《Beneath Lagos Rain》全部章節：第 161 章 - 第 170 章

For several heartbeats, no one moved.The man standing before them did not resemble the ghost history had created.He was older.His silver hair was neatly combed, and faint lines marked the corners of his eyes. He wore no expensive suit, no security detail, no symbols of authority beyond the simple platinum ring engraved with a phoenix.Yet there was an unmistakable dignity about him.He looked less like a fugitive and more like a man who had finally grown tired of running.Damian stared at him."You died."Elias smiled gently."So the newspapers said.""So did my family.""They needed a death.""I needed a life."Michael stepped forward, his voice barely above a whisper."I searched for you.""I know.""I watched you search."Michael's eyes widened."You were there?""More times than you realise."Elias looked at Evelyn."And she made certain you never found me."Evelyn lowered her head."It was the only way to keep you alive."No one spoke for several moments.The silence carried t

The eastern tunnel faded behind them as they followed Elias through the western passage.The air gradually changed.The damp scent of earth gave way to something unmistakable.Salt.The Atlantic Ocean was close.A cool breeze drifted through the tunnel, carrying the distant sounds of Lagos waking to another morning.Car horns.Boat engines.The muffled hum of a city that never truly slept.Amara slowed her pace."It feels strange."Samuel looked at her."What does?""After everything we've discovered...""We're going back."Samuel smiled."Lagos never stopped waiting for us."After nearly an hour, the passage ended beneath an abandoned warehouse on Victoria Island.Elias pushed aside an old steel hatch.Sunlight poured into the room.Everyone instinctively shielded their eyes.It had been days since they had seen the open sky.Nathan stepped outside first, scanning the surroundings.The street looked ordinary.Delivery vans passed by.Office workers hurried along the pavement with cof

No one spoke after the broadcast ended.The silence inside the boardroom was broken only by the steady hum of the air conditioning.Justice Sani closed the ledger carefully."They've begun making arrests."Samuel looked at him."Isn't that what we wanted?""Yes."Justice Sani replied."But these arrests came too quickly."Damian frowned."You think someone tipped them off?""I think Horizon did."Everyone looked at him.Justice Sani continued."When a powerful organisation realises it cannot save itself...""...it sacrifices the people it can afford to lose."Elias nodded in agreement."They're cleaning the board."Richard walked to the window overlooking Victoria Island.Traffic flowed normally below.Office workers hurried between buildings.Street vendors pushed carts along the roadside.From above, Lagos looked completely ordinary.Yet beneath that ordinary morning...The city was changing."They'll blame a few executives."Richard said quietly."They'll call them rogue employees.

The conference hall fell silent as the doors opened.Dozens of cameras turned at once.Microphones were raised.The clicking of camera shutters echoed through the room like steady rainfall.Every major television network in Nigeria was broadcasting live.Online news platforms streamed the event to millions of viewers.Social media feeds were already flooded with a single headline.LIVE: Afolayan Group Addresses National Crisis.Richard Afolayan led the group to the podium.For years, he had stood behind similar lecterns to announce profits, acquisitions and expansion projects.Never this.Today, there were no company logos behind him.Only the Nigerian flag.And a simple white backdrop bearing four words.Truth. Justice. Accountability. Renewal.Justice Sani had insisted on it."This isn't a corporate announcement," he had said."It's a public duty."Richard adjusted the microphone.His voice was calm, though the weight of regret was impossible to hide."My name is Richard Afolayan."

Justice Sani was already issuing orders before the news bulletin ended."Seal every private terminal.""Notify Immigration.""Alert Customs.""Nobody on the watch list leaves Nigerian airspace without clearance."He ended the call and immediately dialled another number."Commissioner Bello.""I need every aviation unit available.""Yes.""Immediately."He hung up and looked around the room."They'll split up.""They always do."Nathan nodded."They'll use different airports.""Different identities.""Different destinations."Richard spoke quietly."And different loyalties."The conference hall erupted into activity.Officers moved in and out, carrying files, evidence boxes and laptops.Reporters continued broadcasting live, careful not to interfere with the investigation.Outside, the streets around Afolayan Group Headquarters had become crowded.People watched from behind police barricades.Some held up mobile phones.Others simply wanted to witness history.Amara looked through the