Chapter 1 A Close Call

But just as the thug was about to speak, his expression froze!

Phil saw a flash of intense silver light in the thug's eyes, followed by a beam of concentrated particles striking him in the chest, sending him flying backward.

Phil screamed in terror, his tie severed by the beam, and he tumbled off the skyscraper!

But he didn't fall; instead, he hovered in the air.

A blur of light flashed past him, and the thug, who had scrambled to his feet, tried to retaliate but was beaten to a pulp, completely unable to defend himself.

Another superhero, suspended in the air, focused his attention and gently placed the still-shaken Phil safely on the rooftop.

Dazed, Phil recognized his rescuers: two of Hope City's superheroes.

One was the superhero Silverlight, and the other was the up-and-coming female superhero, Crystal, who was currently unranked.

Silverlight was a handsome Caucasian man whose skin shimmered with brilliant silver light. His superpower was the ability to emit or transform into beams of light, attacking enemies at lightning speed.

Crystal, on the other hand, was a beauty with an angelic face and a curvaceous figure. She wore a white and gold form-fitting suit, and when she used her superpowers, her eyes glowed intensely, dazzling like crystals, an otherworldly beauty.

Silverlight swiftly dispatched the powerful thug, while Crystal approached Phil, leaned down slightly, and smiled condescendingly, "Mr. Phil, what a coincidence, we meet again."

Silverlight smirked, "Mr. Phil, your 'money power' doesn't seem to be very effective in this situation."

"But rest assured, Hope City is still one of the safest cities in the world, because we're here."

"Come on, let's take a photo together?"

Without waiting for a response, Silverlight stepped beside Phil, pulled out his phone, and snapped a picture.

Phil was soaking wet, his hair disheveled, snot and tears streaming down his face, with a wet patch on his crotch, utterly pathetic. Silverlight, on the other hand, was clean, composed, and self-assured, creating a stark contrast.

...

Cut to a shot of the photo of Phil and Silverlight appearing on the *Hope News* television program.

A news commentator was introducing the news story to the viewers.

"Last night, a kidnapping occurred near Sixth Avenue. Phil Simmons, CEO of Simmons Media, was abducted by a criminal. Fortunately, superheroes Silverlight and Crystal happened to be nearby and arrived in time to rescue Phil."

"The criminal has been taken into police custody and faces a prison sentence of ten years or more..."

"Interestingly, at a charity gala just three days ago, Phil Simmons generously donated one million dollars to the Superhero Association and publicly declared his love for the superhero Crystal."

"Crystal politely declined Phil's advances, but Phil immediately tweeted that he would never give up. Silverlight, who is also pursuing Crystal, publicly stated that he would compete fairly with Mr. Simmons."

"Since the kidnapping, Mr. Simmons has not appeared in public, and his Twitter account has remained silent. However, his personal physician stated that Mr. Simmons is in good health but is experiencing a mild stress reaction after the shock and needs some rest. During this time, Mr. Simmons will remain secluded and cease all public activities..."

*Click*, the TV turned off.

Crystal, dressed in casual clothes, leaned against the sofa in her mansion, and said with a straight face, "This was too clumsy. Anyone with half a brain would realize something's wrong."

"Sixth Avenue is a wealthy area, with the most superhero patrols. There are very few thugs foolish enough to commit crimes there. Especially stopping Phil Simmons' sports car right in the middle of the street. It's practically begging the superheroes patrolling above to come and arrest them."

"If you had told me about this plan beforehand, I would have refused."

"The Simmons family has a net worth of at least several billion. Phil Simmons is the only son. If anything happens to him, we'll both be affected."

Silverlight, sitting beside her, smiled, "Honey, don't worry. You're still new to being a superhero, so it's normal that you don't understand these things. Just leave it to me."

"It has to be obvious enough to scare that brainless playboy who only thinks with his lower half into backing down."

"Otherwise, his relentless pursuit of you will cause a lot of trouble for both you and me."

"Mr. Simmons is probably scared out of his wits right now, hiding in his mansion, crying for his mommy in the arms of a model, right?"

"As for 'revenge'... there's no need to worry. The Simmons family is just one of the wealthy families in Hope City. They have money and real estate, but they have no power or influence."

"They have bribed a few politicians and some third-rate superheroes with political donations, but they can't get any evidence. They won't risk a falling out with us over a false alarm or mere suspicion."

"Even if Phil Simmons doesn't know his own limits, his father certainly does. Ryan Simmons will never come looking for trouble, he'll just tell his son to keep his pants zipped."

Crystal asked, "What if he wants to become a superhero himself?"

Silverlight laughed, "Who? Phil? Absolutely impossible. There's no way someone like that could become a superhero, that's the funniest joke I've heard all year!"

"So, honey, put your mind at ease. I guarantee that Mr. Simmons, who peed his pants in fear, will be too ashamed and lack the confidence to bother you again."

As Silverlight spoke, he leaned closer to Crystal.

