After a heavy rain, Li Jing remained shrouded in a slightly dark curtain.
The clouds were dense, and the afternoon sunlight seeped through but couldn’t reach every corner of the city. Gu Yima District happened to be in the shadowed area.
The bathroom light was dim. Ji Minghuan pressed the switch on the wall, turning on the orange bathroom lamp. He slowly walked to the sink, picked up a towel from the rack, and wiped his face in front of the mirror.
He then replied to his close friend’s ssage while walking to his room.
[Gu Wenyu: I happen to be free, where shall we go?]
[Li Qingping: How about a movie? The recently released "Evangelion: The End".]
[Gu Wenyu: Oh, Eva? I want to watch it too. Will you book the tickets or should I?]
[Li Qingping: Just head out now, I’ve sorted the tickets for you.]
[Gu Wenyu: How much? I’ll transfer it to you via WeChat.]
[Li Qingping: Buddy, is this tiny amount what you need? If you bail on again, I’ll be mad. You’ve been like a ghost lately, playing dead whenever I call. I’m starting to suspect you’re seeing soone behind my back.]
"Ding," ca the sound of a ssage with the theater location from his buddy.
Ji Minghuan glanced at the address, then walked back to his room, grabbed a T-shirt and jeans from the wardrobe, slipped them on, pulled down the sleeves, and went out.
Incidentally, the shirt he wore featured the animated character design of the mutant "Swallowing Silver".
Unlike "Blue Arc," a national idol, "Swallowing Silver" received mixed reviews dostically. His temperant was too aggressive, often speaking without restraint, and doing incomprehensible things.
He often wore a silver uniform and mask, and his superpower allowed him to acquire different abilities by consuming different tals.
Thus, the Mutants Association’s collaborating companies created "Swallowing Silver’s" cartoon image as a cold-faced silver hamster, nibbling on a small iron block it held.
Who knows whether the man himself would laugh or cry seeing it.
Anyhow, Ji Minghuan laughed. He knew Gu Wenyu was a "Swallowing Silver" anti-fan, hence the presence of this T-shirt in his wardrobe.
Ji Minghuan twisted the doorknob, and upon opening the door slightly, saw Gu Zhuo’s face. His tall figure stood silently against the wall, hunched, with arms drooping in front, staring at the floor in thought.
"Wenyu... When’s the Qiye trip to Japan?" Gu Zhuo lifted his head and asked.
"I haven’t asked yet."
"Make sure to ask him, and prepare a few days beforehand."
"Got it."
"Planning to go out and have fun?"
"Yeah."
"Don’t co back too late."
"Okay."
Gu Zhuo paused, reminded, "Recently, there are too many superpowered criminal users around, like ’Black Cocoon’, ’Li Zhen’, ’Earthworm Man’... and ’Ghost Bell’. Anyway, if you encounter danger or trouble outside, call imdiately; I’ll pick you up."
Co on, Ghost Bell is standing right at my door; by your logic, should I call and say: Daddy, I’m scared, the supercriminal Ghost Bell is blocking my way, stopping from having fun?
"Alright," Ji Minghuan raised his eyes from the phone screen, looking at Gu Zhuo, "Anything else?"
"Nope. Enjoy."
At five thirty in the afternoon, Ji Minghuan arrived at the movie theater.
The clouds hadn’t entirely cleared; the sky was a bit overcast. The streets were extrely wet, with puddles reflecting colorful neon lights and movie posters from the cinema.
It was sumr, and the air quality was sowhere between damp and stuffy, making people uncomfortable. Luckily, a corner of the sky’s clouds suddenly collapsed, allowing warm afternoon sunlight to shine through, alleviating so of the crowd’s agitation.
Scanning the QR code, Ji Minghuan collected two movie tickets from the ticket machine. He and Li Qingping each held a bucket of popcorn, lounging in the massage chair waiting area.
Today, Li Qingping still had his hair in a ponytail; his handso face attracted many looks from passersby.
On one of the cinema’s large screens, information on superpower criminals active in Li Jing City was being shown. The photos switched one after another, featuring "Ghost Bell," "Flying Ant," "Li Zhen," "Black Cocoon," and a series of dangerous individuals, with an AI voice urging residents to imdiately avoid similar-looking people.
When "Black Cocoon’s" hanging figure, surrounded by wave-like restraint belts appeared on the screen, Li Qingping imdiately slapped the armrest, pointing, "Damn, every ti I see his outfit it looks aweso. Don’t you think?"
"My sister said he’s a big fluttering moth." Ji Minghuan replied without looking up.
Li Qingping smiled, "Obviously he’s cool, I saw the video uploaded by users where he casually took out five robbers while reading. My dad and I were astonished, wondering who this person was, even Blue Arc was dumbfounded."
"Blue Arc seed off that day, given his strength, why was he toyed with by such weak criminals?"
"I felt the sa way... During that broadcast, his actions seed unusually sluggish."
Then, Li Qingping turned his head toward Ji Minghuan, "Do you ever find ’Black Cocoon’s’ outfit familiar?"
"Do I?"
"Of course, it looks just like the armor we designed together in middle school!"
"You ntioning it, I almost forgot."
"Tsk... truly surface-level buddies, didn’t we agree that whoever awakened their ability and beca a mutant would make their suit based on our design?"
"Oh... sounds vaguely familiar." Ji Minghuan replied absentmindedly, "Luckily, both our tests ended up normal, why chase the deadliest career? I’m aiming to land a job post-graduation, you’d inherit the family business; we both have bright futures."
"I wish I had superpower user genes." Li Qingping sighed, "If it weren’t for circumstances, who would willingly remain a mundane?"
Watching his show of emotions, Ji Minghuan couldn’t help retorting in his mind, "Buddy, hope you don’t test as a superpower user later, or else I’ll have to create an alt to prank you."
"But actually..." Li Qingping paused, looking away, "Sotis, being ordinary is nice, like attending boring classes at school, staring into nothingness during recess, or going out with friends during holidays."
"Why the sudden reflection? Nostalgia before youth’s even past? Or did your brain suddenly switch channels?"
"Coke or Sprite?" Li Qingping chuckled, changing the topic.
"Coke."
With that, Li Qingping bought two drinks from the vending machine near the massage chair and handed a Coke to Ji Minghuan.
"Thanks."
Ji Minghuan focused on his phone, thanking while accepting the Coke.
At this instant, a pitch black restraint belt extended from his fingertip, gently touching Li Qingping’s little finger, then swiftly retracting into the crevice.
[Condition t: Touch the target’s body, passive skill activated—"Restraint Detection".]
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