Ch. 581..590

Chapter 581

The short and simple kiss was not enough for Tristan. He wrapped one arm around her waist and placed his other hand behind her head to deepen the kiss.

The atmosphere in the private room instantly became romantic and intimate.

Sophie was sitting on his lap in a seductive position.

A scandalous heat infused both their bodies as the kiss went on.

Tristan only drew away from her reluctantly when footsteps sounded outside the door.

The sight of her red, swollen lips made his heart race. Ah, I'm powerless before her. If I could, I would put her on an uninhabited island so that no one else could lust after her.

Just then, someone knocked on the door, and Tristan responded, “Come in.”

The servers came in with the dishes they ordered.

All the servers at The Crown were well-trained. They remained calm even after witnessing their intimacy. “Sir, the dishes have all been served. Do you need anything else?” one of them asked.

“No. You can leave now. I'll summon you when I need you.”

“Sure. Enjoy your meal.”

The servers filed out of the room. Sophie waited until they were gone before lifting her head. It was

easy for others to guess what had happened earlier if they saw her swollen lips.

“Eat up. Didn't you say you were hungry?” Tristan got her a piece of fish.

Since knowing her, he had set a goal for himself: to fatten her up. In his opinion, she was too skinny.

Sophie had curves in all the right places, but he wished she could gain more weight and look healthier.

“Mm.” Sophie nodded.

Tristan began feeding Sophie earnestly. It seemed that he would do this automatically whenever he was with her.

Meanwhile, William still couldn't believe that Nicholas had tried to ask for Sophie's hand in marriage, and he didn't go to Tristan to discuss the matter.

He knew his son too well.

Knowing it would be pointless to talk to his son, William went to see Sophie instead. He arrived at the University of Medicine, but the security guard wouldn't let him drive into the campus.

William had to get out of his car.

“Old Mr. Lombard, let me go talk to them. They will let you in once they know who you are!”

The campus was huge. William had no idea where to find Sophie.

“There's no need to cause a scene.” William got out of the car and walked into the campus.

At the gate, he ran into the chancellor of the University of Medicine, Dominic Sawyer, who had seen his photo before.

Recently, William had been appearing in the news because of his donation of a national treasure to the country.

Dominic parked his car and hurriedly got out. “Hello, are you Old Mr. Lombard?”

Seeing that someone recognized him, William nodded. “Yes, I am. And you are?”

“I'm the chancellor of the University of Medicine, Dominic Sawyer. Oh, I can't believe I ran into you here, Old Mr. Lombard. Come, let's talk in my car!” Dominic invited eagerly.

He was excited to see someone who appeared on the news.

“Oh, there's no need to go to any trouble. I'm here to look for a student,” William said.

Dominic smiled. “It's no trouble at all. Who is the student you're looking for? I can have my assistant get them to come to see you!”

Unable to refuse Dominic's offer, William got into his car and was taken to his office.

“Old Mr. Lombard, who is the student you want to talk to? I'll have my assistant summon them,”

Dominic said. He remembered what William had told him earlier.

“Sophie Tanner. She's a student here.”

“Oh, Sophie Tanner. What is her relationship with you? Old Mr. Lombard, Sophie is an amazing young lady. I'm really glad she's a student here!” Dominic enthused.

He proceeded to reveal Sophie's achievements and heaped praises on her.

That was the first time William had heard someone else talk about Sophie.

It seemed that Sophie was a wonderful young lady. Even Dominic had nothing but praise for her.

“Old Mr. Lombard, Sophie has good taste for choosing to come to our university. Do you know how smart she is? She has broken many records at our university! I've also read her latest thesis. She's the pride of Chanaea!” Dominic added.

He had assumed she was just a high achiever in the university entrance exam but had no idea she was that talented in medicine. The University of Medicine's reputation will increase as long as Sophie's here!

Right then, Dominic's assistant arrived at the classroom. Sophie's classmates started whispering when they learned that Dominic's assistant was there to look for Sophie.

“Is it related to the sulphuric acid incident?”

“I heard that the lab teacher has a powerful family behind his back. Sophie has gotten herself into

trouble.”

“She deserves it for being so arrogant!”

Hearing their comments, Sandra and Simon shared a look.

“We'll accompany you there!” they offered. No matter what, they refused to let Sophie head there alone.

Sophie shook her head. “It's fine. Just stay out of this. I can go there alone. Stay focused in class.”

Sandra grabbed Sophie's hand.

“Sophie, let me go with you. We can make things clear together.” The matter was Greta's fault and had nothing to do with Sophie.

In response, Sophie pinched her cheek affectionately.

“All right, don't worry. Mr. Sawyer just needs to talk to me briefly.”

She then got up and left.

Sandra glanced at Simon, at a loss for words.

“Simon, your dad is the director, is he not? You must have a way to help Sophie, right?” she asked anxiously.

“Don't worry. Sophie will be okay,” said Simon confidently. “The university has a high opinion of her. They won't do anything to harm her. Plus, I can't do anything to her, let alone anyone else.”

Under the students' watchful gazes, Sophie walked toward Dominic's assistant.

“Ms. Tanner, please,” the assistant said politely.

Seeing that, the rest gaped in disbelief. Mr. Sawyer isn't going to settle scores with Sophie? Then why does he want to talk to her?

When Sophie arrived at the office, Dominic was still telling William how he admired the latter for handing in such a valuable item to the country.

He stopped when Sophie arrived. It was then that he realized he still had no knowledge of the nature of William's relationship with Sophie.

“Sophie, Old Mr. Lombard is here to talk to you. What is your relationship with him?” he asked curiously. “I was just—”

“Mr. Sawyer, can you please leave us? We can talk in your office, right?” Sophie cut in. She was unaware that Dominic was a nosy person because he usually seemed composed.

Dominic had wanted to ask more questions. However, he had no choice but to nod in agreement when he heard Sophie's request.

“Okay, you two can talk here. I have a meeting to attend anyway,” Dominic said, making up an excuse to leave.

Soon, he left with his assistant, leaving only Sophie and William in his office.

“Old Mr. Lombard, may I know why you're here?” Sophie went straight to the topic.

William looked at her with a conflicted expression. She's an excellent young lady, but she's closely involved with other men. Is she a suitable match for Tristan?

 

 

Chapter 582

William fell into deep thought for some time.

Even as he remained silent, Sophie didn't pressure him or grow anxious. She stood up and found a disposable cup to drink some water.

“Sophie, you're not a good match for Tristan. I'm grateful that you found the national treasure and gave it back to me. but you should break up with Tristan.” William finally broke the silence after a while.

Sophie kept mum.

She wasn't counting on the gift to change William's mind anyway.

She took a sip of water and put the paper cup down.

“Old Mr. Lombard, didn't I tell you there's no way we will break up? I won't change my mind no matter what others say!”

Tristan and I trust and love each other. We won't give up so easily.

“What do I have to do for you to give up? I'll agree to any conditions you set even if it means helping the Tanner family join the upper-class society of Jipsdale.”

“I can make the Tanner family join the upper-class society of Jipsdale on my own. No one can force me to give Tristan up!”

“You—” William had no idea what to say.

In the end, he stopped talking and allowed Sophie to see him out.

When they stepped out, they saw Dominic and his assistant waiting outside. Upon spotting them, Dominic promptly offered, “Old Mr. Lombard, are you leaving already? Why don't you stay for a meal together?”

“No need. I have something else on.” William's expression was grim.

“Old Mr. Lombard, wait for me. I'll walk you out!” Sophie piped up.

Hearing that, Dominic handed his car keys to her.

