One morning at a high-tech burger shop in the Shin-Jinrui Central District, the atmosphere was unimaginably lively.
Yanagisawa Shin was now wildly famous. Ever since footage from news network jetcraft was broadcast live during last night's destructive clash with Orlov, his name had dominated every urban news outlet. Yet, in contrast to the aura of a "populist hero," the man himself was currently slumping, dark circles under his eyes as if his last drop of vitality had been squeezed dry. Overdrawing his Sophion energy yesterday had left him far from fully recovered, yet here he was, forced to stand at the grill.
CLANG! CLANG!
The shop's door bell rang incessantly. Wave after wave of customers swarmed in, filling the avenue to capacity. What made it special was that almost all of them belonged to alien races, demi-humans, and beast-hybrids. They came here not merely to eat, but to show support and gratitude to the man who, alongside Ling Mo, had smashed the black market's illegal slaughterhouse and liberated the enslaved races.
Among them were beast-girl cuties with cat ears twitching in excitement, hulking beast-hybrid men, and even elegant Elves with noble, pointed ears. They squeezed into the cramped space of the shop just to catch a glimpse of the reluctant hero flipping burger patties over the hot stove.
Loona was also running at full capacity, carrying two brimming trays of food in both hands as she navigated between tables:
— "Here are your large burgers, everyone! Please enjoy your meal!"
A lion-hybrid man, boasting a majestic mane of fur, felt his sharp eyes soften at the young girl's enthusiasm, admiring aloud:
— "Wow, this little girl is so adorable. Unlike those arrogant purebloods out there who always look down on us with contempt, in this store, we are truly respected!"
Loona flashed a sunshiny smile, wiping sweat from her forehead:
— "There's no racial discrimination here! As long as everyone comes to support my brother, we're more than happy!"
— "Get me another large burger combo and a Sophion soda, please!" a hybrid customer sitting at a neighboring table raised his hand and called out loudly.
— "Right away, coming right up!" Loona replied spritely before dashing back behind the counter.
At that moment, the burger shop owner stepped out from the back room to check on the situation. Witnessing his shop—usually sparse with customers—now packed so tight that a long queue stretched all the way to the crossroads, the owner grinned so wide his mouth could barely close. Seeing Shin leaning against the grill with a dazed face from utter exhaustion, he walked over and patted his shoulder heartily:
— "Hey Shin, cheer up, my boy! You're about to get your wages doubled! Working so hard today—now the whole sub-district knows your name!"
Shin grimaced, his voice weak as if drawing his last breath:
— "Boss... save me... There are too many customers, can't you turn some away? I've been running around all day without a single second to breathe. Lucky Loona is here tallying up the bills, otherwise I'd probably drop dead right here!"
The owner widened his eyes, shaking his head violently:
— "Hey, turn customers away? You're working with so much heart, I ought to boost your bonus instead! Since the day it opened, my shop has never been this crowded. It's all thanks to you carrying the team—hang in there!"
— "Waaaah, my legs are actually about to snap..." Shin cried tears of utter helplessness.
Right then, a rabbit-hybrid girl with long white ears waved her hand at the counter, her voice sweet:
— "Handsome staff member Shin, can I order another large portion of crispy fries, please?"
Shin instantly switched into "professional service smile" mode, shooting a thumbs-up:
— "Right away, cute customer!" But immediately after, he turned back into the kitchen corner, muttering under his breath: — "What kind of crowd is this, there's insanely too many of them, waaaah..."
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While the burger shop was falling to the customer siege, the atmosphere at the old rented apartment was somewhat more peaceful.
Before the shop got packed, Kento had taken the opportunity to drop by and buy a large portion of fried chicken fried personally by Shin. Carrying the fragrant paper bag back to the room, he placed it on the small table next to the bed of Ling Mo—who was currently lying down with a stark white plaster cast on his leg.
Kento took a large bite out of a piece of chicken breast, chewing ravenously before pushing the food box toward his comrade-in-arms:
— "The chicken is really good. Want some, Ling Mo?"
Ling Mo sat up lazily, leaning against the headboard as he stared greedily at the box of fried chicken:
— "Gimme a piece, Kento. My stomach's been starving since last night."
Without a second thought, Kento reached into the box, rummaging around before handing him the biggest, golden-brown chicken drumstick:
— "Here, take the drumstick."
The two sat eating and drinking for a while. After finishing the meal, Kento thoughtfully prepared a large jug of filtered water right next to the bed, alongside a small plate of peeled fruits for Ling Mo's dessert. The kind landlady also happened to pass by occasionally, knocking on the door to ask about Ling Mo's leg and telling the two young men to rest assured and recover.
Having taken care of the injured comrade at home, Kento walked out onto the street alone. He didn't like sitting idly in one place—especially after his "White Oni" state flared up last night, he needed to release the excess energy lingering in his body. Kento's usual nature was to sweep through martial arts dojos, but today he chose to stop by a large, high-tech city gym.
In the heavy macro-weights section, Kento stepped up to a barbell fitted with ultra-heavy, compressed Sophion weight plates. He silently stacked the plates, the total weight displayed on the digital screen jumping to a number: 500 kg.
Without using a protective waist belt, Kento stood firm. Using only his right hand, he gripped the bar firmly and pulled it straight up effortlessly, as if lifting a bag of rice.
WHOOSH... BOOM!
