Chapter 133 The Strategy

The helicopter had barely disappeared from sight when Paige swiftly retrieved her phone from her bag. Since her and Raymond's abduction, Julian, Charles, and the others had been tirelessly working through the night, desperate to locate them.The unexpected call from Paige was so sudden that Julian momentarily questioned his own wakefulness."I'm at the base of Echo Peak," Paige informed him, "I need you to come get me."Julian's only query was, "Are you alone?"Upon receiving Paige's affirmation, the call ended, leaving her to wait.As the evening wore on, Paige maintained a vigilant watch over her surroundings.If Marigold and Finnegan had control over this location, it suggested that it was a critical hub for their operations.No wonder they had selected such a strategic location for the exchange. The realization dawned on Paige.Julian arrived promptly, maneuvering a heavy-duty vehicle to a halt beside Paige.As the vehicle steadied, Julian exited and approached Paige."Xanthe. Are you alright?"Paige, who had been braving the icy weather, made a beeline for the car. Julian, quick to react, held the door open for her. Once inside, she was finally enveloped by a comforting warmth.Once Julian had settled into the driver's seat, Paige spoke up, "I'm fine. Do we have a plane that can fly us to Northwind?"It was crucial for Paige to set things in motion without delay.Julian responded, "Yes, I'll arrange a flight to Northwind immediately."He didn't question her motives. The why was irrelevant at this point. Whatever Paige required, Julian would promptly provide. Paige shook her head, "No rush. First, we need to find a woman similar to my height and build. I need a stand-in."She couldn't personally journey to Northwind; she needed to remain and strategize, pinpointing the exact location of their base.Yet, the situation in Northwind couldn't be neglected.A stand-in would be the perfect solution!Previously, Paige may have underestimated her opponents, but now that she was aware they were after the secret funds, she wouldn't dare underestimate them again.Anyone with knowledge of the secret funds must have substantial backing.Despite Paige's release, she couldn't dismiss the possibility of being tracked and surveilled.In this regard, Paige was on high alert.Julian was a warrior, but when it came to strategy, he lacked the necessary cunning.Upon hearing Paige's need for a stand-in, Julian asked, puzzled, "A stand-in? Has the deal not been finalized?"Paige frowned, "Raymond is still in their custody, and we haven't secured the antidote. The deal is only just beginning."As they conversed, Julian's car had reached the main road where two lines of vehicles were stationed, ready to escort Paige. They were prepared to provide immediate support should any complications arise.As Julian's car emerged, the two lines naturally fell in line to form a protective convoy."The deal is just beginning? Do these people have any sense? Do they even know who you are? The Universe Group, the Yue family—are they really that naive?" Julian questioned, baffled by the audacity of their adversaries.Paige chuckled at Julian's indignation, "Thankfully, they're unaware of my identity; otherwise, they'd demand an even higher price, understand?From now on, instruct everyone to conceal our identities. Pretend we're merely Raymond's bodyguards."Confused, Julian asked, "Conceal our identities?"Paige nodded firmly, "Yes, that's right, we must.""Do these people really have that much power?" Julian continued to probe.Paige wasn't certain of the extent of their adversary's power, but one thing she knew for sure was that she needed manpower, helicopters, and those coordinates!While still in the car, Paige began making calls.After dialing Pearl's number, she turned to Julian, "Why can't I reach Pearl?"Julian explained, "After you were taken, I had Pearl and the others join us. They should be en route now."Paige nodded, "Good."Upon returning home, Paige immediately showered and changed into fresh clothes.When Charles came to see Paige, his face was etched with worry, as if he had lost a family member."Madam, how is Raymond? Why didn't he return with you? Could it be that Raymond has already...," Charles's sentence trailed off, but Paige, sensing the conversation veering towards a grim direction, quickly interrupted him.

