After stopping several more crimes, Lin Yu returned home in a flash.
He peeled off his uniform, tossed it into the washing machine, and threw in the two outfits he'd worn that day.
After spending some time playing Honkai Impact, Lin Yu collapsed onto his bed.
Lying there, he began to reflect on the past two days.
It had only been two days since he discovered his ability—more precisely, since the awakening of the system named Xiao Shu. Well, it was already past midnight, so technically, it was the third day.
The initial rush of becoming a superhero had already begun to fade.
After all, there were no other true superhumans in this world aside from Lin Yu and Ye Xin. No supernatural powers, cultivators, or magicians existed. Lin Yu had resolved every problem he encountered with ease. The criminal incidents of the past were no longer a challenge, and the excitement of playing hero was gradually wearing thin.
Though it had been less than three days since Xiao Shu's awakening, Lin Yu already felt stifled on Earth. His primary goal now was to train Xiaoxin until she could master her powers. Once she was ready, he'd leave the world behind and explore the other cosmic tides.
With the power to manipulate probability, Lin Yu could do virtually anything. He could abandon this universe and drift freely through the multiverse without a care.
The whole "superhero crime-fighting" thing—he did it simply because he wanted to.
Just like Saitama-sensei, he became a hero for fun.
Lin Yu fully intended to leave this world eventually. But before that, he felt compelled to do something meaningful for humanity.
Of course, he could simply awaken reality-manipulation powers—like Thanos—and resolve every problem with a snap of his fingers.
But that felt too cheap, too hollow.
With the power of probability manipulation, he was already godlike. He could do whatever he pleased. Be a superhero. Make headlines. At least that would stave off boredom. Why not?
If everything could be solved with a finger snap, what joy was there in living?
Like Saitama, who found no thrill in battle once he became too strong—every opponent fell in a single punch. It was dull.
Some things only became meaningful when you poured your heart into them—when you truly experienced them.
Over the past two days, knowing he was invincible had shifted Lin Yu's mindset. He was starting to resemble Saitama or those protagonists from invincibility novels—growing indifferent, apathetic, fast.
That initial passion for heroism might have been a lingering trace of the human mentality he had before suddenly ascending to godhood.
Yet even that fleeting emotion had waned quickly—fading more with each passing hour.
Perhaps, in time, Lin Yu's mentality would finally align with his abilities.
On June 6th, 2019, at precisely 11:08 a.m., Lin Yu woke up and finished washing up.
From the virtual light screen projected by Xiao Shu, he sent a WeChat message to Ye Xin.
Chat Interface
Lin Yu: "Xiaoxin, are you ready?"
Ye Xin: "Yup."
Lin Yu: "Let's grab breakfast first, then swing back to pick up our uniforms."
Ye Xin: "Okay. But Brother Lin Yu, do we really have to change uniforms the old-fashioned way every time? Xiaoyi said she can auto-transform ours."
Lin Yu: "Huh?"
Lin Yu tapped on the video Ye Xin sent. A dull ache struck his pride, but he still clicked play.
In the video, Ye Xin stood in her living room, wearing shorts and a loose shirt. Around her wrist was a bracelet—crafted from silicon-based life by Xiaoyi.
"Xiaoyi, outfit mode," she commanded.
A new "skin" suddenly enveloped the bracelet—an army of nano-robots surging across her arms and quickly covering her body. In moments, she was clad in a suit nearly identical in style to the one Lin Yu had designed for her—but with much sleeker aesthetics.
The difference was like the comparison between the original Spider-Man suit worn by Tom Holland in Avengers: Infinity War and the upgraded Iron Spider suit designed by Tony Stark. Same essence, far superior execution.
Watching the video on his sofa, Lin Yu's mouth twitched. He glanced over at Xiao Ai, perched on an upside-down teacup on the coffee table.
"Xiao Ai… you had this feature?"
"Yes," she answered, eyes drifting away to avoid his gaze.
Lin Yu grimaced. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I was going to… but after you picked a style from the list, you rushed ahead and made it using your own abilities. I didn't want to interrupt," Xiao Ai replied, visibly aggrieved.
"Ugh…" Lin Yu clutched his forehead. "God, that's embarrassing."
Thinking back, it was exactly like that. After selecting a uniform design from Xiao Shu's options, he used his powers to materialize it himself—never giving Xiao Ai the chance to speak.
And likely, Xiao Ai, fearing she'd embarrass him, stayed silent—leading to this whole farce.
Just like when Xiaoxin awakened her powers—she got struck by lightning due to miscommunication.
Damn it. I really have to stop being this careless.
Lin Yu swore to himself: from now on, he would always clarify the situation thoroughly before taking action.
Back in the chat interface:
Lin Yu: "Ahaha, turns out that is possible. Just found out!" (With a sheepishly scratching head emoji)
Ye Xin: ""
Lin Yu: "Anyway, no big deal. Let's eat first and then head out."
Ye Xin: "Okay." (With a husky on a swing shaking its face)
Lin Yu: "Let's go."
He had Xiao Ai return to bracelet form, slipped it onto his wrist, stepped out of his apartment, and stood in the hallway.
"Good morning, Brother Lin Yu," Ye Xin greeted, locking her door across the hall.
"Morning," Lin Yu replied. "Let's head out."
The two walked downstairs, exited the building, and went to a nearby breakfast shop. They bought buns, fried dough sticks, and soy milk, then returned to the building after eating.
"Brother Lin Yu, should we just fly there?" Ye Xin asked.
"No, let's take my car. Don't forget—it's been transformed into a silicon-based lifeform too. Besides, we can enjoy the view on the way," Lin Yu replied, leading her toward his Wuling Hongguang S.
"Hop in," he said.
"Pyramid, good morning," Lin Yu greeted once inside.
[ Master, good morning ] The car's voice was metallic, gravelly—the sound of a machine laced with elemental dominance.
[ Good morning, Pyramid ] Xiao Ai chimed in.
[ Morning, Xiao Ai ] Pyramid responded.
"Let me introduce someone new," Lin Yu continued. "This is Ye Xin. Her bracelet's also a silicon-based lifeform, just like you."
"Hello," Ye Xin said warmly.
"Hello! I'm Xiaoyi," chimed in her bracelet.
"Hello!" Pyramid replied, clearly delighted by the new companion.
"Pyramid, take us to the Taklamakan Desert," Lin Yu instructed.
[ Affirmative. ]
The Wuling Hongguang S pulled out of the neighborhood. No need for subtlety this time—Pyramid steered directly onto a quiet road, disrupted nearby surveillance, and then morphed into a sleek shuttle. With optical stealth, radar jamming, and full flight systems engaged, they soared into the sky
[ destination: Taklamakan Desert ]