Chapter 12 Beg In Person For The Pill
- Nathan and Penny came to the amusement park on the ninth floor to find Queenie playing at the slides and having a jolly good time.
- Benson, on the other end, looked pensive and appeared to be deep in thought.
- Anxiously, Benson and Leah inquired about the matter when Nathan and Penny showed up at the park.
- “I have chased them away.” Nathan replied with a subtle grin, “I’ve told them to get Samuel here to plead the both of you if he wants to get that pill for Sean.”
- “Well done, Nathan!” Leah was extremely pleased.
- She then turned and reminded Benson, who was still in a pensive mood, “Let me warn you again, Benson. This is no ordinary pill, as it costs a whopping ten million for it. Don’t you dare give it away to Samuel as if it doesn’t cost a dime. Think of how he had bullied us all this time. Don’t expect I’ll let you off easily if you dare to go against my words.”
- Benson opened his mouth, fumbling for an answer, but all he could give was a muted whine.
- Time passed quickly when they were having fun watching Queenie enjoying herself at the playground. Half an hour passed when a group of men dressed impeccably in suits came up to them.
- Leading the pack was none other than Samuel Smith, the de facto leader at the helm of the Smith family’s empire.
- Samuel was not his usual arrogant self, as he was beaming with friendliness when he walked over in quick steps. “Hello, my dear Benson and Leah, I’m so glad to see all of you here!” he greeted them with feigned affection.
- “Since when have we become so dearly close to you, Samuel?” Leah seemed unimpressed.
- “Hello, Samuel.” Benson reciprocated tensely.
- “I know that dad and I have been too hard on both of you over the years, my dear brother and my sister-in-law.” Samuel explained apologetically, “It made me feel really sorry for that. Let me offer my sincerest apology to the both of you.”
- With that being said, Samuel looked like he was about to bow to Benson in hopes of their forgiveness. Nonetheless, Benson rushed over, trying to hold him back, but was stopped by Nathan.
- When noticing Benson didn’t stop him, Samuel felt a little frustrated. Finding it hard to undo what he’s doing, Samule continued the bowing nevertheless.
- “Why did you stop me, Nathan?” Benson questioned his son-in law, anxiously. Then he turned to Samuel. “Please, Samuel, don’t do this. You’re flattering me.” Benson had been used to bullying from his brothers and father, so he found it odd when Samuel bowed to him and therefore couldn’t help to intervene.
- Before Benson’s hands reached him, Samuel straightened up. “Satisfied now, Benson? Give me the pill then,” said Samuel, forcing smile.
- “Satisfied? Far from it,” Nathan interjected impassively, “This pill is worth ten million! But you’re offering a bow as payment? You’re really a talented businessman, aren’t you?”
- A hint of displeasure flashed across Samuel’s face.
- “You’re being too much, Nathan!” Miles protested from behind Samuel.
- “Being too much?” Nathan sneered, “Someone even fed us leftovers! Why didn’t you say it’s too much back then?”
- “What the f*ck…” Miles began, cut off by Nathan.
- “Want the pill, huh?” Nathan prompted, “Sure! I can give it to you, but…”
- “But what?” asked Samuel.
- Nathan didn’t reply. Instead, he turned to Jack next to him and said, “Fetch the kitchen leftovers.”
- A sense of doom spread among the people present.
- When the bucket arrived, Nathan pointed to Miles. “But you need to have all these things in your stomach first.”
- “I beg your pardon?!” Miles was furious. Want me to eat the garbage? Impossible!
- “What? Thinking they’re not good enough?” Nathan grinned, “There’re all precious ingredients in here, like Australian lobsters, oysters, kobe beef. Rare stuff. We’re family! That’s why I’m offering you such a special meal!”
- The Smiths’ faces darkened.
- “Aren’t we pushing them too hard?” Benson murmured to Nathan, a bit worried.
- “Not at all!” Nathan retorted. “Have you already forgotten how they humiliated us before, Dad?”
- Benson’s lips moved. He was trying to say something, but in the end he gave up.
- Returning his gaze toward Miles, Nathan said, “What? Didn’t you say Grandpa is waiting for the pill? Starting eat, then!”
- “You eat them yourself!” Miles shot back, glaring at Nathan.
- Unexpectedly, Samuel chimed in. “Eat, Miles.”
- “Dad!” Miles was shocked.
- Paying no attention to his son’s objection, Samuel continued with a sullen face, “Eat! If you don’t, you’ll no longer be the heir of the Smith family!”
- Miles still wanted to say something but was interrupted by a slap from his father.
- “Move! Eat them!” Samuel shouted.
- Without any other choice, Miles could only put the leftovers into his mouth and managed to swallow them down. His eyes were closed while he was doing that, pretending he didn’t know what they are.
- Actually, this was the only option for Samuel too. If he couldn’t get the pill and save his father, one third of the assets of the Smith family would go into Benson’s pocket once his father died. This was the last result he would like to see.
- Anyway, it’s not me who’s going to eat them, Samuel comforted himself. Then he turned to Benson and said with a tender voice, “As you see, dear Benson. Miles has got his punishment. Justice served. Dad is waiting for the pill at the hospital. He doesn’t have much time.”
- Hearing this, Benson became a bit anxious. He turned to his son-in-law and said, “He’s right, Nathan. Give him the pill.”
- “Okay, now that you say so,” Nathan passed the pill to Benson and continued, “Actually, I was joking. I would give you the pill even if you refused to eat them, but I didn’t expect Miles just agreed.”
- The father-son pair seethed at Nathan's words.
