In a remote, abandoned warehouse, a group of children with vacant expressions sat huddled together on the cold floor, as if drained of spirit, staring silently at the dozen or so human traffickers speaking before them.
They were frequently abused, stripped of the will to resist or escape. Crying brought beatings. Noise brought beatings. Even failing to eat the wretched food forced upon them brought beatings. And if they dared run, the punishment was far worse. These cruel experiences had already left deep scars on their young hearts.
The knowledge that resistance brought pain had carved itself into their instincts—a conditioned reflex. But after all, they were just children. Starved, malnourished, and often sick, they had neither the strength nor courage to fight. In time, they descended into a numb abyss of despair.
So even when these criminals forced them to beg on the streets, they didn't dare whisper a plea for help to the strangers passing by.
Perhaps, deep within their hearts, they still hoped for the arrival of a superhero from cartoons to rescue them and crush the villains. But that dream—childish and fantastical—had long faded into numb resignation.
Cartoons lie.
" Mom… Dad… if I ever make it back to you, I promise I'll be good. I won't be a picky eater. I won't make you mad again. "
" Mom… Dad… I miss you so much. "
Tears brimmed in the children's eyes, but they dared not cry. Tears meant beatings.
"The recent earnings are worse than before." The leader snarled, his face twisted with fury. "You little pests tired already? Let me be clear—if anyone slacks off, I'll deal with them myself."
At his words, the children shrank with visible terror.
"Heh… you know fear? Then work harder, you hear?" another trafficker said, grinning grotesquely, as if trying to appear friendly.
Suddenly, all the children turned their gaze behind the traffickers in unison, eyes flickering with a glimmer of hope unseen for so long.
"What are you looking at? Something behind us?" The traffickers turned—and saw a figure standing there.
He wore black-and-white striped clothes with a cape billowing behind him. A strange emblem was emblazoned on his chest.
"Who the hell are you? How'd you find this place?" the trafficker leader muttered, then turned to his crew. "Which one of you was followed?"
"You animals… do you have any conscience left?" It was Lin Yu. His voice trembled with anger. Seeing the children's lifeless eyes nearly pushed him to strike them all down on the spot.
"Hah! Look at this clown. You think wearing a costume makes you a superhero?" The leader scoffed, now emboldened by Lin Yu's solitary presence. He gestured to his men and approached menacingly. "Beat him up, then we move. Fast."
They had hideouts like this all over. Beat the intruder, relocate, and stay ahead of the cops.
"Fool. You should've called the police. Coming here alone? Now we'll beat you down and still get away.] The leader sneered as a dozen traffickers closed in. One swung a fist at Lin Yu.
"Pathetic." Lin Yu said calmly, effortlessly dodging the blow. In a flash, his figure turned into a white streak. One by one, the traffickers hit the ground, groaning in agony.
"Trash. You're not even worth healing." Lin Yu spat near them and walked toward the children.
Behind him, the traffickers lay sprawled, seriously injured. He didn't hold back—but stopped short of killing. This pain, at least, was a small measure of justice for the children.
"You're safe now. I'm here. The bad guys are gone." Lin Yu knelt and spoke softly, his face warm with compassion.
"Big brother… are you Superman?" one child whispered.
"Yes. I'm your Superman. I came to take you home," Lin Yu replied gently.
Waaaah! The children burst into tears. After enduring so much for so long, they could finally let go.
[ "Xiao Shu, activate your healing ability." ] Lin Yu said inwardly, staring at the maimed limbs of the abused children.
[ "Ability activation complete. Healing power awakened." ] came the system's prompt.
Feeling the warmth of new power coursing through him, Lin Yu extended his palms. A soft green glow enveloped the children, and their broken bodies mended beneath the gentle light.
At last, Lin Yu instructed Xiao Ai to contact the police. He told the children to wait patiently, then vanished into the shadows. He stayed hidden until officers arrived to arrest the traffickers and rescue the children.
With Xiao Ai, a silicon-based lifeform far more advanced than Earth's current tech, Lin Yu never worried about exposure.
"Mysterious figure dismantles human trafficking ring."
"Superhero? Enigmatic man destroys trafficking network, rescues abducted women."
"Justice may be delayed, but it never fails to arrive!"
"Brilliant! Masked savior busts trafficking rings worldwide."
"New age hero: unknown figure fights crime globally without seeking reward."
"Symbol of justice: does the rise of a mysterious superhero mark a new era?"
Such headlines filled global TV and internet screens.
Atop a tall building, Lin Yu stood calmly, his exhausted body catching its breath. It was already 5:30 PM. Since morning, he had systematically dismantled trafficking rings around the globe.
Don't underestimate him—he had the power to do it.
Xiao Ai scanned the internet for leads while he swept the globe with mental power, precisely targeting human trafficking gangs. His speed was more than enough.
Besides, even a moment's delay meant continued suffering for those children. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't let poison spread and destroy innocent families.
Along the way, he also stopped several other crimes—fires, suicides, car crashes. Even with his immortal body, he felt weary.
But what he had accomplished today filled him with joy. This small fatigue? It meant nothing.
Lin Yu had one strategy for all traffickers: find them, beat them down, alert the authorities, then disappear after ensuring the police took the kids and arrested the criminals.
He always left behind damning evidence. Not that it was needed. When officers arrived, they saw the words "Human Trafficker" freshly etched into the criminals' faces and the frightened children nearby. That alone spoke volumes.
"You did well today."
Lin Yu smiled, then soared into the sky like a meteor, flying home.