Chapter 2

2

I sat on a plastic stool outside a convenience store. The small awning barely kept the rain off my head.

I spent my last seventeen dollars on a cheap sandwich and a cup of bitter coffee. I wasn't in a hurry anymore.

On the panel, the timer hit the final ten seconds.

【Retribution Countdown: 00:05.】

【00:01.】

The display suddenly switched to a live feed of Kevin's office. It was like a high-def drone shot from the ceiling.

Inside the office, Kevin was leaning back in a leather chair. He looked incredibly smug as he sipped a latte.

"Kevin, despite the mess, you handled the crisis well," Mr. Miller said. "I'm thinking of making you the Vice President of the department."

"Thank you, sir. I won't let you down."

Just then, Kevin's phone buzzed.

He frowned and stepped out to take the call. Less than a minute later, he ran back in, his face ghostly white.

"Sir, Hudson Group just called. They said―"

He was cut off by Miller's own phone ringing. Miller's face went from calm to pure rage in seconds.

"Kevin! You son of a bitch!" Miller roared. "Did you tamper with Sarah's original files?"

Kevin started shaking. "No, sir! Sarah is the one who―"

"Hudson's tech team just ran a cross-comparison," Miller screamed, slamming his phone on the desk. "Your version had a formatting error in the third section."

"That exact same error appeared in the version the competitor leaked. But the original file on the server―the one Sarah created?"

Miller's voice cracked with fury. "It was perfect. The data only got corrupted when you idiots tried to edit it!"

The office door swung open. An assistant walked in, looking panicked.

"Sir, Hudson Group is pulling out. They said the leaked proposal was missing the last three pages of the appendix, so it was useless to the competitor anyway."

"And the competitor's CEO just leaked an audio recording. It's Kevin promising to deliver the rest for a fee."

Kevin collapsed into his chair, looking like a deflated balloon.

But that was just the beginning.

Hudson Group officially sued for breach of contract. The penalty was 3.8 million dollars.

Legal internal affairs was triggered immediately. Kevin was demoted to an entry-level clerk, his bonuses were seized, and his three-year performance record was wiped clean.

【Retribution executed. Target: Kevin Sterling. Sentence: Professional ruin.】

I finished my coffee and threw the cup away.

The system wasn't done yet. A new timer popped up.

【Target: Willow Linden. Crimes: Theft of trade secrets, betrayal of trust, malicious intent. Retribution in: 00:19:58.】

I stood up.

One by one. They were all going to pay.