A New Suitable Candidate

The apartment complex where Xiao He and Ye Wanqing lived had a rather unique building structure. The ground floor consisted of a raised platform and an elevator shaft, separated by a wall on both sides. The raised platform was about 40 to 50 square meters in size, and the original plan was to build some simple fitness equipment there for the elderly to exercise.

However, due to some social issues within the property management company, the funds were lost, so the space on the elevated floor has been idle for some time now. It can be considered a room with three walls and one opening.

Their neighborhood is surrounded by residential areas with no commercial districts, so there are many stray cats and dogs in the area. When Ye Wanqing and he go downstairs for a walk, she always brings some cat food or chicken jerky with her and feeds them whenever they encounter them. As a result, the cats and dogs in the neighborhood are very familiar with Ye Wanqing.

"Besides her own pets, all the other pets seem to like her? That's strange..." Xiao He pondered.

Having rented the elevated space, the next step is to buy some cat houses and dog houses to put in it.

Xiao He was a little worried about Ye Wanqing's plan. "Wanqing, won't these things be stolen if we just leave them there unattended?"

"Probably not," Ye Wanqing said after thinking for a moment. "Because these are all things for cats and dogs, there's no point in people taking them, right? I don't think anyone would be that bad..."

Xiao He affectionately stroked Ye Wanqing's head, not wanting to expose her naivety. He felt that Ye Wanqing wasn't unaware that there were bad people in the world; she just preferred to think of others as kinder, and he liked that about her.

"I will protect your innocence," Xiao He thought to himself, and kissed her on the head.

Ye Wanqing turned to look at him, her crescent-shaped eyes crinkling with laughter, her smile exceptionally sweet, "Old Xiao, do you want me to grow my hair long? I remember you used to say you liked long hair."

"Those are other girls, but you are special." Xiao He patted her head and smiled. "I like you whether you have long hair or short hair."

"Short hair is fine then, I can wash it every day." Ye Wanqing nodded in satisfaction. "Let's go buy pet supplies."

Adults' freedom is based on "having money." Although Xiao He was not the kind of person with strong material desires, he did feel "freedom" deeply after making money: he could eat, dress, play, and buy whatever he wanted without having to be restrained.

The same thing happened again. He and Ye Wanqing called a van, went to the pet store and bought more than a dozen box-type cat and dog houses, as well as more than a dozen bags of cat and dog food, which they then brought back. Next, they would set up the elevated floor.

Because the elevated area has been idle for too long and lacks doors and windows for sealing, it has naturally accumulated a thick layer of dust.

"Hey, can we use our Superpower?" Xiao He asked while cleaning the dust off the elevated floor.

"Hey, take it slow. Why do you always want to use your Superpower?" Ye Wanqing frowned. "I'm here with you."

For some reason, the words "I'm here with you" made Xiao He feel much more relaxed.

After sweeping away the accumulated dust, I mopped it twice more and cleaned the cobwebs in the corners. The place was finally a bit cleaner. Then I set up the cat houses and dog houses I bought here.

After finishing their work, it was getting late, so they went upstairs to prepare their dinner.

This was Xiao He's favorite time of day: Ye Wanqing was busy in the kitchen, and he was helping her out.

The two worked together more and more smoothly, and soon a meal was ready: the usual three dishes and a soup, stir-fried cabbage, braised chicken with potatoes, braised pork ribs, and a bowl of tomato and egg soup.

As always, every dish was delicious. Xiao He wolfed down his food, while Ye Wanqing watched him with a smile.

After finishing their meal, they went to the elevated area to feed the stray cats and dogs.

"We come here to feed them every day, and they'll know to come and rest here," Ye Wanqing explained, placing the cat food bowls in front of the stray cats before directing Xiao He to feed the stray dogs. Xiao He asked, puzzled, "Can't you just leave the cat and dog food here for them to eat on their own? Isn't it troublesome to feed them like this every day?"

"Cat food and dog food have different ingredients, they can't eat them together," Ye Wanqing said with a smile. "If we can't come, we can ask the security guard to feed them for us. We can just give him a carton of cigarettes every month, it's not much trouble. We earn so much money every month, we should spend it meaningfully."

"Alright then," Xiao He sighed.

He felt he couldn't live without Ye Wanqing for the rest of his life, and Ye Wanqing couldn't live without him either. Whether it was their personalities, lifestyles, or their Superpower, they couldn't live without each other.

"Hey, Xiaoqing, actually, now that I think about it carefully..." Xiao He held Ye Wanqing's hand, breathed on it, and rubbed it for her. "Although we conflict in many ways, from another perspective, aren't we perfectly complementary?"

"Hmph, yes, that's true." Ye Wanqing smiled, pursing her lips. "Just like I like chicken wings, the meat is more tender."

