Noah was confused about how he unexpectedly gained negotiation skills. He remembered that this ability was not mentioned in the bonus section of his revenge ledger.
'Did I miss something in my system?' he wondered while stepping out of the elevator and standing in the corner to check his system.
He quickly realized that his deal with Alan Caldwell led to the reward.
'Not too shabby! At least I was able to negotiate without difficulty!'
His smile widened upon seeing his 'Power Suite' and two skills unlocked.
[Lie detection, Level 1]
[Negotiation Skill, Level 1]
Yet, Noah's smile quickly faded when he heard the distant screams and the sounds of loud destruction coming from the office lobby as if someone had just driven a huge truck into the building.
Worried that something had happened, Noah ran to check.
He was shocked to find the once beautiful lobby in ruins.
The glass doors and walls were shattered, eliminating the barrier to the outside.
Tables and chairs, once neatly arranged, were now broken; several tables were destroyed, appearing as though they had been thrown around.
Even the plants and decorations weren't spared—all withered and lay damaged on the floor.
The place looked incredibly messy as if a tornado had just passed through.
'What the hell happened here? Who ruined this place?'
He is frustrated to discover that someone has just damaged his new company.
'Whoever that person was, he will never spare his life!'
Noah's hands clenched as he scanned the room. His heart felt tense when he spotted a few staff members curled up on the floor and hiding in various spots.
He hurried to the female staff member who was curled up behind the reception desk. Her face reflected a terrifying expression as if she had just encountered someone from hell.
"Lina, you are bleeding!" Noah said in surprise as he noticed fresh blood running down her hand from a cut. "You really should go to the hospital!"
"N-Noah, I'm okay; it's just a small cut. You need to assist Miss Emma. The gangsters took her..." Lina said, her voice shaking and tears flowing down her cheeks as she looked at Noah.
Noah feels his heart become heavy as if it wants to stop; he is overwhelmed and terrified upon hearing that the Gangster has taken Emma.
"Where did they take her?"
Lina wiped away her tears.
"The Gangsters come and beat everyone, destroying everything. They drag Miss Emma to the meeting room; please help her..." Her voice trembled slightly.
Noah stood up, but before he left, he asked Lina to call the police and an medical aid. Then he rushed to the meeting room in the back area of the building.
What he saw nearly made his knees turn to tofu: almost a dozen burly men with ugly, frightening faces filled the cramped meeting room where they had gathered that morning.
The meeting room now resembles the ruined lobby outside.
What terrified him even more was seeing Emma seated in the chair on the small stage ahead, her face pale with blood visible at the corners of her lips, her hands tied behind her.
Next to her, someone tugged at her hair, seemingly forcing her to respond to questions.
"Speak up, bitch!! Where is that bastard Noah Morgan? Call him now, or I'll destroy your body and fuck you until you pass out!"
The Gangster's words hit Noah like a lightning strike. These gangsters are wreaking havoc in the office, attacking everyone present, and now they are torturing Emma because of him?
Noah feels as if his thoughts are spinning, adding to his confusion.
'Who sent them?' he wondered, but no clues came to mind.
Emma's scream jolted him back to reality. "I have no idea! I have no idea where he was! Please STOP asking me! Just let me go, okay!"
Seeing Emma cry, Noah felt all his blood rush to his face, too angry to watch the man torture Emma because of him.
His mind was in chaos; he wanted to help Emma and forget that his chances of winning against all the gangsters in the room were zero. He didn't know how to fight.
With immense bravery, Noah yelled, "Oi... Let her go now! I won't be nice to you if you hurt her again..."
His eyes blazed red as he glared at the man beside Emma, who was watching him closely.
The man with the scar on his face gradually let go of Emma's hair and turned to face Noah. He noticed the man approaching him slowly.
"Who are you, kind sir?" he asked politely, surprising a few gangsters standing in the room.
Suddenly, several gangsters engage in conversation with their friend next to them:
"What the fuck? Why the heck did Jonny become so polite!?"
"Yes, this is the first instance I've heard him speak politely to anyone. It's similar to how he addresses our big boss!"
"I know, right? Who is this super skinny guy? He looks like he auditioned for a part in a scarecrow model!"
"Bwahaha indeed, he is so fucking ugly!"
"Why does Jonny look like he just heard his mother-in-law is coming for dinner. He was deathly scared of this skinny man..."
Not only were the gangsters shocked, but so was Noah. A minute ago, he was frightening enough to help Emma on her own.
But now? His confidence begins to surface from his heart as he realizes something.
'This is my ability, right!? My negotiation ability...'
Suddenly, hope appeared in Noah's heart. He walked faster, approaching Emma, who now looked shocked at him.
Through Emma's gaze, Noah noticed that she was silently urging him to escape that place. He merely smiled back at her, choosing to ignore her silent plea.
Noah turned to see the Gangster. Before he could speak, the man interrupted him.
"S-Sir, who are you?" the scar-faced Gangster asked again, his tone still polite as he stood before Noah as if addressing his boss.
"My name isn't important. What's important now is that you and your friend come to this place, injuring a few people. I've already called the police, and they will arrive soon to capture all of you..."
Noah paused, gazing at the Gangster before him, who looked shocked and panicked. He felt pleased that his negotiation ability was helping him now.
He placed his hand on Emma's back and gently patted it.
Leaning closer, he whispered, "We will be alright, Emma. Hang in there..."