Ring! Ring!
The school bell rang, marking the long-awaited end of the day.
"Finally, school's out!"
"Let's go play some games. There's a new arcade on West Hill Road!"
"I'm starving. Time to head home for dinner."
Amid the lively chatter, Ethan Reed silently left the classroom, his expression grim. Ever since he had asked to go to the restroom during the first period, his mood hadn't improved.
As Ethan reached the school gates, he found Troy Hunt, still sporting bruises and a swollen face, waiting for him with a gang of dozens. Before Ethan could react, Troy and his men surrounded him and dragged him away.
Sam, watching this unfold from a distance, remained indifferent. Without sparing another glance, he climbed into his luxury car and left.
Before long, the car came to a stop in front of an apartment complex. Under the guidance of Ryan Carter, the Viper Gang's second-in-command, Sam made his way to the top-floor unit.
The room they entered was sparse and barren. A single chair and a telescope stood near the window, and the rest of the space was eerily empty.
Aside from Sam and Ryan, there were two burly men in black suits and a young girl dressed in a cheap sundress. The girl had a pure, delicate face and carried herself with a timid demeanor, looking as though a gust of wind might blow her over.
Two burly gang members and a fragile-looking girl—such a combination inevitably conjured unpleasant associations.
Sam, however, ignored the atmosphere entirely. He strode over to the chair and sat down. Ryan Carter quickly picked up the telescope and carefully positioned it in front of Sam's eyes.
"Lower."
"Yes, Chief."
Ryan swiftly adjusted the telescope's height.
Sam's gaze, now aligned through the lens, fell upon a narrow, cramped alleyway. The area was crowded with people—Troy Hunt and his gang, along with Ethan , at the centre of the commotion.
Troy stood arrogantly, jabbing a finger in Ethan's face while hurling insults. The dozens of men behind him chimed in, some shouting threats, others gripping baseball bats menacingly.
"Ethan Reed! Weren't you acting all high and mighty before? Well, my big brother's here now. Let's see you act tough again!"
Surrounded by so many, Ethan didn't appear frightened. Instead, his brow furrowed, and his eyes betrayed a trace of anxiety, as though something else entirely was occupying his mind.
"Hey, Rat, don't scare our classmate too much," a man wearing ripped jeans and a denim jacket said, patting Troy on the shoulder. A cigarette dangled from his lips, and his tone carried a lazy indifference.
"Big brother, it's him! He's the one who hit me!" Troy exclaimed, his voice tinged with excitement.
The man referred to as "big brother" smirked, exhaling a puff of smoke before nodding slightly, a gesture that told Troy to relax.
The man swaggered toward Ethan, his movements deliberately slow. He didn't even bother to meet Ethan's eyes, instead taking another drag from his cigarette before placing a hand on Ethan's shoulder with feigned gravity.
"So, you're Ethan Reed, huh?"
"Take your hand off me," Ethan said coldly.
The man's hand, still holding his cigarette, froze midair. The smirk on his lips darkened slightly, turning sinister. "Ah, fiery temper, eh? Reminds me of myself when I was your age. But listen, Ethan, you need to learn something: too much fire in a young man is—OW! OW! Stop! Let go of me, damn it!"
In one swift motion, Ethan grabbed the man's hand and twisted it behind his back.
Crack!
With a sickening snap, the man's arm broke.
"AAAH!!"
His agonized screams echoed through the alleyway. His face turned ghostly pale as he collapsed to his knees, clutching his broken arm.
"What are you waiting for? Get him! Kill him!" he bellowed at his lackeys.
The gang members froze for a moment, stunned by the sight, but quickly snapped back to their senses. Cursing and yelling, they charged at Ethan.
Ethan met their assault with a cold smile. "Unlucky for you all—I'm in a bad mood today."
He dove into the crowd, a whirlwind of fists and fury. Moving like a human tank, he plowed through his attackers. Each punch sent someone flying, their faces bloodied, collapsing to the ground unconscious.
The baseball bats and metal rods that struck him seemed utterly ineffective. Instead of injuring Ethan, they produced sharp metallic clanging sounds, as if they were hitting steel.
Watching through the telescope, Sam withdrew his gaze, a faint sense of clarity dawning in his mind. He didn't spare Ethan another glance, instead turning his attention to the timid girl inside the room.
The girl's petite frame trembled as a fawning, coquettish smile spread across her otherwise innocent face.
"This is the person you found?" Sam asked, his eyes briefly scanning the girl.