“You can take my car. The University of Medicine is quite big, so it will take over an hour to walk out.”

Sophie nodded. That was, in fact, her plan. She didn't reject Dominic's offer and took his car keys.

William didn't stop her.

After all, he was old. It would be tiring for him to walk all the way out.

Sophie had just dropped William at the campus gate when she received a call from Eustace. She immediately knew he had run into trouble again.

“What is it?” she asked after answering the call.

“Where are you? I'm arriving at the University of Medicine soon. I need your help. Are you free now?” Eustace asked urgently.

“Sure. I'll wait for you at the entrance.”

Having said that, Sophie hung up.

William's driver was not in the car as he had gone to the restroom, so William had to wait for him.

Before his driver showed up, Eustace arrived in a military jeep.

William narrowed his eyes at the sight of the license plate number. It only took him a while to recognize who the person was.

What is his relationship with Sophie? Why is Sophie surrounded by so many eligible bachelors?

Eustace's vehicle immediately caught the attention of the students of the University of Medicine. Many girls adored men in uniform, and more so if they were handsome.

Eustace was more handsome than normal celebrities.

He opened the door, hopped off his vehicle, and went over to Sophie in just a few strides.

“Ms. Tanner, I know I shouldn't disturb you, but this is urgent.”

Hearing that, William arched a brow. He's the captain of the SWAT team. Why would he need Sophie's help? He must be here to court her as he likes her.

Sophie let out a helpless sigh. Every time Eustace came to see her, he would claim it was an urgent matter.

“Let's go. Old Mr. Lombard, I'm sorry, but I have other matters to attend to. I won't be staying here with you,” Sophie said, then turned and left with Eustace.

Dominic's car was left at the entrance. She would just have to deliver the keys to him later.

Eustace rarely paid attention to the current news, so he had no idea who William was. As William was obviously Sophie's acquaintance, he shot the elderly man a curt nod.

William stood rooted to the spot in befuddlement as he watched Sophie get into Eustace's car.

Right then, his driver showed up. “Old Mr. Lombard, I'm really sorry. My stomach was acting up, so—”

“Okay, stop explaining. Let's go and find Tristan!” William ordered. Visiting Tristan wasn't part of his plan, but after what happened, he knew it was time to talk to Tristan.

When William arrived, Tristan was in the middle of a meeting. William went to his office and waited for him to be done.

After the meeting adjourned, Tristan came back to his office to see his father waiting there.

“Dad, is something urgent going on? Why are you here?” Tristan placed his files on the desk before sitting down across from William.

“William, are you sure you won't break up with Sophie?” William asked sternly.

“Why? Didn't I tell you previously that we will never break up?” Tristan was baffled, for he had stated his decision more than once.

“Take a look at this.” Right away, William displayed the stuff Jennifer had given him on the table.

Tristan swept his gaze over the stuff lazily. He wasn't bothered until he spotted Nicholas' face.

A scowl crept up his face instantly. I can't believe Nicholas is here! What does he want? Why did he show up by Sophie's side? What does he have in mind?

William was pleased to see Tristan's reaction. Ha! I knew it. A man will definitely take offense at such matters.

“Tristan, don't get me wrong. I'm not looking down on the Tanner family, but you know our family's status in Jipsdale. Sophie doesn't seem to care about her reputation.”

Tristan said nothing.

“If your relationship doesn't work out, then forget about it. The young ladies who want to marry you in Jipsdale can form a line all the way to Anglandur, so why are you so hung up over her? She hasn't settled down yet, so no one knows what she'll be like in the future,” William continued.

“Dad, it's getting late. You should head home for now,” Tristan interjected. “Please stop interfering in Sophie's business.”

Hearing that, William didn't pursue the subject further.

Instead, he said, “I went to look for her earlier. She left in Eustace's car!”

Eustace? Why did he come to see Sophie again? He's involved in dangerous matters and dangerous people. Whenever Eustace gets involved in something, it always ends up being dangerous.

He immediately took out his phone to call Sophie, only to find out that her phone had been switched off.

“What's wrong?” William asked curiously.

“Dad, I'll ask the driver to send you home. From now on, don't meet Sophie in private. No matter what, I won't break up with her!” It had taken him a lot of effort to get Sophie to agree to be his girlfriend, so there was no way he'd give up so easily.

Worried that she might get hurt, Tristan made up his mind to do everything within his power to contact her.

Eustace and Sophie had already arrived at the base. Danny could finally heave a sigh of relief when Sophie showed up.

 

Chapter 583

“Sophie, this is an urgent situation.” Eustace broke the silence. They had no choice but to ask for her help. “It's about this person with the codename S. If we don't track him down and capture him as soon as possible, the consequences will be dire. He will threaten the safety of Chanaea.”

Sophie didn't bother asking who that man was.

It was the country's top secret, so all she had to do was to track S down, and Eustace would naturally handle the rest.

Eustace appreciated that Sophie never asked questions and always focused on her job whenever he asked for her help.

“Sophie, I've exhausted all my knowledge, but this person has a top hacker working for him. I'm no match for them,” Danny said, lowering his head.

Even though he had been learning from Sophie for some time, there was nothing he could do in this situation. It was a terrible feeling.

Am I not talented at all?

Sophie didn't bother looking at him and took over the work immediately.

As the world's number one hacker, Sophie could hack anyone she wanted easily. Yet, the moment she took over the job, she knew it wasn't a simple matter.

“S has someone helping him!” In fact, there was more than one top hacker helping him. He's obviously

trying to cause trouble in Chanaea!

“That's right, and that's why my hands were tied!” Danny nodded, as he knew what she was talking about. “Sophie, we're all here. How can we help you?”

Their opponent had a few top hackers helping him. Those at the base might be capable, but they were no match for these top hackers.

Sophie had to switch on her phone.

“Captain Sheppard, she isn't allowed to switch on her phone here!” Eustace's subordinate immediately called out.

Sophie was breaking the rules, so Eustace might be blamed for what she was doing.

“It's fine. Ms. Tanner must have her own reasons for turning on her phone. Just pretend you didn't see her do that,” replied Eustace. After all, they were in a crucial situation and didn't have much time to delve into the matter.

His principle was that Sophie could do anything as long as she could track S down. Otherwise, the consequences would be dire.

“But Captain Sheppard...” His subordinate was about to say something but trailed off when Eustace glared at him.

After switching on her phone, Sophie realized she had a few missed calls from Tristan.

She had no time to call him back. She called Butterfly instead.

The phone was answered after two rings. Butterfly was on a blind date set up by her parents. She couldn't say no and was forced to attend it.

However, the man wasn't her type.

She was racking her brains for an excuse when the call arrived.

“Sorry, but I need to answer this,” she said to the man. “Feel free to order whatever you want. The bill is on me.”

Butterfly hurried out of the restaurant. “Why are you calling me at this hour?”

Phantom is mean. It's hard to enjoy a meal with her as she's so busy.

“Where are you? I need your help to cover me,” Sophie said without beating around the bush.

Butterfly stated her location quickly.

“Head back to Wings of Light now and gather the rest to cover me,” Sophie ordered curtly.

“Okay, got it. I'll head back right now.” Anything that concerned Sophie was their top priority. Besides, Sophie sounded pretty serious on the phone.

Butterfly was sure something urgent had cropped up.

The man took a liking to Butterfly's looks and wanted to continue dating her, but she returned only to grab her bag.

“I'm sorry, but I need to go. You can eat by yourself,” said Butterfly before spinning on her heels and leaving without bothering to see his reaction.

