Chapter 11: No Matter What Happens, You Can Pretend
After a moment of speechlessness, the man sharing the table continued: "You'll be targeted by an organization called Qing Tong."
He seemed to want to simply brush off Li Li's hint, and then added with a heavier voice, "So you absolutely, absolutely must not reveal that you have an ability."
Following his words, those scorching gazes gradually dispersed.
Soon, the feeling of being the center of everyone's attention faded as the people around averted their gazes.
Li Li's hand holding the chopsticks paused, and she said slowly: "Alright, I'll be careful."
She had originally come over to try her luck because these people seemed to be from the same gang, but now it seemed these people were not a human trafficking organization like Qing Tong.
But unexpectedly, this person who had approached her with unclear intentions from the beginning actually turned out to be a good person.
Li Li stared at her chopsticks, wondering if she had thought too badly of the people in the manga world.
Although in the manga, apart from the protagonist and the members of the protagonist group, everyone else had some problems, more or less.
But since it wasn't them, then she would move on to the next.
She came out today precisely to fish for trouble.
The breakfast stall was by the roadside.
The place Li Li chose was not a main road, but rather somewhat remote.
Besides similar small stalls, there was also a small restaurant across the road.
Only one xiaolongbao was left.
Just as she was about to finish the last xiaolongbao and then move to a different spot, a sudden commotion arose.
“Crack!”
And just then, the glass of the small restaurant suddenly shattered.
A figure was thrown out from behind the shattered glass window towards the ground.
The next moment, he slammed heavily onto the ground, then rolled to the side with all his might.
An invisible attack arrived in an instant.
A two-centimeter-deep crack appeared where the figure had just landed.
A crack that appeared as if out of thin air, yet it indeed carried a huge sound of rushing wind.
Li Li, who happened to be to the right and rear of the crack, could see this strange scene just by looking up.
“It’s people from Qing Tong.” The man sharing the table lowered his voice, “Ability type unknown, comes and goes without a trace, undetectable by the naked eye, almost impossible to dodge…”
As he spoke, the youth who had narrowly escaped death struggled to get up from the ground.
He was covered in injuries, and several bloodstains deep enough to see bone appeared on his arms and abdomen.
But the people who were clearly on the same team as the table-sharer, those very sturdy-looking people nearby, didn't look over like before.
They didn't even look at all.
Protecting oneself wisely, not attempting to provoke powerful ability users—this was a consensus among everyone.
Therefore, no one tried to help that boy who looked to be in a very bad state.
The man sharing the table had trembling lips, but he still continued speaking: "...He's a troublesome ability user who simply cannot be resisted!"
The next second, a person in a black robe leaped out from the hole in the glass window.
At the same time, the youth turned and fled down the small path.
And the next second, several more sounds of rushing wind were heard.
The youth, almost at the instant he heard the sound, lunged violently to the side—
And the extension of his original position was directly facing Li Li's direction!
Fast, so fast it was impossible for the naked eye to capture.
In an instant, the tabletop split in two, as if cleaved by an axe.
The unfinished Jiao soup spilled onto the ground, and the xiaolongbao that Li Li's chopsticks had almost picked up also rolled onto the ground under the impact.
Li Li held her chopsticks, seemingly not having reacted.
The strong gust of wind blew her fringe up.
Only then did her smooth black hair cling to her cheek and fall down.
Those dark eyes looked at the crack not far ahead, and slowly blinked once.
If it had been slightly off just now, she would have died.
Ability, huh. She mulled over this word in her mind.
Since coming to the manga world, she had been an observer of abilities: the boss's domain, Yiming's steel transformation, Qing Yu Chen's mental control, and even that C-rank's bronze control.
She didn't know that ability user's ability, nor his rank.
The information she could obtain from the manga did not include that person.
But it was certain that he definitely wouldn't be a mid-rank ability user; the only mid-rank ability users in Qing Tong were those two.
Really great, she thought.
This was exactly the controllable and fatal life-or-death crisis she needed.
...
Xu She felt a surge of anger in his chest.
He, including all the diners around him, and even the owner of this breakfast stall, all belonged to the same organization.
They strived to improve the living conditions of low-rank ability users, eager to change the damn rules of this world.
The strong are respected, so the weak deserve not to be treated as human? Xu She thought about this question every day.
He felt their organization was moving towards its goal.
Today too, meeting a stranger, then reminding him, if he needed help, he could also be absorbed into the organization...
But when the law of the jungle played out before his eyes again, he could do nothing.
Because he was just a low-rank, a bottom-tier F-rank ability user.
