Ch. 431..440

Chapter 431 Join the Training Camp

The following morning.

Catherine arrived at the training ground on time at eight, and the trainees were all waiting for her, including the newcomer, Branden.

Branden fixed his eyes on Catherine since she showed up and never turned away.

“Sir, this is 0339 reporting for duty.” Branden’s voice was loud, clear, and firm. Catherine was in her usual disguise suit. Like she used to be, she was stern and commanding.

She seemed to look at Branden casually, but she noticed his condition was so much different than it was yesterday.

“Are you sure you want to join the training?” Catherine asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, sir!” Branden bellowed his answer.

Catherine laughed grimly and commanded, “Back in the line.”

That was officially agreeing to Branden’s joining the camp.

The other trainees had no objection to Branden’s joining. The tasks Branden had finished had gotten spread around. Surviving that kind of horrible environment proved his superior strength.

Their training was dangerous and challenging, but it was no match for what Branden had experienced. How dared they object to such a formidable person?

They had the deep-ocean training yesterday, so Catherine decided to have simple physical training this morning.

Hearing the training content, Paxton doubted if Catherine did it on purpose.

She knew Branden should avoid the vigorous exercise and still made such a decision. What would that be if she was not targeting Branden?

Women’s heart was even more unfathomable than the ocean.

After her announcement, Catherine walked to Branden and stared at him with interest.

“0339, it’s difficult to be my trainee, but it’s easy for one to quit. I won’t force anyone to stay. You can leave anytime if you don’t want to receive the training.”

Branden’s lips upcurled into a slight smile, and his eyes followed Catherine dotingly and persistently.

“I’m glad you allowed me to join your camp, sir. I’ll never quit.”

Catherine decided to let him be since he was so stubborn. Physical training it was, then. He chose to join the training and needed to obey the rules.

Catherine’s Physical training was nothing like ordinary training, running or so. The training content included rock climbing, deep diving, and other extreme sports.

Carlo, Cory, and Francis learned the conditions about Branden from Paxton and were so anxious. Even though Branden had superior strength, he was hurt too badly.

The average people could not even move, let alone have extreme sports. The three Duncans stared at Branden, afraid that any accident would happen to him.

When they climbed down the rocks barehand from the highest place on the island, the three Duncans surrounded Branden and dared not leave. They could tell from Branden’s dripping sweat on his head that he was enduring great pain.

“Sir, let us help you down. Shall we?” Carlo proposed gingerly.

The rock climbing was tough for them each, but if they worked together, it would not be a big deal to help Branden.

They would rather get hurt themselves than let Branden get hurt. Branden looked at them provocatively and snorted. “What? You think you’re so capable now?”

“No, sir!” The three answered in unison.

After scolding them, Branden moved around Carlo and kept climbing down. Carlo once again wanted to help, but Cory stopped him.

“No one could change Branden’s mind. “Cory sighed softly.

The point was that Branden would never change what he had decided. Helping Branden would not only offend Branden but add more trouble to him.

Just now, when Branden went around them to avoid their help, he already had a longer route than they did.

They were not helpful but got Branden more exhausted. The loss outweighed the gain. Catherine had been in front of the monitoring screen and observed them.

She saw that the three Duncans wanted to help Branden and that Branden refused them. Catherine admired Branden’s character even more.

When they completed the physical training, Branden’s result was not on the top or last, only above average.

If Branden were in his best self, those trainees would not be opponents to him. Branden got off the cliff, and his limbs could not help shaking.

The injuries on his legs were not healed. Although he used medicine to suppress the pain, it still affected enormously on his strength.

He was at the limit after the physical training.

The whistle rang out, and the training was over.

Branden almost collapsed like a deflated balloon.

Fortunately, the three Duncans were prepared and supported him to hide his tiredness.

Catherine was still watching the monitor screen till she heard the knocking on the door.

“Come in,” she said.

It was Paxton who pushed the door open. Paxton had been thinking about it for a long time and decided to see Catherine. He would bear any consequences.

“Sir, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Catherine gave Jon near her a look.

Jon understood and left the room, leaving privacy for them to talk.

Paxton was in a hurry to say after Jon was gone, “Miss Swann, it’s my decision to tell you this. Branden has no idea I’m here to see you.”

“You mean his injuries?” Catherine tilted her head with her arms around her chest, looking indifferent.

“You’ve guessed it?” Paxton was somewhat surprised.

Catherine did not answer but signaled Paxton to continue. Since Catherine was aware of Branden’s situation, Paxton felt less nervous.

“Miss Swann, have you heard of the X Potion?”

“The Muscle Memory Potion?” Catherine stared at Paxton with a frown. The questions in her heart seem to have answers, followed by greater uneasiness.

Paxton nodded. “Yes, the latest developed potion to help one maintain muscle memory. It’s still understudied in 417 Laboratory.

“Branden has used it to restore his strength, but the side effects…”

Paxton did not need to finish his words, and Catherine understood what he meant.

Such a potion could help people get the best curative effect temporarily, but the cost was the lethal side effects. Branden was indeed so cruel to himself.

He used the potion to help himself join her camp.

Catherine did not air her opinion. She only gazed at Paxton coldly and nodded.

“I see.”

Then, she drove Paxton away, which confused Paxton.

Chapter 432 Being Grouped

Catherine issued the latest training plan -group combat. Each group of three would compete in jungle battles against each other, and winning was the only goal.

Because of the number of people, Branden, who joined in the middle, was isolated. Everyone wanted him in their group instead of in anyone else’s.

But before they could discuss the results, Catherine announced the answer-Branden was grouped with her.

Catherine was an instructor and strong, but Branden was injured. Coupled with the fact that there were only two of them in the group, they seemed to be at a disadvantage.

Therefore, no one had any objections to Catherine’s arrangement.

Branden came to Catherine’s side with smiling eyes, his gaze following her closely, and he seemed to be in a good mood.

“Thanks, sir!”

Catherine glanced at him with a cold face and said indifferently, “Wait for elimination if you are at the bottom later!”

Branden did not care much about the harsh words and still looked in a good mood. He followed Catherine’s lead and went to prepare the materials.

Paxton stood in front of the monitor screen and looked at Branden’s fawning appearance. He could not help but shake his head.

“Well, Mr. Duncan has completely fallen!” said Paxton inwardly.

The training began with a helicopter dropping them off in the middle of the virgin forest.

This time, they were in a war between six teams.

The training would last 48 hours, and the team with the most killings would win.

Those who performed poorly, as determined by Catherine, would be immediately eliminated, while winners would have a day off and the rest continued training.

There were no rules and no assistance. There was only one option for them- either they beat other teams or lose to the other teams and be eliminated.

The helicopter hatch opened. As the instructor and also one of the members of this training group, Catherine chose to let the others rope down first.

After the other teams finished landing, she gestured to Branden behind her. ” Your turn!”

Over the past so many years, it was the first time a girl had protected Branden. But it was his girlfriend, so he didn’t need to be polite. He reached for the rope handed by Catherine and fastened the locking buckle around his waist.

Then he agilely and handsomely rolled out of the helicopter, his slender legs folded, holding the rope between his legs, and slid down quickly.

Catherine waited three seconds and followed, moving with the same handsomeness and ease. Branden landed first. He was fast, and his movements were textbook perfect.

But as his feet touched the ground, he still staggered, and Catherine saw it. He had injured his thigh, and despite the special medicine, it still affected the stability of his landing.

