The Prison Dragon: Unrivaled Medical God

The Sky Garden and the Falling Sky

Mrs. Higgins held her gaze on me for the next three seconds. Then she threw her head back and cackled. It was the sound of a crow choking on a bone.

"Buy the building?" She wiped tears from her eyes. "Did you hear that? The convict wants to buy my building! And boy, do you have any idea how much a four-story apartment block is worth in the North District? Even a dump like this would fetch two million!"

She pointed a fat, sausage-like finger right at my chest.

"You probably don't even have two dollars in your pocket! Just a piece of prison trash trying to act tough in front of his wife."

She turned on Sarah, her face twisted with mockery. "And you! Trouble! You brought criminals to my decent establishment. Get your bags packed! Five minutes for you to be out, or I will chuck your clothes out through the window!"

Sarah trembled, grabbing my arm. "Ethan... let's just go. Please. Don't cause trouble."

I didn't move. I stood as still as a mountain.

"Viper," I said calmly. "Is it done?"

Viper stepped forward, his face aglow in the light of his smartphone screen. "Transaction done, my lord. The previous owner, Mr. Zhang, was very happy to receive an offer of twofold market value. The digital deed is now registered in your name."

"Twofold?" Mrs. Higgins crowed. "You must think I'm a fool. Are you really—"

Ringing. Ringing. Ringing.

Her phone buzzed from beneath her apron. She pulled it out begrudgingly.

"What?!" she growled into the receiver. "Mr. Zhang? I’m busy evicting some trash right n—"

She fell silent. Her eyes widened. The color drained from her face faster than water does down a drain.

"Sold? What do you mean sold? Right now? Electronic transfer? But... who?"

She gradually lowered the phone as she stared at me in horror. Her hands began to quiver so violently she almost dropped the phone.

"You..." Mrs. Higgins whispered. "You really..."

I started to walk forward. "Who's the landlord now?"

"Mr... Mr. Wright..." Mrs. Higgins swallowed hard, forcing a horrible, fake smile onto her face. "I... I didn't know! Misunderstanding! I was just joking around with Sarah! Sarah is my favorite tenant! I will put rent down! No, no rent! For one year!"

I turned to Sarah. "Did she treat you all right?"

Sarah looked down. "She... she turned off the heating in winter because I was late on rent by two days. She called me... names."

My expression hardened.

"You turned the heating off?" I asked Mrs. Higgins.

"I... I was saving energy!" she squeaked.

"Get out," I said.

"What?"

"You have ten minutes to pack your things and get out of my building," I stated coldly. "If you are not out, I will have my men throw you out."

"You can't do that!" Mrs. Higgins screamed, her greedy self coming back. "I have tenant rights! I've been in the manager's unit for twenty years!"

I signaled Viper.

Viper grabbed Mrs. Higgins by the collar of her flower-print blouse and hoisted her off the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"Ten minutes for you, according to the Dragon King," Viper growled in her face. "Ten seconds for me."

"AHHHH! Help! Murder!" Mrs. Higgins came screaming as Viper dragged her toward the stairs.

I looked to Sarah. She was staring at me, her mouth slightly open.

"Ethan..." she whispered. "Where did you get two million dollars?!"

"I have friends," I lied smoothly. "Pack your things. Just essentials. We're not staying here."

"But where are we going?"

THWOP-THWOP-THWOP.

A deep rhythmic thump began to shake the walls. The window panes rattled. Dust cascaded from the ceiling.

Light from a spotlight pierced through the grime of the window, lighting up the tiny room as if it were day.

I strode toward the window and peered out.

A vast helicopter was hovering above the street: a military-grade Sikorsky converted for buff womans. The downdraft was sending rubbish bins rolling down the street. Neighbors were now poking their heads out from the windows with mouths agape.

The side of the helicopter bore a golden insignia: A dragon coiled around a sword.

"Our ride is here," I said offering my hand to Sarah.

Sarah turned to look at me and then at the helicopter. For the first time in five years, a faint spark of hope flickered in her weary eyes.

