Steve closed the last of the 100 books after spending two hours in the library. He absorbed all the knowledge with the help of the system’s item, so he didn’t even need to read. After taking in all the material, Steve started writing a proposal to pour out his ideas. "I hope CEO Rodriguez likes my ideas." He headed to Rodriguez Corp and approached the receptionist. "Can I meet Mr. Rodriguez?" Steve asked politely. The woman glanced at his appearance from head to toe. “Do you have an appointment with him?” "No, I don’t." "Sorry, but you can't meet him." "Please, I have something important to discuss with him.""You should leave and fix your appearance first. You look like a homeless person." Steve was annoyed but didn’t want to argue. He didn’t have much time. "What's going on?"*Steve instinctively turned toward the voice. A man in his 30s was looking at him curiously. "This gentleman wants to meet Mr. Rodriguez." "Why are you looking for him?" the man asked. "I’m

'Damn it! This guy’s strength is on a whole different level than normal humans. I’m even more sure now that Mateo is a system user! I can’t die at the hands of this bastard!' Steve muttered in frustration. Just as Mateo raised his leg to smash his skull, Steve rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. Gasping for breath, he pushed himself up to his feet. "Now, you see the difference in our strength." Mateo smirked. Steve glanced at the exit with determination. ‘I have to get out of here before I die. Screw the quest!’ Without thinking, he yanked off his shirt, unintentionally showing off his muscles. Mateo eyed Steve warily, preparing for whatever was coming next. Judging by the look in Steve’s eyes, he wasn’t planning to run—he wanted revenge. "Let’s finish this." *** Steve limped down the hallway after barely escaping Mateo’s grasp. His ribs ached with every step he took. "Damn it! Why do I keep running into other system users? Marco was already a nightmare

Steve stared at the man with the dragon tattoo, eyes sharp and calculating. One million dollars. That wasn’t just the price of his fortune—it could cost him his life if he approached the syndicate unprepared. “I need two days,” Steve said steadily. “Give me the address.” The tattooed man raised an eyebrow, then pulled a slip of paper from his coat pocket. “Midnight. Old warehouse. Bring the money. Come alone, or we’ll split the woman in two. You might’ve saved her today, but tomorrow? She won’t be so lucky. If you go back on your word, my boss will hunt you and that woman down.” Steve took the paper without a flicker of emotion. His gaze shifted to the woman behind the car window—shaking, frozen in place. “What’s your name?” he asked as the tattooed man and his men backed away. The woman was silent for a few seconds before whispering, “Clarissa.” “Clarissa?” Steve nodded. So it was true. This woman was Mateo’s wife—and somehow, she was part of his dirty operations. ---