Invasion of the United States

'Caribbean' cruise ship, medical office.

It's been over a dozen hours since the terrorist attack last night.

The glaring lights overhead shone down as Professor Amir Khan slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, and his head felt heavy.

The hurried footsteps and whispered conversations of medical staff filled his ears. It felt as though a heavy stone was crushing his consciousness, making his thoughts fragmented and incoherent.

He tried to lift his hand but had no idea where it even was.

Several federal agents in black uniforms with 'FBI' emblazoned on their chests stood beside the bed, staring at him with cold eyes.

"Professor, can you hear me?" One of the agents leaned in, his voice low and serious.

Professor Amir Khan opened his mouth, but his throat was so dry that he couldn't make a sound.

He vaguely remembered losing a lot of money in the cruise ship's casino last night, feeling frustrated, and then... everything else became a blur.

"He's not fully awake yet," a medical staff member said quietly. "The concentration of flunitrazepam in his system is very high. This drug severely affects memory."

Flunitrazepam? The professor knew this substance; it was a powerful hypnotic sedative often used illegally to induce rapid sleep and even erase memories of the events before and after taking it.

Could someone have drugged him?

As time passed, the professor's awareness gradually cleared. Once he regained some strength, he slowly sat up in bed and looked around.

The medical office was small. The room was crowded with groaning patients, and the air was thick with the mixed smell of disinfectant and vomit.

The medical staff were hurriedly doing their best, while the FBI agents stood by, looking grave.

"Professor, you're finally awake." An agent stepped forward, holding a notepad. "We need your cooperation for the investigation. Do you remember anything from last night?"

The professor shook his head blankly.

"You were kidnapped," the agent reminded.

"Kidnapped?" The professor's eyes widened in disbelief. "I... I just remember losing money in the casino. I can't remember anything after that."

The agent sighed and continued, "Last night, you were drugged and taken out of the casino. We suspect you were held captive for about an hour.

The cruise ship's security discovered through surveillance that you were taken by a disguised female server to a first-class suite.

But by the time security reached the suite, you were gone.

Afterward, an extremely vicious terrorist attack occurred on the cruise ship. Governor Weston was killed in a drone strike.

There was also a massive outbreak of food poisoning among the passengers, with hundreds suffering from diarrhea and abdominal pain. We had to evacuate some of the guests urgently.

And you, you reappeared in the first-class suite before the governor was killed, unconscious."

The professor listened in shock, unable to process a string of such shocking news. He mumbled to himself:

"Was I seduced? Impossible, I have devout religious beliefs and never engage with women.

Did I drink? Even more impossible, I abstain from alcohol and all addictive substances. As for Governor Weston being murdered? That's... that's too horrible!"

The agent ignored his shock and continued questioning: "Professor, we noticed that the governor's assistant contacted you multiple times. Did you have any meetings scheduled with Governor Weston?"

Upon hearing about the governor's attack and death, Professor Amir Khan's mind was in turmoil, as if caught in a storm.

When the agent asked, the professor's heart tightened, but he maintained a calm exterior. He instinctively shook his head and firmly denied:

"I just came on the cruise for a vacation. I've never had any interaction with Governor Weston. How could I have a meeting with him?"

The agent clearly didn't believe him, glanced down at the records in his hand, and continued to ask, "We've found your luggage. Can you confirm if anything is missing?"

Saying this, the agent handed over a tablet displaying photos of the professor's suitcase.

The professor quickly scanned the screen, and his heart sank—the encrypted hard drive he carried with him was gone. This v^er&si$on is s*ource^d+ f^r^om^ MV#3L%3%M@PYR.

That was his most important possession, storing the core secrets of Apocalypse Creatures and his private dealings with Governor Weston.

He had always been extremely cautious, even carrying the hard drive in a waterproof bag while showering.

Now the hard drive was missing, meaning his secrets might be exposed.

"Nothing valuable is missing," the professor forced himself to stay calm, but his voice trembled slightly. "Just some cash is gone. Everything else is there."

"Are you sure?" The agent stared into his eyes, suspicion clear in his voice. "Professor, you need to be responsible for your words."

The professor gritted his teeth and insisted, "I'm sure. I just came for a vacation and didn't bring anything valuable."

He knew that if the FBI found that hard drive, its contents would cause endless trouble. Once exposed, he wouldn't even have the chance to go to prison—he'd be found with a bullet in the back of his head, staged as a suicide.

Especially with Governor Weston dead, he lost his most important protector and had to be even more cautious. No matter what, he couldn't let the FBI find any evidence.

The agent wanted to continue questioning.

The professor simply lay back down and pretended to be weak and powerless, groaning softly, "My head is still spinning, and my memory is a mess... Can I rest a bit more?"

Then the agent delivered a bombshell, "Amir Khan, was it you who lured Governor Weston onto the 'Caribbean' cruise ship?"

The professor couldn't pretend anymore; he sprang up like a coiled spring, furious and shocked. "What nonsense are you spouting?"