Opening his phone, he saw the news of Sylvia and the Innova executives being detained. However, he was infuriated when he saw that they were detained for tax evasion."A bunch of assholes!" Brook cursed, "This is a damn conspiracy! They don't want to see the Innova Group grow and thrive! They just casually threw some charges and detained my sister and the executives! Damn it! Fuck them!""Calm down, Brook." Misty chimed in. "Our parents and grandparents are here. Watch your language."Still indignant, Brook sat down. "They used to control the chip supply to sanction the Innova Group. Now, they don't even bother hiding it and directly detain them! Tax evasion? How long has the Innova Group been around? How could they owe those bastards any taxes?"He saw through the situation. Perhaps their opponents had been waiting for this opportunity.Henry furrowed his brow deeply, and Sylvester said, "Maybe we can ask Mr. Sonnex and see if his father could use his connections to mediate the s
After confirming that Michael was not Shadow, Eric chose to place his trust in him. Moreover, Michael demonstrated capability."The situation..." Eric sighed. "I'm afraid it won't be that simple."He then redirected his focus in response to the detention of a CEO, recognizing its significant impact on a company.Michael was well aware of this consequence and assumed the role of interim CEO. Promptly, he informed the International Marketing Department to establish a specialized team to address the issue.The primary task involved retrieving the Innova Group's tax records in the country and dispatching them to the negotiation team.Simultaneously, a legal team was formed to delve into the country's tax laws, ready to offer legal support to the negotiation team when necessary. Additionally, the team was prepared to travel to the country if required.-Despite these joint efforts, Michael's countenance remained troubled.Andy asked, "Mr. Ortega, we've done so much, and it's still n
Under various parties' scrutiny, Eric needed assistance from the Montgomerys. They facilitated the reception of both the executives and the Lockes in King City before organizing their direct return to Salt City.An unsettling emotion gripped Eric as he gazed over Salt City through the floor-to-ceiling window."Andy, pass me a cigarette," he requested from Andy behind him.Andy warned, "You better not smoke this thing. It's hard to quit once you're addicted.""No worries," Eric dismissed.Handing the cigarette and lighter to Eric, Andy sighed.After taking a puff, Eric coughed violently. He confessed with a mocking smile, "I used to be repelled by people who smoked this stuff. Now, I understand.""There has been progress today. Sylvia will surely be back soon," Andy comforted.Eric smoked the cigarette to the end, exhaling a plume of smoke. "I hope so."-Back at the Rosewood Estate, Eric prepared a meal. Sitting alone in the dining room felt uncomfortable. As he surveyed the
The executives clarified, "There hasn't been any mistreatment. Since our detention, we've been well taken care of with food and drinks. The only discomfort is the restriction on using our phones or communicating with the outside world. The guards at the exits make it impossible to leave."Eric sighed in relief, and Michael offered words of encouragement.After a lengthy meal, everyone dispersed.Michael advised the executives to rest for a few days before returning to work.After leaving the restaurant, Eric lit a cigarette, and Vince expressed concern, "Mr. Johnson, why are you smoking? It's bad for your lungs.""No big deal," Eric replied. "Vince, help me with something these two days.""What do you need, Mr. Johnson?" Vince asked.Eric said, "Help me buy a private jet, the kind that can fly directly on international routes."Lacking knowledge about where to acquire a private jet, Eric sought Vince's assistance.At this point, Vince realized Eric didn't own a private jet. He
Andy and Michael nodded. In reality, Eric didn't have much responsibility in the company. Usually, they only sought him out for technical problems they couldn't solve.-After work that afternoon, Eric called Pierce to explain the reason for his upcoming trip abroad. Pierce reassured him, "They don't know your identity yet, so it shouldn't be a big problem. The sooner you go, the sooner you can return."Ending the call with Pierce, Eric contacted Grace. "Mom, help me ask if Sean can arrange a meeting with Sylvia. I want to go over there."Grace readily agreed, recognizing that her son and daughter-in-law were rarely apart.Acting swiftly as usual, Sean called Eric in the evening with everything arranged.-Early the next morning, Eric flew to King City. Only on the plane did he manage to close his eyes for a brief two-hour nap.The tickets were booked in advance, and the passport was ready. Eric didn't even have time to meet Grace before leaving King City.-At Phoenix Airp
As Eric approached, his heartbeat quickened. The captain guided him to the second floor and stated, "Surveillance and listening devices will be temporarily disabled for two hours."With that, the captain turned and left.Eric was taken aback—he hadn't expected the captain to be so fluent in his language.Turning back, he calmed his excited heart.Sylvia sensed someone's presence and remarked, "Don't worry. I won't run away. You don't need to keep an eye on me all the time."Her words carried bitterness, and Eric felt a pang of sadness. These days must have been tough for her. Eric's lips parted. At that moment, he realized he hadn't figured out what to say as the first words to Sylvia."Honey…"Sylvia turned around, joy flooding her face at the sight of the person she could only see in her dreams for the past few days."E…" Before she could finish, she lowered her voice and suppressed her joy. "Eric, why are you here?"Dropping the box in his hand, Eric rushed toward Sylvia.