- Nathan knew perfectly well that Samuel was only putting up a show to trick Benson into giving him the pill. Yet he could not ignore the consequences should Benson refuse to give him the pill. It would only make Benson looked callous and selfish, and everyone in Channing would ridicule him as one unfilial son who had refused to save his dying father by letting him have the pill.
- If he gave the pill to Sean, Nathan was aware that it would be in Benson’s interest by sparring him from being attacked by such criticisms.
- Besides, it could help rebuild the relationship between Benson and Sean, enabling him to get back into Sean’s good books by offering him the pill. It all seemed like a good bargain in Nathan’s eyes.
- Even though the pill came with a jaw-dropping ten million price tag, it meant nothing to Nathan.
- Benson was quivering with inexplicable gratitude when he took the pill from Nathan. “What a good-hearted fellow, my dear son-in-law!” he gushed.
- Penny’s face was flushed red to her scalp as she stole a sidelong glance at Nathan. This guy seems full of tricks, she mumbled to herself, look how he has easily won over my dad!
- With the pill, Benson took Nathan and Penny along with him, as they followed Samuel to the hospital. Miles went with them too, not to visit his grandfather but to do a gastric lavage. After all, there were food garbage in his stomach.
- At the First Hospital in Channing, Benson handed the pill over to the attending doctor of Sean Smith.
- With the help of the nurses, the attending doctor gave the pill to Sean for immediate consumption, for he was well aware of its miraculous effects.
- Samuel, Paul, Benson, Penny, and the others were pacing outside the ICU room, waiting impatiently for the doctor to update them on Sean’s condition.
- The doors of the ICU swung open.
- “How was it, doctor? Did the pill work for my dad?” Samuel and the rest waited for his reply with bated breaths.
- “It’s a miracle, it’s simply miraculous!” The doctor announced excitedly, “Sean’s condition improved drastically after he had taken the pill. Though it is unrealistic to expect instant recovery after taking the pill, it would still require some time for him to recover from a critical illness such as stroke.”
- “Don’t get too worried about it, I estimate that it would only take about ten to fourteen days for Sean to see a full recovery.”
- “The patient is still in a state of delirium, and he needs to recuperate after taking the pill. I’d advise you guys to leave him alone and let him have a good rest,” advised the doctor.
- They thanked the doctor and took note of his advice.
- “We owe it to you, Benson,” Samuel explained with a pretentious grin after the doctor left them and returned to his office.
- “That’s alright, Samuel. As long as Dad is fine.” Benson was genuinely happy that Sean had made it through.
- “But there must be some reward in return for your help.” Samuel insisted.
- “Speaking of which, didn’t Penny graduate with a civil engineering degree? Wouldn’t it be such a pity to make her work in Diva, that subsidiary company of ours? I know that she has been asking for a transfer to Grande Group in the past few years.”
- “How about this? Since I’m the CEO of Grande Group, I’ll approve for Penny to be transferred to Grande Group to be our General Manager. How does that sound?”
- Both Benson and Penny could not be more surprised and delighted with his suggestion.
- Getting into Grande Group was the only way to have access to the central core of the power of the Smith Family empire.
- “Are you sure about this, Uncle Samuel?” Penny shrilled with delight until her voice cracked.
- “Do I sound like I’m lying, silly girl?” Samuel guffawed, “Though dad is still the President of the company and I’m just the CEO, it’s well within my authority to appoint a general manager.”
- Benson and Penny were both over the moon when they heard his proposal, except for different reasons.
- With Penny now belonging as part of the central core of power, Benson read it as a recognition of their status within the Smith dynasty.
- From Penny’s perspective, it was the opportunity that she had been waiting for to showcase her talent and skills.
- Benson was still on cloud nine when he left the hospital with Nathan and Penny. It all seemed so surreal to him as they were simply too good to be true. “Don’t you find Samuel such a nice guy?” he quipped as they made their way home.
- Back in the hospital, the few of them, including Miles and May, gathered around Samuel with a concerned look in their eyes.
- “How could you do this to me, Dad?” Miles raised his voice in anger, “It’s bad enough that you’d let Penny join our company. But how could you let her take over my post? What do you expect me to do now?”
- “He’s right, Dad.” May jumped in, “How could you let that b**** hold the important position of general manager?”
- “Penny has brought such great shame to our family. Don’t you think that it would only cause us more embarrassment to make her the general manager of Grande Group?” Paul resented.
- “That’s exactly what I intend to do, guys.” Samuel responded to their complaints with a sardonic smirk, “Let her make a fool out of herself!”
- Everyone gazed at Samuel puzzledly, as if he was speaking Greek.
- “I have gotten the script ready, so let’s just put up a good show.” Samuel explained his sinister plan, “Wait till dad comes round, we’ll simply tell him that Benson had used the pill to threaten us into giving Penny the post of general manager of Grande Group, or he would refuse to give us the pill to save Dad.”
- “Left with no choice, we had to swallow the bitter pill and give in to his outrageous demand to allow Penny to become the general manager of Grande Group.”
- His vicious plan was music to their ears, which caused them to gloat with wicked grins.
- “This is such an ingenious idea, Dad.” approached Miles, “I’m sure that it will make Grandpa loathe them even more.”
- Samuel gave him a pat on the shoulder and flashed a gratifying grin, “Just be patient and let the b**** warm your seat for a few days, Miles. Soon we will boot her out of the company when your grandpa comes around. It would take him just one word to kick her out of Grande Group.”
- “I’m afraid that he wouldn’t the matter rest so easily, given Grandpa’s fiery temper.” Miles chuckled, “Not only he would kick her out of the company, but he’ll kick her entire family out as well.”