The living room was silent.
Only the exaggerated sounds from the cartoon Rain was watching filled the air.
Danielle wanted to send him upstairs, but Rain refused.
He insisted that since Zachary wasn't home, he had to protect Danielle from being bullied by strangers.
"Speak. What are you here for this time?"
Last night, Danielle had received news that she and Zachary had been kicked out of the Safe Team.
Not just her—Zachary too.
Leng gave a bitter smile and showed her team badge, now dim and lifeless.
"We left the Safe Team."
Danielle was surprised.
What happened?
Fei Yang looked upset. "Danielle, you don't know—Lu Yi's getting worse."
"He listens to Tie Xin all the time, kicked you and Zachary out of the team, and brought Tie Xin in."
Even if they wanted Tie Xin in, why kick others out without a reason?
Not even a warning. It was plain disrespectful.
Especially since Lu Yi owed his life to Danielle.
Fei Yang kept complaining, while Leng sat there, more and more uneasy.
She swallowed hard, gathered her thoughts, and finally spoke.
"That's why we're here—we want to know if you'd like to form a new team. Me and Fei Yang will join."
Danielle asked, "Don't you want to start your own team?"
Starting a team meant being the leader. Didn't they want that?
Leng gave a strained smile. "No. I'm afraid of the trouble that might come with it."
She didn't say it outright, but Danielle understood—she meant Tie Xin.
Thinking of Tie Xin, Danielle shook her head slightly.
If she had been sensible, with Leng and the others supporting her, she could've had a good life.
Now she'd pushed everyone away.
Even kindness has its limits.
Danielle thought for a moment. "Alright. We'll talk about it when Zachary gets back."
Just then, her wristband buzzed.
She saw the caller and smiled slightly.
"Zachary, are you back?"
Zachary: "Not yet. I'm bringing someone home later. Just giving you a heads-up."
Then the call ended.
When Danielle tried calling back, there was no signal.
Her brow furrowed. Zachary must've entered the Wasteland Zone again.
At that moment, Zachary was walking with a group into the Wasteland Zone.
"That idiot actually paid after being scammed."
"But really, if we kidnap him, do you think those two friends of his would pay to get him back?"
"They would. I heard those two are close with a super-rich lady. Just got a few million from the Jin family. Asking for five million isn't too much."
These people, bold with numbers, talked without restraint, not taking the lone Zachary seriously.
Ahead of them were Lu Yi and Tie Xin, followed by several unfamiliar men and women.
Those people clearly didn't look trustworthy.
Zachary wouldn't have followed them—if they hadn't mentioned Danielle.
Soon there was a disturbance up ahead. Zachary didn't rush in, but kept a slight distance.
From there, he could still clearly see what was happening.
Lu Yi was surrounded by several people, holding his arm in pain. Blood pooled on the ground beside a severed limb.
"Tiexin, why… why are you doing this?"
Tiexin's face twisted in anger. "Why? Because you owe me. My dad died saving useless people like you. If not for that, I'd still be living a good life. I wouldn't be stuck owing loan sharks. You didn't have money? Then borrow some! Can't borrow? Then steal it! That Danielle woman is rich—why didn't you rob her instead? And now you want to take me hunting beasts? You think you're worthy? I would never do something so low!"
Her yelling left Lu Yi stunned. His arm hurt, but his heart hurt more.
He'd known Tiexin the longest in the team—longer than Leng or Fei Yang—so he had deeper feelings for her. He never expected Tiexin to think of him like this. His face showed nothing but pain.
"Tiexin, don't you get it yet? Your dad died because of you."
There were things Lu Yi had planned to keep buried in his heart forever. But seeing Tiexin so heartless, he couldn't hold it in.
"Don't you know why your dad died? That day, we weren't even supposed to go on a mission. But you—you forced your dad to get you that dress. He had no choice but to ask us out for a mission."
If they hadn't gone, none of this would've happened. Lu Yi's eyes turned red.
Smack!
Tiexin slapped him hard, her face full of rage.
"Excuses from a loser. He was my dad. It was his duty to do things for me. His only mistake was not pushing you all toward the beasts and coming back alone. Then I wouldn't be suffering like this."
She kicked Lu Yi's injured arm, sending him sprawling, then snarled at the others.
"What are you standing around for? Don't you want the money? Tie him up and drag him back. I'm telling you, that Leng woman will definitely come pay for him."
Lu Yi was tied up tightly by the group, kneeling on the ground in humiliation.
"Tiexin, what are you planning?"
"Hmph. Didn't you say you had no way to get money? Then I'll find one. Don't think I don't know about you and Leng. She'll definitely beg that cheap woman for money if it means saving you."
The moment the word "cheap" left her mouth—smack!—Tiexin was suddenly flung away, as if someone had slapped her hard.
"Who hit me?!"
When she came to her senses, Lu Yi was already gone.
"Where is he? You useless idiots! You can't even keep watch over a cripple?!"
As she shouted, Zachary was already carrying Lu Yi away at lightning speed.
His powers had just awakened, and he only had enough energy left for about five uses. Luckily, they were already far enough from Tiexin and the others.
But Zachary wasn't a healer. By the time he got Lu Yi back, the man had already passed out.
"You're back?"
Danielle opened the door with a smile, but when she saw Zachary covered in blood, she panicked.
"So much blood! Are you hurt?"
She grabbed him and looked him up and down, completely ignoring the person lying on the floor.
Only when Zachary nudged her did she look down.
"It's not me. It's him."
Leng had been hesitating to come over—after all, there should be some distance between men and women.
But Fei Yang wouldn't stop yelling. He charged outside like a wild dog.
"Lu Yi! Leng, it's Lu Yi!"
Even though Leng had her complaints about Lu Yi, she was worried and ran out behind Fei Yang.
She came out to see Fei Yang glaring at Zachary like an angry lion cub.
"Speak! Did you hurt Lu Yi?"