Chapter 86 – 90
Chapter 86 – 90 An Understated Dominance
Chapter 86
“Sir! You’re here?!”
Upon seeing Dr. Rowan Cross, Ross was stunned. He rushed to greet the older man with respect. At that moment, he looked very humble.
“Sir?”
“Could it be… this person is the great Dr. Cross?!”
After learning the identity of the older man, the Nicholson family members were excited. They surrounded him, trying to gain his favor.
“Oh my! What an honour to meet the great Dr. Cross in person!”
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Dr. Cross. I’m so lucky to meet you!”
Everyone chimed in, praising the doctor.
One should know that this doctor was well–known across the seven seas. Not only was he good at curing others, but he also had a vast network of connections and was incredibly influential. Just a word from him could change one’s life.
“Dr. Cross, aren’t you resting? Why are you here?” the doctor asked curiously.
“A friend called me saying you were messing around with a patient. Did such a thing happen?” replied Rowanross. He was not happy.
Earlier that day, he had received a call from his biggest savior. He was so happy that he rushed to the hospital as fast as possible.
“A friend?”
Everyone exchanged glances before looking at Matt. In their eyes, only someone noble could be considered a friend of Dr. Cross. In this room, Matt was the only person noble enough.
“Dr. Cross, I’ve heard a lot about you!” At that moment, Matt suddenly stepped forward and introduced himself. “I’m Matt Laney, from Millsburg. I believe you’ve met my father.”
“Oh…” Rowan replied softly. He scanned the room as if looking for something. He did not even spare Matt a glance.
Shot down by the doctor’s cold response, Matt fell silent awkwardly.
“Sir! Have you lost something recently?” Ross asked.
“Lost something?” Rowan raised his eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“Earlier, someone here stole your antidote. Luckily I noticed in time and stopped him so that you won’t suffer any losses!” the doctor said excitedly. Hexanavir was his mentor’s most prized treasure. Now that he had helped return it, he would surely be rewarded.
“Stole my antidote? Who?” Rowan was puzzled.
“It’s him!” exclaimed the doctor as he pointed to someone behind Rowan. “He’s the one who stole your Hexanavir! He even babbled on about how you gave it to him as a gift. Thankfully I’m smart enough to see through his lies. Otherwise, he would’ve run off with the antidote!”
“Dr. Cross, Dustin’s actions have nothing to do with us. If you want to get him, just get him! It is none of our business.”
“That’s right! Hurry and get rid of him!”
The Nicholson family was afraid to get in trouble, so they all started pointing fingers at the culprit. However, no one expected the dark cloud that fell across Rowan’s face.
“Dustin, what are you still waiting for? Hurry and return the antidote and apologize! If you’re lucky, Dr. Cross might forgive you!”
Dahlia started sending him signals. Although she hated his actions at times, she still felt bad for him when he found himself in bad situations.
“Bastard! You’re done for! You dare steal my mentor’s treasure. No one can save you today!” Ross sneered with a smug look as if he had won.
One should know that although his mentor was kind and forgiving, he was serious when it came to medicine. There was no way he would let Dustin off easily for stealing his antidote!
“Dr. Cross, you’ve done a great job teaching your apprentice. Since this antidote is so precious, I’ll return it to you.“Dustin pulled out the bottle of Hexanavir and threw it over to Rowan.
Rowan almost collapsed in shock.
However, Ross still had not grasped the situation and continued mocking Dustin.
“Bastard! Now you’re scared? Why didn’t you do this earlier? Even if you return it now, it’s too late! I want you to kneel and apologize. Maybe then I’ll let you go!” the doctor with glasses exploded, his head held high.
“Shut up!” At that moment, Rowan’s patience had run out, and he slapped Ross across the face with all his might.
Ross fell to the ground with a loud smack. He felt like he had dislocated his head. Blood started to flow from his nose.
“S–sir. Why did you hit me? He’s the one you should hit!” Ross asked, stunned as he held his face, not
understanding what he did wrong. His master had slapped the wrong person.
“You dare disrespect Mr. Rhys? You’re the one who should be slapped!” Rowan bellowed in a fit of rage. He lifted Ross to his feet and slapped him several more times.
Ross‘ face turned a darker purple with every slap. Even his teeth started falling out.
Everyone was confused at this scene.
“What is going on? Shouldn’t Dr. Cross be lashing out at Dustin? Why is he hitting his apprentice?” everyone wondered.
“You imbecile! Brainless scum! Who gave you the guts to disrespect Mr. Rhys? I’ll beat you till you come to your senses!” Rowan roared as he kept hitting with no mercy.
If Dustin hadn’t stepped up to stop Rowan, Ross wouldn’t have survived.