Catherine knew that his injury was much more serious than she realized.

Branden didn’t realize Catherine was staring at him, and once he was steady on his feet, he turned around and scooped up Catherine, who was speeding down through the air, in a hug.

He couldn’t bear to let her land on her own and held her secure in his arms. No matter how skilled one was, the moment they fell from a high altitude, the impact would still cause some damage to the knees.

It didn’t matter if it hurt once or twice, but the knees would be damaged over time. He didn’t want to see Catherine suffer anything. Catherine landed in his arms, and when he stabilized himself, Catherine spoke coldly, “Put me down!”

Without hesitation, the man let her down from his arms as he was told.

Catherine took out a map from her bag at the first opportunity after she stood steadily, judging her location based on the terrain.

After ascertaining the location, Catherine glanced towards the man on the side.

“What are you gonna do?”

Branden had a relaxed look on his face. He looked less like he was in combat and more like he was on vacation.

“There’s still plenty of time. Let’s have lunch first!” He took Catherine’s hand and headed forward.

He wasn’t in a hurry and wasn’t worried about being eliminated, and Catherine had no problem with that.

Branden held Catherine’s hand along the way and found a shady cave. He pulled Catherine inside, unscrewed the lid of his water bottle, and handed it to Catherine.

“Get some water first!”

The combat would last for a full 48 hours, and without external assistance, their supplies were a little tight, so they couldn’t afford to waste anything.

Catherine took a sip and handed the water back to Branden.

Branden took it in his hand, pressed his lips to where Catherine had been drinking, and took a small sip. Then he placed the water bottle back down next to Catherine’s side.

“You stay here. I’ll see if there’s any food we can use as supplies!”

Their food was limited, and it was not the time to eat their supplies, so it would be best to search for suitable food first.

Catherine understood what Branden meant and agreed with him. She glanced at the man’s legs and then stood up. “I’ll join you!”

Branden revealed a faint smile. “Are you caring about me?”

Catherine rolled her eyes at him and didn’t say anything. Originally, Branden wanted Catherine to rest, but since she was willing to follow, so be it.

To Catherine’s surprise, Branden was not only strong in physical ability and combat strength, but he was also great at outdoor survival.

He was able to judge the flow of the water through the growth of the plants, thus finding the water source within the shortest time.

A look of surprise escaped the man’s face as he looked at the clear stream. He made two tough fishing nets out of branches aside and put them into the water.

“There, just wait for the fish!”

Catherine didn’t respond, leaning aside to rest in boredom.

Branden leaned over as well, and the two of them looked somewhat cozy in this look.

In front of the monitor screen, Jon looked at the scene and couldn’t help but complain to Paxton.

“Is your boss here on vacation?”

Although Paxton wanted to retort when he heard Jon’s sarcastic remark about Branden, he felt that Branden and Catherine seemed to be on vacation compared to the other teams fighting fiercely.

The other teams had already fought a few battle rounds, but Branden and Catherine were still fishing and leisurely barbecuing. Weren’t they afraid of attracting their opponents to them?

Paxton didn’t know whether it was because of their negligence or because they were overconfident.

But this was just fine. With Branden’s current physical condition, he couldn’t withstand the torture. If he really fought with the other teams, Paxton was not sure that Branden would be able to take it.

“Can’t you just take it as him coming on vacation?” Paxton responded to Jon with a provocative look on his face.

Jon was slightly offended and about to retort when Paxton threatened, “Don’t forget, Mr. Duncan hasn’t approved the funding for next year yet!”

Hearing this, Jon’s attitude immediately changed from questioning to praising.

“Mr. Duncan is handsome and awesome! Even his combat strategy is so unique!”

The one with money was the boss!

After all, the Duncans were one of the biggest financial supporters behind Scorpion Island. Offending them was the last thing Jon could do in his life.

Chapter 433 Set a Trap

An hour passed, and three small fish were already inside the fishing basket. It was enough for a meal for two, and now it was a race against time.

Branden quickly caught the fish, cleaned them, stuck them on a branch, and put them on the self-made roasting rack.

Looking at the man’s skillful movements, Catherine finally realized why the man was so good at cooking.

It seemed that he had gotten a lot of outdoor training!

Watching the man’s bold behavior of building a fire, Catherine curiously surveyed him. “Isn’t he worried about being discovered?” she thought.

The fire smoke would surely expose their location. Those in the other teams were all capable fighters. If they sneaked into the neighborhood and surrounded them together, she couldn’t be sure that she and Branden would be a match for so many people.

Catherine had doubts in her mind but didn’t show a single sign of dissent. Branden patiently picked off the bones of the grilled fish and handed it to Catherine.

“Have some of this first.”

The freshly grilled fish had little spice flavor, just a light charred aroma.

It was already not easy to have a bite of something warm in the wilderness, so Catherine was not picky. Besides, Branden was a good cook and grilled the fish to a perfect tenderness.

This fish could be considered a delicacy compared to the supplies inside their backpacks.

After feeding Catherine to full, Branden finished the remaining fish in one bite without the slightest bit of disdain on his face.

“Can you climb trees?” asked Branden. Catherine looked at the man with a raised eyebrow, wondering why he asked such a question.

Following Catherine’s line of sight, Branden looked toward the tallest tree at the side, his deep eyes as dazzling as the bright starlight.

“Come on. I’ll help you up to the highest point.”

Catherine gazed up at the towering tree. The dense foliage made it difficult to determine the exact height of the highest point, but she estimated it to be at least 100 feet tall.

This height was no difficulty for her, but it might be a bit troublesome for Branden. With his injured legs, it wouldn’t be easy to climb to this height right now.

Catherine immediately made a decision. “You go first!”

With her support, it would be easier for Branden to go up!

“Hah!” The man snorted lightly, dragging Catherine’s arm and forcefully lifting her upwards. “Don’t worry. I’m not as bad as to ask you to help me out!”

“Good girl, hide up there!” Branden’s voice was gentle and magnetic, his low, husky voice carrying a touch of seductiveness.

Seeing that the man was so ungrateful, Catherine decided to leave him alone. She would like to see how capable this man was.

Catherine had been given specialized training in the dense virgin forest, and climbing a tree was not difficult for her.

Branden lifted her a bit, and his strong arms gave her the most assistance. In a very short while, she swiftly climbed to the top of the tree and hid herself in the shade. Then she turned back to look for Branden, only to find that the man had disappeared without a trace.

She had caught a glimpse of Branden when she was halfway up the tree, but now he had gone out of sight.

Catherine carefully searched around. Standing at a high place, she had the clearest view.However, she still couldn’t find any trace of the man. Branden seemed invisible, and she couldn’t see any traces of him.

“Could it be that his camouflage ability was really that strong?” wondered she. Catherine didn’t act rashly. She stayed quietly at the peak of the tree and made herself ready for battle.

She had already caught a whiff of something troubling. There should be enemies approaching them.

The moment the fire was lit, the members of the other teams locked onto the location and rushed toward it one after another.

For them, winning was the ultimate goal, and the prerequisite for winning was to take out the other teams.

The rules were simple, but the simpler it was, the harder it became.

The only way to win was to be the team with the most killings.

Several teams slowly approached their destination. Everyone wanted to take down this team first, but no one was a fool.

This team dared to light the fires arrogantly, so they probably had already set up a trap, just waiting for the others to fall.

The trio of Duncans noticed the smoke as well. Cory looked over toward Francis, who was the most familiar with the forest terrain, and waited for him to give his opinion.

