Chapter 206 Chapter205-The Arrival of the Police Chief (1st update, Cheer me with Power Stones!)
Timothy stared icily at John, genuinely stunned.
Never did he expect someone in this city would dare to address him in such a tone.
Looking down on him?
Who was this young man before him who dared to openly insult him, even knowing full well who he was?
The men behind Timothy, loyal followers, were already seething with rage.
Had it not been for Timothy's restraint, they would have lunged at John, fists and feet flying.
Yet John remained nonchalant, toying with the delicate wine glass in his hand, seemingly oblivious to the gravity of his words.
"Young man, it's best not to be so brazen," Timothy warned with a narrowed gaze, his tone dripping with menace. "You should know that trouble often springs from the mouth. Or do I need to remind you?"
John simply smiled, responding with a hint of mockery, "Wasn't it Director King who started with threats? Without even inquiring about the incident, you demand a 'reasonable explanation' from me. Is this how Prosperity Group usually conducts business?"
Timothy snorted with impatience, "How Prosperity Group operates is none of your concern. But for a youngster like you, spouting such insolent words, it seems you're not keen on leaving here unscathed."
Shrugging, John replied with an air of indifference, "Whether I leave here unharmed isn't up to you to decide."
Timothy's rage grew, but he remained hesitant, unable to gauge John's true intentions or background, and thus refrained from giving the order to his men to act.
Initially, he had assumed that his son Eric had been brutalized for offending Nicholas White.
That's why, ever since his arrival, he had been so restrained.
While Prosperity Group was among the top ten enterprises in the city, it paled in comparison to the behemoth that was Taylor Group.
Nicholas White, serving as the right hand to Benjamin Taylor, could arguably be considered the second most influential figure within Taylor Group.
Timothy naturally wouldn't dare to cross Nicholas.
However, with this young man, John, stepping forward and claiming responsibility, the nature of the matter changed entirely.
Regardless of how wayward Eric might be, he was still Timothy's only son.
Blood is thicker than water, and Timothy could never stand idly by watching his son being beaten to such a state.
"You have two choices, lad," Timothy said with a chilling threat in his voice, "Either I break your right hand as well, or I have you arrested for assault and you can rot in prison for a few years."
His tone was imperiously final.
Yet in his anger, Timothy failed to notice the sudden disappearance of the smirk from Nicholas's face.
The half-narrowed eyes now held a glint of icy menace...
Clapping his hands in mock appreciation, John quipped, "Bravo! Truly magnificent! If I hadn't stepped forward, would you have mistaken your precious son's injuries as Nicholas's doing and let the whole matter slide?"
Timothy snorted darkly, "Who do you think you are, comparing yourself with Nicholas? If Eric had offended Nicholas, I would've accepted the loss. But you? You don't have the standing to make me, Timothy, bow before you."
John glanced at him with a sardonic smile, "Is that so? Then I'll pick the second option. I'd love to see how you'd arbitrarily pin the charge of 'assault' on me..."
Just as Timothy was about to retort, a flurry of footsteps echoed from the doorway.
A man with a commanding presence, dressed in a police uniform, stood at the entrance.
Behind him, over a dozen officers, all armed and evidently prepared for a confrontation.
The leading officer was none other than the city's top police administrator, Chief Zachary Barnes.
Furthermore, he was Eric's uncle and Timothy's brother-in-law.
"Who dares harm my precious nephew?" The moment Zachary entered the room, his authoritative voice echoed with a stern reprimand. Catching sight of Eric's pitiable state, his fury surged, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, swiftly sweeping the entire room.
Spotting Timothy, emanating a heavy aura of anger, Zachary seemed genuinely taken aback. "Brother, why are you and my sister lingering here? You should be rushing Eric to the hospital... Leave this matter to me. I promise whoever harmed Eric will pay dearly."
Before Timothy could respond, Chief Zachary's eyes landed on Nicholas.
His expression softened significantly, clearly recognizing Nicholas from past encounters.
"Nicholas? What brings you here... Ah, I forgot, this is your establishment," Zachary chuckled, attempting to conceal his prior agitation.
"Judging by the situation, did Eric somehow provoke you? I mean, he's just a kid, surely he's not worth this kind of upheaval?"