After all these years, Rowan had been searching for Dustin so that he could repay him for his kindness. And now that they had finally met in person, it should have been a momentous occasion. However, his failure of an apprentice disrespected and openly mocked his greatest savior. He was clearly looking for a beating!
After letting out his anger, Rowan presented the bottle of Hexanavir to Dustin and said, “Mr. Rhys, I’m terribly sorry. It’s my fault for not training him well enough that you had to go through all that. Please forgive me!”
He fell to his knees in front of Dustin.
Seeing Rowan kneeling before the man, everyone was stunned into silence. Their eyes widened with shock as if they had seen a ghost.
“The great Dr. Cross is kneeling and apologizing to a nobody? What in the world is happening?!” everyone wondered.
Chapter 87
Rowan’s actions had left everyone in the room stunned.
“N–no way! Dustin knows Dr. Cross? How is that possible?!”
“Oh my goodness, Dustin is incredible! He can even make Dr. Cross apologize?”
Everyone in the room exchanged glances of shock as they watched Dustin’s calm, unfazed expression and the respectful look on Dr. Cross‘ face. They had difficulty picturing someone mediocre knowing someone like Dr. Cross.
“Are–are my eyes playing tricks on me?” Florence was in disbelief.
The great Dr. Rowan Cross, the best doctor in the world, was apologizing to Dustin? How unbelievable!
“Could it be that Dustin’s Hexanavir really was a gift from Dr. Cross?” Dahlia was also shocked to her core. To be honest, ever since the divorce, she noticed that Dustin had become more discreet.
“What a nuisance!” Matt muttered to himself, looking gloomy. Dr Cross” appearance had disrupted his plan.
“S–sir… You really know this guy?” Ross asked in disbelief, cradling his face.
“Know him? Mr. Rhys is my savior. You’ve got some nerve. How dare you disrespect Mr. Rhys? Hurry up and kneel! Apologize to him!” Rowan roared, slapping Ross twice more.
“I–I’m sorry. I was the one who didn’t recognise master’s savior. Please forgive me!” Ross gave in and hurriedly kneeled before Dustin. He was no longer as arrogant as he was before.
“Mr. Rhys, this failure of an apprentice made a grave mistake not recognizing someone incredible like you. Please don’t pay any mind to what he says. Of course, if you need to vent your dissatisfaction, you may punish him as you see fit. I’ll take responsibility even if you hit him to death!”
Rowan’s words shocked the injured doctor as he trembled in fear. From the look on his master’s face, he realised he had messed with the wrong person.
If Rowan did not go easy on him, he’s dead!
“I don’t need to punish him. I just hope you will be stricter with apprentices so they don’t ruin your reputation,
Dr. Cross,” Dustin said in a gentle voice.
“Of course, of course,” Rowan agreed, nodding. “I will make this one reflect on his behavior. If he doesn’t change his ways, I’ll kick him out!”
“That’s your decision to make,” Dustin added.
“Failure! Hurry up and thank Mr. Rhys for being so forgiving!” Rowan roared.
“Thank you, Mr. Rhys, for your kindness!” the doctor kneeled before him.
“That’s enough. Get up.” Dustin waved him away.
“Mr. Rhys, it’s been so long since we last saw each other after we parted ways. Do you have some time to have a meal with me?” Rowan asked.
Upon hearing the invitation, everyone in the room was fired up. What an honor it was to share a meal with Dr. Cross. Even the great elites from Millsburg had to make reservations to meet him.
“Dammit! This Dustin guy really hit the jackpot!”
“I know, right? To get on Dr. Cross‘ good side, he must have a great life ahead of him.”
They were jealous and filled with envy. The words that left of Dustin’s lips in reply to the esteemed doctor shocked everyone even further.
“I don’t have the time right now. I’ll let you know when I’m free,” Dustin replied.
“H–he rejected Dr. Cross? The guy who got kicked out of the Nicholson family rejected an invitation from the great Dr. Cross? Did I hear that correctly?” everyone questioned.
“Oh, okay. I can always make time for Mr. Rhys.”
No one expected Rowan’s response. Not only was he not angry, but he was even happier than before. Dustin had not explicitly rejected him. That meant Rowan still stood a chance.
“Mr. Rhys, you’re busy. I won’t waste more of your time. Goodbye,” Rowan said tactfully, shaking Dustin’s, hand. He dragged his apprentice by his ear and left the room.
After they had left, the ward was in an uproar again. They looked at Dustin in surprise.
“Dustin, how do you know Dr. Cross?” It was Dahlia who spoke up first.
“I helped him once, so he owes me a favor.” Dustin said bluntly.
