Title: My First Trading Partner is An Awaken
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Ryan directed one of his colleagues to conduct a background check on Henry, leaving no stone unturned as a protocol. Although Manager Felix, vouve for the young man, he still didn't relax a bit.
He is an investigator, "Thus, I needed to take this job seriously especially now that this has become known to the whole city."
Once the formalities were out of the way, Ryan turned his attention back to Henry, his gaze probing yet empathetic. "So, Henry, tell me what happened," he requested, his tone gentle yet firm.
Henry took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before launching into his narrative.
"It all happened so suddenly," he began, his voice tinged with a mixture of disbelief and apprehension. "I had just finished my transaction with Manager Felix when the commotion started."
Ryan listened intently as Henry recounted the events of that fateful day, his eyes focused on the young man seated before him.
"You hid?" Ryan interjected, a note of curiosity in his voice. "And then what happened?"
Henry nodded, his brow furrowing in concentration as he recalled the sequence of events.
"Yes, I knew I had to find cover, so I made my way to the comfort room," he explained, his voice steady despite the tension of the situation.
"From there, I watched as the robbers rounded up the others in the receiving hall."
Ryan nodded, absorbing Henry's account with a thoughtful expression. "And what did you see next?" he prompted, eager to piece together the puzzle of the robbery.
Henry took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing.
"I witnessed them forcing Felix to open the vault and filling their bags with cash," he recalled, his voice tinged with a mixture of dread and determination. "There were at least eight bags, if not more."
"I see," Ryan responded, nodding thoughtfully as he processed Henry's account. "We had confirmed that with the manager. We also saw the blueprints, which revealed the labyrinth on the bank's ground floor – a detail even the manager wasn't aware of."
"Yeah, I followed them, and I was stunned when I discovered a covered hole in one of the offices leading to the sewage system," he explained, his voice filled with a mix of astonishment.
As Ryan listened, he pieced together the unfolding events, his mind racing to comprehend the intricacies of the robbers' plan.
"So, there were two robbers overseeing the hostages while the others were moving the money to the hole," he summarized, seeking clarification.
Henry nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. And then one of the robbers would return to check the situation in the hall, while the remaining three made their way to the sewage below," he elaborated, his words painting a vivid picture of the coordinated operation.
Ryan's brow furrowed in curiosity as he sought to understand Henry's actions.
"So, you made your way to the sewage system," he stated, more as a statement than a question, his gaze fixed on Henry. "Didn't even think of your safety?"
"Yes," Henry confirmed, his voice steady with resolve. "Well, I thought I can manage."
"I saw their bags and realized they couldn't move them quickly. That's when I seized the opportunity to overpower them during their final return."
Ryan's curiosity was piqued by the lengthy delay in Henry's return to the bank. "But it took you two hours to come back," he observed, his tone laced with intrigue.
Henry nodded, acknowledging the challenge he had faced, smirking from embarrassment.
"The sewage is like a labyrinth – I was completely lost. I should have made them unconscious after I found my way back," he admitted, his expression earnest.
Ryan's lips quivered into a smirk at Henry's resourcefulness, "You really overpowered them."
"Yeah, it was easy as they were too tired with the bags of money in their hands. It also took my time to go back when I was recovering the bags of money." Henry explains.
"So you had overpowered them, and then what?" Ryan asked.
"I tried to find my way back to the DSH Bank. I needed to since I don't want to be suspected as one of them." Henry said. "And as I said, I was lost. But I left markings on the wall to guide me back."
"What markings?" he inquired, amused by the clever tactic.
Henry's smile widened. "I marked it with: 'Henry was here'," he revealed, a hint of mischief in his tone.
Ryan chuckled, impressed by Henry's ingenuity.
"Well played, Henry," he praised, a note of admiration in his voice. "You've done well. We were planning to check the sewage, and your markings will certainly come in handy."
Henry nodded gratefully, a sense of satisfaction washing over him. "I left about five marks – one for each time I got lost," he confessed, embarrassed with it.
