I write obituaries for the gods.

Chapter 3 "Superheroes"

"Mr. Qingtian, thank you very much for arriving at the scene so promptly. How would you assess the situation regarding this disaster?"

"Mr. Qingtian, could you please disclose the cause of the bridge collapse? Currently..."

"Mr. Skybreaker..."

Surrounded by reporters, Qingtian's lips twitched slightly, and his fists clenched tightly.

"I'll say it again: ask questions in an orderly manner."

As soon as the deep voice opened its mouth, almost all the reporters shut their mouths.

The demigod, his head half-hidden by a steel helmet, looked around and finally chose a pretty female reporter:

"say."

"Mr. Skybreaker...why did Iron Cape Bridge suddenly collapse?"

"I don't know," Qingtian said in a low voice, "I received a notification, so I came to rescue people. Next."

"Mr. Optimus Prime, I heard that the power armor you're wearing is a joint development product of the Foundation and 'Ink Bamboo Technology.' Is that true?"

"I don't know, the next one." Qingtian shook his head.

"May I ask who the little girl you are holding is?" Finally, a reporter noticed Huihui in Qingtian's arms.

"She was the last survivor I saved," Qingtian said. "Unfortunately, I could only save her sitting in the back row; her parents are probably in grave danger."

At this point, Qingtian paused noticeably, then his tone suddenly became more formal:

"At such a young age, she suddenly lost her parents due to a sudden tragedy. As a member of the foundation, I hate that I don't have the ability to save her parents and protect a happy family."

"Therefore, I would like to inform you that the Foundation will do its utmost to investigate the truth behind the collapse of the Iron Cape Bridge. If there is any deliberate conspiracy or trickery behind it, we will do everything in our power to punish it."

At this point, the reporters, who had been somewhat frightened by Qingtian's impatience, began to applaud. Flashes of light pierced the rain as they captured the heroic and awe-inspiring scene of Qingtian carrying Huihui.

At the back of the crowd, Lin Chen stared blankly at this absurd scene, imagining it making the headlines the next day.

"But..." Lin Chen murmured, "He could save Huihui... so why couldn't he save Uncle and Aunt?"

A soft laugh rang out, and Lin Chen turned his head to see Jiang Zhengge staring intently into the distance.

"The foundation's approval rating is going to rise now," muttered the head of the Investigation Bureau's Rapid Response Division. "A hero embracing a young girl—what a perfect headline-grabbing scene."

"What...do you mean?" Lin Chen frowned slightly.

"Don't overthink it, kid. This isn't your business. Go keep that girl company. She needs a psychological evaluation. Someone will take you there in a bit."

Lin Chen seemed to have sensed something, but the section chief in front of him seemed unwilling to say anything more.

He waved to Lin Chen, then turned and walked towards the distant blockade line:

"Just pretend you didn't hear anything."

"..."

Watching Jiang Zhengge walk further and further away, Lin Chen instinctively wanted to chase after him and ask him what was going on, but then he heard a soft murmur behind him:

"elder brother..."

Lin Chen turned around and saw that Huihui had been put down by Qingtian. She staggered through the crowd, looking like she might fall to the ground at any moment.

Lin Chen rushed forward in a fluster, squatted down, and helped Huihui up:

"Huihui! Are you alright?"

"elder brother..."

Tears welled up in Huihui's eyes. Her hair was disheveled, and streaks of water streamed down her cheeks, making it impossible to distinguish between rain and tears.

"I'm scared..." she whispered.

Lin Chen hugged Huihui, gently pressed the back of her head, and stroked her wet hair.

At that moment, a deafening roar rose from the ground:

"boom!"

Lin Chen looked up and saw "Qingtian" shooting into the sky like a missile, the explosion as it broke the sound barrier causing the rain below to freeze for a moment.

The crowd cheered and gave thanks for the help of this deity. Among them were reporters, medical staff who came to help, and many more victims who were grateful to have survived.

Among the crowd, only Lin Chen remained silent.

He knelt on the ground, holding Huihui in his arms, his eyes fixed on the figure that was gradually disappearing into the sky.

His fists clenched tighter and tighter.

......

"These are her personal belongings. Wait here; the doctor will bring her out after the examination."

"Thanks."

Lin Chen took the plastic bag from the doctor, looked at the glass, and saw Huihui lying on the bed, being scanned by a white ring-shaped instrument.

