Hero Codename

"To be honest, I think this is a little unfair." Xiao He wrung out his soaking-wet socks in the helicopter. "Why was I risking my life on the front lines while that girl only had to wiggle her fingers somewhere safe and got paid the same as me? The amount on my contract should be higher than hers."

"Without her, you wouldn't even have one life. You'd be dead ten times over." Cui Man dismissed him with a few words. "Stop arguing about that. Neither of you is any use without the other."

"..." Xiao He wanted to retort, but he simply could not get the words out.

"Anyway, you did very well this time." Cui Man smiled, a rare sight. She was seldom this happy.

"Officer Cui, you look really beautiful when you smile." Xiao He blurted out the compliment without thinking, but he meant it from the bottom of his heart.

Cui Man's expression immediately turned cold, frightening Xiao He into promptly shutting his mouth. Frowning, Cui Man said, "Call me Sister Man. Officer Cui makes me sound old. A brat like you is nowhere near qualified to flirt with me."

"Then what would it take for me to flirt with you, Sister Man?" Xiao He immediately pressed.

"When you become a mature, steady, responsible man." Cui Man answered bluntly.

"Yes, ma'am! I'll work hard to become that kind of man before flirting with you!" Xiao He gave Cui Man a military salute.

But Cui Man chopped him on the shoulder with the side of her hand, then adjusted his elbow and corrected his posture.

After returning to shore and changing into dry clothes, they began their journey back. On the way, Cui Man was in an exceptionally good mood and kept discussing publicity with them.

"Once we get back, we'll release footage of your fight with the Tornado and let the world see China's Mutants!" Cui Man crossed her arms and smiled proudly. "Hmph, what are M Country's Iron Man, India's Garuda, or O Continent's Thunder God supposed to be? Our Mutant can even destroy a typhoon! Let's see how they keep acting so smug..."

Xiao He felt that Cui Man was in such a good mood right now that she might even agree if he asked her out for dinner and a movie.

Of course, he did not have the guts to ask her. Not yet, at least. Then Cui Man pointed at him. "While we're at it, hurry up and come up with a hero codename! You're about to make your debut as a 'superhero'!"

"Hmph, well said!" Xiao He propped up his chin and grinned smugly. "Actually, I thought of my codename a long time ago. If I became a superhero, I wanted a really cool codename..." With that, Xiao He gave a mysterious smile. "Life Player."

"How about Heaven-and-Earth Hero?" Ye Wanqing interjected from beside him. "There's a complete difference between before and after you activate your power."

"And you!?" Xiao He snapped. "Name-Changing Hero? Or how about Household Registration Goddess? You specialize in registering people's household records!"

"What are you getting mad about!? I wasn't making fun of you!" Ye Wanqing glared at him. "Besides, I only change people's names. What does that have to do with household registration? You should thank my power for being able to change even a typhoon's name!"

"You're the one who should thank my power for working even on a typhoon!" Xiao He refused to back down.

"You two might actually be surprisingly compatible." Cui Man propped up her chin and teased them.

"Impossible!" Ye Wanqing declared firmly. "I like guys who are tall and handsome, who look lean but have muscles. They also have to be gentle and polite, considerate toward girls, and kind-hearted..."

As she spoke, Ye Wanqing glanced at Xiao He with undisguised contempt, practically saying, "That has absolutely nothing to do with you." Xiao He immediately fired back, "What a coincidence! I like girls with long legs and long hair, sweet and obedient personalities! And you..."

Xiao He looked her up and down, then let out a derisive snort, clearly meaning, "That has absolutely nothing to do with you either."

"Call him Contrast Hero." Cui Man cut in. "The contrast before and after is huge."

"Officer Cui, wouldn't that expose his power? Everyone would know he's weak before activating it." One of the technicians reminded her.

"That's true." Cui Man frowned thoughtfully. Xiao He cleared his throat. "I think the codename 'Life Player'..."

"The higher-ups just gave instructions," Cui Man said, lowering her head to check her phone. "China's Mutants are to use codenames with Chinese characteristics. Your codename will be 'Yinglong,' then. An ancient divine beast that governs clouds, rain, rivers, and streams, and once aided Yu the Great in controlling the floods. It also fits the typhoon situation perfectly. Besides, it can throw outsiders off and keep them from figuring out your true power."

"Sigh, fine. It's a little childish, though..." Xiao He sighed dejectedly. Still, he had to admit that the codename was excellent for misleading people. Based on the way he dealt with the typhoon, everyone would probably assume his power was controlling wind or water or something. Who could possibly imagine his power was such a trash Superpower as "I can defeat Lin Tiannan with 100% certainty"?

