Chapter 71: Lu Chen VS Golden Boy Rematch
The next day.
Godolkin University's "Hero Arena" was not open to the public.
It was more like a glamorous trade show, where the stands were filled not with passionate fans, but with Vought executives in suits, representatives of financial conglomerates, and talent scouts.
On the tablets in their hands, the profiles of the participating students scrolled by—from ability ratings to social media follower counts, every single metric quantified into raw commercial value.
The air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and money.
When Lu Chen entered the arena with Jordan Li and Kate, they immediately drew a lot of attention.
"That's Lu Chen? The genius Professor Brink has been raving about lately?" a man in a Versace suit whispered to his female companion.
"Aside from his looks, he doesn't seem like anything special."
"Don't underestimate him. I heard from people at school that none of the students who sparred with him could last more than three moves.
Professor Brink has offered him top-tier resources—a private training room, unlimited nutritional supplements... This treatment is even better than Golden Boy's."
These whispers were quiet, but they fell clearly into Lu Chen's ears. Super Senses LV2 assembled these fragmented pieces of information into a complete picture of public opinion.
Professor Brink had already set the stage; now, it was his turn as the protagonist to make an entrance.
Jordan Li stood beside him, looking a bit uncomfortable. He had been "brought in" by Lu Chen.
"Don't be nervous," Lu Chen said, turning his head and speaking in a volume only the two of them could hear. "Treat this as a rehearsal. Show them your worth."
Jordan glanced at him and said nothing, but his tense shoulders relaxed a bit.
The match soon began.
The first major highlight was Andre Anderson against Jordan Li.
Andre was the son of the famous previous-generation hero "Polaris," and his entrance immediately caused a small stir. He winked at a few acquaintances in the stands, looking completely relaxed and confident of victory.
"Hey, Jordan," Andre spread his arms, striking what he thought was a cool pose. "Let's make this quick? I have a party tonight."
Jordan said nothing, lowering his body slightly into a fighting stance.
The moment the battle began, Andre suddenly raised his hand.
"Buzz—!"
Several massive metal billboards used for decoration at the edge of the arena were instantly ripped down by an invisible force, hurtling toward Jordan with a whistle!
This was Andre's favorite opening, using absolute power to create a spectacular scene and intimidate his opponent.
The crowd in the stands let out a gasp.
Jordan's male form was rock-solid. Facing the flying metal giants, he didn't dodge, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The heavy metal plates slammed into him with deafening crashes, then deformed uselessly and fell. Jordan's body didn't even wobble; his Super Defense allowed him to tank the blow.
Andre's smile froze.
"The tough-guy style? I like it," he said, trying to save face as he exerted force with his hands again.
The metal fragments scattered on the ground were instantly drawn by magnetic force, coalescing into a menacing metal whip that lashed down furiously at Jordan.
Just as the whip was about to strike, Jordan's physical form underwent a bizarre transformation.
The muscular male body shrank in an instant, transforming into a curvaceous female form, the entire process so fast it left only an afterimage. Having switched genders, she perfectly evaded the whip's lock.
Immediately after, the female Jordan thrust her palms forward, and ripples of pale blue energy cascaded outward.
"Boom!"
A powerful Impact erupted instantly, not only shattering the metal whip but also blasting its residual force directly into Andre's chest.
Andre was sent flying backward, rolling miserably on the ground several times before stopping. His chest felt tight, and he couldn't get up for a long time.
Jordan slowly landed, his body switching back to the powerful male form, looking down at him.
"The party... you can go now."
The entire arena fell silent for a moment before bursting into warm applause. Those investors who had previously looked down on Jordan were now frantically taking notes on their tablets.
"Gender-shifting, integration of offense and defense, absolutely perfect! Although the dual-gender aspect has drawn some criticism, we can make him a spokesperson for transgender people—think about it, the commercial value is extremely high!" Professor Brink said excitedly to the investor beside him in the front row of the stands, his eyes searching for Lu Chen as if seeking credit.
The subsequent matches had little to offer, and everyone's expectations were focused on the final match.
Godolkin University's Top 1, Golden Boy, nicknamed "Golden Boy".
Versus.
This term's biggest dark horse, Lu Chen.
When the two stood in the center of the arena, the atmosphere of the entire place grew heavy. On one side was the highly anticipated king, a reserve member of The Seven; on the other was a rising star with a mysterious background and unfathomable strength.
Lu Chen looked at the Golden Boy opposite him.
Sunny, handsome, the perfect campus idol. But today, in those blue eyes, there seemed to be a trace of... resentment?
"Are you ready?"
"Of course," Lu Chen said, warming up his wrists.
Following convention, the two took a step forward and bumped fists.
The moment they made contact, the signal to fight sounded.
Golden Boy struck first. His movements were incredibly fast, a straight punch packed with immense power hurtling toward Lu Chen's face with the sound of tearing air. As the Top 1, his Super Physique granted him strength and speed far exceeding ordinary people.
However, this punch was effortlessly dodged by Lu Chen with a slight tilt of his head.
Immediately after, Lu Chen leaned his body forward, his shoulder slamming hard into Golden Boy's chest.
"Bang!"
With a dull thud, Golden Boy felt as if his internal organs had shifted, and he staggered backward uncontrollably.
How was this possible? His strength...
Before he could stabilize himself, Lu Chen's attack had already arrived.
There were no flashy moves, just the simplest and most direct punches, elbows, and knees.
Every strike landed precisely on Golden Boy's most vulnerable spots. The strength Golden Boy took pride in was like child's play in front of Lu Chen.
The punches he threw were easily parried by Lu Chen, while every one of Lu Chen's strikes made him feel as if his bones were about to crack.
Super Strength LV3, Super Defense LV3, plus a level 4 Super Physique that was a cut above his.
This was a pure stat suppression.
Andre watched from the stands, dumbfounded. He rubbed his eyes, barely able to believe the scene before him.
"My god... Golden Boy is being... utterly thrashed?"
Jordan also held her breath. She knew Lu Chen was strong, but she hadn't expected him to be this powerful. Golden Boy had absolutely no power to fight back before him.
"Bang!"
Lu Chen delivered a whip kick, landing solidly on Golden Boy's waist.
Golden Boy was sent flying sideways, crashing heavily against the arena wall with a loud bang before sliding to the ground.
The entire arena fell dead silent.
Those Vought executives who had been praising Golden Boy just moments ago now had their mouths open wide enough to fit an egg.
Professor Brink's face was flushed with excitement. Grabbing the arm of the investor next to him, he practically roared, "Did you see that! This is what I was talking about! A true hero! A brand-new era!"
Lu Chen stood in the center of the arena, looking at Golden Boy struggling to get up in the distance.
"Is this the strength you're so proud of? Too weak."
Golden Boy coughed up a mouthful of blood. Supporting himself against the wall, he struggled to stand. The intense physical pain, combined with the humiliation of being crushed in front of everyone, contorted his handsome face.
Especially when he saw Lu Chen's calm, nonchalant expression, and not far away, Kate gazing at Lu Chen with infatuation, a surge of rage completely shattered his sanity.
"Aaaaah—!"
Golden Boy let out an unwilling roar.
The next second, a scorching wave of air erupted outward with him as the center!
The skin all over his body began to glow with a golden light, the air heating up to the point of distortion as wisps of golden flame erupted from his body, instantly enveloping him completely!
The ground melted beneath his feet.
He raised his head, a pair of eyes burning with golden flames locking dead onto Lu Chen.
"You deserve to die!"
Before his voice even faded, he tore through the air, cloaked in flames, charging straight at Lu Chen!
Chapter 72: The Greatest Achievement, Inscribed at Godolkin!
