He originally expected to receive funding and support from BioPharm if his PB prototype had been approved, but the presentation turned out to be a nightmare. 

He had thought of looking for help from his friends’ family yesterday when he was lying in bed but dropped that idea within seconds. He knew Craig’s family sold jewelry as well as herbs, and Matt’s family focused on mines in the country. None of their family seemed to be specializing in Biomedical Engineering. So why would they fund him? 

Just as he was thinking hard, a knock at his door jolted him out of his reverie.

"Yes?"

"May I enter?" Carol asked merrily.

He quickly packed the pieces as they were not ready for use. And, giving false hope to his aunt was the last thing on his agenda. 

He opened the door, and Carol walked in with a big smile on her face, hiding something behind her. 

"Here is my birthday boy?"

"My! Is that a gift for your dear nephew?" Daniel asked, sounding mischievous and excited.

 "Open it!" Carol beamed with pleasure.

And in response to that, Daniel quickly opened the small box, revealing a stunning office tie.

"You should wear it to work every day, my future biomedical engineer," she whispered, kissing him on the cheek.

Daniel was hit by a wave of emotions. He could tell she had spent a lot of her small savings on the tie, whereas he had just got himself fired.

"Thank you aunt, I really appreciate it," he said as he hugged her.

He hurriedly packed it and said his goodbyes in a hurry. The tie had given him the jumpstart he needed to fight for their well-being. Being fired wasn’t the end of it, he needed to give it another try to convince the CEO. If he failed again, he still had Plan B and a less practical Plan C, which he had just come up with.

Leaving the family house, Daniel went straight to Biopharm, to catch the CEO. He would try his best to explain the setback and his new invention. His insulin device required funding and there was still a chance. 

He arrived at the company just as the CEO was leaving. He rushed up to him but was stopped by the guards.

"Sir... I need to speak with you?" He pleaded at the top of his lungs. 

If the CEO demanded that he kneel, he would without a second thought. What more would he lose anyway?

Josh Hamilton, CEO of Biopharm, immediately turned around. He recognized Daniel, and ordered., 

"Allow him through."

"Thank you, sir," Daniel said in relief, thinking the man had probably softened his heart and was more reasonable.

"Sir, I was set up,...," Daniel stated as he walked up to the man.

"How dare you show your stupid face here! You are a cheater and a thief!" The man interrupted rudely as if the only reason he agreed to let him through was to scorn him in person a second time. His voice echoed with hate and disgust as he continued, "Go back to Martin and lick his balls in exchange for some more cheap coins. If I see your pitiful face, here again, I'll make sure you spend the rest of your useless life locked up on trapped-up charges." 

“Boy, you should be grateful that I didn’t sue you. GO, before I change my mind!” With a final warning as he pointed Daniel in the nose, the CEO walked away.

Plan A failed! Daniel sighed deeply. 

He could only watch as the man entered his limousine as it sped away, almost hitting him. He had to move an inch just to avoid being hit. All the confidence and hope he had gathered to explain himself was watched off by the degrading comments.

Phew! Waving aside his embarrassment, Daniel couldn’t help but wonder what that Martin had done to the CEO. He could see clearly by now that the CEO’s hatred toward Martin was apparently so huge that he wasn’t even given an opportunity to finish a single sentence.

And Daniel was more certain than ever that his supervisor had made sure to get rid of him. As he went back to attend the afternoon class, he cursed inwardly and vowed to take revenge on him if he had the chance. 

_____________________________________________________

As night began to fall, Carol Lane, closed her vending stand. It was already late, and the majority of her fellow vendors had gone home. She had hoped to make some last-minute sales from the late-night tourists. She was still able to make some money given her condition, but not nearly enough.

She worked in vending and sold small accessories like bracelets, earrings, and necklaces that she handcrafted using her own sewing machine.

Because the city received a large number of tourists during this time of year, business was usually brisk. So she set a goal for herself every day. She was hoping to go home with her target but came short. She was overworking herself, but her job entailed nothing more than sitting and waiting for customers.

She finished up packing and was rolling her wheel stand homeward when she was stopped by a tall figure. Her heart stopped for a beat thinking she was being mugged, but the expensive shoes and familiar nauseating cologne had her almost spitting.

She looked up to see George Meyers, who was smiling down at her as if they were supposed to be friends.

As her skin crawled, her mouth thinned with displeasure. She had no trouble concealing her annoyance. The man always made her want to vomit at his mare sight.

"Good day, Carol. I was in the neighborhood and considered purchasing one of your bracelets."

"I am closed, please leave," she exclaimed coldly, trying her best to keep her manners.

"Carol, being rude to customers is unacceptable. Perhaps you should work on your customer service skills." George laughed teasingly. Watching people getting angry and desperate without any solutions was one of his greatest hobbies.

Carol studied him with unforgiving judgment. She knew had come once again to ask for her to sell the family house. She also knew very well what he really wanted, since he too, was looking for that THING, but how could she give in?

Thanks to the rumors her father, Daniel’s grandfather, had spread long ago, none of them outsiders knew exactly what that THING was, nor what it looked like, apart from the grapevine that it was precious in certain ways and was somehow inserted into the house foundation. Over the years, she had had time to hide whatever they were chasing after so that his nephew could inherit when the time comes. 

"Like I said the last time you showed up, I'm not selling my house," she said firmly, grabbing the stand and trying to wheel it away, but he stopped her with force, and almost sent her to the ground.

“Let’s talk, shall we? Before I run out of patience.” George came close and whispered grimly in Carol’s ears, “You’re old and unafraid, but your nephew, Daniel, is still young.”

"You! You! Get the hell out of my way!" She glared at him, breathing heavily with irritation. Her heart, pounding faster every minute.