Chapter 85: Chapter 85: The Collar
"What is this?" Ophelia raised an eyebrow, eyeing the sparkling liquid in a luxurious crystal glass delivered by a maid.
"I've decided to trust you and work with you, but I believe we must take necessary precautions. This is a special poison. After drinking it, you will need to take an antidote every seven days. If you don't, it will cause your intestines to rot, and you'll die a painful death." Josh smiled and added, "So now, it depends on whether you're sincere or not."
Hearing Josh's words, not only Ophelia but even Vito and the others gulped. Was there really such a potent poison that could control someone?
"Alright, I'll drink it!" Ophelia's face turned pale, then red, as she hesitated for a while before finally gritting her teeth. She grabbed the glass and downed it in one go.
"Refreshing!" Josh clapped his hands in approval.
"Okay, now—wait, why do I feel..." Ophelia began to speak, but dizziness overwhelmed her, and she collapsed onto the table in front of her.
"...Boss, didn't you say the poison would take seven days to activate? What's going on?" Vito asked, bewildered.
"Tsk, do you really think there's such a precise poison? I bluffed. That was just a strong sedative. Stop standing there and tie her up—tightly!" Josh rolled his eyes. This wasn't some fantastical world with mythical potions; there was no such thing as poison that could kill on a strict timer.
"Oh, I get it now. Heh, Boss, you're really something!" Vito chuckled mischievously.
"Get what? Stop talking nonsense and get moving!" Josh urged.
Without further delay, Vito pulled out some rope and securely tied Ophelia.
Once he confirmed she was completely incapacitated, Josh dismissed his bodyguards, ignoring their knowing smirks. Afterward, he placed Ophelia into a Container and handed her over to Yuri in another dimension, providing specific instructions before leaving the room.
When Josh re-emerged from the meeting room shortly after, the bodyguards outside gave him curious glances. Their boss finished so quickly? However, seeing his clothes still perfectly intact, they realized their imaginations had run wild. Clearly, their boss had no intention of doing anything improper with the woman.
They couldn't be more wrong. Josh certainly had plans for Ophelia but didn't need to handle them personally.
"How's Lynden?" Josh asked, changing the subject.
The frail and elderly man, already over fifty, was a concern for Josh.
"Mr. Schneider is resting in the guest room. I was very careful; he should be fine after a good sleep," Brook reassured.
"Good. With things calm for now, you all should prepare yourselves. We'll be heading to France soon," Josh instructed.
As he had decided earlier, he planned to cooperate with Ophelia and her Hydra faction, even entertaining the idea of joining them. However, he intended to ensure the terms of cooperation were firmly in his control.
Heading to France was a necessary move, given the Allied forces' recent success on the French front. The Allied command had relocated to France, and securing their support for the Austrian coup would require Josh to approach Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces.
Meanwhile, the bodyguards couldn't contain their excitement at the prospect of going to France.
"France, huh? French roses!"
"Move along, you perverts!" Josh waved them off in exasperation, recognizing their lecherous expressions.
After they left, Josh retreated to his study and called an army contact to secure a plane for the following day, which would take them to the frontline command.
In this wartime period, civilian flights were non-existent, and even commercial ships were scarce. The English Channel was strictly a military zone. Fortunately, Josh's excellent relationship with the army, especially the land forces, made securing a plane a trivial matter.
After making arrangements, system notified Josh of a completed transaction. In Less than half an hour no less—Yuri was indeed efficient.
Returning to his bedroom, Josh opened the device. Yuri had sent Ophelia back, along with some new devices.
Ophelia looked unchanged—her restraints had been removed, but a sleek silver collar now adorned her neck. Unseen modifications had also been made.
"What's her condition?" Josh asked Yuri.
"Her mind control ability is quite basic—on par with an elite psychic infantry. I've enhanced her with modified psychic control and added a micro bomb to the collar and her brain. She's completely under your control now," Yuri replied. "I've also extracted her memories. The information aligns with what you described, more details are in this notebook."
Satisfied, Josh thanked Yuri, closed the system, and placed Ophelia back on the bed. He then busied himself with other matters.
Ophelia awoke half an hour later, completely unaware of what had happened while she was unconscious.
Her first instinct was to check her body, confirming her clothes were intact. Only then did she relax. But moments later, she noticed something on her neck—a collar.
Frowning, she approached a mirror and examined the collar. She instinctively tried to remove it, but as soon as she tried to remove it, the collar discharged an intense electric shock, causing her to collapse in pain.
Josh, hearing the commotion, entered to find Ophelia writhing on the floor.
There she was—the fierce Hydra Leader reduced to a helpless, twitching mess.
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