A scorching wave of air instantly swept through the entire arena.
Golden Boy transformed into a golden meteor, tearing through the arena floor and charging straight at Lu Chen with an aura of total destruction.
His burning body was the deadliest weapon; wherever he passed, even the hard composite flooring began to melt and char.
"Die!"
The roar arrived, accompanied by a blast of hot wind.
In the stands, Kate's heart leaped to her throat, and she stood up instinctively.
Andre's eyes widened even further; he had never seen Golden Boy unleash such terrifying power. This had already exceeded the scope of a "match."
However, facing this collision capable of melting steel, Lu Chen just stood there quietly.
The moment the wind from the punch touched the tip of his nose, Lu Chen moved.
He didn't step back; instead, he leaned forward into the firelight.
The wind of the punch whistled past Lu Chen's cheek and smashed into the bulletproof glass railing behind him.
With a loud "boom," the special glass, capable of withstanding armor-piercing rounds, instantly melted, leaving a large hole with glaring bright orange edges.
Golden Boy's sure-hit punch slammed heavily into an afterimage. Massive inertia caused him to stumble half a step forward.
Where was he?
Golden Boy whipped his head around.
An elbow, hard as iron, had already smashed fiercely into his back.
"Bang!"
The dull thud of the collision drowned out the crackling of the flames.
Golden Boy was slammed into the ground, and before he could stabilize his balance, he took a heavy kick to his right ribs.
Too fast.
Lu Chen's movement trajectory completely exceeded the limits of his perception.
He turned into a bolt of lightning, circling the burning fireball and delivering a brutal, one-sided beating.
A left hook smashed toward Golden Boy's right temple, and the moment he tried to dodge by tilting his head, Lu Chen's right knee accurately drove into his stomach.
Golden Boy doubled over in pain, and Lu Chen followed up with an axe kick, smashing heavily onto the back of his neck.
The series of combos was fluid, without a single wasted movement. Every strike caught the gaps in Golden Boy's rhythm, interrupting all his attempts to counterattack.
Golden Boy couldn't even manage a defensive stance.
The flames he was so proud of were fragile and vulnerable under this storm-like assault. Every time he was hit, the flames on his body would scatter for a moment, revealing the bruised, purplish flesh underneath.
The Vought executives in the stands could no longer sit still.
"His speed... according to the data from the sensors, his instantaneous speed has already exceeded A-Train's record during his time at Godolkin!"
"The key is his body! Tanking Golden Boy's flame charge head-on... What is his skin defense level? Why was it not mentioned in the files at all? Professor Brink! What is going on?" a man with a receding hairline questioned sharply.
Professor Brink's face was flushed with an unnatural red; he clenched his fists tightly and replied excitedly, "It's a mutation! It's evolution! I told you all, he is an unpolished treasure! A true miracle!"
The old king falls, the new king ascends.
The shift in commercial value was completed in just these few seconds. Professor Brink had even started brainstorming the debut promotional copy for Lu Chen.
What kind of persona should he be packaged as? A cold Eastern god of war? An absolute powerhouse who crushes everything?
No, those were too cliché. He needed to highlight his mystery, his sense of ease as if he controlled everything. This kid was simply the perfect commodity God had gifted to Vought!
On the other side, Andre was completely stunned. He muttered to himself, "This is impossible... Golden Boy's 'Flame Form' can even melt tank armor... How... how is it possible that he is completely unharmed?"
Jordan Li stood on the sidelines, arms crossed over her chest, her breathing completely erratic.
A few minutes ago, she still felt that she could spar with Lu Chen at full strength. Now, that seemed like a pipe dream.
Super Strength, Super Defense, and this completely unreasonable Super Speed.
Kate stared blankly at the figure in the arena who was handling everything with ease; the worry in her heart had long been replaced by a more intense, more insane emotion.
Powerful, gentle, omnipotent.
This was the man she loved.
No matter what he was like, he was hers.
In the arena.
"Get lost!"
Golden Boy let out a furious roar. He gritted his teeth against the excruciating pain and drove the energy within him to the limit.
Boom!
Golden flames exploded violently outward with him at the center. A two-meter-high ring of fire rose out of thin air, firmly protecting him in the center.
The high temperature caused the surrounding air to distort. The special composite material on the ground began to melt, emitting a pungent, burnt smell.
Golden Boy panted heavily, his chest heaving violently. He scanned his surroundings vigilantly, trying to locate Lu Chen within the distorted light and shadow.
You can't get in now, can you?
As long as he kept his distance, he could wear the other person down with long-range firepower.
The next second, an arm pierced through the dazzling wall of fire.
No charred flesh. No painful wailing.
Lu Chen charged straight into Golden Boy's absolute defensive circle, braving the two-thousand-degree heat.
The flames licked his arms but couldn't even ignite a single hair.
Having the same Level 4 Thermonuclear Manipulation granted Lu Chen immunity to flames of the same temperature, turning Golden Boy's greatest weapon into meaningless light and shadow special effects.
Golden Boy froze. His brain experienced a brief shutdown.
Lu Chen didn't give him time to think.
He grabbed Golden Boy by the hair and smashed his right fist fiercely into the other's prominent bridge of the nose.
"Crack."
The crisp sound of the nasal bone breaking echoed throughout the arena.
Golden Boy screamed, blood mixed with flames spraying out. The massive force lifted him off the ground, sending him flying in a parabolic arc through the air.
"I'm going to kill you—"
Two thick pillars of fire suddenly erupted from the soles of Golden Boy's feet. The massive reactive force propelled him into mid-air.
Thermonuclear Flight.
He hovered above the arena, surrounded by blinding golden light. He waved his hands frantically, hurling basin-sized golden fireballs that trailed long wakes as they smashed down at Lu Chen on the ground.
The entire arena turned into a sea of fire. Explosions rang out one after another, billowing thick smoke. The seats in the stands were blown to pieces, and burning debris flew everywhere.
"This is too reckless! It's going to destroy the venue!" an executive shouted in a panic, turning to run toward the exit, his suit jacket ignited by flying sparks, looking utterly disheveled.
Lu Chen stood in the center of the sea of fire, looking up at the furious Golden Boy in mid-air.
This kind of fighting style had no substantial benefit other than wasting stamina and destroying public property.
Since you still want to play, then I will completely destroy your pride.
Lu Chen bent his legs slightly. His thigh muscles instantly bulged, stretching his pant legs taut.
[Super Speed LV5, activated.]
Lu Chen's figure instantly vanished from where he stood.
This time, it wasn't an afterimage.
It was a complete disappearance.
Golden Boy in the air was still frantically throwing fireballs, but he found that he had completely lost his target. He scanned below with suspicion and uncertainty, but he could see nothing but smoke and firelight.
"Come out! Come out!" he roared in impotent rage.
Everyone in the stands was unable to track Lu Chen's movements.
"His speed... he's broken the sound barrier!" a technician screamed like they'd seen a ghost, staring at the values on the monitoring screen that had instantly gone off the charts.
At this very moment, Lu Chen's figure coalesced again in a corner of the arena.
He bent his knees slightly, and the ground beneath his feet cracked inch by inch.
The next second, he shot straight into the sky!
The terrifying speed pulled a white shockwave cloud in the air; the ear-piercing sonic boom was delayed by half a second before it exploded with a roar, making the glass throughout the arena hum and vibrate!
Golden Boy in the air felt an unprecedented sense of crisis wash over him; he didn't even have time to react before he saw a cold face instantly magnify in his burning vision.
It was Lu Chen!
He flew up here?!
Lu Chen twisted his waist in mid-air, swung his arm, and gathered all his kinetic energy and strength into his right fist without reservation.
