Chapter 9

Time passed like this for two weeks.

On the roof of a building, two people wearing sunglasses observed the scene below.

"Thirteen, how are things on your end?" Xiao Zhan asked, holding a bag of spicy strips as he watched the feed from Thirteen's glasses through his communicator. "I've got to say, this new flavor of spicy strips is pretty good."

"So even a wicked rich kid like you has finally understood the charm of five-cent spicy strips," Lin Jie said beside him. "Next time, I'll take you to try some more unusual flavors."

"I have to admit, this food called spicy strips must have a special charm to have lasted for over a century in District C," Xiao Zhan said.

"Hey, hey, stop studying the spicy strips. The suspects are here." Glasses's voice came through the communicator. On the images displayed in their sunglasses, Lin Jie and Xiao Zhan clearly saw two groups of people appear inside an abandoned factory.

"This is Thirteen. The two groups are here." Thirteen's voice came through the communicator. The others were seeing everything from Thirteen's point of view.

"Are you sure these people are criminals?" Lin Jie asked, confirming once again.

"I've seen these people before. I think they've been involved in some kind of biochemical research," Thirteen said. "I've been following them for a week. Trust me, they're on the verge of a breakdown."

"Thirteen, how strong are they?" Xiao Zhan asked.

"When I first started following them, they were a dangerous organization with more than a dozen C-Class criminals and several thousand mercenaries," Thirteen said. "But now, only the few people in front of me are left. All their top fighters have been wiped out."

"..." Lin Jie watched the dozen or so people making the deal, speechless. "Thirteen, how about following them for a couple more days? At this rate, I doubt we'll even need to step in."

"No, we won't get any credit if we don't do anything," Xiao Zhan said.

"True, following them would be easier. But they seem to be at the end of their rope. I heard they're planning to activate a biochemical creation ahead of schedule and trade it to another organization," Thirteen said from the other end. "I'm going in. Glasses, bring me some weapons. Oh, and bring some spicy strips too."

"Don't call me Glasses! Call me by my name, Yan Qing, or call me the Teleporter."

Glasses's real name was Yan Qing. He was also a rare space-type ability user, but he could only swap positions between himself and a pair of glasses he had worn. Everyone on their team now had a pair of glasses that Glasses had worn.

"Okay, Glasses."

"Got it, Glasses."

"Sure, Glasses. Don't forget the spicy strips."

"..." The next moment, Glasses appeared in Lin Jie and Xiao Zhan's view, holding a set of tactical gear and a large bag of spicy strips.

"As long as you brought these, that's all that matters." Thirteen took the spicy strips.

"Seriously, how much do you people love spicy strips? We might as well rename our team the Spicy Strip Squad," Glasses said from the side. Over the past two weeks, the three of them had eaten at least three whole boxes of spicy strips.

Just then, one side of the deal drove over a battered-looking truck and opened its shipping container. Inside was something resembling a life-support pod. But just as the two sides were about to make the exchange, the truck suddenly seemed to malfunction and started moving on its own, crashing straight into the factory's abandoned wastewater pool.

"What do we do?" Glasses asked.

"Let's see what happens first," Thirteen said.

In the brief time it took them to speak, a huge explosion erupted in the wastewater pool. Immediately after, a giant monster made of wastewater appeared before them.

"It's time for us to move," Xiao Zhan said to Lin Jie.

"Okay, I'm on my way." With that, Lin Jie headed for the small door on the rooftop.

"Where are you going?" Xiao Zhan asked curiously.

"Down to the top floor, then I'll take the elevator," Lin Jie said.

"Why go to all that trouble? If I brought you up to the roof, it means I came prepared." As he spoke, Xiao Zhan took out a pair of metal shoes. "Remember the Reaction Gloves I used the first time we met? I successfully adapted them for shoes. I call them Reaction Force Flying Shoes. Oh, I prepared a pair for you too."

"..." Lin Jie looked at the shoes in his hand, then at Xiao Zhan, who had already flown off like a deflating balloon. He promptly tossed the shoes away. "I'll take the elevator after all."

Elsewhere, Thirteen and Glasses watched from the shadows as the leader of the people making the deal seemed to press something in his hand. The giant Sewage Monster immediately went still.

"Get ready. We'll take out that monster first." As he spoke, Thirteen picked up an Electro-Light Gun.

Glasses also pulled a stack of glasses from inside his jacket.

Thirteen casually tossed the spicy strips in his hand at the Sewage Monster, then he and Glasses charged out.

"Illegal biochemical deals? Get ready to face justice!" Glasses shouted as he threw the glasses in his hand, then pulled out two electric batons.

