He plated the fried dumplings, dividing them into two portions.
One for himself, and the larger portion placed on the table opposite him.
After finishing, he took a shower, changed out of his stinky clothes, and washed away all the muddy grime from his body.
Holding a hairdryer, he dried his hair and noticed two phones carelessly left on the table.
One was rather old-fashioned, with a strap attached.
The other was a new silver phone.
It was just sitting there, completely out of battery.
He glanced at them briefly before looking away, letting them be.
He then went to look out the window and noticed drones occasionally flying past.
Under the night sky, he suddenly caught sight of a magical girl streaking across the white moon.
She didnโt stopโthis area showed no signs of any mana at all.
Song Wuli closed the window, drew the curtains tightly, and turned on the TV to check the news.
He tried to sit on the sofa but hit something hard with his backside.
Looking down, it was the magic wand carelessly left here.
He picked it up, wrapped it in something, secured it with tape, then walked over to the bedroom and placed it under the bed.
Returning to the living room, he resumed watching TV.
The news was still replaying the Lightning Man incident repeatedly.
He switched through several channels, but it was the same news everywhereโexpert interviews, citizen reports.
The screen showed the exhibition center, where about 80% of the area had been destroyed, replaced by a massive crater.
Under the nightโs glow, bright lights illuminated the scene.
People were busy repairing the damage, hauling dirt to fill the pit. From a birdโs-eye view, humans looked like ants toiling diligently.
The scene then shifted to interviews with nearby residents.
Homes were in shambles. Floor-to-ceiling windows and doors were shattered, and there was dirt and rubble inside, all from the explosion.
Some residents wore worried expressions, while others grinned foolishly, even finding amusement in their half-destroyed homes.
Especially the children, who thought it was great fun.
They eagerly described the earth-shattering blast to reporters, happy as if recounting a thrilling adventure.
Perhaps this was innocent naivety.
As for the damaged houses, the Human Alliance was providing funds and labor for repairs, so owners didnโt have to worryโonly some wasted time.
โThis report was brought to you by our correspondent Yu Wubo. Now, back to the Newsroom.โ
The scene cut back to the Newsroom, where experts were chatting animatedly.
After a while, the topic shifted to another major storyโthe highlight of todayโs newsโabout the Council Level Demon.
Today was supposed to be the day the corpse would be revealed.
The news had been hyping this for a long time, teasing the corpseโs unveiling multiple times to build anticipation.
This was the Human Allianceโs recent propaganda focusโa rare, hard-fought victory against the demons.
Song Wuli switched off the TV and went to sleep, too lazy to watch further.
Meanwhile, in a seemingly ordinary milk tea shop, a few regulars had gathered.
Since Yao Ruoning hadnโt come to work, business had taken a dive again, though it was still far better than before the Holy Land Pilgrimage Incident.
There were still a few empty seats, but most people squeezed together, eyes glued to the tablet in Fat Zhouโs hands.
The screen was broadcasting multiple news feeds simultaneously, revealing the Lightning Manโs corpse.
This was a Council Level Demonโthe first time in Eastern Alliance history they had slain one.
Most people actually knew it was the magical girl who had done it, but the Human Alliance insisted on portraying it as the Eastern Allianceโs human forces eliminating the Council Level Demonโan historic victory for humanity.
ใThis is one of humanityโs few moments of gloryใ
ใThe Eastern Alliance now possesses world-class capabilitiesใ
ใWe believe humanity can once again flourish as in the pastใ
ใAnd we have obtained the Council Level Demonโs corpse, soon to be unveiledใ
Experts and hosts said these words with great solemnity.
The atmosphere was thick with tension.
At the appointed hour, the reveal finally began.
The camera followed the host into a heavily guarded, unknown facility, passing through many doors until reaching a room.
The crowd gathered around Fat Zhou pressed against him, even the milk tea shop owner leaned in, eyes fixed on the tablet.
โWhat do you think a Council Level Demon looks like? Four arms? Eight arms? Two heads?โ
โNo idea. I heard itโs bigger than a truck, really terrifying.โ
โI heard it was a two-ton fatty, not that big.โ
โQuiet, quiet, itโs about to be revealed.โ
The cameraman focused on the corpse lying on the platform.
It was enclosed in a Glass Cover, untouchable.
A Sticky Note was attached beside it, labeled โCodename: Lightning Man.โ
For the general public, this was their first look at a Council Level Demonโs corpse.
At this point, only a small fraction of the demonโs body remainedโperhaps a quarterโwhile the rest was gone.
โLin is just too strong, one shot and the Council Level Demon looks like this,โ Fat Zhou sighed in awe.
Others nearby nodded in agreement.
Of course, these people werenโt fooled by the Human Allianceโs propagandaโthey knew it was Yin Lin who had taken down the Council Level Demon.
Looking at the corpse, they were a bit surprisedโthe differences from humans were unexpectedly small, and the resemblance was quite high.
The news channel also aired footage from high-speed cameras capturing Lightning Manโs movements, as well as the special teamโs attack on the purple shield in the sewer that night.
The footage was edited to exclude any magical girl scenes, showing only the special forces battling Lightning Man.
The editor had real skillโit looked like the Human Alliance was genuinely fighting Lightning Man, even though not a single shot landed.
Online, people were cursing loudly, calling the Human Alliance and TV stations shameless.
But no matter how much the netizens complained, the Human Alliance carried on with their narrative.
Many even posted videos and photos proving the fight was between the magical girl and Lightning Man, evidence right in their faces.
Still, the Human Alliance refused to respond.
After a while, the broadcast cut back to the Newsroom, where experts and hosts continued discussing the Lightning Man corpse.
Fat Zhou was about to turn off the tablet and chat with his friends when suddenly, a breaking incident happened in the Newsroom.
Someone had stormed into the TV stationโs studio, causing the hosts and experts to look down anxiously.
โDonโt turn off the cameras!โ a womanโs threatening voice rang out nearby.
The next day, Song Wuli went to work early again.
On the subway, he zoned out, missing two stops.
By the time he arrived at the company, he was almost late.
His computer had been returned, and the keyboard replaced with a new one.
The supervisor was chatting seriously with Huang Yijun, likely about work.
Seeing Song Wuli arrive, the supervisor pointed at him: โCome to my office in a moment.โ
After saying this, he continued talking to Huang Yijun for a while before leaving.
Huang Yijun rubbed his forehead and walked over to Song Wuli.
He placed a bottle of yogurt on the desk.
The two exchanged a glance, and Song Wuli picked up the yogurt and set it beside the computer.
Huang Yijun smiled and returned to his workstation.
Yesterdayโs matter was now behind themโthis was how things were between men.