The next day, the interaction between President Demonfire and President Hellgazer at the party last night made a great impact on the public eye. Hellflame Inc. is currently the top company in the US. The Demonfire Group of Companies just started, and its current rank is still unknown. Being a new company, Demon's Fang Entertainment is the biggest in the entertainment industry, which they recently acquired. Aside from that, President Demonfire has other plans to expand their power worldwide. As the new President of Demon's Fang Entertainment, the company will just be a dummy to connect to well-known people and famous stars. Their influence on the public will be a great advantage for them. Spreading gossip to hide facts, manipulating the public's reactions, collecting information, and controlling the masses are the particular reasons why, of all companies, they chose to get a hand on this one. The moment President Demonfire enters his office, he's ready to take action on their first target.
"Li, how's the matter in China?"
"President, everything's ready."
"Tch. Whenever we're alone, don't ever address me as president. I'm still not used to it." He loosens his tie. He never liked the feeling of wearing formal clothing. As an assassin, he seldom wears one. The only exception was the mission he once had that required attending a formal event.
"Sorry, not happening. The more we address you as President Demonfire, the more you'll get used to it. Matters at home are different, though. But when you step out of the mansion, you're President Demonfire." Li glares at him without even blinking.
"I didn't know you could be that scary." He opens the documents on his table and scrolls through every page.
"By the way, President, I already have the information you asked me to find. Luckily, there are two out of eight people from the list who are currently working at St. Claire Hospital. That's where Dr. Harry worked before he was sent to the facility. They are Dr. Clark Fernandez, the current head surgeon, and Dr. Stacy Smith, the President of the hospital. I followed them myself a day after we arrived to confirm the information before giving it to you. I have their schedules; take a look at them." She pointed to the folders next to his hand. He opened them and read all the details. He grabbed his phone and called Diego, asking him to come over to his office. After hanging up, Diego immediately went to his office.
"Knock! Knock!" Secretary Li opened the door.
"How may I help you, President Slacovich Demonfire?" Both Diego and Li giggled. They really liked seeing Slacovich's grumpy face.
"Tch! You two." He just shrugged it off and smirked.
"So, what's up?" Diego sat on the sofa, and Li served him some hot coffee then left the two of them to talk as she needed to handle some matters herself.
"St. Claire Hospital."
"How many targets are there?"
"Two. Find out the hospital's current market price and tell me immediately. Also, try persuading shareholders to sell their shares. If no one's willing to, then do what you must to force them to sell."
"Okay, I'll handle it. Three days and the hospital is ours." Diego finished his coffee before he left the president's office. He took action immediately and instructed someone from his department to monitor the stock exchange in the market and another to monitor the current market price of hospitals within the area. He also told them to report to him when there are sudden changes in the hospitals' market value. Diego came up with a good plan to deal with St. Claire Hospital. The hospital is doing very well; buying some shares will be quite difficult when the prices are too high. He decided to pay a visit to Dr. Harry's office and ask about the hospital he worked at before.
As he walked down the hall of the PR department, the girls started circling him around. He had no choice but to interact with them, playing the charming and gentlemanly type of guy which drove the girls crazy over him. Manager Harry's secretary drove the girls away from Manager Diego and stood closely beside him, making the other girls angry.
"Manager Diego, what brings you here to the PR department?" she smiled seductively.
"Is Manager Harry in his office?" he answered, smiling back at her. He's used to faking his expression in public since he took over his father's bakeshop. He didn't want to, but was left with no choice at all. Thinking about his father, he wondered how he had been these days. He had never heard anything about him.
"Yes, Manager Diego, actually, I'm on my way to his office to inform him about the meeting this afternoon." She led the way to the office.
"Then I'll just follow your lead." Manager Harry's office is at the far end of the hall. The secretary knocked, and he heard the man inside permitting them to come in.
"Sir, Manager Diego is here, and Sir, you'll be meeting with the TopChick Company at 3:00 pm regarding the promotions."
"Diego, take a seat first. Secretary Jean, if that's all, you may leave." His secretary left the room. He then took a seat on the opposite side of Diego.
"Anything I can help with?"
"Actually, there is."
"Did you forget to drink the red pill? I have them with me all the time. Let me get it." Harry stood up to get the pills, but Diego stopped him.
