He wasn’t staring at her in a daze on purpose—it was mainly because this little girl was just too stunning.

As he kept looking, Brian Carter suddenly noticed a fair, delicate little hand waving in front of him. Startled, he gave an awkward smile and handed over the package.

While looking up, he saw the pretty face across from him frowning slightly, making Brian Carter feel even more embarrassed.

Meanwhile, Jason Bennett frowned as she took the package and began to sign for it. After quickly signing her name, she said to Brian Carter, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Brian Carter smiled, hesitated for a moment, and then said, “Well, I’ll be going now. Take care.”

Although the beauty in front of him seemed to be in big trouble, it appeared to be because her brother owed someone money and now people had come to collect. Brian Carter really had no intention of getting involved; he’d only stepped in earlier because those guys had it coming.

After saying this, Brian Carter was just about to turn around when Jason Bennett suddenly called out, “Wait.”

When Brian Carter turned back in surprise, Jason Bennett hurriedly said, “Those guys from earlier are pretty influential around here. Be careful.”

“It’s fine. Actually, you could call the police.” Brian Carter paused, then said with a smile.

Jason Bennett seemed like she wanted to say more but stopped herself. After a moment of silence, she added, “Anyway, thank you. I can’t do it now, but next time I’ll treat you to a meal. You should go, and be careful on your way.”

“Mm.” Brian Carter moved his lips and nodded, though he felt a bit strange inside. He’d thought he could at least enjoy the view of a pretty girl, which was a treat for the eyes, but it turned out this beauty was in serious trouble. What a pity—he might not get to see her again.

Just as Brian Carter lowered his head and turned to leave, having only gone down two flights of stairs to the third floor, a sudden anxious cry came from upstairs: “Hey, are you still there? Are you?”

It was Jason Bennett’s voice, full of urgency and panic, which made Brian Carter pause and glance up the stairwell.

“Hurry up, come back!” Jason Bennett’s pale, pretty face appeared through the gap in the fourth-floor stairs. When she saw Brian Carter, she was clearly relieved, but quickly waved frantically for him to come up.

Brian Carter froze for a moment, then decided to turn back. He walked unhurriedly up to the fourth floor, where Jason Bennett immediately stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and pulled him inside. “Get in, quick! They’re here—you can’t go down now.”

She pulled Brian Carter into the room as she spoke, slammed the door shut with a bang, and then hurriedly dragged him to the window. When Brian Carter stood by the window and looked down, he gasped.

People!

Right now, below the fourth floor, a large group of more than twenty people—some holding steel pipes, some carrying machetes—were heading straight for the stairwell. At the entrance, three people were slumped on the ground; they were the same three as before, Brother William and his crew.

“He’s right upstairs! That guy’s wearing a Time Express uniform—if you see him, beat him up! Damn it, be careful, that guy’s really strong! Beat him to a pulp!” As the group reached the bottom of the building, Brother William’s pained shout rang out, and he pointed at the stairwell.

At his command, the group quickly rushed into the building.

Brian Carter was dumbfounded. “How did they get here so fast? And in broad daylight, they dare to cause trouble in the neighborhood?”

“What’s there to be afraid of? Those guys are loan sharks with a complicated network behind them. Even if you call the police, I guarantee they won’t show up for at least half an hour. After that, the police might come, but the gang will just scatter around the neighborhood. The moment you step outside, someone will come after you with a knife.” As Brian Carter spoke, Jason Bennett gave a bitter, anxious smile, her face full of panic and despair. “I’ve dragged you into this today, but what do we do now? They probably won’t leave so easily.”

Brian Carter was left speechless.

If that was the case, even calling the police wouldn’t help.

So what were they supposed to do? They couldn’t just stay trapped here forever, could they?

“Damn it! Open the door!”

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The room had only just fallen silent when a chaotic clatter of footsteps sounded outside, followed by someone kicking the door hard. The pressure was right outside. Jason Bennett was so frightened that her legs nearly gave out, her hands bracing against the windowsill as if she might collapse at any moment.

At that moment, Brian Carter suddenly fell silent, simply standing there with his eyes closed, calm and still, his face expressionless.

“Damn it, who can pick a lock? You think locking the door will keep you safe? If it’s locked from the inside, just break the lock, pry it open!”

Outside, after a few kicks at the door and no response from inside, the tone changed. Hearing this, Jason Bennett, already pale as a sheet, trembled even more, her face full of despair.

“What do we do? If they break in, what then?” In her deep despair, Jason Bennett instinctively looked at Brian Carter, panic written all over her face. But when she saw Brian Carter just standing there calmly, without a trace of fear or panic, she was stunned. What was going on? How could he be so calm at a time like this?

Didn’t he hear Brother William downstairs just now, saying they were going to hack him to pieces?