Facing those who detained her, the negotiation team from her country, and the executives of the Innova Group, Sylvia hadn't shed a tear. Even when detained, she comforted the executives with overly optimistic attitudes.However, she couldn't hold back any longer in Eric's presence. The yearning for Eric, persistent day in and day out, turned into tears.Hearing Sylvia's cries, Eric felt his heart stabbed. He briefly considered switching places with her, but he knew it was impossible. The military wouldn't allow it, and there were too many factors to consider.Sylvia wept bitterly, releasing all the grievances and yearning for Eric that had accumulated during this time. After a long while, she finally pulled away from Eric's embrace.Wiping away the tears on her face, Eric reassured, "We're working on a solution. Stay here and wait for me. I'll pick you up as soon as possible. And when I come, you mustn't have lost any weight!"Sylvia nodded, understanding that few problems or peop
Eric quickly joined the negotiation team in a temporary office dedicated to addressing the detention issue.The team leader, Braydon Murphy, had received a call before Eric's arrival, explaining Eric's various identities. Upon seeing Eric, a hint of respect flashed across Braydon's face. If Eric were just the Innova Group's CIO, there would be no need for such a call to reach him.While the others in the room were engrossed in their tasks, Eric couldn't help expressing gratitude to Braydon for their hard work for the Innova Group.Braydon poured coffee and invited Eric to sit. "Mr. Johnson, the situation is quite challenging. I've dealt with similar cases before, but what Ms. Williams is facing is the most difficult."Their goal is clear—to detain Ms. Williams and undermine the Innova Group. I must admit, until now, we haven't identified the mastermind behind all this. From this perspective, our progress hasn't been substantial."We initially considered taking the initiative to in
In terms of innate talent, Eric was unparalleled, having reached the pinnacle of martial arts. With a single punch, he sent the 'God' flying."Good!" Stealthbane shouted with excitement.The ultimate enemy had finally been defeated, bringing peace to the world. Eric sighed in relief.However, in the next moment, the 'God' stood up again. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he revealed a bloodthirsty smile. "You have successfully enraged me!"Everyone braced for a potential massacre, but instead, the enemy turned and fled.Could Eric let him escape?"Chase him!" Stealthbane commanded.Allowing this foe to escape would spell endless trouble.A group of people pursued the enemy, who soon reappeared clad in iron armor."Not seen this before, have you?" The 'God' seemed to have recovered somewhat. "Did you think I only research viruses? Wrong! I control global resources and global wealth!"This is our newly developed Doomforge Exosuit which amplifies a person's battle prowess tenfol
The sturdy floor lay in utter disarray.In desperation, Ruth shouted, "Eric, don't give him any more chances! Finish him off swiftly, or we'll face endless trouble!"Eric was well aware of this logic. As he fought, he said, "He's incredibly strong. Taking him down quickly isn't possible! We must fight to the death!"Eric had never feared battle. Besides, this might very well be his final fight.Their fists clashed fiercely.The 'God' also noticed that Eric was growing more formidable as the battle progressed."How do you have so much strength? Wouldn't it be better if we joined forces to control the world? We could have anything we desire!"All the world's wealth, women, and resources would be ours to enjoy. Why won't you listen to reason?" he roared.Eric's momentum didn't falter. "I don't share your grand ambitions. I just want a simple life with a job that pays 1,000 dollars a month and a warm home with my wife and kids. But you, you've disturbed my peace!"The 'God' was fu
The 'God' grew more courageous as the battle raged on, causing Stealthbane to worry incessantly.In another high-stakes clash, Eric and his opponent both retreated. Eric sensed his opponent's growing strength, finding it rather peculiar.The 'God' clenched his fist. "I must thank you! My techniques were slightly incomplete, but I've managed to fill the gaps through this battle!"Eric marveled at his opponent's genius. To mend something incomplete was indeed a rare talent.Despite Eric training with the complete manual, he could only match the 'God' blow for blow. This person was terrifying!The opponent's confidence soared. Although Eric had trained with the full manual, the 'God' felt his innate talent far surpassed Eric's. If he could match Eric with an incomplete manual, now that he had perfected it, wouldn't he be unbeatable?"I thought you had potential and considered inviting you to share this world with me," the 'God' said, his tone turning icy. "But now, I see it's unnece
