Chapter 852
Arius rolled his eyes. “Don’t be rude. I’m older than you,” he snapped.
Sophie calmly retorted, “It’s important to show respect to those who are more skilled than you. Since I am better at fighting, you should respect me.”
Tristan had been silent all the while, but when he heard Sophie’s words, he gave an approving nod.
“Don’t worry. I won’t allow others to bully you as well,” he told Arius.
Arius couldn’t find any words to retort them as they had ganged up against him. This is too much!
“Ugh, get out of my sight. I don’t know who you are,” he said unhappily.
Arius couldn’t bear to watch their public display of affection any longer, so he bolted past them. However, he quickly realized he had no clue where to go. He was forced to stop in front of the hotel. In the end, he still had to stay back to help out.
As that realization occurred to Arius, he let out a sigh.
Whenever such an occasion arose, he would feel the urge to find a girlfriend so they would stop bullying him.
Arius couldn’t help feeling lonely and helpless in his single state, especially when he found himself in arguments with others and had no one to back him up.
Tristan came out of the hotel with his arm around Sophie. He broke into a grin when he saw Arius waiting for them outside.
“I thought you left to be alone. Why are you still here?”
Arius took another deep breath, reminding himself not to get angry. It wasn’t the time for him to be willful.
“Tristan, let’s fight when we get back!” he suggested, determined to fight with Tristan to regain his pride.
“I’m game. You can choose the time and location,” Tristan readily agreed. He saw no reason to decline the offer, considering it was Arius who had challenged him to a fight in the first place.
Sophie couldn’t help but express her concern, “Arius, please don’t do something foolish.” She wondered what could have caused him to suggest a fight.
Arius merely snorted in response and refused to look at her.
“Sophie, I treated you well, didn’t I? Is this how you repay me? Won’t you feel bad?” he demanded.
“I feel nothing. Besides, did I do anything to hurt you?” Sophie asked, blinking innocently.
After getting into the car, Arius shut his eyes, refusing to talk to them.
Realizing that he wouldn’t be able to win the argument, he decided not to embarrass himself any further.
“Tristan, stop bullying Arius. Look, he’s mad,” Sophie said with a mischievous smile.
She could be cheeky at times.
Tristan shrugged innocently. “Did I bully him? I don’t think I did anything.”
Meanwhile, Barney was led by Jamie to the dining room in the president’s private mansion, where Marcus was already waiting for him.
Upon seeing Barney, Marcus stood up with a welcoming smile.
“Dr. Smith, I want to express my gratitude for your hard work. I’m aware that you must be exhausted after working tirelessly for a while, and I’ll treat you and your team to a meal soon. I requested to see you alone as there’s something I need to discuss with you,” Marcus said cordially.
Barney greeted Marcus with a polite handshake. Though he knew the reason behind the president’s invitation, he decided to feign nonchalance and didn’t mention anything about it.
Marcus pulled a chair out and urged Barney to take a seat.
The kitchen had already prepared the food, so Jamie gave orders for them to serve dinner. They would be having steak tonight.
Barney’s heart sank as he sliced his steak into small pieces. He desperately hoped that Sophie and Arius had followed his advice to leave the country.
Marcus’ mansion was heavily guarded, so he knew he wouldn’t be able to leave that day.
“Dr. Smith, please enjoy the steak. The chef I hired knows his way around the kitchen,” Marcus said cheerfully.
Barney merely bobbed his head and remained silent.
Jamie poured two glasses of red wine for them.
“Dr. Smith, you are our country’s hope. Here’s a toast to you!” Marcus raised his wineglass in a toast.
Barney had no choice but to clink glasses with him before taking a sip of the wine.
Marcus finally revealed his motive for inviting Barney over. “Dr. Smith, I understand that you intend to return to Chanaea, but the situation in Anglandur is currently precarious. I hope you can reconsider staying here. I’m willing to agree to any terms you propose as long as you’re willing to stay.”
He added sincerely, “I really need your assistance. Trust me. I can agree to anything as long as you’re willing to stay.”
Barney furrowed his brows.
I knew it.
“Mr. President, I returned previously to find a solution to the virus. Now that we’ve succeeded in getting rid of the virus, I hope you can understand that I cannot involve myself in other matters,” Barney said honestly. He was just a doctor and not a politician, so it didn’t matter to him who would be the president.
Marcus had anticipated Barney’s response, yet his demeanor turned cold, nonetheless. “Dr. Smith, do not be too quick to turn me down. Why don’t you give my proposal some thought?” he suggested.
Barney stood firm in his decision. “Mr. President, if this is the sole reason for your invitation today, I must apologize. I cannot agree,” he said resolutely.
He would never give in to Marcus’ demands, especially when the latter wanted Sophie and Arius to stay.
Arius had been longing to go back to Chanaea, and Sophie had never been interested in joining the International Medical Association, so Barney wouldn’t consider sacrificing them for his own benefit.
Jamie attempted to intimidate Barney by stating, “Dr. Smith, the president has humbled himself to implore your assistance. Even if you don’t think about yourself, you should consider your mentees.
They are still young. If something happens to them, can you live with the guilt?”
He refused to consider their suggestion when they were being nice, leaving them with no choice but to resort to unethical methods.
“Was that a threat?” Barney rose from his chair abruptly. “Didn’t we come to an agreement previously? You begged for my help, so I came back without hesitation. How could you do this to me? How can you ask me to betray their trust now? This is not right.”
Barney felt a mixture of anger and disappointment toward the Anglandurn politicians, who seemed to prioritize their own gains over everything else, including loyalty.
Marcus snorted icily. “Things are different now. If you refuse to cooperate, I’m afraid I’ll have to resort to unscrupulous means.”
Barney’s impatience boiled over as he declared, “So, you plan to lock me up again, right? Well, I’ve already told Arius and Sophie to leave, so go ahead and imprison me again for as long as you like. Let’s see how long it takes before you give up!”
“What did you say? They have already left?” Marcus’ expression changed.
