Everything happened too fast.
The seat-hog fled like a dog that had lost its home, howling all the way off the train.
He could truly no longer feel the bones in that hand.
Once the man left,
Many people now looked at Evan Lin with completely changed eyes.
Most of them looked like they wanted to give Evan a thumbs-up.
When dealing with uncivilized seat-hogs like that, everyone was usually angry but too afraid to speak up. After all, provoking such a scoundrel could easily bring trouble upon yourself.
But seeing the seat-hog get humiliated and punished, everyone secretly felt incredibly satisfied.
"He's gone, please take your seats. The train is about to depart,"
The attendant, snapping back to attention, hurriedly invited Sisi Shao and Ben Liang to sit down, and even gave Evan Lin a grateful smile before leaving.
"Thanks for just now."
Sisi Shao's seat was separated from Evan Lin's by an aisle. She glanced at him and spoke softly, relief visible in her eyes.
"Mm."
Evan nodded without saying more.
He hadn't planned to get involved, but the seat-hog's behavior was just too much.
If he could rope in some free muscle, even better.
"Sisi, want to introduce us?"
Ben Liang, sitting next to Sisi, leaned forward and looked at Evan Lin. "This dude looks like he can throw hands."
"I didn't even know what happened just now, that guy was already howling and running off. Lucky he ran fast, or else, once we got to Tangshan, I swear I'd find someone to mess him up!"
Ben Liang still looked pissed, unable to let go of his anger.
Normally, when he's out and about, his family has money, and people are always calling him 'Brother Liang.'
But just now, money really didn't help at all.
If Evan Lin hadn't stepped in, Ben probably wouldn't have had any seat left to sit in.
"Uh... He's my best friend's friend."
Sisi hesitated, then explained, "I mean Chen Lynn Yan, the one I told you about before."
She had wanted to say she and Evan were friends.
But thinking back to how she'd treated Evan at first, Sisi couldn't bring herself to say it.
She still felt a bit guilty inside.
"Oh, the one at Yanjing University, right?"
Ben Liang nodded, then looked at Evan Lin and smiled. "Bro, where are you headed?"
"Tangshan."
"Tangshan, huh? That's great! I'm heading there too—going home, actually. My family's in Tangshan. There's some drama going on back home, so I'm rushing back to join the fun."
Ben Liang looked at Evan Lin with eager friendliness. "Since you're friends with Sisi, that makes you my friend too."
"Once we get there, let me treat you to a meal, how about it?"
Ben's thinking was simple: Evan had helped out, seemed tough, and since he might need backup this trip, it was a lucky coincidence.
If he could recruit a free helper, that'd be perfect.
"No time."
Hearing Evan's crisp rejection, Ben immediately looked annoyed.
"He's pretty busy. I'm guessing he's got business in Tangshan this time."
Ben Liang nodded, then looked at Evan Lin and smiled. "Bro, where you headed?"
She could tell Evan Lin didn't want too many ties to her. Maybe helping out just now was already going above and beyond, probably for Lynn Chen's sake.
And the older Sisi Shao got, the more she realized how vicious her words to Evan Lin had been back at Imperial Grand.
Even though they'd met and had a meal after the college entrance exam, and Evan seemed to have forgiven her, deep down Sisi still couldn't forgive her own childish behavior.
After so much reflection, Sisi understood more and more how impressive Evan Lin was—and how clueless she'd been back then.
Ben Liang raised his eyebrows. "Honestly, there's nothing in Tangshan I can't handle. If you need anything, just hit me up. I'll make sure it's handled, no problem!"
Ben Liang raised his eyebrows. "Honestly, there's nothing in Tangshan I can't handle."
"Really, if you need anything in Tangshan, just tell me. I'll help you out and guarantee it's handled perfectly!"
Ben was about to keep talking, but Sisi Shao tugged his wrist, so he muttered a few words and stopped.
Evan Lin closed his eyes to rest, ignoring all the chatter.
This trip to Tangshan had a clear purpose: find the Shang family, then deal with everything else.
"Hey, seriously, if you're going to Tangshan and want to do anything, just tell me. There's nothing in Tangshan I can't handle!"
Ben Liang was quiet for a bit, but he still felt annoyed inside.
He was annoyed at how Evan Lin treated him.
The way Evan looked, it was like he didn't believe a word Ben said.
"That seat-hog just now? I could've handled him easy—I was just giving him a bit of time. As soon as he got off, I could've found someone to deal with him in minutes. Don't doubt me!"
Ben Liang was quiet for a bit, but he still felt salty inside.
Sisi Shao looked helpless, about to apologize to Evan Lin, when suddenly Evan, who'd been resting with his eyes closed, opened his eyes and turned to Ben.
"Can you take me to the Shang family?"
Evan had originally planned to ask around for the Shang family's location after arriving in Tangshan.
But then he thought, since he's here, might as well go with the flow.
If this guy could show him the way, it'd save Evan Lin some hassle.
"The Shang family? Sure, that's no problem."
Ben hesitated for a moment, but then put on a confident face and thumped his chest. "The Shang family is super famous in Tangshan—huge, powerful, and every year tons of people try their luck there."
"But let me tell you, not everyone can find their way to the Shang family. Most people don't even know where their gate is, and even if you do, without connections, you can't get inside."
"You're lucky—thanks to Sisi, I can take you there. And it just so happens I have some business at the Shang family myself!"
He meant to show Evan Lin he had plenty of pull, and that the Liang family was major in Tangshan—otherwise, they wouldn't even have a shot at talking to the Shang family.
He meant to show Evan Lin that he had plenty of clout, and that the Liang family was a big deal in Tangshan—otherwise, they wouldn't even have a shot at talking to the Shang family.
But after he finished, the young man just nodded, showing no surprise or excitement, and definitely no sign of wanting to kiss up to Ben.
That left Ben feeling like he'd bombed his big moment.
"Hey, bro, what are you planning to do at the Shang family? Going to apply for a bodyguard job or something?"