"And I like to eat chicken wings." Xiao He nodded in agreement. "It's more satisfying to eat them with more meat."

"We can share a pair of chicken wings." Ye Wanqing's little nose wrinkled with joy.

"Yes," Xiao He, somewhat amused, "So, the difference between enemies and in-laws is just a step away."

"Shameless! She hasn't even said she wants to marry you yet, don't get your hopes up," Ye Wanqing huffed, poking his cheek.

Xiao He held her hand and kissed it. "Yes, I will cherish you. After I've won you over, I'll get my revenge."

"If you dare, I'll change your name!" Ye Wanqing complained, pinching his arm.

The two chatted and joked as they walked, and before they knew it, forty minutes had passed.

"Alright, let's go up?" Ye Wanqing smiled, pursing her lips. Xiao He glared at her. "You'll go up once your hands are warm, right?"

"Hehe..." Ye Wanqing laughed mischievously after being caught out, and tiptoed to kiss him on the cheek. "Is it done yet?"

"That's more like it." Xiao He nodded in satisfaction.

The two went upstairs to wash up and rest. Ye Wanqing always made him take a shower first, so after he finished, he went back to his room, turned on his computer, and prepared to play a game to pass the time: this girl wouldn't come out of the shower for at least half an hour.

"Old Xiao, I'm done showering. Do you want to come watch the show with me?" Ye Wanqing called out from outside.

"Okay, I'll be out after this round," Xiao He replied. "Wait a minute, okay? Be good."

"Mmm!" Ye Wanqing responded cheerfully and quieted down.

But then, a muffled clap of thunder sounded outside. Xiao He's first thought was, "It's going to rain," and his second was, "What's that idiot mid laner doing?! Why isn't he supporting the jungle?"

A little while later, Ye Wanqing came into his room, grabbed her laptop, and pounced on his bed.

"Old Xiao, I'm here to keep you company!" Ye Wanqing said cheerfully, then sat on his bed and started playing on the computer.

Xiao He was stunned for a moment, then turned to stare at Ye Wanqing Ye Wanqing, who turned her face away from him.

Just then, another thunderclap rang out, startling Ye Wanqing so much that she trembled. This time, she couldn't keep up the act anymore.

"It's alright, it's alright, don't be afraid, I'm here." Xiao He suppressed a laugh and patted her head to comfort her. Ye Wanqing nodded gently, still not daring to look at him. "Then... then come and keep me company."

"I..." Xiao He hesitated for a moment, glancing at his teammates frantically sending "request for assistance" signals to him on the screen behind him, then gritted his teeth and said, "I'm sorry, my teammates, I'm a terrible teammate!"

After saying that, Xiao He logged out of the game and lay down next to Ye Wanqing: "I'm here."

"Hmm..." Ye Wanqing smiled, a sweet feeling welling up inside her: It seems that I am more important than the game.

"Watch it with me," Ye Wanqing said, leaning against his chest. Xiao He glanced at the show she was watching, and a strong aura of a domineering CEO hit him, instantly killing his desire to continue watching. However, the warmth and fragrance emanating from the beauty in his arms made him choose to stay. He rested his chin on Ye Wanqing's head and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, keeping her company.

But given Ye Wanqing's weight, his arm inevitably touched "justice" in this position, and the amazing sensation made him a little distracted.

"I really want to experience it, but doing this all of a sudden seems kind of perverted..." Xiao He thought to himself, conflicted.

However, the plot suddenly shifted to a sweet moment between the male and female leads, with the two embracing and whispering sweet nothings. Ye Wanqing felt a little uncomfortable and uneasy in his arms, so Xiao He kissed her on the head.

Ye Wanqing looked up at him, her eyes a little nervous and expectant. Her adorable appearance softened Xiao He's heart. He gently stroked her head, kissed her forehead, then her nose, and finally gently pressed his lips to her pink lips.

"Mmm..." Ye Wanqing let out a beautiful soft moan, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"It shouldn't be a problem to experience it, right? After all, she's my girlfriend..." Xiao He thought nervously. "She shouldn't blame me for this atmosphere, right?"

Thinking of this, Xiao He continued to kiss Ye Wanqing deeply while feeling the power of "justice." Ye Wanqing trembled slightly in his arms, but did not resist.

"Justice will prevail!" roared Xiao He's heart. "From this day forward, I Yinglong, am the messenger of justice!"

"You..." After relenting, Ye Wanqing glared at him with her beautiful eyes wide and said irritably, "You even told people you were a leg fetishist at first, but look what happened... You've been wanting to do this for a long time, haven't you?"

"Huh? Hehe... I'm afraid you'll think I'm sleazy," Xiao He said cautiously.