A heavy punch, exceeding the speed of sound, smashed accurately and fiercely into Golden Boy's terrified face.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Golden flames and a white sonic boom cloud intertwined in the air.
Immediately after, the flames on Golden Boy's body extinguished instantly, like a candle blown out by a gust of wind.
His naked body tumbled powerlessly in the air, then fell heavily toward the ground like a rag doll.
"Bang!"
A dull thud, and the dust settled.
The entire arena was dead silent.
Lu Chen landed slowly and stood steadily in the center of the arena. His upper garments had been burned away completely by friction and flames during the supersonic dash, revealing a well-defined, perfect body.
On his skin, there were no scars, not even a trace of smoke.
[LV5 Carbon Skin], perfectly resisting everything.
Not far away, Golden Boy lay face down on the ground, completely naked and knocked out cold.
Lu Chen looked at the fallen Golden Boy.
"You're really something, Golden Boy. I think I'll probably forget you very soon."
Chapter 73: Going Public
Professor Brink ran at a speed comparable to the superhuman students under his wing.
While the fire sprinkler system was still hissing and spraying water, and the arena floor was still smoking with sparks, this old man in a three-piece suit had already rushed into the center of the arena.
His well-groomed face was now filled with fanaticism and excitement, completely devoid of his usual dignified demeanor as an educator.
He snatched the microphone from the hands of the terrified host and stood beside Lu Chen.
"Did you see that! Everyone! Did you all see that?!"
Professor Brink's roar echoed throughout the venue through the microphone.
"This is the new pinnacle of Godolkin University! A true miracle! An unpolished treasure that is already shining with the brilliance of a diamond!"
He turned to the stunned Vought executives and opened his arms, as if embracing a brand-new era.
"The old era is over! Strength, speed, defense! He has it all! He is the perfect superhero we have been searching for!"
The fanatical praise snapped the executives in the stands out of their shock. They whispered to one another, and in an instant, all the attention and resources originally destined for Golden Boy shifted unhesitatingly to Lu Chen.
Assessing commercial value took only a split second.
Professor Brink watched all of this with satisfaction; he wanted to strike while the iron was hot.
Professor Brink clapped his hands against his half-soaked suit lapel. A crisp signal.
The side door backstage opened, and three staff members in matching uniforms filed out. The leader held a custom black case in both hands, with the Vought International logo printed on its surface.
"Go, my boy," Professor Brink walked up to Lu Chen and lowered his voice. "Go backstage and put it on. This is your coronation."
Lu Chen didn't speak. He simply walked over calmly and headed toward the backstage dressing room under the guidance of the staff.
The black supersuit fit every contour of his muscles perfectly. It was incredibly lightweight, and the joints used some kind of flexible polymer material, which indeed did not hinder his mobility at all.
Golden patterns extended from his chest to his arms, understated yet bursting with power. The casual clothes that had been incinerated in the battle just now had been replaced by this suit, which represented status and wealth.
Outside, Professor Brink's speech was still ongoing, carrying into the dressing room through the loudspeakers on the wall.
"We have been thinking about what kind of codename we should use to define such a great hero." Professor Brink paced around the arena, keeping everyone in suspense.
"He possesses an indestructible body and speed that defies common sense. He is not one of those show-offs who only know how to pose for the cameras. He was born to fight!"
"He is the center of the battlefield! The absolute benchmark of power!"
Facing the microphone, Professor Brink announced to the World in the loudest and most passionate tone of his life:
"Please welcome the new Top 1 of Godolkin University! A future legend!"
"...His hero name—The Pivot!"
Professor Brink paused, basking in the spotlight of the entire venue.
"Tianshu! The first star of the Big Dipper! The core of the team, the master of the battlefield! This name represents his unshakable status and foretells that he will become the absolute core leading everything!"
Lu Chen snapped the back armor fasteners of the suit into his spine groove, his fingertips pausing slightly.
Tianshu.
The first star of the Big Dipper. It indeed had a good connotation. Core, master, leading the way.
However, these white elites didn't understand the other layer of meaning in Eastern astrology. In ancient numerology, the Tianshu star had an even more resounding name.
The Tanlang Star Lord.
Ruling over slaughter, ruling over desire, devouring everything.
Fitting indeed.
—
"Sir, you may make your entrance now," a staff member informed him after knocking on the door.
Lu Chen turned around and walked out of the dressing room.
The spotlight in the arena instantly hit the exit of the players' tunnel.
Professor Brink was still standing there. Seeing him come out, the old man's eyes shone with excitement.
And inside the arena,
First, there was silence.
An instinctive, physiological silence.
A few Vought executives in the front row even subconsciously shrank back into their seats.
Those superhuman students, who usually held their heads high and fancied themselves the chosen ones, were now all huddled in their seats. The abilities they took pride in were nothing more than a pile of scrap metal in the face of the crushing duel just now.
This was the most primitive instinctive reaction of a creature facing an apex predator. A human's primal reaction to overwhelming power is not to cheer, but to hold their breath. It is the nerve deep in the spine, inherited from the ape era, sounding an alarm—
This thing can kill you.
The silence lasted for three seconds.
Then, the first person stood up. It was a Vought executive in a custom suit in the front row. He was the first to start clapping.
A second. A third. Like falling dominoes.
The entire venue erupted.
Everyone stood up, their applause like thunder. Lu Chen swept his gaze over the stands. The suit-clad executives were clapping with beaming smiles, their expressions when looking at him even more passionate than when they looked at Golden Boy.
It wasn't reverence. It was satisfaction at the appreciation of their assets.
The product was about to go public. The stock price was going to skyrocket.
Professor Brink walked to Lu Chen's side, placing one hand on his shoulder and holding the microphone toward the crowd with the other. Behind him, Golden Boy was carried away on a stretcher, covered in a silver emergency blanket, but except for Andre, no one cared anymore.
7:00 PM. A Japanese restaurant in Midtown Manhattan.
Lu Chen sat in a private room, in front of an untouched sashimi platter. Opposite him, Cate Dunlap had her head down, her fingers sliding across a tablet, her shoulders shaking with laughter.
"Listen to this—'Crushing the former number one with overwhelming strength and displaying a shocking combination of superpowers, he is the most dominant new-generation superhuman at Godolkin University in the past decade.'"
Kate looked up, her eyes filled with amusement.
"In the interview, 'Professor Brink called him a once-in-a-century genius'... Oh my god, he actually used the phrase 'once-in-a-century'."
"When he praised Maeve the other day, he used 'once-in-a-millennium'."
Kate froze for a moment, then burst out laughing, picking up a piece of salmon and stuffing it into her mouth. "Then you got ripped off."
"Indeed."
Lu Chen picked up a piece of tuna belly. Just as he brought it to his mouth, the phone in his pants pocket vibrated.
Caller ID: Annie.
He glanced at Kate, who was still reading the official press release with great interest, put down his chopsticks, and answered the phone.
"Hey."
"Hey, my foot," Annie's voice came from the receiver, carrying a deliberately suppressed excitement. "The Pivot? Tianshu? You're so full of yourself."
"I didn't choose it."
"I know. It must be that old man Brink's taste." Annie paused, her speaking speed quickening. "Listen, you have no idea how busy I've been since those members of The Seven took a long vacation. I've been working like a dog, with schedules lined up from six in the morning to four in the afternoon. But I still watched the recording of your match."
"The whole thing?"
"The whole thing." There was a strange emotion in Annie's voice, like pride mixed with a sigh.
"And?"
"So I canceled my plans for tonight. I had my agent cover for me for the charity gala at nine." Annie's tone became lighthearted. "I'm buying you dinner to celebrate. Give me an address, I'm heading out now."
Lu Chen didn't answer immediately.
