Luo Lin agreed without hesitation.

Which made Shen Yunhe feel like something was off. “Wait, isn’t it against your principles to go back to an ex? Why’d you say yes so easily? Do you even have a plan for dealing with the Chu family?”

“That’s my business.”

Luo Lin shoved his cup into Shen Yunhe’s hands.

Of course, he had his own agenda.

Recently, You Qi had uncovered some interesting intel—Chu Chen’s uncle and aunt’s only son, Chu Chen’s little cousin, had apparently offended a violent gang. The gang leader had made it clear that he planned to chop off the kid’s arm. Since the cousin was the family’s only heir, Chu Chen’s uncle and aunt had been running around denhanced humanately trying to pull strings and resolve the crisis. It was said that his aunt had even gone gray from the stress.

Initially, Luo Lin had been watching the drama unfold just for fun.

But now, he saw an opportunity.

It would be a waste not to take advantage of the situation.

That very evening, after work, Luo Lin hopped onto his motorbike and sped toward a bar frequented by the gang.

The flashing lights swept through the crowd, the heat of the bar surging with waves of desire, one after another. The swaying bodies and alcohol-fueled lust made it hard not to feel parched. Usually, when Luo Lin came to the bar, he was one of them—actually, one of the wildest.

But that night, he had business to take care of.

Luo Lin weaved through the crowd, deftly avoiding the hands reaching out to touch him, and headed for the bar’s back door. This was the door used by the kitchen staff to take out the trash, and since no one was guarding it, he easily pushed it open.

The deafening music suddenly dropped a few decibels, and the back alley outside was eerily quiet.

It was a dark street, pitch black. The ground was also dark, barely revealing the remnants of an old patterned tile design—though the grooves were now filled with filth, making the original pattern unrecognizable. A narrow drainage ditch ran alongside the wall, carrying murky water. It had just rained, and only a single dim streetlamp stood guard over the back alley.

Under the streetlamp stood seven or eight young men. Their faces were youthful, but the piercings and tattoos made them look like trouble.

“Hello, I’m an investigator from the Special Investigation Bureau. My name is Luo Lin.”

“A cop?”

“I wouldn’t call myself a cop,” Luo Lin said casually, placing his phone, keys, and Bluetooth earpiece on the least dusty part of a nearby windowsill.

Setting aside valuables in advance—it was a clear sign that a fight was about to break out.

“I need to talk to you about something.”

No one responded, but a few of the men who had been squatting down stood up, looking wary.

“I have a cousin—last name Chu. Did he get himself into trouble with you guys recently?”

One of the men snorted, “You mean Chu Wei? That cowardly, idiotic fatass?”

“That’s the one.” Luo Lin raised his hands, palms facing outward, showing he wasn’t carrying any weapons. “I need a favor from his parents. Could you do me a solid and let him off the hook? Whatever dumb thing he did, I apologize on his behalf.”

“And who the hell are you for us to listen to?” One man grabbed a baseball bat leaning against the wall and lunged at Luo Lin. Luo Lin didn’t move, letting the bat slam into his shoulder.

A dull thud echoed through the alley. A crack split down the middle of the bat, and in seconds, it snapped into two pieces.

The upper half slid off Luo Lin’s shoulder, rolled a few times on the ground, and plopped into the grimy water ditch.

Luo Lin looked at the man and gave a light, unbothered smile—silent proof that he hadn’t even fought back. The bat had just been lousy quality.

“An enhanced human? First-tier ability—body reinforcement,” the gang leader muttered, eyeing Luo Lin. “I know you. Luo Lin.”

“I’m not here to cause trouble,” Luo Lin said. “I just want you to leave Chu Wei alone. If he steps out of line again, I’ll deal with him myself.”

The gang members exchanged glances before the leader flicked away his cigarette and ground it under his heel. “And if we say no?”

And what? Did they really think a group of ordinary people could take down an enhanced human?

That was what Luo Lin was about to say—

But then, he noticed something was off.

There was a familiar energy radiating from the gang leader.

His blood stirred in response.

No one could say who moved first, but by the time everyone realized what was happening, Luo Lin and the leader were already grappling. The leader blocked Luo Lin’s attacks, and the impact of their blows rang out like metal colliding.

Passing the Gillifischer trial—the first ability granted through evolution was always enhanced physique.

“You’re an enhanced human too?”

The leader didn’t answer. Instead, he countered with a sweeping kick, trying to throw Luo Lin off balance. But Luo Lin was better trained. He dodged the attack, then used the leader’s unstable footing against him—an elbow strike to the back, followed by a knee to the gut. The leader shuddered, his organs rattling from the blow. Luo Lin grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall.

