Chapter 5

A silver-haired beauty with an elegant air was in an office at the H City Hero Association headquarters.

"Why did you alter the attack?" The Frost Witch looked at the man before her with displeasure. "Black Hand has been confirmed to have B-Class strength, and the security footage shows that the Ten Gods Family's people didn't do a thing."

"Let it go, Miss Dong. The criminal was caught, wasn't he?" the man said.

The man in the office was Ouyang Rui, president of the H City Hero Association.

"That's not the point," the Frost Witch said. "Why give the credit to the Ten Gods Family?"

"Looks like you still don't understand, Miss Dong. Do you know what heroes are these days?" Ouyang Rui said. "Heroes are a kind of celebrity now. They're public figures, so I want to pick the ones with the most public appeal. The young people in the Ten Gods Family fit the bill. They're popular, and they have room to grow."

"That doesn't justify meddling with the hero rankings," the Frost Witch said.

"It was a tiny, insignificant change," Ouyang Rui said. "I was just giving some popular people a chance."

"I don't agree."

"Nobody cares what you think," Ouyang Rui said. "As long as I'm president, don't expect to have a say in this stuff."

As he spoke, Ouyang Rui clearly lost interest in the conversation.

"What you're doing isn't heroic at all."

"That's just your idea of a hero," Ouyang Rui said scornfully. "Heroes like Zero are outdated. These days, we should care more about the profits that superheroes can bring. Get it? The Hero Association's job is to manage those superheroes' actions and use them to create a huge chain of profits."

"That isn't heroic at all."

"Stop talking to me about your heroic dreams." Ouyang Rui slapped the table and stood before the Frost Witch. "People like Zero can't survive in this world anymore. And you think you made it to B-Class on your own? If you weren't from the Dong Family, do you think I'd waste my time talking to you? I'd have crushed you already. Now go back and think it over."

Ouyang Rui gestured for her to leave.

The Frost Witch walked out of the president's office in silence, fists clenched. "That's not the kind of hero I want to be."

At Lin Jie's home, he and Xiao Zhan were watching the news on TV.

"Damn it! Is there no justice?" Xiao Zhan pointed at the report, seething. "This is a rigged game! A blatant abuse of privilege!"

"Calm down," Lin Jie said.

"How the hell can I calm down? We took down Black Hand, but the news says the Ten Gods Family beat him with all their might!" Xiao Zhan said furiously. "Now even the Hero Association's pulling this kind of crap. Damn it."

"Calm down," Lin Jie said.

"How can I calm down? Those Ten Gods guys spent the whole time lying on the ground. Talk about winning while doing nothing."

"You kind of won without doing anything, too."

"I'm not like them. They'd have been killed without me."

"Why are you two yelling? Can't you see I'm studying?" Lin Wan called from her room.

"Your sister's impressive. She got into grad school and is going for her doctorate, too," Xiao Zhan said.

"Yeah. She's never getting married now," Lin Jie said with a sigh.

"You two, get out!!"

The next day, even though he really didn't want to, Lin Jie went to the top floor of Xiao's Building.

"You're here, partner!" Xiao Zhan popped his head up from behind a workbench.

"This place gives me the creeps," Lin Jie said.

"Perfect timing. Check out my latest gear. I'll make you a set later, too, so you can breeze through your hero registration exam," Xiao Zhan said.

"You mean there's an exam?" Lin Jie asked in surprise.

"Of course. There's a physical test, a written test, and an essay."

"Why does that sound so much like my high school graduation exams?"

"Anyway, check out my latest gear." Xiao Zhan pulled out a pistol.

"A gun?"

"Do you think I'm that shallow?" Xiao Zhan said, then pulled the trigger at himself. A gust of air blew his hair back. "It's actually a hair dryer. It can intimidate enemies and keep your hair looking perfect in any fight."

"..." Lin Jie watched him drying his hair. "Question: is this thing useful in a fight?"

"Didn't I tell you? It intimidates enemies. The important thing is, it keeps me looking handsome and dashing no matter what. Image is everything for a superhero these days. Look at those useless Ten Gods guys. They're the perfect example of getting by on their looks. You have to maintain your image at all times."

"Oh." Lin Jie looked at the other gun. "Is this one a hair dryer, too?"

"Of course not. This one shoots hair conditioner," Xiao Zhan said. "I'm going to call the two of them Ebony and Ivory."

"Trust me, some guy named Dante's going to come after you with a sword."

"By the way, take a look at this." Xiao Zhan held up a button.

"What is it?"

"An Omnidirectional Stereo Camera. Now we can record our heroic deeds from every angle and promote my Xiao Tech Company," Xiao Zhan said proudly.

