Chapter 4

The crisp, loud slap exploded through the empty exhibition hall.

The entire world seemed to fall silent in that moment.

Michelle was stunned.

On her beautiful face, at a speed visible to the naked eye, five clear fingerprints appeared.

She covered her face, her eyes full of disbelief.

She probably never dreamed that I, who had once obeyed her every word and never dared to raise my voice, would actually dare to hit her.

I didn't stop. I turned toward Collins, who stood there in shock, and backhanded him with an equally loud slap!

Smack!

Collins screamed and staggered from my blow, crashing into the display case behind him.

I shook my hand, which was tingling from the excessive force, and the pent-up anger in my chest seemed to find an outlet in that moment.

I pointed at them and roared with all my strength, word by word:

"You are not fit to be citizens!"

My resistance, like two resounding slaps, struck not only their faces but completely tore away the last shred of Michelle's pretense at dignity.

After a brief moment of shock came overwhelming fury.

"Howard!" She covered her face, her eyes vicious, as if she would pounce and devour me alive the next second. "How dare you hit me?!"

"I see you really don't want to work in this industry anymore!"

She pulled out her phone, roughly swiping open the screen, and right in front of me, dialed a number.

The moment the call connected, she roared into the receiver, her voice filled with the rage of being offended and vicious determination.

"Mom! It's me! I'm having some trouble at the National Museum!"

"Yes, some man who doesn't know his place offended Collins and hit me! Call the Cultural Affairs Bureau leadership right now and have him fired immediately!"

She sneered, approaching me step by step, threatening me in an ice-cold voice:

"I can not only get you fired immediately, I can make sure you never get ahead in the entire museum and heritage circle! Howard, do you believe me?"

"Now, kneel down and apologize to Collins!"

"Otherwise, face the consequences!"

With Michelle backing him up, Collins immediately snapped out of his earlier panic, his arrogance flaring up again.

He rubbed his swollen cheek, his resentful gaze sweeping over me before finally landing on the museum's crown jewel at the center of the hall, protected independently by bulletproof glass.

A nearly insane light suddenly flashed in Collins's eyes.

"You say this is real? You say all of this is real?" He laughed shrilly, like a madman, suddenly rushing toward that display platform. "Fine! I'll smash this too! Let's see how you keep up this act! Let's see what you tell your Dr. Kane!"

This was no longer simple destruction. This was insane revenge!

"Don't you dare!" My eyes nearly split with rage, all the blood in my body rushing to my head in that moment.

I had no time to think. My body reacted before my brain could.

I lunged over like a madman, spreading my arms wide, using my flesh and blood to protect that display platform, standing between him and the cultural relic.

"Get out of the way!" Collins had completely lost his reason.

He reached out and shoved hard at my body, trying to push me aside so he could knock over that silver pot.

In that critical moment, when my heart was about to leap out of my chest—

"Bang!"

The heavy door of the exhibition hall was violently pushed open from outside by a tremendous force.

"Freeze! Police! Everyone put your hands up!"