Chapter 167: Where Did I Go Wrong?
"Twenty-eight minutes, unanimous approval."
Neuman placed the newly printed bill in front of Lu Chen.
From the moment she submitted the proposal to Congress until the final aye vote was cast, it took less than half an hour.
The lawmakers, who usually argued for months over tens of millions of dollars in appropriations, were more eager than ever today. There were no inquiries, no amendments, and no one even mentioned unconstitutionality.
Lu Chen opened to the first page.
"Special Authorization Act for the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs."
Mandatory registration, independent law enforcement, internal judiciary, scientific research regulation, and livelihood security—every power that could be given was handed over. The Bureau of Superhuman Affairs did not have to pay federal taxes and would receive billions of dollars in special appropriations from the fiscal budget every year.
"They certainly are generous."
"Because it is taxpayers' money," Neuman said, sitting opposite him, "and no one wants to be the first person to oppose you."
That was the main point.
That air force Base from last night was still burning. Members of Congress might not understand Superhumans, but they certainly knew how to save their own heads.
Lu Chen closed the file.
"Did the President sign it?"
"He signed it three minutes after the bill was sent over." Neuman paused. "He even voluntarily proposed listing the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs as a top-level federal cooperative agency."
Lu Chen chuckled.
This old bastard was about to step down, so of course he didn't feel any heartache signing it. Sending out billions in financial appropriations in exchange for a safe departure from the White House was a profitable deal no matter how you calculated it.
"Release it according to plan."
"Understood."
At two o'clock that afternoon, Vought International officially submitted a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization application to the court.
At 2:05 PM, the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs announced its establishment.
Its office location was the former Vought Tower.
The Vought logo on the exterior wall had not yet been completely dismantled, and the construction team was already hoisting up a new silver emblem. The entertainment department inside the building was completely cleared out, and the studios, celebrity lounges, and hero merchandise warehouses were all vacated and converted into archives, evaluation centers, and temporary detention areas.
At 3:00 PM, hundreds of media outlets globally started broadcasting live simultaneously.
The plaza outside the former Vought Tower was densely packed with media carrying cameras and microphones.
"Starting today, Vought is over."
Lu Chen rested his hands on the podium, his gaze sweeping across the audience below.
"Superhumans will no longer be packaged, priced, and sold by an entertainment company. Compound V will no longer be a commodity that capital can trade privately."
Lu Chen didn't care whether these media outlets liked it or not. As long as the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs could control registration, Compound V, and law enforcement rights, public opinion was nothing more than the final layer of packaging.
Furthermore, with anti-Superhuman sentiments running so high right now, those who were unaware of the inside story might think this was an agency established by the government specifically to manage Superhumans.
Though saying that was pretty much hitting the nail on the head.
"The highest decision-making body of the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs will be the Directorate Meeting, with me serving as the Director."
"Capital parties, Superhuman representatives, and administrative executives can obtain consultative seats, possessing the right to advise and the right to a hearing."
Just as a few financial group representatives in the front row straightened their backs, Lu Chen added the second half of the sentence.
"No decision-making power."
That tiny bit of expectation that had just risen was honestly pressed back down.
That was right.
He needed tools, not a second board of Directors.
"The Superhuman Registration and Archives Department will be led by Professor Brink, Dean of the School of Crimefighting at Godolkin University."
Professor Brink on the other side immediately stood up and flashed an appropriately timed smile at the camera.
"I will establish a globally unified ability assessment and grading standard to ensure that every Superhuman receives an accurate and professional evaluation."
Lu Chen glanced at him.
Professor Brink had spent half his life selling out his students; his eye for judging the value of Superhumans was truly unrivaled. Having such a person organize archives was far more useful than letting him continue being some bullshit mentor.
"The Compliance and Internal Oversight Department will be led by Stan Edgar."
A muffled murmur instantly broke out below the stage.
Stan Edgar sat in the front row, merely raising a hand to adjust his cuffs.
"I will audit all internal funds, personnel, and projects within the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs. Any violations will leave a price to pay."
Old foxes belonged in positions like this.
Letting someone most familiar with capital methods keep an eye on capital meant that anyone who wanted to cook the books, stuff personnel in, or hollow out departments had to first ask whether Stan Edgar could see through it.
The answer was obviously yes.
"The Scientific Research and Technology Department will be led by Sage and her technical team. All Compound V data, samples, and experimental projects must be handed over unconditionally."
"Future research directions will include Compound V iteration, as well as civilian conversion in the fields of medical care, rehabilitation, and medical aesthetics."
Hearing this, the eyes of the financial group representatives finally lit up.
This was the reason they were willing to kneel and wait in line.
Super soldiers might not be publicly sold, but life extension, organ repair, and body enhancement could squeeze out a terrifyingly large market. As long as the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs was willing to share the meat, even zero point one percent of it could feed them full.
"The Public Affairs and Propaganda Division will be led by Ashley."
The camera immediately turned to Ashley.
When she stood up, her high heels almost twisted her ankle, yet the professional smile on her face stubbornly remained unchanged.
"We will... will establish a transparent and efficient communication mechanism to ensure the public gets true information."
Don't stutter.
Don't fall.
After Ashley sat down, her fingers were still trembling under the desk. She had been promoted. She no longer had to look at Homelander's expression; as long as she hugged the thighs of the man on stage tightly, she might be able to live very well in this new World.
"The Administration and Logistics Department will be led by Victoria Neuman."
Victoria Neuman stood up with a calm expression.
"The global station, financial, personnel, and material systems will be set up in the shortest possible time."
Political power was gone, but administrative power remained.
As long as she was useful, Zoe was safe. As for what the position was called, she didn't care at all.
Lu Chen continued, "The position of Minister of the Law Enforcement and Discipline Department is temporarily vacant and will be directly supervised by me."
This position could not be filled with just anyone.
The fists of the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs had to be hard enough and also obedient. Insufficient strength could not suppress Superhumans, and a problematic brain might turn every law enforcement action into Carnage.
A suitable candidate still needed to be considered further.
At the end of the press conference, Lu Chen signed the first directive of the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs.
"Within one month, all Superhumans must go to the Registration and Archives Department to complete identity registration, ability evaluation, and grading."
"Registrants will receive new identification documents and receive logistics appropriations based on their ability, employment, and living conditions."
A reporter in the audience mustered up the courage to raise a hand.
"What if they refuse to register?"
Lu Chen looked at him.
"Arrest, fine, imprisonment."
"Those who fail to register past the deadline will be uniformly regarded as illegal Superhumans. Any institution that privately hides Compound V data, samples, or research results will be dealt with in the same manner."
There was no room for ambiguity.
Giving money, giving identity, giving legal survival channels. If they still refused to register, it wasn't because they feared supervision, but because they were preparing to make trouble.
Less than ten minutes after the press conference ended, the registration website of the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs was crashed by traffic.
Lu Chen did not stay at the building any longer.
The framework was already built, and the remaining matters were left to those professionals. Managing everything personally would only trap him to death behind a desk.
In the evening, he returned to the Detroit research institute.
This place had been completely emptied out, with only the underground cryogenic zone still maintaining power.
Butcher and the others were locked up separately, while Bomb Sight lay inside a cryogenic chamber.
Lu Chen walked toward the console.
These people should be properly dealt with now.
At the same time, in a motel by the highway.
Soldier Boy stared at the live broadcast on television and reached out to turn up the volume.
"The position of Minister of the Law Enforcement and Discipline Department is temporarily vacant?"
He grinned, picked up the liquor by the bed, and took a gulp.
Collect a salary, slack off, and go out to have a vicious fight when something happens. This job was simply tailor-made for him.
