewers? There'd also been another girl named Skye, an Asian woman as thin as a rail.
Daisy exclaimed in delight, "It really is you! I can't believe you've saved me again!"
"What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you and Skye to find a lawyer?" Luo Xia asked, puzzled.
"Don't ask. Once we found out there was a monster in the sewers, we packed up and tried to get out of there right away. I was planning to go back to England and finish that damn literature degree, but Skye wanted to return to the orphanage, so I figured I'd go with her first."
Daisy rattled off a whole stream of words. Luo Xia hadn't noticed last time, but she was quite the chatterbox.
"You're a college student?" Luo Xia asked, surprised.
"Yeah. I had a few arguments with my family, so I ran away from home," Daisy said nonchalantly.
"Then how did you end up getting captured and brought here?" Luo Xia asked.
"Who knew a bunch of Russians would kidnap us in the middle of the night while we were on the road? There were hundreds of people locked up with us, and they only let us out today. The bastards! Just give me a chance and I'll kick every last one of them in the balls!" Daisy said angrily.
"It's all right. I've already avenged you. By the way, where's Skye?" Luo Xia asked.
Luo Xia had a good impression of the Asian girl, who was shrewd but principled. He hadn't expected to rescue the two of them by chance.
"I'm looking for her too. When they put us on the trucks, she wasn't in the same container as me. Could she have... gone to the kitchen to find something to eat?" Daisy looked around.
Luo Xia suddenly had a bad feeling. Could Skye be in that last container?
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