Chapter 360: Questions
"I knew it—you wouldn't quit!" Walter said excitedly. He even hugged Frank and kissed him on the cheek.
Seeing Frank resolve the factory issue in just a few days left Walter thrilled.
For a long time, the factory had been weighing heavily on his mind—even before Frank arrived in New Mexico.
Back then, Frank had clearly been leaning toward walking away. Walter couldn't count on him anymore. If Heisenberg were to continue, it would all fall on his shoulders.
But Walter was just a teacher. He had no experience handling something like this. The stress alone was enough to make his head spin. If he hadn't already shaved his head because of the cancer, he probably would've lost his hair from anxiety.
And even if Walter had somehow figured out a solution, it wouldn't have mattered.
The factory was under Frank's name.
If Frank had truly decided to leave and reclaimed it, Walter would've been left with nothing.
At that point, forget about a production facility—he'd be back in the cramped RV, cooking in that suffocating little space.
But now, Frank's actions made it clear: he had abandoned the idea of dismantling Heisenberg. He was back.
Standing on the same side again.
How could Walter not be excited?
With Frank back, he no longer had to worry about all the logistical headaches.
And now that the factory was ready, the underground lab could finally begin operations.
"I'm planning to bring a few people into Heisenberg," Frank said.
"Bring in outsiders?" Walter frowned immediately.
Frank briefly explained the situation with Goodman.
"And not just him," Frank added. "There will be others."
"Why do we need them?" Walter asked, instinctively resistant to the idea of strangers entering their operation.
"Because I don't have much time left," Frank said plainly. "I could be gone at any moment."
"…" Walter fell silent.
He understood.
"This time, I came here without telling my family," Frank continued. "I can only make this one move. I'll do everything I can to set things up properly, but once I go back… I won't be able to help anymore."
"And Pinkman needs time to recover. He's in no condition to help."
"That leaves you alone."
Frank looked at him directly.
"And you can't keep Heisenberg running by yourself."
"So we need more people."
In this situation, the only way to keep Heisenberg afloat was to bring in more people.
"The truth about Heisenberg must remain a secret—only the three of us can know it. The more mysterious Heisenberg is, the safer we are."
"To the outside world, we're just mid-level operators—not the real bosses."
"And the fact that Blue Angel is produced here—that's a secret too."
Frank carefully went over every detail Walter needed to keep in mind. Things he had said before, he now repeated again—more firmly, more clearly.
From here on, Walter would act as Heisenberg's primary contact with the newcomers. That meant everything had to be handled with extreme caution.
He had to play the role convincingly—someone with limited authority, someone who still answered to higher-ups… maybe even a shadowy boss above them all. Someone who only knew a fragment of the truth.
It required acting.
"I understand," Walter said, realizing the weight of it all.
The two talked for a long time. Frank laid out everything Walter needed to watch out for.
In the past, Frank had been the one steering Heisenberg.
From now on… that responsibility would fall on Walter.
"I have a question," Frank said suddenly after they finished.
"What is it?" Walter asked instinctively, still processing everything he'd just been told.
"What really happened with Pinkman's girlfriend?" Frank asked. "Did she actually run off with the money?"
"She… of course she ran," Walter replied quickly, but then seemed to catch himself. "I warned Pinkman not to trust her too much, but he wouldn't listen."
"Why? Do you think something's off?" he added, probing.
"It doesn't add up," Frank said.
"She's a smart girl. Pinkman told her everything—she knew about Heisenberg's reputation, and she knew he could produce Blue Angel."
"And she had him completely in her hands. Maybe not control… but they were deeply involved."
"If I were her, I wouldn't throw away a golden goose for a few million in cash."
Frank's tone was calm, but firm.
Pinkman was that golden goose.
With him, she could've built a second Heisenberg—or attached herself to another organization and lived in luxury.
A few million dollars sounded like a lot, but compared to what Pinkman represented, it was nothing.
Walking away with cash and abandoning him was like throwing away a mountain of gold to pick up a handful of scraps.
And from everything Frank knew, she wasn't that foolish.
That was why this whole thing felt wrong. Forced. Inconsistent.
But Frank had been in Chicago. He lacked firsthand knowledge of what had happened in New Mexico.
Walter, on the other hand, had been here the whole time. He had worked side by side with Pinkman.
If anyone knew more, it would be him.
"I don't know anything," Walter said, shaking his head—playing the part of someone completely in the dark.
"…Is that so," Frank said, narrowing his eyes, but he didn't press further.
A faint thought lingered in his mind—something vague, like a shape hidden behind fog.
Walter's earlier stubbornness… his obsession with keeping Heisenberg alive… and even something his grandmother had once said about him.
All of it connected—somehow.
It felt like the answer was right there, just beyond reach. Like a thin veil separating him from the truth.
If he could just pierce through it, everything would make sense.
Why the girl had acted so "out of character."
But in the end, Frank shook his head.
"Forget it."
What was done was done.
Even if he figured it out now—what could he change?
The past didn't matter.
What mattered was the future.
Pinkman's recovery.
Heisenberg's survival.
And most importantly… the safety of his family.
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