Geo was once again back around the corner of the wall.
Geo struggled against the grip on his mouth and body.
His eyes red with fury at both the two nurses and the inexplicable person who pulled him.
Counterfeit drugs! Counterfeit drugs!
They were planning on giving his mother medicine that makes her addicted.
Geo's fists clenched. His nails digging into his palms, but he couldn't feel the pain.
When Geo finally broke free, he turned around in anger. His anger burned high like inextinguishable flames, yet they were doused by a bucket of water the moment he turned around and saw who it was.
His anger was instantly extinguished.
"I-Ian?!"
Geo was both surprised and stunned to see his savior and idol in front of him. He never would have imagined that the person who did a kidnapper's move to him was actually the smiling, purple-haired teenager.
"Why are you here? Why… did you stop me?" Geo asked his questions with a somewhat lost expression on his face. At first, when Geo heard the two nurses' conversation, he thought they were gossiping about him. He didn't realize until they started talking about "counterfeit medicine", "addictive drugs", and "extorting money from patients" that they were part of a black organization who are carrying out illegal activities.
Geo had felt frightened and then angry.
Because his mother almost became one of their victims.
Thankfully Geo was cautious enough to not let her take her medicine these days, or else, they would become one of the many victims under the hands of the black organization.
When Geo wanted to step out and confront them, it was out of impulse. Anger had gone to his head.
Now his head has cooled down, thanks to Ian stopping him.
Geo realized that he had been too impulsive just now. Who knows what would happen to him or his mother if that black organization finds out that he knows about their shady dealings. He might be silenced. Then what would happen to his mother?
Geo shook his head and patted his chest. Fortunately, fortunately he was stopped.
Geo looked at Ian with gratefulness.
Ian smiled, satisfied that one of the potential helpers in his future plans was a smart one. He wasn't helping Geo out for no reason. Although the beginning might have been a whim, what followed, Ian did on purpose.
Ian recalled Geo's true identity from his past life. It was a story that many people in the industry knew in the future.
Geo is the only son of a big underworld organization's boss.
His father's organization was a tightknit group that took on any and all kinds of missions as long as they were paid right.
As a result of their ability to get things done and their willingness to get their hands dirty, his father's organization—which was just average in power and influence under his grandfather's and ancestors' hands—became bigger and bigger. They began to possess more and more power and influence.
A war, however, broke out in the midst of their growth period.
A gang war.
One that cannot guarantee any gang's survival no matter how deeply entrenched they were, let alone a group like Geo's father's that was still growing.
Geo's father, out of concern for his wife and newborn son, sent his family away from the chaos caused by the war, in hopes of protecting his family, not knowing that they would eventually go missing.
It wasn't until many years later that he found his long lost son and wife. The family of three happily reunited.
As the only child and heir of the head of the then famous and powerful organization, Geo had a lot of power in his hands. Not to mention what his organization does for a living—they take on commissions from other gangs and organizations. This means that they might have, or will at some point, interact with Geo's connections, which might lead ian to them.
Ian narrowed his eyes. His eyelids covered the stirring darkness in his pupils.
Since Ian planned on using Geo, of course he has to help him before the latter regains his true identity and status as the prince of his father's big underworld organization. At that time, Ian will be able to easily borrow Geo's power.
Since Ian can't find them by himself, he'll just have to cast a wide net. He doesn't believe that he can't catch them once he covers all the places they can hide.
One person might not be enough to achieve something, but what about two? Ten? A hundred? A thousand? A million?
No matter how many people he needs to befriend, take under him, or control, he will do it and one day, he will uproot them.
An evil and malicious glint flashed in Ian's eyes but it quickly disappeared, replaced by a false mask of gentleness. In its essence, indifference.
"Nice to see you again, Geo," Ian greeted with a gentle smile, as if he wasn't the one who had forcefully pulled Geo with great strength.
"You, too." Geo nervously rubbed his palms together around the handle of the kettle, feeling uncomfortable with his own appearance, wondering if his hair was messy. He just remembered that he hadn't combed his hair yet. He straightened his back to attempt to give a better impression to the person he admired.
To Geo, Ian was a special existence.
The latter had a mysterious power that makes things go his way. There was an attractive force that made those who feared him revere him as well.
Geo didn't fear Ian, however. He only saw the darkness within Ian as his light that guides him on this complex road called life.
It was the darkness inside Ian that saved him after all. Though Geo didn't know that.
Geo only knew, or rather he believed that Ian was a kind person. The gratitude in Geo's heart for Ian had long turned into deep respect and reverence.
Even without using his powers, Ian now had control over Geo's heart and will.
Ian sensed it. So he smiled more genuinely. This part of his plans has been completed successfully.
Then Ian began to deliberately guide Geo's thinking in a certain direction.
"Why did you look so angry just now? Like you were about to hit someone." Ian asked good-naturedly, seemingly teasing the other.
Geo blushed. Did he embarrass himself in front of his idol?