After all, in his cognition, apart from Lu Chen, no one could beat him.
"Damn it, this kid finally did something like a man."
Soldier Boy grabbed his jacket and shield, and strode out of the room.
"This minister position, I'm taking it."
On a farm around New York, Homelander stared fixedly at his mobile phone screen.
Applause, camera flashes, live broadcasts all over the World.
These should all have been his.
He was America's hero, and he should be the one standing on stage accepting everyone's adoration. Lu Chen was just a thief who suddenly popped up, stealing Vought, stealing power, and stealing the attention that should have belonged to him.
But what could rushing out there accomplish?
He couldn't beat him.
This answer made his teeth grind audibly.
Did he have to go back and admit his mistake?
Homelander stared at Lu Chen on the screen, the anger on his face slowly turning into grievance.
"But where did I go wrong?"
"You were clearly the one who started it first!"
Chapter 168: Father Catches Son
"Take off the mask."
Lu Chen looked at Black Noir, who was guarding the entrance of the cryogenic zone.
Black Noir did not hesitate. He raised his hand to unbuckle the strap and removed the black mask, revealing the face of a young Black man.
The current Black Noir would not betray, would not question, and would only execute his commands.
He was strong enough, spoke little, and was just right to be put into the Enforcement and Discipline Department.
As for that face, the Superhuman Bureau was not an entertainment company, and there was no need for him to continue playing a mysterious hero.
"Go to the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs and report to Neuman. Your new post is in the Enforcement Department."
"Yes."
"You are temporarily responsible for arresting illegal Superhumans who refuse to register. Capture them alive if you can, and if they resist fiercely, you can cripple them."
Black Noir nodded and turned to leave.
This was what a good employee should be.
He took no salary, raised no conditions, and was absolutely obedient.
Lu Chen came to the detention area and pressed the switch on the console.
Click.
Three cells were unlocked simultaneously.
Hughie leaned against the wall, staring at the slowly opening alloy door, unable to react for a long time.
His last memory still lingered on when he was at his wits' end and injected temp v into his body.
And then, when he woke up, he was in a cell.
"Uh... Are you going to let me go?"
In the next cell, Mothers Milk strode out.
He wasn't as panicked as Hughie, but his tensed muscles and tightly clenched fists betrayed his emotions.
He stared at Lu Chen, his eyes filled with undisguised hostility.
"It seems so, but I don't think it's a good thing."
He remembered clearly.
Annie released a light wave, A-Train knocked Kimiko flying, and Lu Chen appeared from behind him and choked him unconscious.
In the last cell, Butcher walked out rubbing his neck. He first scanned the surroundings, confirmed there was no escape route, and then cast his gaze back onto Lu Chen.
He had already roughly guessed what was going on.
He had been used as a tool.
Through and through.
"Now that you're out, listen to me."
He didn't give them time for pleasantries.
Lu Chen briefly explained the changes that had taken place in the outside world over the past few days.
Vought filed for bankruptcy reorganization, and its core assets, Compound V data, and global stations were all transferred to the Superhuman Bureau.
Congress passed a special authorization bill, requiring all Superhumans to register from now on and accept capability assessments and unified management.
Hughie was dumbfounded listening to this.
"Wait a minute, you mean... Congress gave you independent law enforcement power as well?"
"And internal judicial power."
"How is that possible?"
"It took twenty-eight minutes."
Hughie opened his mouth and closed it again.
But Mothers Milk stared at Lu Chen.
"So we've been working for you all along?"
"You wanted to kill Homelander, and I wanted to deal with Vought. Our goals just happened to coincide for the time being."
Lu Chen had never regarded this matter as deception.
Butcher was willing to do anything for revenge. Even knowing there was a pit in front of him, he would still jump into it.
The only difference was that the person standing by the pit used to be Mallory, and now it had been replaced by himself.
Besides, he had indeed helped these people achieve most of their goals.
Vought had collapsed, Compound V was no longer privately trafficked by capital, and Superhumans had been reined in.
Lu Chen looked at the three of them.
"In view of the fact that you've helped me a lot, I'll give you a chance."
"If you are willing to stay and serve in the Superhuman Bureau, you can stay. Investigation, logistics, enforcement—take your pick. The treatment won't be bad, and you won't have to live hiding from federal agents anymore."
Hughie's eyes lit up slightly.
He didn't like fighting and killing.
If Superhumans could really be brought under management, at least no one would walk down the street and suddenly be smashed into a pool of blood by A-Train.
But he didn't dare agree immediately.
Things were changing too fast, and he still hadn't figured out whether temp v had left him with any sequelae.
"What if we aren't willing?" Mothers Milk asked.
"Leave on your own."
Butcher narrowed his eyes.
"So generous?"
"You're not worth me wasting a cell on."
Lu Chen paused for a moment, and his tone turned cold.
"If you want to continue seeking revenge on Homelander, I won't interfere. Handle your personal grievances yourselves."
"But if you're still going to be like before, dragging dozens of people into killing a single superhuman and treating all Superhumans like damned monsters, then I'll deal with you first."
Lu Chen looked at Butcher first.
"If you mess around again, Becca will die."
The smile on Butcher's face vanished.
"Don't threaten me with her."
"This isn't a threat, it's a consequence."
Lu Chen turned to Mothers Milk.
"Your wife and daughter will die too."
Mothers Milk clenched his fists, but didn't take a single step forward.
Finally, there was Hughie.
"And your father."
Hughie's face turned pale.
Lu Chen's gaze fell back onto Butcher.
"Don't expect me to be as merciful as Homelander, who could crush you to death at any time yet let you cause trouble time and time again."
"Whoever crosses the line, I will eliminate."
No one spoke.
The hatred in the depths of Butcher's eyes was almost uncontrollable, but the name Becca forcibly held him back.
Mothers Milk was struggling just as much.
Family had always been his bottom line.
Lu Chen couldn't be bothered to wait for them to give an answer right now.
"Go. Give me a call if you need anything."
Hughie visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
At least he didn't have to decide whose life to sell himself to in the future right at the prison door.
His mind was a mess right now, and he just wanted to leave this ghost place first and check out the situation outside.
Just as Butcher was about to speak, Hughie grabbed his arm.
"Let's go, let's get out of here first."
"Let go of me, I haven't..."
"Butcher, shut up."
Mothers Milk also stepped between the two of them.
Spouting harsh words again was meaningless.
This was Lu Chen's turf; if he really pissed him off, the newly opened cell door could be shut again at any time.
The three of them quickly disappeared at the end of the corridor.
Lu Chen took out his phone and dialed Soldier Boy's number.
The phone rang for almost a minute before the other side finally answered.
"Fuck! Why does this thing have so many damn buttons?"
Lu Chen held the phone a little further away.
"You'll grow to like it soon."
"I like the radio. At least that thing doesn't vibrate in my pants."
Soldier Boy cursed a couple of times, then changed the subject.
"What, you finally willing to hand over the head of the Enforcement Department to me? Back when I led Payback..."
"Do me a favor first."
Lu Chen directly interrupted him.
If this old fellow kept bragging, World War II would become something he won single-handedly.
Soldier Boy was somewhat displeased.
"Speak."
"Find Homelander and bring him back."
"Just that cheap knockoff?"
"If he doesn't agree, tell him this is his last chance. Next time I'll do it myself."
Lu Chen thought for a moment and added another sentence.
"Don't use your chest blast, you won't hit him."
The other end of the phone was quiet for two seconds.
"That last time was because I had just woken up and couldn't control it!"
Soldier Boy's voice instantly pitched higher.
"Just that cheap knockoff isn't even worth me using that move. I can beat the crap out of him even with just my fists."
