The Tycoon's Odyssey

With eyes that almost went numb and lifeless, Evan logged into the laptop.

His mind went blank as he concentrated, searching through the files.

Steve might have already used people to get this, but Evan had taken many security measures. If the strings of identification were incorrect, the entire program would self-destruct.

He transferred the data to the USB. Since his right hand was almost cripple, his speed slowed down by a great degree as he had to use his left hand.

After Evan handed over the USB, a man with a sharp jawline and piercing eyes took it and plugged it into another laptop before he tapped on the keyboard with a sense of urgency, his fingers moving swiftly over the keys.

The man opened the Breach Protector and started experimenting with it as if to make sure everything was alright.

Evan noticed one thing. Despite the crowd and a few guards outside, there was no response from the hospital even after they had been there for quite some time.

It was as if they were ignoring the situation.

And this wasn't over.

Steven had even crafted a document and forced Evan to sign it. According to the document, all the copyright of Breach Protector would belong to Pears and Evan couldn't use it anywhere else.

Despite his broken hands, Evan was forced to sign with his broken handwriting. For further authentication, they even stamped his thumb impression.

Observing their actions, Evan turned towards Steve, his expression blank yet tinged with a hint of resignation. "If I hadn't compiled and prepared to die, what would you have done?"

With a confident stance and a faint smile playing on his lips, Steve replied smoothly, "Nothing as drastic as rendering you brain-dead and seizing all your belongings. My people would have simply dismantled and copied your work. We would have used your fingerprint to access and also make you sign the documents and take over the company."

"Then are you planning to kill me now and bury the trouble?" Evan asked in a monotonous voice, his gaze fixed on Steve.

The man chuckled lightly and took a step closer to Evan before gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "Why go through all that trouble? You, Evan, are my golden goose. You've only just entered this arena and already conceived two groundbreaking inventions. What more could you create in the future? Killing you would be a loss for humanity.

But don't mistake my intentions. Even if I choose not to act, someone else surely will. Bloodshed and conflict have always been, and will remain, endless."

Evan met Steve's gaze, noticing the gentle yet unnerving smile that betrayed the man's underlying ruthlessness.

Suddenly, a loud banging noise reverberated down the corridor, causing Steve to furrow his brow. A man behind him swiftly picked up a communicator and relayed urgent news.

"Sir, a group of intruders is breaching our defenses..."

"Let them come," Steve ordered calmly.

The man nodded and turned to leave, but before he could take a step, another deafening sound echoed, followed by a scream and a heavy thud. The man stumbled back through the doorway, bloodied and gasped for air.

A woman with disheveled hair and a determined expression stepped into the room.

The sound of her heels clicking echoed on the floor amidst the silence while she scanned the room until her eyes locked on Evan.

"Evan!"

Steve turned to face the newcomer, then glanced back at Evan with mild surprise.

"I didn't realize you two were so closely acquainted," Steve remarked casually. "Rest assured, Miss Suri, I haven't harmed him."

"You..." Suri began sharply, her eyes narrowing as she took in the scene. Her gaze then shifted to Aria.

Aria's face had a mask of guilt and desperation as she struggled against the binds that held her.

"Let Miss Aria go," she demanded coldly.

Steve signaled the two men immediately.

"Yes, sir," the two men nodded in compliance and released Aria, who gasped for breath as soon as the gag was pulled from her mouth.

Aria looked at Evan with tear-filled eyes, overwhelmed with remorse and anguish. "Evan... I'm sorry... Please forgive me... They would have killed my parents..."

Before she could finish, tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably.

"Sir, it's done. Everything is secure," one of Steve's men reported.

"Excellent. Let's move," Steve nodded, turning to leave. But before he could take a step, Suri moved with startling speed. Her leg blurred through the air and struck Steve with a resounding crack, sending him crashing into the wall.

"SIR..."

The atmosphere again grew tense as Steve's four burly bodyguards reacted swiftly to Suri's unexpected assault. Being trained professionally, they reacted swiftly by lunging towards her from different angles, aiming to overpower her with their sheer strength and numbers.

However, Suri moved like a whirlwind amidst them, her fighting style was a blend of fluid movements and lethal precision.

She sidestepped the first guard's punch with a lightning-fast movement, then swung her foot low, hooking around his ankle with a sweep. With a deft twist of her body, she sent him crashing into the nearest wall and incapacitated the man who let out a groan.

Before the second guard could reach her, Suri ducked under his attempted grab. She then struck rapid palm strikes to his chest and throat, forcing him to stumble backwards and clutch his neck in pain.

Meanwhile, the third guard attempted a high kick towards Suri's head. Anticipating his move with uncanny agility, she leaned back, narrowly avoiding the blow, and countered with a series of lightning-fast kicks to his midsection.

BAAM!

She slammed into him and even pierced his torso, leaving him winded and gasping for breath on the floor.

The fourth guard hesitated for a moment, assessing Suri's unpredictable movements.

But in that brief pause, Suri closed the distance between them in a blur, launching herself into a spinning kick.

Her leg swung in a sweeping arc, connecting solidly with his torso. The impact lifted him off his feet, sending him crashing into a nearby table with a loud crash that splintered wood and scattered papers.

In mere moments, all four guards lay sprawled on the ground, incapacitated and groaning in pain.

Suri stood in the center of the room, eyeing everyone coldly with a bloodthirsty expression.

"STOPPPP!"

Steve, who had been knocked against the wall by Suri's initial strike, now looked on with a mix of surprise and grudging admiration. He straightened himself, adjusting his suit with a calm demeanor that barely masked his astonishment.

"Miss Suri, that's enough..."

Suri stopped giving Steve a ferocious glare.

Steve wiped off the blood from his lips and looked at the guards.

"Don't attack her. Let's leave and Miss Suri, you know very well you can't kill me, especially here or do you want to risk eviction and obsolescence?"

"You are only alive because he isn't hurt. But if you dare to harm him, I will make sure you won't find a coffin and land to be buried in," Suri snorted and spoke coldly.

"Also, give him back. I know you have taken something..."

Steve didn't dare to speak, knowing it was very much possible that she could kill him by spending a huge sum. But in the end, it was meaningless.

Steve was about to fight back but just then, an ordinary yet hoarse somber voice echoed, shaking Suri to the core.

"Let him go. He had already transferred the data to the mainframe. Even if we kill him here, it wouldn't make a difference..."

"But he tried to..."

"Stop it...I have had enough..."

Suri choked hearing Evan's emotionless voice.

Though Evan was mature, there was still some childishness in him, and his voice was usually soothing. But now, he looked like a person who was either a war veteran or a soulless individual who had lost everything.

Then he looked at Aria, who pleaded with a tearful expression but Evan tore off his gaze and looked at Suri.

"I just want peace...If possible, I want to be alone in my own company."

"So, everyone just get out of here."