Chapter 3 Total Annihilation

• The whole room went ballistic!
• No one, not a single soul, had anticipated Sydney would pick that broke-ass Chase, who looked like he walked off a dusty farm!
• Hugh and Hailey high-fived each other with sly grins plastered on their faces. This mess was all their handiwork, a calculated move to shove Sydney into the pits of despair!
• Old Mr. Saffer's battle with ALS was a well-known tragedy, a puzzle that had left countless renowned doctors baffled.
• The conniving father-daughter duo, ever the opportunists, twisted this tragedy to their advantage.
• They deliberately designed the third test as curing ALS - a seemingly noble task but utterly impossible.
• This would allow them to manipulate the situation further, giving Sydney the "freedom" to choose any husband she desired.
• On the surface, everything appeared logical, following a twisted sense of propriety. But the real problem? None of the potential husbands they had picked for Sydney were even remotely decent, let alone worthy marriage material!
• Sydney never wanted to be part of this "prospective groom competition" in the first place. Now, they were forcing her to pick a spouse herself. It was heartless, utterly cruel, even ruthless!
• Just then, Hugh boomed, " "Let's give a warm welcome to the one chosen by our dear Sydney – Chase!"
• And with that, the farce was over.
• After the other participants had dispersed, Chase approached Dr. Pearson and said, "Hold on a second, Dr. Pearson. I couldn't help noticing that none of these treatment plans have been tried on the patient yet. How do you know they don't work?
• Dr. Pearson's face darkened at Chase's inquiry.
• The third round was a complete sham; of course, he hadn't bothered looking at any of those treatment plans.
• However, admitting that directly wasn't an option. Dr. Pearson dodged the question. "Well," he said, "Old Mr. Saffer's condition was previously assessed by Dr. Sam Baylor, a renowned and distinguished physician. Even he couldn't find a cure. You really think some random doctor could do any better?"
• Dr. Baylor was a highly respected and well-known physician with a history of treating prominent political figures. In Dr. Pearson's opinion, if even Dr. Baylor couldn't address Old Mr. Saffer's ALS, no one else could.
• Chase, however, scoffed at that idea. He didn't recognize the name Dr. Baylor, nor did he care. He'd studied the heck out of ALS and was confident he could cure the old man.
• "Wait up," Chase declared, "I can cure Old Mr. Saffer's ALS."
• Being the new son-in-law, Chase figured he might as well offer a hand.
• His words turned all heads in the room.
• No one expected, after even the well-known Dr. Baylor couldn't do anything for Mr. Saffer's ALS, that some random young dude would have the guts to say he could cure it.
• After a brief silence, everyone burst into derisive laughter.
• "Sydney, your husband is quite the character," Hailey snickered, her hand covering her mouth. He couldn't even handle this illness, yet he dares to boast of a cure! Where did he pick up such bravado?"
• "Hmph! Such arrogance!" Eric added, not bothering to hide his disdain.
• Sydney looked at Chase, disappointment clouding her eyes. With limited options—excluding those with poor reputations—she had chosen Chase because there were no better candidates.
• Initially, she thought Chase was an unassuming and honest man. Still, she was shocked to discover that he was nothing more than a braggart! Sydney was utterly disappointed.
• Hugh didn't give two cents about Chase's spiel; he just wanted to get this over with. "Alright, alright, enough of the joke. Syd, take Chase and get to the marriage bureau to register your marriage. Just get it done already!"
• Chase narrowed his eyes, feeling the unmistakable scorn and disregard from the Saffer family members.
• They had no clue that people lined up with fat stacks of cash just to get him to fix them up. Yet, here they were, treating him like yesterday's garbage despite his offer to help their old man.
• The absurdity of it all!
• He looked at Sydney briefly, then pulled out a medicine bottle and walked over to Dr. Pearson.
• Chase said to him, "Old Mr. Saffer's condition is severe and will worsen in about two weeks. This medicine can't cure him, but it will effectively alleviate his symptoms when his ALS flares up," he said, handing the bottle to Dr. Pearson.
• Even though the Saffer family looked down on his abilities, Chase still left a bottle of medicine for Old Mr. Saffer out of respect for Sydney.
• After giving the medicine to Dr. Pearson, Chase followed Sydney to the civil affairs bureau to get their marriage certificate.
• Dr. Pearson scoffed, looking at the bottle. "Miracle doctor, huh? Thinks he can predict flare-ups and tackle them? Who is this wackjob, and where did he crawl out from?"
• Just as he was about to chuck it in the trash when, a bloodcurdling scream pierced through the room from the direction of Old Mr. Saffer.
• ALS, undeniably, is a highly complex and unpredictable condition. Flare-ups can occur unexpectedly, leaving the patient to endure violent convulsions throughout their limbs, the pain of which is excruciating.
• "Ughhh…" Old Mr. Saffer broke out in a cold sweat, his face contorted in agony.
• The doctor on duty wasted no time, injecting a painkiller. At the same time, the other four nurses rushed to massage Old Mr. Saffer's limbs in an attempt to alleviate his suffering.
• Yet, moments later, Old Mr. Saffer was still in agony, crying out in distress. The pain medication had little effect, and the massages weren't helping either.
• Hugh and Dr. Pearson watched with growing worry as the situation took a sharp turn for the worse.
• Suddenly, a shout from outside the room pierced the tense atmosphere, filled with hope and surprise. "Dr. Baylor! Thank goodness you're here!"
• An elderly man with a ruddy complexion, appearing in his seventies, entered the room.
• "Dr. Baylor Guo, your timing couldn't be better! Please, you have to help my father; he's in so much pain!" Hugh pleaded urgently.
