Vought Tower, early in the morning.
Chewing mint gum with both hands in his pockets, Chen Mo strolled into the company.
Returning here, he felt completely different from before.
It was like a max-level character taking a stroll through the newbie village.
Ashley came running toward him, clutching a tablet.
Her high heels clattered against the floor.
"A-Train, you were absolutely awesome yesterday!"
Ashley beamed at the walking performance target before her, practically itching to throw herself at him.
"PR just landed you sneaker endorsement deals with three top brands. You've also got a fan meet-and-greet this afternoon. Remember to stay in character."
Chen Mo stopped and glanced down at the top of Ashley's head.
It looked like she hadn't started losing her hair yet.
"Have you started losing your hair, Ashley?"
The question wiped the smile off Ashley's face.
What does he mean, have I started losing my hair? These contracts are worth tens of millions!
Ashley was stunned for a moment, then hesitantly replied,
"N-no, I haven't. That's not the point, A-Train. The point is your new contracts-"
Chen Mo waved a hand.
"Come on, I haven't even recovered from my injuries yet. Turn them all down."
Ashley was practically hopping with anxiety, but she didn't dare offend the fastest man alive, not when he was riding so high.
"But the company has already arranged everything!"
Chen Mo smiled, reached out and pinched Ashley's impeccably made-up cheeks, pulling them apart into a smile.
"Let's not talk about the company, Ashley, okay?"
Tears nearly sprang to Ashley's eyes from the pain, and she nodded repeatedly.
Chen Mo let go and strode away laughing, leaving Ashley furiously rubbing her cheeks.
"There are a few more people I need to deal with. Come to think of it, wasn't Kimiko supposed to be rescued around now?"
Still talking as he walked, he turned a corner in the hallway.
Annie came toward him, carrying a stack of documents.
The small-town girl had changed back into her conservative uniform today.
When she saw Chen Mo, her fair cheeks immediately flushed red.
Ever since he had kicked The Deep flying in the conference room that day, the way the young woman looked at him had completely changed.
The superhero illusion was gone, but the trust that came from being protected had given rise to a new dependence.
"Good morning."
Annie stopped, lowered her head and gripped the edges of the documents, her voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.
Chen Mo stopped, a wicked smile curling his lips as he deliberately leaned close to her flushed face.
"What, the company isn't making you parade around in that underwear anymore?"
Annie snapped her head up and glared at the bastard in front of her, who never had a decent word to say.
The little surge of hormones she'd felt instantly turned into cholesterol.
"Can't you say something remotely decent for once?"
Biting her lower lip, the young woman stomped her foot in annoyance and walked away.
Chen Mo rubbed his chin and shrugged indifferently, delighted inside.
Teasing a sweet, naive girl was far more entertaining than scheming against that bunch of old foxes.
The two headed toward the conference room, one behind the other.
They pushed open the heavy carved wooden doors.
At the enormous rectangular conference table, the atmosphere was oppressively tense.
The Seven, once at full strength, now had only five members left.
Black Noir, dressed entirely in black, sat like a wooden post in the shadows of a corner.
Maeve sat with her arms folded, tapping her fingers impatiently against the crook of her arm, looking exhausted.
Annie had just entered and sat down primly at the very end, her hands on her knees and her back ramrod straight.
At the head of the table,
Homelander sat bolt upright.
A thick layer of foundation covered his face, but it still couldn't conceal the bruising and swelling on the bridge of his prominent nose.
Chen Mo pulled out a chair and plopped down, sprawling in his seat.
"How come I don't see The Deep? Has he gone off to play with fish again?"
The entire conference room instantly fell deathly silent.
Maeve's eye twitched violently as she stared at the audacious man as though he were already dead.
The captain's mood was cold enough to freeze someone to death today, and this madman still dared to walk into the line of fire!
Annie was so frightened she barely dared breathe, desperately making faces to signal Chen Mo to tone it down.
Homelander's eyes reddened slightly. Then he took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his anger.
The humiliation of last night gnawed at his sanity like a venomous snake.
His unshakable confidence in his invincibility had been badly cracked, and even the perfect blond hair he took pride in had been scorched by the monster.
"Everyone."
Homelander's voice was hoarse and tinged with sadness. It was hard to tell whether he was acting or genuinely expressing his feelings.
"Last night, a factory in the suburbs suffered a devastating attack by a supervillain."
The big screen displayed a grim image of the water treatment plant reduced to scorched earth.
"While protecting the plant's employees, Translucent died in battle, leaving no remains. The Deep was critically injured and fell into a coma. He's still in intensive care."
As soon as he finished speaking,
Annie sucked in a sharp breath, clapping both hands tightly over her mouth.
Maeve sat bolt upright, her eyes full of shock, the fingers holding her cigarette frozen in midair.
Chen Mo hurried to play along, letting out a gasp and making the sign of the cross.
"Oh my God, that's terrible! I hope The Deep gets better soon!"
He said it was terrible, but his tone might have fallen a little short.
Homelander's mouth twitched, and he whipped his head around.
His brilliant blue eyes locked onto Chen Mo, high-energy Heat Vision building in their depths.
"A-Train."
The name was practically squeezed through his teeth.
"You sound happy."
Chen Mo slowly waved a hand, his gaze sincere. Facing that nearly murderous stare, he spread his hands innocently.
"Captain, you've got me all wrong."
His tone was as relaxed as if he were discussing what to have for lunch.
"Translucent and The Deep are my closest friends. I just haven't been able to accept such bad news yet, so I don't quite know what to say."
Chen Mo leaned forward, covered his face with both hands and squeezed out a few crocodile tears.
No, I can't hold back my laughter much longer.
Homelander stared fixedly at Chen Mo. After a moment, something seemed to occur to him, and he finally gave a cold snort and closed his eyes.
"Hmph. What happened to Translucent and The Deep must remain confidential for now. If anyone asks, remember: Translucent is carrying out a secret mission for the military, and The Deep is devoting himself to protecting the oceans."
With that, Homelander stood up and, without another word, shoved the doors open and strode out.
Chen Mo remained in his seat, watching Homelander's furious retreating figure as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Homelander actually put up with that?
Looks like Vought gave him some private instructions.
The atmosphere in the conference room dropped to freezing.
Maeve took a deep breath, glanced at Chen Mo as though he were a madman, and hurried away in her heels.
Black Noir remained like a lifeless ghost, silently melting into the shadows.
Only Chen Mo and Annie were left in the vast room.
Annie patted her chest and walked over to Chen Mo, still shaken, her eyes full of concern.
"Are you crazy? How could you talk to the captain like that? He nearly killed you just now!"
The young woman's voice trembled, but she still instinctively wanted to speak up for him.
Chen Mo turned to look at that innocent face.
"What's there to be afraid of?"
Chen Mo reached out and, with a thoroughly flirtatious gesture, lifted a lock of Annie's blond hair and toyed with it between his fingers.
"Even if the sky falls, I'm the fastest runner, so I'll definitely be the first one out."
Annie's cheeks flushed bright red again. She snatched her hair back and walked toward the door in a huff.
"You're hopeless!"
With that, the young woman darted away like a startled rabbit.
Chen Mo leaned back in the wide chair and brazenly propped his legs up on the conference table.
His fingers tapped against the tabletop with crisp clicks.
Someone's made a move. Was it you, Edgar?