The habitual con artist, Cripple, and his motley crew of shady associates were acting as if they had seen a ghost.
That's right, they had indeed seen a ghost!
Cripple was being pinned to the ground and resuscitated by a young man who had just gotten out of a car! It was a sight they had never witnessed before.
But the problem was, they all knew Cripple was fine.
Only Cripple himself could feel it at that moment; something had truly gone wrong!
His body wouldn't move. The young man had inserted needles all over him, paralyzing him!
"No, no, stop resuscitating me, just take me to the hospital!"
However, his plea was sternly rejected by Ling Tian.
"The patient is severely injured. I doubt any hospital would dare transfer him. If anything happens during a transfer, the other party will bear all responsibility!" Li Dakang, with his booming voice, shouted.
"Young man, it's best to send him to the hospital quickly and let the doctors provide emergency care. That's the safest approach," said one of his accomplices.
Ling Tian shook his head. "There's no time. If he dies from a cerebral hemorrhage or becomes a vegetative state during the transfer, who will be responsible? You?
Also, let me tell you, everyone in this car is a doctor. There's no need to go far for help!"
"I..."
Cripple's accomplices were speechless. They had envisioned numerous scenarios and prepared many contingency plans and talking points for such unexpected events. However, they had never imagined encountering a group of doctors while attempting a con!
Even now, they couldn't discern whether Cripple's expression was feigned or if he was genuinely in pain.
In reality, Cripple was in agony!
Although his lower body was immobile, it wasn't numb. Ling Tian hadn't severed his nerves, only his meridians.
This left him in a state of partial paralysis, completely unable to move, yet his body still had sensation.
Then, Ling Tian proceeded to insert needles into him, inflicting as much pain as possible.
Finally, after a few minutes, Cripple couldn't take it anymore.
"Help me, help me! If you don't act soon, they'll kill me!"
Upon hearing this, the onlookers' expressions turned fierce, and they prepared to intervene.
Seeing this, Li Dakang immediately stood up, continuously rubbing his hands and cracking the knuckles in his fists.
This burly man from Jiaodong stood nearly 1.9 meters tall, broad-shouldered and stout, clearly not someone to be trifled with.
In fact, this fellow had learned not only methods for treating bruises and sprains at home but also martial arts.
However, he hadn't had a chance to fight anyone during his school years, and he was feeling incredibly restless.
Now that there was an opportunity for a brawl, Li Dakang's eyes lit up.
Ling Tian stood up and clapped his hands.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Let him go! Release him!" Cripple's accomplices said sternly.
"I am treating a patient and saving a life. Why should I release him? Who will be responsible if something goes wrong!"
"Kid, you're playing dumb. What you're doing is wrong. You can't hide what you do.
Con artistry is at most fraud, and you'd only serve three to five years.
But what you're doing now is robbery, which carries a minimum of ten years.
You should calculate how many decades of your lives you have left!"
Seeing his companions waver, Cripple became desperate.
"You, you bunch of good-for-nothings! Are you all afraid of a couple of kids who haven't even grown proper facial hair!
I'm telling you, if I don't get out of this okay, none of you will escape unscathed!"
Cripple's words stirred his accomplices.
They had committed many misdeeds over the years, and under Cripple's planning, they had amassed a considerable fortune.
If Ling Tian were to fall into the hands of the authorities, they would have no escape.
Just then, Li Dakang stepped in front of Ling Tian.
"Let me handle them. You just stand aside!" Li Dakang's eyes gleamed with joy; he was clearly a combat enthusiast.
"No need. Let's split it fifty-fifty. Just don't hold me back!"
As they spoke, Cripple's gang surged forward, with one of them lunging at Li Dakang.
Li Dakang sidestepped the attack and landed a punch on the assailant's face.
His fist, about the size of a volleyball, sent the man flying backward with a single blow. He crashed into one of his companions and lost consciousness! Within ten seconds, Li Dakang had taken down five men. He turned to show off to Ling Tian, only to see that Ling Tian was unharmed, and Cripple's accomplices were all lying on the ground!
Li Dakang's pupils contracted sharply. He then noticed that Ling Tian held a silver needle between the tips of each index finger.
Whenever an attack came his way, Ling Tian would strike like a viper, tapping the opponent twice with the silver needles, rendering them immobile.
Ling Tian's efficiency in dealing with opponents was clearly far superior to Li Dakang's. It was then that Li Dakang realized this young man was also a master of martial arts!
How laughable that Li Dakang had mistaken Ling Tian for a mere child earlier! He had misjudged him completely!
In a flash, all of Cripple's accomplices were subdued.
Two of the accomplices were smart enough to flee when the situation turned south. These two were perhaps the only survivors among the group.
Soon after, the authorities, alerted by a report, arrived and were utterly bewildered by the sight of the downed individuals.
Ling Tian then stepped forward and explained the situation to the officers.
He also thoughtfully informed the team leader that Cripple was the mastermind of the operation.
As long as the silver needles remained in him, Cripple would continue to suffer.
The team leader's face lit up with a smile. He knew this might lead to the unraveling of a major case, a gift from Ling Tian.
Under normal circumstances, Ling Tian and his companions would have had to accompany the police to the station for statements. However, Ling Tian presented a document, and the officers immediately let them go.
It wasn't just any document; it was an identification from the Dragon Shield Special Operations Division. With such credentials, making such a request was simple.
Cripple and his subordinates were escorted into a police car and taken away. Ling Tian then patted the somewhat dazed Li Dakang, and the two got into their car.
The driver expressed his gratitude to them profusely. Ling Tian waved his hand, and the car continued its journey towards Wangjiazhuang.
As the car officially left the city limits and the lush greenery came into view, the doctors in the car felt a peculiar sense of realization. Perhaps coming to this strange hospital wasn't a wrong choice after all!