My Manor

It was dark now, very late, and this was a place where guests seeking fun could enjoy themselves.

There were no street lights here, and the two strangers didn't know who Jiang Hai was, nor did he know who they were.

At this point, Jiang Hai viewed them as people trying to snatch Selena Gomez, which was exactly the case, while they saw Jiang Hai as someone there to pick up the leftovers. There was nothing to say between them, so the only option was to fight.

Although it was dark, Jiang Hai wasn't joking. He could naturally sense the wind behind his head.

Without even closing the door, he turned around and delivered a hard kick to the leg of the bodyguard behind him.

The impact caused their legs to collide with such force that it sent the bodyguard stumbling backward.

He almost lost his balance. While Pra Walton's bodyguards were all battle-hardened, in terms of skills, Bell might not have been as strong as these men, as they were former members of elite forces worldwide.

Some of them weren't even from state-run organizations, but mercenaries with far more experience in life-or-death situations.

This made them formidable in combat. If they had to face Jiang Hai, no one could predict the outcome.

However, despite the intensity of the clash, they were no match for Jiang Hai.

With a loud thud, when the bodyguard's feet hit the ground again, he felt a numbness in his legs.

Fortunately, the blow had made it difficult for Jiang Hai to get back into the car. At that moment, another bodyguard came charging at him.

This bodyguard, unlike the first, was a tall black man.

The night provided him with excellent cover, and though Jiang Hai still couldn't see well in the dark, he sensed the man's presence. He could feel the man's punch coming and reacted instinctively.

Jiang Hai crouched down and threw a punch at the man's chest. However, the man reacted faster. The punch was just a feint. Jiang Hai's move had already been anticipated. The bodyguard's knee struck Jiang Hai with force.

When Jiang Hai felt the knee coming toward him, he hesitated for a split second. It would have been easy to dodge, but doing so would have left his attack unfinished. Right now, Jiang Hai couldn't afford to waste time. After all, he had no idea who had drugged Selena Gomez, and if these men were part of a local gang, the situation could escalate quickly if reinforcements arrived. Jiang Hai wasn't in a position to block bullets.

So, he fought back. While bracing himself for the knee strike, Jiang Hai landed a punch to the man's chest. A fist against a knee—anyone could guess which side had the advantage.

The black man assumed he would dominate in this exchange, but he was wrong. The weight of Jiang Hai's punch was too much for him to withstand. Jiang Hai's fist landed with enough force to send the man reeling backward.

If an X-ray had been done right then, it would have revealed several broken ribs.

The man's body flew back and crashed into a trash can, scattering its contents. He was temporarily incapacitated, at least needing a moment to recover.

Taking advantage of this brief respite, Jiang Hai quickly moved in front of another bodyguard.

When the second bodyguard had rushed in earlier, he had already shaken off the pain in his legs and came charging at Jiang Hai.

Without speaking, this bodyguard threw a powerful punch at Jiang Hai.

As the heavy punch neared, Jiang Hai suddenly crouched down, grabbed the man's arm with both hands, and twisted his body. With a burst of strength, he swung the man overhead and slammed him hard into the ground. The man's arm was dislocated in the process.

But Jiang Hai wasn't done yet. He kicked the man in the head. Although it wasn't a knockout blow like in martial arts movies, it was enough to disorient the bodyguard temporarily, keeping him out of the fight for now.

With the two bodyguards temporarily neutralized, Jiang Hai quickly dodged and rushed to the car. He stomped on the accelerator and sped out of the alley.

Meanwhile, the black man who had crashed into the trash can had gotten up and ran a few steps before dashing out of the alley. He didn't dare to shoot in the street, so he could only watch Jiang Hai's car drive away. He immediately reported the situation through his headset.

"Boss, I'm sorry, but Miss Gomez has been taken."

Upon hearing the report, a bodyguard rushed over to Pra Walton, who had already made her way to the door after receiving the message.

