The Charismatic Adam Reed

Chapter 5

Adam couldn't believe what he was hearing. Supreme Being? 100 Supreme Points? Losing 2 inches in height?

'What the fuck is going on?' he muttered to himself, while trying to get rid of the fear that was creeping in.

The son looked at Adam in confusion. "Are you alright? You seem a bit shaken."

"I'm fine," Adam forced a smile before turning to the old man. "By the way, has the pain in your leg decreased recently?"

Upon hearing this, the old man's eyes widened in shock, and he stuttered, "H-how did you know about that?"

Previously, Adam had examined the old man's condition using Visceral Vision, so he could give a clear explanation. "The ginseng pills are indeed good for your health, but the poison has stayed there for too long and it has merged with your bones. In short, the ginseng pills can only pull out the poison from the bones but not get rid of it, causing it to spread throughout your body. This poison will kill you sooner than your heart problems."

The old man was terrified by this revelation. He had been paralyzed for over ten years, and he had no idea that there was poison in his right leg.

On the other hand, the young man shook his head in disbelief. "That just doesn't make sense. My father was shot in the leg years ago, and he's had many check-ups since then. No one ever mentioned poison. How did this happen?"

Adam, aware of the skepticism in the son's voice, tried to remain calm. "The poison could have been in the bullet, or the wound could have been infected with something poisonous later on. In any case, I can assure you that the poison will reach your father's heart in about 15 days. And when that happens..."

The room fell silent, as everyone understood what Adam was implying. However, the old man felt a strange trust in Adam. There was something about Adam that gave him reassurance.

He took some time to think about the situation, and then he said, "I'm sorry for being suspicious earlier. I'm Howard Hunt, and this is my son, Henry. Thank you for saving me."

Adam nodded, accepting the gratitude. "You're welcome, Mr. Hunt. You can call me Adam."

Watching his father treat Adam with such respect, Henry realized that his father had acknowledged Adam's capabilities. He bowed his head slightly and sheepishly said, "I'm sorry for being rude earlier."

Adam smiled. "Don't worry about it. I would have done the same thing if I were you.”

Henry looked at Adam, still amazed by what he had done earlier. "I’ve never seen anyone do anything like that before. What did you do exactly?"

Adam replied casually, "It's called acupressure, a technique that helps relieve pain and improve overall health. In your father's case, I used it to temporarily slow down the poison’s movement."

Concerned, Henry's voice wavered slightly. "So, you're saying it's not a permanent solution? But you must have a way, right?"

Adam gave a bitter smile and shook his head. It wasn't that he couldn't, but he didn't have any good acupuncture needles. Asking Henry to buy him a set? That would be so embarrassing.

Meanwhile, Howard observed Adam's reaction and thought differently. He scolded his son gently, "Mr. Adam has already helped us so much, but you're still asking for more?"

Henry felt ashamed by his father's words and lowered his gaze. "I-I'm sorry, Adam. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. I was just worried about my father."

"Henry!" Howard raised his voice. "Call him 'Mr. Adam.' Be respectful. He's not just anyone."

Adam, trying to lighten the mood, interjected, "Just Adam works fine, really."

Howard sensed the awkwardness in the room and decided to break it by pulling out a black card from his pocket. He handed it to Adam, saying, "This might not be much, but I hope you'll accept it."

Adam stared at the card. He had never seen one before, but he wasn’t naive enough not to know that it was a debit card.

Seeing Adam’s shock, Howard suddenly worried that he might have given too little. He quickly said to his son, "Henry, add another $10 million to this black card."

Henry's eyes widened at the request but didn't question his father's decision. "Okay."

Adam struggled to believe what he had just heard.

Did Mr. Hunt just say $10 million? A number with seven zeros behind it?

"W-Wait!" Adam stammered, trying to comprehend the situation. "Mr. Hunt, are you sure you didn't misspeak? That's... That's a lot of money!"

Howard laughed. "Money is just a tool, Mr. Adam. It's not important. So, please, take it."

Adam was dumbfounded. How rich could someone be to say that money wasn't important? So without thinking, he took the card, feeling like he had just gotten a sack of gold.

Sensing that the moment was right, Adam said, "I can help you, if you let me. It won’t take long to heal you completely."

Howard's jaw dropped in shock. "Heal me? You can do that?"

Adam nodded with a firm conviction. "But the method I use is unconventional. It may cause some discomfort, but I promise you that it will be effective."

Howard smiled. "I've been like this for years. A little pain won't hurt much."

Adam’s heart raced as he held the black card in his hand. He couldn’t resist the temptation to test its validity, nor the thrill of the mission’s reward. So, he asked for permission to approach the shopkeeper.

He strode to the counter and flashed his black card, then asked for the best set of needles available. The young woman nodded and gave him a set of gold-plated acupuncture needles. It was expensive, more than $100,000, but Adam didn't care as long as the card was real.

The moment she swiped the card and the payment went through, Adam felt a wave of overwhelming happiness. It was like he had just married the most beautiful woman in the world. He even felt the urge to shout, "Mom, I'm rich!"

After paying for the needles, Adam made his way back to Howard. "Let's begin the treatment."

Howard looked surprised. "Here? Don't you need a special room or something?"

Adam shook his head. "It'll just take a few minutes. We can do it right here. You don't even have to take off your clothes."

Howard and Henry watched in surprise as Adam's expression changed to one of complete confidence and conviction, as if Howard's problem was nothing. Therefore, Howard followed Adam's instructions and relaxed his body as Adam began his treatment.

The gold-plated acupuncture needles flashed, and tiny dots of blood appeared on Howard's right leg, chest and neck as Adam inserted them into specific points. Adam's movements were so quick that Howard and Henry could barely keep up.

Howard felt a strange sensation in his body, as if the energy flow was being redirected. He could feel a tingling sensation in his fingers and toes, and his muscles were twitching involuntarily.

Suddenly, Howard's body convulsed, and he began to retch violently. Some black, foul-smelling liquids spewed from his mouth, and he instinctively knew that it was poison coming out of his body.

Eventually, the convulsions subsided. Howard felt exhausted but relieved.

"Is it over?" Howard asked weakly, his voice cracking.

Adam withdrew the needles and stepped back, nodding. "Yes, I have removed all the poison from your body, but it will take some time for you to fully recover and get back on your feet."

Hearing that, Howard burst into laughter but then started coughing again.

Henry immediately rushed to Howard's side, patting his back to help ease his cough. "Father, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, son," Howard replied with a weak smile. "I just feel a little weak, but I'm grateful to Mr. Adam. He saved my life."

Adam looked at Howard, his face grave. "I have something to say. The poison in your body was not a common one. It contained a chemical compound that is difficult to get, and it works as a slow-acting poison. I'm sure you understand what I mean."

Howard and Henry looked at each other in shock. This information was starting to make sense.

"I understand," Howard said, his voice serious. "Thank you for letting us know."

There was a moment of tension and silence in the room after Howard's response. They were all lost in their thoughts for a moment.

As Adam was about to say goodbye, the System's voice echoed in his mind. [Congratulations on completing your first mission. Here are your personal details.]

Before Adam's shock subsided, a transparent screen appeared in front of him, making him jolt in surprise. He quickly looked around to see if anyone else had seen it, but it seemed that only he had.

Howard noticed Adam's reaction and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Adam quickly composed himself. "No, nothing. It's just that I remembered that I had to make a call. Excuse me."

Without waiting for a reply, Adam rushed out of the room and headed for the nearest exit. Once outside, he took out his cell phone, pretending to make a call. However, instead of dialing any number, he read the contents of the transparent screen.

[Notification : You received 100 Supreme Points]

[Information : Supreme Point is a reward that can be used to acquire various benefits. One point can be redeemed for $100 million, which will be transferred to your bank account. These points can also be used to purchase items and skills from our store, as well as upgrade your status. To access the menu, say "Supreme Page"]