The man froze in his spot. Is she saying she doesn't like me? Even if she doesn't like me, how could she leave just like that? What about my pride?

Butterfly sped all the way back to Wings of Light. On the way back, she contacted the others and told them to return to Wings of Light immediately.

The rest arrived ahead of her and waited for her there.

“What happened? Why are we suddenly summoned back?” one asked curiously. After all, it usually took one of them to solve any problem in the past.

Something big must've happened for all of them to be summoned back.

“I don't know the exact details, but Phantom needs our help to cover her. It should be a difficult situation,” came Butterfly's answer.

They would definitely go all out to help Phantom, so none of them ask any questions and got to work.

“Okay!”

They returned to their office and switched on their computers within ten seconds. Butterfly contacted Sophie through their group chat.

Butterfly: We're all here. Let us know what to do.

They were all prepared, so Sophie turned on her microphone and commanded, “Just do as I say.”

Danny gaped incredulously at her action.

Eustace had no idea what Sophie was doing. As this was the first time Sophie had to seek help, it could only mean one thing—their opponent was too formidable.

Sophie had never asked for help and could solve everything alone before this.

Now that she had to solicit help, it was obvious their opponent wanted to destroy Chanaea completely.

Sophie issued orders rapidly as she tapped on the keyboard frantically. She was so fast that Danny could only see a blur of her fingers.

Meanwhile, their opponent's leader flashed a grin when he noticed that they were attacked by someone powerful.

“Everyone, focus! We shouldn't underestimate our enemies.”

“Boss, don't worry. No one can defeat us, not even Phantom when he's working alone.”

“I know you're all confident. That's a good thing, but you shouldn't let your guard down.”

They had to get one fact right—they would be doomed if they were to fail.

“Don't worry. This isn't the first time we're doing this. I trust that we'll work in sync.”

They were the top hackers in the world, so no one was their match.

There was no need for them to be afraid.

“Be careful. Focus on your computers.” Right after he said that, the enemy made a lethal attack.

S' location would've been revealed if they hadn't reacted in time.

The rest were initially lazing around, but they immediately perked up at this.

“Oh, I've met my match. I love a good challenge!” one young man exclaimed.

 

Chapter 584

As the world's top hackers, it would be meaningless if their opponent's skills were not up to snuff.

The two parties soon started an intense battle. Butterfly asked, “Who are they? Their strength is not to be underestimated.”

“They are the world's top hackers, and it's not just one of them. Everyone, be careful,” Sophie said directly.

Someone scoffed, “How dare they provoke us! We'll let them know the power of the real world's top hackers today.”

These few had been with Sophie for a long time.

Each and every one of them could handle difficult situations on their own.

They were also at the top of the ranking list of hackers in the world.

Naturally, there would be no problem if they were to face their opponent together.

“That's enough. Focus!” Sophie ordered. At a time like this, we're racing against the clock. Since Eustace and the others are so anxious, it means that S is of great importance.

“Okay.” Butterfly and the rest nodded in response and did their best to prevent anything from going wrong.

Finally, Sophie broke through the opponent's last line of defense.

“Damn it! Contact S and ask him to leave quickly!”

“Shit! Boss, I can't make any calls.” All their modes of communication had been hacked by the other party.

“What?” The leader couldn't believe they couldn't even make phone calls. Who is the other party? How can they even hack our phones?

“Hurry up and tell Leo about it. We can't let anything go wrong in this matter. Otherwise, we will all have to die,” the leader warned ominously. Leo is ruthless and powerful. He went all out when planning for this to happen. If we don't manage it well, we will all die at his hands.

Meanwhile, Sophie had already hacked into all of their modes of communication.

“You have thirty minutes. Here is the address. S still doesn't know that his location has been exposed!” she stated.

However, if he couldn't contact the other party for some time, he would definitely realize that something was wrong and escape.

“Sophie, thank you for your hard work. You should head back first. I will treat you to a meal next time,” Eustace offered. Sophie had really helped them a lot this time and saved countless lives.

“No thanks. I'm quite busy,” Sophie declined.

Now that the matter at hand had been settled, it was time for her to think about how to explain herself to Tristan. After all, she hadn't answered any of his calls.

He must be worried sick.

“Okay. Let's get in touch next time, then!” Eustace didn't dare to stay longer, so he immediately led his people out.

As soon as Sophie left, she made to call Tristan so that she could update him about her whereabouts. Before she could do so, though, Arius called.

“Where are you now?” Arius asked urgently.

“What's wrong?” Sophie asked in concern as Arius sounded as though something bad had happened. What's up with everyone today? Why are they all so anxious?

“Sophie, come to the hospital right now! I have a patient here, and I really don't know what to do now. Hurry up and get over here to help me!” Arius had never encountered a situation like this.

“What? If even you can't solve the problem, what makes you think I can?” Sophie was confused. Arius had a doctorate in medicine, after all.

“Cut the crap and hurry over!” Arius urged. It was a matter of life and death. He couldn't let her continue to waste time.

“All right. I got it.” Sophie was rendered speechless.

You're the one asking for help, so what's with the attitude? What the heck?

But since it was Arius, she couldn't get riled up at him. Left with no choice, she hailed a taxi and went to Central Hospital where Arius was.

On her way there, she didn't forget to call Tristan.

“What's wrong? Why did you call me so many times?” she asked.

“Where are you now? I'll go and pick you up.” Tristan purposely didn't mention Nicholas. He didn't ask about her relationship with Nicholas either because he believed in her.

As for that b*stard, Nicholas, since he has a death wish, I shall grant him his wish!

“I'm heading over to meet Arius now. Don't worry about me. Once the problem here is solved, I'll meet you!” Sophie replied.

Because she still didn't know what situation Arius was facing at the moment, she wasn't sure when she could leave.

Medical issues were not as simple as the problems hackers would face, which could be solved quickly.

“All right. Where are you guys? I'll go find you!” Tristan insisted. For some reason, he had been feeling uneasy for the entire day.

It was as if something significant was about to happen.

In the past, he would just brush this kind of feeling off, but now that he had her in his life, he was more apprehensive and worried.

Hearing his reply, Sophie rejected, “Don't come over. Things are a bit tricky here, and I don't know how long it will take to deal with it. You won't be able to help even if you come, so you might as well rest at home! Don't worry. I'll take care of myself. I'll go find you as soon as it's over.”

Sophie was truly considering the best option for him.

However, Tristan was upset when he heard her reply.

It seems that I can't get involved in a lot of her matters, and there are many things driving a wedge between us.

“All right. I've reached the place. I'm going to hang up now. Don't worry about me. Just do whatever you should be doing.” With that, Sophie ended the call. She then paid the taxi driver, got out of the car, and went straight into the hospital to find Arius.

Just as she arrived on the floor where Arius was, a nurse brought her a set of personal protective equipment for her to change into.

Upon noticing that, Sophie felt something was amiss. Is the disease contagious?

Despite that, she didn't voice the question in her mind. After changing her clothes and putting on the protective gear, she went to meet Arius. When she saw him, he was still doing research.

However, there was no progress.

Only when he saw Sophie had come did he stop.

“This is already the tenth person! All ten people have the same symptoms! I think there is something wrong with them!” Arius told Sophie.

Sophie knew what he was talking about and immediately performed physical examinations on those patients.

“Have you called Tristan? I'm afraid you won't be able to go back tonight!” Arius asked. No one knew how to deal with the virus, so he had to ask her to come and help.

“I thought it would be resolved soon. It's okay. Let's deal with the matter here first,” Sophie replied. After all, there was no way she could leave when faced with such a situation.

