The Ultimate Assassin

4

Xavier, Sara, and the rest of his adoptive siblings were all once homeless orphans. If Dad hadn't taken them in, they likely would have starved to death on the streets. Dad wasn't a wealthy man by any stretch of the imagination just an ageing scrap collector yet he had poured his heart and soul into raising them.

"Dad" was a title of pure respect. From a young age, Xavier had been the apple of the old man's eye, standing out from the other orphans who were often fiercely rebellious. He had realised early on just how much Dad sacrificed to keep them fed, so he dropped out of primary school to earn extra cash and help shoulder the burden. But eight years ago, to protect Third Brother, Xavier had stabbed a local triad boss. Left with no other choice, he had been forced to flee his home and go on the run.

Sara had been adopted two years ago. Her parents, fellow residents of the shantytown, had been killed in a car crash, and Dad couldn't bear to see the poor girl left to fend for herself. She was a deeply sensible girl, consistently top of her class, and completely devoid of the materialistic vanity common in other children. In her spare time, she even helped Dad collect scrap to scrape together a bit more for the household.

As they were chatting, an elderly man burst through the door, his face pale with panic. "Sara! Sara, it's a disaster! Arthur's been beaten up! He's in the hospital!"

Only after the words left his mouth did he notice the stranger in the room. He squinted at Xavier, feeling a nagging sense of familiarity, but couldn't quite place him.

Hearing that Dad had been hospitalised, Xavier shot to his feet. His expression instantly turned dangerously cold. He looked at the elderly man. "Uncle Ben, which hospital?"

Sara was already in pieces. A young girl had no idea how to handle a crisis like this. Tears streaming down her face, she looked helplessly at Xavier. "Brother, what do we do?"

Hearing the title, Uncle Ben’s eyes went wide. "Are you... Xavier?" he asked tentatively.

Xavier nodded. "Yeah, Uncle Ben. It's me." He gently squeezed Sara's shoulder. "Don't panic. I'm here. Uncle Ben, which hospital is he at?"

"The People's Hospital!"

There was no time for catching up. Xavier thanked him and rushed out with Sara.

"Brother... this is all the money we have at home. Will it be enough?" Sara asked with trembling hands, pulling a small wad of cash wrapped in brown paper from her pocket.

Xavier barely glanced at it. "Don't worry, Sara. I'll sort it."

When it came to money, Xavier was far from short. Tucked inside his jacket was a premium gold card issued by a Swiss Bank, complete with an overdraft in the hundreds of millions. But he didn't want to use it. He knew full well that the second he swiped that card, his old mercenary brothers would instantly track him back to Korea, and his dream of a quiet life would go up in smoke. Fortunately, he had a few thousand in cash on him. If it wasn't enough, he’d just have to use the card. There was absolutely no way he would let Dad suffer just to protect his own anonymity.

Swallowing her sobs, Sara stuffed the money back into her pocket. They hailed a taxi and sped straight to the People's Hospital. Under an hour later, they pulled up to the entrance. Xavier tossed a hundred-Won note at the driver, told him to keep the change, and bolted inside.

After eight years away, he had prepared himself for a proper scolding from Dad, fully expecting to see that strict but warm face. Instead, he was met with the news of a brutal assault. The absolute fury burning in his chest was indescribable. He would get his revenge, certainly, but saving Dad's life came first.

After demanding the room number from a startled nurse, Xavier practically sprinted down the corridor. Pushing the ward door open, he froze. Seeing Dad lying in the hospital bedswathed in bandages, one arm heavily plastered in a castXavier’s tears finally spilled over.

"Dad..." Xavier choked out. A thousand words caught in his throat, and he had no idea where to begin.

Yang Jianguo forced his exhausted, bloodshot eyes open and looked at the young man standing by his bed. Tears immediately tracked down his weathered face. "Xavier... you... you've come back?" he rasped.

"Yeah!" Xavier nodded vigorously, lost for words.

Yang Jianguo managed a weak, affectionate smile. "Good... it's good that you're home. I'm alright. Don't you worry about me."

"Dad, who did this to you?" Xavier asked, his voice low.

"Xavier, just leave it. They've got money and power, don't go picking fights with them. What if something happens to you again? Besides, they've already fronted two thousand for the medical bills. Let's just consider it settled." Dad knew Xavier's fiery temper intimately. If he named names, the boy would definitely seek bloody revenge. That was exactly how they’d ended up in this mess eight years ago.

Xavier easily saw through the old man's fears. He forced his expression to remain completely placid. "Relax, Dad. I only came back to live a quiet life. I'm not going to cause any trouble. I just want to know what actually happened."

Arthur sighed heavily. "I was outside the airport collecting bottles, and I found a bloke's wallet. I went over to hand it back, but he thought I’d nicked it. He didn't even give me a chance to explain before he started laying into me. But... he realised he was wrong and paid for the hospital, so we're even."

Xavier's brow twitched. No wonder that injured man on the stretcher outside the airport had looked so familiar. It was his father. Remembering the arrogant, pudgy face of the man in the bespoke suit, a lethal, blinding rage ignited in Xavier's chest. Knowing exactly who did it made things beautifully simple. The bastard falsely accuses an old man of stealing, beats him half to death, and thinks two grand makes it go away? He treated human life like absolute dirt. Xavier didn't care about the money, but he was absolutely going to extract his pound of flesh.

"He's a monster! Putting someone in hospital and throwing two thousand at it without even showing his face? Where's the justice in that?" Sara cried out indignantly. But she was a gentle girl; even her fury sounded polite.

"Sara, your exams are coming up. Go home and revise. I'll be fine, I promise. Go on, off you go," Dad urged gently.

"You're in a hospital bed! How can I leave? I'll fetch my textbooks and revise here so I can keep an eye on you," she insisted.

Xavier turned to her. "Sara, listen to him and head home. I'm here now. You don't need to worry."

"No. You've only just got back, Brother, you must be shattered. You go rest. Besides, what does a bloke know about looking after a patient? Leave it to me," Sara said with absolute finality.