Chapter 3

I brought Leo back to the restroom entrance, and the crowd was still there.

I looked at Leo. "Sir, would you be willing to switch bunks?"

Leo shook his head, just like we'd agreed. "No."

Brian's face changed, and he suddenly pulled out his wallet. "I'll give you one hundred dollars. Will you switch now?"

I stared, dumbfounded. Seriously? This asshole was actually pulling this stunt?

Leo's eyes sparkled, and he nodded without hesitation. "Sure."

"You!" I was so furious that I couldn't even speak, but Leo was already gone, grinning with the money in his hand.

The crowd erupted in cheers, like Brian had just swooped in as some kind of knight in shining armor.

I watched their backs as they walked away, my fists aching from how hard I was clenching them.

I stood between the train cars, my hands still shaking.

"Hey, kid, let me give you a little advice," an old lady with gray hair came up beside me.

She wore a silk scarf and had the vibe of a retired professor.

She spoke slowly, "That guy's bad news.

"I spent over thirty years in risk management at a bank before I retired. Spotting scammers was my job. That guy, dressed like that and always trying to get close to young girls?

"He's either a creep or a con artist. Your girlfriend's in for trouble."

My throat tightened, and just as I was about to speak, my phone started ringing.

I answered it, "Hey, Mom?"

"Alex! Are you out of your mind?" Mom's voice blasted through the phone, making my ears ring. "Emily just called me, bawling her eyes out, saying you humiliated her in front of everyone and even drove her to slit her wrist!"

I squeezed my phone so hard that my knuckles went white. "Mom, please, calm down. Did Emily tell you anything that's actually true?"

"What are you talking about? Her wrist is wrapped in thick bandages. How could that be fake?" Mom's voice went up an octave. "You were all over her when you were chasing her, and now this is how you treat her?"

"Did she tell you why she tried to slit her wrist?" I scoffed. "She wanted to share a bunk with some random 35-year-old dude, and when I said no, she threatened suicide."

There was a sudden silence on the other end for a couple of seconds.

"I don't care what she did!" Mom said firmly, lowering her voice. "You know her dad has connections in the bureau. Our family's construction project is counting on him!"

My chest tightened. "So for the money, your son just has to be her simp?"

"What do you know?" Mom's voice was shaking. "Your college tuition, living expenses, and the money for your marriage and house all cost a lot. What about your grandma's treatment? Are we supposed to just go broke and starve?"

Mom took a deep breath. "Alex, I'm begging you, just do it for the family. It's just an apology. It's not like you'll lose anything. Once the project money comes in, I'll get you the latest phone."

I let out a cold laugh. "So you want me to just stand by and watch her sleep in the same bunk with that old creep? And if something happens, I get blamed for it?"

"Why do you care who she sleeps with?" Mom suddenly lost it, yelling, "Go apologize to Emily right now, or you can forget about having a mother!"

The call ended with a sharp click, and I just stood there, feeling like my blood had turned to ice.

The old lady gave me a sympathetic look. "That girl doesn't seem like someone with a hidden agenda. Maybe it was that anime nerd who put her up to it."

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down.

"Ma'am, why do you think that guy is a con artist?" I asked.

The old lady glanced around, then lowered her voice. "Did you notice his left pinky? It's missing a piece."

Yeah, that was true. Last time, Brian said he lost it working at an anime store, and Emily felt so bad for him.

The old lady continued, "Ten years ago, I handled a case involving a scam ring that specifically targeted college students.

"Most of the members were missing a piece of their left pinky. The ringleader said it was their 'performance review'. If someone failed a job, they got punished.

"Lately, I heard from the bureau that these gangs aren't just after money anymore. Now they're trying to get women pregnant newborn babies. It's said that the babies are part of some bigger scheme."