Chapter 222

"As for the people outside, I'll leave that to you."

After hearing Natasha's words, George glanced at the corpse covered in mushrooms. He couldn't help but recall the incident in Queens—when a fellow officer had almost been infected and turned into a mushroom man while handling a similar corpse.

After a few seconds of silence, George finally nodded, leaving this kind of specialized matter to the professionals.

Seeing George's agreement, Natasha gave him a smile, her slightly weary face briefly blooming with breathtaking charm.

Even the always upright George was momentarily dazed.

Of course, he quickly recovered.

Natasha, having been through countless moments like this, didn't take it to heart. Instead, she sincerely thanked him. "Then I'll thank you in advance, Director George."

With that, she cast a subtle glance toward Eren—who stood among the students beside Gwen—before silently turning her head away.

After the mushroom-covered corpse was loaded into a vehicle, Natasha swiftly led her team away.

Though Natasha had left, not all the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had.

In her absence, personnel in hazmat suits began spraying unknown chemical agents in the restroom where the body had been found.

Even the infirmary at Central High had hazmat teams moving through it—handling something.

...

After Natasha's departure, George Stacy and the school principal—who had rushed from home—shared a glance and walked toward the school gates, bracing themselves to face the sea of anxious parents and a frenzy of reporters, drawn to the scene like sharks to blood.

With the chaos of the Winter Dance and a student death, the school owed an explanation to the parents and the public.

And George had been pulled in to serve as the face of authority.

There were also things better left out of the public eye—things George, as a representative of the NYPD, would be responsible for explaining.

...

"Dad!"

As George walked past, Gwen called out softly.

Noticing her, George gave Principal Smith a quick nod, then walked over.

The moment he saw Gwen—his daughter, who had attended the dance tonight—he grew serious and asked, "Gwen, tell me honestly. Did you eat anything with mushrooms in it tonight?"

Understanding his concern, Gwen shook her head firmly. "Don't worry, Dad. I didn't touch any of that."

Relieved, George still looked uneasy.

Seeing this, Eren spoke up. "Mr. George, Gwen and I arrived late. The dance had just started when we got there, and not long after, Gwen was called away to help in the infirmary. She never even got near the food."

He shook his head. "In hindsight, I guess that was a blessing in disguise."

What a mess this dance turned out to be. It was supposed to be a special night—his and Gwen's first dance together as a couple.

But honestly, compared to those who'd been parasitized by spores, they were incredibly lucky.

Almost every student who'd eaten at the dance was taken to nearby hospitals to have their stomachs pumped, just in case. Eren and Gwen, unharmed and intact, were now in the minority.

After hearing Eren's detailed explanation, George finally relaxed a bit.

He pondered for a moment, then said to Eren, "You both saw the body in the restroom. That wasn't the first case of this happening in New York. According to our intel, the spores are contagious."

"Gwen was in the infirmary helping patients, so she might've been exposed."

"Nearby hospitals are packed with students from Central High tonight. So, Eren, I want you to take Gwen to Osborn Third Hospital. I know Dr. Jean there. I'll call ahead and have him get you both examined right away."

Osborn Third Hospital?

At that name, a flicker of amusement passed through Eren's eyes. He smiled. "If it's that hospital, there's no need for the call."

George raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Before he could speak, Eren added, "Don't forget—Osborn Third Hospital is owned by Osborn Group. As a shareholder, I enjoy VIP treatment at any of our facilities. Gwen included."

He shot Gwen a meaningful smile.

Just from his look, Gwen instantly understood what he was hinting at.

Sweetness bloomed in her heart, but she still glared at him hard.

Are you insane?!

You're saying this in front of my dad?!

You think he doesn't understand?!

Needless to say—

As a seasoned agent, George immediately picked up on their little couple moment.

In an instant, his expression darkened like burnt charcoal.

Right in front of me? Flirting with my daughter?

Do you think I won't draw my gun?

His hand unconsciously reached for the grip at his waist, itching to empty his clip into the wild boar trying to steal his precious cabbage.

Fortunately, Gwen quickly stepped between them, blocking her father's line of sight—aware of his rapidly rising blood pressure.