He looked up.
Kate, opposite him, was holding up her tablet to show him. On the screen was his official promo photo in his supersuit. Tilting her head, she mumbled with salmon still in her mouth, "Hey, do you think it'd be too showy if I set this as my lock screen?"
On the other end of the phone, Annie was still waiting.
"Hello? Still there? Send me your location."
Lu Chen looked at Kate's smiling face, his temples throbbing twice.
"Annie," he began, "right now I—"
"Who are you on the phone with?" Kate put down her tablet and leaned in curiously.
Chapter 74: Casting Couch?
"Who are you calling?"
Cate put down her tablet and leaned over from her side of the seat.
On the other end of the line, Annie was still urging him, "Hey? Send me your location, I'm already in the car."
Through the receiver, Annie January's slightly cheerful urging sounded exceptionally distant at this moment.
Right in front of him was Cate's face leaning close, and her eyes filled with pure curiosity.
The grease from the salmon made her lips look shiny, and her cheeks puffed out slightly, making her look like a hamster hoarding food.
"Hold on," he said into the phone, pressed mute, and turned to Cate.
"Who is it?" Cate tilted her head, her chopsticks still holding a piece of surf clam, suspended in mid-air.
Lu Chen glanced at her. A real man had to be completely open and honest!
"Annie."
"...Which Annie?"
"The one from The Seven. Annie January."
The surf clam dropped back onto the plate with a soft clack.
Starlight. Of course she knew that name. In fact, at Godolkin, no one didn't know it.
She was the goal that all female students strived for, the America's Sweetheart crafted by Vought, a perfect female superhero idol.
Cate's chopsticks paused on the table. She raised her head with unnatural speed, staring at Lu Chen's face for a full two seconds before slowly speaking, "How do you know someone from The Seven?"
"Through some of Vought's... channels," Lu Chen answered vaguely.
This answer was clearly not enough to satisfy Cate. She leaned forward, almost pressing against Lu Chen, and a dangerous aura began to mix into her pleasant perfume. She stared intently at Lu Chen.
"Why is she asking you out?"
"Probably to... celebrate me getting Top 1?" Lu Chen was telling the truth, but at this moment, the truth sounded highly ambiguous.
Cate fell silent.
Countless thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant. Vought's high-level banquets, the room cards greasy producers shoved to newly promoted heroes, the dirty 'casting couch'.
Could Starlight, that seemingly pure and flawless sweetheart, be just like those people? Did she want to use her status and resources to claim this newly rising man, who was even more valuable than Golden Boy?
Once this thought arose, it grew wildly. Jealousy and panic wrapped around her heart like vines. Lu Chen was hers, and she would never allow anyone to take him away from her.
"...Lu Chen," Cate's voice dropped, carrying a strange calmness.
Then, she reached down and began to unbuckle the wrist strap of the black glove on her left hand.
An extremely subtle action, yet it made all the hair on Lu Chen's body stand on end.
Damn it.
The seed of paranoia that Shetty had planted in her heart had grown into a twisted love under his day-to-day 'care'. Now, this love was about to bare its fangs at anyone who tried to get close to him.
"Annie, I'll call you back later," Lu Chen said rapidly into the phone after unmuting, then hung up immediately.
He grabbed Cate's hand just as she was unbuckling the wrist strap.
"Cate."
His action brought Cate back to her senses. She looked up, her eyes already filled with tears, a mix of grievance, anger, and fear. "She wants to steal you away, doesn't she? Is she trying to use her position to force you! She's just a bitch!"
"No," Lu Chen denied, "it's just a normal invitation to celebrate."
"I don't believe you!" Cate tried to pull her hand back in agitation. "Let me go! I'm going to Vought Tower to find her right now! I want her to know whose man you fucking are!"
"And then?" Lu Chen didn't let go, but instead tightened his grip, forcing her to calm down. "Use your ability to control her and make her stay away from me? Or just wipe her memory and make her forget who I am? What would Vought think? They would think you've lost control and lock you back in that godforsaken place."
The barrage of questions was like ice water poured over Cate's head.
She froze. Being locked in a room for ten whole years—those were her deepest fears.
"I..." She opened her mouth, and her tears finally burst forth like a broken dam. "I'm just scared... I'm scared of losing you..."
Lu Chen sighed, let go of her wrist, and pulled her into his embrace instead. The girl's body was trembling slightly.
"You won't lose me," he comforted her softly, gently stroking her back. "Listen, Cate. You are unique. No one can replace you."
The trembling in his arms gradually subsided.
After a long time, Cate finally looked up from his embrace, her eyes as red as a rabbit's, but the wild paranoia had faded, replaced by a pleading look.
"Then don't go tonight, okay?" she whispered. "Stay with me. Just for tonight."
"I already promised her."
"Then be late! Be incredibly late!"
Cate insisted, her eyes glistening under the light. "I... I started trying to stop my medication today, and I'm having trouble sleeping. Chat with me for a bit, okay?"
She spoke the words'stop my medication' very softly, with a hint of seeking praise and acting coquettishly.
What else could Lu Chen say?
1:05 AM.
The moment Lu Chen stepped out of the dorm and closed the door, he could still hear the girl calling out from inside with a heavy nasal tone.
"Let that bitch eat a limp one! Jerk!"
Lu Chen helplessly rubbed his lower back.
Standing on the cool, quiet street in the early hours of the morning, Lu Chen pulled out his phone.
Seven missed calls, all from Annie.
The last text message was sent half an hour ago: "If you're dead, at least text me back."
Lu Chen pinched the bridge of his nose and resignedly dialed Annie's number.
The call was answered almost instantly.
"You'd better have a reasonable explanation," Annie's voice sounded devoid of emotion, like the sea before a storm.
"I got hit by an asteroid and just crawled out of the ruins," Lu Chen talked nonsense with a straight face.
"Is that so?" Annie sneered.
Lu Chen fell silent.
"Address," he said, giving up the struggle.
The name and address of a private club came from the other end of the line.
"I'll give you fifteen minutes," Annie said, pausing before adding, "starting from now."
With that, she hung up.
Lu Chen put away his phone. The next moment, he took a deep breath, and his entire aura changed.
[Super Speed LV5, activated.]
The next second, his figure vanished from the spot. The World before his eyes turned into a blur of flowing light and color.
The streetscape was stretched into blurry lines. A few minutes later, he had crossed all of Manhattan and a small part of Queens, appearing at the entrance of a club in Brooklyn.
He tidied his slightly disheveled collar, opened the door to the private room, and walked in.
Annie rested her chin on one hand, boredly stirring the ice in her glass with a straw. She wore a simple white T-shirt and jeans, looking just like an ordinary girl next door.
Seeing Lu Chen, she immediately sat up straight.
"You are a full four hours late, Mr. Pivot," Annie pouted, her face practically screaming 'I'm very unhappy'.
"Sorry, there was an emergency," Lu Chen sat down opposite her.
"An emergency?" Annie raised an eyebrow. "What kind of emergency could make you stand up Starlight for four hours? Did you go to save the World?"
"Pretty much." Lu Chen picked up the glass of water on the table and drained it, sighing in his heart.'Silly girl, I was saving you.'
Annie snorted, pulled out three bottles of beer from under the table, and set them down in front of Lu Chen with three loud thuds.
"Good excuse. Now, pay the penalty." She crossed her arms, looking at him with amusement. "Only after you finish these three bottles do we officially start tonight's celebration."
Lu Chen looked at the three cold beers, and then at Annie's face which clearly wrote 'hurry up and coax me'. He picked up one of the bottles and chugged it straight from the bottle.
The icy liquid slid down his throat, finally suppressing the lingering heat from earlier.
