Hugh King spread his hands and, without saying a word, stepped aside. In Finn James’s eyes, it was as if this snobbish shop assistant had never even existed. He had already picked out a piece of clothing he liked and was about to try it on right in the open. Only Eli Quinn curled his lips into a wicked smile and grabbed the male shop assistant who was about to stop Finn James.

“What's the harm in trying it on? Why make things so unpleasant?” Seeing Eli Quinn’s expression, Lincoln Faulkner knew things were about to go bad. Sure enough, the male shop assistant immediately tried to shove Eli Quinn aside with brute force to save the clothes. But as soon as he pushed, it was as if he’d touched a high-voltage switch. A flash of bright electricity shot out, and the smell of burning filled the store. A hundred-pound human roast was freshly served.

There were a few other customers in the store, and they were all stunned by this sudden turn of events. When Lincoln Faulkner and the others had entered earlier, they’d drawn some side glances, but who would keep watching strangers who had nothing to do with them? So these people had no idea what had happened. Seeing the shop assistant knocked out by electricity, one customer even thought there was a cable leak somewhere and started shouting to call the police.

“Oh! What a wonderful world, freedom, it’s just great!” Eli Quinn threw his head back and laughed wildly, walking along and brushing his hands over the clothes on the racks. Every kind of fabric and fiber curled and burned, and the expensive garments instantly turned into charred scraps.

Seeing the electricity crackling all around Eli Quinn, the already sparsely populated boutique immediately descended into panic. Lincoln Faulkner was about to make a run for it, but Hugh King, standing beside him, smiled and reached out to block his way, quashing his urge to escape.

“Isaac Wynn, it’s me, Lincoln Faulkner. Are you still conscious? Can you answer me?”

“I can, but I can’t control my own body. These guys... ah! This is so freaky, I’m really scared...”

Lincoln Faulkner had only been talking nonsense to bolster his courage, but he hadn’t expected to get a response. He hurried to comfort him: “Isaac Wynn, I’ll definitely find a way to get you all out. But honestly, I don’t have any ideas right now.”

This even more discouraging answer left Isaac Wynn silent for a while, before he finally burst out: “I’m trapped inside my own body! Get me out, let me become a ghost! Old Faulkner... hurry... find some monks or Taoist priests to perform a ritual...”

Before Lincoln Faulkner could hear clearly, Hugh King made a face and cut off Isaac Wynn’s voice. He quietly said to Lincoln Faulkner, “That’s all I can do. Maybe your friend will be fine, maybe he’ll be done for. It all depends on who our enemy is and what happens next.”

“Enemy? Why would I have enemies? Don’t drag us into your business! I’m just an ordinary high school student! Why don’t you go bother someone else?” Lincoln Faulkner finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. Taking advantage of the commotion, he vented all his pent-up fear and anxiety. Though he was strong-willed, he was still just a second-year high school student. Faced with such a turn of events, his psychological defenses had long since collapsed.

With a single punch, Eli Quinn knocked out a female shop assistant who was screaming nonstop, and shouted angrily, “Nonsense! We’re the ones who have nothing to do with this. We were dragged here to be bodyguards. You think this is some easy gig? Maybe the next moment we’ll be killed by a powerful enemy, and the reason for our deaths will be protecting you, you idiot ‘immortal’.”

“What immortal! What the hell are you people, I don’t need your protection!” By the end, Lincoln Faulkner was shouting himself hoarse.

After yelling, he started worrying about his three friends again. “Even so! If you’re after me, fine, but why hurt my friends?”

“Damn it! I’ll do what I want. If you keep yelling, I’ll roast you with electricity.”

Although Eli Quinn was the smallest, he was clearly the leader of the three. When he fiercely told Lincoln Faulkner to behave, Hugh King just smiled and spread his hands, showing friendliness, with no intention of helping at all.

While the group was arguing loudly, someone had apparently called for help. A bunch of burly men arrived in five or six cars. Judging by the background of this boutique, something was off—the people who showed up weren’t police, but looked like gangsters.

The group got out of their cars and strode into the store. Seeing the wrecked scene, the leader in black curled his lips and said coldly, “Who’s the one who trashed my shop? Step forward and let me see you. You dare mess up a place I’m watching over? Who’s got the guts?”

Naturally, Lincoln Faulkner and his group were the most suspicious. The rest of the people were either cowering in the corners or had been knocked out by Eli Quinn. But even though the other three besides Lincoln Faulkner seemed a bit odd, Bill Lee still couldn’t believe a few high schoolers would dare smash up the place. That’s why he questioned them like this.

“You, the kid with your hair sticking straight up—did you see who trashed my shop?”

Bill Lee’s icy question was met with an even colder response from Eli Quinn.

“Where did this idiot come from? We’re just trying on some clothes, and you’re making such a fuss. Get out of my way.”

Being talked back to like that by Eli Quinn, Bill Lee didn’t get angry but instead laughed coldly. “You little punks, where do you think you’re from? So reckless. Get them! Take them back and we’ll question them slowly!”