“Face it. You can’t win against me.”

Some of the gang members looked ready to jump in. Luo Lin turned his head slightly and warned, “Two enhanced humans fighting—if you ordinary guys get involved, you’ll end up splattered against the wall like street art. You sure you wanna try?”

At that, the gang members took a step back.

“Alright, spill it. What did Chu Wei do? I’ll decide how to handle it.”

“That little shit harassed my girlfriend.”

“Fine, I’ll let you harass him back some other time,” Luo Lin muttered, loosening his grip. Seriously? This whole ordeal over something so petty? Just a bunch of kids forming gangs. “I’ll deal with him myself. In return, you guys need to do me a favor.”

“What kind of favor?”

“Take a picture with me.”

Luo Lin stepped back, picked up his phone, and casually fixed his hair.

“One, two, three—say cheese!”

Most of the gang members in the photo looked reluctant as hell. But Luo Lin handed the picture over to Chu Wei’s parents, assuring them that with him involved, the gang wouldn’t touch Chu Wei again. Overjoyed, they thanked him profusely and promised to help him smooth over the engagement issue.

And just like that, the problem was solved.

Late that night, Luo Lin left the Chu family home, hopped on his motorcycle, and decided to swing by the supermarket for discounted groceries—his dorm’s food supply was running low.

What should he eat lately?

Maybe some enoki mushrooms.

By the time he finished shopping, cooking, and sitting down to eat, it was already 11 p.m. Under the glow of his lamp, Luo Lin tallied up the day’s expenses.

He earned plenty, but he was habitually frugal. A lesson from his mother, who had raised him with the principle of saving for emergencies, no matter how much money he made.

Now that he was getting engaged to Chu Chen, there would be extra expenses. He should at least prepare a proper engagement gift.

But after all these years, did Chu Chen still like the same things as before?

Previously, he loved the color blue.

It was time to ask You Qi, that little aristocrat, whether anyone had recently sold a sapphire—preferably one the size of a pigeon’s egg, set in a ring of diamonds. A blue sapphire signet ring would suit Chu Chen’s aristocratic demeanor perfectly. The band itself had to be bronze, giving it a classic and noble touch.

Luo Lin sketched a rough outline of the antique ring.

But after examining it closely, something felt off.

Damn it, what was he thinking? This was just a fake engagement, yet he was treating it like the real thing. He’d better not end up losing money over this without getting anything in return.

Did Chu Chen even deserve this? No, he didn’t.

Yet, Luo Lin lifted his eyes and glanced again at the rough sketch on the paper.

He couldn’t help it.

He wanted to see that blue sapphire signet ring wrapped around Chu Chen’s fair-skinned finger, his nearly translucent skin revealing faint blue veins beneath. Standing there, he resembled a priceless porcelain artifact, his veins forming delicate blue patterns like those painted by an artisan’s brush.

Arrogant and aloof, untouchable yet mesmerizing.

Luo Lin felt his blood surging with heat

Meanwhile, the person occupying his thoughts was crouched on the ground, packing his luggage.

“No way, that Luo Lin agreed to the engagement again? First, he’s against it, then he’s for it—what the hell does he mean by that?” His uncle stood with arms crossed against the wall, visibly displeased with Luo Lin’s indecisiveness, seeing it as a sign of irresponsibility toward the future. “Listen, you can’t be with someone like him. He has no backbone.”

Chu Chen wasn’t listening. He was busy stuffing his plush toys, daily medications, and research papers into his suitcase.

Oh, right—he should bring a few extra face masks.

Seeing that Chu Chen was ignoring him, his uncle raised his voice. “You need to play hard to get, you hear me? Otherwise, Luo Lin will never cherish you.”

“Got it, got it,” Chu Chen replied absentmindedly, then turned to his AI assistant.

“Is the plane ticket booked? Can I still make it? Call me a car.”

“Chu Chen! Didn’t you hear me? Be reserved!”

“I am being reserved. It’s not like I’m saying I’ll take a helicopter or a yacht back, okay?” Chu Chen sighed in relief when the AI confirmed his travel details.

“Are you seriously considering crossing the Pacific alone?”

“If necessary.”

His uncle sighed, exasperated. Seeing Chu Chen stuffing a box of freshly made cupcakes into his suitcase, his frustration flared up again.

“Do I need to remind you? Fresh food can’t pass customs! Put those cupcakes down! Look at you, throwing yourself at him!”