Geo hurried to explain himself, "N-no! I'm not that kind of person! I don't hit people randomly. I was just too angry! I didn't plan on hitting anyone, I was just going to demand an explanation from them."
"I see. Why were you so angry?"
Geo then began to retell everything he had just heard from the two nurses to Ian. By this time, the two nurses had already left, not knowing that someone had overheard their entire conversation.
Geo trusted Ian very much, that's why he didn't hesitate to confide in Ian about this problem he discovered.
"Hmm, I see." Ian said with a thoughtful look on his face.
"I don't know what to do," Geo said with frustration in his voice. His grip tightened around the empty kettle in his hands. Due to everything that had happened, he forgot that he was still on a mission. The kettle was more of a stress-reliever than a water container at this point in time.
Ian observed Geo, his light purple eyes slack. Thoughts were swirling in his mind as new plans began to construct themselves in his brain.
Originally, Ian had planned on gathering evidence and submitting them anonymously to the police. But now with the addition of Geo who is in the loop of what's going on behind the scenes in Hospital A, Ian has a change of mind.
With a willing witness, the things Ian planned on doing will go smoother. With Geo, plus a few other mind controlled witnesses, this matter will explode in the media.
Ian nodded at his adjusted plan.
It was almost about time for Ian to reveal everything he had discovered in the past few weeks of infiltrating Hospital A's secret, underground laboratory as well as listening in on many private, revealing conversations between different groups of hospital staff.
Beneath the bright, clean surface of the reputable Hospital A, many shady dealings and illegal activities were being conducted on a daily basis.
All illegal dealings under the sun were being committed by them.
Addictive drugs replacing medicine.
Human experimentation and illegal clinical trials.
Organ trafficking.
Falsifying birth certificates and death certificates.
And more.
Many families of the targeted patients ended up either broken or ruined because of them.
Ian obtained evidence for the numerous wrongs the hospital concealed in the shadows.
Not all the hospital staff were in on it, but many of them did participate. Only a few of those involved sported the intertwined snakes tattoo on their forearm, the rest had either no tattoo at all or other meaningless tattoos.
Not everyone who is a part of their organization was imprinted with the symbol of the organization. Only those who were considered as the bottom-level subordinates and those of higher authority were given tattoos. Those who were truly disposable and merely pawns don't get tattoos.
This was something Ian found out in his past life.
Many people worked either knowingly or unknowingly for that organization. They helped them to do harm in order to get either money or self-satisfaction. They are a part of that organization, but at the same time, they were outsiders. Contractors.
A mutual exchange of interests.
Ian didn't deem those contractors as worth anything in his plans. He doesn't plan on doing anything to them despite their crimes—that would be left up to the law. Ian wasn't some reincarnated warrior of justice, no, he was here for revenge. To protect his own family.
"You don't know what to do? I thought you changed," Ian spoke in a slightly provocative tone.
Geo was pricked, like Ian had wished.
"Don't make fun of me. I really don't know what I should do." Geo shook his head in helplessness. As only a 17 year-old high school student, Geo was still stuck inside his box. He could not think of any ideas. Just like how he was bullied for so long yet he didn't know how he could resist against his bullies. He felt defeated without a fight in the face of the others' power and wealth. Resistance seemed futile to him.
Geo felt depressed, his head subconsciously lowered. He thought he had finally managed to change, that he escaped his timid and indecisive self, but now it appears he was the same as before. Being able to endure is good, but excessive endurance is poison to the soul. Endurance has become his habit.
Geo suddenly raised his head. His eyes shone with a new light.
"Tell me what I should do. You know, don't you?" Geo eagerly said to Ian.
In his eager sight, Ian nodded. "You're right. I do have a plan in mind." Then Ian told Geo what he had found out these days about Hospital A's dark side, there was no reason to hide the information from Geo. The latter would know about it in the days to come anyways.
Geo became indignant after hearing everything Ian had to say. He became even more determined to help Ian expose Hospital A's wrongdoings.
"If you help me, I will pay off your mother's remaining medical bills for her complete treatment course."
"No need for that. I'm willing to help you in your cause," Geo rejected Ian's offer and said righteously in a heroic manner.
Ian, however, insisted that he pay for Geo's mother's hospital bills. It would be unfair to Geo otherwise.
Geo was touched by Ian's actions. To others, and even to Ian himself, Ian might seem to have ulterior motives behind his actions. But to Geo who was involved in the situation, he thought that Ian was doing this for his sake, to lighten his burdens.
Ian was truly so good.
So Geo would help him no matter what. Both to repay Ian and to give his mother and countless others justice.
"Okay. Thank you, Ian." Geo covered his red eyes with one of his hands.
Geo wiped his face, took a deep breath, and adjusted his emotions. His midnight blue eyes were steady and hot.
He resolutely turned his head to face Ian. "Tell me what to do."
A burning drive burst out in Geo's heart as his ears listened raptly to Ian's following words.
Ian smiled. His lips opened and closed.
"Here's what you should do…"
Geo nodded, a solemn expression on his face.
***
The next day.
Geo agreed to let his mother reassume her medication.