Friday dawned with bright, warm sunlight filtering down in golden rays through the clouds, casting a clear blue sky and bright atmosphere over the cool air. The slight warmth added a refreshing cheerfulness to the day.
Yet, perfect weather often comes with its share of unforeseen moments...
Fresno High School.
"… Who are you?"
It wasn't even seven yet, and while much of the city still lay ensnared in sleep, the front gate of the school was crowded with students lining up.
Unlike the usual hushed silence of the early morning, when classes would typically start, this crowd buzzed with energy and lively chatter, every face bright with excitement and the genuine vigor of young students.
In the distance, buses started to pull up along the street, while Logan found himself face-to-face with his friend's blunt question, feeling a bit embarrassed.
At the end of the line for Class 10, Grade 2, David stared in surprise at Logan, clearly unprepared for his appearance. After his initial shock, he rubbed his chin, pacing in circles around Logan as he raised a suspicious eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"
Logan, working to keep his expression as steady as possible, replied calmly: "What else can I do? Same as you guys. I came for the autumn field trip."
After saying that, Logan patted the overstuffed backpack he was carrying and gestured at his friend's similar gear, showing he had prepared thoroughly for the field trip.
"Well, look at that." David glanced around at the crowd. Sure, everyone was carrying a backpack, but that wasn't the point.
"You came?"
"I am coming."
"You shouldn't have come."
"I..." Logan paused, feeling like he'd just walked into a Wuxia Novel.
David seemed to grasp the situation, his expression suddenly turning into one of disdain, "Weren't you the one who said you couldn't come?"
"Cough, well… you see, something came up." Logan averted his gaze. When he'd changed his mind about joining the field trip, he knew this confrontation was coming. He'd been so insistent about not going that showing up, so now it felt a bit... hypocritical.
"Hmph, I seem to remember someone saying, 'There's absolutely no way I'd have even the slightest interest in an autumn field trip'." At the front of the school gate, the first batch of buses that arrived already had students in an orderly manner under the command of the teacher.
After getting in the bus, David recalled that his pleas a few days ago had no results. But today, there was such a dramatic change, and he felt very unhappy.
'Hey, sure, I said I wasn't interested, but aren't you overemphasizing it a bit?'
As students boarded class by class, Logan, feeling a little guilty, decided to change the subject. Luckily, the class president had stepped out to take attendance. Pushing David forward, he said: "Alright, the roll call is starting. We should be getting on board… let's talk later."
The green trees and white walls basked in the sunshine, with the playful lines of students at the age of seventeen or eighteen weaving under the light, carefree and laughing. Diane is talking to his friends when she inadvertently turns her head and sees Logan, who is joking around in the back with David.
"A lot of girls are wearing their own pants today. The teachers haven't even said anything, hehe..." Her friends laughed.
"What did you guys bring to snack on?"
"I'm so envious of those on-campus couples… they're so lucky with such nice weather..."
"Diane..."
"Ah, what's up?" In the warm sunlight, the girl turned back with a gentle and beautiful smile.
The bus started its engine with a low rumble, "Teacher, everyone is here!"
"Alright!" The homeroom teacher, who was over fifty years old, smiled and waved the students over, shedding much of his usual stern demeanor.
The loosely formed line began to move, growing even more disordered as students scrambled for seats by the windows. Passersby in cars watched curiously as a stream of high school students, all dressed in uniforms, headed out for the day.
Every one of Class 10, Grade 2, forty-two students had gathered for the grade-wide excursion, piling onto a bus emblazoned with the school's logo and travel slogan. In three hours, they would arrive at Napa, a place known for its scenic views and bustling casinos.
In view of Logan's timely realization of his mistake, David could not maintain his cold and arrogant aura for too long, and quickly threw away his sullenness heartlessly.
He also commemorated the precious two years of friendship with Logan, allowing Logan back into the Plan B crew. Logan was taken into the Plan B team in Huai Di, though Logan wasn't actually thrilled about joining them in their various antics...
"See? Realizing your mistake is half the battle," David smirked. "Deep down, you must've realized that this is a rare opportunity to make some golden memories of youth! And hey, it's not like a few girls will scare me off either."
"… As long as you're happy."
After a bit of banter, a now-serious David leaned in with a more pressing question, "By the way, did you pay up for this trip? You're not planning to hitch a free ride, are you?"
"Relax, I already paid." Logan replied, glancing briefly at Diane, who was seated nearby. Originally, Logan was worried that missing the deadline, but he didn't expect that the process was simpler than expected.
Once everything was in order, the scenery outside the bus began to blur by. Feeling a little weary, Logan leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes briefly, and then, unnoticed by others, pulled a gilded envelope from his jacket.
The high-quality paper and ornate design reminded him of his unexpected decision to join this excursion, making him sigh internally.
…
"... Napa?"
Rewinding to the night before, Logan remembered his conversation in the quiet private room. When he heard Damian say 'Napa', he couldn't help but ask again, just to be sure he hadn't misheard.
"Yes, Napa." Damian, who had lost his domineering style, replied in a slightly downcast tone, "One of our branches over there got attacked. We need to reassert our presence there."
Logan's expression grew odd as he pulled the envelope closer, feeling this was almost too coincidental.
Unaware of Logan's reaction, Damian continued, "Last week… It's in another city, so if we're sending people..."
As Damian elaborated on the situation, describing the events in careful detail, Logan couldn't help but rubbed his forehead and interrupted, "Wait, hold on a sec."
Logan interrupted the other party's somewhat feeble words for some reason. He naturally thought of how he had declined David's pleas again and again before.
Damian was startled and asked in doubts, "What's wrong?"
"I suddenly felt that Napa seemed a bit far away. After all, it would take several hours by bus..."
"Oh, no worries. We'll arrange a private car for you, and of course, we'll cover the fare." Damian replied nonchalantly.
"... Um, besides Napa, is there anywhere else that might need a little... backup?" Logan asked with a polite smile.
'Why did that sound so strange?' Damian felt compelled to clarify. "Little brother, in this day and age, even we in the underworld abide by the law."
'Yes, yes, I know you're a law-abiding group of gangsters. But that's not really the issue here.' Logan wanted to explain, but he thought about how absurd his concerns sounded.
Damian knew something was fishy when he saw Logan's reaction, 'The way of thinking of this little brother must be different from ordinary people.'
The scene was quiet for a while, then Damian noticed the school uniform Logan wore and pieced it together.
"Do you have to get back for dinner?" Damian asked with a casual glance at his watch. As for Logan's identity, the Blue Gang had obviously done their homework, but they found nothing notable, which was perhaps the biggest indicator of his mystery.
Logan likely knew of this, but with his overwhelming abilities, he didn't really care.
'Since you're from a regular family, you should probably home for dinner soon, right?' The thought amused Damian, who mentally patted himself on the back for his perception.
'Sure, whatever you say.'
With a strained smile and mutual understanding, the two rose and parted ways with respectful nods.