Pikachu Man

"She's sleeping so soundly—must have been exhausted." Seeing Chen Qin fast asleep on the bed, Ye Shuang pulled the blanket up a little higher for her. Just moments ago, she had been quite lively, but the second her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light.

Ye Shuang picked up Chen Qin’s phone, intending to set an alarm for her. After all, he had no idea if she had work arrangements in the afternoon. Oversleeping would be a disaster.

"Hmm… unlock password?" Ye Shuang hesitated for a moment, then, for some reason, instinctively entered his own birthday.

With a soft click, the phone unlocked straight to the home screen.

Ye Shuang stared silently at the wallpaper—a photo of the two of them together—before gripping the phone wordlessly for a long while.

"This girl…" he murmured under his breath, then set an alarm for 1 PM.

After finishing up, he also ordered McDonald’s for Chen Qin on a food delivery app so she wouldn’t wake up hungry. Only then did he put the phone down, gather his things, and head downstairs.

"Someone’s sleeping, so behave and don’t make a fuss, got it?" Ye Shuang instructed Yīwàn, who was sprawled lazily on the floor.

"Meow?"

After stepping outside, Ye Shuang was about to drive to the school when his phone suddenly rang—

"Hello?"

"Good morning, is this Mr. Ye Shuang?"

"Sorry, I don’t need loans." Just as Ye Shuang was about to hang up, the caller quickly added, "N-no, I’m a local news reporter! I wanted to interview you about the amusement park homicide case. Do you have time?"

"An interview…"

Ye Shuang wasn’t surprised. Given the scale of the incident, it was only natural reporters would come knocking.

"Sorry, I have work. Not really convenient." After hanging up, Ye Shuang suddenly thought of something and opened a short video app to search for related clips. To his surprise, the videos had already racked up tens of millions of views.

He had expected some level of attention, but not this much—especially since the most popular video had already surpassed 2 million likes.

"Homicide at Haizhu Amusement Park: One Dead, One Injured—Pikachu Hero Saves the Day!"

The video showed surveillance footage, with the two victims in a pool of blood heavily blurred. Xu Huan, after being subdued, had lunged at Ye Shuang with a knife—only for a yellow figure to suddenly leap into frame, flipping him over with a perfect judo throw!

And the moment Pikachu appeared, the video was set to the soundtrack of "The Wind Rises"—"I once lost myself in the vastness of the world, drowning in its dreams…".

Ye Shuang: "…"

Why did this feel so awkwardly epic?

He skimmed through the comments—

"Thank you, Agumon Hero."

"That’s Pikachu, you uncultured swine."

"Mom’s sacrifice = more bait for the trolls."

"Yep, that’s just how big our southern rats are. And they know jujitsu. Bow to Pikachu, peasants. (dog.jpg)"

"How the hell did those stubby legs move so fast? Bro left afterimages."

"The headpiece flew off—looked like a pretty girl underneath. Someone get me her number in 30 minutes."

"That guy shielding his girlfriend was kinda hot though. Respect."

"Pretty sure that’s his wife."

"Bullshit, I know him. The girl in his arms was his daughter."

"What, you never seen a Pikachu use a Seismic Toss before? (dog.jpg)"

"I was there. That throw was terrifying."

"Pokémon Co. better sponsor this legend ASAP."

Now Ye Shuang understood the insane virality—it was all because of An Shiyu’s stunt. A typical vigilante wouldn’t have blown up like this, but the fact that she was in a cute Pikachu costume created an absurd, meme-worthy contrast.

And the video’s popularity showed no signs of slowing down.

"Reporters are probably swarming An Shiyu right now. With how much she hates hassle, she’s definitely hiding," Ye Shuang mused. Then again, the reporters might not even find her—An Shiyu had been "undercover" as a part-time worker. Good luck tracking down which Pikachu performer it was.

Who would’ve guessed someone would bring their own costume to cosplay as staff?

Shaking his head, Ye Shuang pocketed his phone and drove to the academy.

---

With Yinshan Academy’s 70th anniversary approaching, the campus was already bustling with preparations. The flower-lined pathways had been cleared, replaced by rows of food stalls and carts, transforming the area into a lively fairground. Vendors and senior students hurried about, setting up stages and decorations.

The anniversary week would draw massive crowds—not just from the student body, but also outsiders. Though brief, the event was a goldmine for vendors, as the academy charged minimal stall fees. Competition for spots was fierce, though students got priority. Given the school’s sprawling size, the festivities were always a spectacle.

"I wonder what theme Yu You’s class is going with," Ye Shuang thought. But considering the… unique personalities in her class, he’d rather she sat this one out.

Last year, Yu You had been roped into playing a haunted house monster, only to get beaten up while her classmates turned a blind eye. Ye Shuang had long abandoned the idea of forcing her to "fit in" with Class A. She had three more years after the upcoming specialization split—plenty of time for activities.

Arriving at the infirmary, Ye Shuang pushed the door open—

Click-clack-click-clack!

A girl with cat-ear headphones was glued to her screen, fingers flying across the keyboard.

"Early as always… treating this place like a cybercafé?" Ye Shuang set his things down and grabbed his white coat from the rack.

"Maybe." An Shiyu didn’t even glance up. "Hey, ‘net admin—get me some betel nuts."

"You’re really leaning into the bit." Ye Shuang deadpanned. "Also, betel nuts are way worse than cigarettes. Straight-up carcinogenic."

An Shiyu shot him a sidelong look, oozing disdain. "Joke, old man. You’re no fun."

Ye Shuang: "…"

"Keep it up and I’m cutting the power."

"Laptop. Battery. Try me."

Sitting down, Ye Shuang accepted the controller An Shiyu tossed his way.

"Slacking off at work isn’t great, you know."

"Then don’t." She kept her eyes on the screen.

"An Shiyu, you’re trending. You know that, right?"

"Saw it." Her fingers never stopped moving. "Oh, and Xu Huan’s parents are trying to sue us."

Ye Shuang blinked. "On what grounds?"

"Excessive self-defense." An Shiyu’s tone was flat. "Their argument? The knife never touched you, so stopping him ‘early’ doesn’t count."