Chapter 4: Twenty Million

"Take a guess." Dorian Zimmerman wore open disdain, sarcasm dripping from every word. "Got any proof? Suspicion doesn't cut it. Enough nonsense-pay up." Shane Yale kept his face steady. "Dorian, I'm curious-why set me up?" He genuinely couldn't figure out why this guy had gone to such lengths to target him. Was it because of Cameron Zerba? But Dorian was the one who poached her in the first place. "Because I can't stand you!" Jealousy flared in Dorian's eyes. His old man was a contractor worth nearly ten million, and he'd been pampered from birth, always in the spotlight. In his mind, he should have been the star of Skynos Medical University. Then Shane showed up-absurdly good-looking, brilliant grades, freakish medical skill-he overshadowed Dorian without even trying. Stealing Cameron was supposed to be payback. But rumors spread that she would do anything for money and had even latched onto some pig, which only made Dorian burn hotter. Lately he'd bent over backward chasing the campus goddess, Bianca Scurr. She didn't even give him the time of day, and instead kept asking around about Shane. Jealousy warped his face. He waited until Shane was strapped for cash, sought out Tanner, and together they laid a trap. Dorian's grin went twisted. "Don't think you're some big deal. In front of me, you're nothing. I can crush you with a flick of my finger." Shane blinked. "Because of that? Are you brain-damaged?" Dorian posed like a triumphant general, smug and radiant. "Mad, are you? Useless. You're a broke loser. However I choose to toy with you, you'll take it." The words had barely left his mouth when a boot filled his vision. Shane, done piecing everything together, didn't bother with more talk. He lifted his leg and kicked. Dorian flew a good eight feet and skidded along the floor. He scrambled up, dazed. This broke loser should be kneeling and begging-how dare he throw a punch? Shock gave way to fury. He roared, "Tanner, kill him!" Tanner hadn't expected the bookish student to be so ferocious. He chopped his hand, and the punks behind him surged forward. The onlookers recoiled in fright. Cold light flashed in Shane's eyes. He moved his mother and sister behind him. He was about to step in when a bark cracked across the room. "All of you, stop!" Tanner's face darkened. He ran this block. Shane ignoring him already scraped his pride, and now some busybody wanted to butt in? Rage rose. "Who the hell are you? Who the hell dares stick their nose in Tanner's business? Believe it or not, I'll hack you to-" He turned-and froze. His face drained white. His body trembled. He never imagined the man standing there would be the Underground King of Skynos, Omar Zorn. He was just a two-bit gang boss. Compared to a kingpin like that, he was small fry. Omar had made sure his son was safe and finally let out the breath he'd been holding. He'd come to thank Shane, only to walk into this scene. After that shout, he strode over, eyes like ice, presence crushing. "Did you just say you'd hack me?" All of Tanner's swagger vanished. His knees buckled and he fell into a kneel. "B-Boss Zorn, I didn't know it was you. Even if I had a hundred lives, I wouldn't dare-" He regretted it so hard his guts twisted. In his heart he cursed Dorian's entire family tree. He thought he was just stomping a nobody to show off and skim some cash. He never dreamed he'd step on the Underground King's toes. Omar snorted and didn't spare him another look. He turned to Shane and bowed at a full ninety degrees. "Holy crap!" Tanner shuddered. The Underground King bowed to this young man? Who the hell was he? How big a disaster had he just kicked off? "Doctor Yale, thank you for saving my son's life." Omar straightened, pulled out a check, and handed it over. The amount was for two million dollars. Shane glanced at the number. "I asked for a hundred thousand." "You saved my boy. This isn't much. From today on, you're a benefactor of the Zorn family. If you ever need anything, say the word." As a boss of the underworld, Omar's eyes were sharp. This young man's medical skill bordered on the miraculous-bringing back the dead wasn't an exaggeration. A man like that had to be won over; at critical moments, that was as good as extra lives. "Then I won't be polite." Shane slipped the check into his pocket. As the heir to the Ancient Medical Sect, healing the sick was his duty, and charging a fee was only right. Seeing him accept it, Omar added, "Doctor, how about I handle these fools for you?" "Fine," Shane said with a nod. "Saves me the trouble." Omar turned, the aura of a king of the underworld rolling off him. He pointed at Tanner, still kneeling. "You blind mutt. Who gave you the guts to offend the doctor? Dump him in the river and feed the fish." At his order, four bodyguards charged forward. "Boss Zorn! Spare me, Boss!" Tanner nearly peed himself. He jabbed a finger at Dorian. "It wasn't me-he's the one who wanted to go after Mr. Yale!" Omar grunted. "Take them both." "Mercy, Boss, mercy!" Dorian had gone slack with terror. He dropped to his knees and smashed his forehead against the floor. "Boss Zorn, I'm Silas Zimmerman's son. For my dad's sake, spare me just this once-" "Silas Zimmerman?" Omar paused, then snorted. "A jumped-up nouveau riche asking for face? Even if I felt generous, does he dare accept it? Say one more word and I'll send your old man to feed the fish with you." "This..." Dorian fell apart. His father's name didn't help at all. He turned to Shane, crawling and kowtowing, slapping his own face between pleas. "Shane, I was wrong. I'm sorry. It's my fault. For the sake of us being classmates, let it slide this once..." Seeing that, Tanner realized where hope lay and begged in chorus. The two of them kowtowed like chickens pecking rice, and Shane didn't so much as blink. They had nearly gotten his sister hurt. He wasn't forgiving that. He stood steady, but Mia Looske was terrified. An ordinary housewife, she'd never seen anything like this. She rushed up and clutched her son's arm. "Xiaofeng, let it go. Don't let anyone die." Cassandra Yale was tense too. "Yeah, bro, just spare them." Shane didn't want to scare his mother and sister. He lifted his hand, and Omar's bodyguards stopped at once. "Thank you... thank you..." Tanner and Dorian had already been dragged to the door and had literally wet themselves. Snatching their lives back, they scrambled in and kowtowed in thanks. Shane stepped up to them, a curl of mockery at his mouth. "What about that twenty-thousand-dollar loan?" "It's gone, it's gone-wiped clean!" Dorian chose life over money without a second thought. He yanked out the earlier contract. Rip, rip, rip-he tore it to confetti. Shane's lip twitched. "The loan's gone. Then how about the two hundred thousand you had someone steal from me? Shouldn't we settle that tab?" He wasn't some saint. For his mother and sister's sake, he'd spared their lives. But they weren't getting off cheap. They had to bleed.