[Chapter 267: I Want Half of His Assets]
Chris licked her red lips, a dollar sign gleaming in her eyes. "As Frank Douglas's business partner, how could he not have money... Though he can't compare to Frank, he's still worth several hundred million."
Daniel was silent for a moment.
It couldn't have come at a better time. He had been worrying about not having money to pay his taxes, and now someone desperate to save a life had just bumped into him.
Daniel dialed Frank's number.
"Mr. Cross! Thank God, you finally answered," Frank's voice came low and hurried. In the background, chaotic footsteps and muffled sobbing could be heard.
Daniel said flatly, "I've heard. The person isn't dead yet, right?"
"Hanging on by a thread, supported by machines," Frank sighed. "The doctor said he won't last through the night. Mr. Cross, those Elixirs in your hand, could they..."
"Ordinary Elixirs can't save him," Daniel interrupted. "A broken spine and decayed internal organs -- that's a condition even a miracle would struggle to fix."
A heavy silence fell over the line.
After a long pause, Frank's voice trembled as he asked, "Then... is there no hope?"
"Hmm. I have one last option," Daniel said. He walked to the window, gazing out at the distant sky burdened with dark clouds. His tone was cold and hard. "But my fee is very expensive."
"How much? As long as he can be brought back, money's not an issue," Frank said urgently.
Daniel pronounced each word deliberately: "I want half of his family estate."
"Half?!" Frank Douglas gasped, sucking in cold air. He knew Raymond's net worth -- half was at least three hundred million dollars.
"Mr. Cross, isn't this... a bit much?"
Daniel sneered. "Frank, you're misunderstanding something. Right now, he's about to be snatched away by death, and I'm the only one who can pull him back from the edge. Trading half his fortune for the rest of his life. If he can't understand that math, then let him die. The cost of making these medicines is beyond your imagination."
There was a long silence on Frank's end.
Daniel wasn't in a hurry; he knew Frank Douglas would have to go and discuss it.
For a billionaire about to enter the incinerator, the money left would still be enough to squander for several lifetimes.
"Give me ten minutes."
Frank said hurriedly before hanging up.
...
Less than ten minutes later, Frank called back.
"His wife has agreed. Lawyers are already waiting by the ICU door. As soon as he wakes and signs, the asset transfer agreement goes into effect immediately."
Frank's voice held a trace of shock. "Mr. Cross, you truly are the most ruthless dealer in this Vanity Fair."
"I'm just a businessman who plays by the rules."
Daniel hung up and looked at Chris. "Let's go. Time to earn our tax money."
...
Cedars-Sinai Hospital, top floor.
As the elevator doors slid open, Daniel heard the sounds of a heated argument.
Outside the ICU, several sharply dressed men and women surrounded Frank Douglas and a middle-aged woman, all visibly agitated.
"Frank Douglas, have you lost your mind, or has my stupid stepmother?" The lead man -- a white guy in his early thirties with a crooked tie -- roared, spittle flying. "Transfer half of father's assets to a charlatan? When this contract is signed, I'll immediately petition the court for a mental competency evaluation for both of you!"
A heavily made-up woman beside him added, "Father's brain-dead already; the doctor said he won't last two hours! Instead of preparing his funeral, you're inviting some Exorcist? You must be out of your mind for a cut of the money!"
Frank's face was pale. "Blake, that's your father! As long as there's a sliver of hope, we shouldn't give up!"
"Hope?" Blake sneered, eyes narrowing as he glanced past Frank.
His gaze landed on Daniel stepping out of the elevator. "Is that him? That exorcist?"
"Jack! Throw him out!" Blake barked.
A burly bodyguard immediately stepped forward.
"Hey kid, you're not welcome here. Scram..." Jack reached out his huge hand toward Daniel.
Daniel's expression darkened. He shifted back slightly; Jack's grab caught only empty air.
Jack took a step forward to pursue him but suddenly tripped, falling headlong to the floor.
Bang!
He was tall and heavy; his fall left him with a bleeding, broken head. Blood covered his face as he screamed in pain.
Seeing his bodyguard so quickly incapacitated, Blake's face twisted in fury.
"Useless trash," he spat.
Daniel walked over without emotion.
Raymond's wife, the middle-aged woman with red, swollen eyes, rushed forward. Clinging to Daniel's sleeve like a drowning woman grabbing a lifeline, she pleaded, "Mr. Cross, please, go in and save him."
"Get lost!" Blake shoved her aside and planted himself in front of the ICU door.
He stared at Daniel with hostile eyes. "Kid, I don't care what promises Frank Douglas made. I'm in charge here. Don't even think about taking a single cent."
Daniel stopped, lifting his eyelids slightly. His voice was cold and indifferent: "You seem to have misunderstood something. If I don't wake him, the contract won't take effect, and I get not a dime."
"It doesn't matter what you say. As long as I'm here, you won't scam my father."
Daniel sneered. "Are you so eager to stop me because you think I'm a fraud, or because you're scared he might wake up? Not only will you be blocked from inheriting your father's estate immediately, but when you do inherit later, those assets will have shrunk by half."
Blake's face went red with rage and humiliation as he swung a punch at Daniel's face. "You fraud!"
Daniel moved slightly, stepping lightly back, covering a good distance with ease.
His wrist flicked, and a paperweight appeared in his hand.
His eyes were icy. "Looks like you need to sober up."
Daniel's hand shifted with a faint shake.
Whoosh--
The brightly lit corridor lights suddenly flickered wildly. The temperature dropped instantly, sending a chill through the air.
Out of thin air appeared a figure emitting a putrid odor, its features distorted and face mangled, crawling with wriggling maggots.
The Flesh-Mangled Face loomed inches from Blake's nose.
Its huge mouth opened wide, revealing dark violet gums inside.
It let out a viscous, rattling laugh, like phlegm stuck deep in the throat.
"Ah--! Ghost! A ghost!" Blake's fist froze mid-air.
His eyes went wide as he stared at the terrifying creature, so vivid that even the maggots wriggling on its face were visible.
Instantly, a large wet patch spread across his crotch.
"Help! Help!"
The heavily made-up woman screamed shrilly and stumbled in her high heels, falling flat on her face as she scrambled toward the elevator. Blake collapsed to the ground, crawling backward on hands and feet, his throat making strangled, terrified noises.
Within ten seconds, the area outside the ICU was deserted.
Frank looked around, seeing no one. But he understood Daniel's methods and never doubted his abilities.
He whispered, "Mr. Cross, thank you."
*****
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