"Bring him back, and the department head position is yours."
"Keep the position saved for me."
Soldier Boy snorted coldly.
"I'll make that fake understand who the real hero is."
The call hung up.
Lu Chen contacted Annie and Cate separately.
"The new organization has just been established, and inevitably someone will be pulling small tricks inside. Pick any department to join, and keep an eye on things for me. Report any issues directly."
Annie quickly agreed.
Cate only asked one question.
"Can I see you every day?"
"Should be able to."
"Then I'll go."
Having finished dealing with these matters, Lu Chen came to the last cryogenic pod and pressed the unlock button.
White cold air surged out. Lu Chen grabbed his wrist, dragged him out of the freezer, and buckled the oxygen mask mixed with novichok back onto his face.
The panel then unfolded.
[Copyable Ability]
[Super Physique LV6]
[Bomb Dive LV4: Treat oneself as a solid aviation bomb and smash it toward the target, destroying the target relying on kinetic energy and an indestructible physical body.]
[Immortality LV6]
"Select, Super Physique."
[Target ability locked.]
[Super Physique LV6, starting to Copy.]
Chapter 169: Education in Love
Bureau of Superhuman Affairs, top-floor Director's office.
Cate leaned back in Lu Chen's spacious leather office chair, her long legs resting casually on the desk as she flipped through the action briefings compiled by various departments.
"Chief secretary to the Director."
She softly murmured the title she had given herself, a smile curving the corners of her mouth.
This position was simply too perfect. Everyone who wanted to see Lu Chen, and every proposal meant for him, had to pass through her hands first. She had rightfully become the gateway between Lu Chen and the outside World.
She picked up her phone and dialed that exclusive number.
"Darling, the Sage has sent over three more proposals."
As Cate's voice came through the phone, Lu Chen was lying in bed continuing his Copy.
Over the past few days, he hadn't left the research institute for even a single step.
"Get to the point, and remember to use official titles during work."
"They have already obtained all the Compound V data from World War II to the present, including the initial experimental concepts, successive formulas, and failure records."
Cate flipped through the documents.
"The Sage says Vought's past research direction was entirely wrong. They pursued being stronger and faster, but couldn't solve the problems of random abilities and infant mortality rates. She wants to re-break down the formulas to complete the perfect Compound V you requested."
"Let her continue, approve whatever is needed directly."
"Understood, Director." Cate agreed readily, but didn't hang up, "Also, 762 Superhumans completed registration today, and three Danger-level ratings appeared in the ability evaluations. The Law Enforcement Department has already sent people to keep an eye on them."
"Mhm."
"The Logistics Department is applying for a two-billion-dollar budget increase."
"Approved."
"Annie wants to requisition two transport planes."
"Approved."
Cate paused for a few seconds.
"I changed my clothes today."
Lu Chen glanced at his phone.
Did this sentence have even the slightest bit to do with those previous proposals?
"Does it look good?" Cate pressed on.
"I didn't see it."
"That's why I'm asking when you'll be back."
"Barring any accidents, in a few days."
"Then I'll wait for you."
Cate hung up the phone with satisfaction.
On the other side, Annie ultimately chose the Logistics Department.
Instead of sitting in an office, she dragged Mei who had been persuaded by her to run all over the settlement sites left behind by Vought. Not every child who was privately injected with Compound V could become a superhero.
Some had legs that grew into intertwined masses of flesh, some had skin that continuously hardened and could only be soaked in medicinal liquid, and others couldn't control their abilities and were locked in the Underground Room by their parents.
Annie pushed open the iron door of an Underground Room, and the smile on her face completely vanished when she saw the boy cowering in the corner.
"Who allowed you to lock him up?"
The boy's father blocked the doorway and hurriedly explained.
"He hurts people! When he goes crazy, he can crash right through walls, and we have no other choice."
"So you put him in iron chains?" Mei snapped the chains and casually tossed them onto the ground, "Now there is a way. We are taking him with us."
"Wait, he's my son!"
Annie turned around.
"You can apply for visitation at the Superhuman Bureau."
She used to always feel that as long as Vought was exposed, everything would get better. After truly taking over this mess, she discovered that what Vought left behind was far dirtier than a skyscraper.
Fortunately, someone was finally managing it now.
A large number of Superhumans began registering, and the few who refused to register quickly saw Black Noir. When encountering those willing to reason, Black Noir was responsible for bringing them back. When encountering those unwilling to reason, he would break their legs first before bringing them back.
The process went smoothly.
Only Homelander was still on the run.
In the past few days, he had changed his hiding place four times.
An abandoned farm, a cabin in the mountains, a motel, and even an uninhabited mine. Yet every time he had just settled down, Soldier Boy was always able to track him down following the news, surveillance footage, and eyewitness accounts from passersby.
This time, as soon as Homelander flew out of the motel, a roar came from below.
"You sissy who only knows how to run!"
Standing in the middle of the highway, Soldier Boy looked up and cursed, "Flying around in a tight suit makes you think you're a real man? Get down here! I'm going to teach you how to use your fists today!"
Homelander hovered mid-air; he didn't want to fight.
Yet these days of fleeing had likewise ground away his last shred of patience.
The days of running made him see through a lot of things. He used to always think those people loved and adored him because he was an irreplaceable hero. Now he understood it was all bullshit. They were simply afraid of his power. Once there was someone even more unreasonable like Lu Chen, those consortia and executives immediately changed Masters like dogs.
"Get lost." Homelander turned around, red light flickering in his eyes.
"Oh, still glaring?" Soldier Boy sneered, taking a step forward, "Come on, shoot right here at me. You inferior knockoff, what else can you do besides glare with your eyes? Coward! Did Vought create you just to show the World what a soft-spined loser looks like?"
Coward.
Softie.
These two words pierced into Homelander's nerves like needles.
He had had enough.
Boom!
Homelander swooped down, smashing a fist toward his face.
"Bring it on!"
Soldier Boy didn't dodge or avoid, raising his shield to take it head-on.
After blocking this blow, Soldier Boy raised his hand and grabbed Homelander's cape.
The two crashed together in a ball on the highway.
Homelander swung his fists, repeatedly smashing them onto Soldier Boy's face. Soldier Boy deflected the fists, his right hand striking heavily against Homelander's bridge of the nose, followed immediately by another punch blasting into his chin.
Homelander staggered backward, blood from his nose flowing into his mouth.
"Is that all the strength you've got?" Soldier Boy spat out a mouthful of spit and delivered a backhanded uppercut.
Homelander learned to be smart this time. He didn't take it head-on; his feet left the ground and he abruptly shot up over a dozen meters, dodging the punch.
Two streams of Heat Vision swept down.
Soldier Boy raised his shield to block, and just as he prepared to rush over and drag him down, Homelander had already flown to the other side, blasting two more red lights onto his back.
"Have the guts to come down!"
Homelander found his rhythm. He didn't land at all, just floating up in the sky. Relying on his maneuverability, he would circle to the left to fire off two shots of Heat Vision, then fly to the right to sweep around.
Soldier Boy was burned so badly he cursed up a storm. He grabbed a car, utility pole, and even half a security door off the ground, hurling them with force toward mid-air.
When all the throwables nearby had flown up into the sky, Soldier Boy stood amid a ground of burning wreckage, finally out of options.
"Fuck! I hate things that fly!"
Seeing that Soldier Boy was helpless against him, the long-repressed frustration in Homelander's heart finally dissipated by more than half.
His long-lost confidence returned.
He descended slowly, stopping ten paces away from Soldier Boy as his cape fluttered in the heat waves.
"Did you see that?" He wiped away his bloody nose, "I am the perfect one."
Soldier Boy suddenly smiled.
"Right, there's something I forgot to tell you."
"What?"
"Actually, Lu Chen sent me this time. He advised you to go back with me, otherwise—"
Homelander's expression froze.
"Otherwise what?"
Answering him was a shield slammed straight into his face.
Bang!
Following closely behind, Soldier Boy punched him right on the nose, pinned the back of his head, and landed two more punches.
"So you like flying!"
"Shooting lasers, huh!"
"Fucking perfect!"
Homelander was beaten until stars danced before his eyes. With an angry roar, he suddenly burst forth with immense force, finally throwing Soldier Boy flying away.
Soldier Boy rolled twice on the ground and steadied himself, finally venting his anger.
He slowly uttered the second half of the sentence.
"If you don't go back with me, next time Lu Chen will be the one who comes."
Homelander's action of preparing to rush up and fight to the Death came to an abrupt halt.
"Although it sucks, I have to admit, he's much stronger than me now."
Homelander stood in place.
He couldn't escape.
He couldn't win.
Going back might mean losing everything; refusing to go back meant Lu Chen would come looking for him personally. By then, even staying alive would likely depend on the other person's mood.
Fear and humiliation battled frantically in his mind.
Watching him fall into deep thought, Soldier Boy grinned and added another sentence.
"Right, he probably flies faster than you too."
Homelander stood in place, his expression changing over and over.
A minute passed.
Soldier Boy completely lost his patience. He pulled out his phone, clumsily pressed the screen, and prepared to call Lu Chen to clean up the mess himself.
"I'll go with you."
The voice was very quiet.
Soldier Boy's actions stopped. He looked at Homelander's submissive appearance, so timid he didn't even dare lift his head. For some reason, an unnamed rage surged up in his heart, even stronger than the one from being beaten just now.
"Damn it, loser."
Soldier Boy shoved his phone back into his pocket and turned to leave, not even wanting to look at Homelander another glance.
Homelander froze.
Watching the retreating figure of Soldier Boy striding away, the panic in his heart instantly exploded.
"Where are you going?" Homelander panicked, quickly chasing after him, "Didn't you agree to take me away? What does this mean now?!"
Chapter 170: Into the Masses
[Copy Complete]
[Super Physique LV6 (Fusion Enhancement) has solidified]
Lu Chen withdrew his hand from Bomb Sight's shoulder.
Yet another Level 6 ability.
As the fusion ended, his already near-unbalanced body was strengthened once again. Muscles, bones, internal organs, and every single cell were completing adjustments at an extremely fast speed.
This enhancement was not like simply stacking strength; it was more like patching up all the existing shortcomings in his body.
Lu Chen felt it for a moment before taking out his phone and dialing Soldier Boy's number.
"What is it?"
Soldier Boy's tone was sharp, obviously still not recovering from Homelander's pathetic look just now.
"Did you catch him?"
"He agreed to come with me himself," Soldier Boy snorted coldly. "If that can even be considered caught."
Lu Chen could hear his anger, but he could easily guess what had happened between this father and son along the way.
"Bring him directly to the research facility."
"Fine."
Soldier Boy agreed very readily.
In terms of keeping his promises, he was indeed much more reliable than Homelander.
By the roadside, Soldier Boy hung up the phone and walked forward with large strides.
Homelander followed unsteadily behind Soldier Boy. The weeds on both sides of the road trembled in the autumn wind, just like his mood at the moment.
To see Lu Chen.
These few words kept spinning in his mind.
He didn't know what was waiting for him. Imprisonment? Experimentation? Or a trial in front of the whole World?
The unknown was more torturous than a beating.
Homelander looked at Soldier Boy's unhurried back and finally couldn't stand this torment anymore.
"I can fly you there."
Soldier Boy stopped his steps, turned his head, and glared fiercely at him for two seconds.
"What, do you think I'll crawl on your back and let a cape-wearing sissy like you fly me?"
Homelander's mouth twitched.
He just wanted to end all this quickly, yet this old thing crawled out from the last century could drag even Flight into masculinity.
He's sick in the head.
But he didn't dare say these words out and could only curl his lips, honestly shutting up.
Soldier Boy let out a cold snort and took out that extremely infuriating smartphone from his pocket.
After studying it for half a day, accidentally clicking on ads twice, and cursing at the voice assistant a few times, he finally called an Uber.
Twenty minutes later, a black sedan parked by the roadside.
The driver lowered the car window, glanced at Soldier Boy first, and then looked at Homelander standing next to him, completely stunned.
"God, are you Homelander?"
Homelander's expression was very ugly.
In the past, as long as someone recognized him, he would immediately put on the most standard hero smile. But now, seeing this kind of surprised expression again, he only felt that the other party was admiring a loser.
The driver's voice was trembling with excitement, and his hands had nowhere to put on the steering wheel. He turned around flurriedly and rummaged out a crumpled notebook and a ballpoint pen from the passenger seat's glove box.
"My son... my son is your super fan! His room is plastered with your posters! Can... can you give me an autograph?" The driver stammered as he handed out the notebook, his eyes full of frantic anticipation.
Homelander was already annoyed to the extreme because he was going to see Lu Chen, and his heart at the moment was even more like a powder keg.
As the former strongest superhero in the World, he had actually fallen to waiting for a crappy ride-hailing car on the highway? Now this driver driving a crappy car dared to come and bother him?
"Get lost."
Homelander spat out a single cold word.
The driver's hand stopped in mid-air, and the smile on his face disappeared.
Soldier Boy had just pulled open the car door, and upon hearing these words, he slapped Homelander on the back of the head.
"Can you fucking be this tough with everyone?"
Homelander was hit and his head lurched forward.
"What are you doing again?"
"You're as fierce as a mad dog to ordinary people, but you tuck your tail the moment you hear Lu Chen's name," Soldier Boy pointed at his nose. "What kind of man is a bully of the weak and a coward to the strong?"
The driver sat in the car, even lightening his breathing.
This trip shouldn't have been accepted.
Soldier Boy reached out and snatched the paper and pen from his hand, shoving them directly into Homelander's arms.
"Sign it for me!"
"Why should I..."
"Sign!"
Homelander clenched his teeth, lowered his head, and wrote his name on the paper.
In the past, he could sign hundreds of such things a day, each time ensuring the handwriting was pretty, accompanied by a smile and photos. He didn't expect that after Vought went bankrupt, his first signature was actually signed with someone pressing his head down.
Soldier Boy took the paper and threw it back into the car.
"For your kid."
The driver was stunned for a few seconds and quickly put it away.
"Thank you, thank you guys."
"Drive."
Along the way, Homelander didn't speak again.
Several hours later, the sedan stopped outside the Detroit research facility.
Lu Chen was already waiting at the door.
When Homelander got out of the car, his steps slowed down noticeably.
Finally here.
In the past, he never thought that one day he would be afraid to see someone. But facing Lu Chen, he didn't even dare to have the thought of running away.
Because running away was useless anyway.
"Hello, Homelander."
Lu Chen greeted with a smile, like seeing an old friend he hadn't seen for a long time.
Homelander stared at him, with a complex mix of feelings in his heart.
Anger, fear, jealousy, and a bit of anticipation he was unwilling to admit to himself.
At least Lu Chen didn't make a move the moment they met.
Lu Chen ignored Homelander's stiff expression and turned to look at Soldier Boy on the side.
"You can go inside and take a look."
"What's inside?"
"Your old friend is lying inside," Lu Chen gestured toward the laboratory. "He should be awake already."
Soldier Boy became interested.
There weren't many people Lu Chen could call his old friend. Moreover, lying in this laboratory, he was most likely an old antique dug out from some corner.
"Better not be some asshole."
He passed the two of them, pushed the door open, and walked in.
The door closed again.
Only Lu Chen and Homelander were left outside.
Without Soldier Boy cursing by his side, Homelander felt even more uncomfortable. Looking at the person in front of him who took away Vought, took away his status, and could take away his life at any time, his Adam's apple rolled.
"What are you going to do to me?"
His voice was very low.
Even he himself hated this cowardly tone, but that fear couldn't be suppressed.
"What do you want most?" Lu Chen suddenly asked.
Homelander was stunned.
He had prepared himself to be threatened or even humiliated, but didn't expect Lu Chen to ask this.
What did he want most?
Glory?
He was once the greatest superhero in the U.S.
Power?
Up and down Vought, no one dared to oppose him.
Status?
The whole World knew Homelander.
He had possessed all those things, but when it truly came to losing everything, what remained in his mind was neither the cheering crowds nor the constantly rising approval ratings.
He was silent for a long time.
Those glamorous words spun around his mouth and were eventually swallowed back down.
"Love."
He lowered his head, spitting out this word that made him feel incomparably ashamed yet incomparably yearning.
This answer was not surprising.
"You were born in a laboratory, and after you could control your abilities, you were pushed into the spotlight to live."
"You crave love, but you don't know how to get it. Vought gave you a persona, making you play the role of a perfect hero, and then fed you with the audience's applause and approval ratings."
The muscles on Homelander's face tightened.
Those words hit too accurately, so accurately that it made him feel embarrassed.
Lu Chen took a step forward, looking straight into Homelander's eyes: "But those people love the Homelander on the screen, not the flawed John. The more you want to be yourself, the more afraid you are that they will see your true nature, and the more afraid you are that they will find out you are not as perfect as you appear in front of the cameras."
"So you hate them on one hand, while being unable to leave them on the other."
"Enough!"
Homelander suddenly raised his head, red light flickering faintly in his eyes, his face flushed red.
The humiliation of being completely punctured made him angry to the extreme. The deepest scars in his heart were ruthlessly torn open by Lu Chen and exposed to the air.
"Then what should I do?"
The emotions suppressed for so long finally exploded as he shouted out,
"If I don't play that perfect hero, no one will love me!"
After roaring this sentence, the red light in his eyes quickly dimmed,
"No one..." His voice dropped lower, carrying a kind of bone-deep sorrow and helplessness.
"No one will ever love John."
Lu Chen raised his hand and patted his shoulder.
Homelander's body stiffened, but he didn't dodge. He hadn't felt this kind of equal touch, free of any fear or exploitative purpose, for a long time.
"Love is mutual."
Lu Chen withdrew his hand, his tone softening somewhat, "If you genuinely cherish those ordinary people from the bottom of your heart instead of treating them as tools for approval ratings and applause, someone will eventually love you."
"As for the love between family members, it is often more direct than those things."
Homelander raised his head, leaving only desolation on his face.
"But I have no family."
He gave a bitter laugh,
"Even Ryan hates me. I messed everything up."
Lu Chen calmly uttered a sentence.
"Soldier Boy is your father."
Homelander froze in place.
He opened his mouth, unable to make a sound for a long time.
That old antique who had just walked into the laboratory, that asshole who cursed him as a loser, a sissy, and a princess all the way, and even slapped the back of his head to force him to sign for the driver...
Was his father?
"Impossible."
Homelander's voice trembled, "This is impossible."
The huge amount of information bombarded his nerves, making him completely unable to digest this absurd truth for a moment.
"Vought used his genes to create you."
Lu Chen didn't give him more time to digest it.
"Take off this battle suit."
"What are you going to do?"
"I will make him strip you of your superpowers."
Homelander raised his head abruptly, red light lighting up in the depths of his eyes, but it quickly extinguished after meeting Lu Chen's gaze.
Lu Chen turned and walked toward the laboratory.
"Try being an ordinary person for a while, John."
Lu Chen looked into his terrified eyes and said word by word, "Go deep among the masses, and see how those ordinary people you once looked down upon live. This might change you."
The door opened before his eyes.
Lu Chen walked in, leaving only Homelander standing outside.
The Stars and Stripes cape hung limply in the wind. He just stood there like that, looking at the tightly closed door, without saying a word.
Chapter 171: V1 Acquired
Lu Chen pushed open the laboratory door.
The atmosphere inside was cold enough to freeze.
Two men were confronting each other across a distance of a few meters, neither giving the other a good look.
Soldier Boy leaned against the metal table, arms crossed, with a look on his face as foul as if someone had just owed him millions.
Bomb Sight sat on the other side, having just woken up from the cryogenic pod not long ago, but his gaze remained fixed on the door.
Seeing Lu Chen walk in, he immediately stood up.
"Little Headliner?" He stared eagerly at Lu Chen, taking a step forward, "You said she was safe. Where is she?"
"She's doing fine." Lu Chen turned and walked outward, "Come with me."
Bomb Sight didn't hesitate at all and hurriedly followed.
Soldier Boy stood in place for two seconds, then also stepped forward to follow.
He didn't know what Lu Chen was up to, but since he was specifically brought in to see this old teammate, there was likely something else for him to do next.
At the end of the corridor, Lu Chen pushed open the door of another room.
Sunlight spilled through the large glass windows onto the floor.
Little Headliner was sitting in a wheelchair, bathing in the afternoon sun.
Bomb Sight practically rushed in.
Little Headliner turned her head at the sound, and after recognizing who it was, a smile slowly appeared on her face.
"Robbie, you're here."
Bomb Sight knelt half-way in front of the wheelchair, his hands trembling as he touched Little Headliner's face, looking her up and down for fear that she had suffered even the slightest injury.
"Are you okay? Did they do anything to you?" Bomb Sight's voice trembled.
Seeing Bomb Sight's eyes full of concern, Little Headliner smiled gently and gripped his hand back.
"I'm very well." She said softly, "Really."
Bomb Sight calmed down just a little then.
He looked down at that wrinkled hand, his chest feeling heavily blocked.
The woman who used to wear a uniform and smile at him on stage had grown old.
Yet he himself still maintained the appearance of decades ago.
Long periods of time left no trace on his face, but stripped away her years.
Lu Chen leaned against the doorframe, not giving them too much time for tenderness.
"Hand over V1." Lu Chen's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable oppressiveness, "I will let both of you go. Anywhere is fine."
Bomb Sight abruptly turned around, opening his arms to block in front of Little Headliner's wheelchair.
He looked at Lu Chen, his eyes full of defense and struggle.
Can't hand it over.
That vial was his last trump card.
"That was saved for her." Bomb Sight's voice was a bit dry, "What if one day she changes her mind and is willing to inject it?"
He wasn't afraid of Death, nor was he greedy for superpowers.
But he was terrified of loneliness.
In these decades, he had lived too long, watching former friends grow old, fall ill, and die one after another.
That feeling of being abandoned by time was more painful than being cut by a knife.
He didn't want to live alone anymore.
Keeping V1, as long as Little Headliner injected it, they could gain the same lifespan and be together forever.
"I don't want to live in loneliness anymore."
Bomb Sight stared at Lu Chen, his five fingers clenching tighter little by little.
Even knowing clearly that he was not Lu Chen's match, he did not back down.
That medicine concerned Little Headliner; he couldn't possibly hand it over easily.
Lu Chen glanced at Soldier Boy standing nearby with an impatient expression.
"He can eliminate the Compound V factor in your body." Lu Chen pointed at Soldier Boy, throwing out a second choice,
"Making you lose your superpowers and become just like a normal person.
You will age and fall ill, but you can stay together with her as you please, until the day you both die together.
As for life afterwards, I will provide sufficient funds."
Bomb Sight was stunned.
Lose superpowers?
Changing from a high-and-mighty Superhumans into an ordinary mortal of flesh and blood.
This meant he would lose powerful strength, lose his long lifespan, and turn back into that fragile mortal.
For any Vought hero, hearing such a condition would make them think Lu Chen was crazy.
But Bomb Sight fell silent.
He turned his head to look at his beloved in the wheelchair.
Growing old together, dying together.
This sounded seemingly more reassuring than eternal life.
Little Headliner pulled his hand from behind.
"Just follow your true heart, Robbie." Little Headliner looked into his eyes, her tone firm, "I don't need V1, and you can also give me up. Just remember that I will always love you."
No need for immortality, no need for extraordinary power.
Bomb Sight's eye sockets turned red.
He stood rigidly in place for a moment, all his defenses and obsessions completely dissolving at this moment.
He raised his head, looking straight at Lu Chen.
"I agree."
Lu Chen nodded and turned to look at Soldier Boy.
"It's up to you."
Soldier Boy frowned.
"Do you take me for a Doctor specialized in helping people quit superpowers?"
"Law Enforcement Minister."
Lu Chen only said four words.
The displeasure on Soldier Boy's face immediately decreased by more than half.
"Fine."
The four of them walked out of the room and came to the open space outside the research institute.
Homelander was still standing in place.
Hearing footsteps, he raised his head,
and after his gaze crossed Lu Chen and landed on Soldier Boy, Homelander's expression became extremely complex.
"Father."
This word was stuck in his throat, making him feel completely uncomfortable all over.
He had fantasized countless times what kind of person he would be if he had a father.
Perhaps a powerful hero, perhaps proud of his achievements, perhaps able to give him the recognition he had never obtained.
Yet with the truth laid out before his eyes, he couldn't even call out a single "father."
Because this bastard had just patted the back of his head a moment ago and cursed him as a cape-wearing sissy.
"Take him along." Lu Chen stopped, lifting his chin toward Homelander's direction.
Homelander's whole body stiffened.
It was coming. What Lu Chen said about stripping him of his superpowers.
Fear flowed down his spine like ice water.
Having lost superpowers, was he still Homelander?
He would be torn to pieces by those people he had once trampled underfoot.
Those politicians and masses who usually smiled at him, once they found out he had turned into an ordinary person, would definitely tear him limb from limb.
Bomb Sight took a deep breath and strode over to stand beside Homelander.
He had made up his mind.
Homelander moved half a step to the side, his thigh muscles tensing.
He wanted to run; in just a fraction of a second, he could rush into the clouds and escape far away.
But he didn't dare. Lu Chen was watching him just a few steps away.
Soldier Boy stepped forward, straightening his waist, and beneath the eagle-shaped badge on his chest, a dazzling white light faintly emanated.
He adjusted the power of his chest cannon, ensuring it would only eliminate powers without blasting the person to ashes afterwards.
The light grew brighter and brighter, accompanied by a high-frequency humming sound.
Homelander stared fixedly at that cluster of light, his heartbeat so fast it felt like it was going to burst.
"Boom!"
The next second, the radiation Impact violently erupted, instantly engulfing Homelander and Bomb Sight.
The energy adjusted by Soldier Boy hit the two of them head-on, knocking them both flying out simultaneously.
Homelander wretchedly propped up his body, feeling the changes within him at the first moment.
Gone.
That sense of power that had filled his limbs since childhood disappeared cleanly, like receding seawater.
He abruptly jumped up.
His feet only left the ground by less than half a meter, then heavily dropped down, his knees softening, almost kneeling on the ground.
Didn't fly up.
"No, no..."
Homelander widened his eyes, staring hard ahead.
No Heat Vision.
He raised his hand again, fiercely smashing it into the ground, and pain immediately came from his finger bones.
Everything was gone.
Super Strength, Flight, Heat Vision, Super Senses, and that nearly uninjurable body were all gone.
He was now just John.
"Ah..." Homelander let out a distorted moan in his throat, holding his head with both hands, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, Bomb Sight made a completely different reaction.
He had also lost his power. He tried to clench his fists, finding his finger joints somewhat stiff and his body heavy as if filled with lead.
But he smiled.
Casting off the shackles that had weighed on him for decades, Bomb Sight scrambled straight up from the ground, scrambling and crawling over to Little Headliner's side, pulling her into a tight embrace.
"Robbie..." Little Headliner stroked his hair.
"I'm okay, I'm finally okay." Bomb Sight buried his face in the crook of her neck, his voice carrying joy.
Homelander looked blankly through the gaps between his fingers at the two embracing together.
He didn't understand.
Why? Why could they still smile after losing their superpowers?
That was the power of gods, the privilege transcending mortals.
That guy called Bomb Sight had clearly been stripped of everything, so why did he look like he had gained the entire World?
Homelander felt that this World was crazy.
Lu Chen watched this farce and clapped his hands.
"Alright." He looked at Soldier Boy, who was still steadying his breathing, "I'm going to get V1. Take him to report to the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs and find Neuman. That position of Law Enforcement Minister is yours."
Soldier Boy straightened his waist, first nodding with satisfaction, then looking over at the dejected Homelander.
"Why bring this sissy?"
Lu Chen walked over to Little Headliner's wheelchair, grabbed the wheelchair with one hand, placed his other hand on Bomb Sight's shoulder, and his body rapidly rose into the air.
"Bring him along."
Lu Chen paused and tossed out the final sentence.
"Because he is your son."
As the words fell, the figures of the three had already flown far away.
Soldier Boy stiffened in place, his neck turning little by little, staring fixedly at that spandex-clad man who was hugging his knees and shivering, his face covered in snot and tears.
"Fuck!"
Chapter 172: Father
Homelander raised his head and watched Soldier Boy walking towards him without a word.
That face looked terrible.
Disgust, anger, and something Homelander could not understand.
After losing his powers, he was actually less scared than just now.
The worst had happened; Flight, Heat Vision, and his bulletproof body were all gone.
What else did he have to lose now?
Homelander propped himself up with his weak legs and moved his lips a few times.
The word was right on the tip of his tongue, but no matter what, he couldn't say it out loud.
Soldier Boy stopped in front of him.
"Have you fucking seen enough?"
Homelander's shoulders trembled.
In the past, anyone who dared to speak to him in this tone would have been cut in half by Heat Vision.
Now he could only stand there and take the scolding.
This was humiliating.
But the man in front of him was his father.
Even though Soldier Boy had taken everything from him just now, this blood relation still gave Homelander a ridiculous bit of anticipation.
Maybe his father would accept him.
Maybe they could really become a family.
"Dad..."
The voice was very quiet, even trembling slightly.
Just as Soldier Boy was about to curse, his whole body suddenly froze.
Homelander's tears streamed down.
"I didn't know."
He wiped his face blindly, looking more and more pathetic the more he wiped, "I didn't know you were my father."
"If Vought had told me earlier, if I hadn't been alone since childhood, maybe we..."
By the end, his knees softened and he directly knelt on the ground.
"I just wanted a home."
Soldier Boy stared at him fixedly.
The blond man kneeling on the ground, crying with a snotty and tearful face, disappeared.
Replaced by the young Ben from the laboratory back then.
Cold needles pierced into the skin, and the serum was pushed into the blood vessels.
Young Ben was terrified, crying and struggling wildly.
The father in his mind also looked at him with full disgust.
Loser.
Coward.
You really are trash, so disappointing.
Fuck.