• Dr. Baylor wasted no time approaching Mr. Saffer and began examining him. As he finished, a slight frown formed on his face, and he let out a quiet sigh. "Your father's chronic illness has gotten worse to the point where regular painkillers no longer work. Unfortunately, stronger medication would have side effects that are too harsh for him to handle."
• "Dr. Baylor, there has to be something else, some other treatment to ease my father's suffering, right?" Hugh begged desperately.
• Dr. Baylor sighed, a heavy weight settling on his shoulders. " There are indeed mentions of methods for treating ALS in ancient texts. Unfortunately, the specific techniques for acupuncture and the fabled remedies have been swallowed lost to time."
• Disappointment etched on his face, Hugh slammed his hand down on the counter.
• The impact dislodged a strange white bottle, which shattered on the floor, releasing a pungent odor.
• "Who on earth left this thing here?!" Hugh exclaimed, his frustration bubbling over. Pointing at a servant with a sharp gesture, he barked, "You! Clean that mess up right away!"
• Dr. Baylor interjected before the flustered servant could react, "Hold on!"
• He crouched, snatched a pill from the floor, and brought it to his nose.
• His eyes widened as he sniffed it. "This!" he declared excitedly, "this is a Hematogenic Tablet! It will quell your father's pain and soothe the fiery flare-up!"
• Everyone watched in astonishment as Dr. Baylor shoved the dirty pill from the ground straight into Old Mr. Saffer's mouth.
• In less than thirty heartbeats, a visible change spread across the old man's face. The mask of agony contorting his features began to soften, and the pallor receded slightly.
• Moments later, the violent tremors wracking his body subsided, replaced by a peaceful stillness.
• "Huh? The pain..." Old Mr. Saffer croaked, his voice thick with surprise, "It's gone?"
• A collective gasp rippled through the room.
• Everyone stared at Dr. Baylor in stunned disbelief. Just moments ago, Dr. Baylor, who seemed at a loss for solutions, casually picked up a pill from the ground and miraculously relieved Old Mr. Saffer's debilitating pain just like that!
• What the heck just happened?
• "Dr. Baylor, what the hell is going on here?" Hugh demanded, pointing to the broken bottle and the pill on the floor.
• Dr. Baylor picked up the pill and explained, "This is a Hematogenic Tablet. It's a lost remedy that eases ALS symptoms, but we thought it was lost forever! Who knew I'd find it here!"
• His voice filled with anticipation, he continued, "Where did this Hematogenic Tablet come from? Since you had it, why didn't you give it to your father sooner?"
• Confusion filled the room as no one had heard of this medicine or its purpose.
• After a moment's pause, Dr. Pearson stammered, "Uh, this... Chase Gatzby just left it."
• "Chase? Sydney's good-for-nothing husband?" Hugh's disbelief was evident on his face.
• Dr. Pearson confirmed with a nod. "Yeah, so he says. He even claimed that after getting their marriage license, he'd return to treat Old Mr. Saffer's illness. Apparently, he even predicted another episode coming on soon. He left this bottle in a rush, saying it helps with the symptoms before disappearing."
• Hugh gasped sharply, a hiss escaping his lips. He never imagined Chase's earlier claims about curing his father might be true.
• "Quickly! Find that guy and bring him back here, now!" Old Mr. Saffer roared the command, his voice trembling with urgency.
• ...
• Chase and Sydney left the Civil Affairs Office with their new marriage certificate.
• Hailey spotted them and approached them aggressively. Her booming voice was condescending, "Listen carefully. As of now, you are no longer considered a member of the Saffer. You are on your own from now on, loser!"
• Sydney, face like granite, asked coldly, "What do you mean?"
• "Grandpa's orders," sneered Hailey. The second you get hitched and get that certificate, your name gets wiped from the family records. You're not one of us anymore, understand? No more ties. Clear?"
• Sydney clenched her jaw, a wave of anger washing over her. She knew this day was coming, but she never expected her grandfather to be so quick and brutal in throwing her out. How could he be so heartless?
• Having just obtained the certificate, she was now being cast out of the Saffer. The irony was not lost on her.
• "Oh, and one more thing," Hailey snickered. Effective immediately, you are no longer the General Manager of Komet Corp.! I will assume the role as the new representative. During the shareholder meeting in two days, I will initiate the removal process for your position. From that point forward, Komet Corp. will be under my leadership."
• Sydney countered, "The shares of Koment Corp. belong to my father! You have no authority to represent the company!"
• Hailey crossed his arms, sneering. "What gives me the right? Ha! Don't forget, your dad's shares have been mortgaged to my dad. Naturally, my dad has the authority to change the representative of the shares. No?"
• Hearing this, Sydney's spirits sank to the lowest depths.
• To keep her father on life support, Sydney swallowed her pride and mortgaged all her shares to Hugh.
• Eventually, she was even forced to give up all ownership. Now, Hugh had every right to replace the company representative.
• This was the source of Sydney's grief. The Saffer's cruelty disgusted her – they wouldn't rest until she was nothing.
• "Get in the car," he barked, his voice dripping with authority. "You need to come back and treat my father immediately."
• Without waiting for a response, he turned to walk away. But after a few steps, Hugh realized Chase wasn't following. He whirled around to find Chase standing there, unfazed.
• Hugh's temper flared. He jabbed a finger at Chase, his voice booming, "I told you to get in the car and treat my father! Didn't you hear what I say?"
• "Heard you loud and clear," Chase drawled, a lazy grin spreading across his face.
• "Then why are you still standing there?" Hugh demanded, his voice rising.
• Chase chuckled, a low, sarcastic sound. "Just because you order me around doesn't mean I gotta bend over backward for you, pal. Why should I do your bidding?"