Chapter 705: One-Sided Suppression

"You get out too!"

Karen Ford noticed Adrian Hawthorne’s subtle movement. She wouldn’t tolerate any shenanigans. Adrian Hawthorne smiled good-naturedly. "Alright, I’ll head out now."

He pretended to go out with them, and Karen Ford’s expression softened a little. ’This guy is reasonable after all,’ she thought.

"I said, get out!"

Karen Ford suddenly grabbed Jim Thorne’s arm. Using some unknown technique, his arm went numb. He lost all strength in his body, feeling sore and weak, and was involuntarily led outside by Karen Ford. Adrian Hawthorne followed behind. When he saw that both Karen Ford and Jim Thorne were out the door, Adrian pulled his foot back and quickly shut it.

It all happened in one smooth motion. Karen Ford didn’t even have time to react.

"Stall her for a bit! Hold her off!"

Adrian Hawthorne shouted through the door. Enduring the tingling numbness, Jim Thorne roared back, "Don’t worry!"

Immediately after, Jim Thorne started yelling, "If you’ve got the guts, fight me one-on-one! Stop using these weird tricks!"

"How ignorant and uncultured!"

Karen Ford scoffed but surprisingly agreed. "A one-on-one it is. I’ll deal with you first, then I’ll go in and deal with your friend."

’They’re all cut from the same cloth,’ she thought. ’And here I was thinking that fair-skinned boy was one to follow the rules. My judgment must be off.’

"Hah! Talk is cheap. I’m the undefeated champion of this whole township! Don’t you come crying to me in a minute!" Jim Thorne didn’t take Karen Ford seriously at all. To him, she was just some arrogant little brat.

The corner of Karen Ford’s mouth curled up slightly, but her expression remained stern. She enunciated every word, "I never make empty boasts. I believe in letting the facts speak for themselves."

She relied on skill and proof.

Inside the room, Adrian Hawthorne explained to the female doctor, "We’re so sorry to bother you, but we had no other choice. Dollar saved our whole family, but he was poisoned in the process. The vet is swamped, and we were at our wit’s end. Dr. Ford said his internal medicine check was clear and thought there might be something in his throat, so she told us to find you for an X-ray."

The female doctor glanced at Dollar. Although his fur was dull and dry, she could tell his owner took excellent care of him. But he was indeed seriously ill; he was barely breathing.

"Someone did this to him?"

"Yes. Someone was setting out poison in our village. Dollar discovered it, and the culprit harmed him, but he saved our family’s lives. He’s our family’s hero," Adrian Hawthorne explained briefly.

The female doctor was startled. "Poison?"

"Yes. Two families were targeted. My family was safe because of Dollar, but the other family, all six of them, were poisoned. They were sent to the local clinic last night. They managed to save five of them, but one didn’t make it," Adrian Hawthorne answered truthfully.

"That’s horrible! Have they caught the culprit yet?"

The female doctor had Adrian Hawthorne carry Dollar to the X-ray room. Dollar was too weak to stand on his own, so Adrian held him for the scan.

"The culprit escaped. They haven’t caught them yet."

Adrian Hawthorne didn’t elaborate, and the doctor didn’t press for more details. ’That’s a matter for the police,’ she figured. ’Asking wouldn’t do any good.’

"Tilt the dog’s neck forward a little more. Yes, a little more. Good. Now hold him still!"

The doctor directed Adrian Hawthorne into position and took the scan. It would take some time for the films to develop, so Adrian carried Dollar and went to wait outside with Tang Xiaonan. Other patients were arriving for their scans, and they couldn’t get in the doctor’s way.

"Ouch! You’re playing dirty!"

"The only tough part about you is your mouth. Since you’re outmatched, you should learn to behave!"

"Who says I’m outmatched? I haven’t even used my real skills yet!"

"Then use them. What are you saving them for?"

"You just wait... ARGH! I’m not hurt! It doesn’t hurt at all!"