Chapter 7: Tenos Business Forum Went Nuclear

"You…" Ryan Lapwood stared at his men writhing across the floor, horror draining his face until it turned paper-white. His bulky body retreated on instinct, and fat beads of sweat rolled down his bald head. Terrance Lyson pinned him with an icy stare. "I don't care if you're Leopard (Five of a Kind) or some sickly house cat. In front of me, you stay down." He advanced step by step, each footfall measured. "And if you ever set your sights on my woman again, next time it won't be as simple as losing a few teeth…" Ryan stumbled backward. Then, as if he'd found something safer to bite, he whipped his head around and glared at the boss lady. "Amy Casson! You cheap bitch!" His voice shook with rage. "You actually found some hillbilly to hide behind?" He ground his teeth as he spat the threat out. "Just you wait. I'm going to tell Dragon Lord right now. Let's see how long you two can keep acting tough!" With that, he turned and ran, scrambling and half-crawling like a frightened, overfed pig. Amy hurried up and grabbed Terrance's arm, her fingers tight with panic. "Kid, you need to go. Right now. Dragon Lord has a huge presence around here, and he's close with the Mundy family in North City. We can't afford to provoke people like that!" Terrance studied her with a hint of amusement. "So your name's Amy Casson?" "At a time like this, that's what you care about?" Amy stamped her foot, frantic. Terrance calmly straightened his collar. "My name is Terrance Lyson. Since you agreed to be my woman, I'll keep you safe." His gaze sharpened, the air around him seeming to turn cold. "Dragon Lord, Snake Lord, whatever. If they come looking for trouble, I'll turn every last one of them into Bug Lord." Amy stared at him, stunned. After a long moment, she let out a soft sigh. "Terrance… I'm going to close the place and lie low for a while. Dragon Lord's been in the underworld for decades. He's got connections everywhere. You're an outsider, and…" "Why be afraid?" Terrance cut in, the corner of his mouth lifting with easy confidence. "My master used to say a fierce dragon doesn't bully the local snake. That's only because the dragon isn't fierce enough." He patted her shoulder. "And me? I'm exactly the kind of dragon that crosses rivers." When he finished, Terrance took her slender wrist and led her into the back room. He tipped his head back and downed a cup of water, then asked, "How do you think I should end this problem for good?" Amy-now that he knew her name-looked grave. "Dragon Lord has enormous influence in Tenos. And he's got the Mundy family in North City backing him. Unless you can have money and power like the Mundy family, then…" "My master also said that once you step into the mortal world, you play by mortal rules." Terrance rolled the cup between his fingers, a sharp gleam in his eyes. "I don't have wealth or influence yet. That doesn't mean I won't." He suddenly grinned. "Didn't my big wife build herself up from nothing? I'm going to build my own powerhouse too. Amy, will you help me?" Amy looked into his eyes. He seemed reckless, almost flippant, yet there was something unshakable underneath it. He'd beaten Dragon Lord's people and hadn't shown a trace of fear. Was he just a hotheaded rookie who didn't know what he'd done, or did he truly have the kind of ability that reached the heavens? "Y-you… what can you even do?" she asked cautiously. Terrance shrugged. "Medicine, geomancy, martial arts. I'm good at all of it." Amy's doubt didn't fade. "You can really cure my illness?" "Looks like I'll have to show you." Terrance rose and pulled an old-fashioned needle roll from his chest pocket. "I can treat you right away." They went into the inner room. Following his instructions, Amy lay flat on the bed, watching the silver needles in his hand with a tight, nervous breath. Terrance's wrist flicked. The needle slid into the acupoint on her abdomen with a smooth, flowing precision, like water finding its course. She didn't understand medicine, but she felt it clearly. Warmth welled in her lower belly, accompanied by a faint, stinging ache. "Don't tense up." Terrance focused as he gently worked the needle between his fingers. "That's your qi and blood clearing the blocked meridians." His technique was astonishingly practiced. Every needle landed with perfect accuracy. After about ten minutes, the warmth spread from her abdomen through her limbs, blooming until her whole body felt as if it had been soaked