Francis understood what Cory meant and explained his analysis.

“It’s not as straightforward as it appears. Based on that location marked on the map, I can tell that the terrain there is highly intricate. It has a funnel- like shape, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.”

Francis analyzed the risks, while Carlo stated the most realistic problem.

“Our team is now ranked third in the entire training camp, just one point away from the fourth place. If this continues, we’re likely to lose!”

As time went on, it got harder and harder to gain points. They were different from the other teams. They did not adopt aggressive strategies and thoughtfully considered all their actions before taking them.

But as time passed, other teams were being eliminated, forcing them to take a less conservative approach. After analyzing the two ideas, Cory, as the leader, gave his final decision.

“Then let’s creep over there and decide based on the situation!”

The other two nodded in unison and set off towards the targeted location.

Suddenly, Carlo said, “I wonder how Mr. Duncan is doing. Their number of killings is still zero on the leaderboard!

Each team had a recorder to increase the exciting nature of the matchups. They could see the results of the other teams’ battles on it, thus motivating themselves while making the entire atmosphere of the match more tense.

The other two were silent and didn’t say anything. No one dared to be sure if Branden could hold on this time.

With those heavy injuries, if it were any of them, they might have collapsed in a hospital bed waiting for the caretaker to attend to them.

The fight over there had already begun before the three arrived at the location. Two teams were fighting over killing records. Before they could even find the target, these two teams fought first.

From the peak of the tree, Catherine had a clear view of the situation below. She watched the two teams fighting against each other and couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “How did I end up teaching such foolish trainees?” she thought to herself.

She was hesitating whether or not to make a move and fight for Branden to gain some points. After all, she did not want Branden to lose badly.

However, a third team joined the fight and sneakily fired a shot, killing a member of the two fighting teams. Immediately after the member fell, his teammate shouted loudly, “There’s a sniper!”

Both teams’ members were not foolish. They had unknowingly collided, and no one could have set up a sniper in such a short time.

The only plausible explanation was that the team reaching the area first had laid an ambush, anticipating the other team’s arrival.

The opponent’s position was well hidden. They couldn’t locate it and had no choice but to evacuate first.

The man hidden in the middle of the dense forest was watching every move in front of him. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s. As he sensed that the other party intended to withdraw, an evil smile appeared on his camouflage- painted face.

“Want to leave? No way!”

Chapter 434 I Can Endure

Catherine looked around for a while and finally located Branden. The location of his ambush was very well hidden. If she hadn’t been standing high above the ground and Branden had shot first, she wouldn’t have been able to find him.

Standing high, Catherine could also tell that the team below was preparing to evacuate. Unfortunately, it was too late!

The feast of carnage belonging to Branden was about to begin!

After Branden pulled the trigger a second time, Catherine also made her move. Like a competition, she and Branden fought for points in this small, dense forest.

They weren’t competing against another team. Instead, they were competing against each other.

The broadcast on the screen shocked everyone in this battle.

[Anon beats the member of Team 3, +1 point.]

[0399 beats the member of Team 2, +1 point.]

[Anon beats the member of Team 4, +1

point.]

The broadcast the screen was constantly updated, and wailing filled the dense forest. As one after another team member was eliminated, Catherine and Branden’s team ranked higher and higher.

Carlo was dumbfounded at this scene, holding the monitor and looking at the other two teammates. “Didn’t Paxton say that Mr. Duncan was seriously injured? How could…”

Francis let out a cold laugh, looking ahead with awe in his eyes.

“Mr. Duncan is like a god! There is no impossibility with him!”

That was right. Anything impossible could become possible when it came to Branden. Branden’s ability was just so mind- blowing.

Carlo silently gulped to ease his nerves. “So, are we still going?”

They would be sending themselves to their deaths if they went now. Francis and Cory glanced at each other, and their years of tacit understanding made them smile simultaneously before speaking in unison, “Yes!”

For such a feast of carnage, they would be honored even as witnesses.

More importantly, they would likely have the opportunity to compete with the two experts, so there was no reason not to go.

Branden was indeed heavily injured, so his fighting strength was bound to be not as good as before.

On the contrary, the three of them were at their peak state, cooperating well and fighting with full strength.

What if they win? One never knew what the outcome would be until they tried. They had to go!

Once the decision was made, the three set off together. Initially at zero points, Branden’s team had now ranked third place, taking out Francis’ team.

It was evident that the toughness of Branden’s team was simply overwhelming. Catherine locked onto a target as the battle continued and prepared to attack.

Right now, she had the exact same number of points as Branden, and because of this battle, the long- dormant desire to fight within her was awakened.

That thrill of chasing after the blood and killing made her unconsciously regard Branden as an imaginary enemy.

What was originally a cooperative match against each other turned into a duel between the two. Branden was very satisfied with Catherine’s performance. His little girl was always able to give him surprises.

He locked on to the same target that Catherine had chosen. Now, it was all about who was faster. The two of them chased after each other, almost striking at the same time.

In the last fraction of a second, the man, however, stopped. He would give whatever his girl wanted. Catherine, who had gotten the points, wasn’t happy and had a frown on her face.

She knew better than anyone else about the situation just now. She was about to lose, but the man at her side took the initiative to give up the opportunity to strike.

Without waiting for her to inquire, Branden held her hand in his and dragged her away. Catherine did not know his next move yet, so she could only follow him to leave first.

The two quickly made their way through the dense forest with no difficulty.

Ten minutes later, Branden dragged Catherine back to the cave where they had first hidden.

After stopping, Catherine turned back and was about to ask Branden about the situation. Unexpectedly, the next moment, Branden fell straight down towards her.

Catherine froze momentarily, then quickly reacted as she reached out and supported him.

Branden didn’t stand on ceremony and leaned into Catherine’s arms.

Catherine helped him to the side and sat him down, taking off her water bottle and handing it to him.

After Branden was seated, Catherine carefully checked his body.

His dark green camouflage pants had been stained reddish-brown.

At that moment, Catherine finally understood why Branden had suddenly retreated.

His leg could no longer cope. The wound had split open, and blood had stained his pants entirely.

If this continued, one would die from the massive loss of blood, no matter how powerful they were.

The sky gradually darkened, and the rainforest temperature would drop very quickly at night.

With the double blow, it would be hard for Branden to make it through the night.

Catherine made a quick decision. She directly took out her knife and cut through the man’s pants.

Branden’s strong thigh was then exposed. The bandage used to fix the wound was now stained red, and blood continued to ooze out.

In the backpack provided to them by the training camp, there were some rudimentary medical equipment and medicines.

Catherine took out these medicines and then handed Branden the knife. “Bite it!

Branden instantly understood Catherine’s intentions, but he didn’t follow her instructions.

He casually threw the knife away, and the sharp-edged knife planted itself firmly in the ground aside.

“Kathy, just do it. I can endure!”

Why did that sound a little strange?

Catherine leaned in close, her stunningly beautiful face perfectly appearing in Branden’s sight. Her big, beautiful, and seductive eyes were staring at Branden, and ambiguity was evident in her fluttering eyes.

Her pink, thin lips slightly curled up, and a touch of seductive charm lingered within her soft tone.

“Are you serious? Are you sure that you can endure?”

Like a white feather, her gentle tone softly glided over the man’s heart. A helpless smile escaped Branden’s face, and his eyes were filled with a sense of doting.

