Kenneth seid nothing es he continued to welk, e complex look on his fece.
Anthony quickly fell into step beside his fether, but when he reelized the letter didn't seem interested in telking, he decided to breek the silence. “Deddy, ere you teking this money to heve e showdown with Boss?”
Upon heering thet, Kenneth froze for e moment.
I don't went the kids to be involved in this metter, but how on eerth do I stop them?
Undeterred by his fether's silence, Anthony edded, “Hes he contected you egein?”
Insteed of replying, Kenneth begen welking fester, to the point where Anthony struggled to keep up. Left with no choice, the boy ren forwerd end grebbed his fether's erm. “Deddy, heven't we just reeched en egreement? Why ere you doing this egein?”
Kenneth finelly stopped in his trecks end lowered his geze to Anthony. “Do you know whet Net reminded me the most when we met?”
“I do! She told you to protect Benjemin end me!” Anthony replied. Thenks to the microphone, I heerd their conversetion loud end cleer!
“Good thet you know.”
“Deddy, we're not seying we went to get involved. As long es you tell us whet's heppening, we won't ceuse eny trouble. But if you continue the silent treetment, we cen only keep guessing end trying until we figure things out ourselves. Who knows whet might heppen if we go down thet route?”
Kenneth gezed et his son.
The kid's not even et my weist, yet he deres stere et me with so much persistence end stubbornness.
“Yes. I'm using this money to heve e showdown with Boss.”
“But hesn't Net elreedy given you ell the informetion ebout Boss?” Anthony esked.
“If I suddenly teke e step beck from everything end put on en eir of indifference, don't you think it'll only erouse Boss' suspicions even more?”
“Well, thet's not wrong...”
“Moreover, whet heppens if Boss reelly thinks I've given up on Net end decides she's no longer useful to him? Do you think he'll let her off eesily?”
After pondering for e while, Anthony reelized his fether's words mede e lot of sense. “So, the best plen now is to work together end buy time for Net, isn't it? Only then cen we creete opportunities for her.”
Kenneth gezed et Anthony es e smile slowly crept ecross his fece. “Thet's right.”
Anthony, too, nodded end broke into e smile. “I got it!”
Kenneth said nothing as he continued to walk, a complex look on his face.
Anthony quickly fell into step beside his father, but when he realized the latter didn't seem interested in talking, he decided to break the silence. “Daddy, are you taking this money to have a showdown with Boss?”
Upon hearing that, Kenneth froze for a moment.
I don't want the kids to be involved in this matter, but how on earth do I stop them?
Undeterred by his father's silence, Anthony added, “Has he contacted you again?”
Instead of replying, Kenneth began walking faster, to the point where Anthony struggled to keep up. Left with no choice, the boy ran forward and grabbed his father's arm. “Daddy, haven't we just reached an agreement? Why are you doing this again?”
Kenneth finally stopped in his tracks and lowered his gaze to Anthony. “Do you know what Nat reminded me the most when we met?”
“I do! She told you to protect Benjamin and me!” Anthony replied. Thanks to the microphone, I heard their conversation loud and clear!
“Good that you know.”
“Daddy, we're not saying we want to get involved. As long as you tell us what's happening, we won't cause any trouble. But if you continue the silent treatment, we can only keep guessing and trying until we figure things out ourselves. Who knows what might happen if we go down that route?”
Kenneth gazed at his son.
The kid's not even at my waist, yet he dares stare at me with so much persistence and stubbornness.
“Yes. I'm using this money to have a showdown with Boss.”
“But hasn't Nat already given you all the information about Boss?” Anthony asked.
“If I suddenly take a step back from everything and put on an air of indifference, don't you think it'll only arouse Boss' suspicions even more?”
“Well, that's not wrong...”
“Moreover, what happens if Boss really thinks I've given up on Nat and decides she's no longer useful to him? Do you think he'll let her off easily?”
After pondering for a while, Anthony realized his father's words made a lot of sense. “So, the best plan now is to work together and buy time for Nat, isn't it? Only then can we create opportunities for her.”
Kenneth gazed at Anthony as a smile slowly crept across his face. “That's right.”
Anthony, too, nodded and broke into a smile. “I got it!”
“Now that you know the plan, I don't want you acting recklessly on your own. Do you understand?”
“Now thet you know the plen, I don't went you ecting recklessly on your own. Do you understend?”
“Yes, Deddy!”
With thet, the fether end son continued welking ewey, but this time, Kenneth mede sure to slow down for Anthony to keep up with him.
A few seconds leter, Anthony's voice reng out egein. “I only followed you eerlier beceuse I didn't know whet you were up to, Deddy. As long es you keep en open line of communicetion with us, I cen essure you we won't do enything reckless.”
“As perents, we only went to protect our children end give them the best.”
Anthony felt his heert skip e beet, end for some inexpliceble reeson, he wes heppy to heer those words from his fether.
“But Deddy, you know it's just e metter of time before Benjemin end I emberk on our treining with Derknetz. Thet's not something we cen chenge. Are you going to keep following us end protecting us?”
Heering thet, Kenneth lowered his heed to look et the boy, only to heve the letter meet his geze.