“Just like that?” Dahlia was shocked.
“What else is there?” Dustin replied.
“So that’s how it is. I thought.” Dahlia trailed off.
Everyone else let out a sigh of relief at his reply. They thought that Dustin had curried Rowan’s favor using other mysterious means. It turned out that he was just lucky.
“Humph! So what if you helped him once? You just got lucky! What’s so special about that!”
“He only owes you a favor. He already gifted you a bottle of Hexanavir. And now he’s saved your reputation.
The next time you ask him for help, he won’t comply!”
“We should stand on our own two feet. You shouldn’t keep seeking out others for help. After all, it won’t last forever.”
Now that they knew the truth, the crowd started making sarcastic comments. After all, they still couldn’t accept that a nobody like Dustin could be better than them.
“Dustin, thank you for what you did earlier,” Dahlia mumbled awkwardly.
She never thought that Dustin would know Dr. Cross. He even cured her grandfather’s illness. Reflecting on her actions, she couldn’t help but feel guilty.
“You don’t have to say anything. Saving Granddad was my decision. It had nothing to do with you,” Dustin
Dahlia’s gratitude vanished with Dustin’s cold words. She frowned and thought to herself, “I already expressed my gratitude. What else does he want? Should I apologize to him in front of everyone? Does he need to be so particular?”
Chapter 88
“Rhys! What is your problem? So you got lucky and saved the old man! You don’t have to be so rude about it!” Florence cried, clearly upset. How dare he treat her daughter that way? Did he think he was all that?
“At least I saved him. What about all of you? He almost lost his life because of you!” Dustin retorted coldly.
“You… What is this attitude?!” Florence sputtered. She had almost reached her limit.
“Enough! Stop yelling at each other! What a disgrace!” Henry then demanded, “Florence, all of you, go outside. I need to speak to Dustin for a while.”
“Humph!” Although Florence was not happy about it, there was no other option but to leave.
“As soon as they left the room, the group started muttering.
“Say, do you think Old Mr. Nicholson wanted to talk to Dustin about his will or something?”
“I’m not sure. That guy is great at getting on Old Mr. Nicholson’s good side. No matter what, we need to be careful!”
“Ha! I don’t understand. James is his biological grandson, and yet Old Mr. Nicholson favors that guy more. I really don’t know what’s wrong with him!”
They murmured to each other, expressing their dissatisfaction.
“Oh, that’s right. Where’s James? Why isn’t he here while Old Mr. Nicholson is sick?”
Dahlia scanned the room and realised her brother was not present.
“He went drinking with his friends. We couldn’t get through to his phone. He probably left it on silent mode,” Florence said, shaking her head.
“Humph! He only knows how to go to bars and drink. No sense of responsibility at all!” Dahlia’s expression darkened. With behavior like that, it was no surprise that her grandfather favored this other guy more than his biological grandson.
“Ms. Nicholson! Something’s wrong!” Lyra cried as she arrived in her work attire. She looked like she was in a rush.
“What happened?” Dahlia asked, confused.
“I was notified that your brother started a commotion and got into a conflict with some people. They started a fight.” Everyone was shocked to hear Lyra’s words.
“What? Who’s got the guts to bully my son?!” Florence demanded as her blood started to boil upon hearing the news. She had evidently missed the fact that her son was the one who had started the fight.
“I don’t know the details, but I heard that the other party had many more people. If we don’t get there in time to stop it, James might be in trouble,” Lyra added.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go help him!” Florence rolled up her sleeves, looking like she was ready to fight.
“He only knows how to get into trouble. How annoying! Lyra, hurry and get more people to the bar!” Dahlia instructed. She led the group to the pub. After all, James was her brother. If he got into trouble, she had to clean up his mess.
Meanwhile, in the other hospital ward, Dustin received a phone call from Duane.
“Hey, Dustin. I found the incredibly rare Panax root that you asked for. Are you free now? We should meet up and have a chat.”
“Oh? Where are you?”
“I’m at Enchanted Tavern. I’ll wait for you to get here!”
“Alright. I’ll be there.” Dustin hung up the call, said his goodbyes to Henry, and headed to his destination. 500-year–old Panax root was invaluable. Now that Duane had gotten his hands on it, Dustin could not miss the opportunity.
Half an hour later, as Dustin arrived at Enchanted Tavern, he noticed Dahlia waiting next to her car.
“Why are they here?” Dustin wondered. He was confused, but he did not reach out to them.
He followed a group of people inside.
Chapter 89
There were a lot of people gathered in the bar. Some of them were spectators. Others were involved in the fight.
