Chapter 43: Taken Away After a Mysterious Phone Call

Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Taken Away After a Mysterious Phone Call

A large transport truck parked at the entrance of the villa district. A group of workers soon unloaded a shipping container from the truck, opened it, and brought out the vehicle inside.

A nearby food delivery driver stared at the sleek lines of the vehicle. Even though it was covered by a heat-reflective car cover, its low profile screamed sports car! Eyes wide, he snapped several photos in quick succession. This was his first time ever seeing a sports car so up close!

He decided he had to wait for them to pull off the cover and get a good look before leaving. That way, he wouldn’t have any regrets!

Rian Sinclair walked out of the villa and saw the vehicle parked at the entrance.

The sales manager from Swiftstream Logistics had noticed Rian earlier, but since she hadn’t approached them, he hadn’t thought much of it. Now, seeing her walking over, he felt a bit puzzled.

He wondered if she was just here to watch the spectacle.

But then he remembered that this was The Red Maple Lake Villa District! Quickly adjusting his attitude, he walked over politely and asked cautiously, "Excuse me, are you Miss Sinclair? Rian Sinclair?"

"I am."

The sales manager immediately bowed politely. "Hello, Miss Sinclair. I’m the sales manager from Swiftstream Logistics. You can call me Collins. This is the Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta you ordered."

As he spoke, he pulled off the car cover, and the sports car’s stunning exterior was revealed.

The delivery driver nearby stared in shock. "Holy crap! A Pagani! The Zonda! That’s badass!"

He stealthily snapped more photos, marveling at how insane the car was. He would definitely have bragging rights when drinking with his buddies now—he was officially a man who had seen a Pagani sports car up close and personal!

Ethan Sinclair naturally noticed the delivery driver sneaking photos. He leaned in close to Rian’s ear and whispered, "That delivery driver is taking pictures. Do you need me to make him delete them?"

Rian glanced over. Keep a low profile? That was impossible! She shook her head. Receiving the unspoken command, Ethan respectfully stepped aside.

Rian admired the sports car before her. The entire vehicle featured a deep purple exterior, combining matte and glossy carbon fiber finishes. A light gold stripe extended from the center line all the way to the rear wing, and the doors were gorgeous gull-wing doors.

The interior was also black, exuding a low-key luxury. With its perfect curves, it was simply a top-tier work of art.

Rian didn’t know much about cars, having only recently taken an interest in them, but even she could tell this car was breathtakingly beautiful.

She took the delivery receipt the manager handed her. She signed the documents cleanly and efficiently, receiving her paperwork and a temporary license plate in return.

After taking the signed receipts, the sales manager said, "Thank you for choosing Swiftstream Logistics!" He then left with his staff.

Sitting in her new car, Rian looked at Ethan, who was still standing nearby, and pointed to the Ferrari parked next to them. "You can drive that car for now. Get the bedding sorted out for the bedrooms. As for hiring staff, I’ll arrange that later. I’ll transfer some money to your card in a bit to use as a living expense fund for the villa. You’ll be in charge of it from now on."

As she spoke, Rian handed over the bank card she had set up earlier. After that, she drove out of Red Maple Lake and spoke to the system in her mind, "Transfer fifty million to that card first."

[DING! Understood, Host.]

Rian drove down the main road. This Pagani, worth hundreds of millions, went viral on the internet once again. Everyone who saw it snapped photos for memory’s sake and quickly posted them on their social media feeds.

Before Rian’s true identity could even be dug up by netizens, she had already gone viral purely through her immense wealth.

A short while later, Rian looked expressionlessly at the group of men standing in front of her.

The lead man asked, "Hello, are you Ms. Rian Sinclair?"

[DING! A target for spending has been detected! Appearance score: 89 points. Meets the spending requirements. Please tip the target as soon as possible to receive cashback rewards, Host!]

Rian nodded. It seemed this vehicle had been tailing her shortly after she left the villa district. To test her theory, she had driven toward a shopping mall, and sure enough, they had followed her all the way. When she parked, they parked right behind her.

If the system hadn’t noted that the man was a high-scoring handsome individual, and if they weren’t wearing military uniforms, Rian would have reasonably suspected this was a kidnapping attempt.

"Hello, Miss Sinclair. I’m Chase Sutton, the vice-captain of the Economic Investigation Squad." As he spoke, Chase pulled out his ID badge to show Rian.

Rian glanced at it. The Economic Investigation Squad was a state department responsible for investigating large-scale economic crimes. She stopped wondering if they were imposters; after all, they had intercepted her in broad daylight and were dressed in full military uniform.

When Rian had first received their call, she suspected it was a scam. But could it still be called a scam when they showed up in person like this? Could scam syndicates really be this brazen?!

"How can I help you?"

"Ms. Sinclair, could we speak somewhere else? This isn’t exactly the best place for a chat," Chase said in a gentle tone.

Noticing the stares from the people around them, Rian nodded. Chase leaned forward slightly, making an inviting gesture. "Ms. Sinclair, please come with us."

Seeing that they were inviting her into their vehicle, Rian glanced back at her Pagani. Chase naturally noticed her gaze and smiled apologetically.

"Ms. Sinclair, you could have a friend come and drive it, or I can leave one of my men here. You just need to give him the keys."

Rian shook her head. Parking here just meant paying a fee; she could simply come back for it later.

Once in the car, flanked by uniformed men on her left and right, Rian felt a bit like a criminal—though she knew it was just a feeling.

After all, she hadn’t broken any laws.

Furthermore, their attitude didn’t seem like they were here to arrest her.

At the end of the day, she would deal with whatever came her way.

Rian couldn’t be bothered to care about the stealthy glances from the men around her. She took the blindfold handed to her by the man on her left.

"Ms. Sinclair, our destination is classified, so we can’t let you see the route," the man said. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but please put on this blindfold. I’ll also need to temporarily hold onto your phone."

Rian handed over her phone and put on the blindfold. She leaned against the seatback and rested her eyes, completely unbothered by the group of men.

An indeterminate amount of time passed before a male voice woke her. "Ms. Sinclair, we’ve arrived."

Rian opened her eyes and observed her surroundings. It was just a seemingly ordinary parking lot.

Ignoring the several military vehicles parked nearby, it really was quite unremarkable. She stepped out and followed behind Chase.

Chase was covertly observing Rian’s facial expressions, expecting the young woman to ask questions. Instead, she just followed obediently without saying a word. Chase breathed a sigh of relief; after all, even if she asked, he wouldn’t be able to tell her anything.

Rian followed Chase at a leisurely pace. Although he didn’t know her background, he was intrigued by the young woman’s unflappable demeanor.

Rian could feel his scrutinizing gaze, but her expression remained as indifferent as ever. She followed Chase as he took multiple turns, walked up flights of stairs, and rode an elevator, finally coming to a halt in front of a door.

Rian looked at the nameplate on the door: Department of Finance.

Ever since she entered the building, Rian had been evaluating the facilities. They weren’t luxurious or extravagant, but they exuded a solemn and dignified aura. By now, she had a pretty good idea of why she had been invited here.

Her money.

It was being investigated.

Fortunately, the system had covered her tracks perfectly. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been "invited" here so respectfully.