Chapter 329 Lifting the Travel Ban
"That's hilarious. Do you know how much those toys cost? You could sell yourself and your sister and still not afford them!" Another boy jeered, winding up to kick. "Orphan scum with no parents, trying to steal from me? Do you think you're worthy?"
However, the kick never landed on the boy.
Dagmar stepped in and delivered a swift kick to the bully’s stomach, sending him crashing to the ground with a yelp of pain.
“Hey, mister, how could you hit a kid…?" a bystander exclaimed in shock.
The bald man who had been watching the scene ominously fixed his gaze on Dagmar. “Who are you to mess with my brother?”
"Mister!"
It was then the little girl recognized Dagmar. She hesitated a moment before bursting into tears and running to him, latching onto his leg.
Dagmar looked down at her.
The little girl looked even more disheveled than before; her clothes were torn, there were scratches on her face, and her hair was a tousled mess.
Her brother, hearing her voice, also looked up.
"You know these kids?" the bald man sneered, "Perfect, these two little brats stole something pricey from me. When they were caught, they smashed it. Now, they owe me money.”
"Something pricey? Like a mech toy and castle building blocks?" Dagmar asked.
The bald man's face stiffened, then he scoffed, "So, you're in on this?"
Dagmar didn’t respond. Instead, he pulled out his phone and dialed 911 right in front of the man.
The bald guy froze, "What are you doing?"
"Calling the cops," Dagmar answered. “Those toys are custom designs I had bought—unique pieces. I gifted them to those kids, and now you have them."
"You bought them?" The bald man's expression changed once more.
"Want to see the purchase record?" Dagmar paused, "Never mind, the cops can take a look when they get here."
"Damn it!" The man cursed.
The last thing his crew wanted was to get tangled up with the authorities. After all, who among them didn't have a questionable past?
"You got lucky, kid. But luck doesn't last forever. We'll see if you fall into my hands again; I'll make sure it's the end for you and your sister!"
With a menacing warning, the bald man and his group left.
"Brother!" The little girl cried, throwing herself into her brother's arms.
"He's bleeding, call an ambulance!"
"Yeah, those thugs don't know how to pull their punches!" The crowd around began to murmur.
Dagmar silently called for an ambulance and accompanied the siblings to the nearest hospital.
The examination revealed that the boy had two broken fingers and two fractured ribs.
The little girl, fortunately, was mostly unharmed.
"Mister, thank you for bringing me to the hospital, but we can't afford to stay here. We don't have any money," the boy said as soon as Dagmar walked back in.
Dagmar slumped down and asked, "What's the deal with the toy?"
Lowering his head, the boy revealed that, following his encounter with Dagmar, he decided to sell his mech toy the next day in search of some cash.
That's when he ran into a bald thug.
This guy, Leper, was a henchman in their neighborhood—a real piece of work. He set his eyes on the mech and claimed it was his, saying the boy had stolen it.
The boy’s little sister panicked and blurted out that a magical man had given it to her, along with a castle to boot.
And what happened after that was history.
Leper went straight to the underpass where they were staying, hid the little girl, and took the castle.
"I couldn't stand it," the boy said with fierce determination, "I waited for days, and today, when they were out, I tried to take our stuff back. When I got caught, I thought, 'If I can't have it, neither will they,' and I smashed it to pieces!"
Dagmar was taken aback. A simple gift had brought such trouble upon these kids.
"...They mentioned you don’t have parents?" Dagmar inquired.
The boy averted his eyes and turned away, "They're gone."
"So, the 'mom' you mentioned before—were you lying to me, or is there someone else looking after you?" Dagmar pressed on.
After a pause, the boy admitted, "I lied."
Although Dagmar had suspected as much, he still felt a twinge of sadness.
"Where are you living now? How do you get by?" he continued.
"Uncle, just give me a way to contact you. Once I earn it, I'll pay you back for the medical costs bit by bit. But right now, I need to take my sister and leave."
"You have a broken rib; you need to stay in the hospital." Dagmar paused, "The mess you're in, it's ultimately because of what I gave you. I should take responsibility."
"No need..." The boy was adamant about leaving.
Dagmar regarded him coolly, "With an injury like that, if you don't get proper care, it can kill you. And if you die, what will happen to your sister?"
That statement stopped the boy dead in his tracks.
Dagmar averted her gaze, picked up the medical file, and continued reading.
"Your anemia is serious, and it looks like your sister's not doing much better."
The boy tightened his fist using his uninjured hand.
He was too young, sometimes barely making ends meet with odd jobs, often stiffed by unscrupulous employers. Getting one square meal was a daily struggle.
"Do you have relatives left at home?" Dagmar asked.
After a moment of silence, the boy's clenched resolve deflated, and he shook his head, "We have no one left."
Dagmar sighed softly.
He wondered how many other kids were out there, roaming the city like this.
"Focus on healing up. Once you're better, I'll make sure you and your sister get placed in a good foster home..."
"No way!" the boy immediately protested, "Once we get to the orphanage, we'll be put up for adoption, and my sister and I will be separated!"
"I don't want to be away from my brother!" his little sister suddenly burst into tears.
Dagmar pressed his lips together, a resigned expression on his face. "...Get better first," he said at last, voice laced with helplessness.
Mid-conversation, Dagmar's phone rang. He stood up and walked to the side to answer the call.
"Mr. Dagmar, the investigation involving you has concluded. You are now free to travel internationally," said the voice on the other end, with polite formality.
Dagmar was taken aback.
"It's over?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused over the duration of the investigation."
It took a moment for the news to sink in, even after the call had ended.
Dagmar had anticipated a further ordeal following Darwin's involvement. How could this all just... end just like that?
A thought struck him like a bolt of lightning. If Darwin had backed off this easily, it could only mean one thing – the entire upheaval wasn't even about him in the first place.
"Fiona!"
He immediately dialed Fiona's number.
Fiona had just finished dealing with her own set of problems and felt a mix of emotions when she saw Dagmar's incoming call. He seemed different now.
She exhaled deeply before answering. Initially, all she could hear was Dagmar's heavy breathing.
A long silence followed, until Fiona broke it.