"It's like this..."
Russell's face formed a somewhat forced, bitter smile, "Just a short while ago, my mother passed away."
This bitterness and reluctance also stemmed from a kind of deep, heartfelt sincerity.
But it was not sadness, rather a faint self-loathing—it was as if he was using the relationship with his mother as a tool for language, something that allowed him to be forgiven by others.
It certainly wasn't a trivial or superficial thing, yet Russell's experience told him that this was exactly what he should be doing at this moment.
It truly was the best point of entry into the conversation. A window that could shock and provoke pity from people, breaking their previous patterns of thought and evoking empathy for him, guiding them to a new direction of thinking.
The inner conflict between morality and reason, however, did not cause the slightest change in Russell's expression.
He was like a public relations machine, designed to make himself as "likeable" as possible, allowing people to feel his sincerity.
"Ah!"
Glass acted surprised, showing an astonished expression, "So it is..."
"Although I am studying at Chongguang University, compared to my classmates, my family background isn't as prestigious. My tuition fees are completely covered by scholarships and student loans... I must thank my mentor 'Sally Ruth,' for she helped me secure my student loans."
A look of heartfelt gratitude appeared on Russell's face.
This gratitude was eight parts genuine and two parts feigned, and those two parts untrue lay precisely in "Russell being the type who would not actually reveal his true feelings."
Therefore, his gratitude could be said to be genuinely heartfelt—
Russell's words spread in all directions through the large local network covering Happiness Island.
In the Tianen District of Happiness Island, in a luxury villa area named after the Tianen Group.
A plump, gentle-faced, and lethargic-looking middle-aged man sat in a hot spring, holding a cup of iced cocoa, staring in shock at the large screen suspended above the spring, which displayed the boy.
His hair color was close to Russell's, with ears and a tail one size smaller compared to Russell's, but the color was deeper, more orange. However, he weighed at least twice as much as Russell.
Although he had never seen his nephew's appearance, he recognized him immediately upon seeing Russell's face.
"...Is this, Russell?"
Mr. Orange Cat was somewhat astonished.
At the same time, the news of the "new hero" was swiftly spreading throughout Happiness Island—
It was now sunset, but the offices of the Tianen Group's Execution Department were still brightly lit.
In an era where tens of terabytes of data could easily be transmitted, people were still walking around holding paper documents and files, yet nobody would push open the door of the office numbered B-002, the Special Execution Department.
Inside the spacious office, only a lone girl sat.
She had long, pure white hair, ears similar to a fox's, and a fluffy, bushy short tail.
In front of her were only a boxed meal and a cup of hot milk tea. She didn't go to the Tianen Group's employee cafeteria that was both free and of excellent quality to dine not because she thought it too noisy, but because she didn't want to engage in meaningless social interactions and small talk.
It was too troublesome.
She ate her takeout while watching the live broadcast projected in her mind.
"Sally Ruth..."
She murmured the name softly after hearing it.
Flipping through some information casually, she quickly realized why it sounded familiar to her.
"...A Director of Chongguang Group, huh."
The girl sighed, "It's not being from a wealthy family, but this connection is still troublesome."
If nothing unexpected happened, she would likely have a new colleague soon.
She hoped this "Hero's" personality would be somewhat agreeable and not too peculiar.
"Such a hassle."
She complained softly.
In the Lower City District of Happiness Island, a stag-horned young man in the black coat-like uniform of the Tianen Group's Execution Department, standing tall, removed a chip flashing a red warning light from his wrist and put on his white gloves again.
The ones lying unconscious before him were a group of ragged mercenaries.
After hearing a message from his subordinate, the young man opened Glass's live broadcast, setting its transparency to 40%.
"Hero..."
His already grim gaze grew a bit colder, "Recently, there are more and more 'Heroes' related to Elves. I hope this one is the real deal... at least not so fake.
"Target captured, team withdraw. And you, watching a broadcast during work hours, you're docked ten days' performance."
"Wait, wait a minute, boss! I just turned it on—"
"Another excuse and it's half a month."
The public screens in the Tianen Group's employee cafeteria, the subway station signs that normally displayed advertisements, and even the transparent outer walls of skyscrapers that had been transformed into enormous screens showing various ads all day, now all showed Russell's face from his interview.
His voice echoed through the streets and alleys in the evening sunset.
Those walking, those driving, those still working overtime, those dining...
Countless eyes, through their respective screens, monitors, brain screens, all looked simultaneously at the boy being interviewed on the tarmac.
The origin of the signal, Russell spoke to the camera, to the crowd hidden behind the camera, "After I took care of my mother's affairs, the only relative I have left, my uncle expressed his desire to take care of me. Even though I'm already of age, he urged me repeatedly, saying he couldn't neglect me."