Roy's guess was spot-on—Old Master Oswald did need some good news. He was no longer young, and his only daughter had turned out to be a disappointment. It was a small mercy that she had found a decent man at her age and no longer needed her father to worry over her.
As for Laila, she had inherited the Moran family's finest business acumen. At such a young age, she had already carved out her empire with her own two hands. Without a doubt, she was the best heir the Moran family could hope for—not even her younger brother, William, could shake her position.
Yet such an outstanding heir had gone missing overseas. Oswald would have much preferred if the kidnappers had just demanded a ransom. Whether it was hundreds of millions or even billions, as long as it was within his means, he would not have hesitated to trade anything for Laila's life. But time and time again, he was left disappointed. Even after enlisting the help of the state, a week had passed without the slightest bit of news.
He was a man, a father, and the head of the family—all of which meant that he could not show any weakness to his loved ones. He had to remain their pillar of strength. If even he were to collapse, then the entire family would fall apart.
That was why Roy's news came at just the right time, saving an old man who dearly loved his granddaughter from the brink of emotional collapse.
"Good! That's wonderful!" On the other end of the line, Old Master Moran's cloudy eyes shimmered with tears. As long as she was alive, there was still hope of bringing her home! His precious granddaughter had a destiny to fulfill, a legend yet to be completed. How could she just vanish in some godforsaken place without a trace?
"I understand, Roy. I'll arrange for the best technical support and manpower right away. You've done very well. For now, don't let anyone else know about this. Until we're one hundred percent sure of Laila's location, we must keep this tightly under wraps!"
Growing up, Roy had never been trained for hostage rescue operations or tactical deployments. But if there was anyone he trusted absolutely—besides Laila—it was Laila's family, who had long treated him as one of their own.
He might not listen to Xiao Ye, but anything the Old Master said, he took deeply to heart. Since Oswald said it must remain a secret, it meant Xiao Ye had not deceived him on this matter.
You couldn't blame him for being suspicious. After all, it had been Xiao Ye who brought those mercenaries in and swore up and down they were the best of the best. Yet under everyone's watch, Laila had still vanished. Who wouldn't lose trust after something like that?
"You heard what Mr. Moran said just now." After ending the call, Roy turned to Xiao Ye and asked, "Any suggestions?"
Xiao Ye had already made up his mind. "I plan to sneak a few skilled men inside first. Based on the intel we received, South Africa's current anti-crime campaign is hitting hard. Martin has lost a lot of manpower and is desperately recruiting. We'll use this chance to slip some of our people in, locate Laila's exact position, and then plan the rescue."
"We have no other choice," Roy closed his eyes, feeling drained. "But what about Laila? Can we guarantee her safety during this time?"
"Honestly, I don't think you need to worry about that," Xiao Ye said, his expression slightly strange. He had heard some rumors—too bizarre to fully believe—but he still clung to a shred of hope.
"Think about it. Martin has held her for this long without demanding ransom or making any moves. That suggests he needs her for something else. Until that's done, he won't risk harming her. Besides," Xiao Ye gave Roy a teasing look, "Buddy, you've lost a ton of weight lately. If Laila comes back and sees you looking like this, do you think she'll still love you?"
Laila was a sucker for good looks. She had never admitted it, but Xiao Ye, after seeing her eyes light up at the sight of handsome faces more than once, had no doubt. Roy hadn't slept properly or eaten well for a week. It was a miracle he could even stand straight.
Of course, he knew that Laila's feelings for Roy weren't based on something as shallow as looks. He said it mainly to cheer Roy up and encourage him to take better care of himself.
Roy nodded silently. He knew it too—if Laila came back only to see him looking like a wreck... No! He couldn't let that happen! In her eyes, he had to always be the world's number one, Roy!
"Thank you. I know what to do now." He locked eyes with Xiao Ye and said firmly, "Promise me—you must bring her back safe."
Xiao Ye nodded solemnly. "Don't worry. Even if I have to trade my life, I will deliver her back to you unharmed!"
It wasn't about anything else—he simply owed Laila too many lives.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Martin was indeed desperate for more high-quality, loyal, and capable men.
If he had to describe the recruits in a single word, it would be "idiots."
At first, after losing so many of his men, he had been secretly pleased, thinking that his charisma was still going strong—so many had been jailed, yet he could still snap his fingers and summon a fresh batch.
But as time passed, he realized how naive he had been. This new crop, mostly teenagers and young twenty-somethings, were absolute morons. All they knew was how to cause trouble under his name or sit around bragging and boasting without a filter. He was almost certain that the leak about Laila's kidnapping came from these big-mouthed fools.
Now, thanks to them, several rival groups were reaching out to propose "cooperation" after learning about his plan. He understood the situation perfectly—if he were in their shoes, he'd make the same move after smelling the opportunity for easy money.
The problem was, that he had captured Laila, he had invested the money, he had arranged the script, and he had gathered the tools. They were just a few steps away from cashing in big-time—and now these clowns wanted a cut? What could they even bring to the table? Act as villains in his movie with their ugly old faces?
Still, he couldn't outright reject them. He wasn't strong enough to take them on if they banded together. Even a single one of them could cause him serious trouble. His organization's old-timers were dwindling, and the few remaining elites had been deployed to more critical assignments. Whether he liked it or not, right now, he had no choice but to rely on those idiots to protect himself.
It was a deadly weakness. If his rivals found out that he was all bark and no bite, decades of empire-building would be devoured overnight.
Which meant that more than ever, he needed to recruit stronger, more reliable people.