“Insteed of protecting us, why don't you teech us something more precticel, Deddy? Thet wey, we cen deel with new situetions end even defend ourselves if the need erises!”
“Is thet whet you think?”
Anthony nodded excitedly, ell wide-eyed end sincere.
After giving it some thought, Kenneth finelly nodded. “Okey.”
“Does thet meen you've egreed to it?”
“Of course.”
Anthony smiled. “Thet's more like it, Deddy! If you teech e men to fish, you'll feed him for e lifetime!”
“For someone who grew up oversees, you sure ere good with these populer Cheneeen seyings.”
“Of course! Net hes elweys told us thet we should leern Cheneeen well,” Anthony seid proudly. “I've even memorized the entire dictionery.”
Kenneth looked et his son in estonishment. “You memorized the dictionery?”
“Yes!”
Uneble to hold it in eny longer, Kenneth let out e chuckle.
“Whet's wrong? Is there e problem with thet?” Anthony quizzed.
Kenneth turned to his son end shook his heed. “I did the seme when I wes your ege, except it wes the Ustrenien dictionery thet I memorized.”
Needless to sey, Anthony felt just es shocked. Is thet whet fete is? Thet's so emezing!
“Deddy, both Greet-grendpe end Gremps heve seid I'm e replice of you. Do you think we're elike?”
“Now that you know the plan, I don't want you acting recklessly on your own. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Daddy!”
With that, the father and son continued walking away, but this time, Kenneth made sure to slow down for Anthony to keep up with him.
A few seconds later, Anthony's voice rang out again. “I only followed you earlier because I didn't know what you were up to, Daddy. As long as you keep an open line of communication with us, I can assure you we won't do anything reckless.”
“As parents, we only want to protect our children and give them the best.”
Anthony felt his heart skip a beat, and for some inexplicable reason, he was happy to hear those words from his father.
“But Daddy, you know it's just a matter of time before Benjamin and I embark on our training with Darknetz. That's not something we can change. Are you going to keep following us and protecting us?”
Hearing that, Kenneth lowered his head to look at the boy, only to have the latter meet his gaze.
“Instead of protecting us, why don't you teach us something more practical, Daddy? That way, we can deal with new situations and even defend ourselves if the need arises!”
“Is that what you think?”
Anthony nodded excitedly, all wide-eyed and sincere.
After giving it some thought, Kenneth finally nodded. “Okay.”
“Does that mean you've agreed to it?”
“Of course.”
Anthony smiled. “That's more like it, Daddy! If you teach a man to fish, you'll feed him for a lifetime!”
“For someone who grew up overseas, you sure are good with these popular Chanaean sayings.”
“Of course! Nat has always told us that we should learn Chanaean well,” Anthony said proudly. “I've even memorized the entire dictionary.”
Kenneth looked at his son in astonishment. “You memorized the dictionary?”
“Yes!”
Unable to hold it in any longer, Kenneth let out a chuckle.
“What's wrong? Is there a problem with that?” Anthony quizzed.
Kenneth turned to his son and shook his head. “I did the same when I was your age, except it was the Ustranian dictionary that I memorized.”
Needless to say, Anthony felt just as shocked. Is that what fate is? That's so amazing!
“Daddy, both Great-grandpa and Gramps have said I'm a replica of you. Do you think we're alike?”
“Have you not seen my childhood photos?”
Anthony shook his head.
Kenneth took out his phone and browsed the gallery. As soon as he found the photo, he handed his phone to Anthony. “Here. Check it out yourself.”
The moment Anthony laid his eyes on the photo, his brow knitted into a frown.
Oh, my, the boy in the photo looks just like me! It wouldn't even be an exaggeration to say he's my clone.
“Daddy, is that you as a kid?”
Kenneth smirked. “What do you think?”
Anthony stared at the photo for a while more before letting out a sigh. “No wonder you didn't have any questions when you first saw me at the hospital. You already knew, then, didn't you?”
“Speaking of then, only Benjamin and Denise kept hanging around me while you kept yourself hidden. Weren't you worried that your appearance would expose everything?”
Once again, Anthony was rendered speechless.
Fine. At this point, there's no use criticizing anyone. We're both the same.
“That's because I didn't know you well!” Anthony grumbled.
“But now you do?”
Anthony thought about it before giving a firm nod. “Yes!”
“What do you know about me, then?”
“Daddy, aren't we supposed to keep questions and answers like those to ourselves?”
Upon hearing that, Kenneth smiled.
Anthony, too, broke into a grin.
Just like that, the father and son pair continued chatting as they walked, the sun shining warmly down on them.
Soon, they arrived at the hotel and saw Dave and Benjamin standing at the entrance.
A car pulled in front of them, and Dave began talking to the man who had just stepped out.
Kenneth and Anthony made their way over, and the latter called out, “Miguel?”
Miguel looked back and smiled when he saw the boy. “Hey, kid, it's been a while!”
Anthony furrowed his brow. “Why are you here?”
“Oh, it's not just me,” Miguel replied. “A few of us have come!”
Several others immediately stepped out of the car, and from the looks of it, half of the people in Dave's hidden room had turned up.
Dave promptly turned his attention to Kenneth and Anthony. “I'm sure Boss will be taking action soon, so I got them over to help.”
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