Heroes Return

"Really? I've been a superhero for five years, and you're the first person willing to team up with me." (A phrase implied, likely a fragment from a story or a song.)

“Of course, no problem. I believe Xiao Zhan won’t object either.” Lin Jie said to Xiao Zhan beside him, “Is there no problem?”

“Of course, no problem. I welcome someone who can scare a D-level hero like that with just a few words,” Xiao Zhan said.

"Alright then, I'll join. We'll be teammates from now on," said Shen Jingguitiao.

"By the way, what is your ability?" Xiao Zhan asked.

"Oh, bad luck."

"?" What is that?

"I can make everyone around me suffer indiscriminately," Shen Jingguitiao said.

"Are you sure?" Lin Jie asked. "You're not joking?"

"What's the big deal? I'm notorious for being a jinx in the Hero Association." God-Shocked Ghost Jump said with a laugh, "But there's only one person like you who doesn't care about any of this and is still willing to be my friend. You absolutely mustn't die."

"..."

Xiao Zhan quickly stepped back to the man with glasses. Lin Jie turned around and slapped himself hard: "Serves you right for being so foul-mouthed!!"

chapter eight

"I am the E-class hero, God-Shocking Jump. Actually, I didn't choose this name myself; it was given to me by someone from the Hero Association. But I felt the name was quite imposing, so I accepted it."

I've been an orphan since I was little. The aunties at the orphanage named me Thirteen. I thought I would grow up happily in the orphanage, but it closed down when I was three. I heard it was destroyed by a group of armed police. I still can't understand why my teachers blamed me when they were the ones conducting human experiments.

However, that was the end of it, since I never saw them again afterward.

My memories of those four years, from age 3 to 7, are very vague. However, I was too young at the time, and the key issue was that I kept changing orphanages. Almost no orphanage was willing to take me in for more than half a month, so I spent almost every shelter in the entire C area during those six months.

When I was seven years old, no shelter was willing to take me in anymore, so I ended up on the streets prematurely.

That was a really tough time, but thankfully I found a way to make a living.

Once, I was standing in front of a man who looked very wealthy, hoping to get some food from him because I was so hungry. I stayed there all day because I was so hungry, and eventually he came out, gave me a lot of money, and begged me to go somewhere else. He immediately knelt down before me.

From then on, whenever I needed money, I would follow a few people who looked wealthy, and they would kindly give me a large sum of money and persuade me to leave.

And so I lived like that until I was ten years old. It was then that I realized that whoever I was associated with would be unlucky, so almost everyone would avoid me. Back then, whenever I went out, everyone on the street would disappear without a trace.

To be honest, I was heartbroken. Because at that time I realized I was deeply hated, and many people wished I were dead. But thankfully, even the underworld didn't want to get close to me.

I was heartbroken and rebellious back then, so I specifically sought out big bosses I didn't like and staked out their companies. Almost every day I witnessed all sorts of chaotic scenes.

But one time, while I was staking out my spot as usual, the monster attacked the mall I was in. Strangely enough, the other buildings were unharmed. Many people died, and a huge piece of ceiling material fell down above my head.

I thought I was going to die. I thought it would be better to die, since no one would accept me anyway.

But I didn't die, because Zero appeared and saved me.

Although I only saw his back at the time, I was still drawn to him. I was certain that he was a great soul who would not discriminate against anyone, because among the people he saved, there were quite a few bastards.

So I began to admire Zero, and I resolved to become a hero and see him again. And so I began training, until five years later, when I was fifteen. I joined the ranks of superheroes, and at that time, all I wanted was to become one of them and thank Zero.

With this dream in mind, I became a superhero.

Then Zero disappeared, and the superheroes split into two factions and started fighting. The winning faction later formed the Hero Association, and I became a member of the Hero Association.

The time here was not bad. The Hero Association assigned me to teams twice, but my teammates perished together with my enemies after only a few days.

