"Mr. Sebastian let out a long, deep sigh, his whole body trembling after hearing the store manager's explanation. In a slow voice heavy with grief, he said, "Alright then, for now, you all can rest at home until we rebuild this store. As compensation, each of you will receive $5,000. And for you, manager," Mr. Sebastian looked at his manager with a sincere gaze, "I'll give you $10,000."
A moment of silence filled the room, before a murmur of gratitude and surprise mixed together. They only had to wait for the store to be rebuilt, and most importantly, the compensation they received was truly significant.
Meanwhile, at the Samson family residence, the young man arrived with his body and clothes covered in soot. He walked straight in, unaware of his sister's sharp gaze.
Father, look at Samson! Where has he been that his body is covered in black marks like that?" Vivian blurted out, pointing at Samson as he passed through the living room.
Samson just walked past without responding. Vivian snorted in annoyance at Samson's indifferent attitude.
Mr. Steven, seeing the strangeness in his son, asked, "Samson, where have you been? Why are all your clothes so black?"
"There was a small mishap at the building where I work, Father," Samson replied calmly, without stopping his steps."
"What kind of mishap do you mean, son?" Mr. Steven asked again, his eyebrows furrowed.
However, Samson seemed not to hear. He continued walking towards his room, wanting to quickly clean himself of the black stains clinging to his body. Mr. Steven sighed deeply and shook his head, feeling ignored.
"Look at that, Father," Vivian said in an annoyed tone, "what kind of child acts so impolitely towards their parents?"
Mr. Steven ignored his youngest daughter's annoyance. He sipped the half-empty coffee on the table, his mind racing.
Suddenly, the front door burst open and John entered the living room, throwing his bag roughly onto the sofa. "Dad!" he cried in a panicked tone, "On my way home, when I passed the store where Samson works, there was a fire!"
"What?" Mr. Steven and Vivian exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide with shock. Instantly, Mr. Steven realized why Samson's clothes and body were covered in black stains."
"With a furrowed brow, Mr. Steven asked John, "What's the situation now, John?"
John explained hurriedly, "I saw several fire trucks in front of the building, and the fire was already starting to die down."
Vivian, who had just connected Samson's condition to the news of the fire, interjected, "No wonder Samson was so dirty."
At the People's Hospital, Sarah felt much better after receiving intensive care. Miraculously, there wasn't a single burn wound on her body, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief. Her parents were on their way to the hospital after Mona contacted them and informed them of her condition.
Mona, faithfully accompanying Sarah, tightly held her best friend's hand and asked with a gentle smile, "Are you okay, Sarah?"
Sarah replied in a soft voice, "I feel better, Mona. It's just that my body is still trembling a little, and the memory of what happened is still haunting me."
"Then rest," Mona said understandingly. "I've already contacted your parents; they should be here soon."
"Thank you for staying with me, Mona," Sarah said, returning her friend's hand squeeze.
"Hush! What are you talking about?" Mona exclaimed, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm your best friend; I should be here for you." She paused for a moment, then continued, "The most important thing is that you're safe, even though your car couldn't be saved. Your car caught fire because it was parked too close to the building."
"Yes. Sorry, Mona, I have the keys. I didn't have time to think about it, I was too panicked then. Never mind, it's okay. A car is important, but my life is much more valuable," Sarah said resignedly.
Mona gave her a sincere smile. "That's right, Sarah! Be grateful for your safety, don't think about anything else."
"But, by the way," Sarah asked, trying to recall the vague figure of the young man beside her when she regained consciousness, "who helped me?"
Mona frowned, trying to remember. "I don't know, Sarah. I don't know him either. I was too panicked then, so I didn't have time to ask for his name."
"Oh, it's okay, Mona," Sarah replied weakly. "Later we'll find out together, who and where that young man is."
"Ready, princess!" Mona replied, placing her palm on her forehead, giving a playful salute.
Suddenly, the door to Sarah's room slowly opened. Sarah's parents had arrived.
Mrs. Emilia immediately rushed to the bed and hugged her daughter tightly, tears streaming down her face. "How are you, darling?" she asked with a trembling voice, stroking Sarah's hair.
"I'm fine, Mom. I'll recover soon," Sarah replied softly, returning her mother's hug.
Mr. Roy approached and also stroked his daughter's hair. "Dad was so worried, Sarah. After hearing the news from Mona, Dad was very scared." He turned to Mona and said gratefully, "Thank you very much, Mona, for letting us know."
"You're welcome, Uncle," Mona replied sincerely.
"Father, Mother," Sarah began to recount with a trembling voice, "when it happened, I was trapped upstairs. Flames were everywhere, and I thought I was going to die. Luckily, a young man helped me. Otherwise, I don't know what would have happened to me," Sarah's tears began to fall.
Mr. Roy clicked his tongue in admiration. "Who was that extraordinary young man?" he asked curiously.
"I don't know, Father. I wasn't conscious at the time, and only caught a glimpse of his face. His face and clothes were covered in black soot stains," Sarah replied.
"That's right, Uncle Roy! I also forgot to ask his name," Mona chimed in.
Mrs. Emilia continued to stroke her daughter's hair. "We owe that person a debt of gratitude. We must find out who he is."
As they were talking, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in!" Mr. Roy called out."
"Several girls entered Sarah's room. They turned out to be her coworkers.
"Sarah, we're so sorry and saddened by the misfortune that befell you," one of Sarah's colleagues began the conversation.
All her colleagues expressed their sympathy. Sarah was deeply touched. "Thank you, everyone, for your concern and support," she said with teary eyes.
"Get well soon, Sarah!" all her coworkers said in unison.
"Once again, thank you, friends! Oh, and please deliver this doctor's note to our director, okay? I might not be able to come to work for a few days," Sarah requested before her friends left the room.
"Alright, Sarah. Don't worry, we'll deliver your message," one of her friends replied. They then left the room one by one.
A moment later, Mona said goodbye. "Sarah, I'm heading home now! I'll come back here tomorrow after work."
"Thank you again, Mona. You truly are my best friend," Sarah replied sincerely.
Mona just smiled and nodded. "Uncle, Auntie, I'm leaving now!" she called out to Sarah's parents.
"Thank you, Mona, for taking care of Sarah," Mrs. Emilia said softly.
Mona walked out of Sarah's room, waving her hand.
After Mona left, Sarah said sadly to her parents, "Father, Mother, I'm sorry. The car you gave me also burned down."
"What nonsense are you talking about, Sarah?" Mr. Roy asked, shaking his head. "I don't care about the car, darling. I can buy another car; not just one, I'd buy you ten cars. The most important thing for your mother and me is that you're safe and healthy."
"I just wanted to let you know, Father. I was afraid you'd be angry later," Sarah replied, holding her father's hand.
"Why would I be angry? You don't need to worry about that. Your mother and I are very happy and relieved that you're safe."
"Thank you, Father, thank you, Mother!" Sarah said, kissing both her parents' hands with great affection.
"Who was that young man who helped me?" Sarah wondered inwardly.