"Tim Ruan goes to Peiying High School now, right? The kids should hang out sometime, get a feel for each other. Who knows, maybe they'll hit it off!"
Yeah, let the kids chill together, they'll get used to each other in no time.
Tim Ruan's a solid dude, always looking out for people. He'll take good care of Lynn Chen, trust me.
The people nearby chimed in, echoing each other.
All of them were well-known bosses in Capitalview City, and when they spoke, every one of them sounded a bit arrogant.
Tim Ruan's grin stretched even wider. He nodded, looked Lynn Chen straight in the eye and said, "The uncles are right. From now on, I'm your shield. Losers like Ryan Ren? I won't let those clowns anywhere near you."
He goes to Peiying High. At the recent school arts gala, he didn't attend, but afterward he heard that Ryan Ren actually confessed to Lynn Chen in public—which made Tim furious.
Even after hearing Ryan Ren got smacked around and Lynn Chen turned him down, Tim still couldn't let it go. Just this morning, he rounded up some buddies and jumped Ryan Ren.
That's why, just now, Ryan Ren was looking over at Lynn Chen from a distance, his eyes full of grievance and anger.
First Ryan Ren got rejected by Lynn Chen, then beaten by Evan Lin, then his cousin got beaten by Evan, and finally even his parents got warned by Manager Ren to stop causing trouble. This morning, Tim Ruan cornered him again for another beating.
These last few days, Ryan Ren's taken more beatings than he has in the past ten years—every time, he couldn't do jack about it. The guy was so mad he could cough up blood.
"I don't need you to protect me, thanks." Lynn Chen shot back, frowning with clear annoyance.
As soon as she said that, Tim glanced at his father, Daniel Ruan. Daniel squinted, ignoring Lynn and looking at Charles Chen instead. He said calmly, "Old Chen, it seems your daughter has quite a personality."
"My son has never been shot down by a girl twice, ever. Plus, he's stubborn—if he likes someone, he has to give it a shot. Otherwise, he'll never get over it."
When he said this, Daniel Ruan's gaze toward Charles Chen grew more serious.
His gaze was like a knife, and the aura of a big-shot boss surged off him—everyone around felt the pressure, thick enough to choke.
"That's right, Old Chen. Your daughter is still young, doesn't understand things yet, and probably doesn't realize how great Tim is. Besides, President Ruan isn't saying you have to marry her off now—just let her and Tim give it a try."
"Exactly! Tim Ruan's the number one youth in Capitalview City. You won't find a better kid anywhere, period! Looks, background, status—he's top shelf all the way!"
The people nearby immediately started calling him President Ruan.
It was obvious they were trying to pressure Charles Chen.
In Capitalview, if you're just doing small business, no one cares. But if you want to play in the big leagues, you have to rely on connections and stick together.
If you try to go it alone here, nine times out of ten you'll end up faceplanting.
Right now, Charles Chen is an outsider—a dragon crossing the river (someone bold trying to make it in a new place)—trying to grab a piece of the Capitalview pie. He desperately needs friends and allies.
The group, including President Ruan, all stared at Charles Chen, waiting for him to take a stand.
"Well, when it comes to the kids, I think they should decide for themselves. I shouldn't interfere." Charles Chen shook his head.
As soon as he finished, his stance was obvious.
Charles Chen made it clear—he wasn't going to push Lynn to try dating Tim Ruan. In effect, he was also rejecting President Ruan's suggestion.
President Ruan's face darkened when he heard that. "Old Chen, there's no need to answer so quickly. You can go home and think it over first."
"In business, harmony brings wealth. We all give each other some face. I'm not saying your daughter has to do anything—just let her and Tim get to know each other first."
"I have a lot of confidence in my son, and I don't think you'll find anyone better in Capitalview. But I also heard that Lynn is attending Capitalview First High now, and there's a boy who transferred with her from Minghai—someone she's pretty close with?"
President Ruan glanced at Tim Ruan and said blandly, "Tim, I don't have the best memory. What did you tell me last time? Remind me."
There's this Evan Lin guy... He's supposed to be pretty smart—won first prize in the Seacrest Province Math Olympiad and got props from the principal at Capitalview First High. But he also beat up a bunch of classmates, and not lightly, either. Dude's got some serious violent streak.
As soon as Tim said that, Lynn Chen's face changed. She couldn't help but ask, "You investigated me?"
"That's not investigating. How could you call it that? Tim's just concerned about you." Daniel Ruan shook his head slightly, then continued, "As for Evan Lin, I don't care what his family does, because I know for sure that I make more on a single big order than his parents could earn in a lifetime!"
Daniel Ruan looked smug—one of his deals could rake in tens of millions, way more than most families could ever dream of touching.
"And this Evan Lin kid, I heard the cops called him in too? A punk that age, just 'cause he's good at school, thinks he can throw punches and stir up trouble. Students like that? No way they're ever making it big!"
Daniel Ruan hadn't even finished speaking.
"And this Evan Lin, I also heard the cops called him in? A kid that age, just 'cause he's good at school, thinks he can go around throwing punches and stirring up trouble. Kids like that? They'll never get anywhere!"
Lynn wanted to say 'because he helped solve a case,' but before she could finish, the others cut her off.
The bosses all looked disgusted.
"Alright, enough. Let's not waste breath on some bottom-tier punk."
"Yeah, after hearing Tim and President Ruan, we're even more sure—Tim's the guy. It's for Lynn's own good, so she doesn't get mixed up and fall for the wrong guy."
"Old Chen, you really ought to talk to your daughter. She's young, doesn't know any better. Surely you see Tim's the best son-in-law you could ask for!"
The group kept going, one after another, nonstop.
Tim Ruan's lips curled into a broad smile.
Meanwhile, out front, across the busy street, a young man with his hands in his pockets strolled slowly toward the entrance.
Cars shot past in every direction, but Evan Lin walked through the chaos like the world was his private courtyard—every step landed perfectly in the gaps, cool and unhurried, like nothing could faze him. The whole street seemed to part for him. It was a scene straight out of a legend.