Eric walked into James' hospital room, he wore a puzzled expression. He wasn't quite sure why he was here or what to say to James, but he was here anyway.
Running a company was something he had never done before, and he felt a bit out of place.
His life had been tough. Unlike James, who came from a wealthy family. Eric came from a lower class family and not much is known about them.
But the chance James gave him was like a lifetime opportunity. It was a way to make his family's life better no matter how little the opportunity would be, he will forever be grateful to James.
He used to live in a tiny apartment with his wife, Mary, and their only daughter, Claire. They didn't have much money. They struggled to pay bills, especially because Claire was sick with cancer and she spent most of her life in local hospitals.
Unlike his colleagues, Eric was a good police officer. Even when others tried to make him do bad things for money or give him bribes, he always said no. That's why James trusted him.
James hadn't expected to see Eric in the hospital, but he gestured for him to sit and make himself comfortable.
"Hello, Sir," Eric greeted, trying to sound respectful. "How is your health and how are you feeling?"
He also greeted Lana with a warm smile. "Hello, ma'am," he said politely.
"Welcome!"
James, lying in the hospital bed, then introduced Eric to Lana. "Hey, cuz, I want you to meet my friend, Officer Eric."
Lana nodded, acknowledging Eric. "Hello, Eric," she replied. "You're the one who acted as the owner of the company at the station, right?"
"Yes, he was the one who saved my life. If it wasn't for him, I might not be here right now. He helped me call your dad." James replied to her.
Lana looked surprised. "Really? Do you two know each other before this incident? How did you guys meet?"
"We actually met that very day at the police station," Eric explained to her.
"OMG! That's some kind of powerful connection."
James managed a weak smile. "Yeah, you could say that." He then turned to Eric and said." Thanks for helping me out back there."
Eric nodded, relieved that James didn't seem upset about his performance as the owner of Emerald Multisource Cooperation. "No problem Sir. I did my best to play the part."
Lana, who had been sitting by James' bedside, thanked him too. "Eric, you did a great job. I must confess everyone believed you were the new owner."
James chuckled weakly, "Yes, you did a great job. You even had them thinking I would be working as a janitor. That wasn't part of the plan."
Eric scratched his head, still feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Yeah, I know, but I had to think of something convincing. I'm actually sorry about that though."
"No no no, that's a very decent plan." James applauded him. "I think I heard someone say that I have a doctorate degree in cleaning."
"Me too, almost got me laughing out loud that day and spoiling the whole plan."
"Hahahahaha!" They all laughed together.
Lana decided to step out to get Eric something to eat.
"Eric, would you like something to eat?" she asked politely.
Eric smiled and replied, "Oh, you really don't have to trouble yourself, ma'am."
But James insisted, "Lana, please go ahead and get something for our guest. It's the least we can do."
Reluctantly, Lana agreed. "Alright, I'll be back in a moment." She left the room to fetch some refreshments for Eric.
While she was gone, Eric then turned more serious. "So, what now? Are you going to reveal your true identity soon?"
"No!"
"Are you kidding me?"
"I don't think it's time to let people know who I really am. I need to be careful and strategic about it. I don't want to tip off my enemies."
Eric nodded in understanding. "Now, what's the plan?"
"I will go back as a janitor, pretend to be working in the company, and of course, everyone would see me as a nobody and treat me like shit. But one day, on a very good day, I will reveal my true identity as the true owner of the company and deal with those who mistreated me. People need to treat their fellow humans with respect no matter who or what class the person belongs to. That's the lesson I want to teach everyone."
"This is becoming more interesting than I thought it would be."
"Yeah, imagine how they would react, how they would feel, and the looks on their faces when they discover that I'm the owner of the company."
"That would definitely be a one-in-a-million scenario."
"Yes."
James and Eric continued their conversation, discussing the recent incidents and plans for the future.
Eric never mentioned how he had been struggling to make ends meet, living in a small apartment with his wife Mary and their daughter Claire, who was battling cancer.
Soon, Lana returned with some food and a drink for Eric. She handed them to him with a warm smile, saying, "Here you go, Eric. Please enjoy."
Eric thanked her graciously and began to eat.
Lana turned to Eric and asked, "So, Eric, have you visited the company yet? How was it?"
Eric, who was still eating, nodded and replied, "Yes, I went to the company, but I didn't stay for long. You see, I don't know much about running a company, and I didn't want people to realize I'm not the real owner just yet."
He continued, "I went in, walked around, and checked some papers that were brought to me for review."
"What papers?" James wanted to know.
Eric took a moment to finish chewing before answering, "They were Contract Agreement Papers with one Mr. Michael from Eternal SuperStores And Grocery."
James raised an eyebrow. Eternal SuperStores And Grocery was where he used to work, and Mr. Michael was his former boss.
Eric's explanation made perfect sense to James. It suddenly became clear why his former boss, Mr. Michael, had framed him for theft. It was likely because he had been promised a contract in the company by the Sterlings.
"Who signed the contract?" James asked, trying to control his anger.
"Mr. Thomas Sterling," Eric replied, "He even went ahead to declare himself the head of the board."
James couldn't believe how these individuals were acting as if they still owned the company.
"How much is the company's net worth?"
"Mr. Sterling said it's about a billion dollars but from my experience as an officer, I know it's much more than this. He's trying to play a smart game by diverting the company funds to his account, and I'll show him I'm smarter."
'This people are really heartless,' James thought.
When Lana left the room, He went further to give Eric more plans concerning the company's fund and what to do with it.
Eric turns to James and asks, "What do you plan to do to those who harmed you and put you in this condition?"
After a pause, James replied coldly, "Get them all arrested, I'm coming for them."