He could endure anything but had no resistance to her. Even if she were a poison, Branden would still take it.

Catherine sensed more blood seeping from Branden’s leg, nearly at the speed of a spurt. With a face full of smugness, she stopped teasing.

She was afraid that Branden was really going to die if she kept talking. Catherine’s movements were very swift. She quickly cut the original gauze, re-sewed the gaping wound, and sprinkled anti-inflammatory medicine before bandaging it.

After tying it in a pretty bow, Catherine clapped her hands casually, finishing her perfect work.

Then she looked up towards the man, whose face was already sweaty due to the lack of anesthetic the entire time.

From start to finish, Branden hadn’t uttered a single word. It wasn’t something an average person could do.

Catherine raised her eyebrows, her provocative eyes staring straight at the man.

“Why bother? Do you regret it now?”

Chapter 435 A Clumsy Trap

“What’s there to regret about trading your life for a chance?”

Branden cocked his brows and looked at Catherine with a smile.

He didn’t care, so why was she worried?

Catherine threw the things in her hands away, leaned back and was about to get some rest.

Conditions were limited in the dense forest, and Catherine wasn’t fussy, so she could rest just by leaning against a rock.

Just as she was about to lie down, Branden stretched out his long arm and pulled Catherine up in an embrace.

“Here you go. You’ll be more comfortable like this.”

Catherine didn’t refuse. She adjusted to a comfortable position in Branden’s arms and began to rest. Everyone’s stamina was limited, and the battle had already tired them out.

Now that their team was in the top three of the leaderboard, a little rest and full preparation for the night’s competition was the best thing they could do.

The place Branden chose was very well hidden. Resting peacefully here for a few hours would not be a problem.

Branden looked down at the delicate little face in his arms, the smile at the corners of his mouth widened infinitely. Finally, he was holding her in his arms again!

Everything was worth it!

Paxton repeatedly scrutinized the monitor screen but couldn’t locate Branden and Catherine. His heart was thumping wildly from the fight just now. It was so exciting that it made his blood boil.

He bet the wound on Branden’s leg must have opened up again after the battle. He wanted to find Branden now and see how he was doing.

If he couldn’t, he would arrange for a helicopter to go in and get Branden out. But in the blink of an eye, Branden disappeared without a trace.

Paxton stared at the monitor and tried to find Branden several times but couldn’t see any sign of him and Catherine. Having no choice, Paxton could only seek Jon’s help.

“Quickly help me look for them! Where are they!”

Jon shrugged and spread his hands. He wanted to help, but there was nothing he could do.

“It’s no use. I can’t find them either!”

“Aren’t you the chief instructor of Scorpion Island?” Paxton roared in anger.

“Catherine is the instructor for this training!”

Jon looked at Paxton with an innocent expression. He really couldn’t do anything about it, and like Paxton, he started looking for signs of the two from the moment they disappeared, but in the end, he found nothing.

They seemed to have disappeared into thin air. There were no traces of them in an instant. This was an amazing skill. It would be very hard for an ordinary person to do such a thing.

Seeing Paxton anxiously pacing back and forth, Jon opened a beer bottle and threw it to him.

“Come on, bro. Why worry so much? Not to mention how strong Branden is, Mr. Anon alone is enough to keep him safe! Can’t you see Mr. Anon’s intentional favoritism?”

It was obvious that they could have been split into four teams, but they were deliberately grouped into five!

For the sake of the extra Branden, Catherine even had to include herself in training. What else would this be, if not favoritism?

Paxton reacted with hindsight and felt Jon’s words made sense, and his tense heart relaxed.

Sitting quietly in front of the monitor, he continued to monitor the battle situation in the dense forest.

The speed of the Duncans’ team of three was relatively slow, and Branden and Catherine were already gone by the time they arrived.

Not being able to fight against the two made the trio somewhat disappointed. Carlo regretfully said, “What a shame. I thought I’d finally get a chance to fight Mr. Duncan!”

Since Branden took over the Duncans at 16, they hadn’t had the chance to fight him again.

Hearing Carlo’s sigh of regret, Cory couldn’t help but ridicule, saying, ” Even if you were given the chance, you’d only end up being eliminated!”

“Not to mention Mr. Duncan, the three of us are no match for Mr. Anon alone!”

At the mention of Mr. Anon, even a tough man like Carlo couldn’t help but tremble. He scrunched up his neck and obediently hid to the side.

Francis leaned down on the ground and carefully observed the battlefield after the chaos. Seeing him continuously exploring forward, Cory came forward and inquired in a whisper, “Any findings?”

Francis cautiously nodded. “Perhaps I can find where Mr. Duncan is now!”

Cory had no doubts about Francis’ words.

Even Branden had said that Francis was a born jungle king.

Nothing was complicated for him in the dense forest.

“If we know where Mr. Duncan is staying, we can quietly approach them and catch them off guard. Wouldn’t that give us a better chance of winning?

Cory narrowed his eyes and looked at the duo with a sly grin. Carlo instantly got excited. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go. I’m a little looking forward to it.”

“We can’t beat Mr. Duncan head-on, but we can launch a sneak attack from the side, right?” thought he.

Catherine opened her eyes exactly an hour later. When the time was up, she opened her eyes spontaneously, as if someone had put an alarm in her head.

She looked upwards, and the man seemed to have woken up even earlier than she had. He looked at her with a tender gaze, his posture already adjusted. Catherine propped her elbows on the ground and brought her body upright.

Just as she was about to stand up, her eyes suddenly darkened, and she carefully listened to the changes in her surroundings. There seemed to be something going on.

At the same time, the man behind her noticed something unusual as well. Catherine turned back to him. Branden shook his head at her with a smirk, signaling her not to do anything for now. Then Branden gestured at her again.

Catherine knew that it meant for her to wait for the prey to take the bait.

“Could it be that he had already set a trap and was waiting for the enemy to sneak up on him?” wondered she.

Catherine followed Branden’s arrangement and hid herself between the rocks.

Then, Branden began to set traps.

However, the trap was too clumsy and seemed to be a temporary one. With Branden’s skill, he couldn’t make such a useless thing.

For a while, Catherine had no way to guess Branden’s intention.

The trio of the Duncans arrived outside the cave, and they could almost tell that the person they were looking for was inside.

If they went straight in, they would surely die.

To win, they had to outsmart their opponents. After Carlo explored the way, he returned and reported the situation to the other two teammates.

As they expected, someone was inside, and a trap had been set at the entrance. But that trap looked like it was set by a fool. There was no way it could have been Branden.

Carlo’s word was believable, and Francis’ judgment was never wrong. The momentary disagreement left the three unable to decide once.

Francis firmly said, “I believe my judgment is right!”

Carlo quickly decided and said, “I’ll sneak in and find out what’s going on. If I’m not out within five minutes, that means Mr. Duncan is inside. You can choose another chance to act. This way, our team won’t be wiped out even if something happens!”

They weren’t in first place right now, but they weren’t in last place either.

If they lost this opportunity, they would really be facing elimination.

After hesitating for a while, the three finally reached an agreement.

Carlo would be the pioneer and go in first. This way, they could get to know the situation the fastest.

Chapter 436 All Wiped Out

Ten minutes later, Cory and Francis, who had been waiting outside, realized that Carlo hadn’t emerged from the cave yet. They knew that something must be wrong.

The strangest thing was that they were guarding the entrance of the cave, but they didn’t hear any movement from inside.

