The burly bald man had barely finished speaking when the chubby guy behind him nudged him gently and whispered, “Tiger Brooks, look at that chick over there. Isn’t she hot?”

The bald man and another young guy followed the chubby one’s lecherous gaze and saw the valiant yet maturely sexy Charlotte Clark. Their eyes instantly lit up.

“Heh heh, Tiger Brooks, looks like this trip won’t be lonely!” The skinny guy nudged Tiger Brooks, waggling his eyebrows and whispering.

“Look at you two, acting like you’ve never seen a woman in your lives!” Tiger Brooks shot them a disdainful glance, but his legs were already striding toward Charlotte Clark.

The skinny and chubby thugs exchanged a glance, leering, then swaggered after him.

August is a hot month, not really suited for travel, so there were plenty of empty seats on the train. The seats next to William Bolton and Charlotte Clark were both unoccupied.

Charlotte Clark was a woman who’d seen her share of situations. When she saw the three men, all looking lecherous and heading straight for her, she just frowned slightly, then continued reading her book, not losing her composure.

“Hey beautiful, what are you reading?” Just as Charlotte Clark lowered her head to continue reading, a wave of hot air mixed with the stench of male sweat washed over her. The at-least-1.9-meter-tall, muscle-bound Tiger Brooks plopped down right next to her.

Tiger Brooks’s broad frame instantly made the row of seats feel cramped.

After all, Charlotte Clark was still a woman. Sitting so close to a huge, clearly ill-intentioned man at least 1.9 meters tall, a trace of panic finally flashed in her beautiful eyes. But her sharply defined face suddenly turned cold, exuding a hint of authority, as she shifted further inside.

But when Tiger Brooks saw Charlotte Clark move inward, he immediately scooted closer as well, his eyes smiling as they swept over the twin peaks beneath Charlotte Clark’s white shirt. “Hey beautiful, you still haven’t answered my question.”

“I don’t know you. Please show some respect!” Charlotte Clark’s face grew even colder, her voice as icy as shards of glass hitting the floor.

As she spoke, for some reason, Charlotte Clark glanced at William Bolton out of the corner of her eye. He was still reading, seemingly oblivious to the man harassing her, and she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of contempt.

Coward! Useless!

“A rose with thorns, huh? Interesting!” Tiger Brooks chuckled, his gaze growing even more brazen as he ogled Charlotte Clark’s ample chest.

Summer shirts are thin, and if you stare, it’s easy to catch a glimpse of something. How could Charlotte Clark tolerate a man staring so boldly at her sensitive spots? She was so angry her lips trembled. But eyes are on other people’s faces—she couldn’t control that. Besides, the bald man was burly, with bulging muscles and a tiger tattooed on his chest and arms—clearly a gangster. If this were in Pushan Town, Charlotte Clark wouldn’t be afraid; she was the Party Secretary there, the top official. If he pissed her off, one call to the police station and the bald guy would be in big trouble. But now, traveling alone, facing such a brute, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

If only I hadn’t taken the train—should’ve had Little Chad drive me to the Party School! Charlotte Clark regretted silently as she closed “Youth Digest,” preparing to get up and leave—there were plenty of empty seats anyway.

But just as Charlotte Clark was about to stand, Tiger Brooks brazenly reached out, snatched “Youth Digest” from her, and started flipping through it, acting like he had her completely under control.

No matter what, Charlotte Clark was a Party Secretary of a town. To be harassed again and again by a thug—even if he was big—her anger was about to boil over.

At that moment, the skinny and chubby thugs finally swaggered over.

As they arrived, they first winked at Tiger Brooks, then the chubby one plopped down right next to William Bolton.

“Hey handsome, mind switching seats?” The chubby guy nudged William Bolton with his elbow as soon as he sat down, speaking loudly.

“No.” William Bolton replied without even looking up.

Charlotte Clark, who was on the verge of losing control, couldn’t help but glance at William Bolton in surprise when she heard this. Then she gave a bitter smile—so this guy’s just a clueless bookworm!

The fat on the chubby guy’s face jiggled. He reached out his greasy hand and snatched the magazine from William Bolton, glaring fiercely at him and threatening in a low voice, “Kid, be smart and get lost, or I’ll beat you up!”

Clearly, the chubby guy also took William Bolton for a bookish pushover, thinking a couple of threats would scare him off.

“Give me back my book, then get lost. You too.” William Bolton finally looked up, his face calm. As he spoke, his dark eyes behind the black-rimmed glasses swept lightly over Tiger Brooks, who was sitting diagonally across.

“Kid, you’ve got a death wish!” The chubby guy, seeing that this scholarly young man was even more arrogant than himself, was so angry he raised the magazine and swung it at William Bolton’s head.