"Rest assured, he's unharmed," Paige stated, her voice steady. "As for you, it's crucial that you keep this matter confidential. Don't let anyone discover the gravity of this situation, understood?" She paused, concern furrowing her brow as she worried Charles might not fully comprehend the seriousness of their predicament. "And above all, keep it from Bradley. We don't need him fretting over this unnecessarily."Charles was on the brink of tears, his voice trembling as he asked, "Madam, are you certain? Is our Raymond truly safe? Why won't those people release him?" His questions were not born out of paranoia, but rather a lack of trust in Paige.Paige inhaled deeply, the weight of their situation settling heavily on her shoulders. This was her doing, after all. If she hadn't involved Raymond in this exchange from the start, they wouldn't be facing such a crisis. Yet, despite the circumstances, Paige was resolute. She wouldn't abandon Raymond now.Meeting Charles' gaze, Paige reassured him, "I promise, I will bring him back unscathed."No sooner had Paige finished her vow than Julian entered the room, accompanied by a group of people. "Xanthe, we've found someone. Take a look," he announced.Trailing behind Julian was a woman whose stature and physique bore a striking resemblance to Paige's. Paige stepped forward, instructing the woman, "Turn around for me, let's see." The woman complied, rotating in a circle for Paige's inspection before coming to a standstill.Paige nodded approvingly, "No problem. Change her hairstyle and hair color, and provide her with two sets of my clothing. When the time comes, she should wear a hat, scarf, and sunglasses." Despite the woman's similar build and height, their facial features were markedly different. However, given it was winter, the addition of hats and scarves wouldn't appear out of place. Once these elements were in place, who could discern whether it was Paige or an imposter?The woman was escorted away to alter her appearance, leaving Paige to turn her attention to Julian. "Can we trust her?" she asked.Julian responded, "She's skilled. If she proves her worth this time, Xanthe, you might consider keeping her close. After all, we're all men, and it can be inconvenient to protect you in close quarters."Paige nodded, inquiring, "What's her name?"Julian shook his head, "She has no name." Paige was taken aback, "No name? How is that possible?""She was found abandoned years ago, retrieved from the sea during a salvage operation. She had an accident and lost all memory, including her own name. We investigated but found nothing useful. She's been working with my team ever since."Paige nodded, "As long as she's capable, that's what matters."Just then, Sean knocked and entered the room, "Miss Yue, Miss Pearl, they've arrived." Paige had been expecting them, so she instructed, "Let them in."Pearl and Kimberly entered, followed by Cecil West. Without wasting a moment, Paige got straight to business, "Cecil West, let's lock down the coordinates. Julian, once the woman from earlier is prepared, arrange for some bodyguards to accompany her to Northwind. Once there, they'll follow my instructions. Additionally, I need at least ten helicopters ready to search within a forty-minute flight radius from Echo Peak, focusing on an area surrounded by snow-capped mountains."The flying altitude would be raised, and the Finnegan siblings would have no chance of spotting them amidst the mountain dips. It was a critical moment.Julian responded, "I don't have the authority to mobilize that many helicopters." He then glanced at Pearl.Pearl interjected, "We only have small helicopters, but arranging a dozen or so won't be an issue. Will that suffice?"Paige nodded, "Small ones will do just fine.""Alright, I'll get on it right away," Pearl assured her.As Julian and Pearl departed to handle the logistics, Cecil West remained to assist Paige with the coordinates. Meanwhile, Kimberly lingered off to the side, muttering, "Seems like there's nothing for me to do?"Paige glanced at Kimberly, "If there's nothing else, go and secure a few flight routes for us. Didn't Pearl mention we need to buy some planes? I hope when we return, we can do so on our own aircraft.""Understood, I'll handle the purchase," Kimberly affirmed, ready to undertake the task.

As everyone else busied themselves, Cecil West quietly passed a laptop to Paige. Upon opening it, her eyes were immediately drawn to the satellite image of Echo Peak, the last known location of her phone signal. As she studied the image, her expression hardened into a mask of icy determination. "So, you haven't found any useful information since then?" she asked, her tone as cold as her gaze. Cecil West shook his head, his own expression somber. "The signal went dead. We found nothing, and things were nearly falling apart here before Julian got your call."He paused, his mind drifting back to a memory. "Back in the day, when we were inside a shipping container, we suddenly got hoisted up and the first thing that hit us was panic. But when we were sent back, I made a mental note of the time and direction. We had helicopters scouring the area while we pinpointed the critical location on satellite maps. I was determined to get the most accurate coordinates within two days and figure out a way to rescue our people."Cecil West had been focused on the screen when he suddenly turned to Paige, his eyes filled with concern. "Alright, I will find the coordinates. But as for the rescue, are you planning to go yourself?"From the tone of Paige's voice, Cecil sensed she was inclined to venture out on the mission herself. This could spell trouble!Paige replied, her voice steady and determined, "First, we find the coordinates. The location is quite peculiar, surrounded by a cluster of large snow-capped mountains, forming a natural prison. It's a signal dead zone. So, once I'm over there, you'll lose contact with me."Upon hearing this, Cecil's fingers danced across the keyboard, his focus returning to the task at hand. "So, our clues include both your estimated flight mileage and the exact time when the signal vanished."Paige, clutching her laptop, also began to search the satellite images for this place. Both were experts in this field, so the search wasn't exceedingly challenging. Afterwards, Paige didn't rest at all, pouring all her energy into locating the coordinates. Julian had arranged for a decoy to be sent to Northwind. As the plane took off, he personally called to update Paige.Paige acknowledged with a brief "Got it," and continued her work. She would have to stay hidden for the next phase!Meanwhile, Marigold and Finnegan also received word, their faces turning serious as they heard the news. "Madam Paige's plane to Northwind has taken off."