There was the Zimmer family and the Panther Gang... “He must have some secrets. Dig up everything there is about him!” Bianca said coldly. “I want all his secrets exposed. Every last one of them! Only then will I be able to deal with him!” “Yes, understood,” Michael said and nodded. “Off you go.” Bianca waved him off impatiently. She was ready to return to her hotel and rest. Her trip to the Cain family villa today had been a waste of time. It left her exhausted both mentally and physically. “Leaving so soon, Miss Bianca?” A languid voice suddenly echoed from the alley’s entrance. Bianca stiffened and turned in the direction of the voice. The dim light at the entrance made it hard to see who it really was. “Who are you?” Michael shouted. When the person stepped closer, Bianca finally saw who it was. “Dustin!” she spat the name out in disgust as her face darkened. It was none other than Dustin, who she thought had left. Michael immediately stepped forward to s
“Keep an eye on her every move and report back to me immediately,” Dustin ordered one of the Hell Guards as they exited the alley. Although he had given Bianca three days, he was not going to wait around. Someone as arrogant as Bianca would only grow more insolent under direct threats. His ultimatum was a deliberate trap. It was paired with round-the-clock surveillance to ensure she led them straight to his father’s remains. After issuing his orders, Dustin returned to the West family villa. Recently, the West family had been rising to prominence with his support. Most members were now preoccupied with various affairs, and the villa was quieter during the day. “Master Fox…” Irene stood by a pillar and called out to him softly. She was still struggling to address him like that. The young man she had once recruited from a bar had now become “Master Fox” to the West family. Lucius wanted everyone in the family to show Dustin the utmost respect. This left Irene feeling awkwa
“Still acting tough? Refusing to admit defeat until you hit rock bottom, huh?” Phoebe sneered. “Don’t forget our little bet—if your so-called ‘perfect date’ doesn’t show up or fails to impress, you’ll have to get on the floor and squeal like a pig!” Irene’s face turned ashen. She regretted her impulsiveness and bitterly cursed herself for agreeing to such an absurd and humiliating wager. If Dustin did not come, she would be forced to crawl on the ground and oink in front of everyone... That would be utterly disgraceful. Her reputation would be ruined forever. “He will come!” Irene said firmly. “Alright then. Let’s wait until 7:30 p.m. Get ready to become a sow,” said Phoebe in disdain and smirked. Time ticked away at an agonizing pace. Irene’s heart was racing, and anxiety gnawed at her insides. Still, she maintained a facade of composure and refused to let her unease show. Phoebe and her friends, on the other hand, continued their relentless stream of taunts a
“Drape a stone in silk and jewels, and it still won’t become a gem,” Dustin said indifferently. As soon as he said that, Phoebe’s face darkened. Everyone could tell the remark was a jab at her. “Who do you think you are? How dare you show up here? This isn’t a place for the likes of you. Someone, get him out of here!” she ordered coldly. Her lackeys leaped into action and stormed toward Dustin in menace. Dustin remained unfazed but waved his hand abruptly. “Ah—!” Thud! Thud! Thud! The lackeys were thrown back like rag dolls and rolled across the ground in a heap. Their faces were bruised and battered. The spectacle stunned the students at the ball. “Looks like Irene’s date is quite something,” someone murmured. “A bunch of fools!” Phoebe spat angrily. Dustin turned to Irene. “Sorry for the delay. I had something urgent to take care of.” “It’s okay. You’re here now. That’s all that matters,” Irene said and shook her head. She turned to look at Pho
The contrast between the two pairs on the dance floor could not be more striking. On Phoebe’s side, their dance was lively and graceful, and each movement showed elegance and versatility, which earned enthusiastic applause from the surrounding students. In stark comparison, Dustin and Irene’s performance was stiff and riddled with mistakes. Irene nearly twisted her ankle several times. “Is there even a comparison? This is just pathetic!” said Phoebe with a scoff. Her confidence soared as she saw victory within reach. Irene’s frustration grew with every misstep, and her anxiety was evident in her increasingly unsteady movements. “Let me lead,” Dustin suddenly said in a calm yet firm voice. Before Irene could respond, he had taken the lead. He tightened his grip ever so slightly and took control of their movements. In that instant, everything changed. Their dance transformed, like a machine that had just been oiled. It was seamless, breathtaking, and utterly mesmeri
The dance battle ended without any debate. The difference between the two sides was clearly visible to all. As Dustin and Irene finished their stunning performance, many in the crowd turned their attention toward Phoebe. Irene had won, so it was her turn to fulfill the bet. She had to get on the floor and oink like a big. “Phoebe is the daughter of the most prestigious family in Lannopolis. For her to kneel on the ground and squeal like a pig? It’ll be the headline in the local paper tomorrow, and the Chandler family’s reputation will be in ruins!” someone muttered. “The heiress of the Chandler family forced to squeal like a pig after losing in a dance-off? By noon, Lannopolis Elite College will be abuzz with gossip. How will Phoebe ever show her face here again?” Amid the murmurs, Phoebe’s face soured, as if she had just swallowed a fly. How could she possibly stoop so low? “You’ve won. What happens next is up to you,” Dustin said to Irene. Irene looked at Phoe
