The thought of suddenly becoming wealthy overnight was surprisingly more difficult to process than accepting a new family.
From the door of his ward to the hospital entrance, private security stood at nearly every corner, armed to the teeth.
Jul stared at everything with a placid expression.
He still needed time to fully digest his recent discoveries before he knew what to do moving forward.
At some point, Lia and Malik had joined them.
The private security rushed ahead, opening doors before they reached them and gesturing for everyone to step through.
When they finally stepped outside the hospital, Jul found a long line of sleek, black luxury vehicles arranged neatly along the curb.
There were nearly twenty of them.
The sight forced Lia and Malik to stop.
Even Jul paused, a flicker of surprise appearing in his eyes.
"...A-Are those cars hovering?" Malik stared, unsure of what he was witnessing.
The vehicles had no visible tires. Instead, what looked like wheels faced downward, releasing a soft blue light that kept each vehicle suspended above the ground.
"Oh, yeah," Jada replied absent-mindedly. "The hovering technology was invented recently. It made flying cars possible."
Jul briefly glanced at her. The casual tone with which she said it reeked of wealth.
How long have I been asleep for flying cars to become normal?
"Who made it?" He asked.
"The Sky corporations."
"Ah, them."
Lia muttered the words, still staring at the vehicles in disbelief.
Jada stopped beside one of the cars and gestured for Lia and Malik to board.
Jul paused for a moment, glancing at the convoy. 'Interesting. I leave the Jungle, and suddenly the world is full of strange things.' A faint chuckle escaped him before he followed them inside.
The interior was spacious, comfortable, and luxurious. Long seats made of premium leather and polished brown wood faced each other.
Jada and Katelyn sat together while Jul sat opposite them.
After the security detail had boarded, the vehicle started. But instead of speeding down the road, it slowly rose into the air.
Then it glided forward.
All twenty vehicles followed in formation, with the main vehicle positioned at the center of the convoy.
Soon, they disappeared into the distance.
…
Several roads away, a small, unassuming vehicle sat parked near the curb. It was an old brown car, its paint faded and peeling in several places.
The vehicle looked as though it had been abandoned for years.
Most cars like it were eventually towed away. Apparently, its time had not yet come.
Inside sat two men. One was a young officer with bright eyes, seated in the passenger seat. Behind the passenger seat sat an older man with grey strands beginning to spread through his black hair.
Despite approaching old age, his eyes remained sharp—the kind that seemed capable of dissecting a situation with a single glance.
"Commander, we could have stopped them before they went any further." The younger officer lowered his binoculars and watched the retreating convoy.
Nam Long, the commander of police in the Federation, sighed. "You know how it is. They are given certain privileges that even we can't act against."
"But, sir… isn't this too much?" The younger officer frowned, clearly unconvinced. "They shut down an entire hospital for over two months. Even though they own the hospital, it doesn't feel right."
"I understand your feelings. You're one of the people affected by their actions." Nam Long paused, his eyes narrowed. "But don't let personal matters cloud your professional judgment. The patients who normally visited this hospital were transferred to other facilities. Their inconvenience was compensated for, and the Mercer Group took the financial loss."
He leaned back.
"The reason they shut down the place isn't our right to interfere. As far as the law is concerned, they played by the book."
The younger officer gritted his teeth.
Nam Long continued. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, Commander."
"Good." Nam Long looked toward the departing convoy. "Which of them did you recognize?"
The younger officer picked up the large notebook resting on his lap.
Documents spilled from its edges. Photographs, notes, names, and lines connected various pieces of information.
After flipping through several pages, he stopped.
"Sir… this is..."
"What is it?" The commander asked sharply.
His voice trembled slightly.
"All we have is her name. Jada Mercer."
"That all?"
"Yes, sir. It seems she is on the reclusive side. We don't have much on her beyond the basics."
"Strange." Nam Long muttered, his thoughts drifting. However, no matter how much he thought about it, nothing struck his memory.
The younger officer continued.
"The second person is the older woman named Katelyn. She isn't a blood member of the family. She married into it."
Nam Long's expression changed. "What did you just say?"
The officer froze for a moment, briefly stunned by his commander's sudden change. Then he quickly repeated himself.
"She's Katelyn Mercer, the wife of the deceased heir, Reagan Mercer."
A long silence followed.
Nam Long slowly leaned back, his eyes widening slightly.
'It can't be.' His mind raced. No. It can't. They spent millions… no, even billions on it. The matter was closed, buried even. It can't be right?'
After a long silence, he finally exhaled.
"So that's how it is."
"What do you mean, Commander?" Curiosity gnawed at the younger officer. If he was formerly curious, now he was more curious.
Nam Long didn't answer immediately. Eventually, he spoke.
"At one point, it felt like we had given up." He paused. "Honestly… we had to."
The younger officer remained silent.
"Have you ever heard of the Great Flush Day?"
His eyes shifted. "Of course, sir. The day every police executive from inspector-supreme to captain was fired."
Nam Long nodded. "I see they still pass that story around as a legend."
"What do you mean?"
Nam Long looked at him. "That story was true."
"Hah?" The younger officer stared.
Nam Long continued, unbothered. "That day was as crazy as the stories make it sound. Something happened that should never have been possible."
The young officer swallowed. He could hear the seriousness in his commander's voice.
'This is confidential information.'
Nam Long's gaze hardened. "On that very day, Eddard Mercer's grandson got—" However, he suddenly stopped, then waved his hand dismissively.
"Never mind."
The younger officer blinked.
"Anyways, what about the couple? What were their names again?"
"Lia and Malik. They've already left the hospital with the Mercers."
Nam Long clicked his tongue. "Of course they have."
He thought for a moment. "But they can't withhold a valuable source of information for long. Their authority doesn't stretch that far."
He turned toward the younger officer.
"What else do we have?"
"A report on the site the couple mentioned is already on your desk."
Nam Long nodded. "Good. Let's go."
"Yes, Commander."
The younger officer moved into the driver's seat and inserted the key.
The seemingly abandoned vehicle roared to life.
Moments later, it disappeared down the road.