Chapter 3: Superman

"They're coming!"

Qin Hao's heart stirred. He swiftly swallowed the temporary power potion in his hand.

A surge of wild, brute force rose within him.

The fiery red sports car was now only ten meters away.

The vendor crouched on the ground, paralyzed by fear, his eyes wide with terror and even despair.

"Ding. Random task issued."

[Impending Traffic Accident]

A major traffic accident is about to unfold before your eyes. Use your power to save others.

Task completion: Rescue a human 0/1.

Reward: 100 Hero Points.

The task only requires helping a human. At this moment, Qin Hao could simply drag the bookseller aside quickly and complete the basic task. But Qin Hao knew that would only fulfill the most elementary requirement.

His ambitions were naturally greater.

Qin Hao crouched lower, his hands spread wide as he channeled all his strength.

The red sports car barreled forward, knocking three pedestrians aside before reaching Qin Hao.

Everyone expected another victim—someone crushed or sent flying. The crowd was about to scream, but at that instant, a thunderous crash rang out.

They watched, stunned, as a young man pressed his hands against the front of the supercar, his feet planted firmly, bringing the vehicle to a halt.

The car was easily going over a hundred miles per hour. Yet, under the massive impact, it was as if it had crashed into some colossal beast.

"Boom!"

"Crunch, crunch, crunch."

The hard hood of the red sports car twisted and warped, the engine humming furiously, but unable to edge forward.

The wheels squealed against the ground as Qin Hao applied more force, causing the rear of the supercar to rise off the pavement.

Inside the cabin, the driver, unbuckled, was flung from his seat onto the windshield by the sudden loss of balance, forgetting all about the gas pedal.

Under overwhelming strength, the car finally stopped.

Qin Hao released his grip.

The rear of the car dropped heavily, thudding onto the road.

This disaster, lasting only a few seconds, was finally over.

A multitude stared in shock, unable to believe their own eyes.

Was this human strength?

Was he a superhuman?

Countless minds replayed the scene.

Qin Hao circled the car, smashed the window with a punch, and tore off the door.

"Crunch."

The door ripped free as if made of rags. Qin Hao pulled out a young man with dyed golden hair, barely in his twenties, the cabin reeking of alcohol.

Before time reversed, Qin Hao had seen this news on TV during his detention center's communal break. A drunk driver in a luxury car had plowed through a crosswalk, causing twelve deaths and fifty injuries—a catastrophic accident. The driver only stopped when he crashed into a night market truck selling toilet paper.

The media had broadcast it everywhere, every TV station scrambling to cover it. Qin Hao had chosen the spot behind this book stall, with a camera right there. The bookseller was crushed to death by the sports car.

Now, that camera would record Qin Hao's feat.

[Ding! Task completed. Hero Points +100.]

[Received gratitude from Chu Gui. Hero Points +500.]

[Received gratitude from Liu Dalong. Hero Points +200.]

[Received gratitude from Li Tao. Hero Points +100.]

[Received admiration from Lu Xue. Hero Points +50.]

[Received...]

The extra Hero Points accumulated in vast numbers.

This was a disaster threatening human life. The person who provided Qin Hao with five hundred Hero Points was the bookseller himself.

The other two were pedestrians behind Qin Hao. They had seen the rear of the car lift, realizing the driver had no intention of braking. Had the car continued, they too would have been struck, perhaps run over.

The consequences would have been unimaginable.

The onlookers, witnessing Qin Hao single-handedly stop the driver, were all thunderstruck.

"Are you... are you Superman?" a college student cried out, staring at Qin Hao.

Others widened their eyes, eager to learn how Qin Hao had done it.

"Was it a burst of potential? Didn't the news report a father who lifted a truck off his child, expending his life in the process?"

"Are you alright, young man?"

"How did you have such strength just now? Do you practice martial arts? Is it inner energy?"

The crowd pressed in, crazy and awed.

Qin Hao said, "He drove drunk. Keep an eye on him. I'll go see if anyone up ahead needs help."

He strode forward, some people still trying to follow, asking if he knew martial arts, or had superpowers.

But their speed was no match for Qin Hao, who had unlocked his genetic potential.

In just two streets, Qin Hao left them far behind.

Qin Hao's speed rivaled that of a world-class sprinter.

Those who managed to follow, just to watch the spectacle, were even more astonished.

Despite the major accident, more people stayed to check on the injured, call ambulances, report to the police, and some filmed the drunk driver's face.

On the hood of the sports car, five clear fingerprints remained. Many people gasped as they filmed.

Others, though they hadn't witnessed the scene, heard retellings from those who had, finding it surreal.

"Impossible! You're saying someone stopped a sports car bare-handed?"

"If you don't believe me, check the marks on the car. The handprints are right there!"

"Damn, how strong was he? That car just sped by with a roar!"

"Someone died—a person just breathed their last."

"That driver deserves punishment."

The crowd debated fiercely.

Qin Hao, slipping away quietly, watched as his Hero Points climbed, leaping to eight thousand in the blink of an eye, and still rising.

He stopped. The effects of the primary strength potion, lasting five minutes, had faded, his body returning to its usual strength.

His hands felt sore, but not at all like those who depleted their life force.

He sat by a flowerbed, taking a deep breath.

"Meow!"

A little cat walked up to Qin Hao, curiously eyeing him and rubbing its head against his shoe.

"Ding. Random task issued."

[Hungry Little Cat]

This cat is extremely hungry. If not fed soon, it will die. As a hero, you must care for the weak and be a kind person.

Reward: 100 Hero Points.

Qin Hao read the task's final four words, letting out a mocking laugh.

A kind person?

No, those who possess the Hero System are never truly kind. They all become selfish.

All for the sake of survival.