Chapter 41: A Unique Short Film
At 9:00 AM the next morning.
Inside the stadium, A-Train was wearing his suit, standing in the middle of the track.
The director held up his hand.
"Three, two, one."
A-Train smiled at the camera.
"I come from an ordinary family."
"When I was a kid, my brother Nathan always told me that running isn't about running away from something."
"It's about running toward a better future."
The fan next to him started blowing.
The camera zoomed in.
A-Train looked down, staring at the old running shoes in his hands.
"I've fallen before."
"I've been doubted."
"But I've never stopped."
The director nodded behind the monitor.
"Good, very good, keep it up."
A-Train continued to smile.
"Because I know that as long as I run fast enough, I can make the world see me."
At the sidelines.
Madelyn Stillwell crossed her arms, watching all of this.
Her phone hadn't stopped ringing for a second.
An assistant walked over and lowered their voice.
"Ms. Stillwell, The Deep's video has been released."
Madelyn Stillwell took the tablet.
On the screen, The Deep was sitting on a gray sofa.
He was wearing a dark blue shirt, and his eyes were perfectly bloodshot.
"I am deeply sorry for the harm I caused Starlight."
"Some of my past actions were wrong."
"I will temporarily step down from The Seven, accept the company's arrangements, and reflect on myself."
He paused, then added another line.
"I also hope everyone can give me a chance to correct my mistakes."
Madelyn Stillwell shut off the video expressionlessly.
"How are the comments?"
The assistant hesitated.
"Very bad."
"How bad?"
The assistant handed over the tablet.
Top comment number one.
[He said he's temporarily leaving The Seven. Did he go to the bottom of the ocean to find animals to vent on?]
Top comment number two.
[Did his little willy release a separate statement?]
Top comment number three.
[I suggest Vought release a Deep-branded toothpaste, specializing in cleaning oral trauma.]
Madelyn Stillwell closed her eyes. She finally understood now.
The internet wasn't a battleground of public opinion.
The internet was a mental asylum.
...
In the studio next door.
The film crew was already prepared.
The lights were on.
The camera was aimed at an empty seat.
The teleprompter was scrolling through pre-written lines.
[I was once lost, but Vought gave me a second chance.]
The director glanced at the time.
"Where is everyone?"
No one answered.
The staff looked at each other.
The crew stood aside, their expressions turning more and more grim.
Madelyn Stillwell returned to her office, her frustration reaching its absolute limit.
Everything was spinning further and further out of her control.
"Starlight won't shoot. What about Homelander?"
Ashley swallowed hard.
"He refused to shoot."
Madelyn Stillwell turned around.
"The reason?"
Ashley glanced at her phone.
"He said his life cannot be contained in a three-minute commercial."
Madelyn Stillwell: "..."
A minor supervisor nearby whispered.
"At least that reason is more normal than Li Xing's."
Madelyn Stillwell looked at him.
"Where is Li Xing anyway?"
Ashley immediately lowered her head.
"He hasn't arrived yet."
"What time is it?"
"9:47."
When people are utterly speechless, they really do laugh.
Madelyn Stillwell laughed.
"Call him."
...
Li Xing's rented apartment.
The phone vibrated for the eleventh time.
Bibi Labu lay on the back of the sofa, poking Li Xing's face with his paw.
"Bro."
"If you don't wake up soon, Vought is going to change your status from 'The Seven' to 'missing person'."
Li Xing rolled over.
"Who's calling?"
Bibi Labu glanced at the phone.
"It's from Madelyn Stillwell."
Li Xing kept his eyes closed.
"Then don't answer it."
"Just ignore it."
The phone vibrated again.
Bibi Labu picked it up with his mouth and took a look.
"She sent a text."
"Read it."
Bibi Labu cleared his throat.
"Li Xing, get to the studio within ten minutes, or the company will re-evaluate your contractual obligations, resource allocation, team positioning, and public image management."
Li Xing opened his eyes.
"Translate."
Bibi Labu said.
"If you don't show up, this old lady is really going to mess you up."
"Mess with what?"
Li Xing sat up and scratched his hair.
He looked at the sunlight outside the window.
Then he looked at the clock on the wall.
"This Madelyn Stillwell really thinks she's a big deal. In a month at most, I'll kill her."
"Shooting a short film, right?"
Bibi Labu's eyes lit up.
"Are you going?"
"No."
Li Xing got out of bed and picked up his phone.
"We'll shoot it at home."
Bibi Labu was silent for two seconds.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
...
Ten minutes later.
Vought's PR Department email received a video file.
The file name was very simple.
[My Life.mp4]
Madelyn Stillwell was standing in the Conference Room.
A-Train's video was already shot.
Queen Maeve's video was being edited.
Black Noir's video only consisted of old footage of his back, drawing his sword, and saving a child.
It was very easy to use.
Because Black Noir didn't speak, and he wouldn't go crazy on the spot.
Madelyn Stillwell opened the video sent by Li Xing.
The big screen in the Conference Room lit up.
The screen shook slightly.
It wasn't a professional camera.
It looked like it was shot with a phone shoved right in his face.
Li Xing sat on the sofa, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, his hair messy, and his black T-shirt as wrinkled as if it had just been fished out of the washing machine.
Bibi Labu sat next to him, sunglasses hanging around his neck, chomping on a cigar.
The two of them looked at the camera together.
Li Xing spoke.
"Jesus Christ."
In the Conference Room, several supervisors frowned at the same time.
What the hell?
Li Xing leaned back.
"What are you looking at?"
"Do you think you can understand my life from a three-minute short film?"
He took the cigarette out of his mouth and threw it hard toward the camera, sparks flickering in front of the lens.
"Fuck you, dumbasses."
"Eat my shit."
Ashley stood up abruptly.
"Turn it off!"
Madelyn Stillwell raised her hand.
"Keep watching."
On the screen.
Li Xing turned his head.