Later, a grading system was introduced. My examiners changed four times before I could finish the exam. I thought that with my abilities, I should at least get an A grade, but I was given an E grade instead.

I was furious and went to confront the then-chairman, and that very night he hanged himself...

The guild leader who came later has been avoiding me. So I'm still only an E-rank. How about that? You should have a better understanding of me now, right?" Shen Jinggui said, sitting on a pile of rubble, to the bespectacled guy lying in the gravel.

"Can't you call an ambulance for me first?!" the bespectacled man roared.

"Sorry, sorry, I was lost in my memories and forgot about this for a moment. I'll help you out of it right away. Who would have thought that Zero-senpai's statue would inexplicably fall down?" Death God Ghost Jump said.

"No! I'll do it myself..." The bespectacled man had barely finished speaking when it was too late. Sometime during the night, another statue collapsed towards them. Shen Jinggui, quick-witted, leaped backward, dodging the falling statue. However, the bespectacled man, buried under the rubble, fell completely silent after that.

"Never mind, I'd better ask Lin Jie and the other guy how they are doing first." With that, she jumped up and dialed a phone number.

Lin Jie and Xiao Zhan were lying inside a moving ambulance.

Hello? Who is this?

"It's me! I'm terrified!"

"Oh, what's up?"

"I just wanted to ask how things are going. It seems it will take some more time to rescue Brother Eyes," said Shen Jingguitiao.

"Don't worry, we didn't..." Before he could finish speaking, a loud crash was heard on the other end of the phone, and then nothing more.

"..." He silently hung up the phone, then looked again at the rubble and the rescuers: "Let's try to get that guy with glasses out first."

……

The next day at noon, in a ward at H City Central Hospital, two nutrition tanks stood quietly.

Lin Jie walked into the ward, looked at the two people in the nutrition tank, and asked, "How are you two?"

Inside one of the nutrient tanks, Xiao Zhan opened his eyes and looked at Lin Jie outside. Lin Jie had numerous wounds on his body, and his neck was secured with a medical frame.

"Looks like I can be discharged in another day. By the way, how come you're alright?" Xiao Zhan typed out a message using the electronic device in the nutrient tank.

"The doctor said I just had a dislocated shoulder joint, and it was fine after sleeping here overnight." After saying that, Lin Jie looked at the bespectacled guy in another nutrient tank: "Why are you wrapped up like a mummy?"

"The doctor said I have multiple fractures all over my body and I'm lucky to be alive," the bespectacled man typed.

"That serious!"

"By the way, I need to discuss something with you. Could you reconsider inviting that 'Ghost Jump' guy?" Xiao Zhan typed.

"Well... I won't take back what I said, but don't worry, I plan to have Brother Glasses join us too," Lin Jie said.

“That’s a good suggestion. We just happen to need someone to run errands,” Xiao Zhan replied.

"Wait... what did you say? I don't want to join you!" The bespectacled guy in the nutrient tank had a contorted expression.

"If it weren't for you, I would have come into contact with the God-Shocking Ghost Jump? We're in trouble, and you expect us to be alright?" Lin Jie's expression changed at this moment: "If you don't agree, I'll ask the God-Shocking Ghost Jump to follow you."

"You bastard," the bespectacled man said.

"Oh? Who do you want me to follow?" Shen Jingguitiao walked in at this moment.

"It's nothing. Glasses said he'd like you to come with him from now on, and he's decided to join us too. I heard Glasses is also a D-rank hero," Lin Jie said. "Speaking of which, Ghost Jump, you're really amazing. The last time I was injured this badly was seven or eight years ago."

"Just call me Thirteen, that's my real name," Shen Jingguitiao said. "No need to be so formal."

“Alright, Thirteen, but speaking of which, your strength is really a bit… But I won’t go back on my word, so…” Lin Jie said, organizing his thoughts.

"Don't worry, I understand. I'll try to keep a certain distance from you guys from now on," Thirteen said cheerfully (startled).

