Chapter 183: The Missing 100 Yuan

Shi Ji decided that he couldn’t go back to that hospital for a while. It was just too terrifying.

After jumping from the high floor, he bolted as fast as he could, not daring to look back even once. When he finally stopped, he realized he had run all the way back to the spot where he had earlier taught Blade a lesson.

Glancing around, he figured he might as well head over there. The most pressing issue now was the missing 100 yuan. 

Since he was already in the area, what if he managed to find it?

Before, he had tried to brush it off, but now the thought of losing that money was gnawing at him. He realized just how important it was. Better to keep it in mind.

The bigger the hope, the bigger the disappointment—there’s truth to that saying.

In the end, after searching high and low, Shi Ji didn’t find a trace of his 100 yuan.

Sighing heavily, he crouched down, trying to soothe his frustration.

“Man, this sucks. It’s already hard enough to make money, and today I lose 100 yuan? What rotten luck. I really need to focus on what’s important, like registering as a professional hero. I can’t stay in Hero Academy forever, I’ve gotta figure out a way to make some money. Otherwise, if I starve to death on the streets one day, how embarrassing would that be?”

As this thought crossed his mind, Shi Ji suddenly froze. His eyes widened slightly as if something had just clicked.

“Wait a minute… the Star Alliance? Could that 100 yuan have fallen out in the meeting room when I pulled out those papers?”

Shi Ji wasn’t ready to give up on that 100 yuan just yet.

Looking back at the spot where he’d been searching, there was no one around anymore.

Recently, due to special circumstances, the Star Alliance had restricted access to outsiders unless it was absolutely necessary.

Not long after, Shi Ji stood in front of the large plaza outside the Star Alliance headquarters.

Shi Ji glanced at the large front gate. Just like before, there were two men in suits standing guard.

He walked towards them, thinking if he explained his situation, maybe they’d let him in.

“Hey, hey, little brother,” one of the guards called out before Shi Ji could even get close, “the Star Alliance isn’t allowing random visitors right now. You’ll have to come back another time.”

Shi Ji approached with a friendly smile, showing he meant no harm.

“Uh, here’s the thing, I was in there earlier for a hero meeting, and I accidentally left 100 yuan in the meeting room. Could you let me in to take a quick look?”

One of the guards blinked in surprise. “A meeting? Are you sure you’re not mistaken, little brother? This morning’s meeting was exclusive to S-rank and A-rank heroes. No offense, but you don’t really seem like a hero.”

The guard wasn’t being rude, he simply didn’t recognize Shi Ji. These two guards had replaced the ones from earlier, so it wasn’t surprising that they didn’t know who he was.

In the end, they refused to let Shi Ji in.

This left him feeling pretty frustrated. He’d come all this way, and now he couldn’t even go inside. What a waste of time.

Shi Ji looked up at the tall building. His eyes gleamed with an idea. Without a second thought, he turned and ran off.

Even though he wasn’t sure if the 100 yuan was still inside, he was determined to check. As he stared at the scattered open windows of the Star Alliance building, he realized—those windows were his way in.

Finding a quiet corner, Shi Ji mapped out in his mind where the meeting room was based on his memory.

“Heh! Got it,” he said to himself, grinning.

Shi Ji glanced around once more. He absolutely couldn’t afford to get caught sneaking in. After all, he still had plans to establish himself at the Star Alliance. If he caused a mess before even joining, who’d want him around?

Once he confirmed the coast was clear, Shi Ji relaxed his arms at his sides. His right palm turned downward, and faintly, a small vortex of energy formed.

Boom!

The vortex suddenly burst, and a gust of wind shot downward, propelling Shi Ji up like a rocket. 

Crash!

The glass shattered.

The Star Alliance was a special place, and its buildings were constructed to the highest standards. Every exterior part of the structure used reinforced, bulletproof glass.

In other words, the glass Shi Ji had just smashed through? Yeah, that was bulletproof.

He intended to control his strength, being extra cautious. But with the speed he was going, he failed to rein himself in and ended up punching a hole straight through the bulletproof window.

At least he had gotten the location right—this was the meeting room he had been in earlier. But now he’d busted through their glass. And fixing bulletproof glass… probably wasn’t something that could be settled with 100 yuan.

Doo-doo-doo.

Suddenly, the alarms in the meeting room—no, throughout the entire Star Alliance—started blaring.

Everyone in the building was jolted by the noise, initially thinking there was a monster attack. But as they listened, they realized something was off. This alarm sounded similar to the one for aberrations but with a subtle difference.

“Something’s breached the Alliance!!!”

Yes, this alarm only went off when the main structure of the Star Alliance came under direct attack. To trigger it, it would require a force powerful enough to damage the building itself.

The entire staff of the Star Alliance was on high alert. They scattered in all directions to find the source of the alarm.

Amid the chaos, a figure wearing a mask, a hat, and simple work clothes quietly disappeared from view. The person was tall, muscular, and built like a tank—comparable to some of the top-tier heroes like Hong Yao or Black Dragon.

***

The sound of the alarm gave Shi Ji quite a scare. If he got caught, the consequences would be unimaginable. He rushed over to the seat where he had been earlier, frantically searching for the missing money. Sure enough, he found the 100 yuan bill right under the chair.

When Shi Ji picked up the bill, he shamelessly kissed it, grinning from ear to ear.

“Ah, little baby, let’s get you home.”

Just as he finished talking, the door to the meeting room suddenly swung open. The movement was swift and decisive. No hesitation at all.

A group of security personnel, guns drawn, quickly stormed into the room. The first thing they noticed was the gaping hole in the glass wall leading outside.

“Stay sharp,” the team leader whispered to his crew.

They moved cautiously, spreading out as they closed in on the conference table. Although it wasn’t likely, they couldn’t rule out the possibility that whatever caused the damage was still in the room.

The security team moved in slowly, communicating through hand signals as they waited for the right moment. When the timing was perfect, they pounced, swiftly surrounding the area.

But on the other side of the table, there was only a row of chairs. Nothing else.

Shi Ji had already made his escape the moment the door opened. He jumped through the hole in the shattered glass.

Before he hit the ground, there was someone lurking in the shadows of a nearby corner.

The figure was tall and looked somewhat suspicious. He was in the middle of removing a mask from his face and a hat from his head.

When the hat came off, it revealed something shocking—part of the man’s skull had been sliced off, leaving a terrifying appearance. His face was covered in countless scars, a testament to the hardships he had endured.

This was the same “ordinary worker” who had slipped away unnoticed during the earlier chaos.

The man scanned the area, checking for anyone nearby. Satisfied that no one was around, he relaxed.

Suddenly—

Boom!!!

“Ahhh! I escaped, I escaped! That scared the hell out of me!”

A loud crash, followed by a young man’s voice, rang out from behind him.