It became evident that a group led by Whitlocks Construction was actively searching for Jake and Ethan. Although Ethan's family was not in Sunridge, he felt guilty for not sending money home for a long time.Meanwhile, Jake found himself entangled in a more intricate predicament. While his parents resided in the countryside and managed to get by on a piece of land, his wife and child were experiencing difficulties alongside him. Adding to Jake's worries, people were watching downstairs every day, possibly lying in wait for his return.Eric gained more insights after listening to Jake's account. Around 200 workers wanted to leave, but Whitlocks Construction coerced them into submission. Eric couldn't believe that such dark practices still existed in today's society."We can't do anything," Jake said helplessly. "We were arrested for trying to get our money back. To make matters worse, they colluded with the authorities, treating us like mere laborers, almost like slaves!"Eric nodde
Ethan snorted and remarked, "No need to fear them. We've got over 100 people on the construction site, all doing hard labor. I'm confident we're stronger than them. We'll give them a run for their money if they want a fight. Our lives are tough enough. It doesn't seem like things could get any worse. No reason to be scared!"Matthew chuckled at this and assured, "Don't worry. If it comes to a fight, I'll handle them all myself. I've been Mr. Johnson's bodyguard and practiced martial arts for over two decades!"Jake and Ethan felt somewhat relieved. Though unafraid of a fight, they lacked a leader to rally them. With someone taking charge, they would have retaliated long ago.After gathering information, Eric and Sylvia found themselves with nothing to do, so they took Fiona to kindergarten.Even though it had been over a month since kindergarten started, it wasn't too late for Fiona to join.Sylvia paid the childcare fees and living expenses for the entire semester.They all had
The man felt dizzy from witnessing Matthew's knife skills. It was evident that Matthew was a master at handling blades. However, he couldn't fathom where Jake and Ethan had found such a skilled individual and where the two had disappeared.Suddenly, Matthew thrust the knife into the cement floor and demanded, "Speak or not?!"His voice was cold, and the three men were frightened to the core.One of them stammered, "I-I'll speak! I'll speak!""I'll talk too! Don't kill me!" another one pleaded.Matthew sneered. "First, tell me why you came looking for Jake and Ethan. Did you hunt them a month ago?"He recalled Jake mentioning that someone had been hunting them when they left Sunridge.The leader hastily explained, "Yes, we hunted them. We knew they were going to run, and if they escaped, it wouldn't be good for us!""Who ordered you to do this?""It's Mr. Baldwin!" The leader said, "Mr. Baldwin ordered us to do this. He told us to watch the construction site and monitor the peo
Houston did not suspect anything else since only Eric and Sylvia had arrived. He poured coffee for them.Taking a sip, Eric said, "Mr. Whitlock, could you take us to the construction site?"Houston's body trembled slightly. The workers were busy with construction, and dozens of Baldwin's people were keeping an eye on them. If Sylvia and Eric went over, everything would be exposed instantly.However, the Innova Group had commissioned the construction of the main building. It would seem inappropriate and suspicious if he refused to let them go there.Seeing the troubled expression on Houston's face, Sylvia asked, "Is there any problem?"Houston snapped himself back from his trance and replied, "Nothing. It's just that the weather is hot, and it's quite dusty at the construction site. I'm afraid—"Before he could finish speaking, Sylvia waved her hand and interjected, "Mr. Whitlock, Mr. Johnson and I aren't afraid of getting dirty. It's crucial for the smooth progress of the constru
Sylvia and Eric were at a loss for words.Houston chuckled confidently, observing their bewildered expressions.Biting her lip, Sylvia asked, "Mr. Whitlock, what's the name of the third-party outsourcing company?""It's Sunridge Human Resources Limited," Houston replied. "They provide the workers, and we pay 5,000 dollars for each worker. The allocation of funds is Sunridge Human Resources Limited's responsibility."Sylvia and Eric nodded in understanding. Houston, however, wondered why they were fixated on the workers instead of inspecting the construction site.Anticipating his curiosity, Sylvia explained, "Mr. Whitlock, it's not our choice to delve into these matters. According to protocol, we should be updated on the progress of construction. However, the wage arrears incident has garnered attention, affecting the Innova Group's operations."Online voices suggest our company should take responsibility, leading to disturbances at our office. Relevant departments have also inqu
The worker was furious. "There's no company at all! When we were hired, you promised a monthly salary of 5,000 dollars plus overtime pay! But for over half a year, we haven't received our regular wages, let alone overtime pay!"When we joined, it was under the name of Whitlocks Construction! We work 16 hours a day with no extra benefits, and you even refuse to pay us. Do you consider us human? Are you still human?!"Eric looked at Houston, seeking an explanation. Even if Houston's statement held true and a third party outsourced the workers, Whitlock Construction was still be in charge of the project. In such a situation, they could not completely shirk their responsibility."I…" Houston stammered, "T-The people from Sunridge Human Resources are here too. I'll take you to them, and you can ask any questions you want."After saying that, he signaled the two people nearby to take the worker away. He would deal with him properly later.However, Eric did not give him the chance. He tu
Huston had prepared lunch, but not at the construction site. Moreover, it might be too late to order the canteen to prepare anything decent now.The workers' canteen bore no resemblance to an actual canteen. George's lunch was delivered from outside.Houston knew he could no longer conceal the truth as over 100 workers looked at Sylvia and Eric with pleading eyes.Their midday meal consisted of a chaotic concoction of boiled cabbage and potatoes in a large pot. It might have been edible with some meat slices, but unfortunately, Eric saw no such thing in the pot. What's more, the cabbage and potatoes had already spoiled.Eric placed his bowl aside and turned to Houston. His face was dark as he asked, "Mr. Whitlock, is this what the workers eat here? Is this fit for human consumption? Even the pigs my parents raise in the countryside eat better than this!"In the countryside, even if pigs were not fed proper fodder, they would be given properly cooked vegetables and cornmeal. They w
Houston was stunned as things spiraled out of control.Meanwhile, the workers' reactions exceeded Sylvia and Eric's expectations.However, they couldn't allow George's men to harm the workers in front of them.When a man approached a worker with a steel bat, Eric swiftly moved in front and grabbed the bat. "You didn't pay them, and now you want to hit them?"A loud bang echoed as he sent the man flying with a single punch."Yeah!" The workers erupted in cheers. They wanted to fight back, but fear held them back. Today, witnessing Eric's action emboldened them.Houston and George were astonished. They did not expect Eric to effortlessly catch the steel bat.Eric said as he tossed the steel bat aside, "Mr. Whitlock, the situation here is quite serious! Should I notify the relevant authorities?"Initially, Sylvia and Eric did not want to reveal their identities as the CEO and CIO of the Innova Group. However, they realized they could not delay any longer after last night's interro
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