"Come on, Bibi Labu."
"Show them a trick."
Bibi Labu looked at the camera.
He slowly stood up.
Everyone in the Conference Room felt the same sense of unease.
The next second.
Right before the screen went black, Bibi Labu lifted his hind leg.
Whoosh.
A warm stream...
The video ended.
The Conference Room fell dead silent.
Everyone tacitly chose to look down at their documents, pretending they hadn't seen anything.
Madelyn Stillwell stared at the black screen.
It had been a very long time since she had wanted to strangle someone this badly.
Ashley's voice was dry.
"We can't use this."
Madelyn Stillwell looked at her, suddenly feeling incredibly exhausted.
Ashley pulled out her phone, her tone sounding a bit off.
"Ma'am."
"He posted it himself."
Madelyn Stillwell froze.
"What?"
The assistant opened the Twitter page.
Li Xing's account.
Just posted.
The caption was only one sentence.
[Short film, shot it blindly.]
The video below was indeed the footage from just now.
The view count began to jump.
50,000.
200,000.
1 million.
3 million.
The comments exploded.
[He feels so real.]
[LMAO, I'm so sick of Vought's usual crap.]
[Bibi Labu is the true face of The Seven.]
[So even Satan watches Shameless.]
Ashley whispered.
"The approval rating among teenagers is rising."
"To what?"
"Just over sixty."
She paused for a few seconds.
"Seventy now."
Another ten seconds passed.
"Eighty."
No one in the Conference Room spoke.
A-Train's short film had just gone online.
The title was: [Never Stop Running.]
Queen Maeve's short film was also online.
The title was: [Power is for Protecting.]
Black Noir's short film was titled: [Silent Supporter.]
The three videos were very clean, very decent, very Vought.
Li Xing's looked like a confession shot by a street punk who had just been released from a detention center.
Yet, it was the most popular.
Madelyn Stillwell looked at the data panel.
She suddenly realized something.
Vought had always been manufacturing heroes.
But what young people wanted to see now wasn't heroes.
It was someone who could flip the table.
And Li Xing was very good at flipping tables.
...
At the same time.
Li Xing had already changed his clothes.
The elevator doors opened.
The two of them walked in.
Bibi Labu suddenly asked.
"Where are we going now?"
"An abandoned cold chain warehouse."
A standalone freezer, with walls that have been sealed.
No external water source.
Suitable for testing.
Also suitable for burying people.
"Finding a place to test ways to die."
Bibi Labu stood up straight.
"Wait, are you actually doing this?"
"I thought you were just having a late-night emo phase last night, saying some edgy lines."
Li Xing watched the elevator numbers count down.
"Vought is looking for a way to kill me."
"I have to find it before they do."
Bibi Labu quieted down.
He usually had a big mouth.
But he knew this was no joke.
Li Xing was very strong now.
But being strong didn't mean he couldn't fail.
Homelander was strong enough, yet he still had weaknesses.
There was no absolute safety in this world.
Unless Li Xing exposed all his weaknesses himself first.
The elevator reached the first floor.
The doors opened.
A black SUV was parked outside the building.
Black Noir was standing by the car.
He didn't speak.
He held a small notebook in his hand.
Li Xing raised an eyebrow when he saw him.
"Aren't you working?"
Black Noir lowered his head and wrote.
[I took a leave of absence.]
Bibi Labu leaned in.
"And the reason?"
Black Noir flipped a page.
[Feeling unwell.]
Bibi Labu looked at his fully-armed appearance.
"Your 'feeling unwell' looks like you're about to wipe out a terrorist stronghold."
Black Noir wrote again.
[I can record.]
Li Xing looked at him.
"Record what?"
Black Noir wrote.
[How you die.]
Li Xing smiled.
"Sure."
"Then you'll be in charge of collecting the body."
Black Noir nodded.
Bibi Labu's voice got a bit quieter.
"Whose body?"
Li Xing pulled open the car door.
"Depends."
The car drove away from the apartment.
The giant screens on the street were still playing Vought's short films.
A-Train running, Queen Maeve smiling, Black Noir silent.
Then there was Li Xing's self-shot video, surrounded by young people watching it on the sidewalk.
In the video, Li Xing was swearing with a cigarette in his mouth.
Outside the video, a group of high schoolers was laughing hysterically.
Bibi Labu looked out the window.
"How badly do you think Vought wants to kill you right now?"
"They've always wanted to. Otherwise, they wouldn't be looking for ways to kill me."
The car drove into the edge of Queens.
The abandoned cold chain warehouse stood on the empty lot.
The iron gates were rusted.
A faded Vought logo was still pasted on the wall.
Black Noir got out of the car and went in first to clear the area.
A few minutes later, he poked his head out of the doorway and nodded.
Li Xing walked in.
The inside of the warehouse was very cold.
The ground was dry, the pipes were all sealed, and there was no noticeable moisture in the air.
Bibi Labu sneezed as soon as he walked in.
"This place isn't bad."
"It really has that vibe of an illegal experiment where three die and one escapes."
Li Xing stood at the entrance of the freezer.
The door was ridiculously thick.
There was an old nameplate on it.
[Low Temperature Isolation Zone]
Black Noir pulled the door open.
It was pitch black inside.
Li Xing took a look.
"First test."
"No external water source, sealed low temperature, for six hours."
Bibi Labu swallowed.
"Six hours?"
"What if you can't get out?"
Li Xing handed him his phone, cigarette pack, and lighter.
"Then you'll inherit my gear and my will."
Bibi Labu didn't take them.
He cursed.
"Psycho."
Li Xing smiled and walked into the freezer.
Black Noir stood by the door.
He wrote a line of words and held it up for Li Xing to see.
[If you lose consciousness, I will break down the door.]
Li Xing nodded.
"Don't do it too early."
The door began to close.
Cold air surged out from the gap.
Li Xing stood in the darkness and raised his hand.
