After forcing Tang Qin Hao into the spacious back seat, the middle-aged man climbed in after him and drew a medical syringe from his inner coat pocket.

A clear, potent liquid was clearly visible inside the glass chamber.

As a doctor, Tang Qin Hao’s eyes locked onto the chemical. "What is that?" he asked, his voice hardening.

"Do not worry, Doctor. It is only a highly refined sedative." The middle-aged man stated calmly, moving the needle closer to his arm. "We simply need you to remain completely unconscious and cooperative for the duration of the drive."

Unable to effectively resist under the overwhelming physical restraint of the guards, Tang Qin Hao could only watch with gritted teeth as the middle-aged man expertly injected the sedative deep into his arm.

Within seconds, the world began to tilt. His sharp vision gradually blurred into a haze of static, and his eyelids became heavier and heavier, feeling like lead weights. Within minutes, his mind succumbed to the chemical, and he slowly lost consciousness altogether.

Far away, inside the secure warmth of the VVIP lounge, Angelica Lee’s phone buzzed on the glass table. She picked it up, hearing her lead subordinate’s voice filter through the encrypted line.

"Miss Lee, the asset has been successfully secured and extracted from the hotel premises without incident." The subordinate reported.

"Splendid." Angelica Lee replied smoothly.

A deeply pleased, triumphant smile spread across her flawless face as she calmly took another slow sip of her vintage wine, staring out at the horizon.

The afternoon break eventually came to an end. Downstairs, the prestigious Medical Research Conference continued to run precisely as normal, entirely oblivious to the crime that had just occurred beneath their feet.

Eminent researchers attended the scheduled presentations. Renowned doctors exchanged innovative ideas over coffee. Journalists eagerly interviewed the keynote speakers in the lobby.

Absolutely nobody noticed anything unusual in the atmosphere. Nobody realised that one of the conference’s most brilliant and highly anticipated guests had mysteriously vanished into thin air during the lunch hour. And nobody knew the dark coordinates of where Tang Qin Hao was currently being taken.

It was not until much later in the afternoon, when a frantic conference staff coordinator noticed that Dr Tang had failed to show up for his mandatory panel discussion and several high-profile attendees began loudly asking for Tang Qin Hao, that the organisers finally realised something was catastrophically wrong.

...

After a long, slow lunch, Yu Qi and Long Hui headed back down to the grand floor where the international medical conference was being held. Both of them had accidentally woken up late that morning, so they had collectively decided to prioritise a proper meal first before immersing themselves in the event. The moment they stepped past the security checkpoint and entered the main venue, Yu Qi could see that the crowd had grown significantly. Even more global medical professionals had arrived compared to the previous day.

Since they were still wearing their deliberately ordinary disguises, they had absolutely no intention of approaching Tang Qin Hao directly or greeting him in public. Their strategy was simple. observe him from a safe distance and ensure his safety under the radar.

However, the exact moment they entered the bustling hall, Yu Qi’s eyes instinctively began scanning the crowd, searching for Tang Qin Hao’s tall, distinctive figure. She could not find him anywhere.

A sharp, instinctive frown immediately marred her features. Sensing that something was amiss, Yu Qi quickly approached one of the roaming conference staff members.

"Excuse me," Yu Qi asked, keeping her tone perfectly polite and unassuming. "May I know where Dr Tang Qin Hao is currently stationed? I thought his panel was starting around now."

"Eh? He is not at the front?" The conference staff member looked genuinely confused.

He instinctively glanced around the massive, crowded hall as well, searching for Tang Qin Hao’s face, but the surgeon was nowhere to be found.

"Perhaps Dr Tang just went to the restroom before the session. Please wait for just a moment." The conference staff tried to explain.

At that exact moment, the main conference host took to the stage, his voice echoing through the microphone as he called for Tang Qin Hao to come forward for his scheduled keynote speech. However, after several long, awkward moments of waiting, the podium remained entirely empty. Tang Qin Hao still did not appear.

Realising the urgency, the conference staff immediately dispatched several security guards to check the nearby restrooms and VIP holding areas. There was absolutely no sign of him.

Gradually, the polite atmosphere inside the grand conference hall began to shift, turning tense and heavy. Cynical whispers started spreading like wildfire among the thousands of waiting attendees.

"Is this really the famous Dr Tang Qin Hao’s professional attitude?"

"Why on earth isn’t he here? The schedule was set months ago."

"Did something happen behind the scenes?"

"He probably got arrogant and went out drinking somewhere instead of taking his obligations seriously."

A few of the local doctors had already disliked Tang Qin Hao from the very beginning, deeply envious of his rapid rise and exceptional genius. Seeing his unexpected, highly public absence, they immediately seized the opportunity to loudly gossip and tarnish his pristine reputation.

Yu Qi’s expression darkened to a dangerous pitch. She turned her head and shot those specific individuals a look of absolute, bone-chilling ice. The doctors who had been smugly speaking ill of Tang Qin Hao suddenly felt an inexplicable, terrifying chill run straight down their spines for no apparent reason, instantly choking on their words and instinctively shuffling away from her area.

Sensing her rising fury, Long Hui reached out, his large hand gently but securely wrapping around Yu Qi’s trembling fingers.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko***