stjorthotic Chapter 241 Facing Danger
Chapter 241 Facing Danger
Chapter 241 Facing Danger Head-on (4k-word long chapter, first released at dawn, with additional chapters to follow)
On Sunday morning, just as dawn was breaking, the Waldorf Astoria Hotel was shrouded in an eerie silence.
The hustle and bustle of preparing for the grand banquet had not yet begun; only the sound of cleaners scrubbing the marble floor echoed in the empty hall.
George Porter's office door was closed, and the blinds were drawn.
Larry and Astor IV exchanged a glance outside the office door, but did not knock.
Behind them, Mr. K took out a specially made tool and silently pried open the lock. Hearing a soft click from the lock cylinder spring, Mr. K gave the two men a look, then suddenly pushed open the door, drew his pistol, and rushed inside. Larry and Astor IV followed suit and walked straight in.
The sight inside the office startled the two of them.
George Porter wasn't sitting behind his desk. He was standing by the window, his back to the door, not wearing his usual sharp manager's uniform, but a slightly worn but clean dark suit, as if he were going to a funeral.
Hearing the noise, George slowly turned around, his face showing no surprise, only a deep, almost desperate calm. His eyes were red-rimmed, as if he hadn't slept all night, but his gaze was unusually clear, even carrying a kind of... resigned resolve.
The heavy oak door closed behind Larry and King Astor IV, shutting out the noise from the outside world.
Two Italian men, each with a concealed pistol, stood guard at the door.
George Potter's gaze swept over Mr. K's dark gun barrel and Astor IV's cold eyes, finally settling on Larry's face, a bitter smile curving his lips.
"You've come," he said hoarsely, "faster than I expected."
King Astor IV's eyes blazed with fury. He stepped forward, almost growling, "Potter! You traitor! You've trampled my trust in you, and the honor of the Astor family, into the mud! How dare you..."
"John Jacob!"
George Potter suddenly raised his voice, interrupting him. He did not back down, but instead met Astor's gaze, his eyes filled with pain and a strange sense of relief.
"Yes! I am a traitor! I have betrayed your brother's trust! I let the devil into this temple! I deserve to die!"
He took a deep breath, as if preparing lines he had long ago: "But I had no choice! They kidnapped my little daughter! They threatened me with her life! That kerosene... that damned nitroglycerin... I let it pass! I led the devil to the load-bearing wall!"
George Porter's voice trembled with excitement, yet carried a self-destructive frankness.
"But I won't let that happen!" He pointed sharply to the desk, on which lay a thick brown paper envelope.
"This contains everything! Evidence of their threats against me, transaction records, the exact location of the hidden explosives, and... and my prepared confession! I originally planned to... take it to police headquarters this afternoon, after confirming my daughter's safety one last time, and expose all of this to the world!"
Then, then I will jump from the hotel tower. With my blood, I will wash away my sins and stop this disaster!
He practically shouted out his last words, his body swaying slightly with excitement.
The office was deathly silent.
Astor IV turned to look at Larry, recalling his telegram conversation with his cousin the previous night.
Last night, when Astor IV’s steward sent the telegram to London, he received a reply almost instantly.
By the time Astor himself went to the telegraph office, his cousin had already sent a long telegram demanding that they immediately report to the New York Police Department that someone was planning a horrific bombing at the Astor Hotel.
It was George Porter who exposed this conspiracy.
At the last moment before the bombing could happen, he chose to confess to his master.
This unexpected coincidence greatly surprised King Astor IV. Of course, William Waldorf Astor, who was in London, was even more surprised, because his brother had known about it in advance and had even contacted him.
William Astor had originally intended to entrust this matter to someone else, but with his cousin involved, it was all the better, at least ensuring that the family's reputation would not be destroyed.
That's why Larry and King Astor IV were able to arrive here so early in the morning.
Larry looked at George Potter and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Deep in the other person's eyes, besides pain and determination, there was also a barely perceptible trace of... performance.
He was too eager to confess, too eager to take all the blame upon himself, and too eager to plan his own "atonement" ending.
"A very touching script, Mr. Potter. Just to clarify, I still don't quite feel comfortable calling you Mr. Potter."
Larry's calm voice rang out, like a bucket of ice water extinguishing the flames of sorrow in the air.
"Sacrifice yourself, save your daughter, expose a conspiracy, become a tragic hero... Sounds good, right? But have you ever thought about where the police will be when you jump from the tower and your confession is delivered to the police station? Will your daughter still be alive?"
Potter's body stiffened abruptly.
Larry pressed on relentlessly, his tone sharp as a knife.
"You think your death will stop them? No, they'll just kill your daughter to silence her and destroy all the evidence! Your death is worthless! It will only brand your family as the relatives of traitors, while letting the real mastermind go unpunished!"
Forgive my bluntness, but this isn't sacrifice; this is foolishness! Selfishness! You've only thought about your own salvation, without considering how to truly win!
Every word Larry uttered struck Porter's heart like a hammer blow. The solemnity on his face shattered instantly, revealing a pale and fearful undertone.
George Porter was seen through.
His plan was less about stopping the conspiracy and more about escaping unbearable inner condemnation and seeking a seemingly heroic release.
"What else can I do?!" Potter cried out in despair, tears finally streaming down his face. "They've got everything under control! I can't escape!"
"Stand up!" Larry shouted sharply, his voice carrying an undeniable force.
"Put your confession away! This isn't the time for your sob story! Do you want to atone for your sins? Do you want to save your daughter? Do you want real revenge on those who drove you to this point? Then stop thinking about how to die, think about how to live! How to cooperate with us to send those bastards to hell!"
