CHapter 100


    Thorpe was on edge, eyeing Palmer with a mix of suspicion and guardedness,


    The moment their gazes locked, Thorpe could tell Palmer wasn’t messing around.


    “You’ll get your man, but you’ve got to guarantee his safety.”


    “I’ve never seen Mr. Thorpe give a hoot about anyone’s safety before. After all, you’d throw one


    brother under the bus just to get treatment for the other.”


    That jab hit Thorpe right where it hurt, and he swung his fist at Palmer in a sh!


    Before his fist could make contact, Noe chimed in coolly, “Lay a hand on him, and your


    brother can kiss my help goodbye.”


    Palmer’s eyes softened, a tender smile gracing his lips as they misted over with a swirl of soft blue.


    The girl finally started to show some concern for him, remarkable!


    Thorpe’s punch hung in the air, mere inches from Palmer’s face!


    He looked back and forth between Palmer and Noe, confused,


    “Isn’t the Phantom Surgeon Lunaris one of Obelisk Organization’s own? Since when did you cozy


    up with Abyssal Organization’s Vocalist? If you can leave Obelisk, why not check out Cerulean


    Whale? Whatever Abyssal’s offering you, I’ll double it. No, triple!”


    Thorpe was convinced that Noe had sided with Palmer, likely because he snagged that


    consultation order Lunaris had posted on the deep web.


    Thorpe scanned the area and saw no sign of Obelisk Organization’s crew. That meant Phantom


    Surgeon Lunaris was flying solo on this gig, with no ties to Obelisk.


    “Phantom Surgeon, joining Cerulean Whale will be the best move you’ll ever make. Name your


    price, and I’ll meet any demand! If Wise Fool of Obelisk knew his man got poached by Vocalist, I


    wonder how he’d feel. But here at Cerulean Whale, we’ve got your back for sure!”


    Palmer snorted with a sneer. “If you can’t even snag a consultation order, what makes you think you


    can outdo Abyssal?”


    Just mentioning the consultation order got Thorpe steaming!


    He wasn’t a regr in Harmonia Country, so he was clueless about a lot of stuff here. Last time he


    tried to secure the order, his inte crapped out on him!


    If it weren’t for that glitch, he wouldn’t have missed out.


    “Phantom Surgeon, name your price–I’ll pay up!”


    Noe whipped out an encrypted payment code. “Three hundred mil, upfront, for today’s consult.”


    10:23


    Thorpe gazed at the code, his mind a whirlwind of chaos.


    “Sure, the consult fee’s a given, but you haven’t filled me in on my brother’s condition yet!”


    Noe, her face masked and capped, revealing only her icy eyes, stared down Thorpe. “Register


    first, then get treated. Get it?”


    The patient in bed coughed violently, his pale face flushing red, and when the coughing fit ended,


    bright red stains of blood marked the pristine white sheets.


    He gasped for air, shed Thorpe a feeble smile. “Bro, don’t bother. My life ain’t worth the trouble.”


    Thorpe’s eyes reddened in an instant, and he scanned the payment code with his phone.


    “Cut the crap! I didn’t say you can give up yet!”


    Noe tore up the one–use payment code, lit it up, and tossed it into the bin. The specially treated


    paper turned to ash in no time, leaving no trace of its former self.


    “Brain cancer, needs surgery, but you’ll need Mirage Grass, which you should have, right? You met


    with Toxic Monarchst time; if you left empty–handed, then you’re beyond saving.”


    Thorpe’s meetup with Toxic Monarch was no secret on the deep web.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Thorpe nodded. “Yeah, I’ve got it. When’s the surgery, and what needs prepping?”


    “I need three of my folks toe prep for surgery with me.”


    Thorpe’s gut reaction was a hard no. “No way! I’ve got doctors prepped too. You work with mine. I


    don’t trust your crew.”


    Noe looked up, her gaze as cold as ice meeting Thorpe’s wary eyes. “And I don’t trust yours.”


    Thorpe clenched his teeth but stood his ground. “My guys wouldn’t hurt my brother. What if one of


    yours does something during the surgery?”


    “Then there’s no deal. If you’ve got doctors, you can find someone to operate.”


    As she spoke, Noe got up and started peeling off her disposable gloves, clearly ready to leave.


    Seeing her about to split, Thorpe’s arm muscles twitched, reaching out to her.


    Before he could touch Noe, he copped a solid punch.


    “Mr. Thorpe, I warned you. Touch Lunaris, and you’re a dead man!”


    “You…”


    Thorpe barely started to speak when he caught another fist to the face!


    Palmer rubbed his wrist, standing by Noe’s side.


    The man in the bed struggled to help Thorpe up, “Bro…”


    Books tumbled from his bedside as he moved.


    Noe bent down to pick them up–Gerastorics!


    Thorpe wiped the blood from his mouth. “I’m fine. Phantom Surgeon, please, save my brother. Your


    crew can join in, but I’m staying too. Don’t worry, I won’t get in the way.”


    Noe flipped through theics nonchntly before handing them back to the patient.


    “Even if you’re in there during the surgery, if I wanted to harm your brother, there’s nothing you


    could do to stop it.”


    Noe slid her hand into her white coat pocket and spun around to give Thorpe a cold, hard stare.


    “If I don’t save him, he’s toast. Why would I screw him over? Sabotaging your own reputation might


    be Cerulean Whale’s cup of tea, but I’m not into that kind of y.”


    Working on the borderlines required teamwork between the crews, but the Cerulean Whale gang


    hadn’t missed a chance to pull a fast one for their own gain. Dealing with their shenanigans was


    always a headache.


    Thorpe’s face turned beet red. “If you’re game to join us at Cerulean Whale, you could be riding


    shotgun as my right–hand man!”


    Palmer rested a hand on Noe’s shoulder, his icy gaze dropping like a hammer on Thorpe’s


    face.


    Trying to poach right in front of him? Thorpe seriously needed to check if he was punching above


    his weight!


    “I’ve got zero interest in Cerulean Whale. Since the patient has already fasted, we’ll start the


    operation in an hour. If my people can’t get through, the show won’t start. When to let them in, that’s


    your call.”


    Noe gave Thorpe a casual nce. “Anyway, it’s not my neck on the line. His condition is pretty


    dicey right now, so if you dilly–dally, you might as well go knock on the Grim Reaper’s door


    yourself.”


    Thorpe’s face was a picture of turmoil!


    Stepping out of the ward, Noe and Palmer made their way back to the office..


    Peeling off her mask, Noe let out a big sigh of relief.


    “What’s up? Is the surgery that tricky?”


    “I’ve seen trickier. I’m just puzzled why Thorpe’s brother is into the sameic as my granddad.”


    Thatic wasn’t exactly mainstream, and the artist wasn’t a household name.


    Ever since she got back from Imperial West Hospital, Noe had hunted down and read every


    10-24


    Marcel stumbled upon thatic by sheer fluke while he was visiting some old-timer for a game of


    chess. It caught his fancy in no time, and he even got so impatient with the slow trantions that he


    picked up Gerastor just to follow the serial.


    The old geezer who introduced Marcel to theic had been dischargedst month.


    Noe had a hunch that there were more secrets hidden in thoseic pages!