A week had passed since his last date with Gwen, and their relationship had steadily progressed during this time.
After their last Sichuan food dinner with Meng Ran, Gwen enthusiastically recommended it to her family.
This sparked their family's interest in Sichuan cuisine, and one afternoon they specifically went to try it. The result, as expected, was that everyone except Gwen was so overwhelmed by the spice that they questioned their life choices.
Meng Ran didn't even need to think; he knew the bathroom must have been exceptionally lively that day.
After returning home from their date that day, Meng Ran also mentioned it to his family. Zhao Li and Meng Huo were both surprised.
Meng Huo, in particular, had developed a strong interest in Gwen and asked Meng Ran to definitely invite Gwen over for a meal when he had the chance, as he wanted to cook for her personally.
Meng Ran, of course, readily agreed; he couldn't have wished for anything more.
On Sunday morning, Meng Ran, for once, slept in. It wasn't that he was particularly tired; he just felt that a weekend without lying in bed was incomplete.
After waking up and washing, he went downstairs for lunch. It was still Chef Meng Huo's cooking, and just the aroma alone was enough to make one's mouth water.
Meng Ran was eating heartily, almost burying his face in the bowl, when suddenly, Meng Huo's voice caught his attention.
"Oh, what a mess this is. A good girl, sigh... this isn't our country after all, it's become so chaotic," Meng Huo said with a sigh, looking at the newspaper.
After speaking, he looked up at Zhao Li and said, "Wife, you must wait for me to pick you up every day. Don't run around by yourself, and don't work overtime too late. The public safety is too poor now."
Zhao Li smiled sweetly upon hearing him, "I know, I'll definitely wait for my husband to pick me up every day."
Meng Ran was already beyond complaining about his parents' daily display of affection.
He was also curious about the news his father had just mentioned, so he reached for the newspaper on the table and began to flip through it.
The newspaper contained everyday news. He even saw a report about himself, with people fiercely debating whether he was a masked hero or a criminal.
Meng Ran continued reading and turning pages. Suddenly, his pupils constricted, and then he forced himself to suppress his emotions and continue reading.
"Young Girl Brutally Murdered, Suspect at Large, Still Not Apprehended!"
The reason Meng Ran was so distraught was because he saw a familiar face: the girl he had saved a while ago who was almost assaulted.
She was the girl reported in the newspaper as being brutally murdered.
Although the newspaper did not provide detailed information, through the limited information, Meng Ran could confirm that she was the victim.
The killer had been identified but had not been caught and was still at large.
He was also an acquaintance of Meng Ran, the thug who had his testicles crushed and was hung from a lamppost.
Meng Ran didn't remember the girl's name, only that she was a very beautiful and polite girl.
That night, Mia's helpless expression, her smile and tears of relief after surviving, all resurfaced in Meng Ran's mind.
Again and again, they replayed in his head.
Meng Ran didn't know how he got back to his bedroom. He felt somewhat lost, helpless, and regretful.
He lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Should he blame himself for being too incompetent, or should he admit that he wasn't Superman and couldn't achieve perfection?
Why was that thug able to commit this crime? Shouldn't he have been caught and dealt with by the police already?
If that day he hadn't just knocked the thug unconscious, but had taught him a lesson and given him a warning, would the tragedy not have happened?
If that day he hadn't hung him from a lamppost, but had sent him to the police station entrance, then he wouldn't have had a chance to escape, and would the tragedy not have happened?
Or if he had been ruthless and directly punished the thug on the spot, would the tragedy not have happened?
Meng Ran curled up under the covers, his mind filled with impossible hypotheses and questions, and his heart full of remorse and self-blame.
He seemed to have thought about these things too simply; he hadn't clearly considered what kind of principles and methods he should uphold.
Even the responsibilities and consequences of doing this, he didn't seem to have fully understood.
He had just acted on impulse, like Spider-Man in the movies.
But the cruel reality slapped him hard, making him directly bear consequences he had never anticipated before.
Just then, there was a knock on Meng Ran's bedroom door, and Meng Huo's voice came from outside: "Son, may I come in?"
His parents had already sensed that Meng Ran's mood was off.
After discussing for a long time, they finally decided that Meng Huo should go and talk to Meng Ran, although they didn't know the specific reason.
Seeing no answer, