Chapter Two: Every Fortune Has a Price

Lu Chen kicked open the equipment-room door and hurled a basketball toward the voice. It struck with a dull thud, followed by a cry. Emergency lights came on. Three men in team medical uniforms blocked the aisle. One held a syringe. Lu Chen charged down the steps. He was no fighter, but he understood balance. The first man's shoulder dipped; Lu Chen slipped aside and drove a knee into his stomach. The second swung; Lu Chen kicked a folding chair into his shins. Su Tang grabbed a fire extinguisher and filled the aisle with white fog. The men did not stay. Before leaving, the one with the syringe stared at Lu Chen. “Next time, the medical report will look perfectly natural.” They vanished into the tunnel.