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Inside the cafe.
The rich aroma of freshly ground coffee beans mingled with the sweet scent of just-baked pastries, creating a comforting atmosphere.
This cafe, nestled in a little-known corner of the city, was one of the few havens Lin Mo had found in this world.
It was also his favorite place since he transmigrated here; everyone was focused on their own affairs and wouldn't bother others.
After ordering snacks and drinks, he waited here for Saitama—he had specifically arranged to meet Saitama here to avoid being disturbed by zealous fans.
At this moment, Saitama hadn't arrived yet. The lava chocolate cake and strawberry parfait on the table were still slightly cool, while Lin Mo was fully engrossed in his laptop screen, his fingers tapping on the keyboard.
"The title page of the Sage's Book should contain a prophecy… 'When darkness devours the last glory, the tofu frozen in extreme cold shall transform into a sacred artifact to punish evil.'"
"Hmm… using frozen tofu as the weapon for the final battle, doesn't that seem a bit hasty?" he muttered to himself.
"Never mind, I wasn't planning to release it to the public anyway. As long as I enjoy writing it, that's what matters." He adjusted his sitting posture and continued to immerse himself in his fantasy world.
Lin Mo was unaware that beneath this tranquil facade, killing intent was quietly stirring.
——————
Not far away, a man with a similarly hideous scar on his face and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, was intently fixated on him from the corner of his eye.
He was the captain of the "Night Owl" elite assassin team, dispatched by the "Tian Tian Hao" Group, codenamed "Professor."
"We are a top-tier assassin team, even Professional Heroes are no match for us. We'll attack from his blind spot and kill him with one strike!"
The Professor issued commands to his team members, who were lurking throughout the cafe, via a miniature microphone hidden in his collar.
"Remember our plan: Team A will create a distraction from his visual blind spot, while Teams B and C will simultaneously advance from both sides, using specialized alloy daggers for a single, fatal blow! We absolutely cannot give him a chance to activate his Emperor Engine!"
He quickly calculated in his mind: "However, it's great that Mr. Saitama would come to this secluded place; it will make our retreat easier…"
"The cafe's entrances and exits have been sealed. Now is the best time to strike!"
The Professor took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of tension in his heart. The air in the entire cafe seemed to freeze at that moment. He slowly put down his newspaper, ready to give the signal for the general assault.
Just at this critical moment, Lin Mo, who had been focused on his computer, suddenly spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of all the team members:
"It seems you've brought quite a few people. How foolish. No matter how many people or how many times, the outcome will never change."
These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the hearts of all the "Night Owl" members!
What!? We've been discovered? The Professor's pupils suddenly contracted, and cold sweat instantly soaked the shirt on his back.
How is this possible? How did he notice? Can he even perceive killing intent? Is this the realm of an S-Class Hero!?
Lin Mo's hands did not stop moving. He had just written this line for the hero protagonist in his novel, and he was still contentedly commenting in his mind:
"Hmm, the hero's setting should indeed be that he grows stronger with each battle, facing thousands of troops without batting an eye. That's how he'll be cool enough…"
The Professor stared intently at Lin Mo's back, analyzing their current predicament: "No, judging by his waiting posture, he probably hasn't grasped all of our information and positions."
He suddenly thought of something, a sinister smile involuntarily curving his lips as he muttered, "I understand… Is he worried about accidentally harming civilians? Then that actually works to our advantage…"
Just as he figured it out, Mr. Saitama's voice rang out again—
"Let me show you what true despair is…"
Lin Mo took a big gulp of his drink, thinking to himself: "This line, combined with the final CG of the BOSS being defeated, should be quite impactful, right?"
"I specifically lowered the final stats of the villain by a lot, so Mr. Saitama shouldn't be overwhelmed, right?"
At this point, he noticed his melon soda was almost empty. He immediately stood up to get a refill, and the direction he walked happened to pass by the Professor's table.
"He's standing up!"
All the assassins' hearts were in their throats. The Professor felt a chill shoot from his feet straight to the top of his head, and cold sweat trickled down his temples.
"He really knows my position! He's walking straight towards me without hesitation!" The Professor's muscles instantly tensed. His hand, hidden under the table, was already gripping the hilt of his knife, ready to fight to the death.
One step, two steps… Lin Mo's figure drew closer and closer. Just as the Professor was considering whether to flip the table, Lin Mo walked past him without a glance, heading straight to the counter.
"Phew…" All the strength seemed to drain from the Professor's body. He slumped into his chair, his back feeling icy cold.
"What? No more melon soda?" Lin Mo looked at the empty drink dispenser, secretly regretting it.
The girl at the counter smiled and bowed: "Please wait a moment, sir. There's more in the warehouse. I'll go to the back to get it for you right away."
With that, the girl scurried through the back door and headed to the warehouse in the backyard.
This scene, however, held a completely different meaning in the eyes of the "Night Owl" team members.
"He sent the employee to the backyard for shelter!?"
"Ugh… He's taking a defensive stance… This Mr. Saitama!"
Fear instantly spread through the team. Finally, a long-haired male assassin lurking in the direction of the restroom couldn't hold back.
"Damn it! Why are these guys all cowering! Even the captain is being indecisive!" he roared inwardly.
"What's there to be afraid of! It's just a Mr. Saitama, isn't it? If I can take him out here, my name will resound throughout the assassin world, and my status will rise dramatically!"
The immense temptation overcame his fear. A hint of madness flashed in the long-haired man's eyes. He abruptly stood up from his seat, turning to rush towards Lin Mo's back.
However, as soon as he turned around, he saw that Lin Mo had somehow turned his head, and a pair of calm eyes, through his frameless glasses, were intently "staring" at him.
Immediately, immense pressure descended like a collapsing mountain. The long-haired man's previous confidence vanished completely, leaving only terror on his face.
"Damn it… It's… it's the Emperor Engine! This is bad…" His legs felt like they were filled with lead, unable to move an inch.
Lin Mo, at this moment, was utterly puzzled: "What's wrong with this guy, blocking the restroom door? Is he guarding his territory?"
"Wait…" Lin Mo carefully observed the other person's "excited" expression, and a thought flashed through his mind, "This look, could he be a fan of mine?"
He adjusted his frameless glasses, a little surprised in his heart, "That would be terrible."
"If he finds out I'm a regular here, it won't be this quiet anymore."
The long-haired man naturally saw Lin Mo's gesture of raising his hand to adjust his glasses. From his perspective, this was undoubtedly a prelude to some kind of attack!
He gritted his teeth, immediately preparing to go all out, reaching into his clothes, intending to pull out his modified pistol for a shootout.
However, when Lin Mo saw the long-haired man reach into his clothes, an expression of sudden realization appeared on his face.
"Ah! So that's it!" He understood in his heart, "This gesture, is he going to pull out a notebook and pen or something for me to sign?"
"No, absolutely not!" Lin Mo's sense of crisis instantly skyrocketed, "If I sign for him here and cause a big commotion, other customers will definitely realize my identity. Then I really won't be able to come to this shop anymore!"
Lin Mo took action instantly.
He took a swift step forward, and before the long-haired man could pull out his "autograph book," he reached out and grabbed the hand that was reaching into his clothes.
He lowered his voice and said in what he thought was a very sincere tone:
"Today, could you please pretend you didn't see me?"