Shot

Emerging from the women’s restroom, I swiftly ducked into the adjacent men’s restroom.

After ensuring I wouldn’t be discovered, I slowly slumped against the wall behind the door.

The absolute sensation of power that had coursed through me gradually faded away. A flash of golden light later, my body reverted to that of the boy, Li Qingchen.

Yet, perhaps due to the time limit, my soul wasn’t immediately stripped away and pulled into another world. Instead, it lingered within my original body for a while.

This made me feel a touch of relief. After all, Airi’s soul had vanished somewhere unknown, and wouldn’t be taking over my body. I certainly wouldn’t be at ease leaving my soulless body lying in a restroom under such circumstances.

However, the constant tearing sensation that assailed me made it clear that my soul wouldn’t remain in this body for much longer.

‘What should I do now? Just wait in the restroom for my soul to traverse worlds? My body wouldn’t be subjected to… uh… unwanted attention from any unexpected visitors, would it?’

‘Alright, I’m just kidding. The bank outside is being robbed right now, so how could anyone casually walk in?’

‘Speaking of which, the Stocking Mask Leader out there hasn’t been dealt with yet. I hope there won’t be any more trouble.’

At this thought, I couldn’t sit still any longer. I frowned, gritted my teeth, and struggled to my wobbly feet, eager to go out and check the situation again.

The moment I opened the restroom door, a violent scream echoed from the direction of the main hall.

A jolt went through me. ‘Surely, the Stocking Mask Leader isn’t going on a rampage, killing people in a fit of rage because his accomplice was hurt?’

I quickly stepped out of the men’s restroom, peering towards the main hall.

To my surprise, neither the customers nor the staff were harmed. The one screaming was the Stocking Mask Leader, lying on the floor, his body already battered and bruised.

‘Hmm? I don’t recall hitting him that hard earlier. Did someone else intervene after I escorted the Class Monitor into the women’s restroom?’

‘Who could it be? It couldn’t be Cheng Tianxiong, could it?’

I squinted, scanning the surroundings. Cheng Tianxiong was merely standing among the crowd, staring wide-eyed; it clearly wasn’t him.

I shifted my gaze, and immediately spotted Lin Yi, the butler, standing in the very center of the hall, observing the Stocking Mask Leader with an impassive expression.

‘Holy crap, Lin Yi did this? Queen Lan once said that Lin Yi’s combat skills were as effortless as his running. At the time, I couldn’t quite grasp what she meant, but now I fully understand! This guy is practically superhuman!’

To think, even my heel kick against the Stocking Mask Leader, executed while under contract protection, had been dodged by him. This clearly indicated that the Stocking Mask Leader was highly trained.

Yet, facing such a formidable robber, Lin Yi had still flattened him into this sorry state.

‘Just look at the Stocking Mask Leader’s current appearance! The stockings covering his head were torn in many places, with a tiny eye peeking through a ragged slit.’

‘If his head coverings were like that, his clothes were even more unbearable to look at.’

‘I once played a game called “Journey to the Stripping Field,” where characters’ clothes would burst off after taking a certain amount of damage. It was a really shameless game.’

‘And now, looking at this Stocking Mask Leader, he’s clearly on the verge of “bursting his clothes”!’

‘Stop, Butler Lin Yi! If it were a beautiful girl, I might still watch, but an old man stripping? That’ll just give everyone an eye infection! Do you want to traumatize all the bystanders here?!’

In stark contrast to the disheveled Stocking Mask Leader, Butler Lin Yi appeared completely unscathed. His black suit was perfectly neat, without a speck of dust. His serene expression made him look as if he were simply strolling through his own backyard, admiring flowers.

‘The flowers are rather boisterous today.’

I had no doubt Butler Lin Yi would utter such a phrase.

The thought that I had once punched such a man and nearly been caught by him sent a shiver of dread down my spine.

‘The Stocking Mask Leader’s present is my future! I must be extremely wary of Butler Lin Yi from now on.’

