Chapter 156: Chapter 156: "Action Tonight!

"So? Do those people seem suspicious?"

As soon as Chief Lowe’s wife walked through the door, he immediately went up to her and asked.

"What’s so suspicious about them?" Chief Lowe’s wife sat down on a stool, grabbed a handful of melon seeds, and crossed her legs. "They’re just a bunch of bored young folks with nothing better to do, coming to this backwater gully for a trip."

Chief Lowe frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Those two girls were even talking about taking pictures to post on social media. It cracked me up!" Chief Lowe’s wife said with a look of disdain. "So foolish."

Hearing her say that, Chief Lowe gradually began to relax.

He sat down on the stool, lit a cigarette, and began to smoke leisurely.

Before long, a young villager ran into Chief Lowe’s house and said anxiously, "Uncle, why are those outsiders wandering all over the village?"

"Let them wander," Chief Lowe said, smoking his cigarette nonchalantly. "Just make sure everyone minds their own business."

"But..."

"Kai," Chief Lowe cut him off. "Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?"

Caleb Lowe opened his mouth but then closed it. "Uncle, how would I dare tell you what to do? I’ll be leaving now."

As he walked out of Chief Lowe’s house, he happened to run into Renee Jennings and her group.

Caleb Lowe shot them a sinister look before turning and walking away.

Renee Jennings looked up at Ash, who was circling in the air, and asked in a low voice, "Whose house is this?"

Ash took a moment to get a clear look before replying, "This is the chief’s house."

Renee Jennings: "Then where are all the girls they brought back from outside?"

Ash: "They’re locked up in several different places!"

Renee Jennings nodded and asked, "Can you lead us there?"

"I can," Ash said, flying ahead. "Follow this bird!"

Ash led them to several locations.

Each location where people were held was very remote, looking like abandoned, dilapidated houses overgrown with weeds. There were even people stationed nearby on guard duty.

Finally, Ash led them to a stop in front of a red tower. The door was carved with two elephants and painted in various vibrant colors.

"What is this place?" Renee Jennings asked, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

The others also looked curious.

Ash landed on top of Renee Jennings’s head and explained, "This is their village’s tower. They usually come here to pray during festivals."

"This style is pretty unique," Kyle Morgan commented, rubbing his chin. "Sawyer, go stand over there. I’ll take a few pictures of you."

They had to commit to the act, so Sawyer obediently stood in position.

Henry Stark hesitated for a few seconds, then looked at Renee Jennings.

Meeting his gaze, Renee Jennings blinked.

Henry Stark lifted his chin slightly and said gently, "You stand there. How about I take a couple of pictures of you, too?"

Renee Jennings nodded. "Okay."

Henry Stark took two photos of her, then suddenly noticed someone else had joined the frame.

He frowned slightly, his deep, dark eyes glaring at the intruder unhappily. "What are you doing?"

"Taking a picture with my sister." Zachary Conway grinned, showing off a set of perfectly white teeth. "Cheese!"

Henry Stark: "..."

He pressed the shutter button perfunctorily, then strode over and shoved the phone into Zachary Conway’s hands. "Take a picture of me and your sister."

Zachary Conway took the phone, smiling broadly. "Well, of course. My sister’s your girlfriend, after all."

Renee Jennings: "..."

The lookouts posted nearby were very vigilant at first, watching the group’s every move from the shadows.

Seeing that they were just taking pictures, the lookouts slowly let their guard down and went back to playing on their phones.

After they finished taking photos, Renee Jennings finally asked Ash, "Why did you bring us here?"

Ash chirped an explanation, "Even though this is a tower, it’s also a place where they lock up female humans."

Renee Jennings’s slender brows slowly furrowed. "Why are some of them locked in the tower?"

"Running away," Ash said. "When the female humans try to escape and get caught, they’re locked in the tower."

Renee Jennings heaved a heavy sigh. "What’s the difference between being locked in here and being locked in those broken-down houses?"

"The difference..." Ash thought for a moment. "The difference is... male humans come here often. They don’t go to the broken-down houses."

Renee Jennings’s expression changed abruptly, as if she’d guessed something. Her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched into tight fists, and a look of bitter resentment filled her eyes.

"What did Ash say?" Sawyer noticed the shift in her mood and stepped forward to gently take her arm.

Renee Jennings closed her eyes, taking a few seconds to compose herself before typing a message on her phone and sending it to the group chat.

After seeing the message, everyone’s expression turned grave, their eyes filled with barely suppressed fury.

"This is too much!" Sawyer cursed under her breath. "These goddamn scumbags!"

"Are you sure there were people in those houses earlier?" Henry Stark asked Renee Jennings, his voice low and serious.

"I’m sure," Renee Jennings said. "I had Inky fly to the windows and roofs to confirm."

"Good." Henry Stark’s gaze turned cold and sharp, his tone decisive. "We move tonight!"

Every minute they delayed was another minute of torture for the victims.

As they left the tower and headed back to the two-story building, they ran into Chief Lowe.

"Out for a stroll, folks?" Chief Lowe greeted them with a particularly warm smile. "It’s noon already. Are you hungry? If you don’t mind, you can come eat at my place. There aren’t any restaurants in this backwater gully of ours."

Kyle Morgan rolled his eyes internally.

’He’s just trying to fleece us, isn’t he?’

He smiled and said, "Oh, we couldn’t possibly impose!"

"Nothing to impose about!" Chief Lowe said, rubbing his hands together. "I’m the village chief. It’s my duty to host out-of-town guests."

"We were actually wondering where to eat. You’ve come at the perfect time, Chief," Zachary Conway said with a smile. "But we can’t let you pay for it. We’ll just pay you what we would at a restaurant."

"Alright, then." Chief Lowe smiled so broadly his eyes disappeared into slits. "In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony."

He led them to his home and began ordering his wife around. "Hurry up and cook that chicken we just butchered!"

Kyle Morgan sat in the main hall and asked with a chuckle, "Chief, is it just you and your wife living here?"

"That’s right." Chief Lowe offered them cigarettes. "The kids all left to make their way in the world. There’s no future for them staying in the village."

"That’s great," Kyle Morgan said, taking a cigarette and tucking it behind his ear. "It shows you raised them well, Chief."

Renee Jennings glanced at the family portrait on the wall and said calmly, "Do you have a daughter, Chief?"

"I have one," Chief Lowe said, a little smugly. "She’s a lawyer in Zenvia."

"A lawyer," Renee Jennings noted with a nod. "That’s very impressive."

Chief Lowe took a drag from his cigarette. "My son and daughter both made me proud."

Renee Jennings smiled. "A lot of people in the village must be envious of you, then."

"I’m not just bragging," Chief Lowe said, lifting his chin proudly. "There really are a lot of people in the village who are envious of my kids."

While they were making small talk, Chief Lowe’s wife came into the main hall and called out, "The chicken’s ready! Come and eat while it’s hot!"

"Oh, right, we haven’t paid you yet!" Kyle Morgan pulled out his phone and transferred another five hundred yuan to Chief Lowe.

They had just sat down at the dining table when someone suddenly burst in shouting, "Old Man Lowe, I heard there’s some good stuff that came in these past two days..."

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