The train was bustling, full of activity and noise.
Zhao Lun sat by the window, his eyes closed, quietly reflecting on the gains and losses of the past year, before his thoughts turned to home.
Since arriving here, communication had been limited to letters, which were quite inconvenient. Moreover, in her letters, they only reported good news, never mentioning any troubles. Aside from trivial everyday matters, there was no mention of any difficulties; every letter ended with a reassurance that all was well.
It happened once, then twice, and after many instances, Zhao Lun realized that if he didn't notice the problem, that would be unnatural.
"I wonder how things are at home."
At that moment, his emotions were similar to the last time he went home: outwardly calm, but inwardly troubled, lost in thoughts of the past.
Sitting next to him were three young ladies, glaring at each other with tense expressions, creating an atmosphere so charged that the other passengers in the compartment dared not speak too loudly.
The train slowly began to decelerate.
Finally, at 9:45, the train pulled into Platform 9¾ at King's Cross Station.
"The train's about to stop."
"Don't forget your things, everyone."
Upon exiting the station, Zhao Lun saw many parents waiting to pick up their children.
Among them, the most noticeable were Mrs. Weasley and her daughter, both avid fans of Harry Potter. Seeing him, they shyly turned their eyes away.
"Harry Potter!" Mrs. Weasley's daughter exclaimed, her face flushed with excitement. "Look, Mom! I've seen him—"
"Hello, Mrs. Weasley," Zhao Lun greeted, following Fred and George as they approached her, officially introducing himself.
"You must be Allen, right? Oh, I've heard Ron and Fred talk about you. Dear, it's so nice to meet you."
Mrs. Weasley greeted him warmly.
Once outside the station, the students dispersed in different directions.
The outside temperature was already quite high, and many people had switched to shorts and T-shirts.
Zhao Lun walked toward the exit, and as soon as he stepped outside, someone called his name.
"Hey! Allen!"
It was Chinese.
Zhao Lun turned and saw Angela, the only one who preferred speaking to him in Chinese.
She was wearing sunglasses and dressed in a cool outfit.
Beside her stood Maria, also dressed in light clothing and wearing a sun hat.
When Maria saw him, she immediately ran towards him. Her speed was so fast that her hat flew off.
"Brother!"
As she ran, waving her little hand, she drew the attention of many people. Ignoring their stares, she continued running, accelerating, and just as she was about to reach him, she leapt into the air.
Zhao Lun stepped forward and caught the little girl mid-air.
"You've grown taller, and hmm, you've gained quite a bit of weight too."
Zhao Lun embraced Angela, who had come with her. Maria laughed happily and let him hold her.
"Zhi Jie."
Zhao Lun extended his hand for a hug.
"You've grown taller, and even more handsome!"
"Get in the car."
Angela smiled as she sized him up, inviting him into the car.
In the driver's seat was Aida.
"Hi! Aida, how have you been?"
Zhao Lun sat in the spacious rear of the car and greeted Aida.
"I'm good."
Her tone remained as concise as ever, though she had become more easily overlooked—if one wasn't paying attention, she could easily be ignored.
"Yes, I'm sure you are doing great."
Zhao Lun smiled, placing Maria down next to him.
"Alright, Maria, let me have a good look at you."
Zhao Lun gently caressed her little head.
Maria complied, remaining silent. Zhao Lun didn't mind, sitting next to her quietly.
The car slowly started moving, leaving the station and heading toward the seldom-used expressway.
Inside the car, Zhao Lun scanned the surroundings, observing the changes and also taking in Maria and Aida.
"Why so quiet? Maria, don't you miss your brother?"
While speaking to Maria, Zhao Lun activated the nearby projector, which displayed information about the surroundings. The changes were evident—looking at the street view, it felt more familiar to him.
"It's not that."
"Maria got into trouble."
"She hit someone."
Maria lowered her head, slightly afraid Zhao Lun would scold her.
"Huh? A fight? Did you win? Uh, I mean, did you lose?"
Zhao Lun paused halfway, noticing that Angela was giving him a disapproving look.
"Of course, I won."
As she spoke about her victory, Maria's face turned red with excitement.
"Huh? Didn't you get into trouble? Why are you so happy?"
Zhao Lun was puzzled. The usually well-behaved Maria had a violent side?
"Tell me, what happened?"
