Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

Hank said, "Alright, lead the way. I don't want to waste words on anything else. Frankly, none of you are qualified to know the rest."

After that, he walked ahead with extreme arrogance.

As he passed by Andrew, he shot him a cold glance. The look was meant to tell Andrew that he would be watching him now.noveldrama

Andrew remained completely calm. After all, Hank was just a rookie who came out of Special Ops. If it were not for the fact that Hank's superiors might still have some connection with him, Andrew would not mind finding a secluded place to beat him senseless.

Later, the three arrived at Malcolm's office one after another.

Chantelle was already seated and stood up as they entered. "Mr. Lloyd, how did it go?"

Andrew smiled. "Why don't you ask Dr. Bozzelli?"

Thomas immediately answered, "All the patients are fully cleared of the parasite poison! Dr. Lloyd's medical skill is nothing short of miraculous."

Chantelle gave a warm, proud smile. Then, she looked at Andrew with clear admiration in her eyes.

Malcolm said gratefully, "Dr. Lloyd, thank you so much!"

Andrew waved his hand dismissively. "It was nothing. But this parasite poison is usually quite rare. Generally speaking, only the Patoajan regions of our country have this kind of vicious stuff. Gabo Creek Province is in our country's Gabo Creek wetlands region, very far from their territories. So, having locals get poisoned here is worth serious attention!"

Malcolm nodded. "That's exactly what I was thinking! But Governor McCormick made it clear that we only handle the medical side, and everything else is none of our business!"

Hank spoke up at this point, his tone very aggressive. "Of course, your local hospital doesn't need to handle it. It's because you couldn't handle it anyway! Once those patients are stable, I'll interrogate each one thoroughly!"

Malcolm and the others nodded cooperatively, but they all found this Special Ops officer quite irritating. These higher-level special departments were so arrogant and self-important that they made everyone uncomfortable.

However, Hank was completely oblivious to how obnoxious his show-off attitude was. His eyes swept the room and landed on Chantelle, and they immediately lit up with interest.

"You must be Ms. Chantelle Garcia, Governor McCormick's secretary, right? I'm Special Ops Agent Hank Armstrong, code name 1414. I'll need your full cooperation for the upcoming work!"

He stepped forward, reaching out eagerly for a handshake.

Chantelle frowned slightly before reluctantly shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Hank smiled. "From what I can see, these poisoned patients won't be ready for questioning until tomorrow. So, I'm free for the night. Ms. Garcia, how about dinner tonight? We can discuss work."

Chantelle looked visibly uncomfortable, but she kept her smile polite. "That won't be necessary. I've already got plans tonight."

Yet, Hank did not give up. He pressed on, still grinning. "Ah, I see! Work-related, I assume? If that's the case, I could speak to Governor McCormick and have him give you the evening off."

He said it with smug superiority, showing off his influence. It was as if getting Derek to cut her loose for a dinner date was no big deal for a Special Ops agent.

Chantelle was getting annoyed and replied directly, "I'm not busy with official duties tonight! I'm checking into a hotel with Mr. Lloyd, so that's that. Goodbye!" With that, she grabbed Andrew's arm and walked straight out.

Everyone in the room was somewhat dumbfounded. Malcolm and Thomas had not expected that Andrew had already "conquered" the highest levels of government.

This was a skill level even seasoned men like them could only envy. After all, the person he had won over was none other than Derek's chief of staff.

Chantelle had always been known in Blumedale for being difficult and cold. Even so, she was undeniably a prize catch. She was even more desirable than the daughters of the Five Apex Families because she represented the government and had Derek's backing.

To put it bluntly, winning over this ice queen was equivalent to gaining half of Derek's political stronghold.

Meanwhile, Hank stood frozen like a statue. He could not believe that he had just been rejected.

He was a Special Ops agent, a

tactical specialist with top-level clearance. Yet, he was openly turned down and informed that she was actually checking into a hotel with the punk he could not stand.

Instantly, Hank's eyes revealed a flash of murderous intent. He thought, So this Andrew guy gets all the luck, huh? Fine. I'll teach him a lesson and show him what it means to be a Special Ops agent.