Chapter 1 Discharged

• Under the scorching sun, a dry breeze swept through the northern old town of Newcove.
• Dressed in casual attire, with sturdy combat boots on his feet and a worn-out backpack slung over his shoulder, Finnian Lambert meandered his way into an old, dilapidated neighborhood where the paint was peeling off the buildings.
• Upon reaching the front door of his home, Finnian heard a faint commotion coming from inside, accompanied by a woman's shriek. A chill ran down his spine as he realized something was amiss. With a stern expression, he kicked the door open.
• Upon entering the living room, the first sight that met the eye was a group of five or six young ruffians. Leading them was a bald young man named Blake. His face was hardened with rough features, and his arms were covered in tattoos. He was gripping the wrist of a young girl while tugging at her clothes. A meal box had been knocked over on the floor, with soup and vegetables spilled all over.
• The young girl was in her early twenties. Despite her simple and modest attire, she was strikingly beautiful. Her inexpensive pale blue dress could not conceal her pure and radiant beauty. With an oval face and willow-leaf eyebrows, her large eyes were as clear as autumn water. Her features were delicate and captivating. A glimpse of her slender, fair, and perfectly proportioned legs peeked out from beneath her dress. As she stood gracefully, her beauty was enough to stir the heart.
• “Let her go!” Finnian's gaze was icy cold, reminiscent of a venomous snake spitting out its tongue. As if the room's temperature had suddenly dropped, Blake and a few of his henchmen involuntarily shivered in response.
• Seizing this opportunity, the beautiful girl quickly pushed Blake away. Like a frightened little rabbit, she ran anxiously behind Finnian.
• “Who are they, Yvonne? What are they trying to do barging into our home for no reason?” Finnian said while glaring at Blake with a hostile expression.
• Upon seeing her brother, Yvonne Lambert felt a sense of security. She peeked out from behind Finnian, her voice timid as she said, “They're here to collect a debt, Finn...”
• Blake glared at him and asked arrogantly, “Are you Nathan Lambert's son? You've come at just the right time. Quickly tell me where your father is hiding. He borrowed two hundred thousand from me at a high interest rate. With the principal and interest, he should repay four hundred thousand. Today is the final deadline for repayment. If he doesn't pay up, don't blame me for showing no mercy!”
• “This is two hundred thousand, take it for now. Give me a few days for the rest of the money, I'll figure out a way to repay you,” Finnian said as he tossed the backpack in front of Blake, revealing stacks of bundled banknotes inside.
• This money was Finnian's severance pay after being discharged from the military. Although he had no idea as to why his father had resorted to borrowing money from loan sharks, he understood that it was only right to repay debts. He felt it was his responsibility to help his father settle the debt.
• Blake glanced over, assuming that Finnian was trying to dodge his debts. He snapped coldly, “Do you think you're dismissing a bunch of beggars here? Your father owes me four hundred thousand! This two hundred thousand you've given me only covers the principal! What about the remaining two hundred thousand in interest?”
• “I've made myself very clear. This is all the money I have right now. Please give me a few more days for the rest. I promise to repay you the full amount,” Finnian said. Even though loan sharks were illegal, every business had its own rules. He respected those rules and had no intention of defaulting on the debt.
• “What makes you think I would grant you a few days of grace?” Blake sneered coldly, his gaze falling on the stunningly beautiful Yvonne hiding behind Finnian. A wicked grin spread across his face as a certain itch stirred within him. “However, your sister is quite attractive. She seems to be a college student. Although I've had my share of women, I've never had a chance with such a young college girl. How about this, let your sister keep me company for a few days. As long as she can take good care of me, you won't have to pay back the rest of the money.”
• Finnian's expression turned icy cold as a lethal intent flashed in his eyes. “Slap yourself ten times, then kneel down and apologize to my sister. Only then will I consider your words unsaid.”
• “Well, well, such audacity! In all my life, no one has ever dared to speak to me like this. It seems you've grown tired of living. Boys, teach this youngster some manners! Break his legs and feed him to the dogs!” Baldy said, laughing in fury. With a wave of his hand, his underlings cracked their knuckles, their faces fierce and malicious as they lunged at Finnian.
• Finnian leapt forward, his foot connecting with the head of the thug in front of him. Spinning around, he delivered another kick to the chest of a second thug. Both of them collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood, clearly unable to get back up.
• Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, the remaining three thugs picked up wooden stools, aiming to strike at Finnian's chest.
• Finnian shifted his body to one side, snatching the wooden stool from the hands of the young thug. With a forceful swing, he struck it against the bodies of the three thugs. Wood chips flew in all directions as the stool shattered into pieces.
• “Drop dead!” A fierce glint flashed in Blake's eyes, his courage fueled by malice. He drew out a dagger, aiming it straight at Finnian and lunged at him.
• Finnian seized Blake's wrist and twisted it forcefully. A crisp snap echoed as he broke Blake's wrist. The dagger was ruthlessly thrust into Blake's arm, causing blood to splatter everywhere.
• With a cry of agony, Blake staggered back a few steps, falling flat on his rear. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead as his face contorted in pain.
• “Weren't you just threatening to break my legs?” Finnian approached step by step, his expression icy cold, like a grim reaper.
• “I-I'm sorry, mister! I won't dare do it again...” Blake had a sudden realization, knowing that he had encountered an expert. His heart was filled with fear, and with a thud, he knelt down.
• Seeing Finnian's indifference, Blake felt a chill run through his body. It was as if he had suddenly remembered something. He hurriedly turned to Yvonne behind him, bowing as he pleaded, “Miss, I apologize for my earlier offense. I beg you, in your great kindness, please spare me this once!”
• “Get lost!”
• With a cold voice, Finnian warned, if it weren't for the fear of frightening his younger sister, he wouldn't have hesitated to kill Blake on the spot. However, murder was against the law, and his current status had changed, so he couldn't just kill people at will.
• The bald men reacted as if they had received a royal pardon, only regretting that their parents hadn't given birth to them with an extra pair of legs. They didn't dare to take the money, and they disappeared without a trace, scrambling away as fast as they could.
• After calming down, Yvonne walked over to Finnian's side and asked, “How did you manage to come back, Finn?”
• “I was discharged early,” Finnian said, a hint of disappointment in his expression. Remembering the recent events, his brows furrowed. “What happened, Yvonne? Why would dad suddenly take out a high-interest loan?”
• “I...” Yvonne's eyes welled up with tears, and suddenly, she threw herself into Finnian's arms, bursting into tears.
• “Yvonne, why are you crying?” Finnian was taken aback, frantically patting his sister's back in an attempt to comfort her. His flustered demeanor was a stark contrast to his previously cold and aloof appearance.
• “Some time ago, mom was in a severe car accident and she's still in the hospital,” Yvonne wiped her tears, her voice choked with emotion as she continued, “Dad had no choice but to borrow money from loan sharks to pay for her medical treatment...” She then recounted the series of events.
• Half a month ago, Finnian's mother, Jennifer Campbell, was involved in a car accident and fell into a vegetative state. The perpetrator, relying on his prominent family background, not only refused to compensate, but even slandered Jennifer for staging the accident. In order to afford his wife's medical treatment, Nathan was driven to desperation and resorted to borrowing money from loan sharks.
• Such a significant event had occurred at home, and naturally, Finnian should have been notified. However, given Finnian's unique status, numerous attempts to reach him via phone were unsuccessful.
• “Hurry up and take me to the hospital!” Finnian's face turned pale, and he hurriedly pulled Yvonne's arm and left.