We're Rich!

There was no way he was going after those three.

All three had guns. If he cornered them and they took hostages, any casualties could hurt his reputation as a hero.

It wasn't his money anyway, so Baicang didn't really care.

Once all three had escaped the bank, Baicang turned toward the people getting up inside and declared with righteous conviction, "I'm Baicang, the C-Class hero ranked 77th. You're safe now."

"Thank you, Mr. Baicang!"

"You were so cool! Could... could I have your autograph?"

"Long live Baicang!"

Basking in their cheers, Baicang fought down the smile tugging at his lips and said gravely, "Not now. There are still a few stragglers I need to deal with."

With that, he walked out without looking back, leaving them with the imposing sight of his retreating figure.

After rummaging through the bushes by the road, he wheeled out his pink chariot and climbed onto his little electric scooter.

"Thank goodness that guy didn't follow us."

A scar-faced man sat panting on a stone bench in a park near the bank, clutching a clown mask, a bulging shoulder bag slung behind him.

After resting on the bench for a while, he wanted to open his bag and admire those lovely banknotes, but it didn't feel safe enough.

He looked around and noticed the restroom nearby.

Inside the restroom.

"Hahaha!"

The scar-faced man stared at the bag stuffed with cash and laughed with excitement.

"I'm rich! Hahaha!"

"Hahaha!"

But when he stopped, he realized the laughter hadn't.

Someone beside him was still laughing.

"Hahaha! I'm rich too!"

Smack! Thud!

As Baicang's smiling face drew closer, the scar-faced man's consciousness plunged into darkness.

After robbing the scar-faced man of everything, Baicang ended his sinful life with a kick and put his clown mask back on for him.

"Too bad you weren't a real clown~"

Baicang struggled to cram the large shoulder bag into his little electric scooter's storage compartment, his grin never fading.

"What a haul~"

Filled with joy, Baicang rode his wobbling little electric scooter toward home.

Wait! What if the bank checks the serial numbers?!

Sigh~

Baicang had no choice but to turn around and head back to the bank.

"Mr. Baicang! Could I have your autograph?"

"Me too! Me too!"

The moment Baicang returned to the bank lobby, a crowd of frenzied girls surrounded him.

"Next time, I promise. Next time."

Wearing a practiced fake smile, Baicang pushed through the crowd, approached the black-haired woman, and set the shoulder bag on the floor.

"Unfortunately, I only found one of them."

"No, no, the money doesn't really matter. Thank you for saving me." The black-haired woman hurriedly waved her hands and shook her head.

Suddenly, she noticed a trace of reluctance in Baicang's eyes as he looked at the bag. Could he be having financial trouble?

Baicang turned to leave, because the girls were closing in again. When he had squeezed through them earlier, he had felt someone grope his butt.

There are female creeps here. I can't stick around!!

"Wait!"

The black-haired woman pushed the bag into Baicang's arms. Seeing his surprised expression, she said softly, "Um... this is our bank's reward for you."

"A reward?"

Holding the bag, Baicang was a little confused. Were banks this generous nowadays?

"Yes. Don't worry, I'm with the Chiba Group-"

Before the black-haired woman could finish, his crazed female fans surrounded Baicang, burying him in a sea of fair arms.

"Next time, I promise! Next time!"

Baicang felt someone tugging at his pants and fled the bank in a panic.

Ten minutes later, the police arrived and began dealing with the aftermath.

"Yes, it was Baicang, the C-Class hero ranked 77th, who subdued the robber," an older woman told the officer questioning her.

"Are you sure he only subdued him?"

"I'm sure."

Looking at the yellow liquid seeping out from beneath the Bald Brawny Man lying on the floor, the officer shook his head helplessly.

The Hero Association employee who had come along didn't know how to put his complicated feelings into words either.

Just then, several young girls at the scene crowded around the employee, talking over one another. "Make sure you give the Hero Association a proper report of Mr. Baicang's deeds!"

"Yes, exactly!"

"Mr. Baicang is so handsome and so strong. Is he really only C-Class?"

"Right, right! I feel like he's only a little behind Sweet Mask."

As they talked, the conversation turned to Baicang and Sweet Mask.

Their chatter left the employee dizzy, and the whole scene was a mess.

In a corner, the black-haired woman silently repeated the name in her heart. Baicang...

City M First High School.

As the bell rang to end classes, a crowd of high school students poured out of their classrooms, cheering.

"Runo, are you going straight home again?"

A cute girl with short hair turned toward Runo, who was packing her schoolbag in the seat behind her.