His palm began to liquefy.
As soon as the water droplets appeared, they froze into thin ice in the low temperature.
The next second.
The door shut completely.
The indicator light outside turned red.
Bibi Labu stared at the door.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Ten minutes.
There was no sound inside the freezer.
Black Noir lowered his head and wrote notes in his notebook.
Bibi Labu paced back and forth at the door.
"Damn it."
"If he really dies, who am I going to follow as my boss?"
Chapter 42: Really Hard to Kill
Outside the freezer.
The red indicator light was on.
The machine started running.
Bibi Labu crouched at the door, staring at the sealed gap.
"It's been an hour."
Black Noir lowered his head and wrote in his notebook.
[One hour. Indoor temperature: minus sixty-two degrees. No external water source.]
Bibi Labu took a look.
"You're actually writing it down."
Black Noir nodded.
Bibi Labu looked back at the freezer.
"Do you think if he freezes into a popsicle in there, it counts as illegal disposal of a corpse?"
Black Noir wrote.
[It doesn't.]
Bibi Labu let out a sigh of relief.
Black Noir continued writing.
[It counts as assisted suicide.]
Bibi Labu: "..."
Inside the freezer.
Pitch black.
Li Xing stood in the center.
The low temperature was eroding his skin.
At first, Li Xing's breath could still turn into white mist, but after ten minutes or so, the moisture in the air was sucked away bit by bit by the machine.
Dry, cold, sealed.
Li Xing raised his hand, and his fingers liquefied.
As soon as the water flowed out of his skin, it froze into a thin layer of ice, sticking to his joints.
The next second, the ice cracked and flowed back into his palm.
He could control it, but the speed had slowed down significantly.
But at least his ability was still there.
Li Xing closed his eyes.
His body began to liquefy, starting from his right arm.
The water flowed along his arm toward his shoulder, chest, neck, and face, melting away inch by inch.
But this time, it wasn't as smooth as usual.
The moisture in his body was locked by the low temperature as soon as it left its form.
He turned into a translucent human ice sculpture.
His consciousness was still there.
But it was like being separated by a layer of glass.
Li Xing tried to move.
The ice layer made a faint sound.
Crack.
A crack appeared on his shoulder.
There was no pain.
The low temperature couldn't kill him, but it could effectively restrict him.
Outside.
Bibi Labu had already started pacing in circles.
"Two hours."
Black Noir wrote.
[Two hours. Silent.]
Bibi Labu couldn't help but raise a paw and knock on the door.
"Bro?"
No one responded.
He knocked again.
"Li Xing?"
Still no sound.
Bibi Labu looked at Black Noir.
"Didn't you say you'd break down the door if he lost consciousness?"
Black Noir wrote.
[Cannot confirm.]
"Then how do I confirm it? Doesn't that make this fucking Schrödinger's Li Xing?"
"I won't even know if he freezes into ice shavings later."
Black Noir looked at the door, seemingly finding some logic in that, and then drew a short blade from behind his waist.
Bibi Labu immediately backed away.
"Calm down, buddy."
Black Noir placed the tip of the blade against the door gap and gently pried open the outer seal.
A blast of cold air sprayed out from inside.
He lowered his head to listen.
No breathing, no footsteps, no sound of water.
Black Noir's hand stopped, and Bibi Labu also stopped; he suddenly fell silent.
A few seconds later, Black Noir wrote a line in his notebook.
[I'll break the door.]
Bibi Labu didn't insist otherwise.
"Break it."
Black Noir raised his leg.
Bang!
With the first kick, the heavy freezer door shook all over.
The rust and dust on the wall fell.
Bang!
With the second kick, the door hinge deformed.
Bang!
With the third kick, the door frame cracked.
Black Noir was just about to deliver the fourth kick.
A voice suddenly came from inside the door.
"Stop kicking, I'm alive."
Bibi Labu looked up sharply.
"Holy shit!"
The door lock clicked open.
The freezer door slowly pushed open.
Li Xing stood behind the door.
His hair was covered in a layer of white frost, half of his face was still translucent ice, and the other half was recovering its flesh.
His right hand was lying on the ground.
To be precise, it was a frozen arm.
Bibi Labu stared at that hand.
"You... your parts fell off."
Li Xing looked down.
"Yeah."
He raised his foot and kicked the arm back into the freezer.
Splat.
The ice shattered.
The ice shavings melted into water, crawled along the floor toward his ankle, and merged back into his body.
A few seconds later, his right hand grew back.
Black Noir stared at Li Xing.
Then he lowered his head and wrote.
[Result?]
Li Xing walked out of the freezer.
"Low temperature is effective."
Bibi Labu's expression changed.
"Effective to what degree?"
"It can't kill me."
"But it can restrict my movements."
Li Xing flexed his wrist.
"If the temperature were lower, combined with a waterless environment and forced immobilization, I'd be in a lot of trouble."
Black Noir wrote it down.
[Low temperature: Restriction, non-lethal.]
Li Xing looked toward the depths of the warehouse.
"The second item."
Bibi Labu's ears perked up.
"There's more?"
"Of course."
Black Noir pulled out an old metal box from the side.
Inside the box was equipment prepared in advance.
Vacuum bags, industrial dehumidifier, high-voltage cables, flamethrower.
Bibi Labu looked at the pile of things, his dog face wrinkling.
"Superhumans are just too overpowered."
Li Xing picked up a cable and connected one end to the generator.
"The third item, high-voltage electricity."
Black Noir stood by the switch.
Li Xing walked to the center of the warehouse.
An insulating board had been laid on the floor in advance.
He reached out his hand.
"Start with low setting."
Black Noir nodded.
The switch was flipped.
Zzzzt!
Blue-white electric light instantly surged up Li Xing's arm.
His body stiffened.
A burnt smell rose from the surface of his skin.
The next second, his entire arm liquefied, and the current surged along the water, leaving several black marks on the floor.