She only began resenting Irene after that incident and targeted her relentlessly ever since.Little did she expect that, at the graduation ball, Aaron would propose to Irene in front of everyone with the Verdigris Emerald ring. This was madness!Irene’s face reflected discomfort as she was surrounded by chanting students. “Aaron, I’m sorry, but I can’t say yes,” she said helplessly. “Why not? Irene, I’ve liked you for four years! Isn’t that enough to prove my sincerity? I’m willing to sacrifice so much for you. Why won’t you say yes?” Aaron lifted his head, and his voice grew agitated. So many people were watching them. He had spent a fortune on the Verdigris Emerald from the Central Harbor Auction House. Irene’s rejection felt like a public humiliation to him. “Aaron, stop fixating on this. I simply don’t like you!” Irene had no choice but to be honest. Irene’s words struck Aaron like lightning. “Why? What’s wrong with me? Did you fall for someone else?” he asked an
“You are the one who should be leaving.” Dustin’s gaze locked onto Aaron as he spoke calmly. The ballroom buzzed with murmurs of disbelief. The Burke family was one of the elite families of Lannopolis. Even in the elite circles of Lannopolis Elite College, where wealth and influence were abundant, few would dare cross someone like Aaron. But Irene’s date was a completely unknown person who did not seem to belong to any notable family. How could he be so bold? Phoebe sneered mockingly. She knew Aaron’s temper all too well. There was no way he would let such an insult slide. Irene’s “perfect date” was bound to suffer. Aaron’s face darkened. He slowly got up while still holding the engagement ring in one hand. “You’re the first person to speak to me like that…” he said in an icy voice full of menace. A twisted smile spread across his face. “And you’ll be the last!” “Aaron, what are you trying to do? Think before you act!” Irene quickly stepped in front of Dustin
“You should know where all the nerve centers are in the body, right?” Dustin asked. “I… I do…” “Good,” said Dustin and told her to step forward. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Is he really going to let an intern physician treat Germaine? This is Germaine Vance of the Vance family!” Everyone was taken aback. They could not believe their eyes. “This is preposterous!” The other physicians felt skeptical. If Dustin wanted to pick someone to help, he should have picked a more experienced physician! Rowan’s expression was chilly, and he clenched his fists tightly. He was at the limit of his patience when it came to Dustin. Dustin ignored all these comments directed at what he was doing. He talked to the nervous intern physician for a bit and told her to clean Germaine’s mouth and nose. Then, he had her massage Germaine’s head at a few key nerve centers. The amount of pressure applied and the time needed in each area was different. After all that was done, Dustin h
Dustin moved to stand before Germaine and regarded him with his head lowered for a while. Then, he walked to the desk nearby and sat on a chair. “So? What’s the condition?” Rowan asked. “You won’t understand even if I told you. It’s a very rare condition. There’s something wrong with the old man’s cranial nerves,” Dustin said flatly. Dustin could tell that Germaine was skilled at fighting. Such people tended to put a lot of stress on their nerves all the time. In that way, they were very different from ordinary people. In rare cases, a light hit would result in a pinched nerve and might even cause paralysis. Germaine’s nerves were pinched so badly that his cranial nerves had been affected. Thus, he was paralyzed in several places, and it was affecting his whole body. As such, he had lost consciousness and fallen into a coma. Moreover, he was spitting out blood constantly. If he stayed in that condition for another fifteen minutes, Germaine’s life would be in dan
“What did you say?!” Rowan’s eyes widened as he was enraged. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please spare me.” Clarence quickly fell to his knees and bowed. The might of the Vance family and Rowan’s fierce reputation terrified him. ‘We’re done for…’ Simone thought. That was what the entire staff of the hospital thought. “You’re a quack!” Rowan yelled. “What kind of trash hospital is this that you can’t even deal with such a small problem? I’ll destroy this hospital!” Rowan’s tantrum made everyone go quiet. “What’s all this noise? Shut up!” said a sudden voice. Everyone froze as they looked toward the source of the voice. It was Dustin! He had actually dared to shout at Rowan! The hospital staff were surprised. Dustin really had a death wish. “Dustin, have you gone mad?” Simone was flabbergasted. She quickly tried to pull Dustin aside. Rowan was not someone they could afford to offend! “What did you say, punk?” Rowan’s eyes narrowed as anger exuded from him in