If not, George might've done something… rash.

And seeing Gwen stand protectively in front of Eren only made George angrier.

But with his daughter shielding the boy, he couldn't act out.

He could only grit his teeth and say coldly, "Since you're such a big-shot Osborn shareholder, why are you still standing here? Planning to wait until symptoms show before taking my daughter to the hospital?"

"Of course not."

Sensing the danger in George's tone, Eren had no desire to provoke him further.

Out of respect for Gwen, he smiled and calmly activated his psychic field, subtly soothing George's raging emotions.

Then, still smiling, he took Gwen's hand and headed out of the school.

Thanks to George's influence, the officers at the gate gave them a quick inspection, and after they signed a confidentiality agreement, they were allowed to leave—along with other students who'd cleared their checks.

And strangely, once George watched the two walk off hand in hand, the fury in his heart seemed to ease.

He felt… calmer.

He shook his head, confused.

Then straightened his suit and walked toward Principal Smith.

He still had a battle to fight—with panicked parents and a media storm waiting at the gates.

...

After leaving the school—

Gwen called Helen to let her know she was safe, then headed with Eren to Osborn Third Hospital across town in Queens.

Thanks to a heads-up via the Osborn Group—

Eren and Gwen were greeted with VIP treatment the moment they arrived.

It was Eren's first time experiencing the full force of capital's influence.

Accompanied by a hospital board member who had rushed in especially, they assembled an elite medical team for a comprehensive exam for Gwen.

And the report came back quickly.

Though all her vitals were perfect—better than most people in fact—

The specialists still issued a detailed and practical set of recommendations.

Not only did it include fatigue-relief methods, it offered a full health plan.

Eren read through it and had to admit—if followed for a few months, Gwen's overall fitness would definitely improve.

Satisfied that these "experts" weren't just all talk—

He handed the health plan to Gwen.

She accepted it with care and stored it together with her medical report.

With her strong background in medicine, Gwen was quite interested in the recommendations.

One suggestion, about sculpting the chest and hips to build the perfect figure, especially caught her eye.

She secretly memorized it—planning to start trying it that very night.

Seeing how seriously she took it, Eren chuckled—

Then politely declined the hospital board member's suggestion to undergo a full check-up himself.

As someone who practiced a mystical cultivation system, Eren wouldn't dare allow his blood or pheromones to be tested.

His body had long since been altered by potions, and who knew what strange results would show up under normal medical scans.

Plus, his knowledge of curses from the arcane system made him instinctively unwilling to leave traces of his blood behind.

He also declined an invitation to dinner—

And left Osborn Third Hospital with Gwen.

...

After saying goodbye to the board member who had personally seen them to the parking lot—

Eren got in his Aston Martin and glanced into the rearview mirror at the man's fading figure.

Then he revved the engine and sped off from the hospital.

...

Soon after Eren left—

The overly friendly board member's smile faded.

He dismissed the nearby doctors—

Then quietly slipped into a corner and made a call.

"My lord… I failed. He refused to be examined… Please punish me."

There was a long silence.

As cold sweat soaked the man's back, a hoarse voice finally came from the other end—

"…I understand."

...

Thanks to the VIP treatment and fast-tracked testing—

Eren and Gwen didn't spend long at the hospital.

By 11:30 PM, Eren had safely returned Gwen to Helen…

And George.

While they were at the hospital, George had wrapped up the school crisis and rushed home.

Helen had already heard everything from George—and hugged her daughter tightly, still shaken.

George stood nearby, flipping through Gwen's medical report.

When he saw that her vitals were normal and there was no trace of spore infection, he finally relaxed completely.

Since it was already late and a lot had happened—

Eren didn't stay long.

After sitting for a bit, he declined Helen's offer to stay the night under George's intense and threatening glare—

And left.

...

Back in Chinatown—

Eren parked his car and walked toward his home.

His mind was occupied with thoughts of Natasha's meaningful gaze earlier, and the strange behavior of that board member at the hospital.

As he stepped into his sanctuary—

He suddenly froze.

His right foot, mid-step, hung stiffly in the air—

As if he'd just seen something impossible.

"You're back…"

(End of Chapter)

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