Arius chuckled. “Sophie, thank you!”

They had no other choice. After all, they were doctors. Only people like us can handle difficult problems like this.

“I wonder who was the one who told me studying medicine is great.” Sophie shot him a look.

How dare he say he's my good friend? What kind of good friend would set me up?

“Once you solve this problem, you will have a sense of accomplishment, which cannot be described in words,” Arius placated. He was sure that she wouldn't regret it.

Meanwhile, Tristan had asked Felix to check Sophie's location, so he also found out what was going on.

“Mr. Tristan, those people are infected, and it's lethal,” Felix informed. Those patients were high-ranking officials. It was really dangerous for Sophie to be with them now.

 

 

Chapter 585

Tristan's expression changed after hearing what Felix had to say.

Frankly, Tristan had never been this afraid before. The incident seemed to lead back to those men from Anglandur.

Now that Sophie was involved, it was going to be dangerous for her too.

“I'm going to take a look!” Tristan did not care about anything else now. All he wanted was to be by her side.

Regardless of what happened, nothing mattered as long as they were together.

However, Felix held Tristan back.

“Mr. Tristan, you shouldn't be hasty. I don't think the matter is that simple. Central Hospital is now under lockdown. Nobody is allowed to enter or leave.”

Even if Tristan went there now, he was not going to be of help.

In fact, he was only going to be endangering himself.

“No! I have to get Sophie back!” At the moment, there was nothing else on Tristan's mind but Sophie.

Arius being there is enough. After all, Sophie is just a first-year student. What can she do? How could he enlist Sophie's help in something so dangerous?

After this ordeal was over, Tristan was determined to teach Arius a lesson.

“Mr. Tristan, there's no way you can enter right now. Even if you do manage somehow, Sophie may not come with you!” said Felix hurriedly.

After all, Felix had known Sophie for quite some time. As such, he was rather familiar with her personality.

Sophie seemed stoic on the outside, but she was generally a very principled person. Otherwise, she would not have studied medicine.

Tristan, however, was getting quite anxious.

“I need eyes on the situation at all times,” said Tristan. He did not know what he was going to do if something happened to Sophie.

Suddenly, a phone call from Yale interrupted their conversation.

When Tristan noticed the caller ID, he did not wish to answer the phone. However, he relented when he thought of Josiah.

“Mr. Tristan, have you been able to get a hold of Sophie? I fear that Old Mr. Tanner can't hold on for much longer,” whispered Yale. Sobbing sounds could be heard from where Yale was.

When Tristan heard this, he could feel panic flood his heart.

What?

Why does it have to be now, of all times?

“Where are you now? I'll rush over right away,” replied Tristan. With Sophie unavailable, he was the only person left who could deal with this.

Immediately, Tristan got up and grabbed his coat.

“Mr. Tristan, where are you going? Has something happened?” asked Felix, getting up as well.

“Something has happened to Old Mr. Tanner.”

This time, it was Felix's turn to be anxious.

Why did this have to happen now? When it rains, it really does pour.

Sophie is still busy at Central Hospital. If anything were to happen to Old Mr. Tanner, how is she going to react when she is finally able to leave?

Tristan immediately drove to the hospital Yale mentioned at top speed. Yale was already waiting outside. When he saw that Tristan had arrived without Sophie, he couldn't help but ask, “Where's Sophie? What the hell is she so busy with? Her grandfather isn't doing too well right now. How could she be absent at such a critical period?”

All Josiah wanted was to see Sophie one last time.

If Sophie did not show up, they feared he would not have the opportunity to meet his granddaughter again.

Tristan ignored the outburst. Instead, he walked inside on his own. When Morgan noticed him, he said, “Mr. Tristan, where is Ms. Tanner? I think Old Mr. Tanner isn't going to make it. All he wants is to meet her one last time!”

“Are the doctors in?” asked Tristan, not mincing words.

“The doctors are inside, but I don't think there's anything much they can do now.” After all, Josiah was very old. There was nothing one could do to change that fact.

That being said, they could at least fulfill his dying wish!

“Unfortunately, Sophie has urgent matters to attend to and cannot leave,” replied Tristan with some difficulty. He knew just how much Sophie loved her grandfather.

If she knew this was happening, she was definitely going to drop everything and rush over.

However, she could not even leave.

“Is that so?”

Morgan said nothing else. Given how dire the situation was, there was nothing anyone could do at this point.

Willow could not help but glance over when she heard what Tristan said.

“Grandpa has always treated her well, but now that he isn't doing so good, she can't even show her face?” said Willow coldly. She then looked at her parents and added, “Do you think she'll still give a damn about us after Grandpa is gone?”

Willow did not particularly care about Josiah dying. Instead, all she hoped was that Sophie would leave Tanner Group.

“How could you say such things at a time like this, Willow? What matters now is your Grandpa,” chided Yale. He did not wish to hear such things now.

When it came down to it, the person on his deathbed right now was still Yale's father.

Hence, Yale was not in the mood to hear something so outrageous coming from Willow's lips.

“Dad, I'm upset too! But you can't keep behaving this way. If you don't wrest control of Tanner Group now, then we'll be left with nothing!” said Willow indignantly. “Sophie is a heartless person! She doesn't care if anyone else lives or dies!”

Even Charmaine thought that Willow made sense.

“Even before, she barely cared about us. Once the old man is gone, do you think she'll care about us at all?” asked Charmaine accusatorily.

Yale could feel his temples throbbing from the commotion.

However, he also felt that there was nothing wrong with what they pointed out.

“Then what do you propose we do?” asked Yale.

“Tanner Group belongs to Grandpa still. Sophie is merely an escrow he appointed. If Grandpa can will the company to Dad, wouldn't it solve all our problems?”

If this happened, Willow was going to be the undisputed heiress to the Tanner family fortune.

As things stood, she would not have gotten the chance otherwise. How else was she going to marry into a wealthy family?

Yale was also not happy at his current position in Tanner Group, to begin with. When he heard the opinions of both his wife and daughter, he started to have doubts.

“Dad, stop hesitating. If this continues, then Sophie will kick us out of the mansion. We'll become the laughingstock of Jipsdale!” Willow knew that Yale was wavering and continued to urge him.

“All right! I know what must be done. We'll ask the lawyers to handle this!” said Yale resolutely. Tanner Group should have belonged to him in the first place.

Yale could see nothing wrong in making such a claim.

Willow and Charmaine shared a look, relieved that things were going in the right direction for them.

Tanner Group was currently thriving.

If they could obtain the company, that would only further cement their chances of being a part of the

upper echelons of society.

Tristan had gone to find out about Josiah's prognosis, but the lead doctor merely shook his head.

“He really wishes to see this Sophie person. I think you should quickly send for her and bring her here. It's likely the last he'll see of her,” said the doctor morosely. Even if the heavens chose to intervene, there was nothing they could do to turn back time.

“Is there nothing that can be done?” urged Tristan. Sophie was currently researching the virus with Arius at Central Hospital. There was no way she could just drop everything and leave.

The doctor could only shake his head once more.

“We've exhausted all available options, but nothing has worked.” Even the doctors were powerless to do anything at this stage.

“Can you keep him going for just a little longer?” No matter what the cost was, Tristan was determined to let Sophie see her grandfather one last time.

 

Chapter 586

“I will try my best,” replied the doctor. They had truly run out of options.

“I don't care what you have to do. Please give us more time,” said Tristan to the doctors.

The doctors were aware that he was the one and only Mr. Tristan. How could they afford to be negligent and not follow orders?