With Carlo’s ability, even if the other party was a powerful expert, he would be able to send them a final signal at a critical moment. There was no way he could just disappear without a trace.

Francis and Cory glanced at each other, and the perennial tacit understanding made the two of them understand each other’s intentions.

Inside, the cave was dimly lit, and the air was humid. The cave was a natural treasure place in the dense forest, easy to defend and hard to attack.

In order not to let the people inside the cave discover their presence, Francis and Cory chose to climb in slowly along the steep walls of the cave.

The cave was quiet inside. It was so quiet that even their breathing could be heard clearly. Francis slowly approached towards the depths, being extra careful.

Suddenly, he felt something wrong in the dark.

He subconsciously turned back, but it was already too late. The cold muzzle of the gun had been pressed against his forehead.

Francis wanted to resist, but after seeing who the person was, he silently gave up this stupid idea. Even if Branden could only move one hand now, he might not be a match for Branden.

It was because Branden knew him too well.

Knowing that there was no hope of escape, Francis prepared to inform Cory and ask him to leave. Branden seemed to see through his intentions and raised an eyebrow at him as he tilted his head.

Francis looked sideways, only to see that Cory was already at the mercy of Catherine’s gun. As for Carlo, he was leisurely leaning aside and eating his food. Francis gave up resistance, and Branden did not hesitate to “kill” him.

The trio of the Duncans were all wiped out. Catherine’s team got three more points and directly reached first place.

There were currently two teams left, and both of them had only one person left to fight alone. They didn’t have a chance to win against Catherine’s team.

After dealing with the trio, Branden pulled Catherine to sit down. There was still a long time before dawn, but this battle had already reached the final stage.

It was over far quicker than expected. With the three points just now, Catherine’s team was instantly on top, and she and Branden finally relaxed a little bit. Branden arrogantly set up a flame inside the cave and put the caught fish on the grill.

Under the heat of the flames, the appetizing aroma of the fish gradually spread out.

Carlo, who was still leisurely eating compressed crackers, suddenly felt that the crackers in his hand didn’t taste good anymore.

He stared longingly at the fish to assuage his hunger. Branden took the boxed meal out in front of him and heated it up with boiling water.

Instantly, the flavor of braised beef wafted through the air. Grilled fish and braised beef, not to mention Carlo, even Francis and Cory were about to be unable to resist.

Branden carefully placed the heated meal in front of Catherine to prevent her from getting burned.

“Eat something!”

Catherine didn’t refuse and reached out to take the food, taking small bites of the hot meal. Building a fire during the competition wasn’t because they were too arrogant. After all, their opponents were too weak.

Seeing her holding the lunch box, Branden was still a bit worried. He directly approached her, took the lunch box in her hand, and carried it for her.

Because it was a self-heating meal, the bottom of the lunch box was very hot, and it was easy to get burned if one was not careful. For those who were always training outside, this boiling heat was nothing at all, and no one would care.

Branden had always been well-bred, but now, for Catherine’s sake, he willingly carried the lunchbox so that Catherine could eat more comfortably.

Carlo was so shocked that his jaw dropped. He was here to be trained, not to be tortured.

Branden and Catherine’s intimate behavior hurt him deeply. Carlo leaned cheekily towards Cory and said, “Cory, why don’t you catch me two fish?”

Cory glanced at him in disgust and responded indifferently, “A dead person should shut up!”

Yeah, the three of them were now dead in this battle, and they didn’t even have the right to talk. Carlo, who had been struck once again, helplessly retreated to the sidelines and stared silently at what was happening in front of him.

The two remaining members of the other teams were wiped out by Catherine’s team at the moment of dawn.

In the end, Catherine’s team won.

Standing on the training ground, Catherine put her hands behind her back and looked at the trainers lined up in front of her. They all bowed their heads.

Catherine was considered very petite and delicate in a group of hunky boys who averaged over 5.9 feet tall.

However, her tiny body seemed to contain a huge power, and she had an overbearing aura that made all the brawny men present shiver a little bit.

She swept a glance towards the crowd, and everyone immediately lowered their heads in fear. Catherine said indifferently, her voice cold and vicious, “48 hours of dense forest combat, and only halfway through the time, all of you were wiped out. With such an achievement, do you guys have the cheek to stand here?”

Her powerful voice was like a sledgehammer pounding on everyone’s body. With experts like Catherine and Branden around, it was extremely difficult for them not to lose.

But no matter what, their performance this time was too poor, and the trainees did not dare to retort.

The usually arrogant and domineering elite talents all lowered their heads at this moment, behaving like timid little rabbits in front of Catherine.

During this round of training, Catherine eliminated three more people, and now the entire camp, plus Branden, totaled only 13 members.

“Except for 0399, all the rest will have extra training! Since you can’t win, you should train more! If it still doesn’t work, just wait for all of you to be eliminated!”

Branden stood on the side with a light smile on his perfect face, his deep eyes gazing straight in Catherine’s direction.

“Scatter!”

He slowly walked towards Catherine when the group dispersed at Catherine’s command.

“Come on. Let’s take a break!”

The two walked towards Catherine’s dormitory. As soon as Catherine entered the dormitory, she leaned over towards the camp bed on one side.

After lying on the hard rocks in the wild, even the camp bed made her feel comfortable. After lying down, Catherine took out her cell phone to play video games.

She hadn’t been online for a few days, and her teammates were looking for her like crazy. If she didn’t show up soon, they would probably post search notices all over the world.

The camp bed was small and could only fit one person.

After Branden came in, he sat in the chair on the side.

The petite chair didn’t match his long legs, and it looked a little funny. But Branden did not care. He leisurely leaned back and looked at Catherine with obsessive eyes, chatting casually with her.

“There’s only a week left of training. Shall we go back to Casier together then?”

Chapter 437 Something Was Wrong

In the face of Branden’s inquiry, Catherine casually glanced at him and gave a cold reply.

“Wait until you survive the remaining week!”

The implicit meaning was that if he couldn’t even endure the training camp, then there would be no chance for anything else.

Branden silently chuckled.

What else could he do? He had offended her back then due to his ignorance. Now, it was generous of Catherine to give him a chance. If he didn’t cherish it, he would probably not even have the opportunity to meet her again.

“Rest for a while. I’ll head out!”

After saying that, Branden stood up and left the room. Everyone had their own private space. As the head of the Duncans, Branden had countless matters waiting for him to handle every day.

Catherine didn’t find it strange at all that he left. She continued to play games, not worrying that the other trainees outside would slack off because she wasn’t there.

The people she wanted to train had to be the cream of the crop. If they lacked self-control and needed her to supervise them, they only deserved to be eliminated.

After leaving, Branden hurried towards his own dormitory. Halfway there, he encountered Paxton.

Paxton had always been by his side. Even though Branden’s expression was calm, Paxton could still sense something was off. He immediately quickened his pace and arrived at Branden’s side, supporting his arm.

“Sir, are you alright?”

Branden pushed his hand away and chose to walk independently.

“We will talk when we get to the dorm!”

Paxton didn’t dare to support him any longer and immediately called the medical team.

The effects of the medication should have worn off an hour ago, but Branden had endured until now. Paxton didn’t even dare to imagine how painful it would be.

Paxton closely followed Branden into the dormitory.

The moment the dormitory door closed, Branden couldn’t bear it anymore and collapsed to the ground. At the last moment, before his eyes closed, he gave Paxton a final instruction.

“Don’t let Catherine find out!”

