I am a necromancer, and I absolutely love America.

"14!" Eric exclaimed in surprise.

"How come there are so many!"

Eric was plunged into despair.

The health insurance he bought for David would only cover half of the costs; he would have to pay the rest out of his own pocket!

Damn!

David didn't know how much money his family had, but the amount was clearly beyond his imagination.

David also said angrily:

"Why?! You're completely helpless against me!"

The doctor shrugged and smiled:

"If you disagree with the bill, you can consult a lawyer."

Whether it was cured or not is another matter, just tell me whether it was cured or not.

Was it cured?

You have to pay for the treatment!

Eric looked at his son and fell into despair.

He would go bankrupt today if he had to pay for his son's medical bills!

The man in the suit next to him suddenly stepped forward and handed over a thick document:

"Sir, I am Ronald King, a representative of Emerson Pharmaceuticals. If you are willing to sign this document, Emerson Pharmaceuticals is willing to provide a sponsorship to fully cover your medical expenses."

The father and son were overjoyed; they couldn't believe such a good thing had happened!

The two took the document and looked at it:

Volunteer Clinical Trial Agreement.

The densely packed terms were dizzying, and the various technical terms were like reading gibberish. However, they still managed to understand a few words: voluntary participation in human experiments, drug trials, blood draws, cell extraction, body donation...

David felt a sudden, inexplicable fear, recalling the conspiracy theories circulating online and the various inhumane experiments the authorities had conducted on the public...

"No! You damn pharmaceutical companies! I'm not going to be a guinea pig!"

Ronald King smiled gently, put down a pen, and said:

"No problem, I've put the agreement here with my contact information. You can call me anytime!"

"Get out!" David exclaimed, filled with shock and rage.

"Take away your devilish pact!"

Ronald King wasn't angry at all and left the room with a smile.

David buried his head in the blanket, unable to face the terrible reality.

Eric remained silent for a while before speaking:

"I'm going out to buy some food."

David remained silent.

Eric went outside, found a quiet corner, and dialed the number on the agreement, his voice bitter as he said:

"Ronald, I'd like to talk to you about that agreement."

This amount of money is too much for him to afford.

Ronald King's sunny and cheerful voice came through:

"Wait a moment! I'll be right there."

Ronald King hadn't left at all; he quickly appeared before Eric and immediately began to speak at length:

"Mr. Eric, actually, there are many misunderstandings about us. The experiment is very simple. Many volunteers only have some blood drawn, plus urine, hair, skin, and other samples. It will not harm your son's body at all... I assure you, it's absolutely safe!"

"Why did you use my son... as an experiment? What value does he have?"

"Mr. Eric, it may be cruel, but I must remind you that David's sudden, severe pain today could very well be a sign of the first onset of some unknown disease. In medicine, everything unknown is valuable."

"Is it possible that the international student from the University of Tokyo did this?"

"You mean kung fu? Hahaha! That's utter nonsense. People from Dongda University always like to embellish their ancestors' reputations. If they had that kind of ability, they wouldn't have been beaten like howling wild dogs by us 100 years ago!"

"That makes sense..." Eric didn't really believe in kung fu either. He trusted the judgment of professionals like Ronald King more than the internet.

Eric paused for a moment before speaking:

"Ronald, I need time to convince David."

"No problem! I'll wait for your good news! I also want to remind you that if it really is some unknown disease, even if you pay for this medical treatment, if it recurs, the treatment cost will still be astronomical for an ordinary family, and you still won't be able to afford it. It's different if David is willing to sign the 'Volunteer Clinical Trial Agreement'. The treatment cost will become part of Emerson Pharmaceuticals' research cost, and you won't need to worry about it at all." Ronald King had an expression of concern for Eric.

Eric was completely smitten.

This statement greatly alleviated his guilt about sending his son to the lab to save money.

I'm doing this for my son's health.