Li Xing frowned.
It wasn't pain.
It was his consciousness being disturbed by the current for a moment.
Very short.
But dangerous enough.
"Stop."
Black Noir immediately turned it off.
Bibi Labu leaned in.
"How was it?"
Li Xing looked at his arm.
The water form reformed into a human hand, but the fingertips were still trembling slightly.
"The current can interfere with control."
Black Noir wrote.
[High-voltage electricity: Briefly interferes with consciousness and form stability.]
Bibi Labu cursed.
"Those bastards at Vought really don't get paid for nothing."
Li Xing smiled.
"That's why we have to test it first."
"Keep a record."
"Low temperature, electric shock, waterless environment."
"All quite effective."
Bibi Labu heard this and got anxious.
"Then aren't we in danger?"
Li Xing had a mischievous smile.
"Nonono, it's you who's in danger."
Bibi Labu had a look of utter despair.
"We shouldn't be splitting hairs at a time like this."
Li Xing continued.
"But there's a problem."
"Vought has to catch me first."
Black Noir stood to the side, lowering his head to write.
[Continue the test?]
Li Xing looked at that line of text.
"Continue."
Bibi Labu looked up.
"Still continuing?"
Li Xing walked toward the industrial dehumidifier.
He took off his coat and stepped into the temporary transparent isolation chamber set up in the center of the warehouse.
The chamber door closed.
The dehumidification pipe was connected.
The humidity began to drop.
Thirty percent.
Twenty.
Ten.
Five.
Li Xing's body began to dry out.
Tiny cracks appeared on the surface of his skin.
Bibi Labu stared into the chamber, his voice dropping.
"Don't go too far this time."
Li Xing leaned against the chamber wall.
"Afraid I'll die?"
Bibi Labu turned his head.
"Afraid if you die, no one will buy me cigars."
Li Xing smiled.
The humidity reached zero.
The air felt hollowed out.
Li Xing attempted to liquefy.
This time, his body didn't turn into water smoothly.
There was a stutter between his flesh and water form.
He could feel that the water inside his body was still there.
But there was no external supply.
His mental power was like a hand, trying to forcibly grasp every drop of water.
This was the core.
It's not that he dies without a water source.
Li Xing closed his eyes.
He began to dismantle himself.
Skin, blood, muscles, bone marrow.
Layer by layer.
Every bit of moisture was marked, every drop was controlled.
A few minutes later.
The figure in the isolation chamber disappeared.
Only a mass of suspended water remained.
Not much.
Very little.
Like a transparent sphere the size of a heart.
Bibi Labu's eyes widened.
"Where's the person?"
Black Noir also stopped his pen.
The water sphere moved slightly.
Then it turned into a puppy.
A transparent little beagle.
Bibi Labu: "..."
He was silent for three seconds.
"Do you have any manners?"
The water dog raised a paw and gave him the middle finger.
Bibi Labu exploded.
"You fucking used my face to flip me off!"
Inside the isolation chamber.
The water dog turned back into a water sphere.
And stretched back into a human form.
Li Xing stood there.
Skin reappeared.
He opened his eyes.
He raised his hand and knocked on the chamber wall.
"Record."
Black Noir lowered his head.
[Extreme dryness: Cannot be lethal. Requires higher precision control, can transform into core water form.]
Bibi Labu opened his mouth.
"Core water form?"
Li Xing pushed open the chamber door and walked out.
"In other words."
"If there's no water outside, I use myself."
"As long as my consciousness remains, even a single drop of water is enough for me to come back."
"But if that last remaining drop of water is gone, then I'm gone too."
The warehouse went quiet for a moment.
Black Noir looked at Li Xing and nodded thoughtfully.
Bibi Labu held back for a long time.
"Badass."
"Although you turning into me just now made me really want to call the police."
"But I've discovered that trying to kill you is really quite difficult."
Chapter 43: She Is Different
Elsewhere, on The Boys' side.
Kimiko sat on the edge of the iron bed; she had woken up.
There was no screaming, no struggling.
She hugged her knees, calmly watching everyone on the other side of the room.
Frenchie squatted in front of her, holding a bag of potato chips.
"Bonjour, kitten."
Kimiko didn't react.
Frenchie pushed the potato chips forward.
"It's not a trap."
"Although I know this place looks like a trap."
MM stood to the side, arms crossed.
"Your opening line is truly reassuring."
Frenchie turned his head back.
"She needs gentleness, mon ami."
MM glanced at the guns, chains, medical kits, and various other things on the floor that looked quite unsafe.
"You call this gentleness?"
Frenchie shrugged.
"It's gentler than Butcher."
No one refuted this statement.
Butcher stood at the top of the stairs, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, staring at Kimiko.
His eyes were cold.
In his eyes, there were only two types of Superhuman.
Those that have already caused trouble.
Those about to cause trouble.
Hughie stood next to him, still clutching that crucifix brooch in his hand.
He still hadn't recovered; the events at the Diamond Clubwere simply too hard to forget.
Butcher glanced at him.
"Come out."
Hughie was stunned for a moment.
"What?"
"I said, come out."
Butcher turned and went upstairs.
Hughie looked at Kimiko, then at Frenchie.
Frenchie waved him off.
"Go ahead."
... Upstairs.
Old tables and chairs were piled up in the back kitchen of the abandoned restaurant.
Butcher leaned against the freezer and lit a cigarette.
Hughie stood by the sink.
There was a layer of rust in the sink.
Butcher exhaled smoke and got straight to the point.
"Have you slept with Starlight?"
Hughie almost choked on air.
"What?"
Butcher looked at him.
"You heard me."
Hughie blushed, then immediately suppressed it.
"What does this have to do with anything right now?"
Butcher laughed.
"Of course it does."
"You are dating a Superhuman."
Hughie fell silent.
Butcher took a step forward, his pressure mounting.