“However, Old Mr. Tanner is only going to suffer if this continues.” If things were going to be like this, there was no point in keeping him alive.

This was quite torturous to the old man.

“You needn't worry about all that. He has someone he still wants to see, after all. I only ask that you give me a bit more time,” replied Tristan.

Given how sensitive the situation was, Tristan could not just bring Sophie here.

“Yes, sir.”

The doctors left, and Morgan sighed.

“Where is Ms. Tanner?” murmured Morgan worriedly. He knew Sophie well enough. She was not the type of person who would ignore the fact that her grandfather was in critical condition.

Since she is not here, did something happen to her?

“Morgan, stop asking questions. I'm going to see Old Mr. Tanner, and I will bring Sophie back,” said Tristan tersely. Since Josiah could not be saved, all Tristan could do was fulfill the man's dying wish.

Morgan grew even more anxious.

Since the situation was already so dire, there was nothing that could be done.

However, in the grand scheme of things, this was just the circle of life.

When Tristan entered the ward, Josiah could hear the door move. Josiah angled his gaze up to look for the source of the noise, but he seemed crestfallen when he saw that it wasn't Sophie.

He had been holding on, hoping to see Sophie get married, but he never thought that this would happen.

However, he did wish to see her a final time before passing away.

Tristan noticed his expression and reached out to hold Josiah's hand.

“You must hold on, Old Mr. Tanner. Sophie has urgent matters to deal with and cannot leave just yet. She will rush over the moment she's done. In fact, I'll personally bring her here. You must hold on, okay?” Tristan did not dare tell Josiah what Sophie was up to.

As such, he tried to sound as neutral as possible.

Josiah merely blinked when he heard this, signaling that he had heard every word.

With labored breaths, Josiah squeezed Tristan's hand.

“Don't worry, Old Mr. Tanner. Regardless of what happens, I'll take good care of Sophie. I won't let anything happen to her.”

Tristan knew what the old man needed to hear and thus tried his best to assuage Josiah's fears.

Hearing this made tears fall from Josiah's eyes. He did not wish to cry. After all, death was not a scary thing. However, he was afraid of leaving Sophie behind on her own with no one to support her.

If he left too, then she had nobody left in the Tanner family to rely on.

Sophie's gloomy future made Josiah so sad that he could not bear thinking about it.

“Don't worry, Old Mr. Tanner. Don't cry. If Sophie knows you've been crying, then she will be very sad too.” Sophie was actually quite empathetic.

As expected, Josiah promptly stopped crying after hearing this.

Tristan then gave the old man's hand a reassuring squeeze.

Tristan was not someone new to experiencing the death of others, but he was truly heartbroken this time.

After speaking to Josiah a little more, Tristan finally emerged from the ward. Felix had been waiting outside for him.

“What do we do?” Felix had never experienced such a conundrum before. If Sophie came back and saw Josiah in this state, she was going to be utterly despondent.

How are we going to solve this dilemma?

“Have we managed to contact anyone from Central Hospital?” queried Tristan.

“Not yet. As of now, Central Hospital is being surrounded by the army.” Ever since Sophie had entered the premises, she could not be reached via phone. After all, this concerned Chanaea's national security.

“We need to find a way. Otherwise, I'll make a trip there personally.” All Tristan needed was access to the hospital.

“Mr. Tristan, the virus is infectious. I'd strongly advise against entering the hospital,” said Felix urgently, holding Tristan back. “This is a scheme from Anglandur. Therefore—”

“I know that,” replied Tristan brusquely. “But before we handle this matter, I have to make sure Sophie is okay.” It looks like I need to make a trip to Anglandur.

“Are you...” Felix then sighed. Why doesn't he get it after I've spent so much time and saliva explaining?

“Assign a few people to keep watch over Old Mr. Tanner. Make sure nobody does anything fishy!” There was nobody in the Tanner family who could be trusted.

Given Josiah's current state, there was nothing to stop them from resorting to dirty tricks, especially given Charmaine and Willow's attitude earlier.

“We have a team here standing by,” said Felix reassuringly. Nobody could do anything to hurt Josiah as long as he was kept under their watchful eyes.

Meanwhile, at Central Hospital, both Arius and Sophie had tried multiple methods but to no avail.

As such, they were running on fumes.

Sophie was especially tired. She had just finished a battle with several hackers and had no time to rest before rushing over to the hospital.

“What's wrong? Are you tired? If you are, you should rest for a bit. I can hold the fort for a while.” Arius noticed that Sophie was exhausted, which made his heart ache.

Sophie merely shook her head.

“Arius, it's not that simple this time. I'd just helped Eustace capture S,” said Sophie. “This virus might be the machinations of foreign powers or criminal organizations abroad.” Shaken by Chanaea's progress, the foreigners had resorted to dirty tricks to undermine them.

Arius nodded in understanding.

“Yes. I also think someone personally had a hand in spreading this. Given the sensitivity of the issue, we need to find a solution. Otherwise, the virus will mutate and infect the people of Chanaea while the others swoop down like birds of prey when we are weak.”

As Chanaeans, how could they let other countries undermine their nation's sovereignty?

“Where is Mr. Smith? Have you managed to contact him?” asked Sophie. Hasn't he always wanted to come to Chanaea? Our progress might be faster if he could be here.

“I've not been able to reach him.”

There was a possibility that the Anglandur forces were keeping watch on Barney. Why would they let him leave the country at such a critical moment?

Sophie sighed.

“Did your phone get confiscated too?” asked Sophie. Since the case was a matter of national security, their phones were confiscated the moment they entered the premises.

“I still have mine.” Due to Arius' position, he managed to retain his phone.

“Give it to me.”

Sophie sensed that something was not right and was worried about Tristan.

Arius handed his phone to her, and she instantly dialed Tristan's number.

“Arius? Are you with Sophie now?” asked Tristan immediately after picking up.

“Tristan, it's me. I'm currently at Central Hospital, but I don't think I'll be able to leave anytime soon. Is

everything okay?”

“I'm okay. Don't worry! Do take care of yourself while you're in there!” At the moment, Tristan dearly wished to take her away. After all, he was not concerned about the lives of others. What did they have to do with him?

“It's good to know that you're okay. Can you please keep an eye on my grandpa? My eye is twitching uncontrollably. I fear that something has happened.”

Upon hearing Sophie say that, Tristan felt his heart sink.

Chapter 587

“Don't worry! I'll look after Old Mr. Tanner for you. Just take care of yourself. You needn't dwell on this.”

Right now, Sophie had to deal with a particularly nasty virus.

Tristan was worried that Sophie would not keep calm if she knew what had happened to Josiah. If anything more serious happened because of that, the consequences could be disastrous.

“Okay. I can't stay for too long on the phone. I'm quite busy here as well,” replied Sophie. The virus was very malignant, targeting and altering the host's genes for the worse. They had to act quickly in order to prevent further transmission.

“I know you're busy, but you have to watch out for your health too, okay?” Tristan could only say this much.

“I know. You needn't worry about me. I'll be home safe and sound.” Sophie believed in herself and Arius.

“All right.”

How could such a short conversation soothe his frayed nerves?

Tristan knew that there was no point in saying anything more. Besides, he could tell from the sound of her voice that she was exhausted. Thus, he decided not to distract her further so that she could get more rest.

Sophie then hung up and returned the phone to Arius.

“Let's keep going!” There was barely any time to rest. All they could do was continue their efforts in stopping the virus because this was a time-sensitive matter.

Arius stood up and said, “Didn't I tell you to leave to get some rest? Regardless, you're still a woman. Your body can't handle this for much longer.”

