"Founder, what do you mean?"Michel stared at his father as if the old man had just lost his mind. "Founder of GD Tech!" he snapped harshly. "Quade, Dad. He's at the gala tonight."The way Michel spoke—like someone on the brink of madness—brought a unique burst of satisfaction to Erick. It was very enjoyable to see Michel tremble greatly just from hearing a name.Evelyn Laurent's face instantly lost its color. Martin's confident posture, standing next to Dominique, suddenly became stiff. Even the guards along the corridor exchanged anxious glances.In New York, everyone knows the meaning of that legend.Quade is not just a rich person. He is infrastructure. Banking System: Using its security network. Government Agency: Relying on its own predictive AI.Public & Military Sector: Hospitals, transportation routes, military contractors, and Wall Street trading algorithms—GD Tech has its fingerprints on every vein of the city.And the man who controls all those octopus monsters was suppose

The Aston Martin was hit hard. Remi cried out when her shoulder hit the door. The car slid on the wet pavement, the seatbelt securing her. Behind them, the black SUV accelerated again, headlights cutting through the storm like predator eyes. "Erick..." "Brace." The SUV rammed them a second time. Metal screamed. The Aston spun halfway across the road before Erick yanked the wheel back, tires screeching. Rain hammered the windshield so hard the world outside looked underwater. Remi gripped the dashboard. "Who the hell are they?!" Erick glanced at the mirror. "Not Laurent's security." That made it worse. The SUV surged forward again. This time, Remi saw the passenger window roll down. A rifle barrel poked through the rain. "Erick!" Gunfire erupted. The rear windshield shattered inward. Glass sprayed across the seats. The driver near the guardrail dropped into the mud, screaming. Erick shoved Remi down as bullets tore through the trunk. "Stay low." His voice was ice-cold. Lik