Shi Wenyan's fighting spirit was high, successfully piquing Mike's interest. However, what interested Mike was neither his fighting spirit nor his combat power.
Instead, it was the 'qi' used in the so-called 'immortal arts'.
Mike had always felt that humanity's application of energy, regardless of its strength or weakness, or the vast differences in its effects, was essentially similar, even across different times and Universes.
Just like Shi Wenyan in front of him, his 'qi' was very, very similar to chakra.
Of course, in terms of chakra volume, Shi Wenyan was probably only at the Genin level—here, Genin refers to normal Genin, specifically excluding exceptions like Uzumaki Naruto, Might Guy, and Hoshigaki Kisame.
Mike flipped his wrist.
Six kunai appeared between his fingers.
Whoosh!
He threw them out.
Two attacked the body, while the other four blocked escape routes.
In The Monkey King's eyes: the technique was exquisite.
Facing the attack, Shi Wenyan remained calm, extending and pulling his hands, creating a gravitational force out of thin air that caused all the kunai to miss wildly.
They shot into nothingness.
"Neither the Nine-Headed Dragon nor I will be defeated by such moves!" Shi Wenyan said in a deep voice, "Show me your true abilities!"
"Are you in a hurry to go back for a late-night snack, so rushed?" Speaking of late-night snacks, Mike was a little greedy, "Alright then, let's try something new."
The so-called 'killing intent' is not just a human illusion. Even in Worlds without supernatural powers, killing intent still exists, though sometimes it's not obvious.
For example, if someone around you is dressed politely and speaks elegantly, yet you instinctively want to stay away from him. When alone with him, you get goosebumps and feel a chill down your spine. At this point, you'd best trust your intuition.
For example, some people can always spot those in the butchering profession from a crowd at a glance.
Whether it's 'metaphysics' or not, it's open to interpretation.
Shi Wenyan saw Mike suddenly become still, enveloped in a layer of Shadow.
"Lighting issue?"
Shi Wenyan was puzzled; the surrounding lights were clearly normal.
Then he felt the air become thick.
Annoyed.
Extremely annoyed.
He wanted to pull his hair.
He wanted to scream.
He... even felt it would be better to die.
The World wasn't worth it.
When he looked directly at Mike again, Mike had transformed into a monster, completely black, with a wide grin revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth, and blood-red eyes.
The monster walked closer to him, step by step.
"Ah!!!"
Shi Wenyan flailed his limbs.
Then he awkwardly found himself lying in bed, with Director, Weather Witch, and The Monkey King beside him.
Director's expression was too serious, could it be?
Shi Wenyan quickly checked his body, only sighing in relief when he found no missing limbs.
Seeing the indignant expressions of Weather Witch and The Monkey King, Shi Wenyan's heart, which had just settled, rose again, and he subtly tightened his anus, hoping it wouldn't hurt.
Thankfully, it didn't hurt.
So why was Director so serious, and why were the two seniors indignant?
Where was Mike?
Zheng Xian observed Shi Wenyan's reaction, sighing inwardly: "Such a pure child he was in Penglai, and he's only been out for less than half a year. Where did he learn all this strange knowledge?"
"Hmph, it must be the new book by the author named 'I Don't Want Candy'. Just the pen name isn't proper—doesn't want candy, what does he want, honey? He constantly speeds and drives, and it was reviewed three times before it even went on sale! Sigh, only two chapters a day... Maybe I should give some recommendations and monthly votes, ahem, it's not that I want to read it myself, I just want to urge the author to write faster, finish sooner, and save little Shi, this pure kid."
"Director? Director!" Seeing Director's mind wander, Shi Wenyan thought, "Could it be that things have gone seriously wrong?"
"Cough, ahem." Zheng Xian snapped back, his eyes wise, without any trace of his thoughts speeding or driving, "Little Shi, what exactly happened? You just finished speaking, and Mike did nothing. In less than a second, you collapsed."
"Ah!" Shi Wenyan was stunned.
