Chapter 388

Chapter 388: My Household Registration!

The "Blood Puppet" stood frozen in place.

“You, you…”

“I’m fine. I’m okay.”

Arthur flashed a radiant smile:

“I’ve come to take you out.”

“Eh?”

The "Blood Puppet" was startled by the sudden turn of events. He didn’t doubt the sincerity of Arthur’s words; instead, his gaze shifted to the small table in the room.

On it, aside from a radio still emitting the faint sound of electricity, there was only a stack of blank papers.

Clearly, the "Blood Puppet" hadn’t written a single word during his time here.

His instinctive concern was that his refusal to cooperate might endanger his friend.

Yet, as he watched, a tiny spark descended from above and landed squarely in the center of the stack of papers.

The flames began to spread, consuming everything in their path.

When the fire finally died down, only a small pile of ashes remained on the table, with no trace of burning on the surface itself.

“Is… is this alright?”

Though he didn’t know what agreement Arthur had struck with the council members, the fact that Arthur had taken such action suggested he had a plan.

Still, the "Blood Puppet" couldn’t help but voice his concern.

“Those small matters are of no consequence.”

As he spoke, Arthur had already taken a seat on one side of the single bed, gesturing for the "Blood Puppet" to sit opposite him.

“There are still a few things I need to discuss with you.”

Arthur waved his hand, and a visibly uneasy staff member approached, carrying a suitcase. He placed it between the two and opened it, folding the lid back at a ninety-degree angle to reveal its contents to the anxious "Blood Puppet."

With a quick glance, the "Blood Puppet" saw the information displayed on the screen—a comprehensive record of his life from birth to the present.

[Date of Birth: Year 13 of the New Era; Place: North District Hospital, Outer City…]

The "Blood Puppet" looked from the screen to Arthur, unsure of what he was meant to understand.

“Listen closely, my friend.

“You now have two choices. The first is to remain here and wait for the council members to release you when they see fit. Of course, they may no longer trust you as they once did.

“The second option… Do you see the [Cancel] button on the screen? Press it, and from that moment on, the name ‘Blood Puppet’ will no longer exist in Hope City. You’ll come with me instead.

“Take your time; we’re in no rush.”

A choice had suddenly been laid before him. The "Blood Puppet" might have grasped the words, but the reality of it felt almost impossible to comprehend…

He understood every word, yet he still couldn’t fathom how things had come to this.

It is said that council members rarely take action personally, but every time they do, it reveals their ruthless nature.

Looking at the evidently generous conditions before him, "Blood Puppet" couldn’t help but wonder if his friend might be the illegitimate child of Some Politician…

No, even that isn’t enough to describe the absurdity of the current situation. It should be—

Some Politician might be his illegitimate child.

Only this level of absurdity could explain what was happening in front of him.

“I know what you’re worried about, my friend. Don’t worry, there are no concerns.”

Arthur shrugged his shoulders:

“Don’t doubt it; I can still handle this small matter right now because they usually call me—

“Mr. Speaker.”

“Mr… Speaker?”

"Blood Puppet" showed confusion.

“Yes, the highest official of the council. I am originally a human from the Old Era, but I was investigating outside the city for a long time.

“Now that I have returned to Hope City, I naturally want to reclaim my power, especially since the mess they made is truly unbearable…

“That’s about it. If you want to know, we can have a good talk after you make your choice.”

"Blood Puppet" looked into Arthur’s sincere eyes and felt a strange power within them.

If he claims to be the Speaker, then he must also be a member of the council.

But this straightforward, honest person was clearly different from those who deliberately maintain their mystery and hide under hoods.

Perhaps… something very meaningful awaits him in the future…

“I choose to follow you… to follow you…”

“Now that feels a bit distant, doesn’t it?”

Arthur placed his hand on "Blood Puppet’s" shoulder:

“We’re all friends.”

"Blood Puppet" hesitated for a moment, then confidently pressed the [Cancel] button. The authentication window popped up and was quickly approved.

He watched as his information gradually disappeared from the database—everything from his birth to school, and then the training and battles after his abilities awakened, all his textual information gradually faded away.

Finally, the last character vanished from the screen, leaving only a blinking cursor, waiting for new information to be entered.

At this point, one staff member held the access card, and another closed the suitcase, finally escaping from this cell as if granted a pardon.

Seeing "Blood Puppet" still looking slightly dazed, Arthur asked:

“No more ‘Blood Puppet’ then, so what is your name?”

“Yan Ming.”

“Alright, Mr. Yan Ming, welcome to my team. Let’s create a wonderful future together!”

Arthur tightly grasped the hand of "Blood Puppet," or rather, Mr. Yan Ming, leaving him a bit at a loss:

“Your team?”

He looked around, confirming there was no one else in the room.

“Yes, my team. Although the time is a bit rushed, it’s already taking shape.

“The only problem is they don’t really know each other… but that’s not an issue.

“Your new identity will be ready within a day, and then… let’s go stir things up at the factory.”

“The factory?”

Yan Ming showed a puzzled expression; he had thought about where his first mission would lead him.

It could be an unknown place outside the city, or a battlefield on the city walls, but the factory…

Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Arthur began to explain simply:

“I think all along, both the upper echelons and the frontline personnel have overly emphasized the role of superpowered individuals.

“Whenever a beast tide strikes, the upper echelons think of the superpowered individuals as their safety net, while the soldiers on the front lines always expect reinforcements from them.

“Superpowered individuals receive better treatment, but they also undergo more demanding training and are bound to Hope City for life.

“You should be quite aware that so far, there hasn’t been a single superpowered individual in Hope City who has experienced retirement; for them, only death awaits from start to finish.

“That is not the sight I am willing to see. Rather than a superpowered individual who can take down a thousand extraordinary beasts, I would prefer to have a thousand ordinary people capable of fighting them in close combat.”

“That’s impossible.”

Yan Ming instinctively retorted.

“It is possible!

“Research, production, and training—these are the things we will focus on moving forward.”

Arthur looked at this down-to-earth battle enthusiast in front of him:

“But the factory is blocking our way.”