Chapter 131 - 130: [Shopkeeper: Wealthy Patron, I’m Back!]

Chapter 131: Chapter 130: [Shopkeeper: Wealthy Patron, I’m Back!]

As the sun rose in the east, a massive cheer erupted within the lobby of the Huayang Road Hotel.

The text message they’d received earlier from a certain department had mentioned that once the night faded and day broke, everyone would be safe.

At the same time, the Spiritual Power barrier enveloping Huayang Road also vanished.

"Quick! Get in there and rescue people."

The Cleaner squad, led by Lei Yang, began searching the entire area for any surviving aberrations.

Meanwhile, soldiers escorted doctors and nurses to the hotel to begin rescue efforts.

After all, who knew if anyone had been injured during that terrifying night?

"X!"

He Xiaotian looked up to see a familiar face: Captain Su.

"Thank you, thank you so much. You’re a hero."

The words had barely faded when the expression hidden under He Xiaotian’s mask darkened.

’Old Su, are you praising me or insulting me?’

To be fair, for He Xiaotian, this whole incident was just a transaction.

Of course, even without the Spiritual Energy Crystal Roger had promised, He Xiaotian wouldn’t have just ignored the aberrations and let them run rampant.

But for Captain Su to call him a hero right off the bat... even he, a man whose skin was as thick as a fortress wall, found it a little hard to take.

"Don’t overthink it. Regardless of your motives, the fact is you saved people. You deserve that title." Captain Su was, after all, a man who knew his way around the system; he could see He Xiaotian’s awkwardness at a glance.

"Where’s my Spiritual Energy Crystal?"

He Xiaotian, really not wanting to continue the discussion of whether he could be called a hero, changed the subject.

"It’s on its way. A spiritual prodigy from the Capital City is coming, and your Spiritual Energy Crystal will be delivered along with him."

"A spiritual prodigy? What for?"

Captain Su leaned in and whispered in his ear.

"The government doesn’t want these supernatural events becoming public knowledge just yet. So, the plan is to erase the memories of everyone on Huayang Road and implant false ones."

"?!" He Xiaotian was stunned. ’They can do that?’

While they were talking, a few specially-outfitted SUVs entered Huayang Road, heading straight for the hotel.

"Hello, sir."

He Xiaotian turned to see a refined and amiable-looking middle-aged man standing behind him.

The man first bowed, then pulled a card from his coat pocket. It looked like he had prepared it beforehand.

"This is a small token of our gratitude, from all of us. Thank you for saving our lives."

"..."

In the past, he would have shamelessly accepted it, taking rewards from both the Shanghai Cleaners and the common people.

But now... he decided against it.

Old Su had already called him a hero; accepting money now would feel a bit cheap.

Besides, it wasn’t like he was short on cash. The villa was already arranged, after all. He was just waiting for things to die down before his family could move in.

"What kind of person do you take me for? Everything I, X, do is for the people! I was a Young Pioneer in elementary school and an outstanding member of the Youth League in high school, you know."

He said this with such incredible righteousness that Captain Su almost started clapping and cheering from the sidelines.

’Look at his level of conscientiousness. So high!’

"In that case, I won’t impose, Mr. X. In a little while, I will donate the five million in this card entirely in your name."

"???"

’Wait, what did you just say?’

’Five million... is it too late to take it back?’

He Xiaotian was gutted. ’Why didn’t you say so earlier!’

’But you can’t take back words once they’re spoken.’

’As much as he wanted to reach out for it, he had to hold back.’

In short, only four words could describe how he felt right now: life isn’t worth living.

"Captain Su, the people from the Capital City are here," a squad member said, approaching them.

"Let’s go. I’ll take you to get your bounty."

Captain Su said, clapping He Xiaotian on the back.

One after the other, the two of them headed toward the hotel entrance.

Seven or eight people in matching uniforms walked in, clustered around a young man in his early thirties.

’Thirty? A young man?’

In 1985, for the International Youth Year, the United Nations first defined "youth" as persons between the ages of 15 and 24. Today, according to the new age brackets determined by the World Health Organization, the upper age limit for youth has been raised to 44.

As for the age range for "middle-aged," there is still no unified global standard.

Based on the situation in Hua Country, it is more realistic to consider the 40-55 age range as middle age for the average person.

So, a man in his thirties being called a youth was perfectly fine.

"Captain Su, a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard great things about you here in Shanghai. The resolution to the Zhou family Village incident was perfect." The man who had been escorted in said this as he shook Captain Su’s hand.

"..."

’Are you f--king kidding me?’

Captain Su’s face instantly flushed red. He was tempted to transform into his shadow form, manifest his greatsword, and cleave this guy in two.

"X! I’m your fan!"

He Xiaotian was completely floored.

’What’s happening? Where did this fan come from?’

’Shouldn’t the normal script be that this punk takes a disliking to me and then tries to ambush me with his Spiritual Power?’

’Then I’d discover it, retaliate in anger, and proceed to beat the crap out of every superhuman in the room.’

’And while I’m at it, I’d draw a line in the sand with the Cleaners, leaving them with a harsh warning never to find me again, or I’d kill them on sight.’

’What a waste of talent, not using these ideas to write a novel.’

A video of a certain someone hammering an Abyss Submariner had already circulated among the top brass in the Capital City before dawn.

He was one of Hua Country’s top-ranked spiritual prodigies, so his status was naturally quite high.

He was incredibly envious of He Xiaotian, who was as valiant and Unrivaled as a great general from ancient times.

’A real man should be wielding a Big Hammer and brutally dominating aberrations!!’

’Too bad he’d awakened Spiritual Power.’

So when he finally met He Xiaotian—who could be called the brute of all brutes, the king of berserkers—he was naturally overjoyed, so excited he nearly asked for an autograph.

The onlookers’ faces all darkened. ’What the hell is this fan-meets-idol scene?’

’We’re on official business right now, could you please not act like this?’

"Could you please give me an autograph?"

’That bastard!’

The men responsible for protecting the spiritual prodigy looked ready to roll their eyes out of their sockets.

’And another thing, who gave you that black gel pen?’

He Xiaotian’s eyelid twitched as he took the pen and drew a large cross on the man’s chest.

No, wait. It was a capital letter X.

After signing, before the man could speak again, He Xiaotian cut straight to the point.

"Where’s my Spiritual Energy Crystal?"

"Right here."

One of the men in the group took out a black briefcase and handed it over.

"Goodbye."

He Xiaotian took it, and with a single motion, he shot out of the hotel at blinding speed, moving like a bolt of lightning.

The spiritual prodigy: "..."

’But I still had so much more to say to you!!’

Once he was clear of Huayang Road, He Xiaotian finally patted his chest in relief.

That guy’s adoring gaze was really too much to handle.

People in the know would get it, but anyone who didn’t know the full story might think there was some kind of improper relationship between them!

The kind that goes beyond friendship and involves... *negative-distance* physical contact!

BEEP BEEP!! BEEP BEEP!!

He Xiaotian pulled out his phone, opened it, and chuckled.

[I Don’t Sell Fake Manuals, I Sell Antiques]: "Sponsor-Daddy, I’m back!"