Zhao Lun was curious and wanted to know how Maria had gotten into trouble.
"It's those bad guys in the town. They always talk badly about you, and about me too, so I…"
Maria started explaining the situation to Zhao Lun.
Nicole and the others had been more relaxed about Maria's schooling, allowing her to decide when she wanted to attend, as long as she completed her assignments. Maria excelled in her studies and managed her tasks easily, so this semester had been light for her. Her peers envied her since they couldn't enjoy such freedom.
However, some of her classmates, jealous of her achievements, decided to teach her a lesson. But instead of punishing her, they got beaten up by Maria, who left them bruised and bloodied.
The parents of those students protested, demanding that Maria be punished and that they receive compensation for their children's emotional distress.
Now, the entire town was buzzing with gossip about the incident.
"Is that really what happened?"
Zhao Lun's face darkened.
"At least Maria wasn't hurt. But what did Nicole and the others do?"
Zhao Lun was eager to know how they handled the situation.
"This…" Angela seemed unsure how to explain and spoke awkwardly.
"Well, after the incident, the protesting parents encountered various 'accidents.' Most of them are now in the hospital."
Aida, rarely speaking up, chimed in.
"Huh? Was that you guys?"
Zhao Lun was stunned. Was that really necessary?
Well, I like it, Zhao Lun thought, secretly pleased with Nicole and the others' actions.
The 'accidents'? It seemed...
"No, this time it really was an accident. We were planning to follow the legal route."
Angela shot him a look, knowing what he was thinking, and quickly clarified.
The 'legal route' meant pursuing the matter through legal channels, suing those involved.
That was the best and safest way to deal with them. After all, even if one had the ability, abusing it could be risky, leading to unnecessary exposure and creating more enemies. One never knew when some self-righteous lunatic would come knocking.
Here, money ruled, and using it wisely was the 'proper' way to go.
"When did this happen?" Zhao Lun asked.
"The day before yesterday," Angela replied.
"The day before yesterday? I can't believe they dared to mess with us here. There must be something else going on, right? Aida, you must know what happened. Tell me, what's the real story?"
Zhao Lun thought for a moment and asked Aida.
At home, Hodar was responsible for their security, and Aida handled intelligence and reconnaissance, occasionally providing protection for the family.
Anything happening in the town was unlikely to escape Aida's notice.
"Some rats are causing trouble, Hodar is handling it," Aida said.
The term "rats" was a disdainful reference to those involved in illicit activities, people who stole from others without any real skills.
"Weren't these pests cleared out already? How are they still around?"
"Were they from outside?"
To 'clear them out' meant either incorporating them into the fold or driving them away to the police station.
"Yes, they came from outside," Aida explained. "As you know, we've been developing rapidly, and that has drawn attention from all kinds of people."
"Especially recently, a lot of unsavory characters have shown up, among them, the most annoying are the rats and flies."
"Were the flies swatted?" Zhao Lun asked.
"Hodar is taking care of that. He should be wrapping it up now," Aida replied.
"Good. If those people are connected to these pests, don't hesitate to eliminate them."
Zhao Lun said, then activated the nearby projector and connected to the surveillance system, which broadcasted the situation in the town.
The town had undergone a transformation, almost unrecognizable now. Looking at it through the surveillance system felt like something out of a sci-fi movie.
"Impressive!" Even Zhao Lun had to admit his admiration.
He had returned here during Christmas when some buildings were still unfinished, but now, they were complete.
"Brother, look here." Maria pointed to the projection, rotating it until it stopped on a newly constructed, beautiful high-rise.
The building, shining like a bright diamond, stood at the center of the town. It featured both English and Chinese text, along with a logo that represented Zhao Lun. The design only enhanced the building's beauty.
"This was designed by Maria," she boasted, pointing to the logo.
"You designed this?! Wow, I'm truly impressed."
Zhao Lun was amazed by Maria's talent, especially with Athena's assistance, he hadn't expected her to have such a gift.
"Hehe…" Maria giggled, enjoying the praise from her brother.
Setting aside the unpleasant matters, the mood in the car soon returned to normal, with laughter occasionally filling the air.
"Brother, look, this is Ivy, and this is Grayshadow. They've grown even bigger, and there's Snow White and the Prince. They don't like this weather, so they're staying inside..."