As the men on both sides of the deal opened fire on them, Glasses nimbly evaded their shots by swapping places with the glasses. Just then, something unexpected happened.

At the same time that the bag of spicy strips Thirteen had thrown went into the Sewage Monster, the leader of the people making the deal was shocked to discover that the control device in his hand had stopped working. The Sewage Monster began to go berserk.

After a long wastewater tentacle swept across the area, only Glasses and Thirteen remained.

"What..." Glasses was dumbfounded. "Why did that Sewage Monster suddenly swallow its own people?"

"I don't know. If I had to guess, it's because I just threw in the spicy strips," Thirteen said.

"How powerful are these spicy strips, anyway?" Glasses said. "No time—run!"

Looking at the Sewage Monster writhing toward them, Glasses cried out, "Is there any way to take it down? I don't want to go for a dip in the wastewater!"

"I'll try." Thirteen opened fire on the Sewage Monster in front of him, then threw a grenade. When it had no effect, he turned and ran in the opposite direction. "No good. There's nothing I can do! Those shots just now were already my strongest attack."

"Damn it!" Glasses cursed and started running too. "Where'd all that confidence come from when you charged in? Your attacks are pathetic!"

"Now that I think about it, I'm good at stealth. A head-on fight isn't really my specialty," Thirteen said. "Speaking of which, don't you have any ideas?"

"I'm just a lackey! What could I possibly do?"

"You were shouting pretty loudly when you charged in."

"Wasn't I allowed to put on a bold front?"

"Figures. You're useless without your glasses!"

But the Sewage Monster didn't seem all that interested in the two of them. After chasing them for a while, it left them behind and ran off in another direction.

"Oh no! That's the direction of downtown!" Glasses said in alarm.

"I see it." Lin Jie's voice sounded through the communicator. "Don't worry, I'll meet it in the city."

Watching the Sewage Monster steadily approach, Lin Jie raised an eyebrow. It was still far away, but its revolting stench had already reached his nose.

"I'll finish this quickly and head home." As he thought this, Lin Jie charged at the enormous Sewage Monster. The Wolf Fang Club in his hand swept across its body with tremendous force, blasting huge amounts of wastewater into the air. The wastewater splattered all over the street, and the entire block was instantly filled with a foul stench.

The people who had planned to watch a superhero fight a monster started fleeing instead.

Lin Jie's swing did nothing to slow the monster's advance. It only dirtied the street.

The one thing to be grateful for was that the swing had knocked several of the suspected criminals out of the Sewage Monster.

"Damn it! I hate liquid monsters most of all!" Lin Jie said. Air began to visibly swirl around his body.

"Wait! Don't attack! If you keep fighting, all our food street will be able to sell is stinky tofu!"

Just as Lin Jie was gathering strength for a powerful attack, someone in the crowd shouted for him to stop. Many of the people around them joined in.

"Tch!" Lin Jie had no choice but to jump back and look at the crowd. Things sure had changed fast! I remember when I used to be a hero, people would run for their lives as soon as they saw a monster. Now, they not only stand around watching whenever they get the chance, they even point and comment!

"Don't worry, bro, I'm com-com-com-coming!" Xiao Zhan's voice sounded from above.

"He's flying back," Lin Jie said, watching Xiao Zhan spin through the air.

"L-look, I'm... I still need to work on this thing," Xiao Zhan said.

"Do you have a way to deal with it?" Lin Jie asked over the communicator. But he never got the chance to finish, because Xiao Zhan had already spun into the wastewater.

"...Forget it. I'll just use my big move!" Lin Jie said, looking at Xiao Zhan, who was submerged up to his waist.

Just then, something amazing happened. The wastewater Xiao Zhan had passed through quickly turned into clean water. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xiao Zhan freed himself from the Sewage Monster's body.

"What happened?" Lin Jie asked as he dodged the Sewage Monster's incoming tentacles and regrouped with Xiao Zhan. "How did you turn it into clean water?"

"It must be the effect of my brand-new 'Plasma Decontamination Rod 2000,'" Xiao Zhan said, taking out two short rods. They occasionally emitted a "whirring" vibration. "I enhanced them based on the previous versions. They don't just erase dust and grease—they can now purify anything dirty!"

"Forget the rest of it. Explain to me what's with the vibrating function on those things," Lin Jie said.

"What's so special about vibrating? I can make it sway too!" As Xiao Zhan spoke, the tips of the vibrating plasma decontamination rods in his hands began to sway. "Leave this monster to me."

"Are you sure you don't need to censor those things when you whip them out?"

"I'll consider that next time."