"Boss, why are you so worried?" his assistant asked. "That's Mr. Neal of the Neal Group in there. If he dies here, it won't just be the Neal family; even Ms. Yates won't let me off the hook," Sean casually replied, seeming indifferent but evidently worried. More importantly, it was only after much difficulty that he agreed to trade with him. Sean had done his part, but Joshua's life was now hanging by a thread. This was not looking like a good deal for him. After a short while... A doctor came out of the room, a thin layer of sweat visible on his forehead. "How is it?" Sean asked. "The situation is critical. His body temperature won't drop, he's lost too much blood, and the bullet is too close to the heart. We dare not remove it rashly," the doctor informed him truthfully. "Is there no hope?" Sean asked a blunt question. The doctor carefully considered his words and said, "There is still hope. "If we can get in touch with Dr. Yves Scott, known as the Hand of God, he mig
Just as Cynthia was about to turn off her computer and freshen up, her phone began to ring. She looked at the screen, saw it was Sean, and answered, "Hello?" Sean paused when he heard her voice. That sound? It seemed oddly familiar. "K?" Sean questioned, as he always did first. "It's me," Cynthia replied, her tone indifferent. "I received your email. Meeting is no problem, and you can set the time and place. However, right now, I have a situation that I could use your help with if it's convenient," Sean said, cutting straight to the point, In Sean's experience, K was a person who liked to get to the point. She would not cheat or trap others, which was why he spoke so straightforwardly. In the past, Cynthia would not have agreed. However, thinking about the deal Joshua had with him, she decided to listen. "Go on." "There's a man on my side who has been shot. The bullet is very close to his heart, and he's also running a high fever. The doctors don't dare to operate casuall
The exchange between the two was brief. Once Cynthia ended the call, she forwarded the address through WhatsApp, then started her car to pick him up. The car windows remained open throughout the journey. The icy wind blasting served to sharpen her senses, helping her realize that, during a crisis, she could not always maintain perfect calm and vigilance. In normal times, she would have noticed if something were off with Joshua, even if he merely had a fever. This time, however, his gunshot wound had eluded her detection entirely. It now made sense why he had been urging her to leave, insisting he had matters to attend to. Cynthia could not quite pinpoint her emotions; guilt, regret, and anxiety all of them plagued her. She understood why Joshua would go to such lengths and chose to conceal the truth from her. However, to her, nothing from their past warranted him risking his life. After all, she had already forgiven him. Carrying the weight of this emotional turmoil, Cynthia acce
When Yves spoke to him, his tone was cold. "You can refuse. Nobody's forcing you." Sean felt a surge of frustration in his heart. He was sorely tempted to fling the paper and pen in Yves' face and assertively declare, 'I refuse.' However, he understood the consequences of such rash actions; if Joshua were to suffer any harm, all the effort he had put into his transaction would be in vain. It was not an option. "Could you possibly reduce the amount?" He began to negotiate with him, his tone unusually civil. "One billion in other currencies?" With a swift motion, Yves snatched the paper from his hand. He sauntered away lazily, evidently uninterested in continuing the conversation. "I'll sign!" Sean found himself cornered. "Ten seconds left. It's void if you run overtime." Yves handed back the paper, still half-asleep. Sean seethed internally. One day, he vowed, he would make this guy cough up everything he had swallowed. His signature found its place on the documen
As the door closed behind him, effectively isolating Yves from Sean, Cynthia secured the contract and took a seat in the hallway outside the operating room. She did not ask Sean about Joshua's condition. If it were not severe, he would not have paid such a hefty sum to negotiate with Yves. Requesting Yves's help was a sign of dire circumstances. As she waited, Sean approached and sat down beside her. Neither spoke for a while. Eventually, Sean turned to her and asked, "What's your relationship with Yves?" "Friends," came Cynthia's succinct response. "With benefits?" "No." "Then why did he bring you here?" Sean's heart tightened bit by bit. His expression was as unruffled as ever, giving the appearance of idle chit-chat. At this late hour, a man and a woman alone together would certainly raise eyebrows. Moreover, Yves, as reclusive as he was, would not have kept company unless it was someone important to him. It indicated that when Sean had contacted Yves, he was w
"What are his chances of being okay?" Cynthia asked. Yves did not withhold the truth from her. "Less than 0.1%." His words plunged Cynthia into an abyss. Less than 0.1%... This meant that Joshua would either end up in a vegetative state or suffer from a host of issues due to severe damage to his central nervous system. The thought was hard for her to accept, and she knew it would be even harder for Old Man Neal and the rest of them. They loved Joshua in their own way, despite their occasional disagreements. "Do not worry too much. Sean is a top expert in this field. With his previous research, there's a chance Joshua will be fine," Yves said, talking more than usual during their conversation. Cynthia remained silent. Indeed, Sean was highly accomplished in the fields of psychiatry and neurology, but she was deeply worried about Joshua's condition. Sean, standing not too far off, was watching them discuss. He let out a sigh and walked over. "Thanks for everything you've done
At the sound of his voice, Cynthia turned to look at him. "How is he?" she asked. "He's past the critical stage. The good news is that he won't end up in a vegetative state. However, the bad news is that his central nervous damage might result in various symptoms, including but not limited to those mentioned by Yves," Sean reported, sounding more serious than before. Cynthia felt as though her heart was being crushed. "When will he wake up?" "In a day or two. Get the consent form signed in the meantime. Once he wakes up, I can transfer him to my place. The facilities there are more advance and conducive to his treatment," Sean replied. "Okay," Cynthia agreed. Seeing that she was still standing there, Sean lifted an eyebrow. "You should go. Any further delay may affect his optimal recovery time." "I'd like to see him one more time." Cynthia expressed her wishes. Sean allowed her to. Cynthia entered the room. Joshua's eyes were closed, his face pallid. He lacked his usu
Felix did not know what to say. He put the newspaper on the table next to him, stood up, and said, "I'll go cut some fruit for you." "Off you go," Old Man Neal replied dismissively. Felix then left with his phone. He went to the yard before calling Cynthia back. His tone was always slow and composed, carrying an air of elegance and calm. "Cynthia." "Uncle Felix." "I'm alone now. Daphne isn't here," Felix told her. He was always kind to Cynthia. Cynthia initially had a lot to say, yet at this moment, she lacked the courage to speak up. Both Felix and Daphne were such good people. If she were to bring them this devastating news, she was afraid they could not take it well. "What's wrong?" Felix's voice came through the phone again. "Could I meet with you? It's not something I can explain easily," Cynthia asked, finding it more challenging than ever to articulate her thoughts. Felix, being the intelligent man he was, listened to her tone and what she said, guessing, "Did