In the police station, the bright beam of a shlight danced in front of Michael''s eyes.


    It waste at night, and his once-white shirt was now dirty and stained with dried blood. He looked disheveled, with visible cuts and bruises.


    "Bring him out for more questioning," one officer said.


    "He hasn''t slept in over a day. What if something happens to him? He''s a public figure," another officer replied.


    "We''re just following orders. Bring him out," the first officer insisted.


    Michael listened silently. He had been in custody for a day, his wounds untreated and now infected. He had a high fever, but that wasn''t his biggest concern. He worried about the trouble his arrest would cause for Debra, especially at this critical time for the McKinney Group.


    As the officers opened the door, he mustered his strength and spoke weakly. "I don''t feel well. I need to go to the hospital."


    The officers heard him but didn''t act. Their task was to interrogate Michael through the night. If they didn''t get results, they''d be held responsible.


    One of them faltered, "We should take him to the hospital. If something happens, we''ll be in big trouble." Michael had arge fan base overseas. If his fans found out about his mistreatment, there would be protests. The higher-ups would only shift the me onto the officers.


    The other officer was also torn.


    Seeing their indecision, Michael copsed to the floor.


    The officers rushed to him. "Wake up. Are you okay?"<fn5c32> The source of th?s content is find?novel</fn5c32>


    They had kept him awake all night with the shlight, making it impossible for him to rest. Even healthy people couldn''t take it, and Michael had been injured.


    "Let''s get him out of here. I''ll check with our boss," one officer said.


    The other officer stayed with Michael.


    Suddenly, a convoy of ck Mercedes pulled up outside, surrounding the building. An elderly man with a cane stepped out of the lead car.


    The captain rushed out to greet him. "Mr. Eaton Sr., what brings you here? Please,e in."


    Bert, though rarely seen in public,manded respect whenever he appeared. His face was stern as he said, "I heard you have my godson in custody. I''m here to see him."


    The captain was stunned. He never heard that Bert had any godsons.