"Let me tell you, right now she smiles at you, tells you the truth, holds you while she cries."
"But she wears Vought's suit, eats Vought's food, and stands in The Seven."
"Guess what, if she knew you killed Translucent, would she still be with you?"
Hughie looked up.
"She is different."
Butcher's laughter stopped.
"Everyone says that at the beginning."
Hughie looked at him.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Butcher stubbed the cigarette out on the metal cabinet.
"My wife."
Hughie froze.
Butcher rarely mentioned her.
"Becca."
When he said the name, his voice didn't change.
But Hughie saw his hand pause for a moment.
"Homelander slept with her, and then killed her."
The back kitchen went quiet.
Butcher was actually a bit confused in his heart; Li Xinghad told him that Becca wasn't dead, but he couldn't find any news about her at all.
The color drained from Hughie's face.
"What?"
Butcher looked at him without repeating himself.
Hughie's lips moved.
"Homelander?"
"That... Homelander?"
Butcher let out a laugh.
"How many other blonde animals in capes do you know?"
Hughie didn't speak; the image of Homelander on TV surfaced in his mind.
The man hailed as the totem of the American spirit.
He knew Vought was rotten.
He knew superheroes would kill, would lie, and would treat ordinary people as data.
But the name Homelander still felt like a higher moral wall.
Now Butcher was telling him that behind that wall was nothing but blood, and this world was even more rotten than he imagined.
Butcher stepped closer.
"So, Hughie."
"Don't fall in love with her."
Hughie looked up.
Butcher said.
"Don't trust her."
"Don't give your life to any Superhuman."
"Think clearly, who is your enemy, and who is your friend."
Hughie gripped the brooch tightly.
"Starlight is not Homelander."
"What about Li Xing?"
Butcher stopped him cold with that one sentence.
Hughie fell silent.
Butcher stared into his eyes.
"You were with him last night."
"Ezekiel is dead."
"You are covered in blood."
"And he had you bring the message back."
Hughie said in a low voice.
"He saved me."
Butcher sneered.
"He is using you."
Hughie looked up.
"What about you?"
The air stilled for a moment.
Butcher's eyes darkened.
Hughie knew he shouldn't have said that.
But the words were already out.
"You are using me too, pulling me in; you know I hate A-Train."
"You know I want answers, and you've been pushing me all along."
"So am I just a pawn for you too?"
Butcher looked at him.
A few seconds later, he laughed.
"That's right."
Hughie froze.
Butcher's face was almost touching Hughie's.
"I use you."
"I use MM."
"I use Frenchie."
"I use everything I fucking can."
He took another step forward.
"Because Vought won't stop just because you're kind."
"Homelander won't kneel just because you're reasonable."
"This world isn't your video store."
Hughie's breathing grew heavy.
Butcher lowered his voice.
"If you want to survive, learn to get a little dirty."
"If you want to take them out, don't treat Superhumans like people."
Hughie looked at him.
"What about Starlight?"
Butcher turned his head.
"You will know the answer."
"I'm leaving now, heading to the CIA."
... Meanwhile, MM and Frenchie invited a washed-up Superhuman.
Mesmer.
His ability was to access a target's memories through touch.
From the memories read by Mesmer, Frenchie and MM learned some very explosive news.
Vought wasn't just injecting babies with compound v; they were also secretly injecting adults to create Superhumancriminals.
After these "monsters" were created, Vought would then have superheroes step in to eliminate them, thereby creating panic.
In this way, only by allowing Superhumans into the military system could the country be safe.
Butcher quickly realized that this wasn't an isolated incident, but an entire plan by Vought.
And Vought had started laying the groundwork long ago.
... At the same time.
Li Xing's rental apartment.
The curtains were drawn.
The air conditioning was set to the lowest setting.
Having finished the test, Li Xing lay on the bed, covered with a blanket, looking like a patient who had just snuck out of the hospital.
Bibi Labu lay beside him, puffing on a hookah with a gurgling sound.
A glass of water sat on the nightstand.
The surface of the water was very still.
But at the bottom of the glass, there was an extremely thin line of water extending along the corner of the wall, the drainpipe, and the street drainage system, stretching all the way to several blocks away.
The water was listening, listening to the sounds of every household.
Li Xing was crazily training the intensity of his abilities, whether it was precision or mental power.
Every vibration, every word was transmitted back to his consciousness by the water in the pipes.
"Hey, my husband is out, you can come out of the closet now, I'm so itchy."
"Can you get some more of this stuff next time? The suction is strong and it's powerful; this is the best product I've used all year, it's awesome."
"I haven't been paid this month yet, I won't be able to afford the limited edition Homelander doll."
Li Xing opened his eyes, cut off the water line, and sat up from the bed.
Through his phone, the conversation of The Boys was heard clearly by Li Xing.
The plot was moving forward bit by bit in the direction he had predetermined.
Vought's side was also reacting very quickly.
The short film that Homelander and Starlight refused to shoot had been forcibly pieced together by Madelyn Stillwell using AI.
Ashley was fired by Madelyn Stillwell due to a huge work error.
The Deep had already left The Seven and was currently standing by a roadside gas station on the way to Sandusky.
On TV, his apology video was playing on loop.
No sooner had he stepped out of the car than his car window was smashed by a passerby throwing a rock.
"Fuck you, you stinking fish dick."
Chapter 44: Betrayal
CIA Headquarters.
The Newton's cradle on Deputy Director Susan's desk was swinging incessantly.
The silver balls clicked back and forth.
Click.
Click.
Click.
It was very quiet in the office.
The door was open.
Butcher strolled in through the doorway, carrying a brown paper bag in his hand.
He glanced at the Newton's cradle on the desk.
"This thing of yours looks like an old man's balls."
Deputy Director Susan looked up.
Butcher grinned.
"Sagging."
"Lifeless."
"And it rattles like hell when the wind blows."
