The stout man in white felt an urge to curse, but as soon as he opened his mouth, a chillingly piercing glance shot from Lin Yu's eyes, inexplicably sending shivers down his spine. The words he intended to utter were abruptly suppressed, and he turned away, trying to appear arrogant, "A ruffian without manners. I won't stoop to your level."
A sardonic smile tugged at the corner of Lin Yu's lips. Since the incident had concluded, he paid no further heed to the man's "ruffian" remark, dismissing it as mere nonsense.
Turning to the driver, Lin Yu called out, "Master, everything's fine. Please continue driving." The driver, who had stopped the vehicle to intervene, nodded, expressionless, returned to his seat, and resumed driving.
"Young man, thank you," the elderly man expressed his gratitude to Lin Yu, who simply smiled and shook his head, saying nothing.
A silence fell upon the bus; no one spoke. Soon, at the next stop, three young men in their twenties boarded—a sturdy, short and chubby figure, a tall and lean individual, and another with dyed blond hair. When they spotted the chubby man in a white shirt with a briefcase, their eyes lit up simultaneously. Subtly exchanging glances, they squeezed through, appearing casually to stand beside him.
The bus restarted its journey, remaining eerily quiet. Despite the air conditioning, the interior remained sweltering, inducing drowsiness.
On the other side, Lin Yu, disinterested in the surrounding events, stood beside the old man, frowning as he gazed at him. Although he seemed to spot something unusual, a raised eyebrow indicated he'd noticed the three individuals acting surreptitiously. Amused, he stood there, watching the commotion with interest.
With his keen eyesight, he could discern the nature of these three. Yet, he didn't speak up or feel obliged to warn the wretched chubby man.
The tall, thin young man opened a sports newspaper, seemingly engrossed in reading. Inadvertently, he stood by the chubby man's waist. Meanwhile, the sturdy companion held onto the pole, between his fingers flashed a blade, subtly slicing the pocket of the chubby man's trousers.
The fabric tore soundlessly, and a wallet, deftly as if imbued with life, landed in the chubby one's hand, swiftly passing it to the blond-haired guy. Their professionalism was undoubtedly top-notch.
However, in that split second, a hoarse and slightly panicked voice erupted, "T-there's a thief..."
This shout shattered the silence like a stone breaking the still surface of a lake. All passengers turned their heads toward the commotion. They saw the scavenger trembling, pointing at the blond-haired guy who was about to tuck the wallet away.
Amidst the stares of everyone on the bus, the three men remained composed. Even as the blond-haired guy continued to pocket the wallet, transforming from a covert thief into an outright pilferer.
"That's my wallet!" The chubby man, realizing his wallet was being snatched, became enraged. His embarrassment, barely settled, was reignited by the old man's pointing finger. Faced with being called upon as a witness, he was torn between acknowledging the thievery, which would cause humiliation, or refraining from it, which would strip him of any respect. His internal turmoil was evident.
"Ugh!" He spat out a wad of phlegm onto the garbage bag, then turned and pushed forward without looking back. He would rather lose face than be this cursed victim. Even now, he could feel the lingering coldness of the knife on his waist.
"You rascal! Who are you calling a thief?" The blond-haired guy, unsatisfied with just pocketing the wallet, approached the scavenger, staring at him malevolently.
"You, you're the thief. You stole from him. He, he's the one who lost something. He can testify..." The scavenger, trembling, pointed at the chubby man, seeking help from the surrounding people, but no one responded.
Suddenly, a sharp dagger was pointed at his waist, offering him respite from the sweltering heat. Upon turning back, the man realized the knife was withdrawn. The bus driver remained silent, unperturbed. Such incidents were not unfamiliar to him, and the chubby man's character wasn't worth defending. Even if the thief hadn't brandished a knife, he had no intention of taking the bus to the police station—it was a rather extreme punishment for an immoral man. But it was satisfying nonetheless.
It seemed that everything was about to conclude. However, the following scene reignited the tension inside the bus.
"You old fool, who got robbed just now?" The blond-haired guy, not content with the stolen wallet, pushed his way towards the scavenger, glaring at him maliciously.
"You, you're the thief. You stole his things. He, he's the one who lost something. He can testify..." The scavenger, scared, pointed at the chubby man, hoping for support, yet still, no one acknowledged him.
The chubby man, who had just
avoided humiliation, was thrust back into the limelight by the scavenger's finger. Under the scrutiny of everyone on the bus, he felt neither gratitude nor the desire to thank anyone. Instead, he felt a surge of anger and embarrassment. If he didn't stand up to testify, he would lose face. But to testify meant enduring further humiliation at the hands of those ruffians.
"Ugh!" He spat again and walked away, refusing to become the damned victim. Up until now, he could still feel the lingering chill of the knife.