Chen Dian, poked right in the nose, stared at Zack Zhang’s fingertip just inches away and shouted, "Are you crazy, Zhang-ge!"
"You’re the crazy one! Shut up!" Zack Zhang shot him a glare.
Chloe Cheng, seeing this, hurried forward, about to speak—but before she could, Zack Zhang had already turned coldly to her: "Chloe, your mom’s made a lot of mistakes at work lately. When you get home, tell her to be more careful."
After a pause, Zack Zhang added, "That’s not just my opinion."
Even if Chloe was clueless, she instantly understood what Zack meant—he was warning her not to stir up trouble right now.
Chloe whipped her head around, staring at Evan Lin standing calmly nearby, her gaze complicated and unreadable.
"Alright, you two come with me. Let’s get him to the hospital first." The police officer walked over, ready to take Chloe and Chen Dian away.
Inside the mall, Yolanda Fang, who’d just finished picking out shoes, shouted loudly, "Hey! Evan Lin! Where’d you go? Hurry up and pay for us!"
Yolanda called out, wearing a pair of black-and-white canvas shoes she’d clearly just chosen.
The sneakers were too expensive, so she put them back and picked a cheaper pair—just over a hundred yuan.
Yolanda Fang, having changed shoes, dragged Lynn Chen out of the store. The clerk hurried after them, worried these two pretty girls might just walk off in their new shoes.
The moment Yolanda and Lynn appeared, they instantly drew the attention of everyone near the entrance.
Chloe Cheng glanced over, eyes slightly widened at the scene.
Yolanda had a great figure and a fresh, energetic look that radiated vitality. Next to her, Lynn Chen was far sweeter—her face lacked a smile at the moment, but she still exuded the aura of the Brightsea No. 1 High School beauty.
The two girls' appearance instantly put Chloe to shame. Even Darren Chen was left staring in a daze—girls this pretty were a rare sight in Whitewood County.
Off to the side, Zack Zhang could only smile bitterly to himself. Anyone who could hang out with girls like this and have Director Chen personally send them money was clearly not as simple as he looked.
Now, all Zack Zhang could hope for was that this young man wouldn’t hold a grudge over what he’d just said and done.
"What happened here?" Yolanda Fang had just stepped outside, paused at the scene, then frowned.
"Did you get into trouble again?" Lynn Chen shot Evan Lin a look, not amused at all.
"They got into a fight. I was just being a good citizen and called the police—I didn’t do anything." Evan Lin glanced over at Zack Zhang.
Zack Zhang quickly put on a fawning smile, nodding repeatedly: "Yes, yes, that was heroic—helping out, doing the right thing!"
"If there’s nothing else, can we go now?" Zack Zhang looked cautiously at Evan Lin.
He only relaxed when Evan Lin nodded, and then got into the police car with Darren Chen and Chloe Cheng.
Inside the police car, as soon as the door closed, Darren Chen scowled at Zack Zhang in the passenger seat, sounding annoyed: "Zhang-ge, that was messed up! Why are you arresting me? You should be arresting him!"
Darren Chen gritted his teeth, glaring at Zack Zhang with pure anger.
Chloe Cheng kept quiet—Darren might not fear Zack Zhang, but she did. She was terrified he might make things harder for her mom at work.
Plus, Chloe couldn’t stop replaying the image of those two girls standing by Evan Lin. Either one was way more impressive than her. The thought made her chest tighten with discomfort and jealousy.
What did Evan Lin have that made those girls favor him?
"Hey, want a smoke?" Zack Zhang pulled out a cigarette and offered it to the officer driving.
The officer smiled and took it—they knew each other, and when Zack was talking earlier, the cop just kept quiet to avoid making things more complicated.
The car headed toward the hospital.
Zack Zhang lit a cigarette, took a drag, and glanced in the rearview mirror at Darren Chen’s pale, furious face. Then he called Director David Chen.
After explaining the situation, Zack handed his phone to Darren Chen: "Director wants to talk to you."
Darren Chen snatched the phone and yelled, "Dad! Somebody hit me!"
He’d barely started before the voice on the other end exploded.
"Hit you? Getting hit is the least of it! Are you brainless? Why do you provoke everyone? How many times have I told you—don’t make trouble when you’re out! Do you not understand plain Chinese?"
Director David Chen was practically shouting into the phone.
The yelling made Darren Chen shudder, and Chloe Cheng’s eyes went wide beside him.
"Dad... it’s not—it’s not what you think, it was that guy..." Darren tried to explain.
"That guy? Huh? He can make friends with billionaire bosses—what do you think he’d do to you? You think everyone in the world is as brainless as you?" Director David Chen slammed the table, his voice full of fury.
The first time Director David Chen got a call from Big Tank, he just sent someone out and didn’t think much of it—figured he was just doing a small favor.
But then, every five minutes, Big Tank called again to check on things. That made Director Chen realize the guy Big Tank wanted the money sent to was definitely someone important.
Only then did he urge Zack Zhang to hurry up and deliver the money.
Just now, Zack said on the phone that Darren Chen’s leg might be broken, and that Darren had gotten into some trouble with that Lin guy.
So Director Chen immediately laid into Darren with a fierce scolding.
The whole car was filled with Director Chen’s angry shouting, leaving Darren Chen trembling and forgetting his leg pain for the moment.
When the call ended, Darren was still in a daze. Beside him, Chloe Cheng looked absolutely pale.
"Zhang-ge... I think when I get home, my dad’s going to beat me," Darren Chen swallowed hard.
"Getting beaten is the least of it. That guy—you can’t mess with him. Just leave him alone." Zack Zhang shook his head, then glanced at Chloe Cheng in the back: "I remember your mom saying there was a boy who chased after you in junior high and was no good?"
Chloe nodded at his words.
"Was it that guy from earlier?" Zack Zhang pressed again.
Chloe Cheng nodded again, her mind a chaotic mess, unable to think of anything to say.
"OK, pull over." Zack Zhang called to the officer driving.
The car stopped by the roadside. Zack took a drag on his cigarette, stared out the windshield, and spoke calmly: "Chloe, get out and go home. Your mom’s off work today—talk to her seriously."
"I don’t care what problems your family had with that boy earlier. If you can apologize, go apologize. If you can't swallow your pride, next time Director Chen will talk to your mom personally."
"Take care of yourself."
"Get out!"
Zack Zhang barked coldly, his face stern.
Chloe Cheng shuddered, glanced at Darren Chen—who didn’t dare meet her eyes, too worried about his own fate.
Chloe was forced out of the car, left standing on the street, dazed and lost. Her heart was a jumble of regret, confusion, and—most of all—helplessness and pain.