Some time later, in River City Central Hospital, she heard the following: "AAAAHH! IT HURTS!" The screams of David Miller, as he moaned in pain while the doctors were treating the fractured arm and setting the bone.

A doctor barked, "Hold him down! The bone is shattered as if it was twisted by a machine!"

In the waiting area, Martha Miller was pacing like a tiger in a cage. Her makeup was gone, and the cake frosting had colored her expensive dress any number of nasty shades.

"That animal!" said Martha, and she hit her purse against the wall. "Ethan! That ungrateful dog! I will kill him! I will hire the Triads! I will spend every penny I have to see him dead!"

"Mrs. Miller," the nurse pleaded, "please lower your voice..."

"Shut up!" screamed Martha. "Do you know who I am? I am the matriarch of the Miller family!"

Ring.

The family accountant was calling.

"Finally!" Martha answered. "Transfer five million to the mercenary account. I want a hit put out on Ethan tonight."

"Mrs. Miller..." said the accountant, with a trembling voice. "We...we have a problem."

"What problem?"

"The transfer failed."

"What do you mean, failed? Try again!"

"I did, Ma'am; I tried three times. The bank says...the bank says our assets have been frozen."

Martha stopped pacing. "Frozen? By who? The IRS?"

"No... by the Global Banking Federation. And...Mrs. Miller, it gets worse. The Grand Sky Group just issued a press release. They are cancelling the partnership. They are suing us for 'Corporate Negligence' because President Lee was injured at our event."

"What?!" Martha's knees weakened. She grabbed a chair for support. "But...but that's a billion-dollar deal! If they pull out, our stocks will crash!"

"They already crashed, Ma'am," the accountant cried. "In the last ten minutes, the Miller Corporation stock dropped by 40%. The shareholders are in a panic. The banks are calling in our loans. Ma'am...we are looking at bankruptcy by tomorrow morning."

The phone slipped from Martha's hand to the floor,which felt like a very cold place.

Bankruptcy?

By tomorrow morning?

Suddenly, the echo of Ethan's chilling voice took hold of her thoughts.

"I will bankrupt your company. I will strip you of your titles. I will make you beg on the streets."

Martha felt a shiver run down her spine: This was no ordinary threat.

"He...He did this?" she whispered, her eyes wide with terror. "Who is he? Who the hell is he?!"

The location is Sky Garden Villa.

The helicopter touched down softly on the private helipad of the most expensive estate in the city. The Sky Garden Villa sat atop a hill, overlooking the entire glittering skyline of River City. It had a swimming pool, a private cinema, and gardens that rivaled a palace.

I helped Sarah down. She looked around, stunned into silence. Not from cold, but from shock.

Servants in crisp uniforms were already lined up, bows down.

Welcome home, Master. Welcome home, Mistress.

Into the great master bedroom I led Sarah. Silk sheets covered the bed. The view from the floor-to-ceiling windows was breathtaking.

"Sleep." I said. "No one can hurt you here. The rats are gone. The cold is gone."

Sarah sat on the edge of the bed. She looked at the silk, then up at me.

"Ethan," she asked softly, "Are you going to sleep here?"

"I have work to do," I said, turning towards the door. "I have to clean up the rest of the garbage."

"Wait."

She reached out and grabbed my hand. Her grip felt weak, but full of determination.

"Don't go," she whispered, holding on. "Please. I...I'm scared. If I wake up, and this is a dream..."

I hesitated. I looked at the woman who had endured five years of hell for me. The "Dragon King" didn't need sleep. The "Medical God" felt no fear. But my wife...she needed her husband.

I softened my expression.

"Okay," I said. "I'll stay."

I sat in a chair beside the window, watching over her like a guardian statue.

"Sleep, Sarah. When you wake up, the world will be different."

As she closed her eyes, my phone buzzed. A text came in from Viper.

[Report: The Miller Family stocks have crashed. But David has contacted the 'Black Tiger Gang'. They are coming for you.]

I stared out the window at the reflection of the moon.

Black Tiger Gang.

I smiled. A cruel, bloodthirsty smile.

Good. I needed some exercise.