"Chief, her name's Lily. She's the top girl at the Rosewood Club. Lily, hurry up and greet the boss!" Ryan Carter urged.
Lily's smile grew even more seductive as she said in a sweet, syrupy voice, "Hello, sir."
"Drop the cheap allure," Sam said, his brows furrowing slightly. "I asked for purity—innocence, someone untouched by the world. Think 'white moonlight,' not someone straight out of a cabaret."
His gaze darkened as he continued, "It shouldn't be so hard to achieve with just a change of clothes, should it?"
Ryan stiffened, his broad frame visibly trembling. Hastily, he explained, "Chief, I gave her instructions exactly as you said!"
"Oh?" Sam's tone was icy, his glance at Ryan full of quiet menace. "So, you're saying the problem lies with me?"
A cold sweat broke out on Ryan's forehead, and he dropped to his knees without hesitation. "I wouldn't dare! Lily, what did I tell you before? You were supposed to act like a student!"
Feeling the tense atmosphere, Lily started to panic. "I-I… I can play a student, but I've never actually been to school! The club just says I'm a student in their ads…"
"You!" Ryan's face twisted with frustration, as though he had been deceived.
"Forget it." Sam sighed, waving a dismissive hand. "I should've known. A musclehead like you was never going to fully understand my instructions."
He turned his gaze back to Lily. "Lily, do you know what your task is?"
Lily nodded quickly, like a chick pecking at grain. "I know, I know! My task is to gain Ethan Reed's trust, and, ideally, make him fall in love with me. Boss, you've got to trust me—I did my homework before coming! I've even prepared a full character backstory and script!"
Sam's interest was piqued. "Let's hear it."
"I'm a good girl who dropped out of school to support my family. Ever since I was young, I've dreamed of becoming a singer. But my dad's addicted to gambling and lost all our money. My mom's seriously ill, and I've got a younger brother still in school. To pay off debts, cover medical bills, and fund my brother's education, I had to drop out and start working. I sing at a bar and even take on hosting gigs to make ends meet.
"One night, a customer forced me to drink, then tried to take me away. On the way, I ran into Ethan Reed. I begged him for help, and he rescued me. After that…"
"Stop." Sam raised a hand, massaging his temples as he cut her off mid-sentence. "A gambling father, a sick mother, a younger brother in school, and a broken girl trying to hold it all together? This tired cliché of a plot is utterly uninspired."
At his blunt critique, Ryan Carter's gaze toward Lily darkened, while her face turned pale.
Lily knew all too well what kind of dangerous figures she was dealing with. This wasn't just any gang—this was the Viper Gang, the undisputed rulers of District 13.
And the young man sitting before her? Someone who commanded the unwavering respect of the gang's second-in-command. His identity needed no further explanation.
If he wasn't satisfied, her fate would be sealed as easily as swatting a fly.
"But…" Sam's tone suddenly shifted, and Lily felt her heart leap into her throat.
"As the saying goes, classics endure for a reason. If everyone keeps using this template, it must mean it's effective enough. For fooling a naïve student? It should do the job just fine."
Phew!
Lily let out a breath of relief. She knew she had passed the test.
"While the script works, your demeanor still needs adjusting," Sam said, his tone calm but firm. "You need to embody the character—a girl who's faced so many hardships yet refuses to abandon her dreams. Someone brave enough to stand against the suffering life throws at her. She should have a certain stubbornness, a defiance, but also a sense of fragility. Understand?"
"I understand. No problem," Lily replied, nodding quickly. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes to collect herself.
When she opened them again, it was as if she had transformed into a completely different person.
The sultry air about her was gone, replaced by a quiet, steely resolve. She bit her lower lip in defiance, her black-and-white eyes shimmering with unshed tears. But instead of fear or submission, her gaze was unwavering, daring to meet Sam's directly.
She resembled a blade of grass battered by the storm—small, fragile, yet unyielding in its resistance, brimming with an unrelenting vitality.
Her eyes began to shine, a faint glimmer of hope breaking through, like the brightest star piercing the darkness of a midnight sky. They radiated a longing for a better tomorrow, a fierce determination to fight against her fate.
"Not bad," Sam remarked, his voice carrying a rare note of approval.
Lily's face immediately lit up with joy, a coquettish smile creeping onto her lips.
Sam frowned. "Maintain the earlier demeanor. Don't break character. Ryan, take her downstairs and make the arrangements."
"Yes, Chief!" Ryan responded, as though granted a reprieve from execution. He quickly led Lily away for further rehearsals.