"No, it's normal for you to have these thoughts since we're dating..." Ye Wanqing muttered, head down. "I don't find it offensive, otherwise I wouldn't have dated you."

Xiao He breathed a sigh of relief: Ye Wanqing had tacitly approved. It seemed that their the Lovers behavior could be more intimate, and she wouldn't mind.

He felt a surge of satisfaction: the power of justice is so strong... my life has been worthwhile.

"Okay, okay, that's enough." Ye Wanqing mumbled, leaning against him. "Do you want to see something else?"

"I don't care, you can look at whatever you want, I'm content just being with you." Xiao He rested his chin on her head and laughed. Ye Wanqing couldn't help but chuckle, inwardly sighing: He's so easy to coax, men...

The rain outside was getting heavier and heavier, but Ye Wanqing felt very safe lying in Xiao He, oblivious to the thunder outside.

Xiao He felt as if he were hugging a human-shaped ball of cotton, warm and soft. The heavy rain outside made the house even more comfortable, making him feel drowsy.

She didn't know how much time had passed before Ye Wanqing closed her notebook.

"Old Xiao, it's getting late, I should go to sleep," Ye Wanqing said, gently patting Xiao He's face.

"Mmm, goodnight," Xiao He yawned and replied. Ye Wanqing smiled slightly, then suddenly pecked him on the lips and laughed, "Goodnight, you stinky pig."

After saying that, Ye Wanqing left before Xiao He could react, and walked briskly back to her room.

The next morning, after the first two classes, Cui Man suddenly notified them to go to the Special Response Department and told them that the fourth and fifth qualified candidates had been found. Xiao He was a little surprised that two qualified candidates had been found at once. But this also proved that since the "Mutant Competition" was launched, the exposure of Mutant had indeed increased a lot.

This is not only because the Special Response Department has intensified its search efforts, but also because the Mutant have realized the possibility that they themselves are "Mutant".

After arriving at the Special Response Department by car, Xiao He and Ye Wanqing met up with Cui Man at the entrance.

"Sister Man, what a coincidence that we found the two of you at once?" Xiao He asked with great interest.

"It's not really a coincidence," Cui Man replied. "These two people were found a while ago, but we've been negotiating the terms of cooperation with them, and then it took some time to do an evaluation before they officially joined."

At this point, Cui Man leaned over and took his arm, laughing, "It's basically all thanks to you for persuading them both, isn't it?"

"My credit? Why?" Xiao He asked, puzzled.

"Because they're your biggest fans..." Cui Man said, then thought for a moment, "To be precise, they're your biggest fans."

Xiao He was a little confused, so he could only shrug at Ye Wanqing. The two of them obediently followed behind Cui Man and arrived at the Special Response Department building. In the training room on the first basement floor, a man and a woman were standing inside.

The boy looked very young, probably only seventeen or eighteen years old, about 1.75 meters tall, wearing glasses and thin, but fair-skinned. His features were quite handsome, except for his slightly small eyes, giving him the impression of a top student.

The girl was probably around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, nearly 1.7 meters tall. Her features were plain with slightly high cheekbones, but she was tall and slender with fair skin. Her jet-black hair was tied into a ponytail behind her back. She was very simple, yet she had a kind of resolute feeling unique to China women.

"Let me introduce you," Cui Man, turning to Xiao He and Ye Wanqing with a smile, "This young man is Han Tianyu. He just graduated from high school this year. He's a huge fan of Yinglong and Special Response Department because of Yinglong. His Superpower is amazing, it's called 'Pen Immortal'."

Ye Wanqing, a little frightened, hid behind Xiao He: "Is it... is it like the Pen Immortal from horror movies?"

"No, that's not it." Cui Man smiled mysteriously, "First of all, he has Mutant physique roughly equivalent to LV1, and secondly, he has the Superpower of 'Pen Immortal.' To put it simply, his Pen Immortal means that the words he writes can have real effects."

Then, turning to Han Tianyu, she said, "Let your idol demonstrate."

"Yes." Han Tianyu responded, raised his index finger and wrote in the air. Black smoke overflowed from his fingertips, forming the word "wall". Xiao He reached out and touched it, and was shocked: Although he couldn't see it, there was indeed a wall there!

"Not only can it form objects, but writing it on your body can also enhance your speed and strength," Cui Man said with a smile.

Han Tianyu approached Xiao He and bowed slightly. "Um, Mr. Yinglong... I apologize for the intrusion."

"It doesn't matter." Xiao He nodded, so Han Tianyu reached out and wrote the word "speed" on Xiao He's leg, and then wrote the word "strength" on Xiao He's arm.

Although he didn't activate his Superpower, Xiao He felt power surging within his body. He couldn't help but exclaim, "This ability is so interesting!? If used well, it feels like it could be incredibly powerful!"