Paxton hesitated, but he didn’t dare to disobey Branden’s command. The only thing he could do was nod. Ever since Branden left Catherine’s dormitory in the morning, she hadn’t seen him again.

As a reward for training, he was allowed to rest for a day. Even if he disappeared for a whole day, it was acceptable.

Therefore, Catherine didn’t go looking for him. Instead, she went to the training ground alone to prepare for the afternoon training session.

Jon stood by. As time went by, he was becoming more and more impressed with Anon. Anon’s abilities were indeed formidable. Ordinary people were no match for him.

Jon had a question these past few days. He wanted to ask Anon but felt a bit embarrassed. Today’s training was the perfect opportunity to bring it up.

“Mr. Anon, do you know Branden?” Jon asked. Catherine thought that everyone could tell that she was familiar with Branden. She didn’t expect Jon to ask such a boring question.

Although it was uninteresting, Catherine still answered him. Jon’s gaze at Catherine instantly turned somewhat uneasy and sympathetic.

Catherine didn’t know what was wrong with this guy. She had to train them and didn’t have time to chat with him. Jon watched Catherine’s figure receding into the distance and silently felt heartbroken. He didn’t expect Anon to be interested in men!

Although Anon’s figure seemed delicate, he was still a man after all. In Jon’s mind, images of Branden being intimate with Anon flashed, causing him to shudder involuntarily.

The world had indeed changed. Gender was no longer an obstacle. After the afternoon training ended, Catherine still hadn’t seen any trace of Branden.

It had been half a day since she last saw him. Was he really planning to wait until tomorrow to show up?

Catherine decided to go check on the situation.

The dormitory Branden stayed at was behind the training ground, and it only took Catherine five minutes to walk there.

However, when she arrived at the dormitory, she saw that it was empty and tidy. It seemed that Branden hadn’t returned to the dormitory.

Catherine furrowed her brows, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart. After leaving the dormitory, she immediately took out her phone and dialed Rodge’s number.

“Rodge, I need information about a reagent!”

Five minutes later, Catherine received the information sent by Rodge. The document had a dozen pages, but it only took her two minutes to skim through it. After reading it, Catherine immediately headed to the island’s hospital.

Every day, injuries occurred on the island. Getting injured during training was a common occurrence. The equipment in the hospital here was more advanced than that of some top- tier hospitals. When Catherine arrived at the hospital, she saw Paxton standing at the entrance.

Paxton’s eyes lit up when he saw Catherine’s arrival. This time, she couldn’t blame him. After all, she had come on her own, and it had nothing to do with him.

Paxton hurriedly walked towards Catherine. With no one around, he called her by her name. “Miss Swann, why are you here?”

Catherine looked at Paxton coldly and said in a cold voice, “Where is Branden?

Paxton felt as if he was being scolded by Branden due to Catherine’s icy attitude. He subconsciously tensed up.

“He’s being treated inside.”

Looking at the closed door of the examination room, Catherine pushed Paxton away and barged in.

The room was filled with doctors who had come for a consultation. Catherine’s sudden arrival startled everyone, and their eyes focused on her.

Catherine was still dressed in her disguise. Someone recognized her as Anon and saluted her.

“Mr. Anon, this is the examination room. Please wait outside.”

Catherine ignored their advice and walked straight towards the hospital bed. Someone tried to stop her, but Catherine gave them a cold glance.

Her icy and ruthless gaze made the person shudder, and they silently stepped back, not daring to stop Catherine anymore.

Standing by the bedside, Catherine saw Branden lying there motionless, his eyes closed. It seemed that the situation was worse than she had imagined. Catherine turned to the oldest doctor in a white coat standing beside her.

“What’s the current situation?”

The old doctor didn’t recognize Catherine. He had just been transferred from the Arbotte Base and had only been here for a few hours. Although he didn’t know Catherine’s identity, seeing that no one on the island dared to stop her, he didn’t dare to refuse her directly.

He looked up at Paxton, seeking his opinion.

After getting Paxton’s approval, the old doctor explained the situation to Catherine.

“It’s getting worse. There is too little clinical trial data on the reagent. Besides, Mr. Duncan had severe injuries and was given double the dosage…”

Catherine raised her head assertively, interrupting the old doctor’s rambling and directly stating her ultimate goal.

“Tell me, what is the worst-case scenario!”

That was what she wanted to know!

Chapter 438 Quit

The old doctor gestured at Branden’s thigh and then looked at Catherine with a serious expression, giving an explanation.

“The worst-case scenario is the complete paralysis of the lower body!”

Upon hearing this result, Catherine, who was usually calm, couldn’t help but frown. Complete paralysis of the lower body? That was equivalent to being crippled!

She was one hundred percent sure that Branden would never accept this outcome. After hearing the doctor’s explanation of the worst-case scenario, Catherine pushed open the door of the examination room and walked out.

Paxton immediately approached, but Catherine kept walking, giving him a sidelong glance. With just one glance, Paxton immediately stopped in his tracks, not daring to approach any further. Unable to follow her, Paxton had no choice but to go in and ask the doctors about Branden’s condition.

Branden’s condition was more complicated than the doctors had imagined, mainly because the previous medications were tested in a static environment, and they couldn’t predict the extent of the reagent’s impact on Branden’s body.

Seeing Branden injured, Paxton was extremely anxious. If something really happened to Branden, his entire life would be ruined.

The Duncans couldn’t live without Branden. But now, he had reached out to everyone he could find. He even directly transferred the reagent development team from the 417 Laboratory, but there was still no progress.

Paxton was so anxious that he pointed his gun at the doctor’s head, glaring at him and giving him a harsh command.

“If you can’t cure him, I’ll kill you. Don’t worry. I will commit suicide. See you in Hell!”

The doctor was terrified by Paxton. Paxton’s eyes were bloodshot like an angry lion, and his appearance was truly terrifying.

The doctor’s hands trembled. He didn’t dare to offend Paxton, afraid that if Paxton’s hand shook accidentally, his life would come to an end.

After all, he could only live once.

Everyone was afraid of death.

“Paxton, please rest assured. I will do my best. I will do everything I can to ensure Mr. Duncan’s safety.”

Paxton’s eyes were red with anger as he held onto the gun tightly. If it weren’t for the people around him holding him back, he might have really pulled the trigger.

In order to save his own life, the doctor proposed a new solution.

“Paxton, if the Dr. Miracle were here, perhaps he could cure him!”

Paxton’s eyes immediately lit up when he heard this. “Dr. Miracle?”

“Yes!” The doctor nodded. “He can be considered the best doctor. If we can find him, I can assure you that it will greatly increase the chances of a successful cure!”

As long as it could increase the chances of saving Branden, Paxton would do anything, even if it meant turning the world upside down.

“Okay. I’ll go find him now!”

As the doctor watched Paxton hurriedly leave, he silently frowned. It was not easy to find Dr. Miracle. Rumors had it that his medical skills were superb, and because of his proficiency in traditional medicine, he was revered as Dr. Miracle.

But this mysterious doctor had a peculiar temperament and unpredictable whereabouts. It was definitely not an easy task to find him for treatment.

Even if one managed to find him after great effort, whether he would be willing to lend a helping hand was not for sure. After getting the lead, Paxton immediately found the Duncan trio and explained the situation.

Although the trio was in training, the matter of Branden was more important than anything else. Without hesitation, they found Jon and expressed their intention to withdraw from the competition and quit the training camp.

