After the police interrogation and finishing a cup of hot tea, Ronin and Lucy finally left the police station.
They carried no guns or ammunition, and there was no direct evidence linking them to any killings. In the end, the entire incident at the Deep Sea Bar was attributed to Soldier: 76…
Sheriff Jeffrey didn't believe it one bit, but it was the only explanation that made any logical sense.
A movie character jumping into the real world to fight crime and protect world peace?
He would rather believe that all those gangsters had suddenly decided to commit mass suicide than accept that Soldier: 76 had literally walked out of the movie screen. Unless, of course, he had wasted most of his life raising dogs.
With no other choice, the case was temporarily put on hold until new evidence surfaced.
"Chief, should I give them a ride? Mr. Ronin doesn't look too well. It might be dangerous for him and Ms. Brent to head out alone," suggested a young policeman.
Sheriff Jeffrey thought for a moment and nodded. "Go ahead."
Just as Ronin was about to call his driver Thomas, a car horn sounded from behind. He turned around to see a bright, enthusiastic face smiling at him from the driver's seat.
"Mr. Ronin, let me give you a lift. The roads aren't very safe right now."
It was that overly eager young policeman.
Ronin didn't refuse. Riding in a police car was indeed safer. He had no idea what Thomas was up to anyway — when he called earlier to confirm Thomas was safe, loud DJ music was blasting in the background.
"Mr. Ronin, my name is Henry Wagner. I'm Overwatch's biggest fan!"
"Hello, Officer Wagner," Ronin replied politely.
"Just call me Henry. You know, Mr. Ronin, I really love Soldier: 76. Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming a superhero just like him. Watching the movie felt like I had truly entered that world — it completely fulfilled my childhood dream," Henry said excitedly while driving.
He never imagined he would ever get the chance to speak with Mr. Ronin, let alone drive him home.
Because of his deep love for Overwatch and Soldier: 76, his respect for Ronin was immense.
"My pleasure," Ronin said with a smile.
"Winston has already finished filming and is now in post-production. It will be released at the end of this month. If you have time, I can arrange a small role for you in a future movie. The next one should be Iron Man, assuming everything goes smoothly."
"Really? That's awesome!"
Henry had always dreamed of appearing in an Overwatch movie, even if it was just a background shot. And now there was even going to be an Iron Man movie with Mr. Stark!
Suddenly, he slammed on the brakes. Ronin nearly flew forward in his seat.
"Drive carefully. There's still plenty of time before the next movie starts. I'll contact you later."
"Sorry, Mr. Ronin."
Henry calmed himself down and focused on the road, though the excitement on his face remained obvious.
Throughout the drive, Lucy stayed completely silent. She only occasionally raised her head to glance at Ronin before quickly looking down again, biting her finger.
"Lucy, this is your stop," Ronin gently patted her shoulder.
Lucy snapped out of her daze, picked up her bag, thanked Henry, and got out of the car.
Before closing the door, she looked at Ronin and said softly, "Mr. Ronin… you probably won't be getting any sleep tonight."
"My bed is very big," Ronin replied without hesitation.
Lucy rolled her eyes at him, turned around, and walked away without saying another word.
Henry showed a meaningful smile in the rearview mirror. Ronin coughed lightly and said, "Don't overthink it. There's nothing between us. That's just how we usually talk."
"I understand, Mr. Ronin."
He didn't expect such a successful CEO and genius screenwriter to have such a humorous side.
When they arrived at the coastal villa, Ronin got out of the car. "Sitting in a police car wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought."
"You're always welcome at the station for tea, Mr. Ronin. We can even provide a special escort," Henry said while patting the steering wheel.
Ronin waved his hand. "No thanks, I'm a law-abiding citizen."
As soon as he lay down on his bed, his phone rang. He didn't even need to check — he knew it was Lucy. She was clearly still shaken by tonight's events.
"Hey Lucy, it's already very late. Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
Ronin was genuinely exhausted. He didn't know if transforming into Soldier: 76 had consumed too much energy, but right now all he wanted was to lie down and rest.
"Mr. Ronin, tell me that what I saw at the bar tonight wasn't real," Lucy's voice was filled with anxiety.
"Yeah, it wasn't real," Ronin answered lazily.
"That's not the answer I wanted! Even though you're my boss, I need you to tell me the truth for your own sake."
Lucy spoke very quickly, her tone shifting with her emotions.
Ha… women.
Ronin was speechless. Didn't she just ask him to say it wasn't real? Now that wasn't the answer she wanted?
A woman's heart really was as unpredictable as the ocean.
"For my own sake, you should hang up right now and let me sleep. I'm really tired."
Ronin yawned. He wasn't pretending.
"How am I supposed to handle the reporters tomorrow? What happened at the Deep Sea Bar is definitely going to be big news."
Lucy sounded helpless. When Charlie had her taken away earlier, she was terrified, but she believed Ronin would save her. Now she was even more scared because she realized she knew almost nothing about her boss.
Ronin was clearly hiding a massive secret from her, from the company, and from the entire world.
"Just tell the media what I told the police — everything was Charlie's doing and has nothing to do with us," Ronin said while rubbing his brows.
"Then what about you? What exactly is your relationship with Soldier: 76?" Lucy asked directly.
"Maybe you can think of Soldier: 76 as my son. He comes out to protect me whenever I'm in danger," Ronin said impatiently. "Alright Lucy, one day you'll know the truth. Just not today."
He hung up the phone, turned it off, and tossed it aside.
The fewer people who knew he could transform into Soldier: 76, the better. Every extra person who found out would only increase the danger.
Paper can't wrap fire forever, but it can at least delay the flames from spreading.
If he openly admitted this identity, S.H.I.E.L.D. would definitely start paying him constant visits. He only wanted to be a laid-back, salted-fish CEO and had zero interest in getting involved with those serious agents.
He slept straight through until morning.
When he turned on the TV, the news was exploding everywhere.
"Last night at 9 PM, a serious shooting incident occurred at the Deep Sea Bar in Manhattan. Flying Films CEO Spark Charlie attempted to force a cooperation with Overwatch Pictures and was shot dead along with all his subordinates by a mysterious man. Fortunately, Overwatch Pictures CEO Ronin and his assistant were unharmed."
"According to local police, the mysterious shooter is very likely the movie character Soldier: 76! This sounds unbelievable, and the police are also skeptical. The investigation is still ongoing."
"We also found an eyewitness at the scene — a young boy. Let's hear what he has to say!"
The camera switched to the little boy, who spoke excitedly:
"I saw Soldier: 76! He was holding a big pulse rifle and went biubiubiu and shot all the bad guys dead! Then the police came and took me to safety. After that, I didn't see Soldier: 76 anymore."
Ronin twitched the corner of his mouth and smiled helplessly.
"Kid… you win."
Last night's incident had completely pushed him into the spotlight. The once low-profile CEO was now known to everyone, and his connection to Soldier: 76 had become a complete mystery.
Before he could even fully enjoy the excitement of becoming Soldier: 76, he already had to start thinking about how to deal with everything that was coming.
These days, even being a salted fish isn't easy!