"No, I always have it with me too. It's not about us this time. It's about you. Check your email; I've sent you some files that I need you to verify." Harry felt nervous; he was afraid that he was no longer needed and that they were trying to get rid of him. He cleared his throat, which seemed dry due to nervousness.
"O-okay, let me check my email. Did I do something wrong? Am I not useful anymore to you guys? Are you going to kill me?" he continuously asked without even opening the email first. Diego couldn't help but laugh at Harry's reaction. He sat beside him and patted his back.
"What's going on in your head? No one would hurt you, we can assure you that. All the time you've been on our side, helped us in any way possible. We think of you as family. I'm sorry to laugh at you but, " he started laughing again, making Harry embarrassed. He was now more embarrassed by himself and laughed it out together with Diego. When the two calmed down, they discussed the details in the documents.
"Diego, what do you want me to verify?"
"You worked at St. Claire Hospital before, right?"
"Yes, what's going on?"
"Who sent you to the facility?"
"General Johanssen frequently visits the hospital. He's always seen with Dr. Smith; rumors began to spread that she's able to overthrow the previous president because the state defense's general was backing her up. I'm not into gossip and such; all I did back then was work hard and help the team of biochemists enhance the medicine they've been working on. I was just 27 at the time, and the others thought of me as someone showing off. Dr. Smith began to notice the formulas I was working on and said that I had the potential to help discover greater things in the medical field. She said she would endorse me to a research institute to broaden my skills. I agreed, for I couldn't stand being judged and bullied by older doctors. That's why I ended up in the facility. I believed that it was for the good of the country I was representing, yet later I realized we'd become mere tools of those hungry for power. Dr. Brischt talked me out of it, and then I started admiring his work and dedication. I am the only one he trusts of all the people in there. That's how I managed to keep a blind eye to everything." Diego now knew this man would never betray them. Even if it cost him his life, Harry would never back down on his words and principles.
"Harry, Slacovich will kill those eight people on the list. Aren't you afraid to see us kill them?" he stared at him without blinking an eye.
"Honestly, I've already seen how you guys murder everyone in the facility. I felt afraid and scared, yet as the days passed by, knowing every one of you makes me want to help you. You guys were also victims like the doctors in the facility. But I don't blame you guys. What you did was out of a burst of raging desire caused by the serum. That's why I told myself back then that if I managed to survive that very day and if you guys would let me stick around you, I would help you all I can to be better. I am one of those people who helped you become what you are now; it's my responsibility to suppress each of you when you rage. I am the one who killed everyone there because I helped create the serum. I feel guilty seeing you guys suffer whenever you thirst; you don't want to harm innocent people. I know you remember every detail of the killing spree you did back then. I know it taunts you every night. I know you want to stop yet you can't at that time. Th-this is the only way I can think of; I can't clear my conscience, but I'll be there for you guys. Share the suffering, sorrow, pain, and laughter. If you guys think that it's the only way, then I'll support you. As they say, only the dead can keep a secret. And I know you all think it through. We can't afford to let anybody else know of the facility's existence. We've already had a threat on that matter, but aside from him, the others might do the same thing he did. Taking the target down is the only way we can assure our safety and everybody else's."
"Dr. Harry, everyone heard all of it." Diego put his phone down on the table. Dr. Harry looked at the screen showing the faces of his new family. Diego set up a conference call without Dr. Harry noticing it. They were all touched by his sincerity and treated him as family at heart. The girls couldn't hold back their tears while everyone knows the boys can hold back theirs.
"Dr. Harry, for us, make sure to live. We will kill you if you die and drain your blood. Spoon out your eyes and open up your belly." Sofie managed to break a joke as she cried, the overwhelming feeling of having someone watch your back filling her heart.
"How are you supposed to do that when I'm dead?" Dr. Harry giggled as he tried to hold back his tears.
"You make my tears pour down in time for the shoot, OMG! I need to redo my makeup." Ara chuckled as she wiped her tears. Everyone felt like being a vampire isn't that bad as long as you fight for the good of all the people you love. Securing the innocent's freedom and continuing to live for the sake of justice. Knowing that all of them are in the same boat, having a family that will always back you up, there's nothing more special than just fighting by their side for the sake of peace and justice.