Henry Brooks had never taken a crowded bus before, but the moment several people pressed in on him at once, he immediately sensed something was wrong. If he panicked now, things would go badly, but fortunately, Henry Brooks was very calm, so he clearly felt someone’s hand already reaching into his pocket.

And it wasn’t just one person—two people behind him each slipped their hands into his pockets during the crush.

Pickpockets!

Although Henry Brooks’s body was a bit weak and he had no way to break free from the four people surrounding him, he had another method.

“Ah... ah...”

With four soft cries, the four people pinning Henry Brooks all stepped back, clutching their hands. They all felt a sudden pain in their hands, but when they looked, they couldn’t see anything.

Henry Brooks took the opportunity to get on the bus, and it was clear the driver also sensed something was wrong and immediately closed the doors.

As the bus started moving, Henry Brooks looked calmly at the four through the door, then made a lifting gesture.

“Damn it, idiot...” One of the blond guys saw Henry Brooks’s gesture and was baffled, but the next moment, they had no time to care, because they realized their hands were starting to go numb.

The group was terrified. It had only been a few seconds, but by the time the bus left the stop, their hands had already lost all feeling.

Phew... Those guys had a strong, strange odor just now. Henry Brooks let out a long breath. He had used a needle to prick the Shenmen and Guanze acupoints on their hands, with just the right force and depth to sever some of the sensory nerves in their arms. As long as they kept exercising and training, they would recover, but it would take at least a year or two. Consider it a small punishment for a big lesson. Too bad his own body was so weak.

Although Henry Brooks used to be a doctor, he actually preferred to deal with petty thieves with his fists and feet—it was much more satisfying, the best way to unwind after research. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible now.

It was only eight stops, but because of the crowds and traffic, it took a full hour and a half for Henry Brooks to get back to the dorm.

Back in his single dorm room, even though his body was exhausted, Henry Brooks still insisted on two hours of slow exercise to adjust his physical condition. His body was so weak now that even running wasn’t suitable; he had to rely on medicine to recover, but the money...

Forget it, he’d figure something out later. With that thought, Henry Brooks gradually drifted off to sleep.

“Dong... dong...” At dawn, just as the sun was rising and the sky was getting light, Henry Brooks was startled awake by a series of knocks at the door.

Strange, who would be looking for him here, at this hour?

Chapter 8: Aunt

Henry Brooks groggily glanced at the time—it was only five thirty.

“Who is it...” Henry Brooks was quite annoyed. He hadn’t slept well all night, kept dreaming, and now was woken up by inexplicable knocking at the crack of dawn.

Hearing Henry Brooks’s voice, a woman outside called out crisply, “Henry Brooks, you little brat, hurry up and open the door for me.”

The voice was very familiar. Henry Brooks thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered—his aunt, Henry Brooks’s aunt Vivian Bennett. Henry Brooks’s parents had died in an accident when he was very young, and Vivian Bennett had always played the role of mother. It wasn’t until Henry Brooks went abroad for university that Vivian Bennett stopped looking after him.

“Whoosh...” Henry Brooks hurriedly got out of bed and quickly put on his clothes. He remembered his aunt’s temper very well.

His mother’s family all came from the military. Although his aunt now worked at a military enterprise, she still held the rank of senior colonel, just one step away from major general. The Lin family did things swiftly and decisively—even now, his aunt’s skills meant that two or three ordinary men might not be her match.

Henry Brooks opened the door, and sure enough, it was his aunt Vivian Bennett. Though she was already past forty, she was still charming and looked like she was just thirty. Her professional women’s suit made her look even more energetic. “Auntie...”

“Took you long enough to open the door, dawdling around. Is there a woman inside?” Vivian Bennett said as she pushed Henry Brooks aside and strode into the room.

The room wasn’t big; you could see everything at a glance.

Henry Brooks shrugged. “You can see for yourself, it’s such a small place. Even if I wanted to hide a woman, there’s nowhere to do it. You just came too early—I wasn’t even awake yet.”

“You...” Vivian Bennett looked at Henry Brooks’s sleepy face. “I shouldn’t have listened to your grandpa when you were little. If I’d taken you into the army for a few years, your body wouldn’t be so weak now—you’re so light on your feet. I heard you’re quite something these days—dating celebrities, street racing, gambling...”

Harry Brooks quickly interrupted, “Auntie, your information is way out of date. That was before. Now I’m officially working at Changzhi Hospital. I even did a surgery yesterday.”

Vivian Bennett looked at Henry Brooks with disbelief, then glanced around the room. She wanted to say something, her lips moved slightly, but she held back.

“I’m just passing through this time, stopped here especially for a bit, can’t stay long. Seeing you’re actually better than they said, I’m relieved.” Vivian Bennett said, checking the time. “Alright, I have to go. Take care of yourself. Your grandpa spoiled you since you were little, and now he wants to toughen you up—honestly.”

The rest of Vivian Bennett’s words were less to Henry Brooks and more to herself—both worried and wanting Henry Brooks to get some training.

Auntie was still the same—whatever she did, she was always so decisive and efficient.