Arius was a man and could work for longer periods of time without needing to rest as often. It was high time Sophie stopped working for a bit.

If she continued on this path of working non-stop, her body was bound to give up on her.

“Cut the crap. Let's continue working.” Time was currently a luxury they could not afford to waste.

In the meantime, Eustace had already apprehended S and was interrogating the man. However, S was proving too good at resisting their attempts at gaining information.

Not a single shred of information left the man's lips.

Danny had been with Eustace this whole time. As such, he was starting to grow anxious as well.

“Captain Sheppard, what do we do now? Many people have already been infected by this virus. On top of that, the rate of infection is progressing at a rapid speed!”

If this continued, then they were going to be sitting ducks in no time.

Eustace's expression turned very grave.

Ever since he had found out about this, he had not slept for three days now.

Initially, Eustace could have handed the suspect over to someone else for interrogation before getting some much-needed sleep.

Due to how important this case was, however, Eustace stayed behind with the others to handle the interrogation personally instead.

Just then, someone brought Tristan over.

Eustace had not expected to run into Tristan here, but he still greeted the latter respectfully.

“Mr. Tristan, what brings you here?” asked Eustace warily.

Information about S and the virus were both classified, so nobody else knew about it yet. However, if Tristan had decided to come over, it meant that the cat was out of the bag.

“I'd like to take over the interrogation,” said Tristan to Eustace.

“Mr. Tristan, the suspect is of national importance. How can I just hand him over to you?” queried another officer, who happened to be the SWAT team leader.

Tristan merely looked at the man indifferently, not saying anything.

“Aren't you caught in some kind of impasse right now? Since that's the case, hand this suspect over to

me,” said Tristan, looking at Eustace.

“Captain Sheppard, this is a violation of state protocol. We cannot let a civilian interrogate the suspect!”

Tristan's lips were curved into a wry smirk.

“I wonder how many more will die if we follow protocol,” retorted Tristan coldly, leaving no room for negotiation.

“Fine. I'll hand the suspect over to you. However, you only have eight hours,” replied Eustace with a sigh. That was about as long as he could handle the pressure.

Eustace decided to hand over the suspect to Tristan because he thought the latter could get information out of S, not because he feared Tristan.

Since they had exhausted all options and made no progress, why could they not hand over the reins to someone more suitable?

“Eustace, have you gone insane? If the higher-ups find out that you've let a civilian do this, what do you think they will do?”

Eustace merely gave the team leader a pointed look.

“Please be assured that I know what I'm doing. We're racing against the clock here. Since we can barely get through to this guy, there's no harm in letting someone else try. Regardless of the outcome, I will ensure that nothing happens to you. I will take full responsibility.”

If someone had to be held accountable for this in the end, Eustace was willing to shoulder the burden.

Regardless of what the outcome was, Eustace could bear the consequences.

“But—” The team leader trailed off, unsure of why Eustace was willing to do this. “It has taken you so long to get to where you are. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes,” replied Eustace resolutely.

For the sake of Chanaea's safety, Eustace was willing to sacrifice anything.

“Very well. Don't say that this is your burden to bear alone. We'll both make this judgment call. Regardless of the outcome, we'll share the accountability.”

Finally, the SWAT team leader relented.

Seeing that the two commanding officers had come to an agreement, nobody else dared to object.

“Captain Sheppard, don't worry. Regardless of what happens, we'll be with you all the way.” Given how unique the circumstances were, the other agents had no choice.

“Felix, bring the suspect to our base. I'll interrogate him myself,” said Tristan coldly. Since this situation involved Sophie, how could Tristan stand idly by?

“Yes, Mr. Tristan,” replied Felix.

Danny brought Felix over to bring the suspect out. Everyone then watched as S was transported away.

When Danny came back, he was shocked to see that Eustace was still there. He promptly walked toward Eustace.

“Captain Sheppard, there's nothing much we can do but wait for Mr. Tristan.” There were many rumors about Tristan in Jipsdale. Surely such a capable person could find a way to get information from S.

As such, everyone waited in anticipation.

“I want you to tell the others to stand down and get some rest. They can return after eight hours,” said Eustace. Since they had not rested for so many days, the other officers were going to start dropping like flies if this continued.

“But what about you?” asked Danny worriedly.

“I'm going to see if there's anything else I can do,” said Eustace, rubbing his throbbing temples. With the virus still spreading and mutating the genes of the infected, Jipsdale was soon going to fall. If that happened, then Chanaea would be unable to keep things under control.

Eustace was a true patriot.

He was determined to not let such a scenario happen.

Therefore, regardless of what happened, Eustace was not going to give up so easily.

“Captain Sheppard, I'll stay behind with you, then. I'm not in the least bit tired.” Since Danny was a technician, he could at least provide Eustace with technical support.

“Danny, I know that you're already very exhausted. You need to stop acting tough and get some rest.” After all, Danny was just a technician. His IT knowledge was vast, but there was little he could do in this particular situation.

Having said that, Eustace left. Danny felt uncomfortable as he stared at Eustace's retreating figure.

Chapter 588

The officers were all people with ideals and ambitions. The reason why they came to the SWAT team was also that they wanted to serve the country.

How could they feel at ease as they watched their beloved country be brought to its knees like this?

The law enforcement officers truly wanted to help.

However, it was also obvious that determination or willpower alone could not solve everything.

Eustace could only feel bitter at not being a more capable individual.

When Eustace walked out, he received a call from Felix.

“I need you to come to this location,” said Felix, without waiting for Eustace to respond. He knew that Eustace was a good person and that Tristan wanted to cultivate his abilities. As such, Tristan thought it was best to let him watch the interrogation process.

With Tristan around, the interrogation was going to be a piece of cake.

“Very well!”

Eustace naturally knew who had called.

In fact, he wanted to insist on going over himself earlier, but he did not have the guts.

Now that they had personally requested his presence, Eustace no longer had reservations. He

immediately drove over to the specified location.

Eustace had never imagined such a place to exist in Jipsdale.

When he saw the vast array of interrogation tools inside, he was stunned.

Eustace was far from inexperienced in such matters, but the interrogation equipment in the room was like a whole new world to him.

Such a place is meant to be hidden from the world. If Mr. Tristan wants me here, is this a sign that he trusts me?

Felix was not surprised when he saw Eustace taking in his surroundings with his mouth agape. Anyone who came here for the first time would exhibit the same response.

All except for one person, of course.

When Sophie was here previously, she did not seem fazed by this.

“Don't you worry, Eustace. Since you trust us that much, we're not going to let you take the fall alone,” said Felix reassuringly. Now that Tristan had decided to get involved, things were definitely going to be for the better.

Meanwhile, S had been brought into the interrogation room already.

This time around, Tristan was going to be conducting the questioning personally.

As such, Felix and Eustace could only stand by outside and watch.

S crossed his legs in his seat and looked at Tristan gleefully.

“There's no need to bother. No matter what you ask me, I'm not going to answer them. I know nothing. If you want to torture me, go right ahead,” said S nonchalantly.

Tristan said nothing. All he did was pull out a cigarette from a nearby pack and light it.

Seeing that Tristan was in no rush to question him, S frowned warily.

This stranger had taken the trouble to bring him all the way here. Surely he was not going to just let S sit and watch as he smoked?

After lighting the cigarette, Tristan took a drag.

“Are you sure you won't cooperate?” asked Tristan mildly after a long silence. The chilliness of Tristan's voice made S shiver despite the warm weather.

S could feel a domineering aura radiate off the body of this man.

“Who the hell are you?” asked S. He had never seen Tristan before and was starting to grow anxious.

