"So, do you have a personal grudge against Tom Merrick?"

"Tom Merrick or Merrick Corp, whatever it is. Because what is Tom if not for Merrick Corp, right?"

I nodded. Alright, if that's the case, then we have a common adversary. The enemy of your enemy is your friend, that's the proverb I know.

"What do you know about their treatment of my parents?"

"I don't know the details, but the way he treats his opponents is very consistent. Let me show you something."

Mr. Burrow now led me to his office, which appeared even more cluttered than the other rooms. Piles of leftover food wrappers were stacked, emitting an unpleasant odor. The scent of nicotine was heavy, casting a yellowish hue across the room. The shotgun he had earlier rested on a long table behind his desk.

Then he pulled out a file from the drawer, a thick file. He tossed the stack of files onto the table, creating a resounding thud. Then, enthusiastically, he spread out some of his own investigative findings that he had collected from newspaper clippings.

"Look at this... This... And this. The patterns are similar, aren't they? Too strange to be called coincidental."

I examined each news article carefully until I discovered the oddity pointed out by Mr. Burrow. He was right – dying due to workplace accidents when there were no witnesses, even in this day and age when there were no CCTV cameras at the scene of the incident. Drowning – again, no CCTV, despite it being a public swimming pool. Isolated accidents, were all reported by the same Officer on the Evident Breath Testing, even though the accidents occurred in different locations. And finally, suicide.

I looked at the newspaper clippings covering the deaths of my parents and several other victims. I quickly noticed the similarities between their backgrounds and those of the other victims. Somehow, the victims died when there were no family members around them.

Come on, I know it's normal for someone contemplating suicide to seek a secluded and private place. But their close ones almost unanimously denied that their loved ones were depressed to the point of ending their lives, often claiming that their spirits were high. There were even cases where they had just bought their dream car, so it's not natural that achieving their dreams would lead them to such a sudden departure.

My chest burned with anger upon learning this new fact. If it's true that Merrick also falsified the deaths of my parents, then all three of my family members died at the hands of Merrick. The flames of revenge in my heart grew even stronger.

 

"System, save all of this information."

[Done, host.]

"Find out more about my parents' deaths – who the investigating Officer was, the death reports, autopsy results, and link them to Tom Merrick's presence on that day."

[Okay.]

 

It didn't take long for several digital article records to appear on the screen. Even without me asking, the system provided me with Tom Merrick's schedule for that day and a phone conversation between him and Zhar, his assistant who also doubled as his lawyer and advisor. I listened closely to their conversation as Mr. Burrow brought me back to awareness.

 

"So, what's your opinion?"

"This is solid documentation. Why didn't you hand over your investigation results to the authorities, Sir?"

"Are you insane? That would be the same as suicide. Those cops are Merrick's troops. Aren't these data enough to open your eyes? Merrick has escaped multiple times, and no one follows up. I don't want to end up like your parents and these unlucky people."

 

I wasn't offended by Mr. Burrow's harsh words, and what he said was based in reality. With my current position and Mr. Burrow's, openly opposing Merrick would be foolish.

 

"Why me?"

"I'm old, kid. I won't die peacefully knowing that this secret dies with me. And don't forget, I know the fact that they're secretly polluting our city with waste dumped without regulations. Consider this my legacy to you. Now you have to carry on this revenge against Merrick. Having someone to share this pain isn't a bad thing either."

 

I observed Mr. Burrow as he spoke; he seemed forlorn. Judging by his age, he shouldn't appear so aged like this.

 

"What happened to you, Sir?" I pointed to his paralyzed leg.

"This," Mr. Burrow slammed down another document.

This time the document contained Mr. Burrow's medical records, with two different diagnostic results. I furrowed my brow as I read through them and looked at the headers indicating where the diagnoses were issued from.

 

One was from a hospital owned by Merrick, the other from an unfamiliar hospital located far outside the city.

 

"Can even medical professionals deceive like this? Or what? Which diagnosis is accurate?"

 

"What do you think?! Does it make sense that my condition like this is due to malnutrition? Then they just kicked me out."

 

"So, the correct one is this radiation exposure?"

 

"Of course! I fought for proper protective gear for handling chemicals to shield us from radiation, but they never granted it. They claimed budget issues while disregarding our safety. Monsters! THUD!!"

 

Mr. Burrow slammed the table, causing a commotion from the dogs that started barking, thinking there was an intruder disturbing their owner.

 

"Quiet!" Mr. Burrow's command was forceful, and once again, it silenced the two Dobermans, making them sit calmly on the office carpet.

 

Why was Mr. Burrow so furious? It seemed the reasons he gave were only surface-level. He wouldn't be this irritated if it was only about his paralysis. There's a larger issue he's harboring, and I was considering whether I should ask about it now or not.

 

"They killed Marie, my Marie... Because she fought for justice on my behalf. When Marie threatened to expose their corruption to the media, that's when Marie never came back. Three days later, the police came to inform me that Marie was found dead, having allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the Thenes River bridge. They spun a tale that Marie did it because she couldn't handle taking care of me, her newly paralyzed husband, and our suddenly collapsed finances. How cruel of them to accuse my Marie of being weak, when I know the story behind it!"

 

Mr. Burrow buried his face in his hands and started sobbing. His two Dobermans howled sympathetically and rested their heads on his lap. I couldn't help but be moved by the sight.

 

"I'm truly sorry, Mr. Burrow."

 

A few moments later, once his emotions had settled, Mr. Burrow retrieved another document from his drawer – a pink folder.

 

"One more thing about your family, kid. This is my final legacy for you." Mr. Burrow tossed the folder in my direction, and on it was written my sister's name – Helen Harrington.

 

I quickly opened the folder and found a doctor's diagnosis from two days before the tragic event at prom. My sister was reported to be two months pregnant, with a pregnancy of four weeks. The autopsy report of the fetus in Helen's womb indicated that the DNA of the fetus matched both hers and Bash Merrick's.

 

I clenched my fists and screamed at the top of my lungs. They were truly heartless and monstrous!