"Then I'm relieved, Thirteen," Lin Jie said. "We'll keep in touch by phone, and if you need anything, just have Brother Glasses bring it to you."

"That's good. Speaking of which, I actually have a lot in common with Glasses Brother." Thirteen (startled) said to Glasses Brother in the incubation chamber, "Hey? Why aren't you saying anything? Are you angry because I made you like this? Actually, it was just a coincidence. You saw it yourself, I didn't do anything. I was even trying to save you, wasn't I?"

However, the bespectacled guy in the nutrient tank not only didn't say anything, but his entire face was turning blue.

There was another person whose face turned pale like his, and that person was Xiao Zhan.

Even if Lin Jie were stupid, he would realize that something was wrong at this point.

"Make way!" The doctor and nurse rushed in: "I don't know why the oxygen machine suddenly malfunctioned. If this continues, the person inside will suffocate."

"..." Lin Jie subconsciously glanced at Thirteen beside him and involuntarily took two steps to the side.

"Do you need our help?" Thirteen asked (startled).

"No need, just turn on the machine and remove the nutrient solution," the doctor said. "Huh? Why can't the combination lock be opened?"

"What's wrong?" Lin Jie asked curiously.

"Oh no! The machine is malfunctioning. At this rate, we won't even be able to open the nutrient tank!" The doctor was already sweating profusely. "I've been in the hospital for thirty years, and this is the first time I've encountered this problem."

The nurse next to him was completely panicked at this point.

"Do you need my help?" Thirteen asked.

"No, let me do it!" Lin Jie said, taking out his spiked club.

What a joke! If he helps those two again, they're doomed.

"Watch me, Lin Jie, smash the nutrient tank!" With a swift movement, Lin Jie's spiked club struck the nutrient tank. The next moment, the nutrient tank shattered, and the two people were finally rescued.

The doctors and nurses placed the two men on separate beds. The man with glasses had completely lost consciousness, and several doctors were performing CPR on him.

Xiao Chen slowly opened his eyes: "I just saw my dead father calling me to reunite with him..."

"Don't worry, your dad just came to see you. He's already gone," Lin Jie said.

And so, amidst the doctor's frantic efforts, a brand new superhero team was born in H City.

Chapter nine

Two weeks passed just like that.

On the rooftop of a building, two people wearing sunglasses were observing the view below.

"Thirteen, how's the situation over there?" Xiao Zhan asked, holding a bag of spicy strips while observing the image on Thirteen's glasses through the communicator. "You know what, this latest flavor of spicy strips is actually pretty good."

"You wicked rich kid finally understand the allure of 50-cent spicy strips, huh?" Lin Jie said from the side. "Next time, I'll take you to buy some different flavors of spicy strips."

"I have to admit, this kind of food called spicy strips has been able to persist in Zone C for over a hundred years, it really does have its unique charm," Xiao Zhan said.

"Hey, stop studying the spicy strips, the suspects have appeared." The voice of the guy with glasses came through the communicator. Through the image reflected in the sunglasses, Lin Jie and Xiao Zhan could clearly see two groups of people appearing in an abandoned factory.

"This is Thirteen. These two groups have appeared." Thirteen's voice came through the communicator. The perspective everyone was seeing was actually Thirteen's perspective.

"Are you sure they're a group of lawbreakers?" Lin Jie asked again to confirm.

“I’ve seen this group before; they seem to be doing some kind of biochemical research,” Thirteen said. “I’ve been following them for a week now, and believe me, they’re on the verge of a mental breakdown.”

"Thirteen, how strong is the enemy?" Xiao Zhan asked.

“Before I met them, they were a dangerous organization with a dozen or so Class C criminals and thousands of mercenaries,” Thirteen said. “But now only these few people are left; all the high-level combatants have been wiped out.”

"..." Lin Jie looked speechlessly at the dozen or so people making the transaction: "Thirteen, why don't you stay for a couple more days? I reckon by then we won't even need to make a move."