Hughie

He was already planning his next move.

It would be best to go find Hughie.

He had a hunch that changing the fates of key characters would bring in the biggest rewards.

Besides, Vought International would definitely come looking for him.

Someone like Madelyn wouldn't let an unknown Supe build a reputation right under Vought's nose. They would either recruit him or send Homelander after him.

At his current level, Lv. 1, he probably couldn't beat Homelander if Vought sent him.

Homelander's usual speed was supersonic, while his was only subsonic.

Homelander could toss a passenger jet weighing over twenty tons with one hand. He was several times stronger.

The gap was still too big.

So before he reached Lv. 2, he'd better avoid a direct confrontation with Homelander.

He needed to keep his head down, build up his strength, and stay out of trouble!

A new prompt quietly appeared on the panel.

[Estimated: In 8 hours (11:00 a.m.), the video will enter the mainstream media cycle, earning a large number of ability points]

[Estimated online-only earnings within 24 hours: 2,000–4,000 ability points]

Lu Heng looked at the numbers, and his eyes lit up.

If online coverage brought in two to four thousand, and he added the 3,700 he already had—

Then he could keep earning points on the streets tomorrow.

He could reach Lv. 2 in a single day!

A Viltrumite Soldier had at least several times the combat power, though on Viltrum, he'd probably still be considered an infant.

But at that level, even if Homelander showed up, he could at least fight him to a draw.

Let's do this, guys!

Move it!

Seven hours later.

New York. Early morning.

The previous owner's old phone went crazy with notifications, shaking Lu Heng awake. The screen was covered in news alerts.

[NBC: Mysterious Supe "Guardian" Appears in Brooklyn, Stops at Least Nine Crimes in One Night!]

[CNN: No Record of Guardian in Vought's Database—Who Is He?]

[Fox: Does Guardian Pose a Threat to National Security? Experts Deeply Divided]

[New York Times: Brooklyn Crime Rate Drops 12% Overnight]

Lu Heng glanced at the panel.

Current ability points: 5,903 / 10,000

He'd gained over two thousand overnight, all passively collected from online reactions.

And the ability points kept accumulating, almost as if they could reproduce!

Once this round of coverage by the mainstream media got out, the daytime traffic would far exceed last night's.

He stood up and looked down from the rooftop's edge.

The street below was already bustling. On the TV in a breakfast shop on the corner, footage of him from the previous night was playing.

Several customers inside were all looking up at the screen.

"Don't get me wrong, but the Seven are a bunch of useless hacks. They're only good at PR and never do anything worthwhile!"

"Exactly! Now that's a real superhero!"

"Hey! Think Vought will recruit this guy?"

The number on the panel ticked up again.

+23

Lu Heng looked away.

He pulled on a hoodie and blended into the morning rush.

Twenty minutes later.

Lu Heng stood outside an electronics shop.

The sign read "Bob's Electronics—Professional Audio and Home Theater."

Through the glass door, he saw a skinny young man behind the counter, listlessly fiddling with an old stereo.

Hughie Campbell.

He looked even thinner than he did on the show, with dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept well last night.

A prompt appeared on the panel:

[Key character confirmed: Hughie Campbell]

[Current emotional state: Calm, weary]

[Potential ability point value: Extremely high]

Lu Heng pushed open the glass door.

Hughie looked up and put on a customer-service smile. "Hey, welcome in. Is there anything..."

His smile faltered. He felt like he'd seen the man before.

"...anything I can help you with?"

Lu Heng walked up to the counter and casually picked up a pair of headphones, looking them over.

"I'm looking to buy a stereo. I'm on a tight budget. What would you recommend?"

"Uh... what kind are you looking for? Bluetooth or wired?"

"Which do you think is better?"

Hughie paused, as if it had been a long time since a customer had asked for his opinion.

"I personally prefer wired. The sound quality's a lot better. Bluetooth has a bit of lag..."

Lu Heng listened as he watched Hughie.

On the panel, Hughie's mood shifted toward happy. Maybe he was glad to finally have a customer who was willing to listen to him.

The kid was a decent guy at heart.

Kind, timid, and not very confident.

In the show, he barely grew unless circumstances forced him to. Even in the latest, fifth season, he was still a bit of a bleeding heart.

But good people weren't a threat. Idiots were.

"By the way," Lu Heng asked casually, "doesn't your girlfriend work with you?"

Hughie's hand stopped.

"How do you know I have a girlfriend?"

"Just a guess. You've got a red string and a hair tie on your wrist. They're a girl's, right? Whoever made that red string put a lot of care into it."

Hughie glanced down at the red string on his wrist, looking a little bashful.

"Robin made it. She's not exactly great at it, but... it's not worth making a fuss over."

"You're a smart guy, brother. You've already figured out the fundamental rules of dating."

Hughie scratched his head. "Thanks, I guess. But why'd you ask?"

Lu Heng smiled without answering.

He'd gotten the information he wanted. Robin wasn't with Hughie today.

A-Train had hit her while she was out walking with Hughie.

Today should be safe.

"I'll come back for the stereo another day." Lu Heng put the headphones back on the shelf. "By the way, what's good to eat around here? I just moved in."

"Oh!" Hughie's eyes lit up. "The sandwich place on the corner is pretty good. The owner's an old Italian guy, and he puts on a ton of cheese..."

They chatted off and on for a few minutes.

As Lu Heng left the electronics shop, Hughie called after him, "Hey, come back anytime!"

[Key character: Hughie Campbell]

[Emotional shift: Calm → Slightly cheerful → Initial goodwill established]

[Ability points gained: +156]

Current ability points: 6,059 / 10,000

One hundred and fifty-six.

Just a few minutes of conversation, enough to cheer him up a little, had earned Lu Heng 156 points.

Key NPCs really were treated differently from ordinary NPCs.

If he saved Robin and completely changed Hughie's fate—

The reward should be substantial.

As Lu Heng walked down a street in Brooklyn, his phone buzzed again.

He took it out and saw another news alert.

[Breaking: A-Train to Participate in Brooklyn Community Run Tomorrow!]

Lu Heng stopped walking.

Brooklyn.

A community run?

A-Train?

Talk about perfect timing. He'd just been wondering how to pin down the date Robin was supposed to get killed, and now this alert had handed it to him.