Chapter 164: The Sacrifice

Raylee’s mind was filled with questions. “Given the importance of this chip, why didn’t you hand it over to General Mosby before? It could have resolved the animosity, you know?”

“No. I killed his brother. He won’t spare my life,” Jeremiah replied, gasping for breath before continuing. “But he has a rule—he wouldn’t involve innocent family members, nor would he harm women and children. Therefore, I bet that he’ll spare you.”

“I understand, but why wouldn’t your father give me a hard time if I gave it to him? If the chip is just as important to your father, why didn’t you give it to him sooner!”

Raylee was utterly confused, her mind filled with a myriad of unanswered questions. Is the bad blood within wealthy circles always this complicated—one tiny chip is enough to have different factions killing each other? What earth is stored inside the chip?

“It doesn’t matter whether I give it to him or not, he wouldn’t have saved me,” Jeremiah said, his tone heavy with disappointment.

“Why won’t your father save you? I heard from Layla that General Mosby wanted to exchange you for a project, but your father didn’t agree.”

“This so-called project is the microchip?” Jeremiah managed a strained chuckle. “If he truly valued me, he wouldn’t have cast me into District Nine Prison after I was sentenced to death for murder. He never truly saw me as his son. He hates me. In fact, he does so deeply.”

“Why does your father despise you? After you were locked up in the Ninth Prison, you became an experimental subject, didn’t you?”

“You’re absolutely right. Why else would I have set my sights on you so early on? At first, it was because we were both in the same boat, dealing with the same struggles. Later on, it had something to do with your father…”

“My dad? Are you referring to Alaric Goodridge?” Raylee was taken aback, urgently inquiring, “What’s his connection to all…”

Jeremiah struggled to eke out the answer. “After our successful blind date, he disclosed a piece of information about your…”

Before Jeremiah could finish speaking, beams of high-powered flashlights instantly illuminated the surroundings. Immediately after, a rustling sound could be heard from a distance, growing louder and louder.

“Based on the tracks, the helicopter stopped around this area. Search the area. You have to find them…”

“Oh no, they’ve caught up to us! Raylee, you need to hide quickly. Don’t worry about me…”

With his very last bit of strength, Jeremiah abruptly sat up. Enduring the intense pain, he pushed Raylee away.

“No, I can’t leave you behind!” Kaylee attempted to help him up, but he forcefully pushed her away. “It’s better for one of us to die than two,” he pleaded, the resignation clear in his voice. “I’m already on borrowed time, so don’t feel obliged to join me in death. Please, go quickly…”

In a hoarse voice, Jeremiah pleaded in the lowest of whispers, “Please, go… Promise me, you must survive. We’ll reunite…”

No sooner had he finished than he leaped, without any hesitation, into the river a few meters away.

Chapter 164: The Sacrifice (Continued)

“No!” Kaylee covered her mouth in disbelief, collapsing to the ground. In an instant, she was reduced to tears. Underneath the faint illumination of the light, she saw the murky blood in the water constantly spreading in all directions. Every ripple seemed to be a countdown to the end of Jeremiah’s life.

There’s no hope of survival for him anymore. Having been shot twice in critical areas and plunged into the incredibly filthy river, he won’t be able to hold on for much longer. In order to urge me to flee, he didn’t hesitate to end his own life prematurely. Why did it have to end this way? How could a man, as wicked and murderous as he was, possess such a selfless spirit? There’s no way I can forget him for the rest of my…

Raylee was sobbing so hard that she could hardly catch her breath. Her tears were falling uncontrollably, showing no sign of stopping. However, the perilous situation didn’t allow her to continue wallowing in her sorrow.

The splash made by Jeremiah in the river was so loud that it instantly attracted his pursuers’ attention. “Seems like someone’s jumped into the river over there. Let’s hurry up and check it out! Bastian said that we need to find them, dead or alive!”

Upon hearing the words, Raylee quickly composed her sorrowful emotions and headed in the opposite direction of the river, running toward the dark, abyss-like forest. She couldn’t see anything, guided solely by instinct and the desire for survival. She kept running and running, with all her might…

When she was completely exhausted from running, she stumbled upon a cave and almost took refuge inside. She was both tired and hungry, collapsing onto the damp, pitch-black ground, yet sleep eluded her. Her mind was consumed by the image of Jeremiah pushing her away and resolutely jumping into the river. The memory of the vibrant red river stung every nerve in her body, causing her immense pain.