Barry with Correct Values and Alex with Problematic Personality

Barry lay on the ground, pressing his choked chest, watching Alex's indifferent back as he walked out the door, gradually blurring and vanishing in the sunlight, disappearing from his sight.

Even the sunlight itself made Barry's heart ache.

He choked, his face reddening, constantly patting his chest with his hand to steady his breath, then took a deep exhale and recovered. As Alex's figure faded from view, Barry's eyes dimmed.

He hadn't expected that, after so much time had passed, his old friend still couldn't let it go.

"Barry, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Aunt Merri finally realized Alex hadn't gone all out. Hurriedly, with a worried expression, she helped smooth Barry's back, steadying his breathing, pulled him up from the ground, and gently patted the dust off his clothes, sending it flying into the air.

"How could Alex do this?"

Aunt Merri's face was pained. Barry and Alex had been such close, loving friends as kids—she never imagined they'd end up like this.

Bert, who had walked over, saw that Barry had the strength to get up, only red-faced from choking, and was fine after catching his breath. His anxious heart settled.

He knew Alex's strength well, having witnessed several times the terrifying sight of Alex killing a man with a single punch.

Barry was a bit disheveled now, but he didn't seem to have broken any limbs—just dirty clothes and a rough look. That meant Alex had held back, only wanting to embarrass Barry.

"Barry, you shouldn't have come."

Bert glanced at Barry and sighed.

He understood Barry's guilt and his longing to be Alex's friend again.

But he also knew Alex's personality well—it wouldn't be that simple for him to forgive Barry.

Barry, forcing a bright smile despite his gloomy expression, said, "Bert, I'm fine. Alex and I are still good friends!"

"Barry, that didn't look like a friendly scuffle."

"Alex really... how could he!"

Aunt Merri was very displeased. After brushing off most of the dust from Barry's clothes, she went to the bathroom, grabbed a wet towel, wiped Barry's face, and helped straighten his wrinkled jacket.

"Barry, I think you should consider whether Alex actually wants to kill you. From what I know, your last three girlfriends all ended up in his arms."

Bert said helplessly.

"What? Alex stole Barry's girlfriends? Three of them?" Aunt Merri was shocked. She'd never known about Alex's school days, only that he was popular. She couldn't believe her own Alex had taken Barry's girlfriends—it stunned her.

"No, Bert, Aunt Merri, you've got it wrong. They... they were just using me as a clown. Alex was teaching them a lesson."

Barry said awkwardly. This was also why Barry always believed Alex was his good friend—at every critical moment, Alex had solved plenty of troubles for him.

"Bert, Aunt Merri, don't worry. This is just a joke between Alex and me. We're still good friends."

Between talking with Bert and Aunt Merri, Barry shook off the gloom, flashed a sunny smile, and continued, "You don't know."

"Once, Ciri and I were captured by a gang. Without hesitation, Alex charged into the gang alone, fearless, fought them off, and saved me."

"I know Alex sees me as a friend too."

What was that?

That was a brotherhood willing to risk your life!

Barry wouldn't let Alex down either!

Every time Barry thought about how, in the future, he and Alex could work together at the Central City Police Department, overcoming all obstacles to contribute to Central City's safety and beauty, his mood lifted, and he felt boundless hope for the future.

Bert was speechless. He added, "Barry, I know about that incident, but in the end, didn't your girlfriend break up with you and then pursue Alex?"

"Don't you think the reason you're still single is that every time Alex 'saves' you at a 'critical moment,' your girlfriend leaves you?"

"No, Bert, you're wrong. They found better matches, and I'm happy for them. I just wasn't good enough. Alex really is a charismatic man." Barry said without a hint of awareness, his eyes showing no belief that Alex was at fault.

Sure, his girlfriends had broken up with him and fallen for Alex, but didn't that just prove he wasn't good enough and that his friend was outstanding enough to attract the opposite sex?

"Alright, Barry. I'm glad Alex has a friend like you."

Bert had nothing more to say. He looked at Barry with a strange, pitying gaze.

He couldn't help comparing it to his own youth—if he'd run into a guy like Alex, strutting around and stealing his girlfriend, he'd have pulled out a gun and blown the bastard away!

Barry's flawlessly correct worldview was probably why Alex wanted to beat him up!

Bert thought silently.

"Bert, Aunt Merri, I'll head out now. I still need to go to the station for a report."

With that, amid Bert and Aunt Merri's goodbyes, Barry walked out of Alex's house and headed toward the Central City Police Department, planning to catch the bus to work.

Bert watched Barry disappear from sight, feeling happy inside that Alex had such a friend, but at the same time, Alex's personality gave him a headache.

Ah, forget it. Young people have their own way of living.

He shook his head, pushing the thought aside.

Aunt Merri closed the door and walked into the house with Bert, sighing worriedly, "I don't know what's wrong with Alex. He can't get along with Anna, and he can't get along with a good kid like Barry. It's really troubling."

Anna, Aunt Merri's daughter, was the youngest biology and genetics PhD at Central City University. As a junior, she'd been specially recruited into a key branch of Central City's STAR Labs as a biological researcher, and now she was the deputy director of the genetics department at Central City's STAR Labs.

Her relationship with Alex was tense, like fire and water—they couldn't even exchange two words. Years ago, Anna had even pulled out a gun and angrily fired at Alex.

Neither wanted to see the other; there was none of the closeness between siblings.

"Forget it, let the young people deal with their own headaches. We'd better clean up the warehouse so Anna can park her car. She definitely won't put it in Alex's garage."