Chapter 22
1278 Words
"Aaaah—"
Song Linlin's scream split the air as she dashed towards the window.
The faces of the Song family members drained of color.
"Li Xin, get back here!" Song Linwei bellowed, his face a mask of dread.
But it was too late.
Li Xin had already leaped out of the window.
"Ah!"
Mother Song was so terrified she nearly fainted.
Song Linwei rushed to the window, peering down with urgency.
He knew of Li Xin's unique abilities. By jumping out, Li Xin could utilize the metal guardrails outside to slide down safely.
As long as there was metal, he was invincible.
Even a fall from the seventeenth floor wouldn’t harm his invulnerable "diamond body."
Though the scene was harrowing, the real issue was—
It was broad daylight!
The apocalypse hadn't arrived yet!
Song Linwei felt his composure slipping away.
Below, Li Xin's golden form slid down the building's exterior like a lizard, becoming increasingly unsteady the further he descended...
Song Linlin clung to his sleeve, her arm trembling violently. "What do we do? Linwei, what do we do?"
Song Linwei took a deep breath, his face pale. "We need to chase him."
Jumping down like that in broad daylight was bound to attract unwanted attention.
Li Xin claimed he wanted to save the world?
Who knew what else he might do!
Song Linwei bolted out the door.
*
"Li Xin's home is on the seventeenth floor of Building 9. Since yesterday, the family has stayed home, only going out in shifts to buy supplies," Hao Jingye explained as they walked.
Sheng An walked beside him, carrying a briefcase.
The Song family was already aware of the impending apocalypse. Faced with such a catastrophe, ordinary people had no solutions.
Stockpiling food and supplies was the simplest, most instinctual response.
Their home lacked space, so they didn’t buy much.
As if recalling something, Sheng An quickened his pace.
"We need to hurry. The night before last, Song Linwei learned about the apocalypse and informed the Song family yesterday. From yesterday to today, Li Xin has been cooped up, ready to cause trouble at any moment."
The Song family appeared to be a harmonious household.
The grandparents were highly educated and still taught at the university.
The parents were successful businesspeople, well-known in the business world.
Even the uncle was a prominent researcher, busy with work...
Such families easily overlooked their children.
When it was confirmed yesterday that Li Xin was a metal-element superhuman, Sheng An reviewed Li Xin's background in detail. There was nothing unusual, except for his abysmal grades.
With such outstanding relatives, the pressure was imaginable.
And usually, pressure led to rebellion.
They needed to catch him before he caused a big scene.
Hao Jingye's expression turned serious, and he quickened his pace.
However, the next moment—
"Ah!" someone exclaimed.
Simultaneously, there was a loud "bang."
A golden, shimmering "object" landed in front of Sheng An, just five steps away.
Sheng An stopped.
The golden, shimmering "object" landed with one hand on the ground, half-kneeling.
The scene looked ceremonial, almost perfect.
"Heh, who can stop me?"
The teenager spoke amidst the gasps, his tone arrogant, filled with confidence and excitement, his blood boiling.
He raised his head, meeting Sheng An's gaze five steps away.
Sheng An looked at him, motionless.
Li Xin grinned and slowly stood up under Sheng An's gaze.
At that moment, he felt himself rising higher and higher, becoming braver and stronger, more dazzling than any superhero in the movies.
—Was this woman mesmerized by him?
However, there were no screams, no shock, no questions.
The "young lady" standing opposite him raised her hand to touch her forehead, seemingly exasperated, perhaps even a bit troubled. Her gaze was extremely complicated.
This reaction...
Li Xin was stunned, confused. "Aren't you scared?"
Sheng An took a deep breath, looked at him, and slowly spoke. "Li Xin, why are you up so early in the morning instead of sleeping?"
They were a bit late.
This kid had gotten up much earlier than usual today.
But fortunately, they were still in time.
Li Xin: "?"
That was a strange question.
He heard something behind him that sounded almost insane, but—
Li Xin: "You know me?!"
He looked down at himself, his entire body shimmering with gold, wrapped tightly. Even his uncle didn’t recognize him at first glance. How did this woman recognize him?
And how did she know him?
Also—
Li Xin: "Who are you?"
Sheng An smiled slightly. "Your future boss."
Even through the shimmering golden mask, Li Xin's bewilderment and confusion were evident.
A teenager who had just acquired powerful "superpowers" was at the stage of thinking he was invincible. Suddenly, a woman appeared, claiming to be his boss.
Li Xin still wanted to say those three words:
"Who are you?"
The first time was out of curiosity, but this time it was with skepticism and displeasure.
She must be crazy!
Immediately, he ignored Sheng An and started to leave.
Sheng An blocked his way.
The sixteen-year-old boy wasn’t short, taller than Sheng An, and with his shimmering golden body and helmet, he appeared even taller.
But standing in front of him, Sheng An wasn’t intimidated. Instead, she exuded an aura of authority.
She took out an ID from her pocket, held it up, and calmly said, "Sheng An, head of the Doomsday Special Operations Division."
Li Xin was momentarily stunned, then he realized.
So she was from the government!
"So what? Don’t block my way, move aside," Li Xin said nonchalantly.
Grandpa...
Hao Jingye's mouth twitched.
Sheng An remained unfazed, still looking at him calmly. "Li Xin, come with us."
She took a piece of paper from Hao Jingye and held it up for Li Xin to see. "This is your arrest warrant."
Li Xin: "???"
He laughed in anger, his tone arrogant. "You want to arrest me? Dream on, you don’t have the ability!"
With that, he pushed off the ground, his body leaping up and clinging to the building's outer wall.
In the distance, someone exclaimed.
Li Xin looked down at Sheng An, his expression hidden by the mask, but his tone was filled with arrogance—
"Hahaha, come on, catch me if you can!"
Sheng An remained in place, watching him without moving.
Just as Li Xin thought she was helpless, special police officers surrounded the entire Building 9 and the adjacent Building 10, holding their guns.
Dark gun barrels were aimed at him.
Li Xin's heart skipped a beat.
But then he became even more smug. "You think guns can threaten me? Hahaha, I’m not afraid!"
With that, he continued climbing the building's metal railings like a lizard.
He was truly fearless!
He was even taunting Sheng An and the others!
Below, someone fired in his direction.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
The gunfire was silenced, but the bullets hitting the metal made noise.
It didn’t affect him at all.
Above, Li Xin continued to climb, laughing as he did:
"Hahaha, I am the invincible Iron Man! Your weapons are useless against me, you weak humans, stop wasting my time saving the world—"
Bullets were indeed useless against him!
Hao Jingye's expression turned serious.
No wonder this kid was so arrogant; he really had some skills.
Sheng An remained calm throughout, not surprised at the bullets' ineffectiveness.
She watched Li Xin, squinting her eyes, then slowly raised her hand, put on protective goggles, and took something out of her briefcase.
By this time, Li Xin had already climbed to the tenth floor.
He was reveling in his superpower's strength and the government's helplessness against him.
- Writer