“My name is Tristan Lombard,” Tristan replied coolly. “You had best give me the answers I want. Otherwise, I'll soon have you begging me to end your life. Dying is easy, but not getting to die when you're suffering? That's where the real fun is.”

S was clearly rattled by this.

He had not anticipated a personal interrogation by Tristan Lombard.

There were many rumors circulating about this man abroad, and each of them cautioned against messing with him.

Having noticed S' expression, Tristan did not hesitate and motioned for Eustace and Felix to come inside and help.

“There are many types of tools here. I don't know what he likes, so why don't we test them all out once? Whether or not he survives will be up to him entirely.”

Tristan had never liked choosing.

Since he could not decide, he thought to use each one once.

S was suddenly yanked off his seat and brought closer to the table. Given that he had not seen most of the equipment before, S was clearly shaken.

When he was being interrogated by law enforcement, the officers dared not use torture methods on him. However, nobody could tell Tristan what to do here on his territory.

In fact, he had free reign of the situation.

“Eustace, are you just going to stand there and watch me be tortured? This is clearly an abuse of force!

This is illegal!” S was aware of what sort of person Eustace was.

The police officer was a law-abiding person who always went by the book.

He was definitely not someone to act without engaging in the right protocols.

“I apologize. For the sake of Chanaea, however, I think I have no choice but to allow the use of force,” replied Eustace, shaking his head. After all, what right did S have to negotiate his way out of this?

Eustace merely stood in a corner and watched as Tristan ripped apart S' mental defenses bit by bit. When S was truly worn out, Tristan also used hypnosis on him.

Tristan used these methods so adeptly that nobody could compare to him.

There was only one thing on Eustace's mind. Regardless of what happened, he could not afford to cross Tristan. Otherwise, he would certainly suffer terribly before he died.

After getting the answers they needed, Tristan had Felix send S back to the holding facility.

The whole interrogation did not even take two hours.

“Mr. Tristan, since we've gotten our answers, I should be off,” said Eustace. He still had other loose ends to tie up.

This case was far from over.

They still needed to track down the mastermind and retrieve the antidote. Otherwise, the virus was going to spread even further and possibly mutate.

“Hold on!”

Tristan did not let Eustace leave just yet.

Eustace was taken aback, but he stayed behind to listen to what Tristan had to say.

“Eustace, consider this a warning. I don't want you seeking out Sophie's help for things like this again.” Knowing that anything Eustace encountered was going to be dangerous, Tristan did not want Sophie to put herself at risk.

This snapped Eustace out of his stupor.

“Mr. Tristan, Sophie is a remarkable woman. I did not want to drag her into this, but I had no choice. There are certain things that only she can do.”

Eustace genuinely looked up to Sophie.

“I know she is a capable person, but she is also just a civilian. She should not be dragged into such matters!” hissed Tristan.

It's not like Chanaea is lacking in experts.

Why did they have to specifically approach Sophie?

Eustace, on the other hand, did not know how to respond to this.

All he could do was remain silent.

“Fine. Go back. Just remember what I said. I don't want my woman to be put in harm's way. I hope there won't be a repeat of this in the future. I'll let it slide this once,” said Tristan tersely.

Eustace nodded.

Although he wanted to respond, Eustace knew Tristan well enough.

There was no point in saying anything. After all, Tristan had truly helped them a lot this time.

How could he refute Tristan at such a moment?

After Felix sent S back, he made his way to Lombard Group to rendezvous with Tristan.

“Mr. Tristan, what are we going to do?”

Charles and Sean had already made their way there. Naturally, they had been briefed on the situation as well.

“I need to pay Anglandur a visit.” Tristan wanted to hunt down the mastermind and also bring Barney back so he could treat Josiah.

Sophie had yet to see her grandfather for the last time. As such, Tristan was not going to let anything happen to the old man.

“We'll all go together then!” Sean had little love for Anglandur, but he had to set his own feelings aside. The most important thing now was to serve their country and help in whichever way they could.

 

Chapter 589

It had been some time since the four of them worked together.

Previously, they worked in pairs during missions that weren't that dangerous.

Yet, this time, there was no way the other three would allow Tristan to act alone.

As Chanaeans, they couldn't stand aside and watch when someone was trying to bully them.

“Yes. Count me in, too!” Charles declared and got to his feet.

“Okay. I'll go make the arrangements right now.” As there were four of them, he decided to use his private plane. All he had to do was set the flight time.

“Mr. Tristan, we know how urgent this is. Don't worry. We are in this together, so things will turn out fine.” No matter how strong their enemy was, they weren't afraid at all.

“Mm.” Tristan nodded.

The four of them were close friends.

Even though they had grown up together, they each had their own principles. No one in Jipsdale dared to go against them, but they still remained true to their original goals.

Meanwhile, Sophie and Arius failed yet again. The disappointment caused Arius to sink onto the couch.

This was by far the most difficult problem he had ever encountered. They had spent a lot of time trying

to solve it but to no avail.

“What do we do?” he asked Sophie.

Sophie took a deep breath.

Indeed, this was the most arduous problem she had ever encountered.

She had never felt this dejected.

“Many people are getting infected, and they have turned into mutants. If nothing is done to stop this, Chanaea will descend into chaos soon!” Sophie knew this was an emergency, but the both of them couldn't handle the problem alone.

“Are we giving up?” Arius asked weakly. He had a splitting headache as he hadn't gotten any rest for a long time.

Sophie told him, “You should get some rest. Perhaps you can figure something out after taking a nap.” He might go crazy if he keeps pushing himself.

“I'm fine. You should go rest,” Arius responded. It wasn't time for him to rest now. “Sophie, I'm serious. I'll be here, so you can take a nap and take over my position later.”

It wasn't right for them to keep exerting themselves, so he suggested that they take turns resting.

“Okay. I'll go sleep for one hour and come back later to switch out with you,” Sophie replied. She was

having a hard time trying to stay awake.

This was way more exhausting than being involved in a fight.

The more she used her brain, the more her head ached.

After Sophie left, Arius continued analyzing the virus. No matter what, he had to figure something out.

Sophie found a ward and plonked herself down on the couch to sleep.

She soon fell into a deep sleep. One hour later, she woke up and went to Arius.

To her surprise, Arius had collapsed.

Judging from his condition, he had contracted the virus.

“Arius, how are you feeling?” Sophie demanded, her voice overwhelmed with emotion. If even Arius has contracted the virus, will there be a way to cure it?

Hearing Sophie's voice, Arius regained consciousness temporarily.

“Sophie, stay away from me. I think I've contracted the virus, so don't touch me,” he said weakly.

“I'll ask someone to bring you to a ward!” Sophie took his phone and made the call.

Arius was soon brought to a ward. The doctors at Central Hospital were at a loss for what to do when they saw Arius falling ill.

“Ms. Tanner, now that Professor Gullifer has contracted the virus, I'm afraid our hands are tied.” One doctor broke the silence.

Arius was their core member, so they didn't know what to do now that he had fallen sick.

“What does that mean? Are you going to give up and allow the virus to spread all over Chanaea and affect our genes?” Sophie demanded. It didn't concern only them, for Chanaea's future was also at stake.

The doctor who spoke earlier didn't know what to reply.

“But we did everything we could. There is nothing we can do now!” They hoped to find a cure as soon as possible, too. After all, they had to spend time with the patients and lived in fear every day.

Back when Arius was with them, they weren't this scared.

Arius was pretty capable, after all.

Now, the doctors and nurses were filled with dread.