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The white walls of the hospital room seemed to close in on the robbers as they slowly regained consciousness, their heads throbbing with pain and confusion.
With a start, they realized that they were handcuffed to their beds, their movements restricted and their freedom stripped away.
Panic surged through them as the memories of their encounter with Henry flooded back, sending a chill down their spines.
"We need to get out of here! He's coming for us!" one of the robbers cried out, his voice laced with fear.
The other robbers echoed his sentiments, their shouts growing increasingly frantic as they struggled against their restraints.
"He's not human! He's a devil!" another one exclaimed, his voice trembling with terror.
Their cries caught the attention of the hospital staff, who rushed into the room, their expressions a mix of concern and bewilderment.
"What's going on here?" a nurse demanded, her brow furrowed in confusion.
But the robbers were beyond reason, you can see the fear and desperation in their eyes as they pleaded.
"You don't understand! He's going to kill us!" one of them pleaded, his eyes wide with terror.
The nurse exchanged a worried glance with her colleagues before turning back to the robbers, her voice calm but authoritative.
"You need to calm down," she said firmly. "We're here to help you."
But the robbers refused to listen, their shouts growing louder and more frantic with each passing moment. "We can't stay here! We need to escape before he finds us!" they cried, their voices filled with desperation.
As the commotion escalated, the police on standby was called to intervene, their presence only serving to exacerbate the robbers' fear.
"He's coming for us! We need to get away!" they screamed, their words echoing off the walls of the hospital room.
But no matter how much they struggled and pleaded, there was no escaping. Trapped in their hospital beds, handcuffed and surrounded by security, they knew they were doomed but it is better than to face the man who nearly killed them in the sewage.
The investigator listened intently to the robbers' harrowing account, his brow furrowed in concern as he processed the gravity of their ordeal.
"I understand this must have been a traumatic experience for you," he said.
"But we need to know everything that happened. Can you tell me more about how Henry approached you?"
The robbers exchanged uneasy glances, still shaken by the memory of their encounter with Henry.
"He came out of nowhere," one of them recounted, his voice trembling. "We thought we were in the clear, but then he appeared and started chasing us down."
The investigator nodded, his expression somber as he absorbed their words.
"And what exactly did he do to you in the sewage?" he inquired gently, aware of the delicate nature of the situation.
"He... he didn't hold back," another robber admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "He forced us into the filthy water and... and then he started breaking our legs and arm."
A shiver ran down the investigator's spine as he listened to the robbers' gruesome account. He knew that Henry's actions had likely been fueled by a desperate desire to thwart the robbery and protect him from his innocence, but the brutality of his methods was still difficult to comprehend.
"We're going to need detailed statements from each of you," the investigator said, his tone firm but compassionate. "Every piece of information you can provide will be crucial in building our case against the remaining perpetrators."
The robbers modded, their expressions filled with a mixture of fear and resignation. They knew that they had no choice but to cooperate with the authorities if they wanted to mitigate the consequences of their crimes.
The investigators showed the photos of each of the people in the isolation area and the three robbers pointed to their colleagues on separate occasions.
As the investigator left the hospital room to confer with his colleagues, the robbers were left alone with their thoughts, grappling with the weight of their decisions and the uncertain future that lay ahead.
Despite the fear and uncertainty that plagued them, they were determined to do whatever it took to make amends for their actions and bring closure to the case.
"So, this Henry Ramirez is the one who single-handedly dragged these three, along with the bags of money?" One of the investigators inquired, his brow furrowed in disbelief at the sheer audacity of Henry's actions.
"Yes, it appears so. It's quite remarkable, isn't it? And to think there are actually markings of his name on those sewage walls. We also found his phone, which was rendered unserviceable. Everything seems to align with his story," his partner affirmed, nodding in agreement.
"But aren't you curious about how he managed it? Look at those guys, they're not exactly lightweight," the investigator pressed, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"The sewage water definitely played a role," the other investigator explained, recalling his own experience inspecting the sewage system. "It provides buoyancy and reduces friction, making it easier to move heavy objects."
