Chapter 3The Broadcast

The noise from the speakers vanished.

Replacing it was the sound of a very quiet room, followed by Caleb's lowered voice, dark and greedy.

"Mr. Lee, I've handled the inspection report for this batch of steel. So what if they're sub-standard? Buried in cement pillars, even God won't see them. As soon as the three million hits my account, I'll stamp the approval for the new Horizon project."

The seniors who were banging on the car stopped in unison.

The air froze.

Horizon City was the biggest unfinished construction project in the area, recently revived. Many of the people present had poured their children's savings, or even their own retirement funds, into those apartments.

"Steel... sub-standard?"

"What is he saying? Those are our homes!"

Fear spread faster than anger, followed by an explosion a hundred times more violent than before.

"Caleb? You're Caleb from Horizon?!"

"You bastard! That's tofu-dreg construction! How many people will you kill?!"

If before it was just moral judgment, now it was a matter of life and death.

Someone picked up a brick and—SMASH—hurled it at the BMW's windshield.

Spiderweb cracks spread instantly.

"Smash his car! Don't let him run!"

"This scum needs to go to jail!"

Inside the car, Caleb broke down completely.

He leaned on the horn frantically, but amidst the roar of hundreds of people, the honking was insignificant.

He couldn't understand why top-secret evidence of commercial crime was being broadcast over Zumba speakers at this exact moment.

Sirens wailed in the distance, getting closer.

I stood in the shadows, watching the police struggle to push through the angry crowd, dragging a disheveled, bleeding Caleb out of the car.

The mistress was paralyzed with fear, curled up under the seat, shivering.

As Caleb was handcuffed, his eyes searched the crowd blankly, seeming to look for the mastermind who had ruined him.

But he was destined not to find them.