Chapter Fifty-Three: The Forum

Swinging through high-rise buildings on a single white thread—this was a scene straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster! Yet here it was, happening in reality, and it was absolutely mind-blowingly cool. The crowd was buzzing with excitement, but talking to the few people nearby just wasn't enough. Soon, everyone was unlocking their phones, opening forums, and taking the discussion online.

It’s a common joke that modern people can’t live without their phones; friends meeting in person often end up chatting online instead of talking face-to-face. But setting that aside, while some were discussing "Chopstick Hero" on the Cape Forum, the majority flocked to his official fan forum.

"Damn, I saw the real Chopstick Hero today! It was awesome!" posted *Riding the Wall Waiting for Apricot*, the first to start a thread. "The forum speculated on several locations where he might appear, and I had a feeling the Wande Group would be the one. Looks like I was right!"

"Apricot is the man!"

"With a name as flamboyant as 'Apricot,' I thought you were some dashing heartthrob, but you’re just a big fatty," chimed in *Seven-Foot Tall*, a regular forum poster who often teased *Apricot*.

"I'm handsome where it counts, brother," *Apricot* retorted.

"I have no interest in you rough guys; you aren't my idol," a young girl named *February Willow Leaf* sniffed disdainfully. "It’s so unfair! I waited for him at the Ningshui Building, but he never showed. Wang Zhengfu over there is a horrible person too! Ugh, I missed my chance to see my idol." She posted a heartbreakingly melancholy emoji before adding with concern, "Is the real Chopstick Hero charismatic? Is he super handsome and imposing?"

"He’s definitely imposing, but as for being handsome, he always wears a mask, so how would we know?" *Apricot* replied smugly. "Actually, there was so much to see today. First of all, guess what happened when he entered the Wande Building? Damn, they had over a hundred security guards waiting for him! They were armed with batons and steel pipes, clearly trying to exploit his 'no-kill' policy to exhaust his stamina. If it were any of us, we’d have knelt in fear, but Chopstick Hero was too cool. He just leapt up and sprinted across their heads to the second floor, completely ruining Qin Zhengtian’s ambush."

"Damn, running across people's heads? That’s like a movie!"

"And that’s not all. He was incredibly flashy. Shortly after he charged out, several obvious martial arts experts broke into the building. I don't know what they were after or what defenses Wande had, but in the end, Chopstick Hero just used that white thread to fly all over the building and vanish. It was exactly like Spider-Man using his webs. It was impossibly cool!" *Apricot* kept bragging, clearly thrilled that he had witnessed his idol in action.

"No way."

"Is it really that cool?"

"Damn!"

"Why didn't I go? I'm such an idiot. This trip was a total loss."

"You think you lost? I waited all night at the Ningshui Building and got nothing, and now I have to listen to you guys show off. God, why are you so cruel?" *February Willow Leaf* posted an angry emoji.

"Pics or it didn't happen."

"He was moving too fast and it was all too flashy; no one could react in time. Where would we get pics?"

"No pics? What a shame."

"I have photos." The three simple words from *Little Wei from the Internet Addiction Center* sent the forum into a frenzy.

"Post them! Post them!"

"Need pics, need the source!"

"If there are no pics, I’m going to lose it."

"Pants are already off, just waiting for your pics!" joked *Young Master Hai*, a chubby guy in his twenties who used that same line whenever anyone promised photos.

*Little Wei* was a man of action and immediately uploaded the shots he had taken. The images loaded quickly. They showed a skyline of towering skyscrapers under a full moon. Beneath the moon, in a graceful, soaring pose, was none other than Chopstick Hero, a white line extending from his hand into the distance.

"Wow, so cool!"

"His heroic posture is amazing!"

"He really is flying through the city on a white thread!"

"Chopstick Hero is so creative!"

"From now on, he is my ultimate idol. No one can steal him from me!"

"Chopstick Hero is mighty!"

