Chapter 4 Activation Protocol

The third fixed fight has ended.

I lay on the boxing ring, blood streaming from my nose. My opponent this time was an amateur boxer; normally I could take him down with one hand.

But I still lost according to the script.

The audience's boos were deafening. They had seen through the fake fight and began angrily demanding refunds.

"Loser! Liar!"

They threw bottles and trash at the boxing ring.

Victor looked very grim. He walked over and tossed me an envelope.

"This is the last time, Kane. Your acting is terrible; the audience can all tell."

I took the envelope; inside was only 30,000 euros.

"It was agreed to be 50,000."

"After deducting the losses," Victor sneered. "The audience demanded refunds, so I lost a lot of money."

I clenched my fist.

"Besides, I've changed my mind." Victor lit a cigar. "Now that the legal channels are closed, we don't need you anymore. No one will treat your daughter, so you're of no value to us."

"What's the meaning?"

"That means you're fired," Victor said, exhaling a smoke ring. "From now on, you're a complete failure. No income, no hope, and you can only watch your daughter die."

He turned to leave.

"Wait," I called after him, "I can still box. I can accept lower pay."

Victor turned to look at me, his eyes full of mockery.

"Beg me."

"What?"

"Kneel down and beg me," Victor pointed to the ground. "Kneel down like a dog and beg me, and maybe I'll consider giving you another chance."

I looked at him, at this scum who treated me like a plaything.

For seven years, I have endured too much humiliation.

But this time...

"Fuck you."

I turned and left the boxing ring.

Victor laughed loudly behind him: "Hahaha! 'Death' Marcus Kane! Now he's not even worth a dog!"

I returned to my apartment and turned on my computer to check on Sofia's condition.

The image on the screen almost stopped my heart.

Sofia lay curled up in the corner of the iron cage. She hadn't taken her medication for 36 hours and was as weak as a fallen leaf.

Victoria sat on the sofa, holding the last bottle of life-saving medication in her hand.

She slowly unscrewed the bottle cap in front of the camera.

"See that, Kane?" she said to the camera. "This is the last bottle of medicine. I was going to keep it, but I've changed my mind."

She slowly poured the medicine onto the ground.

"Let this little bastard die. It'll be cleaner that way."

"No!" I roared at the screen.

But Victoria couldn't hear it.

She poured out the medicine and then stood up gracefully.

"A traitor's daughter doesn't deserve to live in this world," she said with a sneer. "Marcus Kane, if you have the guts, come back and see your daughter one last time. Of course, that's assuming you're not afraid to die."

She left the room, leaving Sophia alone in the iron cage, barely alive.

"Dad...Dad..." Sofia called out weakly.

The connection between bloodlines was strongly triggered at this moment.

I felt my daughter's pain, I felt her life slipping away. Her heartbeat grew weaker and weaker, her breathing shallower and shallower.

She is dying.

My daughter is dying.

And all I could do was hide in this dilapidated apartment, watching all of this happen like a coward.

Seven years have passed.

For seven years, I have believed in compromise, in the rules, and in the fact that one day they could be rescued through "legitimate" means.

But now I understand.

There is no justice in this world.

There are no rules.

Only power.

I walked to the safe and entered the password with trembling hands.

The satellite phone lay there quietly, awaiting my decision.

Smith's warning echoed in his ears: "As long as you don't contact those terrorists, we won't touch your family."

But they have already broken the agreement.

They never intended to follow any rules.

I picked up the satellite phone and pressed the power button.

The signal is connected.

"Smith," I said to the air, "you've already broken the agreement. I have nothing left to worry about."

I dialed that number that hadn't been used for seven years. My most loyal subordinate, codenamed "Shadow".

"Shadow." A familiar voice came from the other end of the phone.

"It's me, Marcus."

"Boss?! Damn it, you're still alive!" Shadow's voice was filled with shock. "Seven years! We thought you were dead!"

"Activate the Doomsday Protocol." My voice was as cold as iron. "Everyone assemble in Las Vegas within 48 hours."

"Boss, are you crazy? The doomsday plan means all-out war! And this call will be located by the NSA, CIA, and FBI simultaneously!"

"My daughter is dying." My voice trembled. "For seven years, I've endured being trampled underfoot so as not to implicate you. But now... I don't care anymore."

"Understood." Shadow's voice turned serious. "The Doomsday Protocol is activated. See you in Las Vegas in 48 hours."

"Prepare heavy weapons."

"How heavy is it?"

"The kind that could flatten an entire city."

"Roger that. Boss... welcome back."

I hung up the phone.

The moment the satellite signal was lost, intelligence networks around the world locked onto my location.

NSA headquarters, red alert flashing: "Target Marcus Kane has activated terrorist liaison; immediate global arrest warrant issued!"

The CIA, FBI, and Interpol all issued arrest warrants simultaneously.

I went from being a traitor to an international terrorist.

Now, the whole world is my enemy.

But I don't care anymore.

I booked the fastest flight back to the United States.

Victor rushed into the apartment, his face ashen.

"You're insane! You just contacted the world's number one terrorist organization! Now it's not just the FBI, the whole world is after you!"

I looked at him, this scumbag who once used me as a tool to make money.

"I'd rather be hunted down by the whole world than watch my daughter die."

"This is suicide!"

"Maybe," I said, picking up my backpack. "But at least I can die beside my daughter."

I left the apartment and never looked back.

The moment the plane took off, the global satellite tracking system locked onto my location.

The 48-hour countdown to life and death has officially begun.

Marcus Kane has completely shed his disguise, transforming from a fugitive into an enemy of the entire world.