Seeing him finish a whole bottle in one breath, the dissatisfaction on Annie's face dissipated a bit, replaced by a sly smile.
"Alright, now we can talk." She leaned forward and lowered her voice, her bright eyes flashing with excitement. "Be honest, what did it feel like to beat Golden Boy into such a pathetic state?"
Chapter 75: It's Not Actually an Unspoken Rule, Is It?
The empty beer bottle clattered heavily against the glass tabletop with a dull thud. Lu Chen pulled over a tissue and wiped away the alcohol dripping from his chin.
"He felt a bit stiff," he evaluated. "His bone density is a bit higher than a normal superhuman's, so it took a little effort to hit him. But he was only so-so."
Annie froze for two seconds. Then, she leaned back against the sofa, slapping her thigh in sheer amusement, laughing without any regard for her image.
"You guy, you're still so irritating," she said, downing the remaining half-glass of alcohol in her hand. "But, nicely done. Congratulations, our newly crowned Top 1."
"Thanks," Lu Chen said, throwing the tissue into the trash can.
Annie rested her chin on one hand, her fingers tapping against her cheek. The dim lights of the private booth shone on her blonde hair, casting a soft glow around her.
"I watched the whole thing," she leaned in closer, her excitement palpable. "To be honest, that last punch of yours was incredibly cool. Vought's PR department must be working overnight to write press releases for you."
She paused, shifting into a more comfortable sitting position with her legs crossed.
"It just so happens that The Seven has been pretty empty lately. Quite a few guys are on long leaves. Once you formally report to Vought Tower, I'll say a few good words for you in front of Homelander. It'll be much easier with an acquaintance showing you the ropes."
Homelander.
The name spun around in Lu Chen's mind. Having lost his motherly love, that guy was probably busy playing the loving father to Ryan right now. Joining in on the fun at this juncture would just be looking for trouble.
"No need," Lu Chen said, dropping two ice cubes into his glass. "I'll just let nature take its course."
Annie pouted, clearly unsatisfied with this answer.
"Suit yourself," she muttered, grabbing a new bottle of beer and popping it open with an opener. The cap traced an arc in the air before clattering onto the floor. "Do whatever you want.
Anyway, you're Professor Brink's Golden Boy now. Homelander will probably meet with you in person when the time comes. Don't say I didn't warn you, though—the waters in Vought Tower run very deep."
"Speaking of which," Lu Chen swirled his glass. "What exactly is the situation with you guys right now? As a future employee, I need to understand the working environment in advance."
Annie bit her straw and began counting on her fingers.
"Maeve only shows up when she needs to shoot promo videos or attend charity galas. Other than that, she's completely MIA. She's been looking very preoccupied lately."
She folded down one finger.
"Homelander has also been acting like a ghost lately. Before, he couldn't wait to be in front of the camera twenty-four hours a day, but over the last few days, he's even canceled the regular meetings twice. The PR department claims he's on a secret heroic mission."
She folded down a second finger.
"And that idiot The Deep has been missing for weeks. I heard he was banished to Ohio. Serves him right. A guy like him should stay in an inland city until he dies," Annie muttered resentfully, biting her straw as the ice clinked in her glass.
A third finger.
"Then there's Black Noir and A-Train. They suddenly announced they were taking long leaves. The PR department's excuse was 'to better adjust their state to meet future challenges.' Bullshit!"
The fourth and fifth fingers folded down.
Annie stared at her open palm, her movements freezing.
The colored lights of the private booth swept across her face, illuminating her bewildered expression.
She blinked and ran through the names she had just mentioned in her head. Maeve, Homelander, The Deep, Black Noir, A-Train. And Translucent, who was already gone.
"Wait a minute," she suddenly sat up straight, slamming her hand onto the table, causing the ice in the glasses to clink loudly. "So you're telling me that out of the entire Seven, I'm the only one clocking in for work every day? Those bastards are all on paid leave? I'm the only one keeping up appearances for Vought Tower right now?"
Lu Chen leaned back on the sofa, unable to hold back a laugh as he watched her fuming.
"What are you laughing at!" Annie grabbed a throw pillow and hurled it at him. "I quit! I'm calling in sick tomorrow too! Why should I be the only one busting my ass for Vought? Running around in that tight uniform every day, grinning like an idiot for the cameras, while they're all slacking off! I'm a superhero, not Vought's cheap labor!"
Lu Chen caught the pillow with ease and propped it behind his back.
"But you're America's Sweetheart, the face of Vought. If you take a break, how many points will the stock drop? The company relies on you to make money."
"Screw the stock," Annie grumbled, taking a large gulp of alcohol before leaning back into the sofa in a huff. "Why doesn't the CEO dock their pay?"
The private booth fell quiet for a moment, with only the faint sound of jazz music playing in the background.
Annie suddenly set down her glass and leaned forward across the small table, closing the distance between herself and Lu Chen.
"Have you seen the news?" she whispered, looking highly secretive.
"Which one?" Lu Chen asked. "The one about me putting Golden Boy in the ICU, or the one about some famous actress cheating?"
"Be serious," Annie said, glancing left and right. Even though it was a private booth, she still seemed cautious. "The nationwide manhunt. William Butcher and his crew."
"I saw it. A few extremely dangerous Terrorists. What's wrong? Did they cross you?"
Annie leaned her face in even closer, almost pressing against Lu Chen's ear. Her warm breath brushed against his neck, carrying a faint scent of alcohol.
"During the previous internal meeting, Homelander threw a massive fit," she said in a hushed whisper, terrified of being overheard. "He mentioned that this crew isn't just connected to Translucent's death."
She paused, seemingly observing Lu Chen's reaction.
"Black Noir and A-Train's long leaves aren't vacations at all. Homelander implied they might have been ambushed by this crew and severely injured. Or even..."
Annie swallowed hard.
"Madelyn Stillwell hasn't been seen in a long time either. The company claims she's in Europe negotiating a major project, but there are private rumors that she was also kidnapped by those fugitives. Right now, the entire Vought Tower is on high alert."
A whole bucket of dirty water was dumped on Butcher.
If Butcher had actually taken out that many members of The Seven, he'd probably wake up laughing in his dreams. To cover up the loss of control within, Vought pinned all their bad debts on an external 'terrorist organization'.
"Sounds like Vought has run into big trouble," Lu Chen said, taking a sip from his glass. "But still, how could a few ordinary humans make The Seven look so pathetic? Is Vought's security system made of paper? Or have the superheroes grown so accustomed to living in comfort that they can't even handle a few fugitives?"
"Who knows? Maybe they have some secret weapon, or there's an insider," Annie said, leaning back into her seat, looking rather worried. "Everyone in Vought Tower is on edge right now. Everyone's afraid of becoming the next target. I check my apartment door locks three times every day when I get home."
"Don't worry," Lu Chen set down his empty glass and leaned back. "Vought's executives won't let this situation drag on. Edgar is probably already mobilizing resources to take action. Worst-case scenario..."
He pointed at himself.
"Once I join The Seven, I'll look out for you."
Annie was amused by his boastful attitude, her previous tension vanishing instantly.
"As expected of the Top 1 codenamed 'Tianshu'. You haven't even started working yet, and you're already planning how to protect your senior?" She raised her beer bottle, waving it in the air. "Quite confident, aren't we?"
"Of course," Lu Chen said, raising his own bottle to clink against hers.
Glass clinked.
The topic shifted away from the heavy corporate inside stories. The two began chatting about the ridiculous superhuman gossip from college.
Like the unlucky guy who could turn metal into cotton candy; unable to control his ability, he ate half of his own sports car and ended up in the hospital to get his stomach pumped.
