That young man was the same as the one who had seen Li Yue and Homelander fighting in the sky. There was no way that he would miss such a golden opportunity. He immediately recorded the battle with his phone.
Although he was not very close, he still took a clear picture of Homelander and Li Yue.
He couldn't follow Li Yue and Homelander as they raced away, but his excitement wasn't dampened. He quickly rushed to the hotel to post the video online!
It took him nearly an hour to get down the mountain and return to his hotel room. The comments on the internet were scolding him, saying that this video was fake!
He almost smashed his phone in anger when he read those comments. He needed a while to calm himself, but after just another hour, his video was deleted. His anger was reignited!
Fortunately, the tides quickly changed.
But while he was reveling in his fame, he suddenly received two mysterious messages.
The first message was a bit inexplicable, making him think that it was a harassment message, but the second one was like a bucket of cold water fiercely poured on his head. His excitement instantly disappeared!
"That's right, I'm now overseas, so it's not safe! It's not like in China, where you can release a video like this and just get my "water meter" checked. In this country, my life might even be in danger!"
(T/N: "Getting your water meter checked" is Chinese slang for sudden police search without a warrant.)
"And if this man could find my identity, it would only be a matter of time for a massive company like Vought International to find me. When that happen, I would be crushed like an ant!"
Xu Xiaoning felt a chill on his back. He did not dare to delay any longer and immediately gathered his belongings before leaving the room. He didn't bother taking care of the security deposit and the remainder of the fee he had paid upfront at the front desk. His only goal right now is to go back to China!
"Fuck, this is killing me!"
He used his phone to check the earliest plane tickets online, but unfortunately, they had all been sold out.
Ding!
There was another sound of text messages. Xu Xiaoning hurriedly opened it!
"I already booked a ticket for the earliest flight with your name. It's first class! Just redeem the ticket at the airport. No need to thank me; I'm just a friend. By the way, I paid for the ticket with your account!"
"I have no idea who you are, but thank you, good comrade!"
Xu Xiaoning's heart was a complete mess. This mysterious man was really a good person! Not only did he remind him to run away quickly, but he also helped him with an escape plan! It's unfortunate that that man hid his identity. Otherwise, Xu Xiaoning would've worshiped his feet!
With that in mind, Xu Xiaoning quickly rushed to the airport!
...
Xu Xiaoning had no way of knowing, but while he was rushing towards the airport, a dozen burly men in black suits and sunglasses had arrived in the hotel that he just left. One of them asked the front desk if Xu Xiaoning had checked out of the room he was staying in.
After the receptionist told them that Xu Xiaoning hadn't checked out, they immediately stormed the room. However, they were greeted with an empty room!
...
"Sir, Mr. Xu Xiaoning had redeemed the plane ticket and successfully boarded the plane. The plane will take off within three minutes with no problem! However, a group of people barged into his hotel room shortly after he left!"
"Alright, that wraps it up. No need to keep an eye on him anymore!"
Li Yue ordered Dummy after hearing the report. Thankfully, Xu Xiaoning heeded his warning and was finally safe and sound!
...
Xu Xiaoning sat in his first-class seat, blissfully unaware that if he was thirty minutes late, he would never see the great mountains and rivers of his motherland ever again!
A strong sense of homesickness rose in Xu Xiaoning's heart. He had never wanted to return to his motherland, to his calm and peaceful hometown, this strongly before!
.
.
"Sir, Miss Starlight is calling. Do you want to pick it up? She had called you a total of 58 times during your rest, and this is the 59th time!"
"Pick it up!"
Li Yue was currently holding the transparent phone that Tony had given him to check the latest news. (It was a good decision to leave the phone at home before the battle.) Dummy had said it was the 59th time that Starlight had tried to call him. If he didn't pick it up...
"Thank God, Li Yue, you finally picked up the phone. Where are you now? Are you hurt?"
Starlight's voice immediately arrived from the phone when he picked it up. Her first question was whether he was injured!
"Well, I'm fine now, so you don't have to worry!"
Li Yue casually replied, emphasizing that he wasn't injured!
"That's good, then... It's not that I don't trust you; I just wanted to ask about what the internet is talking about. Was it true that you're a villain that joined the Seven with ulterior motives? They even said that you cruelly killed Homelander.
"But I don't believe that you are that kind of person!"
Starlight was obviously relieved. She couldn't help but ask about the things on the internet!
"Well...some of the things they said are true. I do have my own reason for joining the Seven, but I can't really tell you the details. It is also true that I fought and killed Homelander.
"But calling me a villain is slander. I'm not exactly a good person either, but I refuse to be called a villain. Moreover, Homelander is not as kind as you think he is!"
Li Yue didn't know why, but after hearing that Starlight believed in him, all thoughts about hiding from her disappeared. It might be because Starlight was the first person to believe in him! Or maybe because this girl had always kept true to herself in the original series!
"Yes, I believe you. I believe that the truth will soon be revealed.
"Also, I will keep your secret, and you can call me if anything happens. I might not be as strong as you, but I will stand by your side to support you.
"Goodbye, Li Yue!"
Starlight didn't give Li Yue any chance to reply and hung up the phone!
"Heh, is this what it's like to be trusted? Not bad!"
Li Yue didn't really think that the negative news on the internet would impact him much. He even prepared a backup plan already. He believed that things would turn around soon.
Moreover, he had absolute confidence in his own strength. Even if everyone in this world was his enemy, what could they do?
But the fact that someone had trusted him so completely for the first time felt pretty good!
...
Of course, Li Yue did not know that Starlight was not the only one who believed him.
For example, there was a pair of mother and daughter that watched the TV.
"Mom, the people on the TV were lying! Big brother Thunderclap was a good person, right?"
"Yes, he was not only a good person but a hero that saved us!"
...