Jon looked at them in shock. Although he knew something had happened to Branden, he didn’t expect the situation to be so serious that all three of them were prepared to withdraw from the competition.

Jon didn’t quite agree!

These three were elites of the team, and Jon could even predict that they would definitely complete the training and be the last ones standing. They were exceptionally talented.

“No, I can’t make this decision. I have to talk to your instructor! You know, I can’t take responsibility for this!”

When it came to the training competition, Catherine had the final say. Even though Jon was the head instructor, he had no authority to intervene.

Carlo was the most anxious one among the three of them. Seeing that Jon claimed to have no authority, he immediately rushed out to find Catherine.

Cory noticed Carlo’s change in expression and reached out to stop him.

“Carlo, calm down!”

As they turned around, they saw Catherine walking in with large strides. She was dressed in disguise, with only her eyes exposed. Her icy and chilling gaze sent shivers down their spines.

Catherine looked up and stared at the three of them, making them feel uncomfortable as if being pricked by needles.

“Give me a reason for why you are here!

Her voice was cold and icy, like the chill inside an ice cellar, piercing through their bones.

Normally, Carlo might have trembled in fear, but now, his mind was filled with worries about Branden. He feared nothing and only wanted to save Branden. He raised his head and stepped forward, directly approaching Catherine.

“I want to withdraw from the training!”

“Why?” Catherine coldly uttered a word.

“No reason!” Carlo didn’t want to explain too much to Catherine. He just wanted to leave now. Catherine reprimanded in a cold voice, “If there’s no reason, then go back and train harder!”

This statement instantly ignited a surge of anger in Carlo. He glared at Catherine with a strong sense of resistance.

“Why? Why can’t I withdraw from the training?”

Carlo glared at Catherine, the tension between them escalating.

“Hmph!” Catherine snorted coldly, her face full of mockery. She exuded a chilling and domineering aura. “What? Are you going to challenge me? Even if the three of you fight against me together, you cannot even leave this room.”

Carlo’s face darkened. He knew what Catherine meant. Indeed, even if the three brothers teamed up, they couldn’t even leave this room without Catherine’s consent, let alone the island.

Seeing that the trouble was brewing, the calmest of the Duncan trio, Cory, stepped forward to persuade Catherine.

“Catherine, we have an urgent matter to attend to. We want to end the training early. Please let us go!”

Catherine sat down on the side, propping her feet up casually, completely ignoring Cory’s persuasion. Carlo was headstrong, and Cory was more diplomatic, but Catherine remained unmoved. They had no way to convince her.

Francis couldn’t take it anymore and directly stated the reason.

“Catherine, Branden is in trouble, and we need to find Dr. Miracle. Please let us go and help find him!”

They were all extremely anxious. But why was their instructor so calm?

Catherine squinted her eyes and stared at Francis. Seeing her suddenly sit up straight, Francis thought there was hope. He was about to breathe a sigh of relief.

But the next second, Catherine crushed all his expectations.

“Go back. Don’t make me repeat myself!”

Chapter 439 Heartless

Catherine’s cold and stern attitude was unbearable for the Duncan trio. Francis stood frozen in place, staring at Catherine with a puzzled expression.

Carlo was not as composed as Francis. Unable to tolerate Catherine’s indifference, he erupted in anger.

“Francis, let’s just withdraw from the competition and ignore this heartless woman.”

After expressing his thoughts, he felt that it was still not enough. When he thought about Catherine’s attitude, a nameless fit of anger surged within him.

“You’re a heartless creature! If it wasn’t for our boss trying to please you, would he have suffered so much? Now that he is in trouble, we just want to save him. We don’t even need your help. We just want you to let us go, but you refuse. You hold a grudge against him and want him dead, don’t you?”

“Humph…” Catherine sneered. The look in her eyes was as sharp as a honed blade shooting toward Carlo.

“You know me well. You’re right. I want to torment him!”

For Carlo, Branden was not only his boss but also his hero, someone he admired.

Hearing his idol being insulted, Carlo was on the verge of exploding with rage. He knew that he couldn’t defeat Catherine, but he still wanted to give it a try, even if it meant risking his life.

Suddenly, Catherine’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She immediately stopped her sneer, put on a serious face, and ordered Jon beside her, “Send them back to training. If they train passively, throw them into the water dungeon and keep torturing them until they’re willing to train!”

After saying that, she turned around to leave, not even sparing a glance at the three of them.

Carlo wanted to catch up, but he was pulled back by Cory.

Although Cory was also angry, he was more level-headed than Carlo. He saw the bigger picture. As long as Catherine didn’t agree, the three of them would never be able to withdraw from the competition.

They had to follow the rules and listen to Catherine’s commands.

If Catherine didn’t agree, no one would be able to leave. Carlo forcefully shook off Cory’s hand and looked at him with a serious and angry expression.

“Why are you stopping me? Do you also agree with that lunatic’s decision? She wants to kill our boss. You’re not going to do something about it? Can you bear to watch him being tortured by her like this?”

In the face of Carlo’s furious accusations, Cory sighed helplessly. ” Carlo, do you know what our boss did to her back then…”

Before he could finish, Carlo interrupted him directly.

“I know our boss mistreated her back then, but we were on opposite sides at that time. We didn’t know who she was. If our boss had lost, she wouldn’t have shown mercy to him, either.”

Carlo’s words made sense. Catherine was the type of person who sought revenge for the slightest grievance. She would never let anyone who offended her get away with it. Most importantly, she hadn’t done anything to Branden yet. It was Branden who was punishing himself. If he was willing to do this, he could only blame himself.

Francis decided not to sit idly by. ” Don’t forget who owns Scorpion Island. I’ll contact our immediate superior right now. Our boss is the one in trouble this time. I refuse to believe that we can’t get out of here!”

The three of them unanimously agreed to let Francis make the arrangements and not rush out of the island forcefully for now.

However, after Francis contacted their immediate superior, he was informed that Branden had given orders for the entire island to follow Catherine’s instructions. As long as she didn’t agree, no one could leave here.

Everyone on the island was an elite, so it was impossible for the three of them to confront the entire island.

Francis decided to inform Paxton immediately and let him figure out a solution.

Upon receiving the news, Paxton hurried to find Catherine. He also thought that she had gone too far this time. In his opinion, it was fine for her not to accept Branden’s apology. It was her personal decision. However, she shouldn’t prevent others from saving him!

“You three focus on training. Leave this matter to me. I swear on my life that I will not let anything happen to our boss!”

After saying that, Paxton hung up the phone. He didn’t have much time to waste. Besides dealing with his training, his ultimate goal was to find Dr. Miracle to treat Branden.

Paxton hurriedly left the hospital to find Catherine. On the training ground, Catherine sat casually on the stairs, holding her phone to her ear, listening to the incessant chatter on the other end of the line.

“Catherine, I heard you’ve been on Scorpion Island recently?”

“Yeah!”

Catherine didn’t deny it. Casier was Sean’s territory. She had suddenly disappeared for so many days. Sean would definitely notice it. It wouldn’t be difficult for him to find out her whereabouts from Ronin.

Sean was also on their side, so there was no need to hide it from him.

“Catherine, you’re really something. By the way, is someone sick on Scorpion Island? The whole internet just received a bounty posted on Scorpion Island, and the bonus offered is amazing. They say they’re looking for Dr. Miracle. Do you know anything about it?”

Finding Dr. Miracle?

