Lynn Chen's black hair streamed through the air—she had never run so hard in her life.
Even during school sports meets, she was always the girl cheering from the sidelines, never the one fighting to run on the track.
Back in junior high, Fang You loved running and often dragged Lynn out for morning jogs.
But now, after so long, Lynn was struggling—especially in high heels, the clack of her shoes painfully sharp with every step.
Up ahead, the iron gate of Triumph Manor was closing. Several security guards rushed out from the gatehouse, trying to block their way.
"We’re running out of time! Faster, we have to go even faster!"
Lynn watched the iron gate slowly closing, her face tense. Seeing the security guards rushing to block them, despair flashed across her face.
Just then, Lynn’s right foot slipped—her heel snapped clean off against the ground.
Lynn's expression changed instantly. She lost her balance and was about to fall to the ground.
Evan Lin sighed, reached out with one hand, and caught Lynn before she could hit the floor.
"Is this really necessary?"
With a casual wave of his hand, Evan sent the security guards flying aside.
Before Lynn could react, the iron gate—which had already closed—suddenly began to open again, slowly.
"The gate's open! Hurry, run!"
Lynn ignored her sprained ankle and didn’t stop to wonder why the security guards had been flung aside. Seeing the gate open, her face lit up with hope. She tried to dash forward, but the pain in her ankle made her scalp tingle—moving even a little was agony. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed Evan and shoved him toward the gate.
"Run! Come back after you’ve sorted things out—just don’t get caught! If you’re caught, you could actually die!"
Lynn shouted at Evan, her voice echoing.
Just dealing with Tim Ruan’s kick and Daniel Ruan’s influence in Capitalview would be enough to crush a transfer student like Evan, who didn’t know the city well.
Even Charles Chen’s future in Capitalview was up in the air.
After shouting, Lynn realized Evan was still standing there, not running at all. Her face fell. "Why aren’t you running? Are you stupid?"
"No need."
It was just three words from Evan, but Lynn was so frustrated she wanted to kick him.
At that moment, outside the gate, a Bentley rolled up—with a police car right behind it!
Seeing the police car, Lynn’s face went deathly pale. Charles Chen and Lucy Lu rushed forward, hoping to negotiate with the police.
Mrs. Ruan’s face twisted in rage as she shouted, "Arrest him! Lock him up, throw him in a cell!"
Daniel Ruan strode forward, followed by a crowd of people—all clearly taking his side.
The police car door swung open, and Chief Gary Chen—famous in the force—stepped out.
Before Charles Chen and Lucy Lu could say anything, Daniel Ruan marched up and greeted him. "Chief Chen! You’re finally here!"
Then Daniel pointed directly at Evan, his voice harsh: "That guy broke into Triumph Manor, assaulted our security, and seriously injured my son!"
"He was clearly out to kill, and he’s extremely dangerous. I suggest you cuff him right now and take him away!"
As soon as Daniel Ruan finished, the people around him jumped in to back him up.
"I saw it too—this kid was the one who hurt Young Master Ruan."
"Yeah, looks like the kid got jealous because Young Master Ruan is so popular, so he lost it and started swinging!"
"This guy’s dangerous—really dangerous. I say we arrest him now and take him straight to the station!"
The surrounding businessmen all nodded, chiming in one after another.
"You can’t just bully people like this! Didn’t you hear what they said just now?" Lucy Lu’s face changed sharply.
"What do you mean? All I heard was Chairman Ruan and your Charles Chen talking politely!"
"Everyone knows what kind of person Chairman Ruan is. Clearly, it's your side that's being unreasonable!"
"Mrs. Ruan didn’t say anything, and you knocked her down! That’s just too much!"
Everyone joined in, completely ignoring how Daniel Ruan used his status to force Lynn to stay with Tim Ruan.
"You heard it all!" Daniel Ruan's tone was vicious.
"Yes, I heard." Chief Gary Chen smiled, then casually walked forward, looked at Evan, and nodded: "We meet again."
As soon as Chief Gary Chen spoke, everyone was stunned.
Chief Gary Chen was famous in Capitalview for being a strict, iron-faced detective—he'd never smiled at a younger kid like this, especially one accused of a crime!
Evan nodded and glanced at him.
Lynn, fighting through the pain, looked at Chief Gary Chen. She’d seen him before, when he awarded Evan a commendation banner at Capitalview First High.
Lynn forced herself to stand straight in front of Evan, looked at Chief Gary Chen, and said urgently, "It's not like he said—it was them who provoked things first!"
"No rush. I'm not here mainly to handle a case today," Chief Gary Chen nodded and smiled. "Besides, I believe a kid like him—he may be a bit impulsive, but he's not malicious."
Chief Gary Chen’s words were powerful. As soon as he spoke, the others’ expressions changed—they looked at Evan with newfound surprise.
To earn Chief Gary Chen’s approval—could this kid have some major backing?
"Chief Chen! You have to take responsibility for what you’re saying! I, Daniel Ruan, am not someone to be messed with! This kid hurt my son—no matter the reason, he has to go to jail!" Daniel Ruan roared.
Charles Chen stepped forward, smiling apologetically. "Chairman Ruan, please calm down. How about I compensate you? Just name your price."
Charles Chen was frustrated—he disliked Daniel Ruan, but had to lower himself, fearing Daniel might use his connections to get Evan locked up. After all, the Ruans did provoke things, but Evan had injured someone, and that was a fact.
"Money? You think I care about money?" Daniel Ruan exploded, jabbing a finger at Charles Chen. "Not just that kid—even you, Charles Chen! I don’t care if you’ve got Wansheng Real Estate or any other so-called company behind you! I’m telling you now—you’ll never get into Capitalview’s business circle! I’ll ruin you!"
As soon as he finished, the Bentley’s door opened on the other side.
The driver hurried out from the front seat, circled around the hood, and gently opened the Bentley’s rear door on the other side.