"And yet, despite the circumstances, he wasn't even tempted to take any money for himself," the investigator mused, impressed by Henry's integrity.
"Yeah, I heard he's a VIP at the bank," the investigator added, acknowledging Henry's esteemed status within the institution.
"One thing's for sure, though – that man is strong. Even with the assistance of the sewage water, it would take me ages to haul those three robbers through that labyrinth," the investigator concluded, shaking his head in awe at Henry's incredible feat of strength.
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As the minutes ticked by agonizingly slow, Anthony, Melvin, and Jerome exchanged glances, their hearts pounding with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.
They had meticulously planned every detail of the heist, from the timing of their entry to the route of their escape. But now, faced with the unexpected twist of fate, they found themselves teetering on the edge of disaster.
Suddenly, the door to the holding area swung open with a resounding thud, and a flood of uniformed officers poured into the room. Anthony's heart leaped into his throat as he realized they had been discovered, their carefully crafted facade crumbling before their eyes.
Melvin's palms grew clammy as the officers approached, their expressions stern and unwavering. He glanced at Jerome, their leader, who remained composed despite the gravity of the situation.
Jerome's voice trembled with disbelief as the handcuffs clicked around his wrists, binding him to his fate.
"How did you know?" he demanded, his eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and confusion.
Anthony and Melvin, their faces etched with incredulity, echoed Jerome's question, their minds struggling to comprehend the sudden turn of events.
The police officer responsible for their arrest maintained a calm demeanor, unfazed by their inquiries.
"Your accomplices pointed you out," he explained, his tone matter-of-fact as he delivered the damning revelation.
Jerome's brow furrowed in disbelief, his mind racing to make sense of the betrayal that had torn their carefully laid plans asunder.
"Impossible! But they were supposed to be long gone now," he protested, his voice tinged with bitterness.
The officer nodded solemnly, acknowledging the irony of their situation.
"Indeed, they were," he conceded, his gaze unwavering as he addressed the trio. "But sometimes, even the best-laid plans can be derailed by unforeseen circumstances."
Jerome's fists clenched at his sides, his frustration boiling over as he struggled to reconcile the cruel twist of fate that had led to their downfall.
"How could this happen?" he demanded, his voice tinged with confusion.
The officer sighed, a note of sympathy softening his expression.
"They claim to have encountered an obstacle they couldn't overcome," he explained, his words laced with a hint of skepticism.
"They spoke of a figure they referred to as 'the devil,' who allegedly thwarted their escape."
Jerome's eyes widened in disbelief, a surge of anger coursing through him as he struggled to make sense of the bizarre turn of events. "The devil?" he repeated incredulously, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"What kind of devil would involve himself in robbery?"
The officer nodded, his expression grave. "That's what they claimed," he confirmed, his tone betraying a hint of skepticism.
"But regardless of their story, the fact remains—their betrayal has led to your apprehension. I had heard their plea to be arrested rather than face the devil they talk about."
Jerome's jaw tightened, his fists trembling with suppressed rage as he grappled with the bitter sting of betrayal.
"Damn them," he muttered through gritted teeth, his voice thick with anger.
"Yep. Your plan is ingenious and I do admit that without that devil they had talked about, the six of you might have succeeded with the robbery, and we might have the biggest bank heist in the country this year." The police officer said.
As the officers moved them, Anthony couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. They had thought they were invincible, untouchable in their pursuit of wealth and power. But now, faced with the consequences of their actions, he realized the true cost of their greed.
Melvin hung his head in shame as he was led away by the officers, his dreams of fortune and glory shattered in an instant. Beside him, Jerome remained stoic, his gaze fixed on the horizon as he braced himself for the uncertain road that lay ahead.
And as they were escorted from the holding area, their fate sealed by the handcuffs. Anthony, Melvin, and Jerome knew that they had paid the ultimate price for their crimes—a price that no amount of stolen wealth could ever hope to repay, Freedom.