A wondrous epilogue amidst a stormy night

Seeing the situation sealed, the boss then waved his hand, and Xiaoxin’s painstakingly built restaurant was demolished, every part except the inside, by muscular men operating excavators!

Then, he was ambushed from behind, a flying kick sending Xiaoxin onto the road, where he was consecutively hit by a small car, a minivan, and a dump truck while airborne.

“No!” He abruptly awoke from his dream, looking at the overcast sky, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, he wouldn’t be going to prison.

—Wait, wasn’t I lying on a tree?

This pain and damp feeling?

It was a typhoon.

Perhaps those who paid close attention to the third episode would remember this news, and the typhoon’s strong winds had blown him directly from the tree.

The pain of being hit by cars in his dream was likely the sensation of falling from above.

The jacket he had used as a blanket was long gone; that thing had cost over fifty yuan, and he wondered if he could ever find it again.

The roaring strong winds made him shudder, and rain, like dense bullets, pelted him.

Enduring the discomfort, he could only run away.

[Breaking News! Today, the main urban area of Sea City experienced a rampage by a dark transformed warrior, resulting in over fifty police officers and sixteen heroes injured.

Fortunately, no lives were lost.

Now, let’s connect to the scene.]

[Hello, host.

Through the broadcast footage, we can now see the devastation of this battle.

The entire street has been virtually destroyed, and multiple buildings have suffered severe damage.

This is the largest attack our city has faced in the past two years.]

[Special Operations Team Captain: Our opponent this time was extremely powerful and experienced.

If it weren’t for Magical Girl Xiaoxin… no, for the dedication of every hero, I believe it would have been very difficult for us to win.

Here, I thank every hero who stepped forward.

Thank you!]

[Uncle: Damn it, they’re interviewing me as soon as I wake up.

I’m in so much pain right now!

What?

The live broadcast has started?

Oh… *cough, cough* Hello everyone watching on TV.

I apologize for appearing in such a disheveled state, ha.

It’s shameful to admit, but this time, if it weren’t for Huoli and Magical Girl Xiaoxin, and… and the help of all the—heroes—, we wouldn’t have achieved this outcome?

Alright, that’s it.

Can you please send me to the hospital quickly?]

Watching the evening news, the front desk lady at the hotel passed the time by eating sunflower seeds, occasionally glancing at her phone.

The trending news was overwhelmingly dominated by these reports, pushing down typhoon prevention messages.

However, there seemed no need to worry.

Though the hotel was small, it was sturdy enough, and this area rarely saw customers, allowing her to feel somewhat at ease.

[Ding-dong]

“Welcome… Holy crap!”

Before her stood a soaking wet man, his hair disheveled by the strong winds and drenched with rain.

The dripping water trailed on the floor like a monster crawling out of a well in a horror movie.

“Gu… guest, what… what room would you like?

The rates are on the wall behind you.”

“No… *cough, cough* Um, I’m not here to… stay.

I don’t have any money.”

“Don’t tell me… Holy crap! Don’t you dare!

Put your hand back!

I’m calling the police!”

“Don’t! Don’t call the police!

This is just my phone! *cough, cough*

I just want to temporarily take shelter from the typhoon here.

No ill intentions.

You can hold onto my phone as collateral.”

It was a flip phone from an unknown era, something even elderly people wouldn’t bother with, yet someone was still using it.

The front desk lady sighed.

“Take it back.

We’re a hotel, not a recycling center.”

“Please, don’t kick me out!”

“Of course not, I’m not a devil!

Go sit over there for a bit.

I’ll get you some clean clothes and hot water right away.”

“Tha… thank you.”

Without waiting for further thanks, she turned and went to the back, boiling water in an old kettle and rummaging for usable towels and pajamas.

“Ah, this size should be fine, heh-ho!”

When she emerged with the items, she saw him squatting in a corner, having fallen into a deep, curled-up sleep to avoid wetting the sofa and bothering others.

“Oh, it’s really not easy for him.”

It would have been better to wait a moment and change into dry clothes.

Looking at the pitiful man before her, the front desk lady decided not to disturb him.

She simply covered him with a blanket, and seeing his peaceful sleeping face, she imagined he must be having a good dream.

[Speaking of which, Magical Girl Xiaoxin played a huge role in this incident.

We saw her single-handedly take on the Dark Knight and defeat him.]

[Indeed, it’s also thanks to all the heroes who risked their lives to assist in wearing down the opponent, giving Magical Girl Xiaoxin the chance to turn the tide!

