Aldus' sudden shout took Austin by surprise.He immediately turned his head to look straight ahead as he instinctively stepped on the brakes.A loud thud could be heard as Austin watched the silhouette of a man flying away from the car.His heart immediately sank as he realized that he had just hit someone.Being on the phone with Walter and then looking over at Aldus had momentarily distracted him just enough to not notice the pedestrian.They were in the suburbs after leaving the airport, an area where it was normal for pedestrians to cross the roads freely.Aldus immediately unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car. "It looked like an old man… Shouldn't be much of a problem. Please stay inside the car and wait for me, sir. I'll go have a look."Both Austin and Aldus were on high alert due to the bounty. They both needed to remain cautious at all times to prevent any random and unforeseen scenarios from breaking through their defenses.Austin let out a sigh. He then not
And yet, the old man had courage far beyond his physical means.He utilized his aging body to his advantage and painted himself as a victim of a car accident in order to bring his target to him.Austin's expression sank as he realized that he had actually become careless.If not for Aldus suddenly shouting at him, the old man would not have been forced to make a move from a distance.If Austin had walked up and crouched in front of the old man, he would not have been able to react to and evade the attack from the extremely close range.The knife would have definitely made its way to his heart.It would be more than enough to seal Austin's fate."You're just an ordinary person, like any other person on the streets… Why would you go so far just to try and kill me?" asked Austin.The old man lay flat on the ground with his chest sinking in due to the broken rib.His face was a reflection of the immense pain he was going through, but he still stared at Austin with a determined gaz
Austin felt as if the entire place had frozen over even though the sun was still shining brightly.The house was eerily quiet, save for the occasional gentle breeze rustling the leaves of nearby trees.Aldus suddenly raised his right foot and kicked at a stone on the ground.As Austin watched in confusion, he picked up the stone and threw it at the house's front door.The rock made a whistling sound as it traveled through the air from Aldus' powerful throw, and it surprised Austin.As the rock was about to reach the door, however, something strange happened.A weird screeching sound echoed across the air, seemingly coming from all directions.The next moment, the rock was split in half and had fallen onto the ground. Austin was flabbergasted by what he was witnessing. "What just happened?"His heart started beating so rapidly that he felt as if it was about to jump out of his chest.Not even a man of Austin's composure could possibly calm themselves down at this moment.If
Austin carefully examined the metal box in his hand. It was actually much smaller than his fist, and it was in the shape of a small round plate.On the side was a small hole where the razor floss came out from. It was no longer lethal as the trap was already knocked over from the tree by Aldus, rendering it as malleable as normal cotton threads.Meanwhile, Aldus had also finished retrieving the other metal box.He walked up to Austin and explained, "Please give me the metal box, sir."Aldus accepted the metal box from Austin and took a few steps back before pulling out a military dagger from his waist. He then placed the two metal boxes on the floor and stabbed one of them in the small hole on the side.A sudden snap could be heard as the nearby air whistled.All of the razor floss rolled back into the metal box in an instant.Aldus picked up the metal boxes and handed them to Austin. "These traps are extremely rare, actually. I've hardly had to deal with them throughout the yea
"I'm sorry, Mr. Campbell. Your mother has late-stage liver cancer, and …"When Austin Campbell saw the doctor in front of him shaking his head, he felt dizzy, and his eyes reddened at once.Ever since he was a child, all he and his mother had were each other. To raise him and fund his education, she'd worked so hard that her health suffered. Before she even got to enjoy a better life, she had fallen severely ill."Doctor, please save my mother. I'm begging you, please. Is there really no way to save her?" Austin pleaded hoarsely. He was choking up.The doctor hesitated briefly before replying, "There's one last option—a liver transplant. We do have a suitable match here at the hospital …"Pausing, he studied Austin. Having treated Austin's mother for some time now, he was aware of Austin's financial situation.In the end, the doctor decided to continue saying, "But … the surgery won't be cheap. At the very least, it'll cost 200 thousand."200 thousand?Austin's eyes lit up. He
Urma was not done with her tirade yet."Look at you now. Nancy gave us the money because she loves us, but you're shameless enough to ask for it back! Why are you such a leech? Well, Harvey's about to get married. We're giving him the 200 thousand as a down payment on a house for him and his future wife. You won't be getting a single penny from me!"The call was cut off.Austin froze in shock. Did Urma not understand a word he said?"Austin! Have you gone mad?" Nancy grabbed Austin by the collar frenziedly. "How could you do that? Is it so wrong of me to give money to my parents?"Feeling defeated, Austin stared at Nancy with reddened eyes and asked, "Is my mother's life worth less than a down payment for your brother's new house to all of you?""You're full of bullshit!"Nancy released Austin and began to throw everything in the living room she could get her hands on.In mere seconds, the living room was a mess.Sitting on the couch, Nancy whimpered, "Austin, you heartless ma
As the car cruised down the streets, Austin remained in shock. It all seemed like a dream.He and the old man, Ezra Lockwood, went up to the ICU ward at Legacy Hospital.It was not until Austin saw his mother, Dahlia Emerson, that he fully registered what was happening. Dahlia had just come out of the operating theater.Joy, gratitude, and other overwhelming emotions washed over Austin."I'm happy to report that the liver transplant surgery was a success, Mr. Lockwood," a doctor came over and said respectfully.Austin was stunned. The doctor, Isaac Navarro, was Dahlia's attending physician. He was one of Legacy Hospital's most well-known doctors and also an expert in the medical field.Isaac was the one who suggested performing the liver transplant surgery to save Dahlia.It went without saying that such an esteemed doctor would have no qualms treating even the most powerful beings as his equals. Despite that, he was showing such courtesy toward Ezra."Thank you, Dr. Navarro,"
"He has been doing this to protect you and your mother," Ezra said."And now, he finally holds the power in his family. He has always cared about you and your mother. He feels guilty, so that's why he sent me over to visit you and try to make up for everything he owes you over the last 20-odd years.""Make up for everything? How's he going to do that?" Austin snarled through gritted teeth.Tears pooled in his reddened eyes as he declared, "It's been over 20 years. Does he know the life my mom and I have led? Ever since I was a kid, people called me a bastard child. "To raise me, my mom had to work all day and all night. She got sick because of how hard she had to work all these years!"Ezra passed a black debit card with a purple orchid design on it to Austin. "This is a token of your father's sincerity."Austin stared at the debit card he was holding.It was his first time seeing one like that.In an instant, his rage bubbled over.Could over 20 years of neglect be forgiven