American homeless people, surviving in the city

Chapter 134 Domestication of Humans (2)

Soon, Lin Qi spent some time piecing together the inhumane past that had taken place in this basement from the incoherent words of these people.

The people arrested here are mainly homeless people from the streets of Seattle, but there are also some undocumented immigrants with jobs and residences, and even a few legitimate Americans.

After being lured here by cultists using various methods, they would have all their teeth pulled out, be chained to the wall, and then injected with drugs to make them mentally confused and unable to resist.

This is why, when Lin Qi entered, he saw that most of the people in the basement had empty eyes and were not in a daze—it was all due to long-term drug overdose and physical weakness.

Then, the cultists would draw large amounts of blood from these poor people and take their organs. These people were locked up here, receiving no treatment whatsoever, and were only allowed to eat the kind of swill that Lynch had seen in the kitchen.

Therefore, almost no one can survive in this basement for an extended period of time.

These people were only able to maintain their sanity and have the strength to talk to Lin Qi because they were only recently arrested and brought here.

As these people recounted the cult's actions in the basement, one after another, Lin Qi felt a surge of anger welling up inside him.

He finally understood why there had been so many missing persons cases on the streets of Seattle recently, and why those cult members always seemed to be near food trucks.

It turns out that those who went missing were being held in such a place. They weren't killed outright, but rather used as living blood banks and organ donors, imprisoned in this dark, sunless basement, where they were slowly drained of their last bit of value!

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a wave of fear.

What if the cult attacked him before he realized something was wrong... what if he didn't wake up after falling off the cliff and was instead taken away by the cult...

The one locked up here now might be Lin Qi himself!

Life over the past few days may have seemed peaceful, but in reality, I've been walking on thin ice!

As long as this cult exists on the streets of Seattle, it will constantly threaten everyone who is unable to protect themselves, and could drag them into this hell at any time!

However, as his anger subsided, looking at the expectant eyes of the people around him, Lin Qi suddenly realized a real problem.

Although he was filled with anger, there was nothing he could actually do.

He's now not only incapable of rescuing these people, but he's also in dire need of his own safety. In fact, simply remaining standing there might waste his precious chance to escape!

Even though he felt deep sympathy for these poor souls tied up in the basement, Lin Qi knew he couldn't afford to neglect one thing for the other. Only by escaping himself could he more easily relay the message to the outside world and help these people!

So, under the expectant gazes of those around him, Lin Qi took a deep breath and stopped trying to engage them in conversation. Instead, he tried to steer the conversation toward something more important to him and more useful for the upcoming operation: "Are you usually kept here under guard?"

"Of course there are!" the Black woman immediately shouted angrily, "Those devils! There are so many of them, taking turns guarding us here! They have even more people; every now and then, someone comes here and picks people from among us like livestock..."

"Those bastards even spit in our food!..."

'

Seeing the Black woman start her incessant complaining and insults again, Lin Qi, who had already obtained the information he wanted, was extremely anxious and quickly spoke up to steer the conversation back on track: "Stop, stop, I know, someone is guarding you. And then, where are those people guarding you now?"

'

"Um... I didn't notice when they left. But they're gone, hmm, it seems like they haven't been gone long?"

It's about tonight.

Due to the effects of the drugs, the group spoke incoherently, failing to clearly state when the guard had left. Lin Qi could only deduce from their words that the guard had left that evening, and seemingly not long ago.

...So it seems they really did receive a message and left the cabin in order to capture me and Sylvia!

Lynch immediately came to this conclusion, and he quickly realized that after the cultists searched the forest to no avail, they would probably soon realize that Lynch and Sylvia might be hiding in this wooden house!

Time is probably running out for the two of them!

Lin Qi took a deep breath and then continued to ask, "Okay, I understand. I saw a car outside. Does anyone know where the car keys are?"

Everyone just shook their heads in confusion. Clearly, having been tied up in the basement since being brought here, they knew nothing about anything in the cabin.

Lin Qi didn't expect to get any valuable information from them, so he could only sigh helplessly.

Then, realizing that these people probably wouldn't be able to provide any useful clues, Lin Qi prepared to turn around and leave.

As soon as they saw him preparing to walk towards the door, the few who remained conscious immediately protested, frantically tearing at their chains and struggling desperately, shouting, "Don't go! Don't go!"

"Help me! Help us!"

"I don't want to die!"

Several hoarse, mournful cries converged and echoed in the cramped basement, forming a sound like hellish din. Lin Qi couldn't bear the sound any longer and quickly shouted, "Don't shout! Don't make a sound! If we attract the guards back, none of us will be able to leave!"

"Listen, I was also a victim of those kidnappers, I just barely escaped! Now I have to get back to Seattle as soon as possible and spread this message so that we can get everyone out!"

"With just the two of us, we can't even budge these chains! How can we get you out of here?"

'

"Just wait a little longer, okay? Stop shouting!"

However, perhaps because the drugs affected their brains, or perhaps because the long-term imprisonment and abuse destroyed their rationality, even though Lin Qi explained to them with empathy and reason, they still did not show any understanding and continued to struggle and cry frantically.

"This..." Lin Qi felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this voice, and for a moment he was completely at a loss for what to do.

He glanced at Sylvia behind him, who was equally terrified and at a loss for what to do. He frowned, gritted his teeth, and resolutely turned around, taking Sylvia's hand: "Let's go! There's no other way; we have to get out of here!"

Suddenly, a loud shout came from behind: "Enough!"

This loud shout was so powerful that it instantly drowned out the cries of everyone else.

And after that shout, the frantic crying and struggling actually stopped!