Superhero: "Red Owl"

Inside the 99-story Colossus Tower:

The first round of their clash had come to an end.

Moro smiled and raised his glass again. "Your guess was correct, Tang."

He stood as he spoke, paying no further attention to the candlestick chart's subsequent rises and falls. To him, it was a trivial matter.

Colossus Media's stock had risen against the market, which meant that, besides the traditional supporters of magical girls, there were people who had previously shown no interest but now believed they had a very good chance of snatching a share from the Ministry of Magic.

But what would truly determine whether the magical girl "Hell" could change the market was the day Hell Kingdom went public.

Moro instructed the secretary beside him:

"Give Tang all the letters the Ministry of Magic sent this morning. From now on, direct everything involving the Ministry of Magic to Moon Studio, and put Tang in full charge."

"Also, raise the magical girl 'Hell' to the company's highest priority level. If necessary, send superheroes to protect her. I don't want the Ministry of Magic grabbing her and torturing a confession out of her. That would be far too embarrassing."

As someone in a high position, Moro knew all too well about the Ministry of Magic's dirty business.

When that bunch of old women who could no longer transform got jealous, they cared nothing for laws or business rules.

Every year, more magical girls were ruined at their hands than were killed.

Now that they had set their sights on the Ministry of Magic, "Hell" was the face of their company, and Moro would not allow Colossus to be slapped in the face.

"Understood!"

Hearing this, Tang Wenjie suppressed his excitement and nodded repeatedly. "Thank you for your trust, Mr. Moro."

Moro's meaning was simple: Tang Wenjie could go all out.

Colossus Company would not bow to any pressure from the Ministry of Magic. A mere Ministry of Magic was only fit to go up against one of Moro's subordinate studios.

If Tang Wenjie could crush the Ministry of Magic through Hell Kingdom's listing, he would be the next head of the superhero department.

Tang Wenjie said, "Mr. Moro, would you like to meet that child?"

Moro shrugged. "Next time. I'm busy lately."

After the meeting, he still had to discuss a partnership with the chairman of Reynolds Group.

Tang Wenjie nodded and left.

In the elevator, he immediately sent Hell a message.

Despairing Corporate Slave: "Just when the mountains and rivers seem to leave no way forward, another village appears among the willows and flowers."

"We won the first battle."

Hell: "That's awfully flowery. Are you sitting a Chinese exam?"

Despairing Corporate Slave: "The Ministry of Magic went around me and sent a complaint directly to Colossus Company, hoping to use its influence to crush you outright."

"But they failed. The chairman has now put me in charge of everything involving the Ministry of Magic."

Seeing this, Mo Zhen silently changed the contact name on his phone to Cheerful Corporate Slave.

He had seen all the turmoil in the stock market today. After all, stock trading was a compulsory subject for every resident of Taiping Prefecture.

Things had gone even better than he had expected.

In truth, he didn't care whether they got off to a smooth start, as long as he could complete the reputation mission.

But to his surprise, Taiping Prefecture's stock market had given him a pleasant surprise. Maybe Hell Kingdom really could go public.

That was assuming he could crush the Ministry of Magic.

Mo Zhen knew that even if he hadn't stirred up this debut controversy, conflict between him and the Ministry of Magic would have been inevitable as his fame grew.

Rather than shrink back, he might as well stand in the middle and slap both sides, take all the benefits first, then let Colossus shoulder the initial pressure while he took the opportunity to develop.

After all, if things really didn't work out, he could always go home and complain to his dad.

For now, what gave Mo Zhen the greatest sense of security was his own invincible dad. It came from more than a decade of family affection and couldn't be faked.

Even in the worst possible future, if the Ministry of Magic and all the superheroes in the world hunted him down together and drove him into a corner, he would turn around and follow his dad without the slightest qualm.

Mo Zhen's disposition was absolutely chaotic neutral.

He had no interest whatsoever in the so-called protection of the weak or saving the world, nor would he accept being morally blackmailed over such things.

He would only do what he wanted to do.

To him, his family, friends, and his own little patch of land were what mattered most. His was a typical survival-of-the-fittest mindset.