How legendary!]

[Alas, we still don’t know Magical Girl Xiaoxin’s true identity.]

[True, but to thank her for her help this time, we’ve decided to immediately begin preparations for filming a ‘Hero Assembly’ major motion picture starting tomorrow.

It will feature dozens of heroes, and we will allow the audience to choose the most suitable actor for Magical Girl Xiaoxin!

We hope everyone will support it.]

The television continued to broadcast what felt more like an advertisement than news.

Meanwhile, the real Magical Girl Xiaoxin, the man named Yu Wangxin, slept soundly (not dead) in the corner of the hotel amidst the storm, oblivious to the surrounding sounds and completely defenceless.

Whether it was a good dream or not, our Xiaoxin had certainly caught a cold.

The next day, after the typhoon had passed, the sky was clear, and the air was incredibly fresh.

Feeling immensely heavy, he said goodbye to the front desk lady and trudged to the bus station, then took a bus home.

He was almost unconscious.

Touching his forehead, it was burning hot.

Ignoring all other work, he posted a vacation notice on his door, then rushed into his room and collapsed onto his bed.

“39.2.”

Looking at the thermometer’s reading, Xiaoxin let out a cold laugh.

“To think I can still walk around with this temperature.

I’m truly amazing.”

He wrapped a plastic bag around some cold water to bring down his fever, found some antipyretic cold medicine he’d ‘borrowed’ from home during Chinese New Year, and took it.

A beautiful day, he thought, could only begin from bed.

It was miserable, but at least he didn’t have to go to work.

After such a major incident, the company was forced to close for a week.

Of course, even if it hadn’t, now that the old man was gone, he shouldn’t be bullied so much anymore, right?

But until the very end, he kept his promise, never revealing Xiaoxin’s true identity.

Otherwise, a horde of reporters would most likely be knocking on his door by now.

Two days later, his fever had subsided considerably, but he was still groggy and found movement difficult.

Bored, he finally turned on the small television that came with his apartment, a rare treat, to watch some programs.

[Regarding the incident in Sea City, our company expresses its deepest apologies.

As a gesture of accountability, we have removed all episodes of “Belt Warrior Gast” from all platforms.

We hope our viewers will continue to enjoy and follow our works!

Broadcasting every Saturday night at 8 PM!

Next episode: “Huang Zhanyan vs.

Fallen Warrior!”

For the peace of the city, brave warriors never retreat!

Please look forward to it!]

—What is this, it’s all news.

Having no interest, he immediately turned off the television.

After all, to save money, conserving electricity was essential.

At that moment, he also thought of something more important.

“*Cough, cough*, what should I eat later… No choice, I’ll order takeout… Ah, my phone can’t order takeout.”

He sighed, holding the water bag, and climbed out of bed to cook porridge.

He rummaged through cupboards but couldn’t find a single packet of pickled mustard greens.

It seemed he would have to subsist on plain rice porridge for the next two days.

[Ding-dong]

“Hmm?” The doorbell rang.

Aside from his landlady, rarely did anyone come looking for him.

And knowing his landlady’s personality, she would probably just bang on the door, not politely ring the doorbell.

Besides—today wasn’t rent day.

“Excuse me, are you Yu Wangxin?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

Opening the door, he saw a package.

It didn’t list a sender, but it was indeed addressed to him.

He signed his name, and to the delivery person’s thanks, he returned to his room to unwrap the parcel.

“Wow! It’s a belt!”

Though somewhat old, its crimson coloring and metallic texture were quite striking, and the paintwork was remarkably fine, clearly showing its previous owner’s care.

Finally!

Our Xiaoxin had achieved the first step of his life plan!

He could possess his very first transformation belt without needing to gather fifty thousand yuan!

No, despite its good looks, it was nothing more than a toy.

A belt marketed to children decades ago when Gast was still airing, it would neither grant strength nor provide armor.

“Click.”

He accidentally pressed a plastic button on the side of the belt, and then a familiar sound emanated from it.

[Justice! Super strength! The invincible heart of dreams, converging all brilliant hope into one, the hero watched by all!

Transform!

Belt Warrior—Gast!]

Though a little hoarse, the sound instantly pulled Xiaoxin’s thoughts back to his childhood years, playing with children in the park, fantasizing about hero stories, and dreaming unrealistic dreams.

“Hey, it still works,” Xiaoxin said with a smile.