"It can provide support and fight, isn't that great?" Cui Man said proudly. "This child decided to the Special Response Department because of you. As her senior, you should give her some encouragement in the future."

Xiao He turned to look at the child, and Han Tianyu shuddered and quickly lowered his head.

"His codename is 'Bixi,' the eighth of the nine sons of the dragon, the one who is fond of literature, which perfectly corresponds to his ability," Cui Man said with a smile. Then she turned to the remaining girl, "This one is called An Xiuru. Her ability is to control the hardness of her own body and the hardness of things she touches. Not only can she make them hard, but she can also make them soft."

To be honest, Xiao He felt that compared to the abilities of the "Pen Immortal," this ability was really insignificant.

"But don't underestimate her. Her physical abilities are as high as LV3, you know? She's the only known Mutant reached LV3 without activating her Superpower, relying solely on her physical abilities," Cui Man said with a smug smile.

"LV3!?" Xiao He looked at An Xiuru in disbelief. She lowered her head a little shyly and smiled.

It's worth noting that Xia Yu's transformation only puts him at around LV3, while An Xiuru reaches LV3 without using any Superpower at all—that's really exaggerated...

"With her physical abilities boosting her power, her Superpower is already very strong," Cui Man said proudly. "Her codename is 'Black Tortoise'."

As she spoke, Cui Man turned to the two newcomers. "As for these two, I don't need to introduce them, do I? The famous Yinglong and White Marsh, the first two Mutant in our country, the combination that turned the tide of the world's Mutant."

"Hello," An Xiuru said to Xiao He with a smile, "For certain reasons, I am especially grateful to you... so I want to protect you."

"Don't be shy," Cui Man patted An Xiuru's shoulder and laughed. "She used to have some acne that affected her appearance, but later the AME Probiotic Virus helped improve that. The Beneficial Virus absorbed the toxins in her body, making her skin smooth and fair, and she became much prettier, right?"

"Such a trivial matter?" Xiao He was somewhat amused and exasperated. Was he really going to risk his life to protect him over something like this?

"This is no small matter!" An Xiuru said excitedly. "You don't know how important things like skin and weight are to everyone! If everyone knew that it was 'Yinglong' who helped them obtain this miraculous Beneficial Virus, they would be extremely grateful to you! I want to express my gratitude to you on their behalf, and I want to protect you."

Her words made Xiao He a little embarrassed: Actually, he wasn't that great.

But Cui Man patted him on the shoulder and smiled, "Those who carry firewood for the masses should not be left to freeze to death in the wind and snow, that's the principle."

An Xiuru and Han Tianyu both nodded.

"Both of them passed our organization's psychological assessment; they're both good kids," Cui Man said with a smile, arms crossed. "However, they still need training before they can officially be put into work. Their abilities have only just been discovered, and there's still much to explore. Perhaps their strength is even greater than we imagine; let's look forward to it."

"But the rules for the Mutant Competition haven't been released yet. I have a feeling something's fishy going on," Ye Wanqing muttered, frowning. "Won't they try to trick us?"

"What is this child saying?" Cui Man laughed. "It's inevitable that they will set traps for us. That's why we need to be fully prepared, so that no matter what traps they set for us, we can handle them. That's the style of China."

Xiao He knew that the competition format would definitely not be fair. After all, among the twelve countries that set the format, apart from E Country and China, the other ten countries were basically Western powers led by the M Country. Even R Country and H Country could be considered as vassal states of the M Country. Therefore, the format would inevitably be decided by the M Country.

"Do these two new recruits know about my Superpower?" Xiao He whispered in Cui Man's ear. Cui Man shook her head. "It's not clear yet. Over the next few months of training, we'll determine their trustworthiness based on their performance and subsequent psychological assessments before considering whether to tell them this crucial information. However, I personally think it's better not to tell them, to maintain your perfect image..."

After saying that, Cui Man patted Xiao He and Ye Wanqing on the shoulders. "That's it, you can go back now."

In the end, Xiao He and Ye Wanqing only came to meet their fans and then went back without doing anything else. But Xiao He could already feel the pressure of this "Mutant Competition".

Deep down, he realized that this so-called "Mutant Competition" was designed to break the myth of "Yinglong". Therefore, he was the main target of those ambitious Zers. That's why he needed to be prepared and not let those foreign Zers succeed easily. Instead, he had to tell them that "Yinglong" was just a myth!

Everyone is working hard to prepare, and he can't be discouraged or let everyone down.

Despite the pressure, Xiao He was still excited: for the first time in his life, he had received so many expectations.

So far in his life, he has lived an unremarkable life. Everyone thought he was just another ordinary person and had no expectations of him achieving anything. But now the situation is different. Some people are relying on him, some believe he can become a better person, and some think he is unique.

This filled him with enthusiasm.