Andrew only furrowed his brow and gave a cynical look to the man. His right hand continued pressing the old man's jaw, while his other hand now rubbed the chest.
The seemingly absurd action then brought about a miracle. The old man's eyes suddenly opened, and he began breathing rapidly.
"Hey, he did it! He saved the old man!"
Applause filled the air, directed at Andrew. Everyone seemed amazed by the miracle that had occurred for the old man. Andrew extended his hand before the old man and said, "Come on, Sir, let me help you stand, and we can find shelter over there."
The old man smiled and nodded. His frail hand reached out to grasp Andrew's hand. Andrew supported his body towards the bench where he had previously placed his belongings.
"Ah, please have a seat. How do you feel now, Sir?"
The old man looked at Andrew with teary eyes and said, "Thank you for saving me. I believe that if you weren't here, I might have met my ancestors in heck."
"Don't mention it. I just happened to be around, and when I saw you lying weak, I did my best to save you."
"My body feels much better now, I haven't felt this refreshed in a long time. You're amazing, young man."
The sound of a car horn then echoed. A luxurious car was parked by the side of the road in front of Andrew and the old man sitting on the bench.
"Ah, my car has arrived. By the way, what's your name?" the old man asked.
"Andrew, Sir."
"Okay, Andrew. I want you to accept this gift." The old man pulled out a check from his jacket and handed it to Andrew.
The amount of $500,000 was written on the white piece of paper, astonishing Andrew beyond belief.
"Is he crazy? This is not a small amount of money!" Andrew murmured to himself.
"Take it. Perhaps this amount is not equivalent to what you have done to save my life. "
Andrew shook his head and said, "Thank you, Sir, but that’s not necessary."
"You're kind, Andrew. Are you really can’t to accept this?"
Andrew picked up the box containing his belongings and stood up. "No, Sir. Perhaps you can keep it or give it to someone else who needs it more than I do. "
The old man's eyes filled with tears as he watched Andrew walk away. A suited man stepped out of the car and approached the old man.
The old man's expression, which had been weak and pleading, suddenly changed completely after Andrew left.
His gaze turned sharp, and his body and face tightened. He smiled and said to his guard, "I want you to find out all information of that man. "
His guard nodded. Afterward, he got back into the car and drove off quickly, passing by Andrew who was still walking on the sidewalk.
**
"Ah, it has been such a long and exhausting day."
Andrew flopped onto his bed as soon as he arrived home. His mind was still preoccupied with the check given by the old man earlier.
"Damn, if only I had the courage to accept it, I might be out of town on vacation by now."
Andrew's phone vibrated, indicating a low battery. The wallpaper displayed a cozy picture of himself and Nadine.
"I never expected her to leave too. So many things happened today."
Andrew reached for his neck, although the necklace was no longer visible, he could still feel something encircling his neck.
"Let me find out what it is first."
Latest Chapter
588
The flickering neon lights outside 'The Rusty Anchor' reflected off the rain puddles, creating distorted shadows on Andrew’s face. He pulled his hoodie lower. It felt strange walking among the people he usually ignored. Now, he was one of them—the invisible debris of the city.His back still throbbed from the strikes of Orlando’s silver cane, and every step he took sent a jolt of pain through his fractured ribs. However, that physical agony was nothing compared to the cold, frozen rage solidifying in his chest.Andrew stopped in front of an old electronics shop displaying a dozen televisions in the window. Every single one broadcasted the same face: Elena."Further evidence has been uncovered regarding Andrew’s involvement in money laundering through his humanitarian foundation," the news anchor’s voice echoed through the quiet street. "Orlando Smith, currently serving as interim CEO, has promised full transparency. Meanwhile, Andrew’s whereabouts remain unknown. Police warn that he i
587