The half-ton weight was lifted and lowered continuously in a steady rhythm, the muscles on his arms and shoulder blades coiling tight like solid rock. His deep, calm breaths echoed through the gym, leaving all the surrounding muscleheads frozen, staring in absolute terror.
— "Look... look at him? That's 500 kg, is this a joke? And he's lifting it one-handed?! What kind of monster is that guy?" a stranger stammered, dropping his water bottle onto the floor.
Several hot girls in the gym gathered from a distance, their eyes shining as they admired Kento's toned physique and perfect body proportions:
— "This guy's body is so hot, insanely masculine. I want to go up and ask for his contacts, but I'm too shy... His face is so stone-cold, he doesn't look easy to talk to at all."
Kento maintained his signature "deadpan" expression, powering through a sequence of high-intensity crazy workouts without taking a single second of rest. He muttered to himself internally:
— "A light warm-up like this is what feels good. Why does everyone keep staring at me today anyway? It's like my body is covered in dirt or something—such a pain."
By late afternoon, as the sunset over the Shin-Jinrui Central District began to fade, Kento strolled along the sidewalk heading back home.
SCREECH—!
A sleek, high-tech car boasting a luxurious matte-black finish abruptly pulled up to the curb, parking right in front of him. The falcon-wing door swung upward, and a well-groomed middle-aged man wearing a sharp suit stepped down, emanating a calm aura.
He looked at Kento, smiling elegantly:
— "Hello, young man. You must be Yanagisawa Kento, correct?"
Kento stopped in his tracks, his cold eyes narrowing slightly as his hand subtly took a guarded stance:
— "How do you know my name?"
The middle-aged man chuckled, waving his hand to signal he meant no harm:
— "You go by the alias 'White Oni' in the underground arena, don't you? This is hardly surprising. I was present last night and witnessed your overwhelming power firsthand. From what I know, your group's current financial situation is rather tight—you must be in desperate need of cash right now, am I right?"
Kento crossed his arms nonchalantly over his chest, jerking his chin up:
— "So what? You want me to work for you? Sorry, I don't serve or take orders from anyone besides my brother!"
The middle-aged man let out an intrigued exclamation, then explained:
— "Oh, you misunderstand. I have no intention of recruiting you as a permanent subordinate. I simply need a capable bodyguard to protect me at a high-society evening gala taking place tonight. Once the job is done, I'll pay you in full on the spot. 30,000 Sophion Coins. Deal?"
Saying so, he extended his right hand forward, waiting.
Hearing the figure of 30,000 Coins for just a single night—a sum more than enough to cover plenty of things right now—Kento's deadpan eyes flashed subtly. Without a moment's hesitation, he reached out and firmly shook the man's hand:
— "Deal."
— "Haha, that's the spirit!" The middle-aged man laughed out loud, turning to hold the car door wide open. "Let me take you. Attire suitable for the gala has already been prepared for you inside the car. Get in, White Oni!"
Kento stepped into the luxury vehicle. The high-tech car immediately accelerated, darting away toward the prosperous central district reserved for the elites.
Meanwhile, at the rented room, the clock struck late in the evening. The front door swung open, and Shin and Loona finally concluded their extended shift and returned home. Shin's face looked like a zombie that had just crawled out of a grave, yet he carried a large bag stuffed with burgers, fries, and fried chicken, along with a few bottles of soda—extra gifts from the kind store owner due to today's booming revenue.
Shin kicked the door shut with his foot, calling out loudly into the room:
— "Hey Ling Mo! Brought back delicious food!"
Loona exhaustedly dropped her backpack onto the floor, clutching her belly with a pouting face:
— "I'm so hungry, Shin... I've been running orders all day, I'm starved to death!"
Shin burst out laughing, pulling a giant crispy fried chicken leg from the bag and handing it to her:
— "Here, the biggest drumstick for you! Eat your fill, little sis, you worked hard today. As for Ling Mo in there... probably skipping dinner, right!"
From the bed inside, Ling Mo heard this and immediately yelled in protest:
— "Woah, woah! Who said I'm skipping, you guy?! Only my right leg is broken, my stomach is working just fine! Bring the food in here right now!"
Shin chuckled heartily, carrying the bag of food into the room. Glancing around and seeing no sign of his younger brother, he asked:
— "By the way, where's Kento, Ling Mo?"
Receiving his portion of burger, Ling Mo shrugged and shook his head:
— "Earlier this afternoon, after he finished his chicken, he went out saying he was going to train or something. Probably wandering around some martial arts dojo again, beats me—I can't control him."
Loona quickly grabbed a large burger, wrapped it carefully, and set it aside on a corner of the table, instructing:
— "Save this burger for Kento, Shin. So he has something to eat when he gets back later."
— "Okay, leave it there for him." Shin nodded.
And so, beneath the warm yellow light of the tiny rented room, the three gathered together, eating deliciously and chatting animatedly after a long day of running their legs off serving customers.
At the same time, inside the dressing room of the elite convention center at the city's core district.
Kento stood before a massive floor-to-ceiling mirror. He had stripped off his usual athletic t-shirt and pants, replacing them with a meticulously tailored black suit that fitted snugly around his tall frame, broad shoulders, and firm chest. His tie was neatly knotted, and his black hair fell softly over his forehead, tempering his usual sharp coldness while adding a mysterious, dangerous aura of a gentleman.
Kento lightly adjusted his collar, looking at his reflection in the mirror before casually remarking:
— "This suit... turns out it suits me pretty well."
END OF CHAPTER 30