If using fire as an example, a D-rank could set several meters around themselves ablaze.
An E-rank could set half their body on fire. And an F-rank could only produce a flame above their fingertip, serving only the function of a lighter.
Rather than calling him an ability user, it was better to call him an ordinary person.
Even he himself thought so.
And the organization members with him here were all F-rank, including the owner of the breakfast stall.
They had no mission.
Today, they were just patronizing an organization member's business as usual, so no D-rank ability user was accompanying them.
So at this moment, they could do nothing.
Therefore, he was burning with anger, yet his feet were firmly glued to the ground, even though the table in front of him had collapsed and the unfinished Jiao soup had spilled all over.
In the middle of the small path, the black-robed man from Qing Tong had no intention of explaining, directly walking towards the youth fallen on the ground.
The youth looked up, gritting his teeth and glaring at him, but his hands futilely tried to prop up his body.
And after him, three more black-robed men stepped over the glass shards.
Xu She saw one of them yanking another girl's collar.
The girl's eyes were tightly shut, her life status unknown. Her features were very similar to the youth's.
They were probably twins who had accidentally revealed their ability information and were then targeted by Qing Tong.
The black-robed men from Qing Tong completely ignored those who were accidentally injured, and approached the youth without looking sideways.
Qing Tong organization had always been like this.
He didn't understand why so many ability users were willing to work for Qing Tong, engaging in activities that harmed their own kind.
Xu She couldn't bear to watch any longer. He turned his face away.
And just as he turned his head, he saw the youth sitting opposite him.
The youth carried an aura clearly different from Jiao Huang, looking very young and also very thin.
By his standards, the youth was clearly too thin.
Without muscles like theirs, nor as tall as them, his black fringe hung down, looking like a docile lamb—
But no lamb would, at this moment, show such an expression.
Not fear, not fright, nor was he startled.
He sat in his place, calmly, composedly, a slow smile appearing on his handsome face.
Xu She's eyes widened.
He saw the youth raise his hand, slowly, and release the chopsticks in his hand.
The chopsticks fell to the ground with a crisp sound, and the low, hoarse male voice that followed seemed even more drawn out, as if directly piercing the eardrum and entering the fiercely beating heart.
“Qing Tong, wait a moment.”
The lamb smiled.
“Aren’t you going to compensate for my xiaolongbao?”
...
The air suddenly became stagnant.
Everyone from the same organization at the breakfast stall looked in horror at the black-haired youth who had suddenly spoken.
And the black-robed man who had been called out, that ability user who had been rampaging for a long time and whom no one dared to confront, turned his head and also looked over.
They watched the youth slowly stand up, unhurriedly patting the corner of his black trench coat.
The overly long belt hung in mid-air, swaying gently with his movements, while he curled his lips and slowly walked over.
“...What are you doing!” After the initial shock, Xu She hurriedly stood up, wanting to save the youth he had just met, “Don’t go over!”
But the youth didn't turn back. Rather, he didn't seem to care what Xu She said at all.
He just looked at the black-robed man with that seemingly interested gaze.
The black-robed man also moved.
He suddenly stomped his foot, and a crack appeared from under his foot, spreading towards where the black-haired youth was.
One second? Two seconds?
No, it was instantaneous!
The sound of rushing wind was heard again.
Xu She instantly closed his eyes, not daring to look at what was about to happen in front of him.
...
A very subtle change, Li Li thought.
Her heart was accelerating, adrenaline was secreted, and her brain was spinning rapidly.
She was thinking, thinking about the invisible blade that was about to split her in two.
It seemed to be coming straight at her from the ground, but the air above the crack was flowing rapidly.
The instantaneous attack in her eyes seemed to have turned into an overly long skill wind-up.
And in this seemingly slowed time, she captured the 'truth'.
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A life-or-death crisis wasn't about standing still and taking a beating, but about trying to stimulate the potential of one's own soul through confrontation.
In this almost imperceptible time, Li Li seemed to have touched something.
It wasn't the impending attack, nor the sharp wind rushing towards her.
But when she tried to touch it again, it seemed to have vanished without a trace.
In an instant, she took a step forward, as if coming into contact with the crack, but at the same time, that figure disappeared from its original spot.
“Disappeared?!” Xu She finally opened his eyes and witnessed this sudden change.
He couldn't help but cry out in surprise.
And just as he was confused, the black-haired youth's voice sounded again.
“So that’s how it is.”
The black-haired youth appeared behind the black-robed man.
Then he tilted his head slightly: “I know what your ability is.”