Staring at the job listings on the electronic screen, Lin Jie sighed helplessly. "Guess I really don't wanna work! Whatever, I'll just grab the latest game and head home."
Lin Jie had recently gotten into PC games. The reason was simple: monsters in games were harder to slash than real-life ones.
"Oh right, I'll tell my sister I got lost on life's path and missed the job fair," Lin Jie muttered as he headed toward the shopping district. A handsome boy band was performing there.
"Oh? It's the hottest new Super Hero group, the Shishen Clan!" Lin Jie watched the band and frowned. "Lead singer, guitarist, keyboardist, drummer, bassist... that's only five people. Why call it 'Shishen Clan'? 'Five Gods Clan' would make way more sense."
...
"Deity! Deity! Deity!" The girls' cheers surged louder with every song.
"Thanks for supporting our band, everyone!" the lead singer called to the crowd below.
"Shishen, you're the Deity in our hearts!" a girl shouted.
"We're not Deities. We're just humans fighting evil," Shishen replied. Instantly, another wave of screams erupted from the crowd.
"Thanks, everyone! By the way, we've ranked up from D-rank to C-rank Heroes in just one month. Keep supporting us—we'll push hard to reach B-rank faster..."
"So the lead singer's name is Shishen," Lin Jie mused after the show. "I said that same line in front of hundreds of thousands once. Why didn't any girls scream for me? Heck, even a guy screaming would've been nice."
Lin Jie recalled turning his back on those kneeling masses, declaring "I am not a Deity." He'd thought it looked cool—expected gasps and awe. Instead, the silence was so deep he could hear crickets chirping. That moment became one of his life's biggest embarrassments. After all, he'd delivered what he thought was a killer line to hundreds of thousands... only to get crickets.
That shame made him flee the scene at top speed. Forget hooking up with some passed-out Holy Maiden.
"Guess it's all about looks?" Lin Jie glanced at the ridiculously handsome Shishen on stage. "Should I have shown my face back then? Nah—if it still bombed, hundreds of thousands would've seen what a dumbass looked like spouting nonsense."
As the performance neared its end, Lin Jie finally carved a bloody path through the crowd and squeezed into his usual game store.
"Seriously, why block traffic on Central Avenue instead of booking a proper venue?" Lin Jie grumbled while browsing games. "These popular guys must be nuts."
"Not necessarily!" the store owner chuckled from behind the counter. He pointed to the front rows packed with fangirls. "Try squeezing through there once, and you'll get it. Heh heh!"
Seeing the owner's lecherous grin and the sea of female fans, Lin Jie swallowed hard.
"How about it? The event's still going. Wanna give it a shot?" the owner urged.
Lin Jie's mind warred: stay true to his 2D dreams or become a 3D creep?
"I'm not that kind of guy! I'm a man devoted to the 2D world—real women hold zero appeal," Lin Jie declared firmly. "...Though, let's be real, 2D devotees are all perverts anyway."
With a sigh, Lin Jie marched into the crowd under the owner's approving gaze. Games could wait—this was a rare opportunity.
Shouting "I love Shishen!" he pushed toward the densest cluster of girls.
Feeling the jostling bodies around him, Lin Jie thought: *This is heaven.*
Bang! Bang! Bang! Gunshots ripped through the air. Girls scattered like birds. Through the fleeing crowd, men in black tactical gear emerged, guns raised.
"It's the Black Hand!" someone screamed.
The Black Hand was infamous in H City—a terrorist group always making headlines.
Recognizing them, the crowd stampeded in panic.
"Shishen Clan! You defeated our men. Today, I'll make you pay!" the Black Hand leader snarled. His thugs aimed at the handsome heroes.
Electricity crackled from the keyboardist's fingers, yanking the guns away. The drummer flipped mid-air with a staff, slamming it into a thug's gut and sending him flying. The guitarist and bassist leaped offstage, each kicking another thug into the distance.
Their moves were pure coolness. The girls screamed even louder.
The three thugs scrambled up and fled in utter panic.
"Man, why didn't I think of a stylish jump like that?" Lin Jie muttered, watching Shishen's show. "I always just dropped straight down. No wonder people stared in disbelief instead of cheering. My jumps probably looked like suicide attempts! Good thing I wore a mask back then."
"Today, I end you!" Shishen charged the Black Hand leader while his teammates struck dramatic poses behind him, watching the brawl like models.
"Why aren't the teammates helping? Trusting their leader to win?" Lin Jie wondered, eyeing the posing heroes. "Even then, chase the fleeing thugs! Letting them escape? Do Super Heroes just let villains go after fights now? So merciful! Trying to redeem evil like that ancient tale of seven captures?"
As Lin Jie's mind wandered, Shishen struggled in the fight. Fans held their breath—until he suddenly powered up.
"I'll crush you to prove my B-rank strength!" Shishen declared, delivering a flawless karate kick that flattened the leader. The move was slick as hell.
After the takedown, Shishen struck another cool pose for photos and taunted the fallen villain. The leader staggered up, spat threats, and bolted into the crowd—but collapsed after two steps.
Handcuffs locked his ankle to a street railing.
"Can't let a criminal like you escape," Lin Jie muttered, pulling out another pair. "Better double-lock both feet. The special ops team can handle the rest."
Just then, the leader's body began swelling.
"Traitors! You tricked me!" the giant roared at Shishen Clan, growing taller. Three-centimeter-thick alloy chains snapped like twigs. Armed police with riot shields surrounded him.
"Today, I kill you all!" the five-meter-tall giant bellowed at Shishen Clan. "You dared deceive me! I'll wipe every one of you out!"
Bullets peppered him as he charged the heroes.
...
Hey there. I'm the Black Hand leader—a C-rank super villain.
My gig? Causing trouble and getting beaten by Heroes.
Not for free. Up-and-coming Heroes hire me to stage fights. I lose on purpose. They get fame and ranking points; I get paid.
That's why I'm stuck at C-rank despite B-rank strength.
Heroes ignore me. My clients ensure I escape before authorities arrive. Fights always end with me "defeated."
This job was for Shishen—an idol group with zero skills, all hype. They wanted a live takedown at Central Avenue's open concert. Theaters have tight security.
Everything went as planned.
I lost. I tried to run. But my foot got cuffed.
A plain-looking guy did it. I almost crushed him—then realized: no civilian has police-grade cuffs.
This was a setup. They colluded with cops to trap me.
I raged. Luckily, the Hero Agency sent only armed police—they thought a "C-rank loser" was no threat.
To escape, I'd reveal my B-rank power and kill those traitors.
These cops can't stop me. I'll finish them before backup arrives.
...
"Didn't expect a transformation. Good thing I cuffed him—imagine this giant rampaging elsewhere," Lin Jie mused, watching the charge. "Old Hero souvenirs still come in handy."
He never considered the trouble he'd caused.
Meanwhile, the Shishen Clan members trembled, their posing legs shaking as the giant bore down on them.
