Chapter 57 A Ray of Hope in Desperation
After dark, Alexander and Andrew accompanied Eric’s family for dinner and continuously comforted Eric’s mom during the meal, claiming that once things were settled, they would find a way to get Eric back to District Nine as a police officer.
The old lady still didn’t know that Paul was dead and didn’t expect Eric to become wealthy in the future. She just hoped to return to the old days, with her children having jobs and food to eat so that she would feel at peace even if she died all of a sudden one day. However, Alexander and Andrew knew very well that as long as the Patrick family remained, Eric’s status would not fundamentally change, and wanting to return to District Nine as a police officer was nothing but a dream.
After dinner, the three men went to Eric’s room. Andrew closed the door tightly and took out an old phone from his pocket.
“This phone is equipped with a virtual SIM card, and the carrier is a small company in Stardust City,” Andrew said as he handed the phone to Eric, “Use this to contact Paul’s friend.”
“Okay.”
Eric took the phone, looked at the contact information on his notebook, and decisively dialed the number.
A few seconds later, Eric shook his head. “It’s not put through. It shows the phone is off.”
Alexander pondered for a moment and analyzed with a grim look, “It’s possible Paul’s friend heard the news from Pine City, learned Paul was in trouble, and thus stopped using this number.”
“If that’s the case, aren’t we screwed?” Andrew cursed nervously.
“Eric, send a text message to that number,” Alexander said and took out an e-cigarette. “Tell him directly that Paul is dead, but you are his younger brother, and you can’t stay in District Nine anymore, so you’re contacting him.”
“Will saying that scare him off?” Eric asked, frowning.
“Lying won’t help.” Alexander insisted. “With such a big commotion in Pine City, Paul’s friend must have heard the news, so being honest will seem more sincere.”
“Alright.” Eric didn’t argue further, edited a text message, and sent it to the number.
Alexander took a puff from his e-cigarette and sighed. “Now we leave it to fate. If Paul’s friend got alarmed and changed his number, we basically have no way to find him. But if he’s still observing, he should call us back.”
Andrew clasped his hands together and sighed. “God, please help us. If we can get a call from Paul’s friend, I’m willing for William’s mom to die first.”
Two days passed, and the three of them hadn’t received a reply from Paul’s friend, leaving them totally uneasy.
Inside the house, Andrew, who was usually laid-back, now had a worried expression and paced around the room. “I don’t think there’s any hope. If he still used that phone, he would respond to the text message by now.”
“Yeah,” Eric replied, sitting on the bed with a frown, “If he hasn’t replied, it’s very likely he’s not using that number anymore.”
Alexander remained silent.
“If that’s the case, we’re in big trouble,” Andrew sighed and cursed, “I might not be able to return to Pine City.”
“You’re still fine. At least Samuel is protecting you. William and the others won’t lay a finger on you for a while,” Alexander responded and looked up, “But I’m completely done. Without any leads on the drug channels, they’ll come after me in at most two months.”
As they spoke, all three fell into an anxious silence.
Just then, the phone rang suddenly.
The three of them perked up, and Alexander quickly asked Andrew, “Is it yours?”
Andrew hesitated for a second and then pulled out his phone from his right pocket. His face lit up with joy. “Yes, it’s the new number!”
“Let Eric answer it,” Alexander urged excitedly.
Also with a smile, Eric took the phone and exclaimed, “I told you, God wouldn’t just leave me hanging!”
He then pressed the answer button.
“Hello?” A man’s deep voice came through the phone.
Eric put the phone on speaker. “Paul’s friend?”
The other person didn’t respond.
“You don’t have to think too much. I’m Paul’s brother,” Eric quickly added, fearing the call might be cut off. “I’ve only used this number once and haven’t contacted anyone else, so I know who you are.”
“How can you prove you’re Paul’s brother?” the person finally asked.
“My name is Eric, and I have a mom and a younger sister. My brother Paul left home two years ago and hasn’t contacted us since,” Eric talked about his brother’s situation in detail, “He has a scar on his right shoulder and likes to eat with one foot on the bench.”
After a moment of silence, the person responded, “Paul is dead. Why are you contacting me?”
“Before he left, he gave me your contact information and told me to turn to you when I had nowhere else to go,” Eric replied honestly, “I’m at my wit’s end now.”
“Paul is dead, and his men have been arrested,” the person said cautiously, “I may also be in jeopardy in Pine City myself, so I really can’t help anyone right now. You’re on your own.”
“Wait a minute!” Eric shouted as he sensed the person was about to hang up. “I’m not looking for refuge. I want to talk business.”
“What kind of business?”
“The business Paul was doing with you.”
The person paused for a long time before responding with a cold laugh, “Paul told me about you. With your personality, you’re not cut out for this business.”
“Not necessarily,” Eric replied confidently, “Before I left Pine City, I fired shots on Elm Street, killed George, shot Scott, and rescued my sister all by myself. Paul couldn’t even do that when he was alive, could he?”
After another long silence, the person asked, “In the drug trade, courage is a basic quality, but to really get involved, you need connections.”
“Are the Anderson family’s connections good enough?” Eric quickly asked, “I can still use his network.”
“Have you made a deal?”
“Yes, I can contact Benjamin right now.”
“Just dealing with the Anderson family isn’t enough.” The person shook his head.
“The nephew of the superintendent of the Black Street District is with me right now.” Eric showcased his observing ability, a skill honed in the police department. “With them, is that enough weight?”
After a moment of careful consideration, the person replied ambiguously, “Wait for my message.”
“Okay.”
With that, the call ended.
In the south, less than 200 miles from District Seven, in an undeveloped area of River State, a middle-aged man with a crew cut dialed a number on his phone.
A few seconds later.
“Hello?”
“Boss, Paul’s younger brother contacted me,” the middle-aged man said steadily.
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