Huihui needs to undergo a series of examinations and psychological counseling before she can leave, and Lin Chen, as her designated emergency contact, must accompany her throughout the process.

Even then, Lin Chen still found it all absurd: the landlord couple, who had been eating together the day before, were now separated by death, leaving behind their poor daughter.

Huihui could only give him his phone number in that situation, which meant she trusted him.

He must take full responsibility.

"..."

Lin Chen briefly inspected the contents of the plastic bag: a small leather bag, a mobile phone, and an electronic children's watch, all covered in water stains.

He took out Huihui's phone, intending to wipe away the water stains with a tissue, but unexpectedly unlocked the phone's dimmed screen.

He discovered that the phone screen was not locked.

The phone was recording video continuously.

"......!"

Lin Chen paused for a moment, then pressed the end recording button.

He looked up, glanced around, and his heart pounded faster.

Huihui recorded a video, and the truth... is hidden in this video!

"..."

Lin Chen got up as if nothing had happened, went to the restroom, found a private stall, and locked the door.

He took out his earphones, connected them to Huihui's phone, and held his breath...

Then I pressed the video play button.

"Qingtian! It's Qingtian! Mom and Dad! Qingtian has come to save us!"

In the shaky footage, Huihui is filming out the car window: the vehicle is currently on the edge of the bridge collapse, and amidst the torrential rain and dust, a blurry shadow moves rapidly, pushing back cars that are about to slide into the abyss.

Lin Chen immediately understood why Huihui was filming: because she had met her idol!

In her moment of crisis, the hero she had admired for a long time suddenly appeared to save her from danger, which made the little girl overjoyed and also gave her courage amidst her fear.

"A demigod from the Foundation...? So fast..."

"Honey! We're about to fall!"

"Aaaaaaah!"

With a violent jolt, the phone screen shook, then suddenly stabilized.

"Bang!"

In the blurry footage, Lin Chen saw Qingtian outside the car window: he was suspended in the rain, with the sea behind him perpendicular to his field of vision.

Clearly, he managed to grab Huihui's family's vehicle at the last second.

"Qingtian!" Huihui cried out, "Help me! Help me!"

"Shut up, you little slut!"

Her response was nothing but harsh curses.

In the blurry footage, Lin Chen saw Qingtian smash the car window, his狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious) lower half of his face resembling a demon in the rain.

"Look at the camera! Is this okay? Is it good enough? Can it be used as promotional material for this operation?"

"Okay, fine, that's it then. I don't care about his parents anymore, I'm going home! Damn it!"

Then, Lin Chen saw a large hand getting closer and closer, heard Huihui scream, and the camera began to shake violently:

"Aaaaaah! No! Daddy! Mommy!"

"Megumin! Megumin!"

"Shut up, you're so noisy! Or I'll throw you down with me!"

"Aaaaaaahhhhh!!"

With the camera shaking, a private car is slowly plunging into an abyss, while the camera itself flies higher and higher.

The screen suddenly went black, clearly because Huihui had put her phone in her pocket. At the same time, a muffled sound came from outside the pocket:

"You little slut, don't say a word when you get down there, or I'll throw you and your parents down with you, hehehe... Just be a quiet model for my photoshoot, and I'll spare your dog's life..."

"..."

In the toilet stall, Lin Chen's mind went completely blank.

Huihui is a smart child. After putting her phone in her pocket, she didn't take it out again, leaving behind this video.

But Lin Chen never expected the truth to be like this.

Demigod...the hero who protects the Rain City...

The reason he didn't save Huihui's parents...was it simply because he was about to leave work?

And was Huihui saved simply because her image was suitable for promotional images for the operation?

Suddenly, the words of the section chief from the Investigation Bureau rang out once more:

"The foundation's approval rating is going to rise now. A hero holding a young girl is the perfect scene for a newspaper headline."

Is this a disaster relief operation or just a publicity stunt?

If it was all a publicity stunt, then the bridge collapse...

Is it also related to them?

Amidst a multitude of thoughts, the faces of the landlord and his wife flashed before Lin Chen's eyes, followed by their screams as they fell.

"......"

In the restroom, Lin Chen's hands clenched tighter and tighter.

He gritted his teeth as he listened to Jiang Zhengge's voice coming through his earpiece: he was asking Huihui for a relative's phone number, and Huihui sobbed as she gave him Lin Chen's number.

"He...he is...my brother...Lin Chen..."

"Brother? Are there any older relatives?"

"Waaah... I... I only have his phone number left..."

.....