Karen glanced again at Mr. Hoffen lying there and couldn't help but sigh.

Leaning his back against the car wall,

He patted the golden retriever's head a couple of times,

"Whatever."

……

The car drove into the hospital, and Mr. Hoffen was taken into the emergency room.

Paul busied himself with the paperwork,

while Karen sat on a bench by the flowerbed, holding the golden retriever.

After sitting for about half an hour, Paul came jogging over with a smile:

"Karen young master, the doctor said that although Mr. Hoffen is still unconscious, he's already out of danger."

Karen let out a long breath, feeling a bit relieved, but also a little disappointed;

That old man, he's really tough—so much blood... and he still pulled through.

"The bill has been charged to the house," Paul added.

The Immerles family runs a funeral home and has a very good relationship with the nearby hospital;

How good, you ask?

The family accountant, Aunt Winnie, even has a list of the hospital's critically ill patients on hand.

Sometimes, even while you're still being resuscitated, out in the parking lot, Uncle Mason is already there, smoking and waiting.

As long as there's profit, there will inevitably be a chain;

With this connection, handling the paperwork is naturally quick.

"Do we need someone to stay and watch over him?" Karen asked.

"Uh... we can hire a caregiver."

"Then do it."

"Mm... yes, young master, I'll arrange it."

"By the way, Paul, do you have any cigarettes?"

"I do... young master, do you want one?"

"Yeah."

Paul took out his half pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket and handed them to Karen.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, I'll go get the caregiver now."

"Mm, okay."

Karen pulled out a cigarette, bit it between his lips. At this time, smoking bans weren't strictly enforced—even in the hospital courtyard, Karen saw plenty of people with cigarettes in their mouths, and passing nurses wouldn't scold them.

He lit one and took a drag;

His brain once again sounded the alarm at the invasion of "toxins," and his body reacted with rejection—the feeling of nausea and dry heaving hit immediately;

But Karen ignored it.

He felt he was just like "smoking" itself—very foolish.

A heavy smoker forces himself to endure the discomfort and stubbornly learns a habit that continually harms his own body;

And as for himself,

He had just sent Mr. Hoffen to the hospital and watched him escape danger, yet sat here watching himself slide step by step into an unknown abyss.

He was reflecting on himself, but not very intensely;

He was also regretting, but again, not very intensely;

He thought he was stupid—yes, that feeling was extremely strong.

"Hoo..."

With the burning cigarette between his fingers,

Karen leaned back, resting against the bench.

And just then,

A shadow suddenly appeared in front of him. Karen was startled, realizing the cigarette between his fingers had been taken away.

"You... Grandpa?"

Standing before Karen was Dennis.

Dennis was still wearing the same clothes as when he went out, but Karen noticed there were obvious stains on Dennis's pant legs, and the hand holding his cigarette seemed to have black marks?

Was it mud?

Dennis threw the cigarette to the ground and asked:

"When did you learn this?"

"I..." Karen hesitated for a moment. Actually, just now, he had the urge to tell "Grandpa" the "truth," because instinctively, after connecting today's "dream," Mr. Hoffen's "questioning" of him, and other things, he sensed something unusual.

You know, Grandpa Dennis and Mr. Hoffen are old friends.

It's not that he was worried Mr. Hoffen would tell Grandpa anything after waking up, but compared to a philosophy professor who just loves "divination" or "mysticism," a grandpa who runs a funeral home and moonlights as a priest seems to be... no, should be the most mysterious one.

What Mr. Hoffen could know, would Grandpa... really be unaware?

So, is it better to confess for leniency, or resist for severity?

But looking at Grandpa's face,

Karen's "truth" circled in his throat and was swallowed back down,

He said:

"Uncle Mason taught me."

Dennis frowned slightly at this.

"Mr. Hoffen is inside, the doctor said he's out of danger," Karen reported.

Dennis nodded and asked, "Mary told me what happened. Were you scared?"

"No... um... yes, I was scared."

Karen answered a bit incoherently, but he felt it wasn't really his fault.

"I'll go check on him. Wait here."

"Okay, Grandpa."

Dennis went inside;

After about fifteen minutes, Dennis and Paul came back together. Karen stood up and followed them to the parking lot.

"When did you learn to drive?" Dennis asked Paul.

"Not long ago. After watching a lot, I just picked it up," Paul answered a bit shyly.

"Did you get your license?"

"I did," Paul replied immediately.

"Starting next month, your salary will increase by a thousand rubles each month."

"Thank you, Mr. Dennis, thank you, Mr. Dennis."