Chapter Sixty-Three: A Band of Pettiness

With a pained expression, Cold Tianhao handed over a dozen bank cards, totaling exactly three and a half million yuan, to Lin Yang. He spoke in a deep voice, full of reluctance, “Now, the treatment can begin, right?”

Lin Yang merely smiled, but the smile was too sly. Following Cold Tianhao’s steps, he left the office and headed straight for the police bureau square, where a private ambulance belonging to the Cold family was conspicuously parked, drawing the eyes of all around. With the money already in Lin Yang’s pocket, there was no reason to refuse further.

The police bureau square was not large, but still half the size of a football field. Cold Tianhao ordered the black-clad bodyguards stationed beside the ambulance to stand aside, clearing enough space. He carefully led Lin Yang closer to Cold Qing, who lay on a stretcher, unable to move his limbs.

“Lin Yang, it’s you? Hmph, I won’t let you off!” Cold Qing, struggling to lift his head on the stretcher, caught sight of Lin Yang and immediately fumed, threatening coldly with bloodshot eyes as if he wanted to devour the man.

Cold Tianhao dared not let Cold Qing provoke Lin Yang any further. The Cold family had already lost badly in the previous verbal and physical exchange. He hurried forward to stop Cold Qing from uttering more threats, afraid Lin Yang would raise the price again, and he’d be left with nothing but regret.

But it seemed he was still too late. Lin Yang raised three fingers, his face icy and sinister. He stated coldly, “The money just paid only covers two hands and one foot.”

A sudden jolt seized Cold Tianhao’s heart. As he stepped onto the ambulance, his right foot slipped, almost sending him tumbling. Luckily, Cold Wolf behind him reacted swiftly and caught him, sparing him from falling headlong into the vehicle.

“You brat, you…” Cold Wolf started to curse, but immediately clamped his hand over his mouth, shooting Lin Yang a fierce glare before saying nothing more.

Cold Tianhao was speechless. That one sentence had cost him tens of thousands.

Cold Qing, unaware of the situation, struggled uncomfortably as his second uncle, Cold Tianhao, covered his mouth. Helpless, Cold Tianhao explained the gist of what was happening.

Cold Qing listened, face flushed and eyes glaring. He looked at Lin Yang with only one thought: “Kid, I’ll kill you.”

Unable to vent their anger, the expressions of the three Cold family men said it all.

Cold Tianhao dared not spend recklessly anymore. He planned to wait until Cold Qing’s treatment showed results before addressing his own hand injury and the tens of thousands lost due to Cold Qing’s harsh words.

Lin Yang was intent on infuriating the Cold family, but his treatment was thorough and professional. With a flourish of the scalpel, in less than a minute, Cold Qing’s crippled hands and left foot were restored as if nothing had ever happened.

“All right, all right!” Cold Qing, regaining full use of his hands and left foot, was so moved he nearly cried. Those who have not experienced a fate worse than death could never understand such despair.

Propping himself up, Cold Qing attempted to stand, but stumbled and rolled onto the floor, banging his head against a nearby chair. Pain contorted his face and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He truly was unlucky—his head swollen from the impact, and his mouth hitting the edge of the chair precisely. He was the sort of person who could choke on water.

“Ah! My right foot! You brat—” Cold Qing, clutching the chair to stand, roared as his right foot remained numb. Only then did he recall Lin Yang’s earlier words about “two hands and one foot.”

Cold Tianhao was no fool. He stopped the furious Cold Qing and turned with an emotionless gaze toward Lin Yang, asking, “One foot, one hand—name your price.”

He was wise enough not to haggle later, fearing Lin Yang would demand even more. Now was the time to strike while the iron was hot, and besides, he had purposely prepared an extra three million.

“Oh, that’s easy. As a doctor, all you need do is pay the medical fee,” Lin Yang replied shamelessly, sounding almost like a physician with professional ethics.

Everyone present agreed silently: this man had fallen into the money pit.

After a round of bargaining, Cold Tianhao painfully settled on two million, finally persuading Lin Yang.

This time, the operation was finished in half a minute, nearly driving the Cold family mad with rage. In less than two minutes, Lin Yang had earned five and a half million in medical fees—far more than selling meat—without even counting the sixty thousand demanded as compensation.

With no more worries, the Cold family loosened up, wisely refraining from pursuing the matter further. After all, Lin Qingcheng, the fierce Tiger Girl, had arrived as the final act, and they valued their lives too much to challenge her ruthlessness, especially with Lin Yang’s sharp tongue and skill.

