Chapter 78: Mom's Visit

Chu Cheng got up early in the morning, brushing his teeth while scrolling through the news on his phone.

He saw that a gang leader had turned himself in at the police station, bringing his own evidence. It was almost like he was trying to make sure he stayed in jail so he wouldn't have to deal with any trouble later on.

Even Chu Cheng, who was the one behind this, was shocked. The guy actually turned himself in to hide in prison.

Chu Cheng hadn't really expected this. He thought maybe the guy would skip town and lay low for a while. Chu Cheng had even planned to track these people down and maybe someday drive the Batmobile to pay them a visit.

He imagined this gang leader settling in a new city, living it up, only to have Batman suddenly drop in from the sky like something out of a movie.

These days, Chu Cheng was already thinking about expanding his operations. After all, superheroes were always patrolling his local city. Although it was unlikely anyone would figure out there was someone controlling Batman, Chu Cheng wanted to be cautious, so he had Batman roam other cities a few times just to be safe.

It turns out his heroes could operate in other cities too. The only catch was that only Batman had a long-distance vehicle, so the other superheroes couldn't travel to other cities as quickly.

But now, this gang leader had surrendered himself to prison, figuring if he was quick enough, Batman wouldn't have time to catch him.

Although for Batman, the difference between a prison and a bus might just be whether or not you have to pay to get in, breaking into a prison to beat someone up didn't seem worth the effort.

But it didn't matter. Chu Cheng was casting a wide net. The criminals in the city and beyond were his targets. Even if some got away, there were plenty left to keep him busy.

During the day, Chu Cheng took a break, went to class to clear his head, and while walking, he checked the Secret Service Nine app to see if there was any news.

He had been in his new position at the Secret Service's Ninth Office for over half a month when some news popped up.

Chu Cheng guessed it was because he had mentioned before that, as a college student, he didn't have much free time. He had heard of this kind of work before, but it was generally not for regular people.

He wondered if there were many positions like his in the Secret Service's Ninth Office. But as long as he got paid, he wasn't complaining.

Unexpectedly, his role was assigned quickly. His job would probably be sorting data or organizing files online.

After scrolling for a while, he didn't find any updates, but an unexpected message popped up.

His mom was coming over to Visti tonight.

Chu Cheng was a bit startled by this sudden news.

He had to start preparing for his mom's visit, like hiding all his "study materials" and stashing away any embarrassing stuff. Even so, he still had a history of his mom finding weird pillows or seeing some questionable materials.

So, if possible, he preferred his mom not see his room, though, of course, that was just wishful thinking.

In the evening, his mom, Huang Liping, arrived at his apartment. As soon as she stepped in, she was shocked. Unfortunately, it wasn't because she thought, "My son is destined for greatness," but rather, "How can it be this messy?"

Chu Cheng, feeling a bit defensive, tried to explain that he wasn't sloppy, just that things were "strategically placed."

But when his mom started tossing dirty clothes into the laundry basket, he knew there was no way out.

After trying and failing to convince his mom otherwise, Chu Cheng had no choice but to join in the cleaning.

"Mom, leave the headphones on the table. I use them every day; I won't find them if you move them."

"Hey, don't touch that box. It's got computer parts I still need."

At first, he tried to defend his "organized chaos," but soon enough, he gave up.

Chu Cheng knew his mom probably realized that her cleaning wouldn't last. Within a couple of days, everything would be back where it was, and the apartment would be just as messy.

But she didn't care.

"The weather's cooling down soon, so make sure to wear warmer clothes. I'll take out the thick quilt and put it in the closet for you," she said.

"And your closet's a mess too, with stuff everywhere. I've organized it by season—autumn here, winter there. Remember to keep it tidy next time."

Huang Liping was talking nonstop, and she didn't pause even while she worked with her hands. Chu Cheng just nodded along, not saying much.

Everyone grows up, no matter where they're from. We all leave our hometowns and familiar surroundings to face the unknown.

Some might become famous, some might become respected leaders, and others might even save the world a few times, like Captain America or Hal Jordan from the Justice League.

But no matter how many years go by, in front of moms, we're always just kids who need taking care of.

Huang Liping kept chatting away about how Chu Cheng's cousin was doing, how his uncle got sick and ended up in the hospital, how his dad was being unreasonable at home, and how he made a mess of the house.

When she asked how Chu Cheng was doing, he just smiled and said everything was fine.

In reality, he was mostly just going to classes, goofing off, collecting his paycheck, and at night, driving a superhero around to beat up bad guys to blow off steam. Nothing too serious, right? 

If there was a problem, it was probably with the people who got beaten up.

"Why are you out of laundry detergent?" Huang Liping asked, shaking the empty bottle.

"Uh, I was planning to go shopping in the next couple of days."

"Go as soon as you think of it, or you'll forget later."

There was a shopping center right across the street from his apartment with a department store inside.

It only took about ten minutes to go downstairs, shop, and come back up, but every time he put it off until next time, he ended up forgetting.

This time, his mom's reminder finally got him to head out and buy some detergent.

As he entered the shopping center, Chu Cheng paused when he passed a milk tea shop on the second floor. To his surprise, it was almost empty today.

That was unusual. The place was a popular spot, with lines stretching out the door at all hours. Even during the slowest times, you'd have to wait at least half an hour for a drink.

Chu Cheng never understood why people would wait so long for a cup of milk tea. To him, it was better to spend that time clearing another level in a video game. So even though it was right across the street, he'd never bothered to try it.

But seeing the rare chance to skip the line, he figured he'd grab a couple of drinks—one for himself and one for his mom to try—so he walked in.

"Hello, what can I get for you?" The cashier asked with a big smile. Her tone was so sugary sweet that it was almost over the top.

Chu Cheng picked two popular options based on online reviews and placed his order.

"Great, here's your receipt," the cashier said, tearing off the receipt and handing it to him. When their fingers touched, Chu Cheng noticed her hand felt unnaturally cold.

"We have a special this week. Order any milk tea and get a free snack," she added with a smile, placing a beautifully wrapped box on the counter.

For some reason, that little box made Chu Cheng feel uneasy.

He opened the lid, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw what was inside.

It looked like a tentacle. A squirming tentacle, covered in something that looked like blood and ink.