Chapter 47 The Accident

Clara's smile was radiant, causing Matthew, seated across from her, to squint slightly.

Just as he had settled in, his heart began to race uncontrollably once more.

Matthew crossed his legs and leaned back casually against the soft seat, his expression lazy yet with a hint of aloofness.

"Why should I get your attention?" he remarked, though he couldn't shake a strange sense of unease.

Clara glanced at him, her smile fading as she looked out the window. She casually reached behind her, pulling out a gas mask and tossing it into Matthew's lap. "We're here."

Outside the car window, crumbling walls and exposed rusted steel greeted them everywhere they looked.

Despite all four of them donning gas masks, the strong stench of sewage still managed to penetrate through.

"What about the testing kits?" Clara asked, glancing back.

David immediately handed over the box he was carrying.

She entered the code and opened it, revealing four devices resembling electronic thermometers.

"Each of you scatter and check nearby water sources for quality. Record the data. We'll regroup and compile in half an hour."

Clara instructed, distributing the instruments and notebooks to the others before heading off herself.

Despite the dilapidated surroundings, the path ahead was mercifully clear.

Matthew watched Clara's figure ahead and decisively followed.

David and Christian exchanged glances before heading in opposite directions.

"Why are you following me?"

Clara furrowed her brow slightly. The gas masks muffled their voices, making them barely audible unless they were close.

"I just want to watch out for you."

Matthew's tone was earnest, leaving Clara somewhat exasperated.

They continued walking side by side.

After collecting data in the vicinity, they soon arrived near Sharon's chemical plant.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The instrument blared a strong warning, indicating that the sewage levels in the nearby water source had reached critical levels.

Clara glanced at the blinking red lights on the screen of the device in her hand, instinctively looking toward Matthew beside her.

"Looks like this is where the issue lies."

Any area reaching critical levels was inevitably a major infiltration zone.

Clara took out a marker she had brought along, marking the spot with lime powder before leading Matthew back the way they came.

David and Christian returned from their respective routes with their data recorded.

Clara checked the readings, ensuring the air was not contaminated before speaking calmly, "You can take off your masks now."

Wearing the gas masks was just a precaution.

As they removed their masks, a foul odor, reminiscent of a sewer, wafted towards them on the breeze.

Christian nearly gagged, regretting his breakfast choice.

"Why is this smell so pungent?" David couldn't help but comment.

Clara kept her composure as she reviewed the records in her hand, seemingly unaffected by the smell. "With the data recorded, it looks like Nathan will have the pleasure of enjoying a few blissful years behind bars."

Such a level of contamination wasn't a recent occurrence.

It was clearly due to prolonged discharge.

Matthew looked grim, unsure if it was due to the test results or the faint smell in the air.

Clara, who knew him well, understood that he was about to explode.

"I'll take you back to the east side of the village first," Matthew said, noticing Clara's slightly bent knee and lifting her up in his arms.

Clara felt the pain in her knee and didn't resist this time. "So, are you going back to deal with Nathan?"

"I'll give you a heads-up first. Once this matter comes out, every factory under the Garcia family name will need rechecking. If there are more than two contaminated sites, as the CEO, your days won't be easy."

Discovering contamination in more than two sites meant every factory would need a thorough review, top to bottom.

"I understand. None of the factories under my name would do such a thing," Matthew said confidently, and indeed, he had every reason to be confident.

Clara didn't say anything more, sitting in the car and swiftly arranging data on her computer to send to Parker.

Soon, the car came to a halt.

The noise from outside made Clara frown.

She looked out the car window and saw Julia and two others surrounded by villagers who looked menacing, making the trio appear quite disheveled.

"David."

Matthew frowned and gestured.

David was the first to get out to mediate, not forgetting to take out the electric wheelchair from the trunk.

"Did you bring a wheelchair?"

Clara's surprised expression made a hint of pride rise on Matthew's lips. "I said I would take care of you, and I will."

Clara felt a ripple of emotion for Matthew's meticulousness, but she quickly suppressed it.

Seeing the situation, Matthew wasn't in a hurry to leave. Instead, he had David make a call, letting other trusted guys deal with Nathan first.

"What's going on?"

Clara maneuvered the wheelchair to the center of the crowd, her gaze sweeping over the indignant villagers, wondering what trouble the three had caused.

Sophia, who had gone pale, shouted when she saw Clara, "It's her. She's our team leader. You can talk to her about anything. We all just follow her orders."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Clara knew that the blame was being placed on her.

"So you're the team leader. Look at what your member have done to my child, such a large bruise on the arm. Are you really students from the Medical University?"

The leading elder carefully brought the child forward from behind.

The child's face was a bit flushed, with traces of tears still on it, and the joint of the right arm was obviously bruised due to improper blood drawing.

Clara's brows furrowed deeply as she looked at the three people across from her, who looked guilty.

"Who drew the blood?"

Julia's eyes flickered with anxiety.

Seeing that Tristan had no intention of speaking up for her, she was contemplating her next move when the little boy's mother yanked her out by her hair.

"This shameless woman! How disgraceful for a doctor to have her hair down and her buttons undone. Our village is suffering from severe pollution, and you're still trying to seduce men."

"If you weren't busy flirting with that man, my son's arm wouldn't be in this state."

The woman pointed accusingly at Tristan.

Tristan's face paled, and he quickly denied it. "I didn't do anything. Julia was the one who kept trying to talk to me. How could I have known this would happen..."

His voice trailed off, growing softer and softer.

Julia looked at Tristan in disbelief, furious that he was distancing himself from the situation.

She wanted nothing more than to slap him, but with her hair being pulled and her dignity in shreds, she was in no position to make any grand gestures.

"Ma'am, please let go of her. We can discuss this calmly. I see your child has a fever. Let's take his temperature first and not delay his treatment."

Clara really didn't want to berate them for their incompetence. They couldn't even manage a basic physical examination.

And she found it hard to understand why Hunter had chosen them in the first place.

A mother's love for her child was undeniable.

Hearing Clara's words, the woman released Julia's hair, eyeing Clara with suspicion. "Are you sure you can handle it?"

Clara smiled politely and took the thermometer from Matthew. "Please trust me."