Crystal's eyes instantly glowed with crystalline light, and she used her telekinesis to push Silverlight away.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

Silverlight looked helpless.

Crystal gave a very cold smile, "I'm still in the public evaluation period. My agent said that I absolutely can't have any scandals during this time, otherwise, it will affect my rating."

Silverlight shrugged, "It's okay, no one will know..."

The smile on Crystal's face gradually disappeared, "Get out."

Silverlight was very helpless, "Okay, okay."

He walked to the side door of the mansion and looked back reluctantly, but he only heard a *bang* as the side door was slammed shut by Crystal's telekinesis.

Silverlight could only sigh helplessly, then quickly transformed into a silver beam of light and flew away into the distance.

...

Meanwhile, downtown Hope City, at the magnificent Simmons Tower.

Phil Simmons, his face gloomy, knocked on the door of his father's office.

His father, Ryan Simmons, was a blond, burly man who, although nearly sixty, was still energetic and exuded the authority of a business magnate.

Ryan Simmons looked up at his son, "Yes?"

Phil gritted his teeth and forced out the words, "Father, I want to become a superhero."

Ryan Simmons put down his newspaper, took off his reading glasses, and sized up his son, "How much money do you need?"

Phil said without hesitation, "Ten billion."

Ryan Simmons was silent for a moment, then his expression became serious, "I'll give you twenty billion, but on one condition."

"No matter what happens in the future, whether you're imprisoned or disgraced; whether you lose a hand or a foot or are abandoned by everyone, as long as you're not dead, you can't give up."

"If you can't do that, go back now and never mention this again."

Phil's face became even gloomier, and the veins on his face bulged because he was clenching his teeth so hard, "Father, I won't let you down!"

Ryan Simmons nodded slightly. He didn't say anything more, but turned to look out the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Among the towering buildings, countless superheroes were flying back and forth, and giant promotional posters of various superheroes adorned the buildings, all indicating the special status of superheroes in this city.

Phil Simmons was also overlooking the magnificent city, and a plan was gradually taking shape in his mind.

"In the decades since the death of World Captain, superheroes, the 'successors' to World Captain, have perfectly integrated into this society."

"In the past, there were many ways to become a superhero. Many superheroes were lone wolves, and many superheroes fell because they lost the trust of the people."

"Every three to five years, the most powerful superhero could change."

"But in the past twenty years, this has changed. There are fewer and fewer ways to become a superhero, and only a few paths remain; superheroes all belong to certain conglomerates or organizations and no longer act alone; the rankings of superheroes have become fixed and rarely change."

"The rankings of the top four superheroes haven't changed in ten years."

"If you want to become a superhero, you roughly need the following four steps:"

"Step one: Find a way to become an apprentice and successfully debut."

"Every year, several large agencies or commercial companies in Hope City search for newcomers who want to become superheroes, sign contracts with them, and train them using the company's resources."

"Debuting as an individual can lead to a series of problems, such as being suppressed or defamed by other agencies, and there will be no one to do public relations for you when you encounter problems. So, although debuting as an individual isn't subject to anyone, it's also very dangerous."

"The quickest way to debut is to participate in talent shows created by large companies. In these talent shows, superhero mentors will arrange a lot of daily training to ensure that these apprentices have enough potential to become a superhero."

"Step two: Superheroes who debut will successfully accumulate a certain number of supporters and gain initial superpowers. Depending on the number of supporters, the superpowers obtained by superheroes also vary. Some very popular superheroes, such as Crystal, can gain very powerful superpowers when they first debut."

"This step is also known as the 'probation period'. Superheroes must maintain their image, consistently perform missions, show their face often, increase their status, and build connections. Some fools are exposed for misdeeds at this stage, lose a large number of supporters, and their superpowers naturally disappear, turning them into discards."

"Step three: Participate in the superhero election."

"After having a certain amount of connections, a certain number of supporters, and gaining recognition from major capital, major conglomerates, and the public, superheroes must become spokespersons for a certain group or organization, explain their positions, speak for their fan base, perform large-scale missions, and prove their abilities to their fans."

"At this stage, superheroes will become important assets, and many staff members will spontaneously gather under their command to advise them."

"Step four: Become the top superhero, the most powerful and influential person in this city, and even in the entire United States."

"Every so often, major media outlets will rank the top superheroes based on public opinion polls and estimates of their strength during missions. The top 10 superheroes are listed on the list, and the top 4 superheroes will become the center of power. They have close ties with politicians and conglomerates and may even participate in major decisions involving national interests. This list is the ultimate dream of all superheroes."

"But regardless of the stage, superheroes must be very careful not to let their scandals be exposed. Because once this happens, it will cause supporters to disappear and superpowers to decline, and once this vicious cycle begins, it is often difficult to stop."

"The quickest way to become a superhero is to participate in a talent show."

"But I have a better idea."

"I'm going to create my own talent show, called 'Successor'."