Chapter 263
Stepping out of the Porter Entertainment headquarters, Allen didn’t try to play any games. He led the police straight down Alvin’s usual route home.
He thought coldly to himself that Alvin had been careless. He had to take the fall. That was just how the game was played.
“That’s his car,” Allen said, pointing at a black Buick ahead of the police cruiser.
Alvin was stopped at a red light. The moment the wail of sirens pierced the air, his entire body jolted. He gripped the steering wheel, desperately calculating if he could run the light, but a police cruiser violently cut him off, boxing him in.
He knew it was over. But how had the police tracked him down so fast? And with such precision? He looked up and saw a familiar face stepping out of the cruiser.
“Allen, you bastard p>
“Don’t blame me, Alvin,” Allen said, his voice eerily calm. “You did the crime, now you face the law. You wouldn’t want to drag innocent people down with you, would you? Don’t worry about your family. We’re colleagues. I’ll make sure they’re well taken care of p>
His tone was friendly, but the underlying threat was crystal clear.
Over at Master Ellis’s clinic, Mira scored a flawless hundred percent on her theoretical exam.
As Master Ellis graded her paper, he let out a long sigh. “Your memory is terrifying. Even I didn’t get a perfect score back in my day p>
And she had managed this while juggling a heavy high school curriculum and running multiple booming businesses. He seriously suspected she possessed a photographic memory. The intermediate apothecary exam required memorizing several massive textbooks.
“I’m a genius, right? Are you ready to pass your legacy down to me?” Mira teased with a bright smile.
Master Ellis immediately scowled. “Wipe that smirk off your face. You haven’t taken the brewing test yet.” He made a mental note to crank up the difficulty for her next practical exam to keep her ego in check.
Mira wisely shut her mouth. For the past semester, she had spent an hour reading medical texts every day, giving her a rock-solid foundation in theory. But her actual hands-on practice was severely lacking. To earn her Intermediate Apothecary certification, she still had to pass the physical herb identification and the live brewing tests.
“Master, want to get some food? My treat p>
“Business is booming over there. Let’s not add to the chaos right now. We can celebrate after the holidays when things calm down p>
“Fair enough p>
Mira was packing her bag when Owen walked through the door.
“Did you pass?” he asked.
“Obviously. Who do you think I am?” Mira’s confidence flared right back up.
Owen was about to knock her down a peg when Master Ellis chimed in, “She got a perfect score p>
Owen felt a pang of defeat. He was never going to outshine her in their master’s eyes.
“Well, that’s convenient,” Owen chuckled. “Whenever I need medicine, I can just order it from you p>
“I told you to study medicine, but you refused,” Master Ellis scolded. “Now you see how inconvenient it is p>
“Master, I have absolutely zero talent for it. Just looking at those endless prescription formulas gives me a migraine,” Owen pleaded.
Mira crossed her arms. “Don’t look
at me. I can’t make anything without the raw materials.” High-grade medicines required impossibly rare and expensive ingredients.
Phantasm Serum required elusive, Nightshade, and catalyst was distilled from the venom of over a dozen lethal snake species.
“Whatever you need, I’ll fund it,” Owen offered easily.
“She only passed the theory portion p>
Nnterrupted. “Don’t let
her
expensive ingredients.
until she proves she can brew.
After a bit more banter, they got down to business.
“There’s movement on the poisoning case,” Qwen said, his tone turning
seriou
“One of Porter
Entertainment’s assistants,
vel?
arrested today p>
Mira raised an eyebrow. “Wow, the police moved fast.” Lenny had just tipped them
off anonymously the day before.
She pulled out her phone. The internet was already a warzone, with millions of users tearing Porter Entertainment apart.
“It was Porter Entertainment all along! They were just jealous of Solflare Hearth & Grill and tried to destroy them p>
“Corporate rivalry is one thing, but playing with innocent lives? Are they psychotic p>