"Doc, how is she?" I asked anxiously as the doctor stepped out of Chian's room.
"She's fine; she just lost consciousness due to stress. She just got out of the hospital, right?" he replied, and I nodded in agreement.
"She needs to rest, so for now, I'll head out to check on my other patients. Have a great day!" he said with a warm smile before leaving.
As soon as I stepped into Chian's room, I immediately noticed how pale she looked. The stress must have really taken a toll on her. I quickly dialed Joy's number, asking her to keep an eye on Chian. I needed to retrieve the microchip soon.
A few minutes later, I received a text from Joy saying she was on her way.
Just then, the door opened, revealing Joy carrying a bowl of fruits. She looked sullen, and I could see she was on a phone call.
"It’s not like that’s allowed! Why are you being so persistent? Even if you ask me out, I won’t respond; goodbye!" she snapped before closing the door.
She shot me a frustrated look and rolled her eyes.
"Why are you eavesdropping on someone else's conversation? What happened to Bessy? She looks really pale," she asked with a frown.
"She's fine; she just needs some rest. Please keep an eye on her, and call me as soon as she wakes up or if anything happens, okay?" I reminded her as I stepped back out of the room.
I quickly headed to find the doctor who attended to Chian’s aunt earlier, but the nurses informed me that he had already left for the day since his shift was over.
*Kringgggg kringgggg*
I answered the call immediately, even though I didn’t see the caller ID.
"Mr. Valorous, I... I think... we're late," a baritone voice said.
"Why? What happened, Saru?" I asked, recognizing his voice. He was my secret assassin.
"The doctor has taken his last breath," I felt a wave of disbelief wash over me. What about the microchip?! This is utter nonsense!
"W-What?! How? Where are you?" I asked in frustration while starting my car.
"Halfway down the road before my street," he replied coldly.
I ended the call, driving quickly down the street. I should have known! That Eco'Casa was more than just a repository; it was a trap designed to eliminate threats.
I couldn't underestimate them any longer. Now I needed to inform everyone in Norovloux and Derovloux about the situation.
When I arrived at the street, I didn’t bother parking—exiting the car swiftly to see what was going on. But suddenly, someone blocked my way.
"Sir, you can't be here. We need to conduct a thorough investigation. Please move back, and if you know him, contact his family. Just that, thank you," the police officer said.
"Do you know who I am?" I smirked, glaring at him.
"Why? Who are you? Are you a relative?" he asked, looking perplexed.
Sh*t! They really don’t know me? This is beyond irritating.
"Mr. Valorous, what are you doing here?" one of his colleagues greeted me.
"Bro, do you know him?" the rookie officer asked again.
"Of course, take him in. Give him gloves and cover shoes," he said with a smile, but I could tell from his wink that it was Saru.
I was quick to step into Doc's house. It was neat and tidy, with no signs of a struggle or a violent attack. He lay sprawled on the sofa, blood pooling on the floor, his only remaining wounds were some scattered bandages.
I noticed that the police had closed the door behind me, but I ignored it; they might be curious. I moved closer to Doc.
Did he just blink?
W-What? Yes—he blinked! I couldn’t be imagining this, so I stared harder. Something was off.
I felt a different aura among the police… No, I couldn’t be mistaken—some of them were wielding batons. To an ordinary eye, this would seem normal, but not under these circumstances. I straightened my posture and prepared myself.
I suddenly closed my eyes, not realizing a baton had struck my leg from behind.
"S-Sh*t!"
I brushed off the pain and quickly drew my gun, firing at the idiot who had hit me.
But—why was it him? Why was it Saru?
"You traitor!" I gasped as I felt the sting of his blow.
"Weren't you the one who wanted to come inside?" the police officer from earlier remarked, flashing a mocking smile.
As I staggered backward, I found myself pressed against the wall, with all of them encircling me. I scrutinized them one by one; they looked like a formidable group, but I could potentially take them on— if only they weren’t twelve. Did Doc collaborate with them? Was this a trap?
"What are you here for, anyway? Are you after the microchip?" the one sitting near the doctor sneered.
"And you? Is wearing a cop uniform part of your Halloween costume? You guys are too early; it’s still July. Well, I guess you don’t look half as good as you think—more like corpses," I retorted, smirking as I caught a hint of their stupidity.
"Hey! Watch it, wise guy. You’re not leaving here alive," one of them spat, pointing a gun at me.
"Is that all you've got?" I shot back, mocking him.
"Go on, take your shot," I challenged him.
"Not me," Saru interrupted.
He stepped toward his comrades, aiming a gun at me while preparing to pull the trigger.
"Just fire it already, Saru. We need to start looking for the microchip. If not, we'll be in deep trouble with Master Kai," another lackey chimed in.
Saru's gaze sharpened as he spoke again.
"Préparez-vous Monsieur Venn," that was our code in times like this.
I shut my eyes tightly upon hearing a gunfire, but pandemonium broke out around us. Saru tossed me a gun, and I immediately fired at our adversaries.
"Well done, Saru! You truly are a traitor! I thought you were with us!" hollered one of the henchmen.
"I'm not; you just misread my intentions, and now you’re losing," Saru boasted as he approached me.
Now we had our backs to each other, the remaining seven enemies still surrounding us.
Suddenly, the door burst open as someone kicked it in.
"Who said you could rush in here alone?! Why didn't you wait for me, Venn?" Rhaj exclaimed, raising an eyebrow.
"You’re supposed to be in the hospital!" I shouted in anger.
"Hey! You fools in police uniforms! Where are you from? Space police? Zaido is over; get lost!" Rhaj yelled, prompting laughter from himself and Joy.
Is Chian alright? Why is she joking now? HAHHAHA that girl will never change, I wonder where she inherited her silliness.
"Guard! There’s a crazy person here!" Joy chimed in, and more laughter ensued.
"Hey! Who are you loud-mouth girls? You’re putting on a brave front, but you haven’t fought for anything!" one of the goons near the doctor sneered.
Just then, the black suits from Norovloux arrived, immediately shielding us.
One of them guided Saru and me on our escape, and they took care of the henchmen. Meanwhile, Doc was rushed to our private hospital for an examination—and, of course, for his wake.
"Don’t kill him; we’ll need him to find out where the apes are hiding, and they better not challenge me. I’m Rhajie Chian Tonacci-Valorous."
I simply smiled at the turn of events; Chian had returned. The woman I loved was back, and corny as it sounds, once you fall in love, there’s no going back. 
Now, with Chian around, things felt incredibly right, and it was time to plan our next moves together.