Having deployed another 100 spider drones near the temple, William drove for two hours, leaving the state where the temple was located. By 2 AM, he reached a coastal city and settled into a beachfront villa purchased under a false identity by Sunday. After a quick shower, he fell into a deep sleep.
Six hours later, as soon as he woke, Sunday reported, "Sir, I have video footage of Ethan and Church's teams attempting to capture Kubrick Hendrick in Dubai. Are you interested?"
"No," William said, shaking his head while brushing his teeth. "Just tell me if they caught him."
"Unfortunately, Hendrick is currently aboard a ship heading for Mumbai."
"So, he's still planning to use the Mumbai-based communications company to send the nuclear launch codes he purchased from the Russians' second-hand strategic satellite?"
"Correct, sir."
William paused, thinking for a moment. "How long until the temple vault is breached?"
"Provided there are no interruptions, the spiders should reach the unopened chamber by 5 PM today."
"Good," William said, smiling. His plan was straightforward: once the spiders breached the chamber, he would open a portal, send in robots equipped with metal drills to quietly penetrate adjacent treasure rooms, and use the portal to transport the treasures to his Yellowstone base.
From there, the loot would be moved to his Oxford castle's underground vault for safekeeping.
The value of the five previously opened chambers in the temple was already estimated at over $10 billion in gold, jewels, and coins. If these items were evaluated as historical artifacts, their worth could easily double.
The unopened sixth chamber was rumored to contain even more treasure, potentially exceeding William's publicly acknowledged net worth. The thought made his heart race with excitement.
Rather than focus on Hendrick, he decided to ensure Sunday had full control over the communications satellite.
"Pass Hendrick's location to Ethan and Church. Secure control of the satellite; I won't need to go to Mumbai myself."
"Noted, sir. And just to clarify, it's a communication surveillance satellite, not strictly a communication one."
William chuckled. "Fine. Semantics." Then, a thought crossed his mind. "By the way, has the White Ghost arrived in Mumbai?"
"Yes, sir. He landed two hours ago. Also..." Sunday hesitated briefly before continuing. "While you were resting, the White Ghost requested assistance—a Gatling gun."
William burst into laughter. "Tell him not to hurt Church, but otherwise, let him have his fun."
"Understood, sir."
Nine Hours Later
William sat on the balcony of his villa, savoring a seafood paella and braised oxtail paired with red wine. After his meal, he took his glass to the railing, gazing at the sunset over the ocean and the bikini-clad women strolling along the shore.
"This is the life," he murmured to himself.
Sunday's voice interrupted his reverie. "Apologies for the delay, sir. The spider drones have breached the temple vault, but it's not Chamber 4 as expected. They've entered Chamber 5. The room contains piles of gold chains, jewels, and statues... but also a large number of cobras. For your peace of mind, I recommend not viewing the footage."
"Thanks for the warning," William replied, suppressing a shiver. He hated snakes more than anything else. Still, he had principles.
"Send in robots to safely capture the snakes and release them into the wild," he instructed.
"Understood, sir. I'll fabricate snake cages immediately."
A few moments later, Sunday added, "There's a nature reserve about 190 kilometers from here. The snakes can be released there."
"Good," William said, releasing a Blackblade drone from his storage. It zipped away to scout a safe spot for a portal near the reserve.
By midnight, after the drones had worked tirelessly, the snakes were cleared from Chamber 5. Robots loaded them into cages and transported them through a portal to the reserve, where they were released at multiple locations.
Afterward, the spiders began exploring snake tunnels leading to adjacent chambers. Within minutes, Sunday reported, "Chambers 3 and 4 have been mapped. I recommend focusing on these three chambers tonight and delaying exploration of the others until tomorrow."
"Agreed," William replied. Thinking about the potential dangers, he added, "All treasures must be transported to Yellowstone for cleaning, disinfection, and a quarantine period. I won't risk curses or other surprises."
"Understood, sir."
Meanwhile, in Mumbai
With nothing pressing, William turned his attention to the Hendrick situation, reclining with a glass of wine as his smart glasses streamed live footage.
The visuals showed Kubrick Hendrick and five associates heading toward Mumbai's communications company. Smiling, William told Sunday, "Inform Ethan and Church of the company's location. I've had enough of watching this circus."
"Noted, sir."
By 9 PM, Hendrick and his team stormed the communications company. Within minutes, they activated the satellite and transmitted the nuclear launch codes to a Russian submarine lurking in the Arctic.
The submarine captain hesitated, his finger hovering over the launch button. Uncertain, he attempted to contact Moscow for confirmation.
Hendrick intercepted the call, using the satellite to relay a forged order to launch the nukes in retaliation for the CIA's attack on the Kremlin.
Just as tensions reached a boiling point, a calm voice broke through on the submarine's intercom.
"Captain Mikhail, if you don't want to go down in history as the man who started World War III, I suggest verifying this order directly with Moscow's president. Thank you."
"What the—?" Hendrick barely had time to curse before shouts erupted behind him.
"Drop your weapons! Hands up!"
The staccato roar of a Gatling gun filled the air as the White Ghost tore through Hendrick's men, turning them into Swiss cheese.
"Kubrick Hendrick," Church growled, aiming his gun at the lone survivor. "Bailey is already dead. If you want to join him, I'll gladly oblige."
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American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
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Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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