Chapter 45: Special Correspondent

[Chapter 45: Special Correspondent]

In the hospital's pristine white corridor, Philip Leyso wielded a scalpel against Lena's throat.

This middle-aged man, his eyes wide and bloodshot, shouted, "Elek! Elek!!! Come out and face me! Otherwise, I'll kill her! Kill her!"

Gaskill shouted anxiously, "Let my wife go!"

He attempted to rush forward but was held back by the doctors and nurses nearby, who insisted, "Don't go over there, sir, it's too dangerous."

"That's my wife!" Gaskill yelled.

He looked at Lena, despair evident on his face, and cried out, "You can take me hostage, sir. Just don't hurt my wife!"

Lena's face turned pale with fear.

Leyso merely shouted back, "I don't care! I want to see Elek! He can't hide from me!"

...

When Ian rushed in, he witnessed the scene.

"Gaskill, what happened?" he asked urgently.

Gaskill was taken aback. "Ian?"

There was no time for pleasantries. He quickly added, "That guy's gone crazy; he's taken my wife hostage."

Leyso yelled, "No, I'm not crazy. I want to see Elek; he can't avoid me!"

Ian carefully opened the lens of the camera hanging from his neck and said, "Calm down, man. You've taken my friend hostage. To ensure her safety, I can help find that bastard named Elek. But first, can you tell me why you're doing this?"

Leyso glared in silence.

Ian turned to the nurse beside him. "What exactly happened here?"

One doctor shook his head. "This is none of your business."

Ian pulled out his gun and fired a shot at the floor near the doctor's feet.

It startled the doctor, causing Ian to aim the gun at him and demand, "Now tell me what's going on, or I'll make sure your life ends before my friend's!"

Terrified, the doctor shouted, "He's got AIDS; we can't treat him, and he's gone mad!"

AIDS?

Ian turned in shock to look at Leyso.

Leyso roared, "I spent a hundred grand! One hundred thousand! You didn't say this when you were treating me!"

Ah!

Now he understood.

Just like how journalists might exploit victims' families, or how bankers could withdraw funds when you needed them most, or how lawyers would tell you a case was a sure win just to get your money; even doctors had their dark sides.

No matter what terminal illness you had, they'd push for treatment. As long as you had money, they'd offer all kinds of methods, even if the outcomes sometimes amounted to nothing.

The middle-aged man before him had clearly been hit hard.

He had spent all his savings only to be told his remaining time was short, that they were powerless to help him.

Facing imminent death, he feared nothing and yearned for revenge.

Leyso cried, "My wife and daughter have both left me; all my friends abandoned me! I wanted to leave some money for them, but now I have nothing!"

A nurse shouted, "Why didn't you say that when you were spending money on treatment?"

"Shut up!" Ian exclaimed, punching the nurse in the face.

How dare she blame someone else at a time like this? Did she want the hostage to die?

...

Ian handed the gun to Gaskill and then stepped closer to Leyso.

"Don't come any closer!" Leyso shouted.

"What's your name?" Ian asked calmly.

Leyso hesitated before answering, "Philip Leyso."

"I'm Ian Carr," Ian adjusted his collar and added, "Mr. Leyso, how long did the doctors say you have left?"

Leyso replied hopelessly, "At most, two years."

"So, you have two years left but plan on ending it early?" Ian queried.

Leyso shouted, "I'm going to die anyway! I want to see Elek and get back the money he took from me!"

"For your children?" Ian probed.

Leyso paused, then nodded, "Yes."

Gaskill quickly offered, "I can give you money!"

Leyso vehemently replied, "I don't want your money, I want my own! I'm not a robber! I didn't get AIDS because I misbehaved; it was from a blood transfusion!"

Ian shook his head gently. "That's not important, man; not many people care about your morals! What matters is the hundred grand!"

As he spoke, he smiled, "A hundred grand is too little; your life is worth at least five hundred grand, maybe even a million."

"What did you say?" Leyso gaped.

Ian turned back to the group. "Everyone step away; I need to have a conversation with Mr. Leyso, and he won't let me close unless you're far away -- far enough that you can't hear us talking."

He looked at Gaskill, who took a deep breath.

At this point, he could only choose to trust Ian. He waved his gun, ordered, "Everyone get out of here, go!"

...

Once they were far enough away, Ian turned back to Leyso. "I can give you five hundred thousand -- at least that much!"

Leyso shouted, "I've already told you, I want my own money! Legal money. You think I don't understand? The money you give me now, I can't pass it on to my kids!"

Ian smirked. "Do you actually believe Elek would hand you money given the current situation? That money would be legal?"

Leyso was left speechless.

Ian declared, "What I'm offering is legal. I mean... I won't give it to you all upfront; I'll make you work for it."

Leyso shook his head repeatedly. "No one would hire someone like me; I can't earn that much in two years."

"On the contrary; you're very valuable, you just don't realize it," Ian smiled.

Taking out a cigarette box, he lit one for himself and said, "I'm Ian Carr, the owner of the Los Angeles Herald, also a journalist."

Leyso was astonished. "So it's you; I've seen your news."

Ian smiled. "Being in journalism is dangerous; it's crucial not to offend people. Sometimes, to get significant news, we have to do things that aren't exactly legal -- like breaking and entering, spying, eavesdropping, etc. The key is not getting caught.

He chuckled, "You know about gangs? They're top-tier criminals. The simplest way for them to escape charges is to pay enough money for someone else to take the fall. Sometimes, they might even recruit terminally ill individuals to do their dirty work."

Leyso and Lena were both stunned.

Leyso stammered, "You want me to kill someone for you?"

Why would he be afraid? Didn't he think that what he had done before was also murder?

Ian smiled gently and shook his head. "Of course not. But as I said, there are times when we need someone to take the blame. If there's a terminally ill person, then they're essentially a built-in scapegoat. Your life is already set to be limited, Leyso. But your limited life can shine with infinite brightness. You can become my best reporter in your final moments... You'll expose the darkness in the world, and in time, you'll become one of the brightest stars in the media world, forever etched in the annals of fame!"

He smiled. "I've been looking for someone like you... perhaps more than one, and your appearance is a fortuitous opportunity."

He spread his hands. "Will you be my special correspondent? You could gain not just enough money, but a significant reputation too."

He gazed at Philip Leyso, meaningfully, "I can make you the most dazzling star, one everyone in the world will notice, admire, and worship!"

*****

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