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Chapter 124: Vampires Again?
🕑 Added 2024-12-31 16:36:06 +0000 UTC“Go get it!” On the roof of Anti-Aircraft Tower No. 4 (A/N: out of seven, with Towers 4 and 5 located in Hamburg), Josh casually tossed a baseball into the air. Immediately four big dogs ran after it. They were none other than the St. Bernard puppies Josh had purchased from Uncle Randolph during his time in Austria.
The four dogs—three males and one female—had been given names by Josh that spoke about his lack of creativity; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
During the two months that Josh had been away, Ophelia had taken care of the quadruplets in Austria. Of course, when she traveled to Germany, she took them with her. Although only four months old, the puppies were already larger than adult Golden Retrievers and had seemingly inexhaustible energy.
To satisfy their needs, Josh not only arranged for daily walks led by his staff, but also personally converted the top floor and roof of the tower into their living area,so that they don't feel depressed in the small space.
The seven flak towers built by Germany, despite their name, resembled massive square fortresses, each measuring 70 meters on each side. but after the roof shelters were removed and the area fenced off, they became huge playgrounds, with a total area slightly smaller than a football field as defined by FIFA. If they were basketball courts, they would be equivalent to 11 full courts.
Here, Josh and the dogs could enjoy a carefree game of fetch, safe from any trouble—as long as Josh avoided reckless throws.
"Boss, there's a telegram from the fleet—they expect to be in port in an hour!" Josh was running around with the four of them, sweating and having a great time, Ophelia came up to the roof and reported to Josh.
"Finally! Notify Vito and the others. I'll take a quick shower," Josh replied, patting the dogs gently before handing them over to a waiting attendant. Then he went downstairs to prepare for the upcoming meeting.
Half an hour later, a convoy of vehicles left for the port.
But although the fleet of hundreds of transport ships and cruise ships was spectacular, it was really no big deal for the Port of Hamburg, which was the largest in Germany and second largest in Europe—the largest port was Rotterdam, which would not be surpassed by the two merged ports in Belgium until 2022.
Despite suffering bombing damage during the war, the port was one of the first facilities repaired by the U.S. military, using tens of thousands of prisoners of war as laborers. Though not fully restored to its pre-war glory, it was operational and under strict military control, handling only U.S. ships to maintain order.
Josh's group, on the other hand, waited at the passenger docks, unconcerned with cargo logistics. They were there to greet Hugh Jones, president of the Roxxon Corporation.
As a relative newcomer to the Council of Nine, Josh understood the importance of maintaining friendly relations with Hugh, a figure who controlled the second largest conglomerate in the United States. Unlike his personal grudge against Calvin, Josh saw no immediate conflicts of interest with Roxxon and believed that building a relationship could be mutually beneficial.
Soon a luxury cruise ship docked, and Hugh Jones was the first to emerge, arm-in-arm with a young woman.
"Welcome to Germany, my friend. How was the trip? Comfortable, I hope?" Josh greeted him warmly, accompanied by Ophelia.
"Not bad overall. The only downside was the limited space on board. The Atlantic is beautiful, but it does get boring after a while," Hugh replied with a smile, shaking Josh's hand.
"Well, that's fortunate. Although Hamburg is still being rebuilt, the scenery is quite pleasant if you ignore the ruins. By the way, this is Ophelia Sarkissian, one of my European assistants. If you need anything, feel free to contact her." Josh gestured to Ophelia and formally introduced her.
"Ms. Sarkissian, a pleasure to meet you," Hugh said, his gaze flickering briefly to the unassuming brooch on Ophelia's chest.
Though the accessory appeared ordinary, Hugh recognized it as a symbol for mid-level Hydra operatives, their insignia discreetly concealed.
Realizing she was a "kindred spirit," Hugh extended a friendly handshake. Despite her loyalty to Josh, Ophelia's local influence made her an invaluable contact for Hugh's European operations.