Harboring feelings of resentment and hatred, the Cold family departed in disgrace. In a blink, their fleet of luxury cars blocking the police bureau’s entrance vanished, leaving only the young officers gazing enviously at their retreating vehicles, their eyes shining.

Once the Cold family had gone, Lin Yang approached Tiger, handing him nearly two million yuan in bank cards. “This is for the families of the four brothers,” he said.

Tiger hesitated, “It’s too much, and you’ve already given before.”

“Their lives are worth far more,” Lin Yang replied solemnly, refusing to take the cards back. He turned and walked toward the Tiger Girl.

Before Lin Yang could speak, Tiger Girl scrutinized him carefully, then smiled sweetly, her voice pleasant, “Young master, you’ve changed. The old man will be pleased.”

“Yes, in this world of chaos, change is inevitable,” Lin Yang answered, his tone deep. He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and changed the subject, “Qingcheng, how is the old master lately?”

Though he was only a cosmetic surgeon, Lin Yang knew more than many experts. He was well aware of the old master’s condition: years of overwork had left him with tuberculosis and, given his age, chronic issues with his spine and neck. Even his injured right calf bone often acted up.

“The same as always. But lately, the right leg bone has been more troublesome due to the weather,” Lin Qingcheng sighed, lowering her head. The old master was famously stubborn and wouldn’t listen to anyone, a typical workaholic.

“Have him take these, and apply this to his leg. I’ll cure him when I have time,” Lin Yang said, pulling out two packets of differently colored powders and handing them to Lin Qingcheng.

He’d examined the old master’s ailments before, but lacked the skill to cure them. Now, after breaking through to the fourth blade, his strength had increased geometrically, but he still wasn’t fully confident, especially given the old man’s stubbornness.

“When will you return home?” Lin Qingcheng asked, grabbing Lin Yang’s arm excitedly, sensing his intention.

Lin Yang only smiled mysteriously.

“All right, the matter’s settled. Qingcheng, you’d better hurry back, or if the old man learns you’ve gone out, he’ll be furious,” Lin Yang joked, smiling.

He watched Lin Qingcheng’s figure until it disappeared from sight before reluctantly turning away.

“What's wrong, little brother? Are you lovesick, ready to stray from home?” Tiger teased, seeing Lin Yang’s lingering gaze.

Lin Yang responded with a playful retort.

“Those killers are finally gone. Ah, being bureau chief is tough—I suffer twice a day,” Wang Er Gou, the fat chief, waddled out from some hidden corner, grumbling as the Cold family disappeared.

With the Cold family gone, the police bureau grew peaceful once more, and Lin Yang’s party, having gained a great advantage, left as well.

Seated in the car, Lin Yang’s thoughts wandered. The Cold family was notorious for vengeance; having suffered such a loss today, they would never let it go, especially given Cold Qing and Cold Wolf’s volatile tempers, which Lin Yang knew all too well.

Tiger, driving, noticed Lin Yang’s heavy mood and asked with concern, “Worried they’ll strike back?”

“No, I’m not afraid. I just worry they’ll target those close to me,” Lin Yang admitted. He’d long regarded Tiger as an elder brother, especially since Tiger had always helped him without hesitation. Such brotherly affection deserved honesty.

Meanwhile, the Cold family, having left not long before, was unwilling to retreat in defeat. Without recapturing Cold Nini, their branch could never hope to seize the family leadership.

“Second uncle, are we just going back like this?” Cold Qing asked, grinding his teeth as the car sped down the highway toward Jin Hai and Jiang Ning. His newly healed hands clenched tightly, as if he wished to crush Lin Yang, his murderous gaze cold and terrifying.

“Hmph, just going back? I’ll make sure the kid pays for everything he did to me,” Cold Tianhao roared with anger, touching his swollen cheek and glancing at his right hand, which had cost him a million to heal.

“What should we do now? Jin Hai isn’t our main battleground!” Cold Wolf interjected, his hatred for Lin Yang no less than that of his abused brothers.

“Hmph, if Wild Wolf’s men can’t do it, I’ll turn to Tiger Shark’s killers. If they can’t handle him, I won’t mind turning him into a honeycomb with bullets,” Cold Tianhao declared, a vengeful thrill overtaking his face, as if Lin Yang was already a corpse in his eyes.

“But what if the Lin family’s old master suspects us?” Cold Qing, calmer than his reckless brother, voiced his concerns. Revenge was sweet, but losing their lives would ruin their chance at the family throne.

“Perhaps the Lin family could be useful. If we can redirect their wrath towards the family elders, it might be a good strategy,” Cold Tianhao said, his smile turning sinister.

Amid their dark fantasies, the fleet of luxury cars sped away into the distance.