Deputy Director Susan reached out and stopped the Newton's cradle.
The office fell completely silent.
She looked at Butcher.
"Do you actually have compound v or not?"
Butcher sat down opposite her and placed the paper bag on the desk.
The bag was bulging.
Inside were photographs.
Refrigerated sample vials.
And internal hospital records.
Butcher pressed his palm onto the bag.
"I have compound v."
"Evidence that Vought is injecting it into infants all over the country."
He paused there and chuckled.
"And there's something even more fucking evil."
Deputy Director Susan's expression didn't change.
But her fingers moved away from the Newton's cradle.
"Worse than drugging babies?"
Butcher stared at her.
"These sons of bitches never have a bottom line."
"They're injecting compound v into adults, artificially creating Superhuman criminals."
Deputy Director Susan reached for the paper bag.
"Send it to the lab first; I need to confirm the sample purity and verify the chain of custody."
The bag didn't move.
Butcher held it down with two fingers.
Deputy Director Susan looked at his hand.
Butcher pulled another piece of paper from his jacket and slapped it onto the desk.
"Don't be so hasty."
"There are other important matters to attend to."
Deputy Director Susan picked up the paper and glanced at it.
She laughed.
"Hmm?"
"Your list of demands."
Butcher leaned back in his chair.
"Read it."
Deputy Director Susan looked down.
"Exorbitant pay, uniform for all team members."
"Office location at the Flatiron Building."
"Security clearance, immunity clauses, legal protection."
"A formal statement."
She looked up.
"Declaring that Homelander and Li Xing will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
The office was silent for another second.
Deputy Director Susan put the paper down.
"That's so like you."
Butcher spread his hands.
"Which part is a problem?"
"None."
Deputy Director Susan said.
"I have to consult my superiors."
She reached for the paper bag again.
"While they discuss it, let's continue our good-faith cooperation. Give me the samples, and I'll arrange the next steps."
Butcher laughed.
He still didn't let go.
"I don't believe in good faith anymore."
Deputy Director Susan paused.
Butcher leaned forward.
"We both know you can approve those immediately."
"So what's your choice, Deputy Director?"
Deputy Director Susan looked at him.
After a long while.
She pushed her chair back a little.
"I can approve it."
Butcher narrowed his eyes.
"Everything you want on the list, I can give you."
Deputy Director Susan said.
"Except for Homelander."
"And Li Xing."
The smile vanished from Butcher's face.
"You know what Homelander has done."
"I know."
"You know what Li Xing is."
Deputy Director Susan looked at the paper bag on the desk.
"I know that too."
Butcher's voice dropped.
"Then why are you still pretending?"
Deputy Director Susan looked up.
"I sympathize with you, Butcher."
"Truly."
"But doing this is undoubtedly suicide."
Butcher nodded.
"Yes."
"That's just a small price to pay, isn't it?"
Deputy Director Susan's voice turned cold.
"If you provoke the two of them, thousands of people will die."
"Homelander could slaughter half of New York."
"Li Xing is even more troublesome."
She picked up an internal report and threw it onto the desk.
"Vought's internal assessment suggests he may possess liquefaction, urban water source perception, damage transference, and physical immunity."
"You don't even know if he can be contained."
"To put it hyperbolically, if his abilities are strong enough right now, he could simply flood all of New York."
Butcher sneered.
"You're fucking scared."
Deputy Director Susan stood up, palms pressed on the desk.
"Of course I'm fucking scared."
"You should be scared too."
The two of them stared at each other across the desk.
One wanted to tear the sky open.
The other knew how many people would be crushed when it fell.
Deputy Director Susan lowered her voice.
"You want Vought's illegal experiments, I'll help."
"You want money, weapons, identities, I'll help."
"You want me to sign off on the CIA prosecuting Li Xingand Homelander?"
"Butcher, I am not God."
Butcher picked up the paper bag and tucked it back into his jacket.
His eyes were filled with disdain.
"Then don't sit in God's seat."
He finished speaking and turned to leave.
Deputy Director Susan walked around the desk.
"Butcher."
"Butcher!"
The door was pushed open.
The secretary outside was startled.
Butcher walked past her, casually taking a peppermint from the candy jar at the front desk.
The secretary opened her mouth.
Deputy Director Susan stood at the office doorway, watching his back.
Butcher unwrapped the candy and popped it into his mouth.
He didn't look back.
...
Safe house.
Butcher pushed the door open and entered.
Everyone looked at him.
MM spoke first.
"How did it go?"
Butcher threw the paper bag onto the table.
"No chance."
Butcher lit a cigarette.
"I told her everything."
"I even showed her the compound v samples."
"She said she couldn't authorize such an operation against Vought; the risk is too high."
MM frowned.
"You gave her the samples?"
Butcher exhaled smoke.
"I took them back."
"Now we have to rely on ourselves."
He looked at everyone.
"Just us."
...
A few streets away.
A cheap motel.
Mesmer sat on the edge of the bed, his packed luggage beside him.
The television volume was turned down low.
Vought News was playing on the screen.
Starlight's scandal.
The Deep's apology.
Ezekiel's death.
And that public video of Li Xing cursing.
Mesmer watched the numbers jumping in the comment section, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Now even lunatics can be idols."
There was a knock at the door.
Three times.
Not hurried.
Not heavy.
Mesmer stood up and walked to the peephole.
There was no one outside.
He had just breathed a sigh of relief.
A voice came from behind him.
"Hello."
Mesmer froze, startled.
He turned around slowly.
Homelander was standing behind him, his cape trailing on the floor, the tips of his boots treading on the motel's filthy carpet.
Mesmer's lips began to tremble.
"Home... Homelander."
Homelander smiled.
"Don't be nervous."
"A-Train said you have some information."
Mesmer's forehead broke out in a sweat; he quickly pulled his phone from his pocket.
"Yes, I have some of what you want."