Or the guy who could turn invisible and snuck into the girls' dorm, only to sneeze because of a cold, resulting in him being stripped naked and hung from a tree by a group of angry female Superhumans.
Annie laughed so hard she doubled over, slapping the table with no regard for her image, even tearing up from laughing.
One bottle after another was emptied. Soon, a mess of glass bottles lay scattered across the table.
Under the catalyst of alcohol, the atmosphere gradually drifted away from its original track.
The lightheartedness began to mix with a sticky, indefinable warmth.
A distinct blush crept onto Annie's cheeks. Her movements grew sluggish, and her speech was no longer as coherent as before.
The lights shone on her face, making her look a bit dazed. Her blonde hair fell loosely over her shoulders, with a few strands sticking to her sweaty neck.
"Hey," she called out softly, her finger tracing meaningless circles on the tabletop.
"What's up?" Lu Chen leaned back on the sofa, looking at Annie as he waited for her to continue.
"Actually..." Annie stopped her finger and stared intently at Lu Chen.
Chapter 76: You Have Your Divine Skills, I Have My Special Talents
"Don't look at how glamorous I seem now. America's Sweetheart. Starlight. Believing myself to be the conscience of The Seven." She smiled self-deprecatingly, her fingers picking at the tabletop. "Actually, during my first few months in New York, I wanted to buy a ticket and run back home every single day. I thought superheroes were meant to save the World, but what was the reality? We're just shooting commercials for pharmaceutical companies."
Lu Chen didn't speak, listening quietly.
The Deep's blackmail, the manipulation by Vought's PR department, the hypocritical scripts, the dirty deals. That Iowa girl who harbored dreams of saving the World had them shattered to pieces by reality on her very first day stepping into Vought Tower.
"If it weren't for you." Annie's voice grew very soft, carrying a hint of hoarseness. She picked up the wine bottle, only to find it empty, and pushed it away in frustration. "If it weren't for those first few texts you sent me. If you hadn't told me how to deal with that bastard, The Deep. If you hadn't listened to me complain about all that crap, and told me how to survive in this shithole..."
She slowly pushed herself up, swaying as she walked around the table.
The distance between them closed to a dangerous degree.
"I wouldn't have made it this far, Lu Chen."
She tilted her head, her warm breath carrying the aroma of malt, puffing directly onto Lu Chen's face.
Annie's hand rested on Lu Chen's thigh. Through the thin fabric, he could feel the warmth of her palm.
This movement made Lu Chen's muscles instantly tense up.
Just a few hours ago, he had just finished comforting Cate in her dorm, who was on the verge of losing control due to paranoia and panic. To put that girl's mind at ease, he had exerted a considerable amount of physical labor.
Now, this super idol highly promoted by Vought was leaning against him in a completely defenseless, even clearly inviting posture.
Is she really about to seduce me like this?
Lu Chen sighed in his heart, instinctively bracing himself with his hands behind him, his fingers pressing against his slightly aching lower back.
Annie didn't notice his stiffness. She continued to lean closer, her cheek almost pressing against Lu Chen's chin.
"The way you looked in the arena today," she murmured, her fingers climbing up Lu Chen's leg muscles, "it really made me feel safe."
She looked up. Her face, which usually showed a perfect smile for the cameras, had completely dropped its disguise.
Her rosy lips were slightly parted, less than an inch away from Lu Chen's.
A hand grabbed Lu Chen's shirt collar and pulled down hard.
His collar was tightened by an undeniable force, causing Lu Chen's body to lean forward uncontrollably.
The scent of alcohol and perfume completely enveloped him.
Annie's face, so close at hand, looked exceptionally moving under the dim light.
Having shed her perfect "America's Sweetheart" mask, she currently resembled a thorny rose blooming wildly in the dark night, dangerous yet captivating.
The soreness in his lower back flared up, as if issuing a silent protest to him.
The energy expended a few hours ago had not yet fully recovered.
And now, another round?
Lu Chen sighed in his heart.
Oh well, since we're already here.
He didn't push Annie away. Instead, following the pull of her force, he allowed the distance between them to completely disappear.
Then, in the moment of Annie's astonishment, he slid one hand behind her knees and supported her back firmly with the other, easily lifting her up in a textbook bridal carry.
"You..." Annie instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, swallowing her words before they could escape.
Lu Chen holding her, turned and walked toward the lounge inside the private room.
The body in his arms was very light, yet it carried an astonishing warmth.
He glanced down.
Annie was secretly peeking at him, her blue eyes shining incredibly bright in the dimness, without a single trace of her previous drunkenness or dazedness.
So she was acting.
Lu Chen pushed open the door to the lounge, and a wave of dry, warm air rushed over him. Only a dim bedside lamp was on in the room, barely illuminating a spacious double bed.
He walked to the bedside, preparing to lay down the person in his arms.
Just then, Annie suddenly exerted her strength.
With a hook of her legs and a pull of her arms, she used the momentum to flip over, turning the tables and pulling Lu Chen down onto the soft mattress.
The World spun.
Annie hovered over him, her long blonde hair cascading down and brushing against his cheek, tickling him.
"Got you," she declared, a hint of triumphant laughter in her voice.
Lu Chen looked at her sly expression, spreading his hands in resignation.
"Alright, I surrender."
What happened next spiraled completely out of control.
The final barrier also gave way.
He could sense an unmistakable metallic scent in the air.
This realization made a certain part of Lu Chen's heart suddenly soften.
Before they knew it, Annie's body gradually relaxed.
She lifted her head again, but a new flame had ignited in her eyes.
"Keep going."
At that moment, Lu Chen was surprised to find that Annie's eyes actually began to glow.
Not metaphorically.
They were literally glowing.
A soft, warm halo of light seeped from her eyes, casting flickering shadows across the room. The light pulsed in sync with her rapid breathing.
Before the afterglow had even faded.
Panting, she scrambled up and jumped out of bed barefoot.
Click.
She flipped the switch for the main light in the room.
Blinding white light instantly filled the space, making Lu Chen instinctively squint his eyes.
Annie stood under the light, spreading her arms and closing her eyes.
The lights in the room began to flicker violently, the electrical current making a buzzing sound. The chandelier on the ceiling flickered on and off, as if bearing a massive load.
She was absorbing electricity.
Absorbing the electrical energy in the room to replenish, and even... strengthen herself.
Lu Chen suddenly realized what she wanted to do.
"Woman, you're playing with fire," he said half-jokingly.
Annie leaned down, letting out a disdainful chuckle, her warm breath puffing onto his face.
"Trying to play the overbearing CEO routine with me, are you?" She poked Lu Chen's chest with her finger, her tone carrying a hint of provocation. "The great Tianshu is nothing special after all."
These words struck precisely at a man's pride.
How could he possibly tolerate this?
"You forced my hand."
Before his voice could fade, he activated his ability.
[Partial Metallization LV2]!
The change in tactile sensation was so intense, so unbelievable.
As if hit by an electric shock, she let out the highest-pitched scream of her life.
The sound pierced through the soundproof walls of the private room, even causing the dim sound-activated lights in the hallway to light up for a moment.
Under the intense stimulation, the light energy inside her body went completely wild, and a blinding light erupted from her.
Lu Chen, on the other hand, used his metallization to resist this surge of energy.
Light and metal.
Energy and matter.
At this moment, in the most primitive way possible, the two of them engaged in a clash of superpowers.
This contest had no winner or loser.
When everything returned to calm, both of them were utterly exhausted.
Annie lay limply on Lu Chen's chest, too tired to even lift a finger. The lights in the room, with their power completely drained, left only a few faint tungsten filaments flickering.
Embracing each other, they fell into a deep sleep.
Outside the window, the New York night remained deep and dark.