The rain over the industrial zone was thick with the scent of rusted metal and sea salt. Inside the warehouse, the air was stagnant, smelling of antiseptic and decay. Andrew stood before a cracked mirror in the small bathroom of the bunker, staring at the stranger looking back at him.His face was a map of purple bruises and jagged cuts. His ribs were bound so tightly with bandages that every breath felt like a shallow struggle. But it was his eyes that troubled him most. The vibrant, electric blue that usually pulsed with the energy of the necklace had faded into a dull, flat grey. He reached for his chest, touching the blackened stone. It felt like a cold piece of coal, dead and unresponsive."Boss, the van is ready," Viper’s voice echoed from the hallway. "But I still think this is a mistake. You’re in no condition to be on the streets."Andrew stepped out, leaning heavily against the doorframe. He was wearing a grease-stained hoodie and oversized cargo pants—the kind of clothes he
586
Viper pushed the black van through the outskirts of the city, weaving through traffic and mounting curbs whenever necessary. In the back, Andrew lay sprawled on the floor, his breath coming in jagged hitches. His chest felt like it was being hollowed out by fire. Every time he tried to tap into the energy of the necklace, a cold, viscous pain stabbed at his heart. The seal was absolute."Hang on, Boss," Viper growled, swerving the wheel toward a derelict industrial zone near the docks. "We’re almost at 'The Hole'."'The Hole' was an old warehouse Andrew had converted into an emergency medical bunker years ago. He had built it using untraceable cash—no bank records, no digital footprints, and completely hidden from Elena’s oversight.As the van’s sliding doors hissed open, two medics in nameless black scrubs immediately pulled Andrew onto a gurney."Status?" one of the medics asked sharply."Internal bleeding, fractured ribs in three places, and... something supernatural has choked his
585
The heavy oak doors of the Chief Surgeon’s office felt like the gates of a tomb. Inside, Andrewlay collapsed on the floor, his fingers twitching toward the obsidian-black pendant resting on hischest. Every breath was a jagged blade in his lungs. The Essence of the Black Shackle,activated by Elena’s herbal "vitality" drink, was doing its work—weaving a web of necroticenergy around his meridians, strangling the very source of his power.Orlando stood over him, his expensive Italian leather shoes inches from Andrew’s face. Hereached down and gripped Andrew’s hair, forcing his head up."Look at you," Orlando sneered,, his eyes dancing with a manic light. "The great Andrew. TheKing of the City. The man who thought he could erase the Smith name with a few signaturesand a flashy suit. You look like a dying dog, Andrew."Andrew tried to speak, but only a thick, metallic-tasting bile rose in his throat. He looked pastOrlando to Elena. She stood by the window, her silhouette sharp again
584
Andrew woke up with a cold sweat drenching his silk sheets. His heart was hammering against his ribs—a sensation he hadn’t felt since he first mastered the inner breathing techniques of the ancient necklace. Normally, the energy from the artifact would soothe his nerves even in the deepest sleep, but tonight, he felt as if a thousand-ton weight was crushing his chest.He glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table. 4:30 AM. The dawn had not yet touched the city’s skyline, but unease had already gripped his soul. Andrew sat up, attempting to summon a flicker of energy to clear his mind. However, as he tried to circulate the power through his meridians, he hit a wall. It felt like trying to force water through pipes filled with thick, freezing sludge."Something is wrong," he whispered into the darkness.He reached beneath his shirt, clutching the necklace. The metal was cold—far too cold. Usually, the yellow gemstone emitted a faint, comforting warmth that synchronized with his h
583
The skyline of the metropolis shimmered under the moonlight, a sprawling sea of electric diamonds that seemed to bow before the penthouse of the Celestial Tower. Inside, Andrew stood by the floor-to-ceiling glass window, a glass of vintage scotch in his hand. He wasn't the same man who had been humiliated in a cramped office years ago. His curly brown hair was neatly trimmed, and his blue eyes, once filled with desperation, now held the cold, piercing depth of an ancient ocean.The necklace—the source of his god-like power—rested silently beneath his silk shirt. He could feel its pulse, a rhythmic thrum of energy that connected him to the very atoms of the city. To the world, Andrew was the untouchable sovereign of the Smith-William conglomerate. He had crushed his enemies, healed the incurable, and amassed a fortune that could buy nations."Everything looks small from up here, doesn't it?"A soft voice broke his contemplation. Andrew didn't need to turn around to know it was Elena, h
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Reader Comments
the necklace was there but maybe invisible how interesting
this was a miracle indeed when one door closes the other one opens
spicy and interesting ...