"You are fired from Apex Medical Center," Beatrix declared, her voice carrying absolute finality. "Your security license is revoked, and your name is blacklisted across every establishment in Sargana Province. Get out of my sight before I have my men toss you into the river.""Th-Thank you, Lady Beatrix... thank you..." Fresco whimpered, pulling himself up and stumbling out of the lobby like a beaten dog, his former bravado completely shattered.Melvin stepped over the discarded handcuffs and took out his phone. "Lady Beatrix. Before we go upstairs. Four men were waiting for me in the west gate alley last night. This is the thread from the leader's burner."Beatrix read it once. Her expression did not change, which was somehow worse than if it had."'Only him,'" she said."Twenty-five thousand up front. Balance on confirmation. Routed through three relays into a Cayman account registered to V. V. Holdings." Melvin pocketed the phone. "Solicitation of murder carries twenty years in this

Julian turned around and hurried out of the boardroom, leaving Master Kaelen's two apprentices to drag their bleeding master through the doorway. The executive chamber grew quiet as the corporate board members finalized the administrative paperwork nullifying Resolution 402.Chairman Aldric signed the formal board order, stamping it with the official corporate seal. He handed the completed file to Evelyn. "CEO Evelyn, your authority is fully restored. The board apologizes for the disruption caused by Julian's fraudulent filings.""Thank you, Chairman Aldric," Evelyn replied, accepting the signed document. She turned toward Melvin, offering a brief, genuine bow of respect. "Doctor Melvin, your assistance saved the consortium today."Melvin placed his medical tweezers back into his coat pocket, nodding once toward Evelyn. "The corporate resolution is settled. We should return to your private office to review the remaining medical steps."Evelyn walked beside Melvin out of the boardroom,

The five dark daggers shattered into tiny metal fragments upon contacting the light wall. The five attackers gasped in agony as the golden energy disrupted their internal meridian circulation.Their grip failed, forcing them to drop their broken weapon hilts onto the wet turf. The masked leader slammed violently against the golden light barrier.His purple spiritual blade fractured into three pieces, and his body rebounded backward onto the wet grass. His internal organ meridians ruptured under the counter-pressure of the celestial qi wall.Black blood dripped from his mouth, staining his dark cloth mask as he fell onto his knees. Melvin stepped through the golden light wall, his posture upright and calm.Golden light circulated within his pupils as he looked down at the sprawling attackers. Reaching into his jacket pocket, Melvin pulled out three remaining silver needles.Melvin looked down at the kneeling leader. "Your Crimson Dragon Sect sent enforcers into a trap."The masked leade

Evelyn stepped past the security line, her dark suit jacket unwrinkled, her posture straight and commanding. "The hospital's wireless network operates on an isolated backup server."Pulling her personal smartphone from her coat pocket, Evelyn displayed the Cross Consortium's executive financial dashboard. "The primary accounting system shows zero missing research funds across all department ledgers."The executive financial dashboard displayed real-time transaction ledgers linked directly to the provincial banking network. Every single dollar allocated to research programs remained fully accounted for within verified institution accounts.Doctor Victor Vance held the yellow folder higher, his face flushing dark red under the corridor lighting. "The administrative board authorized an immediate clinical suspension based on preliminary financial discrepancies."The heavy wooden door of the pediatric ICU opened from the inside.Elena stepped into the corridor holding a single sheet of pape

Victor Vance stumbled backward into the upper corridor, his breath coming in shallow gasps. Panic filled his thoughts as he realized his remaining options had vanished.Lady Beatrix Sterling walked toward Melvin, offering a crisp bow of respect. "The supreme court injunction guarantees your complete clinical freedom across all regional facilities."Melvin offered a polite nod toward Lady Beatrix Sterling. "Your legal team arrived at the exact necessary moment."Evelyn Cross stepped beside Melvin, her posture upright and authoritative. "We must finalize the administrative restructuring of the hospital board now."The assembly walked toward the central executive elevator bank, leaving behind the quiet plaza floor. Rain continued to drum against the outer glass facade, washing away the tire marks left by the Syndicate vehicles.Ten minutes later, Melvin entered the Vice Director's suite on the executive floor alongside Evelyn and Chairman Harrison. Victor Vance sat slumped behind his maho