"He took out Qin Zhengtian this time. Qin’s influence in Guangzhou ranked in the top ten. This is a massive blow. I bet the criminals in this city will think twice before doing anything bad from now on."

"Maybe Guangzhou will become a paradise just like N County."

"I can't wait to see him in action again."

"The word 'cool' is all I need to say."

The internet was blowing up again, all because of Chopstick Hero.

***

Old Man Qin was not a legendary figure. He came from humble beginnings and had little formal education. His rise to fortune began when he was lucky enough to be chosen as a driver for a certain important person. In those days, the two easiest ways to climb the social ladder were to be a secretary or a driver. Over the years, Old Man Qin built up a massive web of connections. While his own limitations prevented him from fully utilizing all of them, he still managed to build a respectable family fortune.

However, his sons were truly capable. His eldest, Qin Zhengtian, was particularly formidable; he leveraged those connections, forged countless alliances, and propelled the Qin family’s businesses into the top ten in Guangzhou. His other sons and daughters wove a vast network of relationships throughout the city. If nothing had changed, the Qin family would have stood tall for a long time to come.

But now, Qin Zhengtian, the most talented of them all, was dead.

Old Man Qin, already in his sixties, nearly collapsed when he heard the news. He immediately summoned the entire family for a meeting.

"This 'Chopstick Demon' killed my grandson, Qin Yan, and now he’s killed my son! What are we going to do?" Old Man Qin roared with all the strength he had left.

"The strongest among us was Big Brother. If he couldn't defeat the Chopstick Demon, I'm afraid we can't either," said the second son, Qin Zhengyang, who worked in government. "However, I hear the Special Task Force is investigating him. They aren't to be trifled with; the demon will die sooner or later. That will serve as our revenge." Qin Zhengyang was terrified; he wanted no part of this. The Chopstick Demon was too frightening—he was like a superman!

"Big Brother allegedly hired top-tier experts, but he was still killed. Our family has capital, but we can't fight a monster like that," added the third daughter, Qin Shuling. "If we must fight, we’d have to pay a fortune to hire others to do it."

"But the price for martial artists capable of defeating him is astronomical—at least several hundred million. With Big Brother dead, the vice-directors at Wande Group are already scrambling for power and money. It would be nearly impossible to scrape together that kind of cash right now," she analyzed.

"I’ve lived a long time and spent years as a driver; I still have some connections. I’ve heard of a way to reach the 'Heavenly King Cha.' Even if it costs hundreds of millions, I will find the money. This debt must be paid!" Old Man Qin cursed.

"Father, if you pull out that much money, our cash flow will dry up, we'll have to sell off assets, and our capital chain will snap. We'll be finished!" Qin Shuling said, clutching her head. "Please, stay calm. The Chopstick Hero aims to eliminate evil. The Beggar Gang is notorious for evil deeds, especially human trafficking. He and the Beggar Gang—and Heavenly King Cha—will clash sooner or later. We don't need to lift a finger."

She signaled to the others, who were all terrified of the demon and had no desire to become his enemy. They caught her meaning and began to persuade Old Man Qin. It took a long time, but they finally managed to calm him down.

***

Meanwhile, in Guangzhou Village, inside an ancestral hall, Heavenly King Cha sat in a majestic chair with his legs crossed, stroking his thick beard. He looked at the report his secretary handed him. "The Chopstick Demon actually defeated 'The Heartless' Du Sha? That kid had some real skills. This demon is quite interesting. But even now, you haven't uncovered his true identity?"

His voice started off calm but ended in a roar. The secretary trembled. "The demon is extremely cautious. I suspect someone is helping him conceal his tracks, otherwise we would have found him by now."

"I'll give you three more months. Find him. I want to tear him apart with my own hands," the Heavenly King growled.

"Yes," the secretary replied hopelessly, having no confidence at all.

(This volume ends here. The next chapter begins Volume Three: The Special Task Force.)