Catherine squinted her eyes and casually looked around. She accidentally caught sight of a familiar figure approaching her, and she responded to the person on the phone, “I have something to deal with. Let’s talk later!”

Then, she hung up the phone.

Paxton hurriedly came to Catherine. ” Miss Swann, I came to ask if you could release Carlo and the others. I need their help right now!”

Paxton was anxious and overwhelmed. The news of Branden’s illness was too confidential. If the enemy found out, there would be very severe consequences. Paxton couldn’t openly announce it, so he had to release the information under someone else’s identity.

However, this method was too slow and would inevitably delay the treatment. He needed help, and those three brothers were the best choice.

“Miss Swann, please, I’m begging you. I work for my boss. If you still hold a grudge from the past, you should direct it at me. I have no complaints, no matter how you punish me. I only ask you to let me solve the most pressing matter, okay?”

After a few seconds of silence, Catherine finally spoke. She looked at Paxton with cold eyes, showing no emotion in her gaze.

“Enough?”

This cold word sent a shiver down Paxton’s spine, extinguishing his hope.

Paxton felt hopeless. He knew he wouldn’t get any answers from Catherine. He chose to leave, believing that with the power of the Duncans, they would be able to save Branden.

“You will regret it!” He stared at Catherine with cold eyes filled with hatred.

Catherine remained indifferent. There were too many people who hated her, and she simply didn’t care. “Whatever!”

Chapter 440 Dr. Miracle

Outside the ward, Paxton had almost brought all the medical experts from the laboratory, and they were in the midst of a consultation.

Branden was still in a comatose state and had not woken up yet. No one knew the reason behind this coma or what method could be used to wake him up.

Another hour passed, but there was still no sign of any recovery. In a state of panic, Paxton reached for the gun at his waist, preparing to rush in. His subordinates quickly held him back, saying, “Paxton, don’t be hasty!”

While Paxton could remain calm in other situations, he couldn’t calm down when his invincible boss encountered a problem. Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, his emotions were no longer stable.

Suddenly, a cold voice disrupted the chaos. “What are you doing here?”

Everyone turned around and saw Catherine walking towards them with an arrogant stride.

Paxton, already enraged, saw Catherine’s arrival as an outlet for his anger. He charged at her directly, angrily asking, “Why are you here? If you’re still not satisfied, do you want me to give you a gun and let you kill him?”

Catherine raised her head, gave him a cold glance, and remained silent. In the next second, she suddenly made a move as fast as lightning, catching everyone off guard.

Paxton felt a gust of wind approaching, but before he could react, Catherine kicked him, sending him flying. His entire body shot forward and crashed heavily onto the ground before coming to a stop.

Paxton grimaced in pain, propping himself up with his hands. As he stood up, blood sprayed out of his mouth. The surrounding people were stunned. They knew that Catherine had formidable combat skills, but they didn’t expect her to be this tough. Now, they instinctively backed away, afraid that they might be caught in the crossfire.

Even someone as strong as Paxton, after being kicked, was coughing up blood. They couldn’t even imagine what would happen to them.

Catherine’s face remained indifferent, her cold gaze falling on Paxton. Her thin lips parted slightly as she said with a chilling tone, “Even your boss doesn’t dare to speak to me like that!”

Paxton lowered his head, knowing that he had overstepped the line.

Catherine was right. She was someone held in high regard by Branden, and Paxton didn’t have the qualification to disrespect her. It was just a momentary lapse of control that led to his lack of respect towards her.

Catherine had actually shown mercy. Otherwise, Paxton might have been killed. Realizing this, Paxton immediately knelt in front of Catherine.

“Miss Swann, I apologize for my impulsive actions earlier. Could you please allow Francis and the others to help find Dr. Miracle?” he pleaded desperately. “Our boss has been unconscious for over two hours!”

“Humph!” Catherine sneered, her face full of disdain and her eyes as cold as ice. “He’s still alive, isn’t he?”

Paxton didn’t expect Catherine to speak so heartlessly. This woman was too ruthless. Her heart must be made of ice!

Ignoring Paxton, Catherine walked directly towards the ward. Paxton’s subordinates quickly blocked her path, trying to stop her.

Catherine glanced at the crowd. The icy gaze from her eyes frightened them, causing them to quickly lower their heads, but they remained motionless.

Catherine began to admire Branden’s subordinates’ bravery, for they were all tough and fearless men. She turned to Paxton, asking “Do you know who this gentleman is?”

Paxton had been completely focused on Catherine earlier and hadn’t noticed who she had brought with her. Now, he found that there was a middle-aged man standing behind her. The man had a plump figure, a rosy complexion, and gray hair.

Paxton carefully studied that man but had no impression of him at all. He didn’t understand why Catherine wanted him to see that man either.

Seeing Paxton looking at him, the middle-aged man smirked and said, ” Kid, go find a doctor for yourself. It’s painful to have broken ribs!”

Paxton was shocked, his eyes widening instantly. He had just been kicked, but apart from coughing up blood, he hadn’t shown any signs of his broken ribs. Yet, this man, without even observing him, knew that his ribs were broken. His skill was incredible!

“Sir, who are you?”

Paxton didn’t dare to speculate randomly. After all, Catherine was a big shot, and it was normal for her to know some extraordinary individuals.

Rubbing his round belly, the middle- aged man burst into laughter. “I’m Thomas Theo. I know a bit of medicine. People usually see me as a doctor. They gave me the nickname ‘Dr. Miracle’!”

Paxton was completely shocked. It turned out that Catherine wasn’t completely indifferent to the situation. She had directly brought the key person here.

Just a moment ago, Paxton, who couldn’t even stand up, suddenly trotted toward Thomas.

“Dr. Miracle, we finally found you. Please quickly examine my boss and give a diagnosis!” he pleaded urgently.

The middle-aged man had a kind smile on his face.

“I don’t care about others, but I do care about Cassie’s boyfriend!” he said. Paxton’s eyes lit up with hope. He quickly pushed aside his subordinates and said to Thomas with a bow, “Dr. Miracle, please come in!”

The two of them walked into the ward together, with Catherine standing at the back. She didn’t like crowds or noisy environments, so she always walked at the back, keeping her distance from others.

Seeing Paxton’s lips curling into a smile, Catherine frowned slightly.

“Wasn’t he just lying on the ground and unable to get up?” she wondered. ” Why is he suddenly full of energy? Could it be an act?”

Inside the ward, Thomas looked at the well-equipped medical equipment and couldn’t help but mutter, “Wow, even though it’s small, it has everything!”

After making a joke, he shifted his gaze to Branden on the hospital bed.

“So, this is Branden Duncan?” he asked.

Paxton nodded. “Yes, Mr. Theo. Please help us examine our boss!”

Thomas carefully observed Branden and nodded in agreement. “He looks good. No wonder Cassie likes him!” Then, without any hesitation, he glanced at Catherine. Catherine nodded slightly, her face calm. No one could tell what she was thinking at the moment.

With her consent, Thomas sat down and began checking Branden’s pulse. Inside the ward, there was complete silence, and no one dared to disturb Thomas’s examination.

After a few minutes, Thomas’s face turned cold, and he looked at everyone with a serious expression.

“Who is his attending physician?”

The doctors that Paxton had brought were all waiting in the ward. When they heard Thomas’s question, a middle- aged man immediately stood up.

“Mr. Theo, I am Mr. Duncan’s attending physician. Is there anything you need to know from me?”

Thomas glared at him and launched into a scolding.

“You fool!”