"Leo and the guys wanted to apologize for what happened before. This time, let’s all hang out together and get to know each other. Once you’re in Oceanport, they’ll look out for you too."
Faye Zheng was terrified Evan Lin might bail, so she quickly jumped in, trying to keep him calm.
She eyed Evan’s skimpy outfit and secretly sneered—he was obviously trying to stand out and show off in front of everyone.
Faye’s contempt for Evan only grew. In her eyes, he was just a shallow poser who loved making a scene.
"Yeah, let’s really get to know each other! When we’re all in Oceanport, we can hang out together."
"Oceanport’s way bigger than your little Whitewood. If you get lost, I’ll show you around!"
The Oceanport heirs all chimed in, tossing glances at Evan, faces full of mockery.
"No need."
Evan brushed past them without a second glance, hopped on the bus, and picked a seat.
The heirs’ faces soured instantly, each one looking seriously pissed off.
"Man, he’s way too cocky!"
"Does he seriously not give a crap about us?"
"Let him act tough now. Once we hit Brightsea, let’s see how long he keeps it up!"
Leo Lee’s face darkened. He clenched his teeth, eyes full of frustration.
"Get on already, before he slips away. There’ll be plenty of chances to deal with him!"
Faye Zheng took a deep breath, flashing a confident smile.
She’d mastered the art of trapping prey—this was just another routine.
Everyone piled onto the long-distance coach from Whitewood to Brightsea.
The bus heater was blasting, making it almost tropical inside. The driver was a beefy guy in a thin T-shirt, looking like a mound of meat squashed into the seat.
"Hurry up, hurry up! Get on already! Quit dawdling and grab yourself a seat!"
The fat driver kept barking at everyone.
The bus was already packed. Most seats were taken by tough-looking guys—some glued to their phones, some scarfing down breakfast, all shooting fierce glances at Leo Lee and his crew as they climbed aboard.
The moment Leo and his gang got on, the whole bus went quiet for a second. The vibe was straight-up weird.
"Why do I feel like something’s off here?"
One of the Oceanport heirs leaned over to his buddy and whispered.
"What could be off? Just grab a seat! If you don’t want to sit, get off! Quit wasting everyone’s time!"
The fat driver was straight-up savage, his voice booming as he yelled.
"Damn, even a bus driver’s got an attitude?" The heir who got yelled at wasn’t having it.
"Don’t start anything. We need to get to Brightsea fast today."
Before he could stir up trouble, Leo Lee grabbed his arm, frowning as he spoke.
The guy just nodded, glaring at the fat driver.
They headed to the back and found seats.
That’s when they noticed—the Whitewood kid, Evan Lin, was sitting next to a woman.
She had sunglasses on and her puffer jacket off, showing off a white turtleneck that hugged her figure. Her vibe was gentle but striking, and her pale skin practically glowed.
"Man, this guy’s got insane luck with women."
"Should’ve grabbed a seat earlier!"
"Missed out, big time."
The Oceanport heirs were practically drooling, eyes glued to the woman.
"Hey, Evan, how about swapping seats with me?"
One of them couldn’t hold back anymore and strolled over, grinning at Evan.
"Scram."
Evan spat out the word, totally unfazed.
That single word made the guy freeze, his face twitching between pissed and embarrassed.
"Alright, enough! Just find a seat!" Faye Zheng shot a nasty glare at the woman, annoyed she was stealing her spotlight.
The front seats were packed, so they had no choice but to grab spots at the very back.
"Let’s see how long he keeps acting tough! What a joke!"
"Some country bumpkin from nowhere dares to tell me to scram?"
Settling into his seat, the guy glared at Evan, seething with anger.
"Chill out, just let him have his moment. It won’t last long. Once my master shows up, he’ll regret everything!" Leo Lee licked his lips, eyes gleaming.
"Sit tight, we’re heading out!"
The fat driver hollered, then slowly rolled the bus out of the station.
Snow was still falling outside, but inside the bus it was toasty warm.
Faye Zheng and the others shed their coats, ready to kick back and nap—when suddenly, two loud bangs echoed.
They whipped around and saw, to their shock, that two side windows had just shattered!
Freezing wind blasted in through the broken glass, stinging as it hit their skin.
"What the hell? How do windows just disappear like that?"
The gust made them all shiver.
"Driver! Hey, driver! What are we supposed to do about the busted windows?"
Someone couldn’t take it and started yelling up front.
"Glass breaks, so what? Haven’t you ever had a window break at home? It’s glass, it breaks. That’s life."
The fat driver looked totally unfazed.
"Normal? What if I freeze to death, huh?"
The driver’s words made the guy furious.
"If you freeze, you freeze. It’s you freezing, not me—why should I care? I’m not your dad, and I’m sure as hell not your grandpa."
The fat driver rolled his eyes, his words leaving the guy speechless.
"Fine! Just wait, I’m reporting you as soon as I get off! You’ll be fired, you won’t drive another bus again!"
His face turned bright red, fuming with anger.
"The bus is right here. If I want to drive, I’ll drive. You think you can stop me? Who do you think you are? If you’re so capable, why aren’t you flying to Brightsea instead of riding my bus? Go on, flap your wings!"
The fat driver snorted, voice rumbling.
Cold wind kept pouring in. The front rows were warm, but there weren’t any seats left.
Faye Zheng and her crew shivered in the back, noses red and sneezing from the cold.
"Enough! Stop yelling! No amount of shouting will fix the glass!"
Faye Zheng gritted her teeth, face full of frustration.
They looked up at Evan Lin, sitting up front all comfy, and just felt even more miserable.
Leo Lee and the others saw Evan chatting and laughing with the beauty next to him, looking totally at ease. It made them even more bitter, unable to say a word.
"What kind of hellhole is this? A tiger fallen onto flat ground, bullied by dogs!"
Leo’s voice was full of tragic indignation.