Haircut

Half an hour later.

At the shop entrance.

His outfit was completely transformed.

The tattered pauper clothes had become a high-end white suit paired with white leather shoes.

Xi Shenlian's handsomeness had skyrocketed.

He glanced at a security guard who feared him like a snake or scorpion.

Then he let out a creepy cackle.

Making the other man even more terrified.

After that.

He swaggered off in high spirits.

Bullying the weak and all...

Really was a nice feeling~

Now that his threads were changed, his hairstyle needed an update too.

Thinking this.

He pulled out his new phone.

And opened the navigation function through sheer thought.

This thing was something he'd just won from the Mood Value Lottery while trying on clothes.

Signal-Excellent Communicator: The creator infused it with special power. Not only is it hard to destroy and has unlimited battery life, it also comes with an adjustable Auxiliary AI. The core communication function can achieve cross-time-space communication and completely block eavesdropping. With it, even at the very center of a universe-destroying explosion, you can chat freely with others—assuming neither you nor the other party gets blown to bits... Note: Appearance and weight can be customized to a degree.

Honestly.

Xi Shenlian had no idea how strong the built-in Auxiliary AI really was.

But the moment he turned it on, it automatically asked him whether he wanted to hack into the current planet's network system.

Then.

With Xi Shenlian's consent, in less than a second, it automatically took over all network permissions on the planet that hadn't been disconnected from the external net.

The Auxiliary AI even instantly created several custom software programs.

For example, one was called "Current Planet Military Distribution and Management."

Clicking into it, Xi Shenlian saw control options for various countries' smart weapons.

Including so-called super-conventional weapons.

Like certain semi-activated nuclear warheads, ready to respond to war at any moment.

In short, as long as something was connected to the network or could be indirectly influenced by an external network.

Xi Shenlian could manipulate it mid-air.

And even the Space Satellites in outer space had their control permissions locked down.

Though each country's officials could still use the satellites as usual.

The highest control authority had already been seized by the device in Xi Shenlian's hands.

The so-called navigation function he was using was actually a Space Satellite control software the communicator's built-in AI had just whipped up.

In essence, he was hijacking the satellites overhead to find a nearby barbershop...

On top of that.

The Auxiliary AI automatically filtered through real reviews of those barbershops across various software, giving them comprehensive scores, and presented the best options for Xi Shenlian to pick from.

"Yah~"

"Gotta say, this thing's pretty handy."

Looking at the device in his hand that now controlled the global network, Xi Shenlian casually picked a nearby barbershop and strolled over...

--

Ten-plus minutes later.

Inside a high-end barbershop where a single haircut cost tens of thousands of yen, and adding a package could easily eat up a normal person's one or two months' salary.

Looking at the young, beautiful female stylist beside him, her face full of hesitation.

And at the scissors in her hand that simply couldn't cut his hair.

Xi Shenlian let out a soft sigh:

"Sigh..."

Though he knew his physical condition was now incredibly strong.

He hadn't realized his hair was tougher and more resistant to cutting than rubber of the same thickness.

Watching the stylist use all her strength, only managing to snip three or five strands at a time, looking utterly pathetic.

Xi Shenlian, feeling that letting the other person cut his hair would be a major project and a physical ordeal, chose to placate them with some helplessness:

"Forget it..."

"I didn't know my hair would be that hard to handle either..."

With that, he untied the covering he'd used to keep hair off his clothes.

Seeing this, the stylishly dressed female hairdresser immediately began bowing repeatedly in apology.

"I'm sorry!"

"I'm sorry!"

Her expression was notably flustered.

The reason for this was simple: from what had just happened, she'd directly realized the customer before her was an Awakened—the kind of monster capable of single-handedly razing a city.

So, it was like suddenly facing a wild beast.

Even though his attitude was good, she was still extremely panicked.

The other staff around didn't dare say a thing either, all joining in with apologies.

Even the store manager did the same.

Like a bunch of echoers.

This made Xi Shenlian, who had just stood up from the chair, silently think to himself:

'Strange bowing culture...'

'Even after crossing worlds, I still run into this culture in a Parallel World's Dongying...'

But having lived in this world for over a decade, he was ultimately used to these gestures and didn't act like it was anything unusual.

He simply pulled out his Super Card calmly and said to the beautiful hairdresser:

"Just swipe the card."

"After all, I messed up your scissors."

In this life, during his destitute days, when he was job-hunting to avoid starving, Xi Shenlian had once looked into some info about the hairdressing industry.

For instance: hairdressers' scissors are expensive.

The more professional the hairdresser, the more so.

And the professional scissors in a high-end shop like this came at a price most people couldn't fathom—often requiring a wage earner to work for dozens of days.

But just now, to cut his hair, she'd damaged her scissors.

So it was only right for Xi Shenlian to pay for it.

But faced with the card he held out, the already nervous woman naturally didn't dare take it. She instinctively waved her hands repeatedly.

Her terrified expression and movements would make anyone who didn't know better think she was being robbed by Xi Shenlian.

Xi Shenlian's response was simple: he leaned his face in, calmly and seriously meeting her eyes, and said word by word:

"I, told, you, to, swipe, the, card."

It wasn't an equal tone.

It was a direct command!

In that moment.

Through Xi Shenlian's black pupils, the terrified barber caught a faint glimmer of light.

A pale purple light!

She also saw his originally human-like round pupils slowly dilating and stretching, gradually becoming somewhat elongated.

Like the vertical pupils of some fierce beast.

It filled her with fear from the depths of her heart.

Yet instinctively, she felt an urge to submit.

She jolted reflexively and answered loudly: "Yes!"

Hearing that.

Xi Shenlian nodded with satisfaction.

"Very good."

He directly threw the Super Card to her.

But then.

Just as he was about to turn away in mild disappointment and wait at the counter for her to process the payment.

Suddenly.

Something unexpected happened.

Her forcibly calm follow-up words made him pause slightly.

"Sir!"

"Even though I can't cut your hair..."

"But... I can use hair gel and other products to give you some simple styling based on your current hair length!"

Hearing this.

Xi Shenlian turned his head.

His gaze once again fell on the barber, whose expression was fearful yet somehow stubbornly determined.

"..."

After a moment's hesitation.

Xi Shenlian sat back down.

His expression calm as he said: "Then make it quick."

"Yes!"

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