Chapter 19

Today, two young women arrived at Xiao's Building. One was Dong Xue'er, and the other was a petite girl.

"Let me introduce you." Glasses said to Xiao Zhan and Lin Jie: "This is Dong Xiaoye, an A-rank hero from B City. The famous Ice Fairy is what they call her."

"Oh? So this is the reinforcement Miss Dong invited?" Lin Jie looked at the petite girl and asked.

"You're the Lin Jie Sister Xue'er mentioned? You look like a useless piece of trash to me." The girl looked at Lin Jie with dissatisfaction.

"What?" Lin Jie was furious: "You can call me trash! But you can't say I'm useless."

"Hmph." The girl didn't even give him a proper glance, instead turning to Dong Xue'er and saying: "If these three pieces of trash are the helpers you mentioned, then I suggest you give up on this operation. It's definitely not going to succeed."

"Xiaoye, you can't judge people by appearances." Dong Xue'er said to Dong Xiaoye: "Don't let Lin Jie's looks fool you. He has a record of taking down a B-rank hero in a single blow. According to the tester's calculations at the time, he's the only one in H City besides Hunter who can break through Ouyang Rui's defenses."

"Hmph!" The girl snorted through her nose: "Fine, I'll reluctantly accept you, trash."

"Hey hey, don't you think your way of talking is a bit much? What do you mean 'don't let his looks fool you'?" A vein bulged on Lin Jie's forehead.

"You should be grateful I'm even accepting you." The girl said, pointing at Xiao Zhan and Glasses: "As for you two E-rank pieces of trash, I won't acknowledge you, especially that four-eyed pervert! I absolutely, definitely will not acknowledge you!"

"That thing had nothing to do with me, can you please stop calling me that?" Glasses couldn't help but say to Dong Xiaoye.

"Four-eyed pervert! Four-eyed pervert! Four-eyed pervert! Four-eyed pervert! Four-eyed pervert! Four-eyed pervert!"

"Looks like they have history." Xiao Zhan nudged Lin Jie.

"Based on my years of immersion in the second dimension, there's definitely a story there." Lin Jie said.

"Um, could you let me finish explaining the operation plan for tomorrow night?" Dong Xue'er narrowed her eyes as she looked at the few people in the room.

At the same time, the temperature in the room began to drop sharply.

"..."

The sudden chill silenced everyone in the room.

"Senior Sister, please stop your divine power! My glasses are frozen!" Lin Jie shivered as he said to Dong Xue'er: "Hurry up and lay out your grand plan, your humble servant is itching with anticipation."

"That's more like it." Dong Xue'er smiled, and the room's minus sixty-degree temperature began to rise again.

She then opened the tablet beside her, and a three-dimensional map appeared before everyone.

"Isn't this the Peach Grove on the outskirts?" Xiao Zhan said: "Come to think of it, it's almost time for the peach blossoms to bloom. I remember meeting my ex-girlfriend in that very peach blossom spot..."

'Ah, speaking of which, I used to chop people up in that peach grove all the time.' Lin Jie thought to himself.

Unfortunately, Xiao Zhan's reminiscing was cut short when he got frozen.

"I said don't interrupt me." Dong Xue'er smiled as she looked at the ice sculpture in front of her.

'Good thing I didn't say what I was thinking out loud.'

"We've confirmed that the transaction between Ouyang Rui and the Evolution Company will take place in this Peach Garden." Dong Xue'er cleared her throat and said: "The time is tomorrow night. The item being traded is a Rage Potion called T-3. If this potion gets into District C, the consequences are unimaginable.

Our mission is to stop the transaction and take down both the Evolution Company's people and Ouyang Rui.

As for Ouyang Rui's bodyguards and underlings, don't worry. I've contacted other heroes who oppose Ouyang Rui. They'll handle them. As for the Evolution Company side, that'll be up to Xiaoye. But I won't let you face the Evolution Company alone—I'll arrange for someone to work with you.

Lin Jie, our task is to take down Ouyang Rui. Another B-rank and I will find a way to hold him back, while you look for an opportunity to break through his defenses. We won't have many chances, because Ouyang Rui himself is an A-rank powerhouse. We need to take down both Ouyang Rui and the Evolution Company's people simultaneously and secure decisive evidence."

"What about me and Xiao Zhan? What are our tasks?" Glasses asked.

"You? Let me think." Dong Xue'er tilted her head: "How about this—go with Xiaoye's team. As for Xiao... hmm... let him join the group dealing with Ouyang Rui's bodyguards."

"I don't want to work with this four-eyed pervert." Dong Xiaoye said: "And I don't need the person you're assigning to work with me either. More people will just hold me back."

"Are you saying you oppose my opinion?" Dong Xue'er squinted at Dong Xiaoye.

"...Hmph." Dong Xiaoye just snorted coldly and sat down on the sofa.

"Oh, and I have good news." Dong Xue'er said: "The little girl you rescued is safe."

"Really?" Lin Jie asked.

"It turns out Paradise Island was the headquarters of the Evolution Company's research division. It was completely exposed during the big battle on Paradise Island. To salvage the data there, the Evolution Company sacrificed a lot of personnel, but they still lost a large amount of research results and many researchers." Dong Xue'er said with a smile: "I heard Godly Ghost went to Paradise Island too. Didn't he tell you?"

"No, I tried calling Godly Ghost last time but couldn't get through." Lin Jie said.

"Alright, I'm going to the Peach Garden first." Xiao Zhan, now thawed, said.

