Hatred Is a Wild Beast!
After finishing the team's latest case discussion, Evan Chen closed his laptop, looked at the three members of the Thunder Team, and said with a casual smile:
"I'll share a secret with you all.
Lauren… is my girlfriend."
Mona—the excitable Gen Z girl—gasped first.
"NO WAY! Our company's top goddess… actually taken by you, Captain Chen?"
Leon "Monkey" Hou pressed both hands dramatically to his cheeks.
"My dream girl… gone. I was literally planning my confession! And the blooming flower just— just gets stuck into your giant vase of a self!"
Mark Zhu, the most analytical of the group, adjusted his glasses and smiled knowingly.
"Congratulations, Captain.
Is this announcement because you're preparing to hand out wedding candy soon?"
With that, all three pairs of eyes locked onto Evan again—lit with burning gossip flames.
Evan replied calmly, as if discussing the weather:
"Actually… I got dumped.
She's with Director Victor Wang now."
"—HISSSS!"
Monkey sucked in a violent breath.
Mona slapped the table.
"Lauren dumped YOU for that guy? Are girls blind these days?!"
Mark Zhu exhaled slowly.
"I knew it. Office rumors say Director Wang has been circling around her for months."
Evan just leaned back in his chair.
"So," he continued quietly,
"I need you three to behave as if you never heard the first part.
From today on… Lauren and I are done."
The room fell silent.
For a moment, even gossip-addicted Mona shut her mouth.
Then Monkey whispered,
"Captain… you okay?"
"Perfectly fine."
Evan stood, smoothing his shirt.
"Heartbreak doesn't kill people.
But it does make them think very clearly."
He paused, looked each of them in the eye.
"Listen carefully.
We're going to the meeting this afternoon.
Victor Wang will be there.
I want all three of you to stay calm no matter what happens."
"You planning something?" Mark asked cautiously.
Evan smiled—not warm, not cold, but with a kind of sharp intelligence they'd never seen before.
"Planning?"
He shook his head.
"No.
I'm simply going to return everything that belongs to me."
The three team members exchanged nervous looks.
They knew Evan.
Soft-spoken.
Kind.
Never fought back.
But today—
Today he felt different.
Like something inside him had awakened.
Something dangerous.
Something hungry.
Something like—
a beast that had finally opened its eyes.