Chapter 117 An Unwelcome Visitor

The orphanage had drained their account to cover surgery for one of the kids yesterday, and they were still short on funds.

Another child in the hospital needed financial help today, and they were at a loss for what to do, a testament to their desperate need for money.

“Olivia, Director, compared to what you do, my contribution is merely financial. But you devote everything to the orphanage. You are the true heroes here,” said Eric sincerely.

Wolfman nodded in agreement.

“You give us too much credit,” Olivia replied, her tears giving way to a smile.

“Oh, Olivia, by the way, do you know Hailey Anderson?” Eric inquired.

He had seen Hailey leaving the orphanage earlier and was curious.

Olivia quickly nodded.

“Of course, I know her. She’s wonderful. She’s volunteered at the orphanage in her spare time for years, never asking for anything in return. She spends a good portion of her earnings on clothes and food for the kids. Plus, she’s a dear friend of mine.”
"Oh?" Eric was taken aback for a moment. While the girl seemed a bit oblivious to the ways of the world, he had to admit she was genuinely kind-hearted.

Olivia continued, "Hailey was actually the one who brought over the money I used to pay you back.."

"Really?" A sudden realization hit Eric as he remembered bumping into Hailey at the hospital entrance yesterday. So, she had been the one to deliver the money.

"By the way, Mr. Phillips, you know Hailey, right?" Olivia asked curiously.

"Eh, not exactly. I just know of her," Eric waved off the question.

"Hailey was just here a moment ago. She mentioned she wanted to personally thank you for your generosity, but she had to leave suddenly because of some urgent business," Olivia said with a smile.

"She wanted to thank me?" Eric chuckled. In Hailey's eyes, Eric was nothing short of a despicable rich guy.

"Well, since the intention has been conveyed, Wolfman and I will take our leave." Eric turned to leave.

Just then, a group of about forty or fifty menacing men in black barged in, their aggressive demeanor signaling trouble.

The children who were playing in the yard immediately scattered in fear upon seeing the newcomers.

"Not them again!" Both the orphanage director and Olivia's faces went pale.

"I'll call Hailey for help!" Without hesitation, Olivia fumbled for her phone and dialed Hailey’s number.

Once the call connected...

"Hailey, they're back!" Olivia spoke desperately.

After hanging up...

"Director, Hailey said she'll be right back. She wants us to hold them off," Olivia said, her young face etched with fear.

"These monsters have no humanity. They'll stoop to anything for money, even targeting an orphanage," the director said, her complexion ashen.

"Director, Olivia, who are these guys?" Eric's brow furrowed with concern.

"They're from the Horizon Group. They want to buy the orphanage land to develop a new apartment complex, but they’re only offering a million in compensation—which isn’t nearly enough for us to build a fully equipped new facility," Olivia explained, her voice trembling.

"They've already approached us twice and we've refused each time. They said they would give us three days to consider, and today is the third day," she continued.

Eric had assessed the orphanage's location when he first arrived. It was a building maybe a couple of decades old, constructed when the land was cheap and virtually worthless.
Over a decade of development had seen the land value around this once-forlorn orphanage skyrocket tenfold. Nestled now in a booming district with a school nearby, the property had become prime real estate, coveted for its potential as a luxury residential complex with coveted school district access. At a recent auction, Eric had snapped up the majority of the land, leaving Horizon Group hungry for a piece of this vibrant pie.

“They really have some nerve at Horizon Group, huh?” Eric squinted as disbelief etched across his face. “Thinking they can just sweep in and grab this gem for a measly million? They seem ready to play dirty.”

Eric knew if he were pursuing the land, he'd ensure the orphanage was relocated to an even better facility, with extra compensation to boot – it was the only way he'd be able to look at himself in the mirror without guilt. But Horizon Group's offering a paltry sum, a bare million dollars, was beyond shameless. It seemed they were willing to discard even the most basic ethics in their thirst for profit.

“Scumbags!” Wolfman's eyes grew icy as he listened.

The rage in Wolfman was something Eric understood all too well, having heard his story of growing up in an orphanage that had been ruthlessly demolished. The kindest director he knew had been beaten severely and eventually succumbed. It was this event that propelled Wolfman to kill, ruining his prospects and sending him into exile.

Now faced with a situation strikingly familiar, Wolfman's anger was all too fierce.

“Mr. Phillips,” Olivia said, anxiety evident in her voice, “this isn’t your fight. You need to leave out the back before they get to you.”

“No need for that,” Eric said calmly. “I can’t just stand by when something like this is happening right in front of me.”

As they spoke, a gang of about fifty men in black approached. The director and Olivia, unaccustomed to such intimidation, had panicked looks on their faces.

Leading the pack was a bald man.

“Time’s up, Director,” he asserted, “Made your decision?”

Olivia interjected, “Sir, a million is just not enough to rebuild an orphanage. Plus, you expect demolition now, but building anew takes time. Where would the children go in the meantime?”

The Director spoke up, “Our request is straightforward. Just build a new orphanage of equal size. We’re even okay with a remote location, as long as you provide a temporary place for the kids until then.”

The bald enforcer sneered, “Where those orphans end up isn't our concern. If they've got no place to go, let them hit the streets for all we care.”
"You..." The director and Olivia's faces turned ashen in an instant.

Wolfman's fists clenched tighter upon hearing those words, a chilling glance flickering in his eyes.

"Enough talk," the bald brute interrupted, "we're not here to haggle. Here's the contract. Sign it and let's make this easy for everyone, or else don't blame us for getting rough."

As he spoke, he thrust a contract toward the director.

"Don't get cocky! I've already called the cops!" Olivia said through gritted teeth.

"Call whomever you want. If the Horizon Group can't handle this little hiccup after over a decade in New York, we'd be a joke," boasted the bald man with arrogance.

Then, his tone shifted to a cold warning.

"You have two minutes. If you don't sign, not only will you lose out on a million bucks in compensation, I guarantee you both will be in tomorrow's news – hit by a car, tragically dead! And as for the fate of those kids in your care, well, that would be an even sadder story," he threatened.

The palpable threat in his words drained the color from both the director's and Olivia's faces. They were, after all, women in a threatening situation.

Being New Yorkers, they knew all too well the reputation of Donald Hall. They knew he was not someone they could afford to cross.

"I... I'll sign!" Despite her reluctance, the director knew she had no other choice.

She understood that battling Donald Hall was futile. If she and Olivia really ended up dead, not only would the compensation vanish, but the children would have no one left to care for them.

"Hold on!" Eric commanded, stepping forward.

The gang of over forty men turned their gaze toward Eric at the sound of his challenge.

"Kid, who do you think you are? You think you can shout at me like this, huh?!" The bald man glared at Eric with irritation.

Eric replied with an icy tone, "You beasts won't even spare an orphanage!"

The bald man's expression darkened immediately:

"Kid, do you know who you're messing with? Talking to me like that?"

"Of course, I do. You're nothing but Donald Hall's lapdog," Eric retorted with a cold sneer.

The bald man's face reddened with rage.

"I think you're asking for it! Boys, take this punk down!" He bellowed furiously.