The bodyguard whispered, "Miss Gomez has been taken."

Pra Walton slapped him hard across the face. Though she could easily dodge the slap, she didn't, and there was no anger in her eyes. It was their fault, and she was the last person they should offend. She snorted and muttered, "Waste."

"Yes, the person who took Miss Gomez is a skilled fighter, and the car he drove is a War Shield, if I'm not mistaken." The bodyguard did not dispute the accusation. Instead, he relayed the information that the black man had sent back.

"A War Shield?" Pra Walton's eyes narrowed, a trace of doubt creeping into her expression. Cars like the War Shield weren't that common in the U.S. It wasn't that Americans couldn't afford them, but they simply weren't the preferred choice. Successful people drove sedans, and the wealthy or young preferred sports cars.

Pickup trucks, even the best ones, were typically seen as farm vehicles, and SUVs weren't very popular either.

This was in stark contrast to the domestic car culture, where expensive cars were the norm. However, in the U.S., the type of car people drove mattered greatly. For example, when visiting clubs, they often drove SUVs. If this person wasn't some kind of criminal, they must really like the War Shield.

And she happened to know such a person, having seen him tonight.

"It can't be him!" Pra Walton muttered to herself, her concern about Gomez's safety lessening slightly. If it was that man, with his skill and choice of car, it would make sense.

But as she thought about Selena Gomez's current condition, her expression darkened again. If it was him, it could be trouble. She quickly took out her phone, saw the familiar number, and dialed it.

Unfortunately, the call connected but no one answered, which only heightened her sense of unease.

"Find out immediately where Jiang Hai is staying in New York!" Pra Walton barked at the bodyguard beside her without ending the call.

The bodyguard nodded and quickly left to make a phone call nearby.

Meanwhile, Jiang Hai wasn't heading back to the presidential suite he had rented. He hadn't heard the phone ringing because it was buried in his coat pocket, which was tossed in the back seat of the car. The coat had gotten stuck in the seat mat due to the earlier fight.

At that moment, the car was unusually quiet, and if it had been otherwise, the situation might not have been as bad.

After Selena had gotten into the car, she had been almost unconscious. She only vaguely felt the heat around her, and in her stupor, she began tearing at her clothes. The lingering scent in the car seemed to make the effects of the poison accelerate.

By the time Jiang Hai got into the car and started driving out of the alley, she had already removed all her outer clothing and was now tearing at her vest. The two women who had joined Jiang Hai tried to hold her down, but their efforts were ineffective.

"What's wrong with her?" Jiang Hai asked in surprise, noticing the situation through the rearview mirror.

"She's been poisoned by that drug," the Indian girl replied flatly.

Living in such places for years, they were accustomed to these kinds of situations—things like this were common in nightclubs.

"That drug? What should we do?" Jiang Hai asked, bewildered.

"It's not a big deal. She must have been poisoned with a very potent version. It won't drive her insane, so once she's satisfied, the poison should wear off." After assessing Selena's condition, the South Vietnamese girl thought for a moment and then explained.

"Then I'll trouble you," Jiang Hai said with a sigh of relief. "She's my friend, so please help her out. I'll pay you later."

"We might not be able to help because the poison is so advanced. It needs to be dealt with immediately, or it could last for a long time," the Indian girl replied after a pause. Despite the attraction of U.S. dollars, they couldn't make money from such a situation.

"What should we do?" Jiang Hai panicked, realizing the gravity of the situation.

"Aren't you friends? You should be able to handle it," the South Vietnamese girl smiled.

"Yes, your model is fine," the third girl added, also smiling.

"Don't joke around! We really are just friends!" Jiang Hai quickly responded, shaking his head. He hadn't thought about taking advantage of the situation.

"She's been poisoned with something very advanced. Although it won't hurt her brain, staying in this state will put a huge strain on her body. Otherwise, she'll need to go to the hospital," the South Vietnamese girl said, offering a suggestion.

(To be continued…)