The thing he hated the most happened to grow out of his own bloodline.
Soldier Boy clenched his jaw.
He had hidden that memory for decades, thinking it had long been washed clean by vodka and violence.
This appearance disgusted him, because this was the Ben of back then.
The coward whom he had buried deep inside for decades and wished he could strangle with his own hands.
"Shut the fuck up!"
Soldier Boy flew into a rage, suddenly raising his right hand, and slapped a wide palm towards Homelander's face.
He wanted to smash this face, to smash this piece of trash that reminded him of his humiliating past.
Seeing that palm raised, Homelander abruptly closed his eyes, shrank his neck into his shoulders, and instinctively hugged his head with both hands.
The anticipated slap did not fall for a long time.
He waited a few seconds and slowly opened his eyes.
Soldier Boy had turned around at some point, pulled a joint out of his pocket, lit it, and took a hard drag.
After smoking one, it was another one.
Homelander knelt behind, not daring to make a sound.
Soldier Boy smoked all the remaining cigarettes, and cigarette butts fell all over the ground by his feet.
He used his sole to crush out the last spark before turning his head back.
"Stand up."
Homelander hurriedly complied.
"Wipe your tears clean."
"A man can bleed, can have his bones broken by others, but cannot kneel on the ground crying and begging people to love you."
Soldier Boy paused, his expression still ugly.
"The way you look right now just makes me want to vomit."
Homelander lowered his head and wiped his face hard with both hands.
Soldier Boy grabbed his shoulders and turned him towards the direction of the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs.
"Let's go, go report."
"We..."
"Shut up."
Soldier Boy kicked him in the ass.
"Don't think that just because you called me dad, I will hold your hand and buy you ice cream."
"You're a piece of trash who can't even beat a ten-year-old child now, I will start teaching you from the most basic things."
Homelander staggered a few steps out, but wasn't angry.
At least Soldier Boy hadn't abandoned him.
This thought made the corners of his mouth uncontrollably lift upwards.
"And."
Soldier Boy looked at him.
"Stop fucking smiling like a retard."
On the other side, Lu Chen had already obtained V1.
Bomb Sight didn't play tricks anymore and personally led him to retrieve the serum hidden for decades.
That was Vought's earliest and most precious experimental achievement.
After settling Bomb Sight and Little Headliner, Lu Chen returned directly to Vought Tower.
Now the Vought logo on the outer wall of the building had been dismantled, replaced by the emblem of the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs.
Lu Chen came to the laboratory and pushed the metal box containing V1 in front of Sage.
"Check its composition, try to crack it, and then reproduce it."
Sage opened the box, her gaze falling on that syringe.
"Is this the original version that kept Soldier Boy from aging for decades?"
"Right."
"There is only one sample, any destructive testing could make it completely disappear."
Lu Chen looked at her.
"What I want is not a composition report."
"I want stable, reproducible V1."
Sage's lips curved up slightly.
"Give me permissions, and all of Vought's early experimental data."
"Permissions have been opened. Whatever you need, go directly to Cate."
After finishing this matter, Lu Chen returned to the top-floor office.
The door had just opened, and Cate ran over from behind the desk, throwing herself into his arms.
"You're finally back."
Lu Chen naturally put his arm around her slender waist and lowered his head to kiss her on the forehead.
"I've only been away for a few days."
Cate buried her face in his chest, hugging him tighter.
Lu Chen smiled, holding her and walking over to the large desk to sit down.
Cate sat sideways on his lap very naturally, her hands around his neck, while Lu Chen casually opened the topmost application.
The applicant was Annie.
The content was to apply for long-term relief funds for victims who were deformed and disabled due to Compound V injections.
The list was very long.
Some had grown bone spurs that could not be retracted, some had their internal organs alienated, and could only rely on equipment to sustain life.
These were all victims of illegal experiments secretly conducted everywhere in the country by Vought Company back then to test Compound V.
They didn't get glamorous Superhumans, instead they became monsters, locked up like garbage by Vought in various hidden psychiatric hospitals and Underground Rooms.
This debt had been owed by Vought for decades, and now, he could make up for it a little bit.
He had already passed the stage of staying out of trouble himself, and it was time to try to help the world as well.
Lu Chen signed the application form and added a line of notes.
"Double the funds, and establish a specialized sanatorium."
"Medical care, accommodation, and subsequent life will all be handled by the Superhuman Bureau."
Cate leaned in his arms, looked at that list, and was silent for a long time.
"Darling."
"What's wrong?"
"Can you... give other children a chance?"
She pinched the corner of Lu Chen's clothes.
"Some children are not deformed, they just can't control their abilities."
"Their parents will be afraid of them, and might lock them up."
"Many children who have just awakened their abilities actually cannot control themselves at all."
Cate bit her lower lip, with a pleading look in her eyes, "Their parents are afraid of them, treating them like demons."
"If no one cares, they will either be caught for experiments or locked up until they go mad like I used to be."
"Can we... teach them?"
Back then, she desperately desired someone to save her who had been imprisoned for ten years.
Cate looked down at her hands.
"Is that okay?"
Lu Chen didn't answer immediately, but hugged her tighter.
What Cate needed was never just comfort.
She wanted children with similar experiences to hers not to repeat her life.
This plan was indeed necessary.
The Bureau of Superhuman Affairs could not only be responsible for catching people.
The earlier children learned to control their abilities, the lower the risk of losing control in the future.
Knowledge, order, and normal peer life were all more useful than chains.
Lu Chen took out his phone and dialed Neuman's phone.
The call was connected quickly.
"Director, is there anything?"
"Take the people in your department and draft a Superhuman school plan."
"Elementary school, middle school, and high school must all be included."
The other end of the phone was quiet for two seconds.
Neuman obviously didn't expect him to suddenly bring this up.
Lu Chen continued: "Directly issue a joint statement to the outside world, and hang a bounty by the way."
"Any underage Superhumans at home who cannot control their abilities can apply for admission."
"The school shouldn't just teach them to stabilize their abilities, normal courses cannot be less either."
"What about the faculty?"
"Produce the plan first, teachers will be screened from Godolkin University and within the Superhuman Bureau, and regular courses will be openly recruited."
Neuman quickly wrote down the requirements.
"Understood, I'll have people start drafting it today."
"Also, if they hide it and don't report it, hiding the child at home, the Superhuman Bureau will hold the guardians accountable for endangering public safety."
Lu Chen's tone cooled down.
"Received, Director."
The phone hung up.
Cate raised her head, her eye rims a bit red, but she smiled out.
"Thank you."
"Just saying thank you?"
Cate blushed, lowered her head and said softly,
"I'll show you something nice tonight."
Lu Chen threw the phone onto the desk and directly picked her up horizontally,
"Then we'll talk about it tonight, accompany me to a place now."
Cate hurriedly hugged his neck.
"Where to?"
"Back to school."
"Godolkin University?"
"Go see our new principal."
The next second, the two rushed out of the building.
Chapter 173: Starting to Scavenge
"Start running your superpower from now on."
Lu Chen held Cate as they swept over the sky of Godolkin University, and their speed gradually slowed down.
Cate wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, looking somewhat puzzled.
"At whom?"
"No target is needed, and no orders need to be given. Just keep your mental power active."
Cate stared at him for a few seconds; without a specific target, she began to imagine scenes with Lu Chen in her mind.
"Like this?"
"Keep it up."
A few minutes later, the two landed directly on the balcony of the principal's office.
The glass door was pushed open by Lu Chen with a shove.
Behind the spacious desk, the new principal, Envoi, was sitting in a leather swivel chair.
