"Shut up!"
A blonde-haired man next to the short-haired youth suddenly stepped forward, pointing at the glasses-wearing man's nose and shouting,
"What do you know? What kind of person are you? Do you even have the right to speculate about Lord KING's thoughts?"
"Why did Lord KING personally carry him in the end? That was respect! It was recognition! A coward like you, who only talks behind people's backs, can't possibly understand!"
The more the blonde man spoke, the more agitated he became, even spitting on the glasses-wearing man's face.
"I... I didn't... I just thought..."
The glasses-wearing man was completely flustered. He hadn't expected a few complaints from him to provoke such a group of seemingly fanatical and troublesome people.
"Thought?" The short-haired youth sneered and slowly approached.
"Does Lord KING need you to 'think' about anything he does? Anyone he recognizes, even an ordinary person, is a million times nobler than a piece of trash like you, who shivers in the shelter and then comes out to criticize everything afterwards!"
"You... how can you curse at people!" the glasses-wearing man shouted, trying to sound fierce but inwardly cowering.
"Curse at you?" A fierce glint flashed in the short-haired youth's eyes. "I'm going to beat you up today!"
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly threw a punch, hitting the glasses-wearing man squarely in the abdomen.
"Bang!"
A dull thud echoed, and the glasses-wearing man's spectacles instantly flew off his face, arcing through the air before shattering on the ground.
He immediately hunched over, painfully collapsing to his knees, unable to even let out a scream, only dry-heaving while clutching his stomach.
"Ah!"
The surrounding crowd erupted in a piercing cry of alarm, retreating in fright and instantly creating a large empty space.
The other two youths also immediately rushed forward, mercilessly punching and kicking the fallen glasses-wearing man and the few others who had been most vocal in their agreement.
"That's for your foul mouth! That's for insulting a hero!"
"Dare to question Lord KING's judgment? You're damn tired of living!"
"Remember this! Whatever Lord KING recognizes, we must respect! What kind of dog are you to dare to bark here?!"
Punches and kicks rained down like a storm, and screams and pleas for mercy immediately filled the air.
The men who had just been speaking so grandly could only curl up on the ground, rolling around, utterly defenseless.
This violent scene sent a deep chill through the people who had just been immersed in the joy of being rescued.
They looked at the three completely crazy youngsters in horror, and for a moment, no one dared to step forward to stop them.
This was a twisted form of worship; in their hearts, KING was no longer just a hero.
Their reasons for violence sounded righteous—to uphold the hero's dignity, to uphold KING's will.
But in reality, they were merely enjoying the thrill of "acting on behalf of heaven," using violence to assert their presence, as if they too possessed the power to judge others.
Finally, Hero Association staff maintaining order noticed the commotion. Several B-class and C-class heroes immediately rushed over and forcibly separated the crowd.
"Stop! What are you doing! How dare you cause trouble here!"
The short-haired youth and his two companions reluctantly stopped.
They tidied their T-shirts, which were emblazoned with KING's portrait, and looked at the bruised, swollen, and groaning people on the ground with no remorse whatsoever, but rather with the triumph and disdain of victors.
The short-haired youth spat on the ground, then scanned his surroundings, addressing all the onlookers in a warning tone:
"Listen up, everyone! Lord KING is the hero who saved us! Mumen Rider is the brave man recognized by Lord KING!"
"Anyone who dares to insult them again with your filthy mouths will end up like these wastes!"
With that, he and the other two swaggered away under the fearful gazes of the crowd.
The commotion subsided, and many people looked at the unlucky ones who had been beaten on the ground, their eyes filled with complex emotions.
— — — — — —
Meanwhile, Lin Mo, riding in the Hero Association's special bulletproof car, was naturally unaware of everything that had just happened where he had left.
The car was unusually quiet, with only the steady hum of the engine.
The car windows were one-way; he could see the devastated streets and the shaken people outside, but those outside could not see him.
This sense of isolation allowed him to relax a little. He leaned back in the soft seat, closed his eyes, and tried to calm his still pounding heart.
His original plan was to take this special car directly home.
However, plans never keep up with changes.
"Buzz... buzz..."
The special communicator in his pocket suddenly vibrated. He took it out and saw a name he hadn't expected on the screen—"Child Emperor."
S-Class Rank 5, the Hero Association's strategist, a ten-year-old child prodigy with intelligence far surpassing adults.
Lin Mo hesitated for a moment, then pressed the answer button.
"Hello, is this KING?" Child Emperor's characteristic, slightly childish voice came from the other end of the line, but his speech was extremely fast and sounded very excited.
"It's me." Lin Mo's voice remained steady and magnetic.
"That's great! I saw the live broadcast, Uncle KING is truly amazing! I knew that a mere Demon-level Deep Sea King was no match for you!"
Child Emperor praised him unreservedly. "By the way, are you free now? I have something good here, and I urgently need you to come and help test it!"
"I'm... very tired right now." Lin Mo gave the most direct and truthful reason. "I just went through a big battle and need to rest."
"Don't be like that!" Child Emperor's tone immediately became urgent.
"This thing is very important! If it succeeds, it will be a milestone for our Hero Association!"
Lin Mo remained unmoved; he just wanted to go home now. Milestone? The future of the Hero Association?
Refusing toxic motivational speeches starts with me, alright.
"Sorry, I'm not in good shape today. Another time."
Seeing that Lin Mo was about to refuse, Child Emperor on the other end of the phone immediately changed his strategy.
So Child Emperor's tone suddenly did a 180-degree turn, from a calm scientist to a child who was currently pouting.
"Pleeease, Uncle KING~" The drawn-out, sweet, childish voice came through the communicator, giving Lin Mo goosebumps.
"...Please speak normally."
"Please, please~" Child Emperor continued to plead in that cutesy tone.
"I still don't know Uncle KING's data at all. Uncle KING is the best~ Please, please~"
Cold sweat broke out on Lin Mo's forehead. He could even imagine Child Emperor on the other end of the phone, holding a lollipop and blinking his big, pitiful eyes.
Is Conan Edogawa next door like this too...? In utter helplessness, under a barrage of sugar-coated bullets like "Uncle KING is the best" and "Only you can do it," Lin Mo finally gave in.
"...Send me the address." He almost gritted his teeth as he said this.
"That's great! I knew Uncle KING was the best!" Child Emperor immediately cheered, returning to his normal speaking speed.
"The address has been sent to your car's navigation system, it's at Research Institute Seven in Y-City! I'll be waiting for you here!"
Hanging up the phone, Lin Mo sighed helplessly and said to the association staff member in the front driver's seat, "Change the destination to Research Institute Seven in Y-City."
"Yes, Mr. KING." The driver respectfully replied, immediately setting the new route on the navigation.