"Be careful." Lin Jie said.

"Don't worry, I'm wearing my latest combat suit." With that, Xiao Zhan turned into a person covered in pixelated blur.

"What good does that do!" Lin Jie said.

"What do you know? With this gear, even if I go out naked, it's totally fine." Xiao Zhan said.

"You've gone further and further down this path." Glasses said.

That night, in Xiao's Building.

"Making me spend the night in a place like this. That bitch of a cousin." Dong Xiaoye cursed in dissatisfaction.

"Still awake?" Glasses, lying on the sofa, saw Dong Xiaoye come out.

"None of your business!" Dong Xiaoye snapped.

"You guys aren't asleep either?" Xiao Zhan walked out of his room.

"Can't sleep either?" Glasses said to Xiao Zhan.

"No choice. There's a big fight tomorrow night, and just thinking about it gets me too excited to sleep. You know, I only passed the hero assessment a month ago. Suddenly being thrown into a mission like this—I wonder how much my ranking will go up." Xiao Zhan said.

"Tch, you're still green. I've been a superhero for two years now." Glasses said. "If you're nervous, I can teach you some ways to deal with pre-battle anxiety."

"You, a pervert with four eyes?" Dong Xiaoye said dismissively. "With your two years as a D-rank waste, you've got some nerve trying to teach others."

"Like you've been a hero for that long," Glasses said.

"Ignorant. I've been a hero for four years." Dong Xiaoye puffed out her small chest. "Compared to you guys with no experience and no strength, there's no contest, got it?"

"How old are you, anyway?" Xiao Zhan said.

"Don't judge by looks. I'm already nineteen," Dong Xiaoye said.

"No way! Are you and Dong Xue'er really cousins?" Xiao Zhan was shocked.

Dong Xue'er was just over twenty, with a sexy, tall figure. Dong Xiaoye was only a year younger, but her body was so petite she gave off the vibe of a middle schooler.

"Annoying! I'm just a late bloomer!!" Dong Xiaoye got angry, making a motion like she was about to pounce and bite someone.

"Forget it, I'm not arguing with you. I'll just drink some milk and go to sleep." Xiao Zhan said, pulling out a rod-shaped object covered in mosaic.

"Wait! What's that?" Dong Xiaoye was genuinely shocked by the weapon in Xiao Zhan's hand.

"This? It's my Plasma Decontamination Rod 3001." Xiao Zhan said, activating the weapon. A buzzing mechanical vibration echoed through the room.

"Wait! What are you planning to do with that thing?" Seeing what Xiao Zhan had pulled out, Dong Xiaoye's face flushed bright red. "Don't wave that thing in front of me!"

"I'm just getting some milk."

Xiao Zhan took out a few cups.

"Glasses, want a cup?" Xiao Zhan asked.

"Oh, pour me one," Glasses said.

"Wait, you four-eyed pervert! Doesn't that thing seem weird to you?" Dong Xiaoye stared in shock at Glasses' calm expression.

"Oh, after a while, you get used to it," Glasses said flatly.

Xiao Zhan skillfully poured three cups of milk and handed one to Glasses.

And so, under Dong Xiaoye's stunned gaze, Glasses and Xiao Zhan clinked cups and downed the milky white liquid in one go.

"You should have a cup too. It's good for your development." Xiao Zhan walked toward Dong Xiaoye, holding his rod in one hand and a cup of white liquid in the other. Dong Xiaoye instinctively stepped back, her hand accidentally hitting a switch in the room.

Suddenly, the wall behind Xiao Zhan flipped open. Behind him was a whole wall of mosaic-covered props. Framed by those props, with Xiao Zhan approaching, cup of white liquid in hand, Dong Xiaoye finally snapped.

"Pervert!"

A sharp slap echoed through the floor.

"If you don't like milk, just don't drink it. Why hit people?" Xiao Zhan said, rubbing the handprint on his cheek.

"Exactly," Glasses chimed in. "Even if you had to hit him, why'd you hit me too?"

"Hmph!" Dong Xiaoye said angrily. "If I ever see that thing again, I'll hit it every time."

"..."

"..."

After a long pause, Glasses said, "I saw Lin Jie go up to the rooftop half an hour ago. Why hasn't he come down yet?"

"Let's go check," Xiao Zhan said. "I'm curious what he's doing up there in the middle of the night."

"Let's go then," Glasses said.

"Wait! I'm coming too," Dong Xiaoye said from the side. "Thanks to you, I can't sleep either."

And so the three of them went up to the rooftop.

Outside, rain was pouring heavily. The three were stunned by the sight of Lin Jie.

The rain soaked Lin Jie's clothes, outlining the contours of his muscles. His Wolf Fang Club was propped on the ground. Lin Jie himself stood quietly, staring into the distance.

An aura of weathered experience spread across the rooftop.

At the same time, a sense of iron-blooded battle filled the air, like a man who had endured countless fights, gazing at his opponent.

"Who knew he had such a manly side," Xiao Zhan whispered. Dong Xiaoye and Glasses both nodded involuntarily.

Lin Jie's presence at that moment was like that of a great hero, drawing everyone's gaze.

Then, Lin Jie slightly raised his head...

...and sneezed. Immediately after, he hugged his shoulders and ran back inside.

"Pretending to be cool on a rooftop in the rain really isn't something a normal person does." As he spoke, Lin Jie reached where the three were standing. "Hey? What are you three doing here?"

"..."

"..."

"..."