Chapter 269 - 269 - The Reason
Pedro lay on a sterile white hospital bed, his body entangled in a web of wires. Several doctors hovered nearby, scrutinizing the myriad of screens before them, searching for any lingering lacerations or internal injuries that might have escaped initial detection.
They checked everywhere they needed to check and doubled it again for near perfect recovery. They double checked like this because they had to as the person was specially admitted here using connections.
After a moment, they exchanged knowing glances before the lead doctor finally spoke. "Well then, Mr. Pedro, it appears that your injuries have fully mended. You're as good as new."
Pedro, still reclined on the bed, cast an irritated look at the doctor. "See! I told you— and those other guys too, who kept poking and prodding me— that I was completely fine."
The doctors fell silent, struggling to decipher his irritation. The lead doctor, however, shook his head and responded, "Mr. Pedro, you arrived here with 80 fractured bones and extensive internal injuries. You were far from fine."
Pedro dismissed the doctor's words with a wave of his hand. "I know you're saying all that just because you had to do some routine checks. Don't worry, I won't spill the beans to anyone, okay?" He concluded with a subtle nod.
The doctor and his assistants exchanged wary glances, questioning whether Pedro might be suffering from some mental affliction. The doctor sighed, fully aware of Pedro's 'Special' status, as he had been briefed beforehand and had sensed it as well. Nonetheless, neither he nor his colleagues uttered anything that might upset Pedro, especially given the generous compensation they were receiving.
They gave Pedro one last, lingering look before turning to leave without another word. But before they could exit, Pedro reached out and grabbed the doctor's hand.
"Hey, Doc."
The doctor turned back. "Yes?"
"Could you do me a small favor?"
The doctor nodded.
"Could you contact my bos— I mean, my workplace— and ask them to call me or come here? I need to discuss something urgent with them. Make sure they know it's urgent." The doctor saw the insistence in Pedro's eyes and nodded before he and the other doctors departed.
Pedro lay back down, closing his eyes with a sigh, and murmured to himself, "Yeah, I knew I was fine."
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Not long after, the sound of the door opening caught Pedro's attention. He spoke up, "So, have you called them or—"
Pedro fell silent as William entered the room, accompanied by Delmar. His face broke into a wide smile. "Boss! I didn't expect you to visit me personally."
William settled into a comfortable chair while Delmar locked the door and activated a silencing machine. After receiving a confirming nod from Delmar, William spoke. "Well, I heard that you were in pretty bad shape, so as your boss, it was my duty to come and see you."
Pedro's smile grew broader. "Ahh! You really are an exemplary boss. You pay me well for simple work, give me ample vacation time, and you're against overworking your employees. I'm really grateful to work under you, boss."
"It's nothing," William replied, shaking his head modestly.
"But, Boss," Pedro continued, "I'm not injured. They're just saying that because—" He leaned in conspiratorially, lowering his voice. "The doctors are trying to make a little extra cash for themselves. But they're good people, so please don't mention any of this to anyone."
William exchanged a glance with Delmar, who merely shrugged. He then looked back at Pedro, momentarily unsure how to respond. Ultimately, he decided to let it go, recalling Delmar's earlier comments about how 'Special' Pedro was.
"Alright then, if that's what you believe. I won't say a word," William assured him, and Pedro nodded in gratitude.
"I also heard that you're an exemplary employee— someone who never takes time off and doesn't ask for more money, even when putting in extra work."
Despite Pedro's quirks, he was indeed a diligent worker who excelled in his role. That's why, even though he was somewhat unconventional, Delmar had thought it wise to assign him important tasks.
Pedro nodded. "Yes, boss. I believe that people should work diligently without being greedy for more money when they do extra."
William nodded, sensing the sincerity in his words.
"Your perspective is admirable. If only more employees shared your unique—" William paused, correcting himself, "—your exceptional work ethic, it would greatly benefit the company."
Pedro smiled. "Thanks for the compliment, boss, but I don't think I really deserve them."
William's demeanor grew serious, sensing it was time to address the real issue. "So… I heard you wanted to tell me something urgent?"
Pedro nodded. "Yes, I did. And it's even better that you're here in person because it concerns you directly."
William raised an eyebrow and gestured for him to continue.
"Well, boss, when I received the information about the shopping complex, I knew it was a trap. But I went anyway, knowing that." His words caused both William and Delmar to exchange surprised looks, but they stayed quiet, letting him continue.
"I actually got the intel from an employee at a rival bank, someone I've been in contact with for several months to gather useful information. He's the one who tipped me off about some properties that were in trouble—deep in debt—which made them easy targets for acquisition."
"But I always paid the fair market value, even if they were in financial distress."
William nodded approvingly. "Yes, that's commendable. No matter how desperate a person might be, you should always pay them what their property is worth, maybe even a little more, so they feel grateful."
Pedro nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's what I believe too. And because of that approach, I stumbled upon something important."
"There was a guy I approached to buy his small coffee shop, which was struggling against the bigger chains. He told me that the information I had was bogus and that the guy who gave it to me had turned double agent."
William and Delmar processed this information, and Delmar asked, "So why did you go there, knowing it was a trap?"
"Well… even though I suspected it was a trap, I needed to confirm it. I needed to know who was behind it. And when I went, I finally discovered the truth."
Delmar leaned in, speaking quietly, "Who was it?"
"It was Mr. Hin He from the Vilet Boeil Bank. When I arrived at the shopping complex, a group of men surrounded me almost immediately. Once they had me, I saw Mr. He step forward."
"He approached me, laughing, and said, 'So, you're the bastard who's been siphoning off our accounts. Because of you, we've lost hundreds of thousands of dollars that we could have made by fleecing those pitiful fools.'"
"He went on for a while, but then he said something that piqued my interest. He said, 'Even though the girl has bad skills and moans… she's skilled at extracting information from suckers. If it weren't for her, we'd still be searching for you while you bled our accounts dry.'"
"After that, he threw a few more insults at me before tossing me into a van, and… well, you know the rest."