"Trust me, if you put that video out, you'll lose your pants."

Lin Jie glanced at a pair of pitchforks on the table.

"You've got a good eye. You spotted my Plasma Decontamination Fork 2.0 right away," Xiao Zhan said.

"Question: what does this thing do?"

"Gets rid of stains! The 1.0 could only remove dust from your clothes, but my new 2.0 can easily remove any stain, even grease. That way, you can keep yourself looking clean and tidy anytime, anywhere, and make sure your enemies look clean and tidy, too."

"How obsessed are you with your appearance?" Lin Jie roared.

"That's why you can't get a girlfriend!" Xiao Zhan said. "Looks are everything these days. Handsome guys and pretty girls get special treatment no matter what they do. A handsome guy can make all kinds of mistakes, and there'll still be plenty of girls who love him and scream for him.

"Take anime villainesses. If they're pretty and have a bit of personality, all they have to do is show a little kindness, and they'll usually make it to the final episode, no matter how many terrible things they did before.

"But if the villain's ugly, then, heh. They won't make it past episode three."

"That makes so much sense, I have no comeback."

"Kid, it's not that you haven't tried hard enough. It's just a looks-based society," Xiao Zhan said.

Lin Jie had to admit he had a point. Back when he was Zero, Lin Jie had used black mist to hide his face. That was why no one had ever welcomed him with cheers, screamed at the sight of him, or rushed up to hug him. Then there was the Ten Gods Family, whose selling point was their good looks. Wherever they went, the girls went wild.

"Oh, here. This is for you." Xiao Zhan tossed him a large pair of sunglasses. "My latest high-tech invention."

"What does it do?"

"We can video chat through the glasses, and they'll add some fun to the dull life of a hero. You can watch movies online, read e-books, and all sorts of stuff. Best of all, they've got a one-terabyte stash of adult videos."

Xiao Zhan flashed a grin that any man would understand.

"You're not kidding?" Lin Jie replied with a look that said he got it.

"Absolutely."

"I admire you, partner." Lin Jie shook Xiao Zhan's hand.

"Want to see if I can make you some other gear?"

"Forget it. I don't need anything but the sunglasses. I've already got my own gear." Lin Jie pulled out the Wolf Fang Club he'd used last time.

"I've always wondered how you hide such a huge weapon."

"I've actually got a Four-Dimensional Pocket in my chest."

"Get out of here. The World United Association hasn't even figured out spatial technology yet. But that club of yours looks like it's made of unusual stuff. Can I borrow it to examine?"

"No," Lin Jie said. "Luckily, I didn't manage to sell it a few years ago. Otherwise, I'd be stuck using some ridiculous cleaning fork."

Lin Jie remembered the second year he'd spent cooped up at home. Because he was short on money, he'd had no choice but to set up a stall and sell off the weapons and gear he'd collected over the years.

"Just 998! Take home a genuine Dragon-Slaying Saber!" Lin Jie said, holding up a real Dragon-Slaying Saber to the person in front of him.

"Yeah, right. Who'd believe that? Can you prove that's really the Dragon-Slaying Saber?" the man replied.

"Well, this..."

"If you're going to make up a story, at least make it believable."

"How about this? For 998, take home the Dragon-Slaying Saber, and I'll throw in a Heaven-Defying Sword."

"Too expensive."

"Then how about this one? The Snow-Drinking Mad Blade, just 798, and I'll throw in a Peerless Sword." Lin Jie held up a blade and a sword.

"Uh... it doesn't look powerful enough. I don't really like the design."

"Then what about this one? Take home the Longquan Ancient Sword for 698, and I'll throw in Juque, an ancient sword forged by Ou Yezi."

"That's a nice design." But the customer was looking at an ornate bow.

"You've got good taste. The Tears of the Stars is a high-end item, though it costs a little more: 1,998. I'll throw in a Demon Wolf Fang Club, too."

"My girlfriend would love this. I don't want the club, though. It's too big. I'll just take the bow."

"Sure thing, sir."

After paying, the customer suddenly looked at the four ancient swords floating behind Lin Jie.

"Those four look interesting," the customer said, walking toward the swords.

"Those are display pieces! They're not for sale! Hey, don't touch those!" Lin Jie called out, but it was too late.

The customer hadn't even touched the floating swords when his fingers vanished, and blood sprayed everywhere. A scream rang out through the alley.

"Damn it, I told you not to touch them! Those are the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords, weapons that could kill heaven, earth, and even the air. Why would you touch them?" Lin Jie said to the man before him. "You touched them on your own. I'm not paying your medical bills."

"What happened?" Several urban management officers ran into the alley at the sound.

"Damn it, the urban management officers!" Lin Jie hurriedly packed everything away.