No wonder someone like me got Uncle Sukuna's Cursed Technique from the beginner's gift pack. There isn't a heroic bone in my body.

Mo Zhen shook his head inwardly.

He arrived in the classroom.

Before morning self-study had even begun, the homeroom teacher came in.

"Ahem, students, I have an announcement."

"This Saturday, Reynolds Group will hold a technology conference in Tianhe City, covering the most cutting-edge areas of nuclear physics."

"Our school's high school division has a total of twenty-four places at the conference."

"Anyone who wants to sign up, remember to come see me before noon today so the screening can be completed."

This didn't draw much attention, because their international high school already worked closely with major companies and research institutes.

Many outstanding students had been recruited and received investment from major companies before they even graduated from high school. It was a gathering place for talent.

But Mo Zhen and Adam had invitations from Little Reynolds, so they didn't compete with the other students for places.

They simply informed the school after their morning classes ended.

Since it was Friday, school let out especially early in the afternoon. They only had one physics class before free time began.

Mo Zhen didn't belong to a club, so after class he went to the basketball court with Adam, who was likewise uninterested in clubs.

Mo Xiaochuan's and Little Reynolds's two groups had gotten together to play basketball again. It really was just as Old Reynolds had said.

You couldn't get to know someone without a fight.

The two of them seemed to get along quite well.

"Hey, Adam, Mo Zhen, want to join us? We're short of players."

Green Reynolds wiped the sweat from his face, pushed his brown hair back, and waved at Mo Zhen and Adam.

Adam was holding his notebook, which displayed an applied physics journal paper no one else could understand. Without looking up, he said:

"I'll pass. Ask Mo Zhen."

Little Reynolds and Mo Xiaochuan turned their gazes to Mo Zhen.

"Me?"

Mo Zhen blinked.

He never exercised. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become friends with Adam.

Little Reynolds smiled. "It's fine if you can't play. We're just having fun."

Unable to refuse such a warm invitation, Mo Zhen took off his glasses and coat and got up to join them. Fortunately, he was wearing casual clothes today.

Although his skills were terrible, he knew the rules reasonably well, so working with his teammates wouldn't be a problem.

Before long:

"Damn, you call that not knowing how to play?"

"Dude, were you putting us on?"

The boys on Little Reynolds's team began to wail, because Mo Zhen's movements were simply too fast. Dribbling past people was like child's play to him.

He had said he would support his teammates, but as soon as he got on the court, he scored a three-pointer, leaving even Little Reynolds dumbfounded.

Even Adam's attention was drawn over.

Just then, his phone suddenly rang.

Red Owl: "Little Spider, how much do you know about the magical girl Moon Studio just signed?"

What had to come had come.

Adam sighed inwardly. Recalling the first magical girl world war online that morning, he couldn't help feeling a little worried.

He thought for a moment, then reported just one thing to Red Owl:

"Boss, I think she's a good person."

Red Owl: "Mm."

Scarlet Spider sighed inwardly. Great. My paranoid boss definitely doesn't believe me.

Meanwhile.

At the Owl Group tower.

In a laboratory filled with combat suits and weapons, a young man with a cold air and handsome, sharply defined features had his gaze fixed on a video of the magical girl "Hell" fighting.

He wore a black turtleneck sweater, and his build was strong without being bulky.

A moment later, he closed the video, glanced at the calendar on the wall, then picked up his phone and made a call.

"Jin'an?"

Mo Chou's voice came from the other end.

The young man adjusted his voice and said, "Good afternoon, Dad. I have time to come home this weekend. Is there anything the three little ones want?"

Mo Chou thought for a moment. "Perhaps they'd like cake?"

Mo Jin'an smiled. "Okay, got it."

He immediately continued, "I heard Xiaochuan awakened his own superpower?"

Mo Chou paused for a moment. "Yes."

Mo Jin'an was different from the other children.

He was the only one who knew that Mo Chou was the "Beyonder."

And Mo Chou also knew that the child he had been the first to adopt from an orphanage was now the chairman of Owl Group, as well as the superhero with an A+ danger rating: "Red Owl."

Interestingly, each of them thought the other didn't know his identity.