Chapter 355: Help
Selling the Blue Angel formula outright and personally demonstrating the production process step by step in front of someone else's chemists were two completely different things.
Choosing the second option would essentially mean abandoning Pinkman—treating him as a disposable pawn.
Frank could never do that.
And there was an even bigger risk. If those people decided to quietly abduct Pinkman afterward and force the truth out of him—about Heisenberg, about everything—then neither Frank nor Walter would be able to stay out of it.
Those kinds of people were absolutely capable of that.
Frank had only brought up Pinkman as leverage—a way to pressure Walter into handing over the formula.
But Walter's stubbornness had exceeded all expectations.
---
After sitting there for a while and finishing his coffee, Frank returned to Pinkman's house.
Both Castle and Pinkman could tell something was weighing on him.
But Frank said nothing. He simply told Pinkman to rest—he would be sent to a rehab center the next day.
"I don't want to go," Pinkman protested. "I can quit on my own."
He had always been resistant to places like rehab centers.
And last time, he had managed to quit by himself, locked away at home without any outside help.
"No," Frank said firmly.
Last time had been a special case—something that couldn't be replicated.
Before leaving Chicago, Pinkman had sworn he'd quit for good with the landlord's daughter. He had talked about a fresh start.
And how had that turned out?
Frank trusted professional treatment far more than Pinkman's willpower. Rehab wasn't just about quitting drugs—it was about stabilizing both body and mind.
And right now, Pinkman needed time. Real recovery.
---
After Pinkman went to his room, Castle spoke.
"Do you want me to deal with him?"
He didn't need to say the name. It was obvious—Walter.
Frank rubbed his temples and shook his head. "No. Get some rest."
Castle didn't press further.
The next day, Frank personally took Pinkman to one of the best rehab centers in the area—recommended by Walter.
But he didn't give up.
Over the following days, he tried talking to Walter again and again.
Each time, it led nowhere.
Walter's stance never wavered.
Frank even went to Walter's home, trying a different approach—appealing to his sense of family, reminding him of what truly mattered.
Skyler greeted him warmly, concern written all over her face. "We were actually thinking of visiting you in Chicago. Is it really okay for you to travel in your condition?"
"As long as I stay off alcohol, I'm fine," Frank said with a smile. "They're exaggerating."
He turned to Walter Jr.
"So, how've you been? Still in touch with Daisy?"
When talking to a teenage boy like him, you didn't bring up school—even top students found that boring. The real interests at that age were girls… and games.
Daisy was an assistant to Dr. Eric, an astronomer. She had a stunning figure—especially her eye-catching curves—and had taken a liking to Walter Jr. at first glance, not minding his crutches or his disability.
She was older—early twenties, while Walter Jr. was only sixteen or seventeen. To outsiders, it looked like she was "robbing the cradle," but honestly, most people would say he was the lucky one.
They hadn't spent much time together in person. Daisy was always on the move with her research team, traveling across New Mexico with equipment, keeping in touch with him through calls and messages.
"She said they've made some progress recently," Walter Jr. said. "And they met a really weird guy—claimed he was the God of Thunder. Daisy thinks he's just crazy."
Frank chuckled, then picked up the baby girl, playing with her for a bit.
"Now who's this adorable little thing? Good thing she didn't inherit Walter's face."
When Walter came home from work and saw Frank, he paused for a moment—just a brief flicker of surprise—before returning to normal.
That evening, Frank stayed for dinner.
Afterward, the two of them sat by the pool in the backyard.
"You still haven't changed your mind?" Frank asked.
Walter took a sip of his drink and said nothing.
"You really haven't thought about what happens if things go wrong?" Frank continued. "Skyler. Walt Jr. Your daughter."
"They'll be fine," Walter replied.
Frank looked at him—really looked at him.
There was something unfamiliar in his eyes.
Walter had changed.
Changed so much that Frank almost didn't recognize him anymore.
By the time night fell, Frank left.
And once again, he had gained nothing.
Walter's unwavering attitude—and everything that had happened recently—forced Frank to reconsider his plans.
But before he could act on that…
Marie came to him for help.
"I don't know what to do anymore," she said anxiously as she led Frank into her house. "He came back yesterday without telling me. And since then, he's locked himself in the room—won't talk, won't eat, won't come out…"
She was talking about Hank.
Hank had been transferred to Texas for work. With its proximity to Mexico, the region was crawling with drug cartels. His capability was exactly why he'd been sent there.
And in just a few months… something had gone wrong.
Back in New Mexico, Hank had mostly dealt with small-time dealers. Even when handling bigger cases, the worst it got was a shootout.
But across the border?
Things were different.
The cartels didn't care about rules.
One of their informants had been exposed.
The cartel had cut off his head… and stuffed it with explosives.
A federal agent standing right beside Hank had been blown to pieces.
Several others were seriously injured—some losing limbs.
Hank had never seen anything like that before.
He hadn't even seen many dead bodies in his career.
When he first saw the severed head, he had nearly thrown up and stepped aside to compose himself.
That hesitation… had saved his life.
Because seconds later—
The bomb went off.
And after that…
Hank shut down.
"I heard from one of his colleagues," Marie said, her voice trembling. "He gave a full report to his superiors—half an hour, completely calm, like nothing happened."
"But the moment he got home… he became like this."
"He just keeps saying, 'I'm fine, I'm okay, just let me be alone.' He won't come out. I really don't know what to do…"
Originally, Marie had wanted to ask Walter for help.
But when she found out Frank was back in New Mexico, she came to him instead.