"All right, this is not the place to talk. I've prepared a place for you, and believe me, you're going to love it!" After exchanging pleasantries, Josh warmly invited Hugh Jones to his car. As for the rest of Hugh's group, Ophelia naturally took care of their arrangements.
The place Josh had prepared for Hugh was none other than the Fifth Flak Tower, which, like Josh's own residence in Tower Four, had had its entire top floor renovated and reserved exclusively for Hugh and his team.
As for the cost? They were simply deducted from the Council's funds.
For someone of Hugh Jones's status on the Council, no expense was spared.
"Wow, I wasn't expecting this—this is incredible. Thank you, Josh!" Hugh exclaimed after a quick tour of the residence. He was immediately charmed by the place.
After all, what man wouldn't appreciate the rugged appeal of a fortress-like structure? And with the renovations, the comfort rivaled that of any luxury mansion, while the added sense of security was unparalleled.
"Haha, no need to thank me—we're partners!" Josh replied with a smile, pleased to see Hugh's satisfaction.
Hugh's visit to Europe was essentially to oversee operations. Josh's greatest fear was that Hugh would interfere with his plans.
For the time being, however, Hugh seemed to have no such intentions, much to Josh's relief.
Over the next few days, Hugh lived up to Josh's expectations; aside from occasionally inquiring about the progress of the Council's investments in Europe, he spent most of his time sightseeing and mingling with local women.
Seeing this, Josh focused wholeheartedly on advancing his business ventures, using the Council's resources to strengthen his own enterprises.
Josh became too optimistic, however.
While Hugh refrained from interfering with Josh's projects, he clearly had other interests.
"Boss, we've got trouble!" That evening, Josh was in the middle of finalizing a transaction with Daenerys, their conversation still in full swing, when Ophelia knocked urgently on his study door.
"What's going on? Why the rush?" Josh apologized to Daenerys, closing the system window and opening the door, his tone tinged with irritation.
"Sorry, Master, but this is urgent—Hugh Jones is missing!" Ophelia said in a hushed voice. Whenever she was alone with Josh, she always addressed him as "Master," a term to which Josh had gradually grown accustomed.
"Hugh Jones? What happened to him?" Josh frowned at her words.
"He and his entire staff are missing, along with an entire company of soldiers. According to the military, it's very likely that vampires are involved," Ophelia explained with a helpless look on her face.
"Vampires? Hasn't the military been investigating them for a while? How did Hugh get mixed up with these things anyway?" Josh groaned, his head spinning with frustration.
Hugh Jones' position on the Council was far too important. If something happened to him in Europe, Josh, as the host, would undoubtedly bear the brunt of the blame.
The other Council members wouldn't hesitate to pin the blame on Josh, possibly removing him from the Council altogether.
Though Josh was not intimidated by the possibility, he was not eager to upset the Council over such a blunder.
For now, the priority was to find out what had happened.
"I'm afraid I don't have much information. Hugh learned of the vampire rumors through his military contacts and became curious. Using his connections, he joined one of their investigation missions. He and his team were accompanying a battalion to investigate an abandoned village near the Rhine Women's Camp when they disappeared," Ophelia explained, her voice heavy with frustration.
As Josh's subordinate, Ophelia had no authority over Hugh Jones, who was equal in rank to Josh. Moreover, Hugh's influence in the U.S. military, especially in the American occupied zones of Germany, far exceeded Ophelia's.
Hugh could act as he pleased without consulting her, leaving Ophelia to do little more than secretly monitor his actions. Even then, she had to move carefully to avoid being discovered.
Josh nodded in understanding. It wasn't Ophelia's fault. The fact that she had received word of Hugh's disappearance so quickly was a sign of her diligence.
"I see. Notify Vito and the operations team—equip everyone with beast transformation serums. Bring the equipment from the underground warehouse as well. We'll leave immediately!" Josh ordered after a moment of thought.
No matter what the circumstances, Hugh Jones had to be found. Even if he was dead, Josh had to recover the body and provide the Council with an explanation.