"A Brit, a Black man, and an Asian woman..."
"I think these are the people you're looking for."
Homelander paused, looking at the picture on the phone.
Mesmer spoke rapidly, as if grabbing a lifeline.
"They're investigating compound v."
"They have samples."
"They even know about Mercy Hospital."
"They even know Vought is creating adult Superhumancriminals."
Homelander's smile slowly faded.
The TV in the room was still playing.
The host was saying Vought would protect every family.
Homelander reached out and gently patted Mesmer on the shoulder.
Mesmer almost collapsed to his knees.
"You've done very well."
Mesmer looked up, his eyes red.
"If possible, could you put in a good word for me with Vought's upper management?"
"Give me a job; I want to be a good person too."
"Even if the monthly salary is only five figures, I can accept that."
Homelander looked at him.
Revealing a smile so gentle it was unreal.
"Of course."
"Your intelligence is worth such a job."
Mesmer breathed a sigh of relief.
Homelander looked at him, his eyes suddenly glowing red, and Heat Vision pierced straight through Mesmer's brain.
"But unfortunately, in the next life."
Homelander brushed the dust off himself and turned toward the window.
People like Mesmer, since they would betray once, would definitely betray a second time.
Homelander hated betrayal, so when facing someone like Mesmer who might betray at any moment.
The best approach was immediate elimination.
...
Rental apartment.
Li Xing was lying on the bed.
The water in the cup vibrated slightly.
He opened his eyes.
The phone on the table was vibrating.
Caller ID.
Homelander.
Bibi Labu's dog face stiffened.
"What's up? It's so late, does Homelander want to have an in-depth conversation with you again?"
The phone was still vibrating.
Li Xing picked it up.
Answered.
It was very quiet on the other end of the line.
After two seconds, Homelander's voice came through.
"Brother."
"Where are you?"
Li Xing looked out the window.
In the distant sky, a red and blue shadow was hovering below the clouds.
"At home."
Homelander also laughed.
"Good."
"Then I'm coming to see you."
The call ended.
Bibi Labu stood up slowly from the sofa.
"Brother."
"Is he already upstairs?"
Li Xing looked up.
A soft sound came from the ceiling.
Thump.
Chapter 45: Everyone Has Secrets
The ceiling creaked.
It wasn't a knock at the door.
Nor was it someone stepping on the floorboards.
It was the concrete slab upstairs, pushed by something.
Bibi Labu looked up, watching the dust fall.
It was silent for two seconds.
"I suddenly realized something."
Li Xing threw his phone onto the table.
"What?"
Bibi Labu sat on the sofa, expression calm.
It raised a claw, pointing at the ceiling.
"I've decided that from today on, I will respect every unique way of entering a room."
Just as he finished speaking.
Boom!
The ceiling collapsed.
Concrete slabs, rebar, and soundproofing cotton crashed into the living room.
Dust billowed up.
Half of the upstairs tenant's rug hung down, and a pair of pink slippers slid off the edge of the hole, landing with a clatter beside the coffee table.
This time, the glass didn't break.
Homelander dropped down through the hole.
His cape hung behind him.
His boots crushed a floor tile.
He looked down at the slippers on the floor, then looked up at Li Xing.
"Li."
Li Xing sat by the bed, holding a cigarette pack.
He looked at the ceiling, then at Homelander.
"You know I have a door, right?"
Homelander smiled.
"I know."
"Then why don't you use it?"
Homelander walked to the sofa and sat down.
The sofa sank down.
"Because doors are too slow."
Bibi Labu looked down at his hookah.
Just now, the mouthpiece got bent.
It clutched its hookah, eyes full of heartache.
The dust in the room hadn't settled yet.
Screams came from upstairs.
Someone was shouting for the police, others were shouting about an earthquake.
Homelander looked up.
"Quiet."
Upstairs went silent instantly.
Li Xing took a drag of his cigarette.
Homelander leaned back on the sofa, as relaxed as if he were in his own home.
But his eyes remained fixed on Li Xing.
"Last night, at the Diamond Club..."
Before Homelander could finish, Li Xing exhaled smoke.
"Yeah."
"I killed Ezekiel."
Homelander paused.
He had prepared a few sentences.
But Li Xing's answer was so fast, so fast that he didn't get to use them.
Bibi Labu turned to look at Li Xing.
"Bro, your confession game is way too smooth."
Homelander laughed.
"You admit it?"
"Is there any need not to?"
Homelander stared at him.
"Why?"
Li Xing flicked the ash into a cup.
"He insulted me."
"Insulted you how?"
Li Xing thought for a moment.
"Said I shouldn't have humiliated him in public, said I destroyed faith, said I would be judged by God sooner or later."
"I was annoyed listening to it, so I inflated him until he popped like a balloon."
Homelander looked at him.
A few seconds later, he laughed out loud.
"Just because of that?"
"Just because of that."
Bibi Labu muttered softly.
"Very much in line with New York City's requirements for spiritual civilization construction."
Homelander leaned forward a little.
"When you went, did you see Hughie?"
Li Xing looked at him.
"Hughie? No."
"I thought you left after you baptized him."
"What's wrong?"
Homelander looked into his eyes.
The room went quiet.
There was the sound of pipes in the corner.
Cars passed on the street below.
Homelander's breathing was steady.
He was listening to Li Xing's heartbeat.
If the heartbeat was faster than usual, or half a second slower, Homelander could immediately determine if he was lying.
But Li Xing was a master of lying.
Li Xing leaned against the headboard, cigarette between his fingers.
His heartbeat wasn't fast.
It was even a bit lazy.
Homelander stared for a dozen seconds.
Li Xing suddenly said.
"What are you investigating?"
Homelander put away his phone.
"Someone is investigating compound v."
Bibi Labu's ears twitched.
Li Xing didn't move.
"Who?"
"Some rats."
Homelander's tone became indifferent.