As I observed the situation in the hall from my hiding spot beside the men’s restroom, another Stocking Mask Man, the one whose gun I had taken, let out a shout and lunged at Butler Lin Yi.

Lacking a gun in his hands, the Stocking Mask Man could only swing his fists and strike at Butler Lin Yi.

‘That was a powerful punch. If it landed, Lin Yi’s right cheek would surely swell.’

‘His left cheek, where I hit him before, hasn’t even gone down yet. If he gets hit on the right cheek now, he’ll be perfectly symmetrical!’

I watched Lin Yi’s reaction. With a slight movement of his body, Lin Yi incredibly dodged the blow at an extremely tricky angle. Then, he swiftly swung his fist back, striking the Stocking Mask Man squarely on his right cheek and sending him flying.

The Stocking Mask Man had intended to punch Lin Yi’s right cheek, but instead, his own right cheek took the hit.

Like the Pantsu Man whom I had kicked earlier, the Stocking Mask Man slammed against the wall and lay motionless.

‘He was taken down in just one move!’ I swallowed hard.

‘This is power comparable to mine when I’m transformed and under contract protection! Where on earth did Ji Qianluo’s dad find such a monster?’

‘If I’m just a Level 1 character temporarily boosted to Level 99 with a cheat, then Butler Lin Yi is genuinely a Level 99 powerhouse!’

The Stocking Mask Leader, seeing yet another accomplice dispatched, gritted his teeth in fury. Seizing the moment while Lin Yi hadn’t fully recovered from dealing with the other Stocking Mask Man, he snatched up a handgun from the floor and aimed it at Lin Yi.

I didn’t worry for Lin Yi. Since I could catch bullets after transforming, I was confident Butler Lin Yi would surely find a way to dodge them.

Indeed, my expectations were met. After the Stocking Mask Leader fired several shots, Butler Lin Yi reacted swiftly, darting left and right, dodging each bullet with practiced ease.

An expression of disbelief immediately appeared on the Stocking Mask Leader’s face, as if thinking, ‘Another monster? Are bullets really that easy to dodge these days?’

After dodging the bullets, Butler Lin Yi seized the opportunity, intending to move forward and finish off the Stocking Mask Leader.

The Stocking Mask Leader, seemingly consumed by despair, slowly lowered his handgun.

However, it was precisely at this moment that an unforeseen event occurred.

The door to the women’s restroom beside me suddenly swung open. The Class Monitor emerged from within.

“Is everyone alright?”

The Class Monitor cried out.

‘Oh no!’ I inwardly cursed.

‘I forgot to tell the Class Monitor that the crisis wasn’t over yet. She shouldn’t have come out!’

Both Butler Lin Yi and the Stocking Mask Leader noticed the Class Monitor simultaneously.

Lin Yi’s eyes narrowed. Likely foreseeing trouble, he quickened his pace, intending to finish off the Stocking Mask Leader.

However, it was already too late. The Stocking Mask Leader’s lips twisted into a sneer, and he swiftly raised his handgun again, aiming it directly at the emerging Class Monitor!

“Eh?”

The Class Monitor seemed not to have processed the situation, freezing in place.

“Class Monitor, run!”

Cheng Tianxiong, from within the hall, shouted frantically.

‘The Class Monitor will surely be shot if this continues! I’m the closest one to her right now, I…’

‘Don’t… let anyone’s life… be lost before your eyes… We… promised, remember…’

“Class Monitor! Get down!”

I yelled, lunging forward and pushing the Class Monitor aside.

“Li Qingchen… classmate?”

Amidst the Class Monitor’s gasp, a gunshot rang out, and a sharp pain erupted in my abdomen.

Then my legs gave way, and blood gushed out.

I collapsed into a pool of blood, my consciousness fading into oblivion.

“Li Qingchen, classmate!”

The Class Monitor, her voice choked with sobs, rushed towards me.

‘Don’t cry, Class Monitor. If you do, I… cough, cough…’

‘I can’t… My consciousness is so hazy.’

‘Let me just sleep for a while.’

‘Hopefully, something good will happen when I wake up again.’