Five hundred million. Such a hefty reward certainly piqued Darnell’s interest.
He instructed Jefferson to schedule a meeting with Mrs. Egerton while asking Tia to gather information on Luis and the kidnappers.
The reason he assigned this task to Phoenix Squad was that Darnell had discovered through Tia’s map-making that her intelligence-gathering skills were far more valuable than her combat abilities.
Besides, Darnell didn’t want such a beautiful woman to live a life of violence.
He also asked Garrett to select ten individuals to assist Phoenix Squad. This would not only provide Tia with more help to gather comprehensive information but also allow the Brigade of Light to learn something from Phoenix Squad.
With Darnell’s command, both the Brigade of Light and Phoenix Squad sprang into action, showcasing their vibrant energy.
After finishing breakfast, Darnell hopped into his Lamborghini, pressed the accelerator, and left Woodsea-he still had to go to work.
However, before heading to work, Darnell made a trip to the hospital. He wanted to check on Weston and his grandmother’s condition and see if he could offer any assistance.
On the way to the hospital, Darnell opened his car’s computer and started reading through several messages on his phone.
The first was from Areli, asking where Darnell had gone. She said if he didn’t return to the office soon, she wouldn’t give him his commission.
The second was a report from Callum stating that after Valentin suffered a setback, he had been hiding at headquarters, and the other branches of the Axe were on high alert, with many businesses shut down.
He heard that Rex was aware of the Axe’s major defeat and would be flying back to Whiteville tomorrow to take charge, bringing along a group of unknown but skilled individuals from abroad.
A clash between the Axe and the Apex was imminent.
The third message was from Gisselle, informing him that the beggar territory in the bookstore was managed by a team called “Five Souleaters” under Pierce, with details sent to his email.
As for the young beggar, there was still no news.
The fourth was system feedback, stating that the message he sent to Judith had failed to deliver.
The fifth was a reminder from Kendra, advising him to be cautious in the coming days. The Peel family was furious about Omar Ridsdale’s injury and vowed to hunt down the pig-masked bandit and bull-masked bandit.
The last message was from Karlee, who had been grounded by her family for a month and wanted Darnell to rescue her. Otherwise, she would have to marry another man…
Darnell let out a chuckle as he quickly replied to these messages. Just as he finished, his car arrived at Whiteville Hospital.
After stepping out of the car, Darnell bought a fruit basket and then inquired about Weston and his grandmother’s hospital room. Following the nurse’s directions, he took the elevator upstairs.
On the twelfth floor, Darnell soon found himself at the door of Room 8. Just as he was about to knock, he heard a trembling voice from inside.
“Weston, don’t treat me anymore. Don’t waste money. I can’t be saved.”
The elderly voice was filled with sorrow. “After so many years of treatment, there hasn’t been any improvement. Continuing is just wasting money and torturing me to the point of wishing for death.”
“I really want to die quickly. Besides, if I die, I can ease your burden. Otherwise, I’ll drag you down with me.”
“Look, Monica has already broken up with you because I made her see no hope.”
Weston softly replied, “Grandma, don’t think too much. You will get better.”
The old woman seemed to understand her situation. “I can’t get better. It’s cancer. No matter how you treat it, it’s just prolonging my life for a few days. It’s meaningless.”
“You shouldn’t have saved me yesterday. Otherwise, I would have peacefully passed away by now. If I die, you’ll have one less burden, and maybe Monica will come back to you.”
“Nowadays, it’s not easy to find a wife. You shouldn’t have to remain single because of me, a useless person.”
Weston held the old woman’s hand and firmly shook his head. “Grandma, you can’t think like that. You can’t be so negative. Weren’t I once a useless person?”
“I messed up my brain because of a high fever and, couldn’t even speak like a normal person. Everyone else abandoned me, but you picked me up and helped me get well.”
Weston’s expression was more determined than ever. “You didn’t give up on me despite the difficulties back then, so how could I abandon you now?”
“If I were lying here with cancer, would you just watch me die? You wouldn’t, so I won’t let you…”
The old woman’s eyes filled with tears. “You’re such a foolish child.”
Weston squeezed the old woman’s hand tightly and then added softly, “Also, Monica didn’t leave me because of you.”
“She fell for a rich man and found out that our house was set for demolition, and since my job wasn’t great, she broke up with me. This really has nothing to do with you.”
“What do you mean it has nothing to do with me?”
The old woman sighed, “If I die, I won’t be a burden to you. You’ll have the demolition compensation, which, though not much, will still be around two million. That’s more than enough to marry a wife.”
“But my existence, the medication I need every day, the chemotherapy every month-who wouldn’t be afraid of that? Even if Monica is considerate, she would still be scared…”
Weston felt helpless. “Grandma, it really has nothing to do with you.”
“Alright, stop talking. It’s early in the morning. You woke me up!”
At that moment, another old man suddenly sat up in the other bed in the room. He looked to be in his sixties, also dressed in a hospital gown, but adorned with gold chains around his neck, ears, and wrists.
His face had few wrinkles, his expression was sharp, and he had an unapproachable demeanor.
Now, the arrogant old man was looking at Weston and his grandmother with disdain. “The hospital is for people who have money. What are you poor folks doing here?”
“Look at you two in your pitiful state. You’ll either skip out on the bill or cause a ruckus.”
He scoffed, “I hate being around you poor people. If it weren’t for the lack of rooms last night, I wouldn’t be caught dead in this shared room.”
Weston glanced at the clock on the wall and then at the arrogant old man, wanting to argue back. But his grandmother squeezed his hand, shaking her head to prevent him from causing trouble, and then addressed the old man, “I’m sorry. It’s our fault for disturbing you. Don’t worry. We’ll speak quietly from now on.”
The haughty old man had been admitted last night at ten, and he had a bad temper. He could shout and cause a scene over small matters, yet he would flip out if anyone else made noise.
In fact, if anything bothered him, he’d urgently call for the nurse. Last night at two a. m., he had even summoned a nurse to massage his aching feet.
Outside, Darnell was about to step in when he heard the haughty old man yelling, causing him to pause. He felt a strange familiarity and, upon taking a glance, recognized the man.
It was the arrogant old man from the bus-the one whom Darnell had tricked with a condom.
It truly was a small world after all!
Darnell hadn’t expected this old man to end up in the hospital, and by coincidence, be sharing a room with Weston’s grandmother, still as arrogant as ever.
After a moment of thought, Darnell took out a pair of sunglasses and put them on, not wanting to be recognized by the old man to avoid causing trouble for Weston’s grandmother.
“Speak quietly?”
Hearing the grandmother’s apology, the haughty old man sneered, “If I were as poor as you, I wouldn’t even be embarrassed to speak.”
“But don’t worry. My private room will be ready today. By noon at the latest, I’ll be saying goodbye to you poor folks.”
Weston’s grandmother remained silent, holding Weston’s hand and shaking her head. She didn’t want Weston to stir up any trouble.
“Good morning, Weston.”
At that moment, Darnell, who had been standing outside the door, smiled and knocked as he entered. “I’m here to visit your grandmother.”