On the wall, the clock's hour hand quietly pointed to six in the morning.
Chapter 77: I Will Act!
Lu Chen opened his eyes. Sunlight was streaming in through the gap in the curtains, landing right on the scattered golden hair on the pillow.
Last night's contest of light and metal had completely drained every ounce of energy from this body. He moved his shoulders slightly, and his joints protested with a faint, aching stiffness.
The girl beside him stirred, letting out a vague murmur.
Annie January slowly opened her eyes. When her gaze met Lu Chen's chin, the crazy images from last night flooded into her mind instantly. Her cheeks flushed visibly, and she quickly buried her face in Lu Chen's chest.
"God, I was like a maniac last night," she said, her voice muffled.
"If you're referring to trying to roast me with high-voltage electricity, then you were indeed quite crazy," Lu Chen said, casually ruffling her blonde hair, his tone relaxed.
Annie January looked up and tapped his chest lightly. "Stop mocking me. I'm not usually like this, I swear. It's just... everything last night was just so out of control."
She sat up, grabbing the silk sheet scattered on the floor to wrap around herself. Sunlight hit her fair shoulders, creating a breathtaking sense of beauty. After a moment, her gaze quickly shifted from dazed to clear, and that sense of reality belonging to a corporate drone returned to her.
"I have to go. I have a show to do later. I've already canceled several events last night; if those bastards in the PR department find out I'm still not there, they'll definitely cook up a hundred disgusting scripts." As Annie January spoke, she picked up her torn T-shirt from the carpet and sighed, frowning.
Lu Chen leaned against the headboard, watching her. "Do you need me to have the front desk send up some new clothes?"
"No need, I have a jacket in the car." Annie January put on Lu Chen's shirt, which was several sizes too big, walked to the bedside, and leaned over to press a soft kiss on Lu Chen's lips.
When she pulled back, her expression became very serious.
"Listen," she stared into Lu Chen's eyes. "Congratulations on getting Top 1, and congratulations on about to step into Vought Tower. Although you are clear-headed, I still must warn you: that place is not some hall of superheroes; it's a cesspool that eats people alive."
Lu Chen listened quietly.
"You are strong, I've seen it. But those guys in The Seven... they are simply not normal people..." Annie January lowered her voice. "After you go in, be careful with everything. Absolutely, absolutely do not easily offend anyone. Keep a low profile, okay?"
"Don't worry." Lu Chen held her hand and squeezed her palm. "I'm a very pragmatic person. Before I have absolute certainty, I won't go provoking that lunatic wrapped in the Stars and Stripes."
Annie January finally breathed a sigh of relief, took one last deep look at him, turned around, opened the suite door, and walked out.
As the door clicked shut, the room returned to dead silence.
Lu Chen threw off the covers, got out of bed, and rummaged through the pile of messy clothes on the floor to find his phone.
On the lock screen, it was densely packed with the name of the same person. [Cate Dunlap]
Lu Chen unlocked his phone and tapped on the unread messages. There were fully eighteen of them.
2:15 AM: "Lu, aren't you done yet? I'm alone in the dorm, it's a bit cold."
3:30 AM: "Are you in trouble? Do you want me to come find you?"
4:45 AM: "Why aren't you replying? Where are you?"
5:10 AM: "Are you with Starlight?"
5:30 AM: "Don't you want me anymore?"
6:00 AM: "Pick up the phone. Pick up the phone. Pick up the phone."
The last message was from half an hour ago, with only a short sentence: "I'm waiting for you downstairs."
Looking at these text messages with increasingly shorter intervals, Lu Chen rubbed his throbbing temples.
Big trouble.
He had already spent a great deal of energy last night pacifying her. He thought she would sleep obediently until dawn; he didn't expect this girl's separation anxiety to have reached such a point.
"Need to get back quickly and smooth things over."
Lu Chen took a quick shower, had the front desk get him a new set of clothes, and used Super Speed to leave the club.
A few minutes later, Lu Chen's figure appeared on the campus of Godolkin University.
When he turned the last corner and his gaze fell beside the flower bed downstairs of his dormitory, his footsteps stopped abruptly.
Cate Dunlap was standing there.
She was staring fixedly at the intersection, like a statue that could shatter at any moment.
The moment she saw Lu Chen appear, Cate Dunlap visibly stiffened.
Subsequently, the panic, anxiety, and paranoia in her eyes instantly transformed into a kind of extreme grievance. She was like a puppy abandoned in the rainy night that had finally waited for its Master, or like a beast that had finally locked onto its prey, rushing toward Lu Chen.
Lu Chen stood still.
As someone who had been abandoned in an abandoned garage in Queens and had survived in a Vought orphanage by calculating against others and disguising himself, his bones were etched with defensiveness. He didn't believe in relationships without binding interests, didn't believe in love without reason, and certainly didn't believe that anyone would give everything to him without reservation.
But at this moment, looking at this girl who had practically written "I'll die without you" on her face, his impregnable line of defense cracked a little.
This crazy girl had really hung her life on him.
Cate Dunlap crashed heavily into his arms, her hands gripping his waist tightly. She buried her face in Lu Chen's chest, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.
Lu Chen sighed and raised his hand, preparing to pat her back.
"Sorry, Cate Dunlap, there was some unexpected situation at Vought last night, I..."
His apology and explanation didn't have time to be spoken; Cate Dunlap suddenly stood on her tiptoes, grabbed his collar, and yanked him down hard.
Trembling yet aggressive lips directly blocked all his words.
This was not a gentle kiss.
This was a bite filled with a sense of punishment and desperate possessiveness. She seemed to be confirming whether Lu Chen really existed, or perhaps branding him as her own.
Lu Chen did not struggle, letting her vent the panic that had accumulated all night.
After a full minute, Cate Dunlap let him go, panting.
She stepped back half a step, still clutching Lu Chen's collar. On that tear-stained face, a brilliant smile suddenly blossomed.
"I knew it." Her voice carried an eerie certainty.
Lu Chen narrowed his eyes slightly. Knew what?
"I knew that bitch Starlight could get your body with these underhanded tricks, but she would never get your heart."
Lu Chen did not argue; he just looked at Cate Dunlap quietly. He had already planned to reduce the lies between them. Cate Dunlap looked at Lu Chen's calm face, the madness in her eyes fading, replaced by a nearly twisted consideration.
She reached out her hands and cupped Lu Chen's cheeks.
"Don't be nervous, I'm not angry," she said softly, her tone laced with a morbid understanding. "I know you are at a critical stage in your career. Vought is a big quagmire; you need a stepping stone like Starlight. You need to use her to gain a foothold; I understand completely."
Lu Chen looked into her eyes, and the ominous feeling in his heart grew stronger.
"But," Cate Dunlap's tone shifted, her previously gentle voice instantly dropping to freezing point, "she can't even think about taking you away from me. Not even a single hair."
She slowly put her hands down and took off her gloves.
Her fair palms were exposed to the wind. That was the source of her power, and also the root of her pain for the past ten years.
Cate Dunlap looked down at her hands. The disgust and fear she once had for this power were now gone. In their place was a heart-stopping fanaticism.
"I've decided," she raised her head again, looking straight into Lu Chen's eyes. "I won't run away anymore. I want to fully control my own abilities. I want to be useful, to be strong enough."
She stepped forward, pressed her face against Lu Chen's chest again, and listened to his heartbeat.
"Next time that bitch dares to pester you again, dares to try to dirty your heart..."
"I will act!"
The cold wind whipped up the fallen leaves on the ground, swirling around their feet.
Lu Chen stood there, feeling the terrifying obsession radiating from the girl in his arms, his eye twitching slightly.
