Let's See Who Can Pretend

Trunks saw the person slowly emerging and his eyes lit up with joy. "It's Mr. Li Lin!"

Had this unfathomable man finally decided to make a move?

"It's you!" Vegeta stared at him, his eyes locked tight.

Li Lin smiled indifferently, released No. 18's hand, and walked slowly toward him. "It is."

Vegeta watched his composed demeanor, feeling deeply unsettled.

It was as if the old fear of being dominated by him had resurfaced.

Even though his strength had increased significantly, he still didn't dare to provoke Li Lin.

"What are you doing here?" Vegeta cut straight to the point, asking bluntly.

Li Lin smiled and replied, "Eliminating Cell, of course!"

Vegeta's heart sank at these words, and he said in a low voice, "I will deal with Cell myself; I don't need you here!"

He had finally boosted his strength and was eager to prove himself before everyone.

There was no way he would let this kill slip through his fingers.

"Oh, is that so?" Li Lin looked at him calmly and shrugged. "Fine, I have no problem leaving Cell to you!"

Vegeta was stunned for a moment, then a look of joy appeared on his face, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

The way he looked at Li Lin seemed to turn dismissive.

He didn't think Li Lin was being kind by yielding Cell to him; he assumed Li Lin had seen his strength and lost his nerve, retreating without a word of complaint.

That was what he chose to believe, and in front of Li Lin, he seemed to have regained his long-lost confidence.

"Mr. Li Lin, you can't do this!" Trunks shouted from behind Vegeta. "You absolutely cannot let Cell reach his Perfect Form, or the Earth will be doomed!"

Li Lin remained completely unmoved by Trunks' words.

"How about this? I'll hold back my father, and you take out Cell!" Trunks grew anxious and continued to shout.

He also seemed to believe that Li Lin had stopped fighting and yielded the kill because he feared Vegeta's strength.

He decided to take the heavy burden of holding back his father upon himself.

He would leave Cell for Li Lin to finish off; after all, the previous exchange showed that Cell was no match for him.

Vegeta became even more enraged upon hearing this.

Good grief, you really are determined to go against your own father!

To think you'd actually help an outsider deal with your own dad.

He really wanted to shout and ask, "Are you my son, or his?"

Li Lin shook his head slightly and said calmly to Trunks, "Don't worry, Trunks. Since Vegeta wants to take down Cell all by himself, let him have it. I won't be intervening."

Vegeta's expression improved slightly upon hearing this.

However, he felt no gratitude toward Li Lin; instead, he grew increasingly contemptuous of him.

He had thought this guy was a detached powerhouse, but it turned out he was nothing more than a spineless coward!

No. 18 felt a pang of anxiety at Li Lin's words. Could it be that he doesn't want to protect me anymore?

Sure enough, hearing Li Lin say he wouldn't intervene left her feeling utterly hopeless.

She thought to herself that she had been too naive, entrusting her safety to someone she had only met a few times.

Trunks was also quite annoyed by Li Lin's response.

He couldn't help but complain inwardly, How could this person be like this?

Facing my father, does he really lack the courage to even make a move?

"However!" Li Lin changed his tone, looking at the rather smug Vegeta. "You can deal with Cell all you want, but I am protecting No. 18. If anyone dares to lay a finger on her, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

As he spoke, he scanned his surroundings. His tone was flat, but the killing intent in his eyes was bone-chilling.

For a moment, the temperature in the entire space seemed to drop.

When No. 18 heard this, the negative emotions in her heart vanished instantly.

Although the words were cold and filled with murderous intent, they sounded incredibly warm to her ears.

Her eyes glistened as if tears were welling up.

Vegeta was stunned at first, then his expression turned hideous. "What did you say?"

Li Lin looked at him indifferently. "I don't like to repeat myself."

"Bastard!" Vegeta clenched his fists, his entire body on the verge of exploding.

The only reason he had insisted on fighting Cell was to let him reach his Perfect Form so the battle would be worth the effort.

If No. 18 left, what was the point of fighting Cell?

After all that, it turned out this guy had been playing him for a fool—how could he not be furious!

Trunks heard Li Lin's words clearly, and his heart felt much more at ease.

That was right; if his father wanted to deal with Cell, then let him deal with it.

As long as No. 18 was in their hands, Cell could not reach his Perfect Form. This way, he wouldn't be stealing the kill from his father, nor would he be allowing Cell to transform.

If Vegeta weren't still standing right there, he would have really wanted to cheer for Li Lin!

"If there's nothing else, we'll be taking our leave," Li Lin said indifferently.

This sentence didn't seem to be asking for anyone's opinion; it was purely a notification.

After speaking, he turned around, took No. 18 by the hand, and prepared to leave.

However, how could Vegeta let them leave so easily? He was currently furious.

With a burst of speed, he moved up and directly blocked Li Lin's path!

"You can go, but she stays!" Vegeta said, pointing at No. 18 beside him.

His tone was filled with unquestionable authority, sounding almost like a command.

Li Lin frowned and said coldly, "It's not that I'm going, it's that we are leaving together. Did you hear me?"

Hearing these icy words, Vegeta showed no fear, his tone arrogant as he replied, "She must stay here, otherwise, you won't be leaving either!"

He had figured it out: no one, whoever they were, could stop his battle with Cell.

At the same time, he remembered that both Li Lin and No. 18 had made him suffer losses before.

Since that was the case, he couldn't let them leave safely!

"Heh, very well!" Li Lin sneered and said to Vegeta, "Then let's settle this with our fists!"

At the same time, he said to No. 18 beside him, "Go down and wait for me; give me a few seconds!"

"Mm!" No. 18 nodded obediently and said softly, "Then you be careful too!"

After saying this, she followed Li Lin's instructions, slowly descended, and returned to the rock.

When Vegeta heard Li Lin's words, the veins on his forehead seemed ready to burst, and he said in a fit of rage, "You really are arrogant!"

Giving him a few seconds—didn't that imply that it would only take a few seconds to defeat him?

"I've already given you enough face. Dealing with someone of your caliber is actually a waste of even a few seconds," Li Lin said indifferently.

You like to act tough? Then let's see who can outdo the other!