Chapter 30 Who Did You Provoke?
The helicopter's searchlight pinned Victor firmly in place.
The moment he felt that killing intent behind him, Victor's back was already completely soaked with cold sweat, his shirt sticking to his skin in an uncomfortable, clammy way.
But compared to the fear in his heart, he had no mood to care about his physical discomfort right now.
Victor took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his violently pounding heart, and slowly turned around, trying to make his expression look calmer.
"Where do you think you're going, Victor?"
Cain stood with both hands in his trench coat pockets, his eyes as cold as if he were looking at a corpse, approaching Victor step by step. "You mess with my boss and think you can just walk away?"
Arthur directly raised the large-caliber pistol in his hand, the dark barrel pointed straight at Victor's head, his brutal voice echoing through the empty base.
"Get your ass over here right now, kneel down and apologize to my boss! And accept whatever punishment he gives you! Otherwise, I'll blow your head into mush right now!"
Hearing these extremely humiliating words, Victor's face instantly flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead.
Sure, this guy called Ethan was terrifying, but making him kneel before some punk in his early twenties? And accept punishment unconditionally?
This was more humiliating than death itself!
Victor instinctively looked toward Tillman, who was slumped on the ground nearby. Just moments ago, they'd been joking together over cigars, and the Lopez family even stuffed tens of millions in dirty money to Tillman every year. Maybe the military could save his life.
"Tillman!" Victor shouted urgently, grasping at his last thread of hope. "This is a military base! Are you just going to stand by and watch these outsiders run wild here?"
However, facing Victor's plea for help, Tillman acted like he was deaf.
Not only did Tillman not stand up, he deliberately turned his face in the completely opposite direction, not even daring to glance at Victor.
Are you kidding me?
On one side was a Wall Street tycoon who controlled most of the military's funding, on the other was a super weapons inventor.
Most terrifying of all, the mysterious figure who could make both of them kneel and snap handcuffs like toys—the one they called "boss"—was standing right there!
He'd have to be out of his mind to care about Victor's life or death at a time like this!
Distance himself! He had to distance himself immediately!
Seeing Tillman play dead and completely ignore him, the fear in Victor's heart was instantly consumed by an uncontrollable rage. He completely lost it.
"Fuck!"
Victor violently tore off his tie, pointing at Cain and Arthur, screaming at the top of his lungs.
"Are you two out of your minds?! Make me kneel to this bastard? Why should I!"
He was like a gambler who'd lost all his chips, roaring with bloodshot eyes.
"Who the hell does Ethan think he is? He's just some wet-behind-the-ears punk! And people like you are willing to be this trash's dogs?"
"You want to degrade yourselves, fine! But I won't! Let me tell you, the Lopez family has just as much money and connections as you do! If you think I'll listen to you, dream on!"
The moment those words left his mouth, the temperature in the entire base seemed to drop to freezing point.
Ethan, who had been coldly watching from the sidelines, merely narrowed his eyes slightly, a playful smile curving at the corner of his mouth, as if watching a clown's final struggle.
The coldness in Arthur's eyes intensified, his finger pressing hard on the trigger.
And Tillman, hearing Victor's words, shuddered in fear!
He immediately scrambled on all fours to Victor's feet, raised his hand and slapped him hard across the face, shouting in terror, "Shut your mouth! If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!!!"
"Go to hell!" Victor, completely blinded by rage, swung back and punched him. "You useless piece of shit who takes money but doesn't do the job! Do you even deserve to wear that uniform?"
Victor had completely torn off all pretense. The situation no longer allowed him to beg for mercy, so naturally he was prepared to stand his ground to the bitter end.
Tillman, who'd been punched back, looked at Victor with his bloodshot eyes and twisted face as if looking at a rotting corpse, but didn't continue the confrontation.
Victor right now was stubborn, arrogant, and completely brainless!
Tillman said no more. He sighed and very decisively walked straight over to Arthur and Cain's side.
After all, his goal had been achieved. As long as he distanced himself from Victor, he wouldn't face too severe punishment.
Besides, he was just following his superior's orders in this matter. And the gesture's meaning couldn't be clearer—he'd publicly chosen his side.
He'd rather wag his tail here like a dog than die alongside this idiot Victor!
"Good! Very good!"
Seeing even the military representative completely switch sides, the last thread of reason in Victor's mind snapped completely. Fury erupted as he pointed at Tillman's nose and cursed him out.
"Tillman, since you've chosen to stand with them, then listen up! I'm announcing that starting tomorrow, the Lopez family will completely cut off all funding to your base! I'm going to make you all..."
Just as Victor was roaring at Tillman, his private encrypted phone in his pocket suddenly rang.
The urgent ringtone sounded especially jarring in the oppressive atmosphere, cutting off Victor's tirade.
Victor irritably pulled out his phone, originally intending to hang up directly, but when his eyes swept across the caller ID on the screen, he froze.
The caller was his brother, the current head of the Lopez family—Harrington!
Victor's eyes suddenly lit up, as if seeing hope for a comeback from the depths of despair.
Harrington must have gotten word and was preparing to mobilize the entire family to support him!
He smugly glanced at Ethan in the distance, a cruel sneer curving at the corner of his mouth, and very quickly pressed the answer button.
"Harrington, listen to me, I've run into a little trou—"
However, before he could finish his sentence.
From the other end of the phone came a shrill roar mixed with extreme terror and despair, the voice so strained it had become completely hoarse and broken.
"Victor! What kind of person have you provoked!"