At the outpatient section of the neurology department, there was a group of suited men in sunglasses surrounding an unconscious old man. By the old man’s bedside, his family members looked anxious and worried. Rowan Vance was pacing the ward. His eyebrows were knitted tightly. That day, the Vance family was on a day out. When they passed through Hattan, Germaine Vance had suddenly collapsed and started coughing up blood. It scared the entire group. Panicked, they rushed him to the nearest hospital. But the neurologist at the hospital had already done some checks but was unable to find out what the problem was. He then said that he would get an expert to examine the patient. “If you can’t save him, we’ll use all the power of the Vance family to destroy this hospital!” Rowan said viciously. The nurses in the neurology department were so terrified that they all went pale. After a while, as the members of the Vance family stood around impatiently, Dustin and the others ar
Clarence and the others felt insulted. “Punk, don’t regret your choice later! Even if you beg us, we won’t come back!” “That’s not likely to happen,” said Dustin and chuckled. Clarence and the others were even more livid. They all packed up their things in a huff and got ready to go. Simone was anxious. She wanted to make them stay, but everyone ignored her.“Dr. Boudin! Dr. Boudin!” As Clarence and the others were packing up, another physician suddenly rushed into the room in a panic. “A new patient was just transferred from Goodwill Hospital. He’s in a coma, but he’s coughing up blood. The files say it’s a brain condition, but tests aren’t showing where the problem is. Please hurry and take a look! “The patient’s family seems important. If we can’t save the patient, they’ll ruin the hospital!” “Oh?” Clarence raised an eyebrow. He was just thinking about how he could make things worse for Dustin when an opportunity presented itself immediately. “Please hurry and
“I’m so damn angry!” Clarence had never been so insulted before in his life. He was so mad that his face turned a shade of purple. He thought that Dustin and Simone would walk on eggshells around him and cater to his every whim to keep the hospital afloat. After all, he was the last resource the hospital had. Yet, he had never imagined that Dustin would not care at all. “You punk! Do you know what will happen if you fire me? Hmph! The hospital will go under immediately! There’s no chance of saving it!” Clarence said with a scoff. Dustin was terrifyingly calm. “On the contrary, I think that the hospital will do better without an old fart like you,” he said indifferently. “So, you should get lost. Don’t make me say it again!” “You… You…” Clarence’s mouth opened wide, but he could not say anything further. He had miscalculated. He definitely did not want to lose out on the significant benefits that being the assistant director of the hospital gave him. He did not u
“Who are you? Do you think you can boss us around? What are you shouting about? Do you have any manners at all?” someone yelled. “I am the new hospital director, Simone Langley!” Simone said angrily. No one seemed to care about that. It was clear that they knew Simone would show up, but it still did not matter. “So, you’re the new hospital director. Well, you’re certainly accomplished for your age. A hospital director so young…” Clarence said mockingly. “You still haven’t answered my question. Why are you playing cards during work hours? This is unacceptable.” Simone was furious. Clarence frowned. “Hey, miss, you’d better speak with some manners,” he said harshly as he glared at Simone. “Don’t think you can boss everyone around just because you’re the hospital director now.” Simone’s face reddened at Clarence’s tone of voice. Clarence smirked. He had gotten instructions early on from the main branch of the Langley family to create trouble for Simone. Besides, th
“Mr. Fox, the Langley family’s hospital is named Goodwill Hospital. They have their own pharmaceutical business and because they brought in a top grade physician a few years ago, they have a better reputation than the most prominent public hospital in Hattan.” Skyler was making a report to Dustin in the villa. “For the past two years, the Langley family has basically taken up the entire market share for the private hospital business in the area. Only a couple of small hospitals are still surviving.” Dustin chuckled softly when he heard that. “Buy the hospital closest to Goodwill Hospital,” he said calmly. “I will use what they look down upon the most to ruin their hospital.” … At the Langley family villa, they got the news about the purchase. “What? They’ve bought Peace Hospital?” Josiah had arranged for someone to keep an eye on what David and his family were doing. Once they found out about the purchase of Peace Hospital, the members of the main branch of the Langle
The person Killian addressed as Mr. Little took a few steps closer to him. He looked condescendingly at Killian. “It’s very simple. It’s because you offended someone you shouldn’t have,” the man said. “W-What does that mean?” Killian was in a daze. Dustin approached him with a smile. “You’re really bold to set me up on my own turf,” Dustin said sarcastically. “Your turf?” Killian looked at him in disbelief. “Everyone at the Antiquities Trading Hall obeys me. And yet, you dare to challenge me?” Dustin asked. Killian was instantly struck dumb. Luna was also taken aback. Her body shook violently. What? How could he call the shots here? Besides, they had never heard that the Antiquities Trading Hall had a secret boss. Killian and Luna were both stricken and nearly lost their reasoning. That was especially true for Killian. He knew that the Antiquities Trading Hall was a very powerful one. Even his father was polite to the people here. The owner was Dustin?! Ho