"Mm." Runo nodded expressionlessly.

The short-haired girl said in frustration, "Fine. Has your brother's injury still not healed?"

"It's been almost two months."

Another girl with her hair in a bun leaned over. "Yeah, Runo. Lately, the moment school ends, you say you have to go home and take care of your brother. You never come hang out with us anymore."

"Exactly! You haven't come to the club in ages. Keiko and I have been so lonely~"

Looking at her two best friends' aggrieved expressions, a trace of helplessness appeared on Runo's icy face.

"Next time."

Ignoring her friends' attempts to keep her there, she slung on her schoolbag and left the classroom.

Some boys roughhousing in the corridor noticed Runo emerge and immediately stopped, lowering their heads, not daring to look her in the eye.

Only after Runo had gone some distance did they dare raise their heads to gaze at her retreating figure.

"Ah! I'm dying! So that's Runo, our school's number-one beauty, the ice princess!"

"An aura like an iceberg and a face that would put a snow maiden to shame. She's my goddess!"

"If I could exchange even one word with Lady Runo, I could die happy."

The boys lost themselves in their lovely dreams.

Just then, a girl in the corridor interrupted their conversation and fantasies.

"Stop dreaming! Why would Lady Runo ever talk to you gross boys?"

"Lady Runo is every girl's idol. She belongs to all of us girls!"

"That's right! Protect our perfect Lady Runo!"

Then she picked up a broom and swung it at the first boy who had fantasized about talking to Runo.

"Don't sully Lady Runo with your filthy thoughts!!"

For a while, the corridor descended into utter chaos.

By then, Runo had already left the school grounds and was on her way home, completely unaware of what had happened after she left.

Today, however, Runo didn't take her usual route home. Instead, she closed her eyes as though sensing something.

A moment later, her closed eyes slowly opened, a white gleam flashing through her pupils.

"Found it..."

She turned and walked toward a certain spot.

On a busy, crowded shopping street, an inconspicuous alley lay tucked away beyond a corner.

The sounds of flesh being torn apart, bones being crunched, and chewing and swallowing echoed through the cramped space.

A gigantic humanoid rat was gnawing on something clutched in his arms.

While he was enjoying his meal, a snowflake drifted down from above and landed on his nose.

He lowered the food in his hands and looked up in confusion.

A white-haired girl was watching him from midair.

"Are you a monster...?"

Ratman immediately threw away his delicacy, took an attacking stance, and demanded, "Y-you! Who are you?!"

"You're a monster, aren't you?"

The white-haired girl floating in the air was Runo, ice crystals and snowflakes swirling around her.

Ratman merely kept baring his teeth without answering.

Runo asked no more questions and waved her small hand.

Before Ratman could even look frightened, ice suddenly enveloped him, turning him into a frozen statue, his body still held in its guarded stance.

"All monsters must die..."

Runo spoke so quietly that only she could hear herself, then flew off into the distance.

The instant Runo left, the ice sculpture in the alley shattered into tiny, invisible fragments. Ratman's enormous body vanished without a trace, leaving only the humanoid "delicacy" discarded beside him.

Knock, knock, knock.

Carrying a large shoulder bag, Baicang pushed open the front door.

"I'm home, Runo."

The familiar white figure came flying into his arms again. "Big brother! Welcome home!"

Hastily tossing the bag aside, Baicang caught Runo with practiced precision and spun her around a few times.

After setting her down, he patted Runo's head.

"Look, Runo! We're rich!"

Excitedly, Baicang picked up the bag from the floor, opened it, and poured out a huge pile of banknotes.

"Wow!"

Runo's little mouth fell open in surprise at all the money covering the floor.

"Big brother, you didn't rob a bank, did you?"

"Of course not! I stopped some bank robbers, and the bank rewarded me. I kept refusing for ages, but they begged me in tears, so I reluctantly accepted."

Baicang explained, then reached out to rap Runo on her little head.

How dare she suspect him?

Runo immediately covered her head and dodged, then turned around and bared her teeth, trying to bite him.

The siblings started roughhousing in the doorway.

The antics only ended when Baicang pinned Runo to the floor and tickled the soles of her feet until she surrendered.

He looked at Runo beside him, her face flushed as she deliberately ignored him in embarrassed anger.

Baicang couldn't help worrying. His little sister was so innocent, adorable, weak, and helpless. What if some other man tricked her? How could she fight back if someone bullied her?

He had to protect Runo.

He silently swore it to himself.