"I'm a little hungry." Lin Yu returned home, rubbed his stomach, and muttered.
The human traffickers he had taken down earlier had only eaten a hurried hand pancake at noon—just like him, Lin Yu was still famished.
"Let's grab a bite."
He changed out of his uniform, tossed it into the washing machine, and, reverting to his usual plump self, stepped out of the house. At a familiar restaurant, he found a seat and ordered a plate of white-cut chicken rice. Then, he began to devour it.
On the restaurant's TV, a news broadcast was covering the global crackdown on human traffickers by a mysterious superhero.
What had transpired over the past two days had stunned the world.
A real-life superhero had appeared. The whole world was in disbelief.
But following that disbelief came madness—frenzied excitement.
The existence of a genuine superhero with powers ignited the imaginations of countless dreamers worldwide.
Now, nearly everyone was talking about it. The word "superhero" had become the hottest global buzzword.
Even the patrons in the restaurant were caught up in the chatter.
"Look, it's that superhero news again."
"Superheroes are so cool!"
"I never imagined we'd see real superheroes and superpowers. It feels like a dream."
"Check it out! I've got the first video from yesterday! Net"
"Old news. I've seen it already. Look at this—it's the newest video released today. Shot by Lao Mei, I think."
As Lin Yu scarfed down his meal, he listened quietly to the conversations around him. Despite being the center of this global phenomenon, he remained calm. He smiled faintly, pulled out Xiaoai—now in the form of a regular mobile phone—opened Station B, and began watching videos while he ate.
Station B was flooded with videos featuring the new superhero. Finally, someone had managed to capture a clear image of him.
This time, since Lin Yu had donned a uniform and an eye mask, he hadn't minded the onlookers recording him. Unlike yesterday's footage, which only showed streaks of white light, today's videos revealed much more.
Due to the escalating momentum from yesterday and today's events, many of these clips had already racked up tens of millions of views—rivaling some of the most viral phenomena in online history.
Comments and live bullet screens were exploding with activity.
Lin Yu scanned the homepage, ultimately clicking on the video with the highest views.
The title read: "Heroes Strike, Justice Executed!"
The video had nearly 500 million views.
As it played, the screen was instantly flooded with colorful barrage comments, almost obscuring the footage. The comment section itself had more than 1,000 pages.
"Punish evil, promote good!"
"Delivering the people from harm!"
"Brilliant!"
"Brilliant!"
"Brilliant!"
"What a magnificent person!"
"He's so fast—invincible. Yet he didn't use his powers for pleasure but chose to become a superhero. Net"
"Damn, I'm touched. My sense of justice is awakening. Don't stop me—I'm becoming a superhero!"
"Why read books when I can awaken my powers and become a hero? Ha!"
"I punched a monster just now."
"Where do you think this superhero is from?"
"He has to be Chinese."
"Huaxia people! Don't forget what the firefighter said in yesterday's video. The white streaks of light from today's rescue match perfectly with those from yesterday. It's clearly the same person!"
"Huaxia!"
"I don't know why, but I feel this deep sense of pride. What's going on?"
"You're not alone. I feel it too."
"Pride +1"
"God bless Huaxia! Old irons!"
"Look, what's that symbol on his chest?"
"Looks like a probability cloud?"
"Definitely a probability cloud. But why choose that as a logo?"
"Usually, superhero symbols relate to their powers. So what does this cloud mean?"
"Could his powers be tied to quantum mechanics?"
"Here comes the quantum theology! (funny)"
"Uncertainty principle, quantum logic!"
"Or maybe he just thinks the pattern looks cool?"
Lin Yu was slightly amused reading the comments. The Station B crowd had impressive imagination, linking the emblem on his chest to so many theories.
Still, it didn't matter. Even if they guessed that his abilities involved quantum mechanics, no one could truly know that his powers were based on probability itself.
As long as he stayed silent, his true ability would remain a secret.
"Station B folks sure are chill. Not only that, they've got time to debate his powers amidst a complete collapse in worldview."
With that thought, a grin crept onto Lin Yu's face. He continued browsing the comments, curious to see what names netizens were bestowing on him.
"He's got a probability cloud on his chest. How about calling him 'The Leader'? (life-saving funny)"
"Leader (Ler Zhe)? Are you for real?"
"Hey, don't knock it. 'Leader' kinda works."
"Damn, did he just become humanity's first 'Leader'?!"
"Yes! Leader! Let it be so! (laughs)"
"Hahaha! Then it's settled! Our first superhero shall be called 'Leader'!"
"Long live the Leader!"
"Long live the Leader!"
"Y'all are insane."
"Cough! Cough!" Lin Yu had just taken a sip of water when he saw the nickname bestowed upon him. He nearly choked and coughed violently.
What the hell is 'Leader'?!
Somebody get me a bag of salt so I can throw it!
His heart burned with the overwhelming need to complain.
"Brother Lin Yu." A voice interrupted.
He looked up and saw Xiaoxin entering the restaurant. She greeted him with a smile and walked over.
"Xiaoxin, haven't eaten yet? Come, join me," Lin Yu said, smiling at Ye Xin.
"Okay." Ye Xin sat across from him and ordered a set meal of roasted beef with potatoes.
"Brother Lin Yu, today you—"
She hesitated, her eyes fixed on Lin Yu as he ate. Clearly, she had something to ask, but seeing the bustling restaurant, she held her words back.
Lin Yu leisurely picked up the last piece of white-cut chicken, dipped it in ginger sauce, and placed it in his mouth. He finished the last spoonful of rice, chewed slowly, then washed it down with water.
"I know what you're going to ask," he said, placing his cup down. "Don't worry. Let's talk after you eat."
"Alright," Ye Xin nodded, momentarily swallowing her curiosity.
Soon, her roasted beef with potatoes was served. Feeling a bit hungry herself, she began to eat in silence