Chapter 5

Winnie was reluctant, but she feared Zack. So, she mumbled a half-hearted apology. Steven couldn't be bothered to argue with her. "What you hear from other people may not necessarily be the truth. As an adult, you should be able to have your own judgment instead of jumping to conclusions based on what you heard from the grapevine," Steven commented nonchalantly. "Who do you think you are? You're in no place to lecture me!" Winnie snapped. Zack shot her a piercing glare. "Please forgive her, Sir." Steven waved his hand and said, "Cut the pleasantries. I saved your life, so it's only right for you to pay me." "You're absolutely right. I wonder how much it's going to cost?" Steven only saved him for the sake of money. He'd been penniless the moment he left Qualls residence, so he thought he should find a way to earn some money first. "How much do you think your life costs?" "A good question indeed. However, I don't usually carry cash with me when I go out. Why don't you give me your contact, and I'll deliver a check to you by then? Just write down the amount you see fit." Zack was certainly very generous. "I don't have a place to stay at the moment, and I don't have a phone either," Steven said. "A damned gambler indeed! You can't even afford a phone after losing so much money. There's no point giving money to a person like you. The money will all go down the drain in the end," Winnie mocked. "Don't be rude!" Zack scolded. "Well, you can come back with me then. I'll give you the check." "Alright." Steven gathered his backpack and started walking down the mountain. "Dad, he's definitely a liar. What happened earlier was just a coincidence," Winnie said. "The way he treated you earlier was remarkable. Plus, he seems to be maneuvering the needles with his energy. He's not a mediocre man," Zachary spoke up. "That's impossible!" Winnie retorted curtly. She added, "Only a Heavenly Realm Grandmaster can do that. Look at him! He's just a poor and homeless gambler. How could he possibly be a Heavenly Realm Grandmaster?" "Zachary, are you sure that you aren't mistaken?" Zack asked. Zack was sort of convinced that Steven was a gambler when he said he didn't have a phone. Never mind how great his medical skills might be, Zack thought he'd be done for if he was addicted to gambling. He no longer saw the need to be acquainted with Steven. Yet, it would be a different story if Steven turned out to be a Heavenly Realm Grandmaster. There were only four grandmasters in Levix City, and they were all getting on in years. If Steven was really a grandmaster at such a young age, he would have a bright future awaiting him. It would be worth befriending him then. "I'm not exactly sure," Zachary admitted. "Zachary, you must've been mistaken. If he's really that skilled, I don't mind apologizing properly to him. But calling him a Heavenly Realm Grandmaster is a disgrace to a grandmaster's title!" Winnie sneered. "Enough. He did save me after all. We'll settle things with him once I pay him." Zack too thought it wasn't likely that Steven is a grandmaster. A grandmaster in his twenties was impossibly rare in Southbank. Though they were conversing in hushed tones, Steven could hear them easily with his keen senses. Smiling, he didn't bother to explain. Zack attempted to pry into Steven's background once they were all in the car. "Mister, which medical school did you graduate from?" "I've never attended medical school." Sitting in the front passenger seat, Winnie immediately chimed in, "Then why are you playing doctor? The nerve of you to request a treatment fee!" Zack was utterly disappointed. Knowing that he never attended medical school, he figured Steven probably only learned some basic first aid skills through unconventional means and just happened to nurse him back to health by coincidence. At this point, he didn't want to talk to Steven at all. He would've kicked him out of the car if it wasn't for the sake of his reputation and ego. "You're sick," Steven remarked suddenly. "What?" Winnie was momentarily stunned. She was soon awash in fury as she bellowed, "Are you insulting me? I'll kick you out of the car!" Zack frowned, looking extremely displeased. His lips parted, and he was about to order Steven to get out of the car. Just then, the car came to an abrupt halt. "Zachary, what's wrong?" Zack asked. "We're in trouble," Zachary stated solemnly. A black van suddenly emerged from a secondary road ahead and blocked their path. They had just managed a narrow escape from a collision when another car came speeding from behind at the same time. The car crashed into the back of their car, cornering them into an ambush. These people clearly meant trouble. The van's door swung open, and a group of masked men dressed in black emerged. They brandished machetes as they swaggered toward them. "Ms. Winnie, stay in the car and protect Mr. Miller Senior," Zachary spoke as he unbuckled his seatbelt. Zack seemed unphased. He ordered calmly, "Leave one alive for interrogation. Find out who sent them." "Noted." Zachary stepped out of the car, immediately engaging in a fight with the men. "Who are they? How dare they ambush us in the middle of the road?" Winnie didn't seem to be intimidated. She appeared to have a lot of confidence in Zachary. She suddenly spun around and glared at Steven. "Are you one of them, bastard? You must have informed them!" "I don't know them," Steven said. "We'll know about that very soon. You'll die right there and then if you happen to be part of them." Zack also suspected Steven of betraying them, otherwise it wouldn't explain the ambush. As he spoke, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at Steven's head. "Do you think this is the appropriate way to treat your lifesaver?" Steven asked, looking perfectly composed. It was commonly known that guns were quicker in a longer distance, and martial arts performed better in a close distance. To a Heavenly Realm Grandmaster, distances wouldn't hinder him. Zack's gun meant nothing to Steven. "I'll soon find out whether you're my lifesaver or a threat. I believe in Win for now. You are most certainly a liar," Zack snorted. Zack warned, "You better stay still, otherwise I'll shoot you right away." Steven smirked. He leaned back against the seat, and closed his eyes. The real drama had yet to come. Zachary was fighting for his dear life outside the car. His fists were formidable, and he took down four brawny men in a few moves. They were all so badly injured that they were on the brink of death. It was then that a middle-aged man emerged from the van. "Zachary, you're remarkable," the man spoke. "Who are you?" "The one who's going to take your life," the man snarled as he charged toward Zachary at lightning speed. Zachary was caught off guard. In less than five moves, a loud bang was heard. Zachary was sent crashing toward the car, denting the door and shattering the glass. "Zachary!" Winnie exclaimed. "He's a seventh-grade expert. Leave with Mr. Miller Senior now!" Zachary shouted, coughing out blood. Zack stirred in his seat anxiously upon learning the attacker's rank. Panic flashed across his face. Escaping from a seventh-grade expert was practically impossible. Zachary lunged at the man relentlessly again, yet his effort turned out to be futile. The man punched him right in the face again, and he collapsed to the ground. Blood trickled down the corners of his lips. He was completely devoid of energy to fight back. Nelson had one foot on Zachary's head as he yelled at Zack, who was still in the car, "Zack, your bodyguard's too weak. Get out of the car and let us get this over with." "Dad, what should we do? Zachary's defeated. Are we going to die?" Winnie squeaked, her voice laced with fear. Zack was also at a loss, his expression somber. A seventh-grade expert hired to assassinate him was basically game over for him. "I'm afraid we're going to die here today," Zack sighed. Just then, Steven opened his eyes. "Give me one billion dollars, then I'll save you."