Chapter 4: Hero? Forget it?

“Uphold justice!”

With that shout, Shi Ji enthusiastically threw a punch at Xian Ning.

Seeing the imminent danger, Xian Ning instinctively tried to dodge. However, before he could react, pain shot through his cheek, and he was sent flying. He let out a scream.

“Ah!!!”

The pain hit him hard.

The so-called fans were stunned on the spot. Shi Ji, currently fuming, didn’t want to waste too much time here. The bus departure was imminent, and he needed to finish this quickly and leave. For the penniless Shi Ji, this seemed like the only way out.

After Xian Ning was sent flying, Shi Ji didn’t stop. Since he had already struck, a few more punches wouldn’t hurt, right?

Shi Ji moved quickly. As soon as Xian Ning hit the ground, Shi Ji was already by his side. He grabbed Xian Ning’s collar with his left hand and began to pummel his face with his right. His speed was astonishing, delivering several punches within seconds. In no time, the previously handsome face was swollen and bruised.

After a few seconds, Shi Ji let go of Xian Ning.

The unconscious Xian Ning lay motionless on the ground. Shi Ji had controlled his strength to avoid causing any life-threatening injuries, as for Xian Ning’s face… whether it would fully recover was another question.

B-rank hero Xian Ning, unable to react in time, was thus taken down by a seemingly ordinary person.

Looking down at Xian Ning, Shi Ji said disdainfully, “Having heroes like you is a disgrace to the hero community. You’re trash.”

With that, Shi Ji turned and quickly left. To others, it might seem like he was fleeing. And indeed, he was, but there was another reason behind him running away like that.

Boarding the bus smoothly, Shi Ji felt quite relieved. He had managed to run fast enough; otherwise, the bus would have left without him.

He didn’t dwell on what had just happened. He initially intended to close his eyes and get some sleep. But his gaze fell on a pamphlet set aside for passengers’ reference.

This wasn’t a safety pamphlet but an introduction to the latest popular heroes.

With a lot of time ahead, Shi Ji decided to flip through the pamphlet for some entertainment.

He casually flipped through a few pages. Most of the content introduced active A-rank heroes, with a few rapidly rising B-rank heroes. Among the B-rank heroes, he spotted none other than Xian Ning, the man he had just beaten up.

Reading Xian Ning’s introduction, Shi Ji finally understood. Xian Ning had originally been an unpopular minor celebrity who became a hero by chance. Due to various incidents, he quickly garnered significant fan attention and became a hot hero candidate.

Shi Ji realized that someone like Xian Ning became a hero solely for personal gain, to boost his popularity. He was unworthy of the title of hero.

With a ripping sound, Shi Ji tore out Xian Ning’s page and shredded it to pieces.

“A hero? Forget it, it’s not even worth the money.”

Although he criticized Xian Ning for becoming a hero out of personal interest, Shi Ji didn’t realize that he too was developing an interest in becoming a hero—driven by his own desire for money.

The difference between Xian Ning and Shi Ji, however, was something worth pondering.