Chapter 2: Chapter 2. Miss Ann
After the AeroLux zoomed past him, Alex turned around and continued his journey to the EverVital Pharmaceuticals company, a deep smile etched on his face.
As he walked, he soon came across a large billboard displaying the name of the company.
On the billboard, an old man with grey hair was depicted on the right, while on the left, a picture of a young man who bore a striking resemblance to the old man caught his attention. The caption below read, "Unlock the Fountain of Youth – Embrace Timeless Vitality!"
Alex passed by the billboard and pressed on towards the towering building that stood before him – the EverVital Pharmaceuticals company.
The structure, spanning fifty or more stories, commanded a sense of grandeur.
As he approached the building, Alex noticed the same AeroLux that had sped past him earlier parked right in front of EverVital Pharmaceuticals.
Intrigued, he couldn't help but marvel at the car's opulence. "What a luxury," he exclaimed, drawing closer to the AeroLux. "I wonder who the owner of this car could be – a member of a powerful family or a highly successful individual, perhaps."
However, his attention was abruptly diverted by the sound of numerous footsteps emerging from the company building.
Turning his gaze away from the car, he saw a young lady, elegantly attired and exuding an air of affluence.
Although it was difficult to gauge her age due to the prevalence of the youthful elixir, she appeared to be around twenty years old, with long silver hair cascading down her back.
Her vibrant blue eyes and heart-shaped lips, coated in a bold shade of red, accentuated her beauty.
Despite her anger-filled expression, Alex couldn't quite place where he had seen her before.
The young lady wore heavy, yet radiant, makeup that enhanced her features.
Walking behind her were two burly bodyguards, a precautionary measure even in a time of reduced crime rates.
The presence of such guards indicated that, despite the peace treaty, those belonging to powerful families still felt the need for protection.
Trailing behind the lady and her bodyguards were a man and a woman dressed in white lab coats, suggesting they were employees of EverVital Pharmaceuticals.
Frantically, they called out to the silver-haired lady, addressing her as "Miss Ann," but she paid them no heed as she stormed towards the waiting AeroLux.
"Miss Ann, wait! Let us explain!" they pleaded, their voices filled with desperation.
Ignoring their pleas, the lady entered the AeroLux with her bodyguards, and the car swiftly departed once again.
"This is not good," the man said to the woman beside him after the AeroLux disappeared into the distance.
"I agree, we can't afford to have any conflict with the Blackthorns now. This could have serious implications for our research, especially during such a critical phase," the woman replied, her voice heavy with concern.
"We must report this to our superiors. They will handle the situation accordingly," the man suggested, and the woman nodded in agreement.
Together, they turned and made their way back into the EverVital Pharmaceuticals building.
As the two walked back into the EverVital Pharmaceuticals company building, Alex, who had overheard their conversation, began to ponder. "Wait, they called her Miss Ann earlier, and they are talking about having a conflict with the Blackthorns," he muttered.
He started connecting the dots and after a while, he exclaimed, "That lady must be Anna Blackthorns! No wonder I felt she looked familiar." He muttered to himself, "So she is Anna Blackthorns, the famous actress. I wonder what made her angry and what they were talking about in terms of issues with the Blackthorns."
The Blackthorns were one of the world's powerhouse families, second only to the influential Li family. The other two powerhouse families were the Osei family and the Romanov family.
The Li family owned EverVital Pharmaceuticals, renowned for producing the world-famous youthful elixir, while the Blackthorns owned Aerotech, the company behind AeroLux.
Alex pondered over the matter for a while but eventually gave up.
The conflict between the Li family and the Blackthorns was not his concern at the moment.
He turned and began walking towards the entrance of the EverVital Pharmaceuticals building.
As he approached, a burly security guard dressed in a black suit blocked his way. "Erm, what are you doing? Move out of my way," Alex said.
"Sorry, old man, we are closed for today," the security guard replied in an annoying tone.
"What?! Closed for today? What do you mean by that?" Alex asked, growing angry.
"I mean we are closed for today. Come back tomorrow, old man. We are closed for today," the security guard replied, his voice still annoying.
"But I saw Miss Ann walk out just now," Alex insisted.
"Which part of 'we are closed today' didn't you understand? I said we are closed today. Come back tomorrow, old man," the guard said, this time with anger.
"Well, this is the point where I beat the shit out of someone," Alex muttered to himself. "Damn this old body. If I were still younger, this is the point where I would beat the shit out of someone."
"Okay," Alex nodded after realizing that the security guard wouldn't allow him. He then asked, "Could you at least tell me why you are closing this early?"
"Not your business," the security guard replied angrily. "Now leave at once, or do you need any help with that, old man?" the guard added rudely.
"Okay," Alex replied with a heavy sigh, turning away from the EverVital Pharmaceuticals company building.
He walked for about an hour until he reached a rundown street.
The buildings were in disrepair, with cracks lining their walls.
This neglected area was plagued by hunger and poverty, evident in the malnourished children scattered about.
This was the only street Alex could afford at the moment.
He navigated through the area until he arrived at a dark alleyway.
The stench of decay emanated from the piles of trash strewn across the ground. Alex covered his nose as he entered the alleyway.
For the past three days, he had been living on the streets, having sold his previous house.
After passing the trash, he walked until he reached a metal door tucked away in the corner.
Retrieving a key, he unlocked the door and stepped into a dark room. Closing the door behind him, he fumbled along the wall, searching for the light switch. Eventually, he found it and the room was bathed in a dim yellow glow.
The small, square room measured about seven meters wide.
In one corner, a door led to a tiny toilet. Across from it, a makeshift bed lay on the floor, covered in Alex's dirty clothes.
In another corner, a swing chair and a round table were cluttered with crumpled papers, pizza boxes, and empty cans of food. The air in the room was stale and suffocating.
Ignoring the mess, Alex stripped down to his underwear and collapsed onto the bed, causing a gentle thud.
Exhausted, he fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. It had been a long day, and his 73-year-old body could no longer bear the strain.
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