Less than a second?
It felt like more than a minute, didn't it?
Shi Wenyan recounted everything he had seen, heard, thought, and felt, without reservation.
After a moment of contemplation, Zheng Xian patted Shi Wenyan's shoulder: "You must have been hit by a precise mental attack after revealing a weakness."
As close observers, the three people below the stage did not notice Mike's abnormality, indicating that he had controlled it very well, with no excess mental energy escaping.
"Little Shi, don't be discouraged."
"Yes."
"Get some good rest."
"Mm."
With that, Zheng Xian walked away slowly with his hands behind his back, his aura of an old cadre completely different from his previous capable demeanor.
Weather Witch said indignantly: "He clearly lost the bet, and he not only cancelled the gambling by claiming it was illegal, but he also confiscated the stakes. Does a dignified Director have no shame? Is being Director so great?"
The Monkey King sighed: "Director is great..."
Shi Wenyan finally understood why the two of them looked indignant.
"Where's Mike?" Shi Wenyan asked.
"He left. He said he exercised a bit and needed to replenish energy, so he went for a late-night snack," Weather Witch replied.
Shi Wenyan: "..."
Throwing a few kunai and launching one mental attack, that's called exercise? He clearly just wanted to eat and found a random excuse.
The Monkey King complained: "He loves to eat so much, why doesn't he just make a Manchu Han Imperial Feast and eat himself to death? That way, the higher-ups wouldn't have a headache anymore."
Based on online recommendations, Mike went to a tea restaurant called "Tim Ho Wan," an affordable Michelin-starred restaurant.
He ordered [Baked BBQ Pork Buns], [Glutinous Rice Chicken], [Steamed Beancurd Skin Roll with Scallop and Golden Mushroom], [Pork Liver Siu Mai], [Steamed Pork Ribs with Fermented Black Beans], and [Spring Rolls with Chives and Shredded Chicken].
The waiter kindly reminded him that their restaurant portions were generous and one person couldn't eat that much.
Mike smiled and said he was a super big eater, and to just bring on the food.
Mike's eating style was so captivating that it drew the attention of the restaurant owner.
"Wow, the food is so good, it's finger-licking delicious!" Mike blurted out a Cantonese phrase, which delighted the owner so much that he immediately gave him a 40% discount.
Mike bowed repeatedly.
This made the S.H.I.E.L.D. employees following him twitch at the corners of their mouths.
Anyway, you don't have to pay.
Besides the tea restaurant, they were also in Sham Shui Po, so they took the opportunity to visit Apliu Street.
Passing through a small alley, the scantily clad young ladies were very 'rough'.
Charging forward with their chests!
Then they invited Mike to come up and sit for a while.
Mike politely declined.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. employees behind him were almost in tears, alright?
What if Mike had actually gone up?
Would they have to help pay the service fee afterward?
If they really did that, and the news got out that S.H.I.E.L.D. paid for 'female companion' services, their counterparts would mock them for a hundred years, and Director would transfer him to clean toilets until retirement.
Just as the S.H.I.E.L.D. employees breathed a sigh of relief, Mike hailed a taxi: "Yau Ma Tei, Lan Kwai Fong."
Just as the S.H.I.E.L.D. employees thought Mike was going to pick someone up, he instead left Lan Kwai Fong.
It wasn't very interesting, just a bunch of foreigners and female White-collar workers who looked like they were 'Made in the U.S.'.
Might as well go stroll around Temple Street, since it's also in Yau Ma Tei.
"So... he's not returning to the Peninsula Hotel." Near midnight, Zheng Xian received a call from his subordinate, "Where is he staying? What is he doing?"
"Regal Airport Hotel, gave it eighty points."
Zheng Xian knew the Regal Airport Hotel, it was near Hong Kong International Airport, but what the hell was 'gave it eighty points'?
Then his phone vibrated.
He received a picture.
Mike chatting and laughing with three Latin beauties.
Zheng Xian's mouth twitched.
What the hell eighty points.