Seeing Lu Chen and Cate suddenly burst in, he was stunned for a moment, then a warm smile piled up on his face as he hurriedly stood up to welcome them.
"Director, Ms. Dunlap, welcome. With your grand arrival, why didn't you notify me in advance? That way I could have had the school prepare."
"No preparation is needed."
Lu Chen walked straight toward him.
The secret envoy's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes froze.
The next second, a surge of mental power crashed directly into Lu Chen's mind, attempting to bypass his consciousness and take over his body.
Lu Chen did not stop his steps.
Such a method was indeed hard to guard against for others, but used against him, it was still far from enough.
Let alone that the person before him was merely a controlled avatar, even if Godolkin himself were lying here, he couldn't control his mind.
The smile on the secret envoy's face finally stiffened.
"You..."
Lu Chen flickered and appeared in front of him, chopping the side of his neck with a hand-blade.
"Bang!"
The secret envoy smashed onto the desk, his body twitched twice, and he completely lost the ability to move.
Cate walked over and poked his arm with the tip of her shoe.
"He wanted to control you just now?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll make him gouge out his own eyes."
Lu Chen pinched her cheek.
"Don't waste time, this is just a puppet."
"A puppet?"
Cate frowned.
"He's just a marionette."
Lu Chen picked up the secret envoy by the collar, threw him onto the sofa aside, and said, "Let's go, to the home of the person pulling the strings."
Ten minutes later, the two appeared in the private residence registered by the secret envoy.
The electronic devices in the house were still running, but the basement had been separately modified.
Lu Chen followed his perception to find the secret door, and blew the door away with a single punch.
"Stand behind me."
Just in case, Lu Chen raised his right hand and directly released the electromagnetic pulse copied from the Two-Level Man.
The strong magnetic field instantly spread all around.
"Hum!"
The lights of the entire residence went out simultaneously, and the surveillance, alarms, and life-support equipment all failed.
The lingering sense of prying in Cate's mind was also forcibly cut off at this moment.
The electromagnetic pulse obtained from the Two-Level Man would not only paralyze electronic devices but also interfere with biological neural electrical signals.
It was just right for dealing with psychic ability users.
Cate shook her head.
"Someone was watching me just now."
"Now there isn't."
At the end of the Underground Room stood a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.
Lu Chen walked over and smashed the chamber door with a punch.
Cold air surged out, exposing a charred and twisted body with severely withered limbs, and only its chest cavity was still rising and falling weakly.
This was the real Godolkin.
The founder of Godolkin University.
In despair during the fire, he injected V1, but his body was already severely burned at the time.
Although he survived, his body could no longer be used.
The secret envoy was merely a body he used after projecting his consciousness.
Lu Chen pressed his hand onto the shoulder of the charred body.
[Copyable ability detected]
[Immunity to Aging LV6]
[Super Physique LV3]
[Telepathy LV5 (Can project one's own consciousness into another person's body, dominate the target's body, and make them a puppet)]
"Copy Telepathy LV5."
As for the target of longevity, he had already chosen it, Soldier Boy's older brother,
Copying started.
It was impossible to tell whether the charred body before him was conscious, and Lu Chen couldn't be bothered to guess, so he raised his hand and delivered two more hand-blades.
"Crack!"
"Darling, do me a favor."
Lu Chen turned to look at Cate.
The two used Mind Control together.
"Sleep. Unless Lu Chen and I allow it, you are never allowed to wake up, nor are you allowed to project your consciousness onto anyone."
Under the double insurance, Godolkin was considered completely reduced to a vegetative state.
After finishing everything, Cate hugged Lu Chen from behind.
"Are you going to start 'researching' again?"
She deliberately emphasized the last two words.
She knew that Lu Chen had a special hobby of always needing to study certain Superhumans for a long time.
Although she didn't understand the specific principles, every time this happened, she would end up all by herself.
Lu Chen naturally heard that bit of dissatisfaction.
"Yeah, there's a big project."
Lu Chen smiled, "But this time we'll do it together."
Thus, half an hour later, an extremely bizarre scene appeared on the campus of Godolkin University.
Lu Chen held Cate's hand as they walked on the road, with a charred humanoid body floating behind them.
That thing tilted its head, and one hand was still resting on the shoulder of this former TOP1 and current Director of the Superhuman Bureau.
Students by the roadside stopped one after another.
"What is that?"
"A teaching model?"
"Whose teaching model can float by itself?"
"Stop filming! Didn't you see Director Lu?"
Cate glanced over the secretly raised mobile phones and smiled happily.
"Our first three-person date?"
"Barely counts, I suppose."
This was the result of Lu Chen manipulating it with psychokinesis.
Facing the shocked and frightened gazes around them, Lu Chen and Cate didn't care at all.
The two chatted and laughed, as if the charred corpse behind them was just a portable customized backpack, conducting an extremely hardcore "three-person date".
While chatting with Cate, Lu Chen used his free hand to swipe open his phone, bringing up the student ability files of Godolkin University sent to him by Professor Brink.
As he walked, he picked and chose in the archive, searching for his next prey to Copy.
Translucent's son was in this school, and invisibility had to be taken.
In addition, the Flight-type Superhumans in the school, the Heat Vision ability users, and many special students Vought had never publicly disclosed.
Since they were already here, of course they had to Copy all of them.
Meanwhile, in the office area of the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs,
The elevator door opened with a ding.
"Who's in charge here?"
The people in the office all raised their heads simultaneously.
Neuman walked out from inside, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Soldier Boy and Homelander.
Soldier Boy slapped the appointment document onto the table.
"Starting today, I am the Head of Enforcement."
Neuman finished reading the document and nodded directly.
"The office is already prepared."
"Consider yourselves efficient."
"Also, what about his arrangement?"
He pointed his thumb at Homelander standing behind him.
Neuman glanced at the text message sent by Lu Chen on her phone, a trace of barely perceptible astonishment flashed in her eyes, and then she looked at Homelander.
"The Director has other arrangements for you."
Homelander finally raised his head.
"What position?"
"Responsible for taking over underage Superhumans who are regarded as monsters by their families and subjected to long-term abuse. Registering, picking up, comforting, and then sending them into the school under construction."
"You're asking me to take care of kids? Be a babysitter?"
Homelander's face changed again and again.
What was this supposed to be?
He used to be the greatest superhero in the World, and now he had to babysit a bunch of out-of-control brats?
Soldier Boy raised his hand and patted his head.
"Alright, stop fucking dawdling. If they tell you to go, you go."
"But I don't know how to take care of kids at all!"
"That's why they're making you learn."
Soldier Boy grabbed his cape with a yank.
"Also, take off this sissy costume. You're no longer a flying flag, dressing like this will only make people think the circus went out of business."
Homelander ultimately hugged his clothes and went to the locker room.
When he came out again, he had changed into an ordinary jacket and jeans, and was even wearing a mask on his face.
Soldier Boy looked him up and down.
"At least now you don't look like a moron."
Homelander clenched his fingers and held back his retort.
Staff members quickly led him to the temporary placement area.
There were a dozen children sitting in the room, some with scales all over their skin, some with sparks constantly erupting from their hands, and a little girl whose ankles had been locked with iron chains by her parents, the chains having just been removed.
Homelander stood at the door, hesitating for a long time without going in.
Those children raised their heads, their eyes cautious and terrified.
He was too familiar with that kind of gaze.
In the laboratory, every time someone pushed the door open, young John would look at the other person just like that.
Soldier Boy gave him a kick from behind.
"Get in. Don't let a bunch of kids look down on you."
Homelander staggered across the door.
The blonde boy in the corner stared at him for a long time, then suddenly stood up and reached out to pull off his mask.
"Are you Homelander?"