Chapter 5

Xanthus lost patience and snapped, "Seriously? I'm hailed as a medical expert, and you're telling me I lack medical knowledge?" "Are you well-versed in medical knowledge? Do you know what's Mr. Thompson Senior's illness?" Xanthus trembled with rage, his anger simmering. Seeing Xanthus lose his temper, Hamilton immediately barked, "Get out of here!" "Since you don't trust me, go ahead and take the pill as Dr. Gerald instructed. However, let me be clear—after taking this pill, whether you live or die is entirely up to fate." Andrew's persistent nonsense riled Xanthus. Turning to Gavin, Xanthus vowed, "Mr. Thompson Senior, if anything happens to you, I'll pay the price with my life." Convinced, Gavin swallowed the Sporazoxane. A warm sensation spread through his body upon ingestion, alleviating his discomfort. Doria anxiously inquired, "Grandpa, how do you feel?" "You're truly amazing, Dr. Gerald. Once I take the pill, I feel like a whole new person." Gavin heartily laughed. His voice brimmed with vitality, which was unlike the frail state he was in earlier. Doria was left speechless. Had she known Xanthus was this capable, she wouldn't have sought Andrew out. Xanthus stroked his beard and smugly looked at Andrew. "Do you have anything else to say, kid?" Andrew glanced at the revitalized Gavin and simply shook his head, uttering a single word, "Three!" Confusion washed over everyone. Doria frowned. "Mr. Hughes, are you saying Grandpa only has three years left?" Andrew replied with a mocking grin, "No, he has three seconds left." Upon hearing that, Hamilton was taken aback. He nearly lost himself in anger. Despite the positive outcome, Andrew still had the audacity to jinx Gavin. "Alright, that's it! You need to be taught a lesson! Do you take me as a pushover?" Hamilton threw his head back in a frustrated laugh and ordered the guards outside the door to storm in immediately. Doria's heart pounded with worry. Her mind raced, searching for a way to save Andrew. Unfazed, Andrew calmly uttered, "Two!" "One!" As if on cue, Gavin's face twisted in agony, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He then crumpled onto the bed, slipping into unconsciousness. "Grandpa!" "Mr. Thompson Senior!" What happened frightened Doria, Hamilton, and Xanthus. Xanthus quickly examined Gavin's pulse and physical condition. After the examination, Xanthus' heart sank. Gavin's pulse was faint and barely there, his life hanging on like a flickering candle in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment. "How can this be? What's happening?" Xanthus' face paled, his mind in disarray. Public humiliation loomed—Xanthus' reputation would be shattered if word got out that his treatment had taken Gavin's life. The outcome of this treatment proved to be more than he could handle. "I've warned you. Yet, you're so full of yourself and refuse to listen," Andrew calmly commented. Doria, pale with terror, fixed her gaze on Andrew and asked, "Can you save Grandpa's life, Mr. Hughes?" Doria hadn't expected things to turn out as Andrew had warned. She had now put all her hopes in Andrew. Xanthus, embarrassed by Andrew's remarks, asked in defeat, "Do you have a way to save Mr. Thompson Senior? What happened earlier is my fault. Think about all Gavin has done for the country. Please save him, and I'll be forever indebted to you." The gravity of the situation finally forced Xanthus to acknowledge Andrew's true capabilities. Andrew remained silent for a moment, then, with a swift, brutal movement, punched the unconscious Gavin in the chest. Blood spurted from Gavin's nose, mouth, and ears. Doria's anger boiled over. "What have you done, Mr. Hughes?" "Protect my father!" Hamilton growled. The bodyguards immediately charged toward Andrew. At the critical moment, Gavin sternly shouted, "Stop right now!" All eyes turned to Gavin, who had woken up and was now sitting upright. Despite Gavin's pale complexion, he appeared in a better state than before. Gavin took a deep breath and stated, "You've all misunderstood Andrew. He threw a punch at me to save my life." Xanthus finally noticed the black blood on Gavin's face. He blurted out, "You got poisoned?" "Precisely," Andrew said nonchalantly. "The ingredients in your pill seemed harmless individually, but combined, they became poisonous. That's why I warned you against it. The punch forced the poison out of his system before it reached his heart. That's how I saved him." Xanthus was taken aback, the explanation dawning on him like a revelation. With a self-deprecating smile, he said, "You're a miracle doctor, Dr. Hughes. You were right—my knowledge is woefully inadequate. "My mistake nearly cost Mr. Thompson Senior his life. I've failed to live up to my reputation as a medical expert." With a deep bow, Xanthus offered Andrew a sincere apology. "You deserve the title of a medical expert far more than I do. Please, let me show my respect!" Witnessing this humbling display, Doria and Hamilton were deeply shocked. Despite being highly regarded as a medical expert, Xanthus showed remarkable respect to a much younger Andrew. Gavin was delighted. "You're impressive, Andrew, possessing such remarkable medical skills at such a young age. You have a promising future ahead of you." Andrew shook his head and smiled. "You're exaggerating, Mr. Thompson Senior. Unfortunately, your symptoms are triggered by a chronic illness. Getting rid of it requires further acupuncture treatments from me." Gavin chuckled. "No problem. Once you've married Doria, I suppose I can live for another three years! Get your marriage certificate with Andrew tomorrow morning, Doria." Despite her reluctance, Doria had to go along with it because she had made a promise earlier. "Okay, Grandpa." Hamilton was taken by surprise. "What are you talking about, Dad? Are you marrying off Doria to him?" "Do you have a problem with that?" Gavin's demeanor abruptly changed. His gaze became intensely sharp. Hamilton shrank back, zipping his mouth shut. Half an hour later, Doria walked Andrew to the door. She looked at him seriously and thanked him. "I'm grateful for your help with saving Grandpa today, Mr. Hughes." Doria paused, biting her lower lip. "I hope you don't take the arranged marriage seriously. After all, forcing something like this in our modern times might not work, especially since we've just met. Honestly, it wouldn't be ideal." "I'm on the same page with you, Ms. Thompson. Unfortunately, Mr. Thompson Senior insisted on it," Andrew said resignedly. "As long as you're okay with what I'm about to suggest." A hint of mischief flickered in Doria's eyes. "We could get a fake marriage certificate to appease Grandpa first. Then, we'll figure out a way to talk him out of it. What do you think?"