"Okay." Lu Chen hugged her back and patted her on the back gently. "There will always be a place for you here."
Cate Dunlap let out a satisfied sigh in his arms.
In the distance, the campus bell rang, and a new day began. And Lu Chen knew that the trouble belonging to him had only just begun.
Chapter 78: Shetty's Probing
Lu Chen had his arm around Cate's shoulders as they walked into the dormitory building. The girl in his arms had calmed down; the madness and paranoia that had previously been enough to tear everything apart seemed to have vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a bird-like docility. She rested her head on Lu Chen's shoulder, like a traveler who had finally found a safe harbor.
Lu Chen took her back to his room and closed the door.
"Get some sleep. You haven't closed your eyes for almost the whole night."
Cate bit her lip and shook her head. "Stay with me."
"I'm not going anywhere," Lu Chen assured her.
Having received this promise, Cate finally relaxed and lay down. She didn't take off her clothes, merely curling up under Lu Chen's quilt, but her hand gripped the corner of Lu Chen's clothing tightly, as if it were the only lifeline connecting her to this World.
Lu Chen sat by the bedside, watching as she quickly fell into a deep sleep due to extreme exhaustion, even wearing a hint of a satisfied smile on her face.
As he was deep in thought, his phone rang.
It was a call from Professor Brink.
Lu Chen hit mute, gently pried Cate's fingers loose, walked to the balcony, and closed the door before answering.
"Are you awake?" Professor Brink's voice sounded quite energetic. "Did you have fun last night? A Top 1 celebration party—young people should let loose a little."
His tone carried a kind of unspoken teasing. Although Lu Chen had already implanted the underlying logic that his own interests were above everything else in him, his usual way of acting still retained his consistent style, which was exactly what Lu Chen wanted; he still needed this old fox to use his connections to help Lu Chen clear the way.
"It was alright, Professor," Lu Chen replied.
"That's good." Professor Brink changed the subject. "Tonight at seven, there's a celebratory banquet at the Godolkin auditorium, mainly to celebrate the success of this selection tournament. A few executives from Vought Company will also be coming. As the champion, you must be there. This isn't just an honor; it's also your opportunity to officially enter the vision of the upper management, understand?"
"I understand, Professor. I will be there on time."
"Very good. You can bring your partner; Miss Cate would be a good choice." Professor Brink added significantly before hanging up the phone.
Lu Chen put away his phone and looked out the window. Professor Brink's intention was clear: bringing Cate was both a way to show the outside World their stable relationship and a way to leverage the influence of the Headmistress behind Cate to increase his own bargaining chips.
The banquet was held in the most luxurious auditorium at Godolkin University. Beneath the crystal chandeliers, there was a swirl of fine clothing and clinking glasses. All the students selected for the Top 10 attended in formal attire, their faces beaming with anticipation and excitement for the future.
Lu Chen wore a well-fitted black suit, with Cate standing beside him. She had changed into a royal blue evening gown, her golden hair swept up to reveal a swan-like, graceful neck. She held Lu Chen's arm, a happy and peaceful smile on her face, looking like a completely different person from the hysterical girl during the day.
Their appearance immediately became the focus of the entire room.
"They are such a perfect match; one is the Top 1, and the other is the Headmistress's favorite."
Whispers came from all directions. Cate heard these words, the smile on her lips deepening, and she held his arm even tighter.
Just then, a gentle voice sounded beside them.
"Lu, Cate, good evening."
Lu Chen turned his head and saw Headmistress Indira Shetty. She was wearing an elegant suit, with that motherly smile on her face, making people feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze.
"Good evening, Headmistress Shetty." Lu Chen nodded politely.
"Headmistress." Seeing her, Cate appeared very happy and close to her.
"Cate, you look beautiful tonight." Shetty first complimented Cate, then turned her gaze to Lu Chen, her eyes full of appreciation. "Lu, I must congratulate you again. Your performance this time has made the entire school proud of you. You have proven yourself, and you have also proven the educational standards of Godolkin."
"Thank you, Headmistress. This wouldn't have been possible without the cultivation of the school and the Professors." Lu Chen said flawlessly.
"You are a humble child." Shetty smiled, then changed the subject, asking seemingly casually, "I heard you and Cate are dating? Seeing you two come together, I am genuinely happy for you. Cate is a sensitive child; she needs someone strong and steady like you to take care of her."
Lu Chen's heart stirred. She wasn't here to congratulate them; she was here to probe. She wanted to know exactly how much weight he held in Cate's heart.
"He is very good to me, Headmistress." Before Lu Chen could answer, Cate rushed to say, her face beaming with a kind of boastful happiness, "He is the best person to me in this World. With him here, I am not afraid of anything."
Shetty looked at the heartfelt, unreserved reliance on Cate's face, and the smile on her own face became even more kindly.
"That's wonderful." She gently patted Cate's arm, then said to Lu Chen, "Lu, I'll leave Cate to you. I hope your relationship won't affect your future careers. After all, Vought Company has strict requirements regarding the personal lives of its heroes, especially members of The Seven."
This sentence was ostensibly a well-intentioned reminder, but in reality, it was a warning. Lu Chen understood the subtext: your relationship with Cate could potentially become an obstacle in your career.
"I understand, Headmistress." Lu Chen's expression didn't change at all. "I will handle everything."
"I believe in you." Shetty nodded with satisfaction, said nothing more, and turned to walk toward other guests.
Watching Shetty's back, Lu Chen narrowed his eyes slightly. This woman's level was quite high; in a few words, she had both probed the depth of his relationship with Cate and quietly planted a thorn.
She wanted to use Cate, but she was worried that he, as a variable, would affect her plans. Therefore, she was evaluating—evaluating whether he was a "pawn that could be used" or an "obstacle that must be cleared."
Lu Chen was also thinking. He had to find a way to make her gradually realize the true face of this "kind Headmistress" without triggering Cate. Otherwise, when the truth was suddenly revealed, the blow to Cate would be devastating.
The banquet atmosphere was warm and lively, but beneath this warmth surged various calculations and precautions.
"Hey, Tian Shu? I mean… Lu Chen?" A female voice with obvious anxiety interrupted Lu Chen's thoughts.
He turned his head and saw a woman in a professional suit who looked highly stressed, standing in front of him holding a wine glass. She had medium-length blonde hair, which looked a bit messy from her habitual scratching due to anxiety. Ashley.
After Madelyn Stillwell's incident, she was the Vought Company hero management staff member who had been recalled. She was also the nominal direct person in charge of The Seven, and in reality, the chief punching bag, though she would soon take over Madelyn Stillwell's position under the instruction of Homelander.
"It's me." Lu Chen nodded.
Ashley leaned in close and lowered her voice, "Listen, long story short. I'm here representing Vought Company's upper management to bring you a… um, an informal notification."
She glanced around, confirming no one was paying attention to them. "Congratulations, kid. The board has passed the resolution." Ashley's speed of speech was extremely fast, "You will be joining The Seven."
Ashley continued, "You will be replacing A-Train. Of course, this will still take some time for promotion and hype; Vought Company will arrange a series of joint missions and media exposure to let you replace him in the guise of the'strongest newcomer'."
After she finished speaking, she gulped down a large mouthful of champagne, as if she had completed a monumental task, and let out a long sigh. Only then did she really start to size up Lu Chen. This young man was calm, polite, and his eyes lacked the arrogance and madness common to those superheroes.
"For God's sake, you look… very normal." Ashley couldn't help but mutter to herself, "I have to say, this is the best news today."
Looking at this woman who was constantly being bullied in the plot, Lu Chen showed a kind smile on his face. "Don't worry, ma'am," he said. "I am a very easy person to manage."