Bang waved goodbye with a smile. Then Jordan turned back and grinned wickedly.
The old man's smile froze.
Jordan suddenly unleashed the power of Flowing Water footwork. His steps shifted like a phantom. In the blink of an eye, he'd already descended the mountain path halfway down.
Bang took a deep breath, hands clasped behind his back, and turned toward the dojo with a blank expression.
It's common sense to become a disciple before learning martial arts, you bastard!
Back home, Jordan cooked himself two packages of instant noodles. To supplement his nutrition after training, he added cooked braised beef, vegetables, and five eggs.
A massive pot of noodles sat steaming before him. He picked up his chopsticks and grabbed a bite when his phone rang.
"Hello, this is Jordan."
"Jordan, it's Saitama."
"Oh, Saitama. What's up?"
Evening. Phone Booth.
Saitama glanced at the bound criminals and bounty hunters tied up behind him, plus one particularly grotesque monster. "Here's the thing. I caught a group of bad guys, including a weird one. Since you're a police officer, I figured I'd call and report it."
"A bunch of bad guys and a monster?"
The keywords left Jordan momentarily confused. More importantly, the normal procedure for reporting crimes wasn't calling a police officer friend's personal number.
Still, considering how Saitama's mind worked, Jordan simply said he understood. "Okay, got it. What's your address? I'll head over right away."
Using telekinesis, he floated a piece of paper over and scribbled down Saitama's description. Then he picked up the pot and devoured the noodles in several quick bites. The scalding food went straight down, converting into energy to replenish his exhausted body.
After finishing his meal, Jordan made two phone calls.
Then he opened the balcony door, enveloped himself in blue psychic energy, and soared into the night sky.
Ten Minutes Later
Having received intelligence from Jordan, the police station immediately dispatched a special response team. Armored vehicles led the convoy, speeding toward the address. A row of two-story simple rental apartments in a remote district.
Cheap rent and minimal oversight had turned the area into a melting pot. Urban legends called it the "crime supermarket," a den where every type of criminal activity could be found.
Only someone as oblivious as Saitama wouldn't notice the neighborhood's nature after living there so long.
Of course, given his financial situation, he didn't have better options.
Heavily armed tactical officers filed out of police vehicles, quickly securing the scene.
Meanwhile, the Hero Association, having received the same notification, rushed over under Lanny's leadership. The two groups met face to face.
At that moment, Jordan was pulling Saitama aside to get the full story.
Turned out when Saitama went to pick up his repaired clothes, he'd learned the shop owner was having cash flow problems. The man had borrowed money from an underground bank and now had to surrender his store to pay off the debt. Driven by his sense of justice, Saitama decided to help solve the problem.
Who knew the underground bank was located right next to his rental apartment? The bank's owner had even transformed into a hideous goldfish monster right in front of him. Not strong, just disgusting.
As a result, Saitama's freshly repaired sportswear had torn again.
"Underground loan sharks, underwear thieves, counterfeit money factories..." Jordan shook his head in amazement. "I never thought getting your clothes mended could cause this much chaos. You're something else."
"Wait, is that a compliment? Something feels off."
"Consider it a compliment." Jordan pulled Saitama between the arguing police and Hero Association representatives. "Come on, repeat what you just told me."
"Huh? I have to say it all again? That's too much trouble!"
"You know it's troublesome now? Stop complaining and get talking!"
Later
"The association will handle the rest directly with the police station."
"Thank you, Jordan. The association is currently preparing to build the world's most advanced monster containment facility." Lanny's professional demeanor radiated competence. "I'll persuade the police to hand that goldfish monster over to us. Please contact me if you have more successes like this!"
"Sure, will do." Jordan remembered Saitama, currently giving a statement to avoid further trouble. "By the way, Saitama defeated that monster single-handedly. He also took down the frog-man last time. Want to meet him?"
"Ah, a friend of yours? Of course. I can apply to the association for a civilian commendation award for such a kind-hearted ordinary person."
"Huh? This isn't about a reward..."
Seeing Lanny had no intention of recruiting Saitama, Jordan gave up.
As a friend, he didn't want his relationship with Saitama degenerating into something vulgar and money-driven.
Though Saitama would probably disagree with that assessment.
By the time everything wrapped up, night had fallen completely.
After seeing off the large police contingent, Saitama felt like he'd forgotten something important. He just couldn't remember what.
Oh well. Forget it then.
Saitama habitually filtered out life's trivial concerns. So thoroughly that he forgot the news had mentioned bounty hunter rewards.
Thus, the unfortunate balding man missed out on another batch of readily available cash.
"Jordan, want to come up for a bit? My place isn't very big, but I have tea."
"Sure, after running around all night, tea sounds good." Jordan stretched. "Lead the way."
They headed upstairs together to Saitama's room.
Just as he'd warned, the place was tiny. The area from the entrance to the living room overflowed with clutter.
"Sorry about the mess..."
Saitama broke into a cold sweat. He hadn't realized how chaotic his apartment was until bringing a guest over!
After a flurry of frantic cleaning, Saitama cleared a spot where someone could actually sit, turned on the TV, and busied himself boiling water for tea.
Knowing Saitama's financial situation, Jordan didn't mind. He sat down cross-legged.
Before he could settle in, someone knocked on the door.
Quite loudly.
"Who could that be at this hour?"
Seeing Saitama occupied with boiling water, Jordan got up to answer.
He opened the door. An elderly woman with a grim expression stood outside. Recognizing Jordan as one of the police officers who'd just handled the criminal incident, her previously aggressive demeanor faltered immediately. "Oh... aren't you that officer?"
"Looking for Saitama?" When the old woman nodded, Jordan turned toward the apartment. "Saitama, someone's here for you!"
"Coming..." Saitama finished brewing the tea and walked over. The moment he saw who it was, he tried to close the door.
The landlady's face darkened at the sight of Saitama. The murderous intent from when she'd been knocking resurfaced. "You! Get out here and talk to me!"
"Ugh, I have to go out again? What a pain!" Saitama's face stiffened. He walked out reluctantly. "Um, Jordan, please sit. The tea's ready. I'll just be a minute."
"Take your time."
The landlady slammed the door shut. Sharp, angry shouting could be faintly heard from outside.
Jordan picked up his teacup and took several comfortable sips. The tea was mediocre at best, but he wasn't picky. He simply enjoyed the relaxing process of drinking it.