Chapter 41 Will You Always Be a Lone Wolf
In the alley.
Alexander adjusted his collar, frowned, and asked Andrew, "Is Eric with you?"
"Yeah." Andrew nodded. "He got shot. I just found a doctor to check on him."
"What exactly happened to him?" Alexander pressed.
Andrew hesitated for a moment before explaining everything he knew to Alexander in detail.
After listening, Alexander paced in place and asked, "This is a big deal. Do you think you can hide him?"
Andrew was taken aback by the question.
"I don't think you can. No matter what, William will keep looking for him," Alexander added, lowering his head.
Andrew took out his e-cigarette, took a deep drag, and said, "I came to you in such a hurry to ask you to do something for Eric."
Alexander was slightly taken aback. "Go ahead."
"I want to find a way to keep Eric safe, get him, his mom, and his little sister out of Pine City. Can you help by contacting some friends in the anarchic district to arrange a place for them to stay?" Andrew said bluntly, "Whether he can get out or not depends on fate, but I have to do what I can."
Alexander stared at Andrew and responded just as bluntly, "I don't think my relationship with Eric is at that level."
Andrew was stunned by this.
"This isn't just a simple case of shooting someone. There are a lot of hidden interests and reasons behind it, which you surely understand. If I help him and get involved, who will help me if I get into trouble?" Alexander asked calmly.
Andrew took another drag from his e-cigarette.
"Andrew, I managed to buy a residency and a job here in Pine City after years of struggle in the anarchic district. You have Mr. Charles to help you, but I don't," Alexander said frankly, "Sorry, I can't help with this."
Andrew looked up at Alexander and suddenly smiled. "I know you're ambitious and thoughtful, so I understand your choice."
Alexander remained silent.
"Alexander, do you know why Eric ended up like this?" Andrew asked softly.
Alexander was taken aback.
"In fact, you and he are quite similar. You both know what you want, very calm in everything you do. You are very purposeful, thinking you can always distinguish the pros and cons at critical moments. The only difference is that one of you is too strong, and the other too weak, which creates some contrast," Andrew said with a smile, puffing on his e-cigarette. "But I want to tell you, if a person lives too calmly without any temperament, they may not succeed in anything. Eric is a living example. Moreover, if you don't have any close friends in life, I don't believe you can go far. I came to you today, thinking of you as a buddy, so I asked for your help. But II was presumptuous."
Alexander frowned but remained silent.
"I'll figure it out myself. You can go back," Andrew said, turning to leave.
Alexander, with his hands in his sleeves, watched Andrew's back and suddenly shouted, "You know, Mr. Charles has always been avoiding the drug trafficking thing. Getting involved could bring trouble."
Andrew didn't look back and walked briskly to the street, replying, "Even someone like George knows to protect his friends at critical moments. Can I be worse than him? Whether it brings trouble or not, I haven't thought about it, but I'll protect Eric."
With that, Andrew got into his car and left.
Before Eric got into trouble, Andrew would often scold him as if he were scolding his own children. To outsiders, it seemed like Eric wasn't even an equal friend, just someone who flattered Andrew. But when Eric was in trouble, all those familiar faces who could hide did hide, and the one who gritted his teeth to help Eric was Andrew who sometimes looked down on him.
Andrew did look down on him, but their friendship was real.
No matter how well you did, Andrew might not get along with you, but as long as he considered you a friend, he would lend a hand when you were in trouble.
On the way back to his dorm, Alexander walked with his head down, feeling emotionally conflicted. He was reflecting on Andrew's words, feeling somewhat touched.
In the anarchic district, Alexander basically trusted no one because he had seen too much of the dark side of human nature. People who would sell their wives and children for a bite of food or a job were common. Having seen so much, his heart had grown cold. This was his self-protection mechanism at work, something Alexander might not have even realized. Though he was strong inside, he had somewhat lost the warmth that should be part of human nature.
Now, Andrew's words echoed in Alexander's mind, making him question for the first time whether his overly calm and purposeful behavior was correct. Could the way of doing things in the anarchic district also work in the Ninth District?
Life was so long and lonely. Could he really walk the whole journey alone?
Andrew's status and connections in the police department were clearly stronger than his own, and he dared to protect Eric. Was Alexander, who came from the anarchic district, overly concerned about his small status, showing too small a vision?
The relationship between Eric and Alexander hadn't interfered with life and death, but how did others' life-and-death friendships come about?
Alexander stopped in his tracks, his mind suddenly flashing with Andrew's image.
Andrew could scold Eric every day, appear arrogant, and be unreliable in his actions. However, at critical moments, he would genuinely help his friends. Wasn't such a person worth getting to know deeply?
Alexander hesitated, feeling lost, but eventually took out his phone.
"Even the smartest people can be influenced by fools." Alexander sighed, immediately dialing a number.
A few seconds later, the call connected. "Hello?"
"Let's talk about the drug trafficking thing," Alexander said, leaving the back door of his unit and quickly heading to the other side of the road.
In the standalone house on Elm Street.
William locked the door, stood by the window with his phone, and said, "Eric doesn't have many friends, just Andrew."
"Andrew's relationship with Samuel...," the man on the other end of the line reminded, frowning slightly. "It‘s hard for me to investigate."
"You just focus on finding out where Eric is. I'll handle the higher-ups," William shouted, his eyes red. "Eric must be dealt with, and we must secure the channel."
"Got it, I understand." Alexander added.
In a warehouse on Vine Street.
The doctor had just finished cleaning Eric's wound and was about to leave when Andrew tied him up at gunpoint. "You can't leave for now. I'll let you go once my friend is out. You won't be short of money."
"How can you have no credibility?" the doctor cursed, "You're too rough!"
"Enough, or I'll beat you," Andrew said, dragging the doctor away and locking him in a room. He then turned to his friend who was helping and asked, "Can you find a way to get Eric out?"
"He killed Terry's uncle. The whole place is in an uproar. It's too difficult to get him out," his friend said with a very ugly expression. "You know my capabilities."
Andrew scratched his head. "Do you think we can get someone from the military involved?"
"Hard to say," his friend shook his head.
On the old wooden bed, Eric coughed violently and shouted, "Let me alone. Just get my mom and sister out."
"Shut up!" Andrew snapped irritably.
In the standalone house on Elm Street.
David limped downstairs and shouted to the twenty or so people standing inside, "Drop everything you're doing and spread out. We need to find out where Eric is within 12 hours!"
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