Mr. King reviewed the previous battle and found that controlling robots in reality was fundamentally no different from slaughtering bosses in a noob village in a game.
The consumption of energy, stamina, and superpowers was negligible.
It was probably also related to the intensity of the battle; Genos couldn't force out his strongest self yet.
(Genos: I'm truly sorry for not letting you have your fill...)
"Test over," Hansen's voice came.
He walked over to Genos, looking at the cyborg whose body was broken but still struggling to get up, and shook his head.
"Genos, you were careless again."
"No... I was too weak..."
Genos supported himself with one arm on the ground, his golden electronic eyes filled with despair and self-doubt.
"Facing Mr. King's textbook-like tactical suppression, I... had no power to fight back."
—Actually, there was also a gap in performance.
Hansen added that thought for him in his mind, but didn't voice it.
Genos fell to the ground, reflecting painfully on how ridiculous and powerless his speed, strength, and firepower seemed under the opponent's flawless and precise control.
Every movement, every attack, felt like actively jumping into a trap the opponent had already set.
This was no longer a gap in strength, but an overwhelming superiority in combat realm.
Mr. King walked over silently, looking at the dejected Genos, unsure what to say to comfort him.
Just then, a cheerful yet cheesy phone ringtone, completely out of place with the solemn atmosphere, broke the silence.
It was Saitama.
Hansen answered the phone, and Saitama's extremely excited voice burst out from the receiver: "Hey? Hansen, where are you? Come to my place quickly! I've struck it rich! Really rich!!!"
His voice was filled with uncontrollable excitement and ecstasy, as if he had won the lottery jackpot... Ten minutes later, at Saitama's house.
Saitama was sitting cross-legged on the tatami, with a huge check from City A in front of him, the string of zeros on the check making one dizzy.
"Saitama Sensei, this is..."
"Hehe, it's a dividend!"
Saitama picked up the thin piece of paper, yet it felt like he was holding a mountain of gold.
He waved it in front of Genos, who had just been brought back by Hansen, a foolish grin he couldn't suppress on his face.
"Oh my, since becoming a Hero, this is the first time I've received so much pay...!"
Though he called it 'pay,' it was actually Saitama's first meteorite dividend after resolving the City Z meteorite crisis.
The account that made the payment belonged to the research group under House of Evolution.
With Dr. Genus's channels, there was naturally no worry about not being able to sell the minerals mined from the meteorite.
Logically, for resolving such a large-scale crisis, the Hero Association would also provide a Hero activity allowance as a reward.
But the situation at the time was too complex, with too many S-Class Heroes involved, and the Association headquarters was still haggling over how to distribute the bonus.
He suddenly stood up, waved his hand, and announced with an unprecedented air of grandiosity: "I'm treating tonight! Hotpot! The most expensive A5 Wagyu beef in the supermarket! Unlimited supply!"
Hansen looked at his 'newly rich overnight' expression and couldn't help but smile: "Alright, then I'll organize it."
He took out his phone and started calling people.
"Ah, Genos! Why are you in such a broken state again, were you attacked by a Monster?"
Only then did Saitama notice his disciple's miserable condition, and he was greatly alarmed.
Genos clenched his fist somewhat dejectedly and explained: "No, Sensei, I just had a practical combat test with Mr. King, and I lost."
"I asked Mr. Hansen not to repair my body temporarily; I need to take this as a warning and reflect deeply."
"Ah, I see..."
Hearing this, Saitama was at a loss for words.
The master and disciple entered a heart-to-heart conversation, while Hansen directly called Fubuki.
When Fubuki received the call, she was reserved for a moment, then immediately said she would bring her sister and arrive on time, with a hint of subtle joy in her tone.
After a few days of rest, the esper sisters had already recovered, but neither of them felt comfortable going to City Z alone to find Hansen.
Now that they received the call, it was natural for them to agree readily.
Hansen thought for a moment, then called Bang Gu.
This self-proclaimed martial arts master, hearing there was hotpot, agreed without hesitation, and even happily said he would bring his decades-old treasured sake.
Thus, a complex S-Class hotpot gathering was set.
Looking at Genos, who was silently installing spare limbs for himself nearby, his entire machine exuding an aura of dejection, Saitama scratched his smooth, shiny bald head, walked over, and patted his back with a "thump thump."
"Hey, Genos, cheer up!"
"Saitama Sensei..."
"Losing to Mr. King is nothing to be ashamed of; that guy is the world's best at video games!"
"Come on, just eat a few more plates of meat tonight and you'll be fine! There's nothing a hotpot can't fix!"
"Sensei...!"
Genos was startled, his golden electronic eyes looking at his Sensei's unfazed face, his heart churning.
—Sensei means... don't dwell in the shadow of failure, find the problem, solve the problem! Become a stronger self tomorrow!
Thinking of this, the light in the eyes of the righteous cyborg youth rekindled.
He quickly completed his self-repair, then threw himself into household chores with unprecedented enthusiasm.
"Saitama Sensei, Mr. Hansen, please go buy the ingredients with peace of mind! I'll take care of all the dinner preparations!"
"That's the spirit, Genos!"
"Then we'll leave it to you, Xiao Jie."
Looking at the highly motivated Genos, Hansen and Saitama gave a few words of encouragement and immediately left... City Z, downtown commercial street.
Hansen and Saitama walked down the street towards the fresh supermarket nearby.
The afternoon sun was just right, and the street was bustling with people, a scene of peace and harmony.
Suddenly, a piercing scream shattered the tranquility.
"Monster! Run!"
"Ah—! Help!"
The crowd exploded like water hit by a stone, scattering in panic.
In the center of the street, a Monster entirely composed of dark green seaweed was brandishing its countless slimy tentacles, showing off.
Several C-Class Heroes who rushed to the scene tried to stop it, but were easily swatted away, falling to the ground in disarray.
"Hehehe... I am 'Infinite Seaweed'!" The Monster with a head full of wriggling seaweed let out a feminine laugh, "My seaweed possesses both the toughness of steel and the strength of rubber!"
"You mere nobodies aren't even worthy of scratching my itch!"
Hansen and Saitama stopped, the latter staring intently at the seaweed Monster, his eyes frighteningly bright, as if Columbus had discovered a new continent.
"Good... good stuff!"
Saitama involuntarily swallowed, muttering to himself.
Yay, it's food!
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