Absurd. But cold reality all the same.
Ross closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. "Activate 'Peace Dove' Phase One, Contact Plan C. Objective: exploit the core elements of his behavioral logic. Approach: 'friendly reciprocation.' Execution unit: Watcher Unit. Operation codename: 'Discount Bread Basket.'"
The next evening, the setting sun laid a warm golden sheen over the edge of Brooklyn.
Saitama was carrying a heavy shopping bag stuffed with all kinds of discounted near-expiry food, special-offer vegetables, and basic daily necessities. He was on his way back to his "bridge-underpass apartment," which was shabby but at least rent-free. There was still one block left before the entrance to the sunken tunnel.
Suddenly, an extremely eye-catching stall appeared by the roadside up ahead.
Two brand-new food trucks, freshly painted with the words "Community Care · Free Materials Distribution Point," were parked side by side—the details of their finish were a bit too refined to be truly "grassroots." Beside them stood several neatly dressed young men and women in matching outfits with no specific insignia, each wearing a perfectly standard friendly smile.
Above the stall, a huge neon sign with sleek, modern design glowed softly. On it were written:
"City Guardian Angels Thank-You Gifts!"
"Special Visit: Heroes-Only Supply Station!"
"Free to Claim! Limited Quantity!"
Inside the display racks, prime imported steaks were laid out alongside baskets of freshly baked bread, boxes of bottled mineral water, and, in one of the trucks… brand-new sleeping bags and… carefully printed, high-quality supermarket special-offer pamphlets?!
In front of the stall, over twenty "lucky citizens" were already queued up, happily receiving their "Thank-You Packs." The scene looked lively and warm.
Saitama's footsteps stopped.
His gaze was instantly drawn to the sign—"free"? "Heroes-only"? And most importantly… that neat, shining stack of…
…"latest special-offer pamphlets from all major supermarkets"?!
He had spent the whole day running around different supermarkets just to collect those! Some stores gave them out so fast that by the time it was his turn, all the flyers had already been torn down!
Free pamphlets. Brand-new.
Saitama's eyes lit up at once. Dinner could wait. Get the flyers first!
Without hesitation, he picked up his shopping bag and joined the back of the line. The queue moved quickly. Standing at the very end, Saitama stared eagerly at the thick stack of flyers in the containers up front. He completely ignored the prime steaks; all he wanted were those ads.
The line shrank bit by bit. Finally, it was his turn.
"Hello! Dear…" The one in charge of distributing supplies was a young woman with short, crisp hair, a sweet smile, and a perfectly pressed uniform skirt suit with not a single wrinkle. When she saw Saitama's face, her expression remained flawless, but a faint, almost imperceptible tension flashed through her pupils. "…citizen friend!" she corrected quickly. "Thank you for your contribution to the Brooklyn community! Here is your special Thank-You Pack! It includes…" She produced a large, high-quality canvas bag embossed with a gold city emblem.
"Um, excuse me…" Saitama didn't care in the slightest about the fancy-looking canvas gift bag. His gaze went right past the female agent's shoulder and locked onto the neatly stacked flyers in the rack. "Are those pamphlets… free?" He pointed at the flyers, eyes full of expectation.
"Ah?" The agent visibly froze for half a second. The pamphlets? What about the steaks? The bread? "Uh… y-yes! They're free giveaways too!"
(End of Chapter)
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