"A Brit, a Black guy, a Frenchman, and that short guy."
He paused.
"And an Asian woman."
Li Xing was thoughtful.
"Sounds like a budget Avengers."
Homelander didn't laugh.
He looked at Li Xing.
"Starlight has been in very frequent contact with Hughielately."
Li Xing's smoking motion paused.
Just for a moment.
Homelander caught it.
"You knew?"
Li Xing said.
"I happened to run into them while bowling the other day."
"They seemed to have a good relationship, I guess they're boyfriend and girlfriend."
Homelander's expression turned cold.
"She's disobedient too."
Li Xing said.
"The little girl just joined the company; her worldview hasn't been formatted by Vought yet. It's normal."
Homelander looked at him.
"Are you speaking up for her?"
Li Xing laughed.
"No, I'm just stating facts. Her idol is Maeve. Think about how long it took Maeve to adapt to Vought's rhythm."
Homelander didn't speak.
Although he didn't understand Starlight, he understood Maeve.
Back then, Maeve was also very rebellious, didn't listen to anyone's commands, and didn't follow the rules.
The current Starlight really does have a bit of the shadow of the old-school Maeve.
Li Xing crushed the cigarette with his fingers.
"Starlight is currently the center of public opinion."
"The Deep just got kicked out, Ezekiel just died."
Homelander's eyes narrowed slightly.
Li Xing continued.
"If you move against Starlight at this time, what will the outside world say?"
"That The Seven are collectively silencing people."
"That Vought is rotting from the inside."
The last sentence fell.
Homelander's face completely lost its smile.
Bibi Labu shifted half an inch into the corner of the sofa.
This was a bit dangerous.
Homelander didn't like this statement.
But Li Xing didn't stop.
"You can crush her to death."
"But now is not a good time."
Homelander looked at Li Xing.
For a long time.
Then he laughed.
"You always know how to say things very nicely."
Li Xing said.
"This is called core workplace competitiveness."
Homelander leaned back on the sofa.
"What about that Hughie? Are you sure you didn't see him?"
Li Xing spread his hands, affirming.
"When I killed Ezekiel, there was only Ezekiel in that place."
"I think he must have left before I arrived."
Homelander's gaze shifted.
Li Xing looked at him.
"If I had seen him, I would tell you."
Homelander asked.
"Why?"
Li Xing laughed.
"Because I hate people messing around behind my back."
He picked up the water glass on the table.
The water in the glass swayed gently.
"If that group is really investigating compound v, they will eventually investigate me."
"At that time, they will either want to kill me."
"Or they will want to use me."
"I don't like either of those things."
Homelander's expression softened a bit.
He believed this reason.
Because Li Xing was never a saint.
And he didn't pretend to be one.
If a bad guy says he fights for justice, Homelander would be suspicious.
If a bad guy says 'I'll kill anyone who touches me', Homelander finds it sincere.
Bibi Labu sighed inwardly.
It's over.
The trust mechanism between lunatics has closed the loop again.
Homelander stood up.
"Meeting tomorrow."
Li Xing raised his eyes.
"What meeting?"
"A meeting between us The Seven."
Homelander said.
"We haven't sat down and had a good chat in a long time."
"The current The Seven are all harboring ulterior motives, hiding their own secrets."
He said this, looking at Li Xing.
"You have secrets too."
Li Xing said.
"People without secrets are boring."
"I have them, you must have them too..."
Homelander walked to the window.
His face was reflected on the glass.
Li Xing's words were very interesting.
"I hate betrayal."
Li Xing said.
"I hate it too."
Homelander turned his head.
"If you encounter that group."
Li Xing continued.
"I know what to do."
Homelander finally smiled.
"That's my brother."
He walked up to Li Xing and patted his shoulder.
The force was not light.
An ordinary person's bones would have shattered.
But Li Xing's shoulder only swayed slightly.
Homelander looked down at his shoulder.
"I feel like you've gotten stronger."
Li Xing said.
"Maybe I slept well last night."
Homelander's lips curled up.
"Tomorrow morning at ten."
"Vought Tower."
"Don't be late."
Li Xing asked.
"What if I'm late?"
Homelander glanced at the ceiling.
"I'll come pick you up."
The next second, he flew out.
Not through the window.
The same way he came.
Boom!
The ceiling was hit and made a bigger hole again.
A woman's distraught crying came from upstairs.
"My kitchen!"
Bibi Labu sat in the ruins.
Dust fell on its head.
It slowly turned its head to look at Li Xing.
"Can I curse now?"
Li Xing walked under the hole and looked up.
"Go ahead."
Bibi Labu took a breath.
"Homelander, I f*** you—"
Before it could finish.
A sound came from the distant sky, and a Heat Visionbeam landed on the edge of Bibi Labu's tail.
"I just don't understand it, I'm not deaf, you little silly dog."
Bibi Labu looked at its burning tail and quickly shut up.
Three seconds later, it looked up and added.
"Brother John, be happy every day."
"Love you."
Li Xing couldn't hold it anymore.
He picked up his phone; the screen was still on the call log.
Homelander's name was at the very top.
The smile on Li Xing's face slowly faded.
Mesmer was dead.
Homelander knew about The Boys.
He didn't know yet that Hughie and Li Xing had met last night.
But this couldn't be hidden for too long.
Especially Starlight.
She was the line most likely to be exposed.
Bibi Labu shook the dust off its body.
"What are you planning to do for the meeting tomorrow?"
Li Xing walked to the sink.
Turned on the faucet.
The water flowed down.
He reached out his hand.
"Watch the show first."
"See who reveals their hand first."
Bibi Labu asked.
"Then what if Homelander really wants to kill Starlight?"
Li Xing watched the water flow.
"Depends on the situation."
"What situation?"
Li Xing turned off the faucet.
"See if killing her benefits me."
Bibi Labu was silent.
This is very Li Xing.
And very real.