Arius regained consciousness briefly to hear the doctors' words. “Everyone, listen to Sophie. I believe she can do this,” he ordered.

“Professor Gullifer, she's just a freshman. How could you ask us to listen to her? Can she do it?” one of them questioned.

“We have our own families. We—”

“Shut up!” Sophie barked. She couldn't take it anymore. Are they saying they can back down as they have families? “You can leave now if you want,” she announced.

The doctors promptly fell silent, not daring to continue speaking.

Of course they wanted to leave, but the hospital was heavily guarded by soldiers. There was no way they could leave.

“Ms. Tanner, I shall listen to your orders! Let me be your assistant,” a female doctor offered.

After saying that, she cast the rest a scornful look.

How could they back down at this moment? Ugh, I despise such people.

“Sure!” Sophie nodded and left with the female doctor. At the lab, Sophie started another round of research with the doctor's help. The latter was capable enough to complete every task that Sophie assigned her.

Sophie was using the microscope while the female doctor prepared the tools she needed. They were engrossed with their work.

“I've extracted it!” Sophie's voice was cold as usual, but there was a hint of excitement in it.

A sigh of relief escaped the doctor's lips when she heard Sophie's words. Extracting the causative

agent would be helpful for them to research the virus.

The doctor took a towel to wipe off the sweat on Sophie's forehead gently.

“What is your name?” Sophie was finally in the mood to ask her name.

“My name is Georgina Bates.” Georgina relaxed and introduced herself.

I admire Sophie. She's just a freshman but knows a lot. I might be a postgraduate student, but I can't even complete this experiment. Yet, look how easily Sophie did it.

“Ms. Tanner, you're really good at this. Have you researched similar viruses previously?” Georgina asked curiously.

Sophie shook her head. “No. I'm just applying what I learned earlier.”

If Arius had been there, she could have just helped him. Now that he was sick, she had to do everything herself.

Georgina froze in shock. Why is there such a big difference between us? I cannot even understand these books, but Sophie merely applied what she learned and managed to extract the causative agent!

Chapter 590

Meanwhile, Yale showed up at the hospital with Charmaine and Willow. They also brought along a lawyer who had prepared a will.

Tristan and his friends were at Anglandur, but Felix had assigned a team of bodyguards to guard the ward.

They might not be here, but there was no way they would leave Josiah at the hospital alone.

The leader frowned slightly when the Tanner family arrived.

He went straight to them and declared, “I'm sorry, but Mr. Tristan left orders before he departed that no one else is to enter the ward without his permission.”

“What are you talking about?” Yale burst out angrily. “My father is inside this ward, so there's nothing wrong about us visiting him! Tristan is the outsider here. Get out of my way!”

Hearing that, the leader of the bodyguards merely gave him an icy look. “Dare you say that to Mr. Tristan? If the answer is no, please leave now. Otherwise, don't blame us for taking action.”

The bodyguards Felix had sent were not ones to be underestimated, so it was impossible for the Tanners to get past them.

“My grandpa is inside. No one has the right to stop us from entering the ward!” Willow snapped. This was their last chance to regain their former glory, so they refused to give in easily.

Sophie would never give them another chance.

They had no idea where Sophie was, and Tristan was overseas, so even lady luck was on their side. It might be their only chance of succeeding.

The leader glanced at Willow.

“Just so you know, no one is allowed to enter the ward today!” he declared. They were loyal to Tristan and would carry out his orders obediently.

“Hey!” Willow was about to retort when Charmaine tugged at her arm.

“I know you're in a tight spot, but my father-in-law is sick. We just want to spend more time with him. Please let us in. It's not like we'll hurt him,” Charmaine pleaded softly. “Besides, Mr. Tristan told you to protect him. He didn't tell you to stop us from entering, did he?”

“I'm sorry, but Mr. Tristan was clear with his orders. You have ulterior motives, so none of you can head in.”

Charmaine had no idea Tristan would say that about them.

The lawyer spoke with the Tanners briefly before turning to the bodyguards.

“I'm their lawyer, and we have the right to enter this ward,” he said calmly. They have gone overboard!

The leader sneered, “Pulling rank won't work on us. Scram!”

Hearing the commotion outside, Morgan came out. He was the only one who had remained by Josiah's side all the while.

“Morgan! Tell them I just want to visit my father. Why can't I do so?” Yale called out as though he had found an anchor.

Morgan had worked for Josiah for a long time, so he could persuade the bodyguards to let them in.

Indeed, the leader's attitude turned respectful when Morgan came out.

“Old Mr. Tanner is unconscious, so there's nothing you can do even if you go in. You should leave,” Morgan said slowly.

He had been at the hospital for the past few days and never left. In truth, he was exhausted as he was no longer young.

Nevertheless, he couldn't leave as Josiah might be about to meet his end soon.

“Morgan, how could you say that? I might be an unfilial son, but how could I not stay by my father's side when he's on the brink of death?” Yale retorted unhappily.

“Mr. Yale, we're not fools. It's obvious why you brought the lawyer with you today,” Morgan responded.

He had worked for Josiah long enough to know what Yale was like.

“Don't worry. Old Mr. Tanner had prepared his will when he was clear-minded. He won't treat anyone unfairly,” he added.

Morgan felt bad for Josiah as his son was scheming against him even when he was about to die.

He was bitterly disappointed.

Yale's cheeks flushed red, for their actions had been exposed.

“Morgan, this is the Tanner family's business. As an outsider, you shouldn't be saying that!” Willow hissed. Yes, Morgan is just an outsider. He has no right to criticize me!

Willow had never liked Morgan, so she didn't bother holding back.

“Willow, how could you say that? Morgan—”

“Mom, he's just a servant! You showed him too much respect, so he ended up lacking any respect for us!”

The will shouldn't be his concern as it was the Tanner family's business.

Morgan's icy gaze swept over Willow.

“With that attitude of yours, you'll never be Ms. Sophie's match.” With that, he ignored them and returned to the ward.

Mr. Tristan's men are here, so no one—not even the king—can enter the ward, let alone them ordinary beings.

Outside the hospital, Charmaine asked worriedly, “What should we do now?”

“How should I know? Ugh, this is frustrating!” Yale snapped. He didn't want his power in Tanner Group to be stripped away, but there was nothing he could do.

“Dad, Mom, don't worry. I'll figure something out,” Willow assured them. She recalled the contact that Clayton had provided her.

Maybe it is time to take action. Clayton left something behind before he ended up in jail to take revenge, right?

At the same time, Nicholas learned about Sophie's situation and rushed all the way to Central Hospital.

He even got into a conflict with the armed forces guarding the hospital.

When he showed up, Sophie was conducting an experiment. Her brows furrowed at the sight of him.

Doesn't he know how busy I am? Why did he show up to cause trouble?

“Leave with me now. This has nothing to do with you. Don't you know how potent the virus is? You must've gone crazy!” Nicholas yelled. He had lost his cool after finding out that Sophie was researching the virus.

At present, he only had one thought in mind—to take her away with him.

Grabbing her arm, he tried to drag her out but to no avail.

Sophie remained rooted in her spot.

“Nicholas, are you done? What are you doing? Do you know what we are doing? I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions, and I want to stay!” she told him sternly.

There was no way she would leave with him.

“Sophie, this is too dangerous. You might contract the virus anytime! Wasn't Arius infected, too? Come, let's go to Anglandur. It's safe there,” he urged.

Nicholas was truly concerned about her.

However, Sophie retracted her arm and declared, “Arius, I have my own beliefs. I must stay.”

There was no way she would leave at this critical juncture when she was needed.