At the sound of a voice, everyone turned to see Marie Olson, who had been lying unconscious, suddenly opening her eyes.
She was awake! Truly awake!
The sight of Marie Olson regaining consciousness shocked the onlookers.
“Wow, this guy does have some skills,” someone muttered, and soon the crowd began praising Kayden.
Dr. Clarkson, however, remained frozen, caught between disbelief and astonishment. Marie Olson had indeed woken up, which meant Kayden’s earlier words were true-Dr. Clarkson had no real medical expertise!
What an embarrassment!
Dr. Clarkson could feel the scorching stares of the crowd on him, each gaze like a dagger. If there were a hole in the ground, he would have dived into it without hesitation.
As Marie Olson’s eyes fluttered open, Kayden was in the middle of removing the silver needles from her body. One hand happened to rest on her chest.
“Ah!” Marie Olson screamed as soon as she realized what was happening. Seeing a man’s hand in such an inappropriate place, she panicked and slapped at him, shouting, “Pervert!”
But before her hand could land, Kayden caught it effortlessly. To him, her movements were far too slow-as if played in slow motion on television.
“Crazy woman!” Kayden snapped, glaring at her before turning to leave with his silver needles.
He hadn’t saved her to prove anything to Dr. Clarkson. He had only acted to save a life. Had he known she would be so ungrateful, he wouldn’t have bothered.
He didn’t care for her gratitude, even though she was Nate Olson’s daughter, a member of the elite Zlando Corporation ranked among the top thirty in the industry. To Kayden, it was irrelevant. Even if she had been the daughter of the wealthiest man in the nation, he wouldn’t have cared.
As Marie Olson steadied herself and looked around, her gaze eventually landed on Dr. Clarkson.
“You’re Dr. Clarkson, aren’t you?” she asked.
Dr. Clarkson, his face still red with embarrassment, nodded stiffly. “Yes, Miss Olson.”
“Then it must have been you who saved me, right?” she continued.
Before Dr. Clarkson could reply, she added, “I never forget those who help me. Rest assured, I’ll repay you for saving me today.”
With that, she turned and walked away without hesitation. The metallic taste of blood lingered in her mouth, and she needed to deal with it immediately.
Dr. Clarkson stood there awkwardly, while Kayden had already left, widening the gap between them. It was painfully clear that, in Kayden’s eyes, Dr. Clarkson wasn’t even worth his attention.
The crowd’s gaze shifted to Dr. Clarkson, their expressions filled with disdain. They saw through him completely. A man with no medical skill, who was also a hypocrite.
Dr. Clarkson’s reputation was in tatters, his authority irreparably damaged. The humiliation burned like fire, and as the crowd continued staring, his anger boiled over.
“Dr. Clarkson, I don’t think that was epilepsy,” his curvaceous female apprentice said thoughtfully. “I’ve read about it-epilepsy involves convulsions and foaming at the mouth, but it doesn’t cause people to bite others or go into such a frenzy!”
She hesitated before adding, “Miss Olson’s symptoms seemed more like possession. I think there are things we just can’t explain. Back in my hometown, I’ve seen strange cases like this. It’s kind of creepy, actually…”
Dr. Clarkson’s face darkened further. Her words felt like another slap to his already bruised ego.
“Are you questioning my abilities too?” he barked, veins bulging in his forehead. His anger was so intense it seemed like he might explode.
Caught off guard by his outburst, the apprentice stammered, “I-I was just stating the facts, Dr. Clarkson. I didn’t mean…”
“Shut up!” he roared before storming off in a fury.
His apprentice stood there, dumbfounded. The crowd watched him go, their disappointment palpable. Dr. Clarkson, they realized, was not only incompetent but couldn’t handle failure.
Away from the crowd, Dr. Clarkson looked utterly defeated, like a dog with its tail between its legs. His desperation to salvage his pride made him lash out at anyone he encountered.
Meanwhile, Kayden returned to his seat, closed his eyes, and resumed his meditation. His demeanor remained calm and composed, as if nothing had happened.
“Are you some kind of exorcist?” a curious voice suddenly piped up.
Kayden opened his eyes to see a teenage girl sitting beside him. She wore overalls and glasses, her eyes wide with fascination. She held a phone displaying an e-book titled Ghostly Games.
“No,” Kayden replied, shaking his head.
“Do you think ghosts are real?” she pressed.
“I don’t know.”
“You do know!” she insisted. “You said earlier that the lady was possessed. Was she bitten by a zombie? Is that why she started biting people? And if she was bitten, does that mean she’ll turn into a zombie? Will we all turn into zombies on this train?”
It was clear the girl had spent far too much time watching horror movies.
“No,” Kayden answered flatly, his tone dismissive.
But the girl was relentless, bombarding him with questions about monks, witches, and supernatural creatures.
For Kayden, it was just a minor distraction during the train ride.
Soon, the high-speed train arrived at its destination.
Dragging his weary body, Kayden stepped off the train.
As he exited the station, a harsh voice called out, “Hey, you! Stop right there!”
Kayden paused, turning toward the sound.
It was Dr. Clarkson, accompanied by a group of tattooed thugs, storming toward him.
Dr. Clarkson, lacking any real skill or dignity, had resorted to brute force. He couldn’t forgive Kayden for humiliating him and was determined to make him pay.
“That’s him!” Dr. Clarkson shouted, pointing at Kayden. “That’s the guy!”
Then, with a sneer, he added, “Welcome to Zlando, kid. This will be a trip you’ll never forget.”