Nicholas replied calmly, "Chief Barnes, you misunderstand. I did not personally lay a hand on him."
There was a hint of wariness in Nicholas's eyes.
The arrival of Zachary signaled that resolving this situation amicably had become challenging.
Nicholas, overseeing the darker operations of the Taylor Group, had had his fair share of encounters with the city police.
He knew all too well Zachary's character: fiercely protective and unrestrained, given his hold over the city's top law enforcement agency.
While Nicholas could leverage his status to make Timothy drop the matter, against Zachary, his influence held little sway.
Businessmen have traditionally avoided friction with governmental bodies.
Even as a top executive of the Taylor Group, Nicholas couldn't sway the Chief's decisions.
Upon hearing Nicholas's response, a brilliant smile lit up Zachary's face. "If it has nothing to do with Nicholas, then there shouldn't be any objections to me apprehending the culprit, right?"
Well, that escalated quickly. He's immediately branded everyone in the room as criminals. Quite the autocrat, isn't he?
Nicholas barely had a chance to speak when Eric's mother, fueled by rage, stormed forward. "Big brother, it's this punk who hurt Eric. His hand is broken! Arrest him now!"
Zachary turned his gaze to John, looking down with disdain, evidently dismissing him as insignificant. "Given that the facts are evident, let's take him in."
With a simple gesture from Zachary, the officers behind him advanced, ready to handcuff John.
At that moment, Nicholas let out a resigned sigh, stepping in front of the gathering.
He knew he had to intervene.
Regardless of John's ability to handle this, he needed to state his stance clearly.
"Nicholas? What's the meaning of this?" Zachary's eyes narrowed, his tone becoming markedly colder.
Nicholas responded with a bitter smile, "They're just young people getting carried away. Do we really need to take things to this extreme? Today, Eric was at fault initially, bullying someone's girlfriend. Retaliation was expected..."
"Here's a proposal: we at Graceful Waters Hotel will cover all of Eric's medical expenses, and on top of that, offer a generous compensation. Can we consider the matter closed with that, Chief Barnes?"
A heavy silence enveloped the room.
Timothy cast a puzzled glance at John, then back to Nicholas.
He was intrigued by John's identity; why would Nicholas put forth such a lofty offer to protect him?
Zachary seemed to share this sentiment.
Uncertain about John's background, he neither agreed with Nicholas outright nor did he reject the proposal immediately.
However, Eric was not having any of it.
Despite the agonizing pain in his right hand, he bellowed in fury, "No way! This damned guy hurt me, and it won't be brushed under the rug so easily. I want him to pay..."
"Uncle, my hand is broken! Arrest him now!"
Zachary flashed a sly grin, addressing Nicholas, "See? The victim himself isn't pleased. If you break the law, you face the consequences. Assault is no minor offense! Nicholas, you can proceed with your business dealings, but this man, he's coming with me."
Nicholas paused momentarily before replying coolly, "This isn't someone I'm trying to protect out of my own interests. It's our Chairman, Mr. Benjamin Taylor, who personally requested his safety. Even if you don't value my influence, Chief Barnes, could you perhaps extend some courtesy to Chairman Taylor?"
Zachary's brows immediately furrowed.
Things were getting more complex now that Benjamin Taylor was involved.
Zachary was well aware of the close relationship between Benjamin Taylor and the current Mayor, Daniel Roberts.
Even he would tread lightly before offending such influential figures.
"May I inquire," he began cautiously, "about this young man's relationship with Chairman Benjamin Taylor?"
Nicholas slowly shook his head, "I'm afraid I can't divulge that. However, Chairman Taylor has always treated him like a close nephew..."
Zachary's gaze sharpened, and he turned to look at John, who appeared oddly unperturbed throughout.
Ever since the officers entered, Emma had been noticeably distressed, her face pale with fear.
She worried that because of her, John might be taken away by these officers.
Thus, John had been consistently trying to soothe Emma.
Noticing Zachary's probing gaze, John looked up, locking eyes with him, and a mysterious smirk curled upon his lips.
A pang of displeasure shot through Zachary's heart.
"Young man, what's so amusing?" Zachary demanded, his tone grave.
John replied with a nonchalant air, "I was just wondering, while you're all eager to avenge Eric, why hasn't anyone bothered to ask what actually transpired here?"
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