in a hot spring. Her pores seemed to open one by one, and the relief was so overwhelming she couldn't stop a soft sound from slipping out. "Done." Terrance withdrew the needles, then brushed his hands together. "Go to the hospital and get checked. Let the doctor tell you the results." He knew explaining it to a layperson would only waste breath. A report would speak louder than he ever could. After Terrance left, Amy rushed to the hospital that same night, still half in disbelief. Thanks to a friend, she got through a full set of tests quickly. Meanwhile, back at his rental, Terrance took a hot shower and sprawled on his bed, scrolling short videos. Watching influencer girls sway on his screen, he yawned and drifted off. He slept like a rock, unaware that the Tenos Business Forum had already exploded. Under his post, the comments surged at a visible pace: [Joy Lashbrook has a fiancé? What kind of sick joke is this?!] [That marriage contract looks real. The paper's even yellowed…] [No way my goddess has a fiancé, and some nobody country boy at that!] [Investigate him! We have to find out who he is!] [Brothers, squad up. We're meeting this idiot tomorrow!] … The comment section howled with grief. Countless young elites beat their chests in despair. Some declared they'd challenge Terrance to a one-on-one. Others swore they'd dig up every detail of his background. A few even directly @Joy to demand the truth. That quiet night was destined to leave more than a few men in Tenos tossing and turning. Inside Lashbrook Villa, Liana Lashbrook stomped her foot in fury, phone in hand as she stormed into her sister's room. "Sis! That dirtbag actually posted the engagement online!" She clenched her teeth as she spoke. "I thought country people were honest and simple. I didn't expect him to be this calculating! Good thing nobody knows his background yet, or you'd become Tenos's biggest joke!" Joy Lashbrook didn't even lift her eyelids. She'd already seen the post. "If anyone asks, tell them his address and where he came from. Tell them the truth." "What?!" Liana nearly dropped her phone. "Sis, are you out of your mind? You don't care about your reputation?" Joy's lips curved slightly into a smile that carried hidden meaning, but she offered no explanation. Just then, the phone on the nightstand lit up. When she saw the caller ID, a rare softness surfaced on Joy's usually cold face. "Darling, you saw the news online?" Her voice turned gentle, almost tender. "I'll come see you tomorrow… Mm, I know… Your dad arranged another doctor for you? Same as always, just humor him…" After she hung up, Joy looked out at the night beyond the window, something complicated flickering in her eyes. This sudden "fiancé" might be exactly what she needed to solve a few problems that had plagued her for far too long… The next morning, the sun shone bright. Thinking of that mysterious call her sister had taken the night before, Liana puffed up with anger. "I'm going to find that hillbilly today and settle this. How dare he ruin my sister's name!" At the same time, Terrance finished washing up and headed downstairs, humming to himself as he went looking for food. To his surprise, Amy was already waiting outside her little restaurant. She didn't serve breakfast, yet she stood at the door, craning her neck and scanning the street like she'd been there forever. The moment she spotted him, she jogged over and grabbed his hand, excitement trembling through her. "Terrance! I… I'm really cured!" Her eyes reddened. "So many famous doctors couldn't do anything, and you fixed it with just a few needles! I know a lot of friends with the same problem. If you opened a clinic, you could help so many people!" Terrance scratched his head and grinned. "That problem was nothing to me. But people have kids all the time, don't they? Doesn't seem like a huge market." "You don't understand." Amy tugged him toward a breakfast shop nearby. "Pollution's getting worse, food safety is a mess, and on top of that, people's nightlife is…" She launched into an endless analysis of modern causes of infertility. Terrance nodded along. "Fair point… But I've got an appointment today. Someone asked me to see them yesterday, and I already agreed." As he spoke, a black Mercedes rolled to a stop outside the breakfast shop. The door opened. Stepping out was none other than Anson Hauk, a titan in the medical world. He looked at Terrance with a complicated expression, as if he had a thousand words caught in his throat.