Fred chuckled. "Innocent? The world is full of innocent people. Must I show everyone mercy? Besides, you should know why I refuse to leave you alone."

The doctor was at a loss.

"Tell me," Fred pressed, moving slightly away, "what did he offer you besides rescuing your family? Why did you return after he saved your family? Was it to become Alexander Russell's spy? What did he promise you?" He was genuinely curious. Fred had been unable to hire the doctor, even with a substantial sum; only the threat to his family had yielded results. Therefore, Fred wondered what Alexander had offered.

"Men like you will never understand!" the doctor exclaimed hoarsely.

"Men like me? Do you think you're noble? Do you think Alexander and his men are good people? Why would they want you to return here as their spy if they were? Do they care about your life?" Fred stared intently. "What did they tell you? Did they mention their plan? Tell me, and I'll leave you and your family alone."

The doctor fell silent.

Fred's patience snapped. He grabbed a knife from the nearby table. "You've performed many successful surgeries with your hands. I'm sure you treasure them the most, right?" The doctor's fear was palpable as he instinctively tried to shield his hands, but the chains prevented him. The cold steel pressed against his skin.

"I wonder what would happen if you lost your hands. Hahaha!" Fred's laughter was chilling.

"No, please!" the doctor pleaded, trembling. The thought of losing his hands was unbearable.

"If you'd like to keep your hands and protect your family, answer my question," Fred said.

"What...do you want me to say?" The doctor gasped. "They only want to rescue someone, just as I wanted to rescue my family. That's it!"

"That's it? You're saying the Hyderland government has no secret plans against us? Could a mere businessman manage to do so much by himself?" Fred remained unconvinced. He knew Alexander had close ties to Cameron and several government departments. He suspected Dr. Blanc, ostensibly a hospital supervisor but frequently absent and unaccounted for, worked for a secret Hyderland department, but his investigation had yielded nothing.

"I-I don't know," the doctor stammered, shaking his head. The knife sliced into his flesh; a scream escaped his lips. He could only repeat his ignorance.

"Fuck!" Fred swore, tossing the knife to a guard. "Since he knows nothing, there's no point keeping him alive."