The female cop was actually quite nice, just a bit too enthusiastic and chatty for Merritt's taste. He was someone who cherished peace and quiet, and he was utterly exhausted. He had gone through countless twists and turns to evade pursuit, traveling from Europe to Ancient Splendor, which his current physical state could barely handle.
The car's temperature was just right, and the seats were relatively comfortable. As it cruised smoothly on the flat road, the weary Merritt slowlydrifted off to sleep.
The passengers were quiet, with the only sounds coming from two TVs playing the news.
"Earlier this morning, a jewelry store in Sanin City was robbed. Five armed robbers, wielding three guns and knives, killed a store clerk and two security guards, making off with a large amount of gold and jewelry. Police analysis of the surveillance footage shows that the robbers acted quickly and professionally, with one clearly having special training. The police are currently working hard to solve the case and pursue the robbers. If any citizens have clues, please contact the police immediately. A reward of 100,000 dollars will be given to those who assist in solving the case..."
Few passengers were watching TV; most were either sleeping or playing on their phones. As for the energetic Felicity, unable to find anyone to chat with, she resorted to watching TV.
"Those damn robbers, if I catch them..." Felicity muttered angrily under her breath. Just then, she felt something touch her right shoulder. It was
That rude guy!
She had tried to chat with him out of kindness, but he found her annoying and kept his distance. She had thought he was just hard to get along with, but now it seemed... this jerk was pretending to sleep and leaning on her—clearly a fake gentleman and a real creep.
Daring to take advantage of a cop, he must have a death wish!
Just as she was about to push himaway and give him a piece of her mind, she noticed that Merritt had merely turned his head to rest on her shoulder, without any other inappropriate actions.
She could feel that he wasn't pretending to sleep; he looked genuinely exhausted. Thinking back, maybe he hadn't talked to her earlier because he was too tired?
But still...
Should she really let him lean on her?
Felicity was feeling a bit lost whensuddenly, the bus screeched to a halt, causing several passengers to scream in shock.
A white van had sped past from behind and swerved in front of the bus, causing the bus driver to slam on the brakes. This sudden stop made many passengers lurch forward uncontrollably, with some even falling over.
"What the heck?"
"Do you even know how to drive? Ow... my head..."
"Driver! What on earth are you doing?!"
The passengers' reactions ranged from complaints to outright anger. The bus driver felt extremely frustrated; the sudden stop was his doing, but the real culprit was the van.
Fuming, the bus driver was about to get off and confront the van driver. But as soon as he opened the door and stepped out, he froze.
Several figures quickly emerged from the van, pointing dark, ominous gun barrels at the bus driver.
Five men.
Two of them had backpacks, while the other three were armed. They varied in appearance and height, but all shared one common feature—they wore large sunglasses that covered half their faces.
"Get back on the bus!"
The leader, a man of average build holding a rifle, snarled at the bus driver, "Do as you're told, and no one gets hurt."
Most of the passengers hadn't fullygrasped what was happening until the bus driver was forced back inside. The five men stormed in, and the entire bus erupted in chaos.
"Ah... help!"
"Don't kill me!"
"Waaah... I don't want to die..."
"They're the jewelry store robbers..."
A few passengers who had been watching TV recognized the five men from the news about the jewelry store heist.
The bus instantly descended into chaos. The gunshots had already scared a few children into loud sobs, and even some of the adults were screaming and crying, on the verge of breaking down