The group that the onlookers were most interested in was a small group led by James. A few of them had bruises covering their faces and blood rushing from their faces. They were forced to kneel on the ground, looking hopeless.
“James, how did you end up like this?” Dahlia could not help but frown when she noticed James‘ injuries.
“Sis! You’re finally here!” James staggered as he stood up. It was almost as if he had met an angel.
“Oh! My poor son! Who did this to you? Tell me. I’ll give them what they deserve!” Florence shrieked at James, heartbroken. Even when her son made a mistake, she could not bring herself to life a finger against him. There was no way she would allow others beat him up like this.
“Mom! That’s the bastard who hit me!” James pointed behind him, looking vicious.
Florence followed his gesture, and her eyes fell on a beautiful woman in a revealing dress sitting calmly at a table. Behind her stood a few burly, strong–looking men.
“Bitch! You are all dead meat! My sister is the president of the Quine Group! You will pay for hitting me!” James roared. They would pay twice the price of what he had gone through!
“The Quine Group? Is it powerful?” The woman in the red dress swirled her glass of wine, unfazed by his words.
“Humph! You don’t even know the Quine Group! I knew you guys looked uncultured! Let me warn you. Hurry up and apologize to my son and settle for his medical fees. Otherwise, you’ll all pay the price!” Florence warned.
“Old bitch! You dare disrespect our boss? I’ll rip your tongue apart!” shouted one of the men standing behind the woman in red. He pulled out a switchblade.
“What? Are you threatening me? You think you scare me?” Florence scoffed as she stumbled two steps backward with fear. She was stubborn.
“What happened?” Dahlia had always been the rational one. She started asking about the situation.
“What happened? You should ask your brother about that.” The woman in the red dress stood up slowly and pointed at James. “He started making a commotion at my place. He even started hitting my men. I was just teaching him a lesson. I’m not crossing the line, right?”
“I’ll pay for the damage done. But why did you have to be so cruel to him?” Dahlia asked, frowning.
“Cruel? Haha! I already went easy on him. Otherwise, he would’ve lost more limbs!” The woman sneered. Enough! I won’t waste another second with you. If you want to settle this peacefully, hand over 700 thousand dollars! If you don’t, none of you will leave this room!”
“700 thousand dollars? Why not go rob someone?!” James roared.
“That’s right! I haven’t dealt with you for hurting my son! How dare you ask us for money? Where did you get your guts?!” Florence glared at her.
“You guys better come to your senses while I’m still being nice. After my man gets here, it won’t be as simple as handing over money,” the woman replied calmly.
“So what if you have a man? Tell him to come here this instant if you dare! I want to see how capable he really is!” Florence pushed, unafraid.
“You’re messing with the wrong guy! Do you know who our lady’s man is? He’s Sir Draco! Our leader of South City, the Cobra!” boasted one of the men.
“The Cobra?”
The Nicholson family immediately turned pale.
Swinton had four main territories: the North, South, East, and West Cities. East City was ruled by the King of the Underworld, Trevor Spanner. Meanwhile, South City was ruled by the infamous Cobra!
Compared to the King of the Underworld, the Cobra was said to be even more relentless and vile. According to legend, the Cobra loved raising alligators. Anyone who dared cross him was fed to his gators. People from West City could not afford to offend the Cobra.
They really were in trouble this time!
Chapter 90
“No wonder nobody dares to cause trouble here. Who knew Rosaline was Lord Draco’s woman?”
“It’s not that nobody dares to cause trouble; it’s just that anybody who caused trouble is dead! A tycoon with a net worth of billions flirted with Rosaline, and Lord Draco ordered that his limbs be chopped off. After the incident, the tycoon didn’t dare lift a finger and even apologized personally.”
“Fuck! That’s brutal!”
“No shit. Lord Draco is South City’s biggest bully. No one dares disrespect him!”
After finding out who the woman, Rosaline, was, the bar erupted in a furor. Some were shocked, some were in awe, and some sat back to watch the show.
“We’re in trouble this time!” James gulped as cold sweat dripped down his forehead. If he had known that Sir Draco ruled this place, he would not have dared to cause trouble, even if someone had put a gun to his head.
“How did I end up offending the devil himself?”
Florence shrugged, her face filled with fear. She wasn’t as fiery as before. She could bully some small fry, but when it came to a brutal thug like the Cobra, she knew her place.
“Why so quiet? Weren’t you great at speaking your mind earlier? Why don’t you show us again what you’ve got? *smirked the muscular man.
Was there anyone in South City who didn’t know of Sir Draco’s reputation? Almost nobody dared to offend Sir Draco!
“Don’t panic. I’m here. They wouldn’t dare touch you,” Matt spoke up next to them.