King Astor IV finally realized the situation. Suppressing his initial anger, he saw the bigger picture. He stepped forward and said in an icy tone,
"George, Larry is right. Death is too easy for them, and too easy for you. Your life now belongs to the Astor family. I want you alive to make them pay double for what you've done!"
Larry's admonition and Astor's intimidating presence acted like two shackles, instantly shattering Potter's self-destructive illusions and forcibly pulling him back to the real battlefield.
George Porter slumped into his chair, his hands covering his face, his shoulders heaving violently. A few minutes later, he looked up, his eyes bloodshot, but the desperate calm and theatricality had vanished, replaced by a ruthless, desperate resolve born of being driven to the brink.
"What do you need me to do?" His voice was still hoarse, but it had gained a bit of strength.
Larry knew the time was right.
"First, keep them calm. Contact them in the way you agreed, tell them everything is normal, and the bomb can be detonated when the dinner party starts tonight."
Second, draw up detailed maps, showing the precise location of every explosive device and the hiding places of every one of their people.
Third, cooperate with our people to conduct a "secret bomb disposal operation." Fourth, and most importantly,
Larry stared into his eyes. "Remember every detail, the voice, appearance, and habits of everyone you came into contact with. We don't just want to stop this explosion; we want to uproot it."
George Porter took a deep breath and nodded heavily. He picked up the thick envelope, and instead of throwing it in the trash, he solemnly locked it back in the deepest part of the drawer.
Morning light streamed into the office through the gaps in the blinds, illuminating the dust and four faces with different expressions, yet finally united in purpose.
George Porter's face once again displayed a calm and gentle demeanor, the composure and calmness befitting a professional manager.
"I will do as you and John Jacob command..."
Larry looked at Mr. K and said to George Potter in a solemn tone, "You must tell us, in particular, where your daughter is. My assistant will do everything he can to get her out."
A flush of excitement rose on George Potter's face as he looked at Mr. K and nodded solemnly.
King Astor IV stepped forward, placed his hands on the desk, leaned over, and asked with a frown, "Who is the mastermind behind this? Is it Jay Gould?"
George Porter shook his head firmly. "I really don't know. They just referred to him as 'my boss.' I still don't know who's behind such a massive scheme against the Astor family..."
Astor IV's doubts went unanswered, and he slowly straightened up, focusing his gaze on Larry's face.
Larry spoke at this moment, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable, penetrating power.
"Mr. Porter, there's something I just can't understand. Given your cautious nature, even under duress, you could easily have found countless reasons to postpone or cancel my foundation's inauguration dinner. In fact, you did exactly that at first..."
But later you went to great lengths to arrange it in the main banquet hall—the seemingly most dangerous and conspicuous location. Why? Did you want the explosion to happen then? Or…did you have other plans?
This question gets straight to the heart of the matter.
George Porter looked up abruptly, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes—fear, guilt, and a hint of eagerness at being understood.
"No! That's not it!" he almost shouted, then lowered his voice, filled with desperate honesty, "I agreed to the dinner precisely because... because it might be the only chance to stop them, or at least protect you!"
King Astor IV frowned, while Larry leaned forward slightly: "Explain."
George Potter took a deep breath and spoke faster, as if he wanted to pour out all the pent-up fear and scheming.
"They...they wanted absolute surprise and panic! Their initial plan was to create a collapse late at night on an ordinary workday, using minimal explosives, so everyone would think it was an accident! But your dinner...Mr. Livingston, your dinner disrupted everything!"
George Potter nodded, looked into the distance, and continued,
"A grand event that brings together almost all of New York's financial elites and celebrities, with the highest level of security! Police, private bodyguards, hotel security... will be everywhere!"
This will force them to change their plans and use more sophisticated, potentially larger-scale devices to ensure success even under high alert.
A more complex plan means more steps, more manpower, and more preparation time, but it also means... more flaws!
I had planned to use this extra time and their forced increased activities to quietly gather evidence, or... or at least find a way to save my daughter! But..."
Larry nodded, and continued, "But until last night, you had no clue whatsoever, so you had no choice but to reveal the whole conspiracy, and then die a tragic death to atone for your sins, right?"
George Porter remained silent for a long time before suddenly saying, "I don't care about the lives of other wealthy people; they have nothing to do with me. But I know that if the bomb is allowed to explode at the Waldorf Hotel, the Astor family's reputation will plummet..."
"My entire life has been built by the Astor family. Without the favor of young master William Waldorf, I would still be just an ordinary junior manager at the Astor Hotel..."
The office fell silent once again.
King Astor IV turned to Larry and asked, "So what should we do with this foundation's founding ceremony? Should it be canceled?"
Larry suddenly smiled, glanced at George Potter, then at King Astor IV, and said calmly, "Why cancel? This is a sumptuous dinner that my Mr. Potter has been preparing for a long time!"
"But, but if word gets out, even if the guests aren't actually in danger, they'll still be angry at your disregard for their lives!" King Astor IV warned loudly.
George Porter also turned his attention to Larry.
Larry, still smiling, continued, "First of all, this will never get out... Also, remember what I told you? Why do I need your full authorization, why do all the people in your household have to obey my orders..."
King Astor IV suddenly realized.
Larry waved his hand and said, "These are all minor matters. Let's start with the bigger things..."
George Porter calmly stood up from behind his desk, looked at Larry, nodded, and said...
"I will be holding a mobilization meeting for all service personnel at 10 o'clock. Your people will participate in this meeting as extra security personnel... That's when you'll shine!"
(End of this chapter)