Stealthbane even felt that Eric might not be a match for the "God."The power was overwhelming.The terrifying aura was enough to crush everything. To an ordinary person, this was a real deity—the strength possessed had already transcended human limits.Eric made his move with a burst of speed. The clash of their fists created a thunderous explosion, and the sound was so intense that Stealthbane felt his eardrums might shatter.This was a battle of the highest caliber, one that even a legend like Stealthbane could not hope to join.Seeing the two evenly matched, Stealthbane sighed in relief. At least there was a chance that the strongest combatants were neutralizing each other. The outcome was still uncertain.Eric shook his aching fist, his expression grave. The opponent's strength was as he had anticipated. If the ultimate boss of the Luminous did not possess such combat power, it would be absurd.Clearly, this "God" had also gauged Eric's strength.He extended a hand toward
Stealthbane knew that the figure facing them must be the ultimate leader of the Luminous.Suddenly, he no longer wanted to die. If he could hold on just a little longer, it would all be over."Mr. Johnson, these people don't seem ordinary. Could that leader be the ultimate figure of the Luminous? Are we about to complete the game?" he whispered.To him, this mission to the Ark felt like a game: defeat the final boss, and victory is achieved."If I'm not mistaken, it should be. This person gives me... a sense of danger," Eric said.Upon hearing this, Stealthbane felt reassured.Just a sense? That meant the problem wasn't too grave!The leader on the opposite side turned to Eric. "I didn't expect you to make it this far. I underestimated your strength, believing my Ark was impregnable, that no enemy could breach it. But why are you so persistent? Why such determination?"He suddenly screamed in a fit of hysteria, "I have so many people! Such a grand scheme! It has all succeeded!
Brent shouted desperately, "After you get on your knees, they'll kill you all, and we won't survive either! Kill them! Kill them all!"He understood the situation with stark clarity. Kneeling meant certain death. If they had to die anyway, fighting back would be their only chance of survival.Eric sighed. "Mr. Rogers, in the end, it was we who implicated you. But this place must be eradicated, and the Luminous must be destroyed as well! Everyone, attack!"As the battle commenced, the masked man immediately struck Brent with a punch.Eric charged in. "Die!"He knew that Brent was unlikely to survive. This punch was his way of avenging Brent.The masked man spun around, trying to block Eric's punch. But the speed of the blow was too much—the gust of wind from the punch arrived before the fist did.It was an instant kill.The masked man had no time to react before Eric's punch collided with his chest. The terrifying force shattered the mask on the man's face, revealing an unfamili
Stealthbane was blinded by rage. He was killing anyone in sight, his fury unrelenting. They had ventured deep into enemy territory, where every encounter seemed to be with an adversary.Eric and his team from the Combat Department showed no mercy.Yet even Stealthbane's resolve was wearing thin."I can't kill them all! It feels like every master in the world is concentrated here!" he shouted in frustration.He felt the number of people he had brought was insufficient. If he had brought a few thousand more, he might have been able to overrun the place.Stealthbane was overwhelmed by the sheer horror of their situation. Fortunately, they had arrived. If anyone else had come, they would have met their end here.The numbers of the masters seemed endless."Damn it!" Stealthbane cursed angrily. "There are too many of them, and they're all exceptionally powerful. What kind of game is this?"He was tempted to retreat, but where could he go?Eric sent an enemy flying, pushing forward
"I was opposed to coming in from the start, but as you all know, the Rogers family is extremely complex. If we hadn't entered, I might have ended up dead. At least if the virus isn't a threat, that's something!" Brent poured himself a cup of coffee and continued. "These people are ruthless! They want to kill everyone outside the Ark and establish a new order, managed by a select few. It's insane!"You don't need to tell me—I know you're here to kill them."He then pulled a small token from his pocket. "This is our Rogers family's privilege here. It allows us to move freely between different levels. With this, you can go anywhere!"Stealthbane grabbed it eagerly. "Why didn't you mention this earlier? Things will go much smoother with this!"Brent sighed. "Once you've handled everything, could you take me out with you? I really don't want to stay in this dreadful place any longer.""Sure!" Eric nodded. "We'll definitely call you when we leave. For now, we're heading out."Brent e
Everything was ready, but they couldn't just walk in.Ruth instructed the Combat Department to conduct a three-day intensive training for everyone, focusing on coordinated combat.-After three days, the forces led by Stealthbane moved out, first dismantling the outer defenses of the Ark. This was their specialty!A large group of several hundred arrived in front of the Ark's entrance. At first glance, it resembled a mountain.Jack scratched his head and said, "Is this the gate? I don't see any door."The Holy Templar's people arrived as well. St. Pius said, "Everyone, don't rush. Wait for two minutes. Once the gate opens, we need to get in quickly. I have other plans inside, but once we're in, it's going to be a life-or-death battle! No one should show any mercy!"Stealthbane flexed his fists and replied, "Do I look like a good guy to you? Just watch me deal with them!"No sooner had he spoken than there was a tremendous roar. The ground shook, and the door of the Ark swung