Florence and James were surprised at his words. They had nearly forgotten they had someone backing them up!
Matt was from the Laney family in Millsburg. What did he have to fear in this territory? No matter how mighty the Cobra was, he wouldn’t dare go against the Laney family, would he?!
With that realization, Florence and James straightened.
“Matt, the Cobra rules over this place. Is this really okay?” James asked tentatively.
“Don’t worry. He’s just some snake in the grass. He’s nothing to me.” Matt gave a small smile. He finally had a chance to flaunt his influence, so he had to show them all he had.
“I’m glad then.” James grinned. He thought he was done for, but now he had another shot.
“Hey! What are you mumbling about? Are you going to pay up or not?!” Rosaline barked, getting impatient.
“What are you going to do if we don’t pay up? You think we’re scared of you?” Florence mocked, placing her hands on her hips. With Matt backing her up, she feared nothing.
“You won’t pay?” Rosaline laughed coldly. “If you don’t pay up, we’ll do it Sir Draco’s way. Anyone who causes trouble here will have their limbs chopped off!”
She raised her hands and made a sign. The muscular men behind her unsheathed their machetes and strode forward.
“Wait!” Matt hissed and stepped up from behind. His good looks and classy aura always made women swoon.
“And who are you? How dare you meddle in my business?” Rosaline looked him up and down.
“I’m Matt Laney from the Laney family in Millsburg.”
“The Laneys from Millsburg?”
The room was in an uproar.
“Even an elite from Millsburg is here. We’re in for a good show!”
“No wonder those two are so bold. They have Mr. Laney backing them up!”
“Mr. Laney is so handsome. I wonder if he has a girlfriend.”
The crowd pointed fingers and gossiped. Their awe made Florence and James feel proud. The Laney family’s reputation was valuable indeed. With the Laney family backing them up, who would dare go against them?
“So you’re Mr. Laney. Nice to meet you,” Rosaline rasped, forcing a smile.
Of course, she had heard of the Laneys. There was a time when they were the aristocrats who led everything in Millsburg. Although they weren’t as glorious anymore, she did not dare provoke them.
“Since you know who I am, that makes settling things easier. Tell me, how do you intend to deal with this?” Matt asked as he clasped his hands behind his back arrogantly.
“Since you’ve spoken up, Mr. Laney, I naturally have to show you some respect. I’ll treat what happened here today as a misunderstanding. It’s over.” Rosaline conceded. They had a business to run, and she did not want to cause problems for Sir Draco.
“It’s over?” Matt snorted, “You hit a friend of mine, and you think two words can smooth things over? There are no free lunches here.”
“What else do you want?” Rosaline asked, frowning.
“Pay up and apologize, of course!”
“Apologize?” A dark shadow fell across Rosaline’s face. If she was dealing with this herself, she was okay apologizing. However, she was representing Sir Draco. If she apologized to them, wasn’t that an insult to Sir Draco?
“Are you deaf? Hurry up and apologize, or I’ll trash this place!” With her hands on her hips, Florence’s arrogant air returned.
“You don’t only have to apologize. You have to pay up. Damn it, you’ll have to pay me five million for beating me up like this! James shouted. With Matt backing him up, he had all the confidence in the world. He was milking Matt’s influence as much as he could.
“Mr. Laney, this is Sir Draco’s territory. Save me some face. Let’s not make enemies.” Rosaline pleaded, feeling awkward.
“You want me to save you some face? Who do you think you are?” Matt smirked. “Even if the Cobra were here, I’d demand an apology. Much less one from you!”
“Who thinks he has what it takes to make me apologize?” A thundering voice rang out across the bar.
A bald man wearing sunglasses, with a cigar between his lips, walked in menacingly. His fierce demeanor and intimidating aura frightened the crowd as they stepped aside. A path opened for him.
“Sir Draco, what brings you here?” Rosaline’s eyes lit up as she rushed to greet him.
“Just showing one of the gentlemen around.”
The Cobra put an arm around her waist and asked, “What’s going on? I thought I heard someone demanding an apology from me.”
“It’s like this…” Rosaline began, recounting everything that had happened with no details spared.
“Mr. Laney from Millsburg, is it? So you’re the one who wants me to apologize?” The Cobra stepped forward and looked Matt up and down. His expression wasn’t friendly at all.
“That’s right. Your people beat my friend up. Apologizing is the natural thing to do,” Matt quipped. With his hands behind his back, he was as arrogant as ever.
“Apologize? Fuck you!” The Cobra was furious. He slapped Matt across the face.
Matt stumbled and nearly fell over.
“Fuck!” he yelled.
The onlookers in the bar were stunned.