As he listened silently, Michael realized that the sound that he was hearing was that of someone approaching the door.

Seemingly, this person had been remaining silent all this while, and only now decided to come over to see why the car that had stopped here had not yet left.

Or there was a possibility that it was just a coincidence, and the person inside was planning to leave.

Regardless, Michael understood that this place was not habitable. This meant that there was no one that was supposed to be living here. The presence of this person here was questionable.

And as he thought about that, he approached the wall, with his back facing it, and the door of the factory was on the left.

Of course, the main doors of the factory were designed in such a way that they were like a gate. But there was also a small entrance, where people without vehicles could enter and leave the factory.

At this moment, Michael realized that the person who had approached the door had suddenly stopped. They were just standing there, not sure what it was that they were doing.

Click!

Then, Michael heard the sound of a gun's safety being disengaged. Immediately, I realized that he might have found the location where Melvin was being held.

And in the next moment, the small door, to Michael's left, was suddenly flung open, before a figure swiftly rushed out, a gun in hand.

But the moment that the person realized that there was nobody in front of the gate, instead, to his right, Michael had already reacted.

Michael swiftly stretched his hand, before he grabbed the man's hand that was currently holding the gun by the wrist.

Immediately after, he exerted some strength, making the man, despite his shock, to grunt as he released the gun in his grasp.

At the same time, Michael tagged at the hand, making the man stumble towards him, before Michael kneed him in the guts.

Gah! Gah!

The guy felt like vomiting, but his stomach was currently empty, having eaten quite long ago, and all the food had already been digested.

And as he knelt on the ground, holding his stomach, he gazed at Michael, extremely shocked. At the same time, he was panicking inside.

Michael also took this chance true observe this person. It was a man with a bald head, quite a muscular physique, and was tall, about 2 meters in height.

He was currently wearing a white vest and a pair of black trousers and black boots. His exposed biceps were covered in different tattoos, with most of them being tattoos of different insects.

And gazing into those eyes that were looking back at him with both shock and fear, Michael realized that this person was definitely not an ordinary citizen, considering that he even had a gun.

"Who... Who are you?" The man struggled before he asked while gritting his teeth.

Previously, he had been inside the factory, relaxing. But suddenly, he heard the sound of a vehicle outside the factory. It was normal that occasionally, vehicles would pass by.

But for some reason, this time, there was a car that stopped here. And it had stopped for quite a while, which made him extremely cautious.

And, since he was paying attention, he realized that there was a possibility that someone was intending to enter into the factory. But he could not allow that, considering that there was a secret that was not supposed to be revealed to anyone inside the factory.

Which was why he approached the door, intending to finish off the person who had come over. He did not care if they came over with bad intentions or they did not know about what was happening here.

He thought, it was their bad luck for coming to a place like this, without confirming first.

Unexpectedly, the moment that he emerged from the building, he was so easily subdued. He did not even think of fighting back, considering that currently, in this young man's hand, there was a gun.

Looking at that gun, he could recognize it. And, it was also equipped with a suppressor, just like his own. It was clear, this person was here with a clear intention.

It was just that, despite his own abilities, he could not exhibit them at all. Additionally, the strength within the grasp that held his wrist, the tug, and the attack to his gut, they were all beyond his expectations.

He immediately understood, even if the two of them fought, it would be impossible for him to be able to deal with this guy. That was why, despite the pain, he tried as much as possible not to cause a commotion.

"Where is she?" Michael asked directly. He did not want to waste much more time here, especially without knowing where Melvin was.

The guy immediately felt his heart skipping a beat when he heard Michael's question. Now, things were getting complicated.

He of course understood who Michael was asking for. But, he was reluctant to let her go.

He was one of the 4 core members of the Dark Society, and had been instructed by Thomas to ensure that Melvin remained here, until they achieved their goal.

But now, somehow, someone had already gotten here, to rescue her. If she was taken away, not to mention the plan that would be affected, even his own life would be at risk.

If not his own, then it would be that of his loved ones. So, no matter the reason, he thought, he had to make sure that Michael did not succeed in taking that lady away.

He was even willing to die, just to make sure of that. Unfortunately, currently, even if he died, how would he even be able to prevent Michael from taking Melvin away after he died?

Just as his thoughts were still spinning, trying to find a solution to the current problem, he was suddenly kicked in the chest by Michael, making him fall backwards.

Even though Michael held back, the amount of force that was contained within that kick made the man's face scrunch from the pain.

At the same time, he felt quite dizzy, as the back of his head had hit the ground when he fell.

Michael did not want to waste much time, and as a result, he went ahead and picked the gun that the guy had dropped before. After that, he searched the pockets of the guy, before he took out a phone.

Thereafter, he grabbed one of the legs, before he dragged the man back into the factory building.

The factory's interior was vast and hollow, its concrete floor cracked and uneven, with shallow puddles reflecting the broken lights above.

Rusted machines stood where they had been abandoned, their frames corroded, belts snapped, and control panels gutted of anything valuable.

Overhead, steel beams were stained dark by years of moisture, and sections of the roof had collapsed, letting thin shafts of daylight cut through the dust-filled air.

Long conveyor lines ended abruptly, buried under debris and peeling paint chips. Electrical cables hung loose from the ceiling, swaying slightly in the draft, their insulation split and blackened.

The walls were discolored with oil stains, mold creeping upward from the corners, and faded warning signs barely legible beneath grime. The air was heavy with the smell of rust, damp concrete, and old grease.

Michael looked around, but he did not see where Melvin was. Still, he noticed quite a few doors around, and so, he continued dragging the guy on the ground, heading for those doors to check if she was there.

As for the one being dragged on the ground, he did not dare to resist. At this point, he could feel the grasp on his ankle, it was tight. He almost felt that his leg could be easily broken by just a single twist of the hand holding him.

So, despite how uncomfortable he felt being dragged around like that, he had to endure. At the same time, he hoped to find a way of informing Thomas about what was happening here.

If he could get some backup, there was a possibility that they could deal with this guy, and avoid affecting the main plan that they had.

One by one, Michael visited several doors, but he found that most of them did not have what he was looking for. One of them even had beddings, indicating that someone occasionally lived here.

Then, Michael reached the third door, located near the rear of the factory, beyond a row of presses. As he pushed open the door, a smaller room opened off the main floor.

Its walls were closer together, with the ceiling lower. A single metal chair stood at the center, positioned beneath a flickering industrial lamp that barely held its glow.

A woman was tied to the chair with coarse rope wrapped tightly around her wrists and torso. She sat upright, her posture stiff from restraint, shoulders tense, hands bound behind the backrest.

Her hair was loose and fell unevenly around her face, strands clinging slightly from sweat and dust. Her face was pale and drawn, eyes alert despite the exhaustion visible beneath them.

She was dressed in office clothes: a light-colored blouse now creased and smudged with grime, the collar bent out of shape; a fitted blazer hanging awkwardly, one sleeve twisted where she had struggled; and a dark skirt wrinkled from hours of being forced to sit.

One heel lay tipped on its side near the chair, the other still on her foot, scuffed and dulled. The fabric of her clothes looked out of place against the rusted steel and stained concrete, making it clear she had been taken directly from her routine.

The room around her was bare without any decoration, only scattered bolts on the floor and an old workbench pushed against the wall. Every small movement she made caused the ropes to tighten and the chair to scrape faintly against the concrete, the sound echoing softly into the empty factory beyond.

The moment that the door opened, she immediately looked over with a wary gaze. But when she saw who it was that entered, she was completely stunned.

"You... You're Mr. Santos?" Melvin subconsciously asked in a cracked voice.

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