"Could it be more childish than 'Life Player'?" Cui Man asked with a faint smile. In too good a mood to argue, she turned to Ye Wanqing instead. "Wanqing's codename will be 'White Marsh,' then. An auspicious beast that knows the forms and appearances of everything under heaven."

"Mm, I'll follow the higher-ups' arrangements." Ye Wanqing replied with a small smile. Cui Man glanced at Xiao He, as if to say: Look at her.

"Tch..." Xiao He spat unhappily, then asked, "What happens after we get back? Any interviews?"

"We won't arrange individual interviews for you yet, nor will we reveal your personal information." Cui Man crossed her arms and crossed her long legs. "We don't want to expose too much information to foreign countries yet. For now, we'll only release footage of you fighting the typhoon and tell the media, 'This is China's Mutant.' Naturally, we won't disclose the specific Superpowers. They only need to know that our Mutants are powerful."

With that, Cui Man turned to the technicians beside her. "Notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Have them prepare a press conference."

"Yes, Officer Cui!" the technicians answered.

"You both did very well today." Cui Man patted Xiao He on the shoulder. "Especially you."

"Mm." Xiao He nodded in satisfaction. That's more like it. I did most of the work, after all.

"Honestly, I was already prepared to give up at the time. I didn't expect you to rise to the challenge." Cui Man smiled as she praised him. "Maybe you have more backbone than you think. Though there was also some luck involved in weakening the typhoon's strength..."

"Well, wasn't it because I wanted to see you smile, Sister Man?" Xiao He got a little carried away.

"Hmph, getting cocky..." Cui Man shot him a sidelong look and reprimanded him. "You did well this time, but you need to keep it up in the future."

"Yes, ma'am!" Xiao He saluted, trying to make his posture as standard as possible.

"Flirting with another woman in front of your girlfriend... scumbag." Ye Wanqing sneered from the side. "Even if we're only pretending, that's still scummy."

Xiao He could not be bothered with her. He was in too good a mood. After several hours in the helicopter, it was already night when they returned to Beichang City. After reminding them to get some rest, Cui Man left with her people.

"Takeout, takeout. I'm starving..." Xiao He immediately pulled out his phone upon returning to the apartment.

Other than a few military-grade compressed biscuits and some bottled water in the helicopter, he had not eaten or drunk anything all day. Most of the time had been spent traveling, but dealing with a typhoon was not something ordinary people could handle. Though he still did not quite understand how the mission had been completed. He had no idea why making a tornado meant the mission was suddenly over.

But Ye Wanqing apparently had no intention of ordering takeout. Instead, she opened the refrigerator, took out some ingredients, and seemed to be planning to cook for herself.

Xiao He was a little surprised at the sight. This girl looked rough and broad, had a fiery temper, and was so messy. She could actually cook?

Yet Ye Wanqing really did head to the kitchen and get busy. By the time Xiao He's takeout arrived, Ye Wanqing emerged from the kitchen carrying a steaming bowl of noodles.

It was only a bowl of zhajiangmian, but the sweet, fragrant aroma of fried sauce rushed into his nose. The garlicky scent made Xiao He's mouth water instantly, and he could not help swallowing.

"What are you looking at?" Ye Wanqing rolled her eyes at him, then sneered. "Oh? Don't tell me you want some? Surely not. After all, you definitely wouldn't want to eat zhajiangmian made by a girl like me, who has absolutely nothing to do with your ideal type."

"Of course not. Can't you see I already got takeout?" Xiao He rolled his eyes and turned back into his room.

But the truth was: he was sick of eating takeout every day. He really wanted to eat food someone else had cooked with their own hands, even if it was just a bowl of noodles...

Then Xiao He carried his takeout into the second bedroom, turned on his computer, and ate while browsing.

Though he was eating takeout, all he could think about was that fragrant bowl of zhajiangmian, making every bite taste like wax.

That damn girl is so infuriating... Xiao He thought through gritted teeth. Why are we so incompatible? Is living with a girl really this difficult? Could we be Fated Clash?

With that thought, an idea suddenly struck him. He secretly looked up Ye Wanqing's information online and immediately exclaimed in disbelief.

Ye Wanqing's Five Elements alignment was fire, while Xiao He's was water; Xiao He was born on April 18 and was an Aries, while Ye Wanqing was born on June 26 and was a Cancer; they had already discussed their tastes before, and neither was the other's type; in terms of living habits, Xiao He was a clean freak with obsessive-compulsive disorder, while Ye Wanqing did whatever she pleased and lived in a messy, slovenly way.

From their birth charts to the Five Elements, from their tastes to their zodiac signs and living habits, every single thing clashed.

They were fucking natural enemies! It was as though they had been branded "enemies for nine lifetimes" before they were even reincarnated...

So how had two enemies like them ended up paired together through their Superpowers, and in such perfect sync? Their powers even became completely useless without the other, yet invincible when combined!