Who Exactly Was the Executive?

[So you really know Ryan? Homelander's son?]

Even though she was already in a rideshare heading back to New York, the viewers in her livestream still couldn't believe it.

You had connections like that, and you were still doing this badly??

"Come on, come on, take a good look. Isn't this Ryan from yesterday's interview?"

Countess of Crows nearly shoved her phone into the face of the boy sitting beside her in the car.

Of course, that was just a figure of speech. She wouldn't dare actually do that.

Ryan gave the viewers on her phone a shy smile, then turned his head back toward the window.

Seeing that, Countess of Crows didn't want to bother the boy any further. All she could do was turn back to arguing with her viewers, fuming.

[First-tier superpowers include Heat Vision, Super Strength, Super Stamina, Super Vision, Super Hearing, Super Smell, flight, Self-Healing, and Minor Bio-electric Field]

[There is also one unique fourth-tier superpower: Steel Body]

Ryan's thoughts were still on his superpowers.

As things stood, he only had those ten abilities.

He didn't have Super Speed, Super Reflexes, Super Brain, or Freeze Breath, and he couldn't grow stronger without limit by basking in the sun. Without the Best Actor System, his ceiling would be no higher than becoming another Homelander.

Thinking of Homelander, Ryan couldn't help remembering the bursts of hearty laughter that had reached him now and then after he'd entered his dreams the night before.

Looks like he's happy, so I made the right choice.

Could Homelander be changed?

Ryan shook his head inwardly. The answer was no.

How could anyone easily change a soul that had long since taken shape?

All I'm asking is that he doesn't become any worse.

He shouldn't end up hated by everyone, opposed by everyone, with people going out of their way to kill him.

After all, the last madman who tried to commit genocide and dreamed of conquering the world...

If Homelander really went down that path, his fate was easy to imagine. He'd be doomed to die.

Ryan didn't want to see that happen, because he could feel that Homelander truly wanted to give him his whole heart.

Whether it was repaying kindness with kindness or putting himself in the other's shoes, one thing was certain: Ryan was going to protect him.

So the next step was to keep encouraging the public to admire Homelander, instead of letting him give up on himself and spiral completely out of control as he had in the original story.

As for the dirt on Homelander that hadn't been exposed yet, but was already in someone else's hands...

At that thought, Ryan turned to look at Countess of Crows, whose cheeks were puffed up with anger as she argued with her viewers.

Little girl, today's your lucky day.

The difficult but crucial task of bringing the public closer to Homelander, letting them gradually see and experience the real man behind the mask, was yours now.

Ryan had thought it all through.

He wanted Homelander to appear before the public more often, instead of remaining a powerful, perfect, and untouchable superhero idol in Walter's carefully scripted stories.

Besides, the more he appeared in public, the more Homelander could gradually become desensitized to it.

He would slowly get used to ordinary people's attention, to genuine kindness and admiration. He wouldn't fall apart, fly into a rage, and lose faith in himself over the slightest doubt or a moment's neglect.

"What do you mean, you can't find him?!"

Inside the "Public Opinion, Media Sentiment, and Public Image Monitoring Department," which employees simply called the Risk Management Team, everyone on the morning shift started trembling at the man's low growl.

The department head huddled off to one side, wishing he had Translucent's superpower.

Anika, the data tracking analyst Homelander had been interrogating, was so terrified she could barely speak.

"Sir, I-I did look. You saw me. I-I searched every corner of the building, but I just can't... I can't..."

When she saw Homelander's eyes glowing red, her teeth began chattering.

"Keep looking!"

Homelander ordered, each word clipped and deliberate. "Use every surveillance system to search the whole city. Send all the field agents out to look, too. You have to find my son!"

"B-but... I-I need... authorization."

Whoosh! Crackle—

Homelander couldn't hold back. One blast of Heat Vision destroyed a computer on the spot.

Though he very much wanted to kill the annoying woman, there were too many people here. He couldn't kill them all.

"Then—give—it—to—her!"

Anika looked pitifully at her supervisor. Homelander followed her gaze.

The supervisor first put on a sycophantic smile, then immediately picked up his phone. "Hello, Vice President Ashley? I need Level One authorization... Wha—what?!"

"What is it now? Tell Ashley to get over here right away." Homelander was running out of patience.

The supervisor wore a mournful expression. "Sir, Ashley was... was fired! The reason was... she's the executive!"

Walter International, main entrance.

Ashley was thrown out the door by the security guards, wailing. In a panic, she tried several times to rush back inside and beg Mr. Edgar, but they stopped her every time.

Fear completely broke her. She fell to the ground, helpless and lost.

She'd lost her position as vice president of Hero Management, and she knew far too many secrets. She could even feel the despair of being watched.

It was over!

There was no chance of turning this around. I-I'm dead!

Her phone rang. A spark of joy suddenly lit up Ashley's eyes. Was it Mr. Edgar? Had he changed his mind? Was there still a chance to fix this?

She fumbled for her phone and answered at once without even checking the caller ID.

"Hello, Vice President Ashley? I need Level One authorization—"

"I was fired!"

"Damn it, An—no, no, my dear Anton, you have to help me. Go talk to Mr. Edgar. Tell him I'm not the executive... Beep, beep... Hello?"

Ashley rose to her feet in a daze.

Wasn't this how Walter International always worked? Everyone looked after themselves.

Rather than pinning her hopes on those awful people, she might as well find somewhere to jump and end it all, escaping this endless torment and terror.

Just as Ashley had lost all hope, a familiar name rang out from behind the crowd gathered to watch her.

"Make way, please. Let us through. Don't crowd him—you're scaring Ryan."

Ryan!!!

Ashley suddenly snapped out of it, her unfocused pupils tightening.

She knew Homelander too well.

He was a selfish, cold-hearted celebrity with no empathy, and she was nothing more than a disposable tool. Homelander wouldn't turn against Edgar for her.

But Ryan was different. He was a good kid.

He was kind, gentle, and pure, like a little angel who'd fallen into the human world. He would surely feel sorry for what had happened to her. He would surely be willing to help.

In this desperate moment, he was the only lifeline she had left!

Scalding blood surged through her body. Strength flooded back into her lifeless limbs, and Ashley frantically shoved her way through the crowd toward the center.

"Get out of my way! All of you, move! Don't block me..."

She screamed and shoved, forcing her way through the surging crowd with all her might.

It seemed to take forever, though perhaps only a moment had passed. Ashley suddenly felt the crush of bodies in front of her ease. She jerked her head up.

A boy, carefully shielded by an unfamiliar girl...

"Ryan, you little darling!!!"