Ronald King patted Eric on the shoulder, his voice full of understanding for Eric's moral dilemma:

"Mr. Eric, David is only undergoing some simple physical tests, yet you are suffering immense psychological torment! God will forgive you! You are a good father, and David will surely understand everything you have done for him."

Eric nodded heavily, as if he had made up his mind, and walked towards the ward without looking back.

Ronald King watched him leave with a smile, his kind eyes hidden in the darkness.

As Eric entered the ward, Ronald King's smile vanished quickly.

He expressionlessly took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped his right hand, which had been patting Eric's clothes, clean.

Swish.

He threw the handkerchief into the trash can, as if he were throwing away some kind of filth.

......

School's out.

Richard walked to the parking lot next to the school.

The old Chevrolet was parked in the corner.

A burly white police officer was sitting on the hood of a car, smoking.

Several cigarette butts were lying on the ground.

Richard immediately recognized the man: it was Catherine's second husband, Mike Dickson, a sergeant in the New York Police Department, and also a corrupt cop with ruthless methods.

In Debbie's room, there is also an old photo of the family of three.

Richard appeared calm on the surface, but his inner vigilance had reached its peak.

Why did he come to me? Shouldn't he be keeping an eye on Catherine?

Richard walked over, smiling, and asked:

"Officer, how can I help you?"

The white police officer stroked the hood of the car, his tone tinged with a hint of reminiscence:

"You know what? I've driven this car for 15 years, and I've maintained it very well. I wash it myself every weekend."

As Mike spoke, he looked up at Richard and said coldly:

"But now you've taken her away."

Richard feigns ignorance:

"I don't understand what the officer is saying."

Mike snorted and questioned:

"I'm Mike, Catherine's ex-husband! Tell me! Why are you in this car?!"

Richard pretended to suddenly realize something and laughed:

"It's Officer Mike. I've heard Ms. Catherine mention you before. You may not know this, but besides this car, I also own the YC apartment, which I live in now. It's very comfortable. Thank you for your hard work; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to rent it from Ms. Catherine."

FXXK! Mike's gaze turned cold.

He never expected that this little boy would dare to provoke him.

Mike suddenly reached out and grabbed Richard's collar:

"Listen! Stay away from Debbie! I don't want to see a mixed-race grandson! Otherwise, I'll smash your head into a watermelon!"

It turns out that Mike is now a father who is anxious after seeing his daughter being taken away by the blond-haired guy.

Oh no, it was stolen by Black Hair.

This Debbie is a real problem!

Richard gently pushed Mike's hand away:

"Mr. Mike, I have to go home now. This car belongs to Catherine; I rented it from her. If you have any objections, you can discuss it with Ms. Catherine. Goodbye."

After saying that, Richard got into the car, started the engine, ignored Mike's angry glare, and drove away.

Mike kept watching until the old Chevrolet disappeared from sight before looking away.

Why did Catherine burn that dress?

Mike still couldn't figure out what Catherine was hiding.

He quietly checked Catherine's health insurance account, which hadn't been touched in recent days.

In other words, Catherine never went to the hospital.

He really wanted to talk to Catherine in person, hoping to find a loophole, but he was also afraid of alerting her.

Richard is a good starting point.

Of course, I would never allow an Asian man to pursue my lovely little Debbie!

Just as Mike was calculating, the walkie-talkie suddenly rang:

"Attention all units! A gang shootout has occurred at the intersection of Broadway and Fulton Street. At least two groups exchanged fire using semi-automatic weapons. There are at least three injured at the scene. The suspects fled in two black SUVs, with preliminary license plate numbers identified as NY-7325X and NY-9184Y. They are fleeing eastward along Fulton Street towards Brooklyn! Repeat, the suspects are armed and extremely dangerous!"

Mike suddenly rushed into the car:

"Patrol car number 107 received, I'll be right there!"

The police car, flashing red and blue lights and trailing a piercing siren, sped away.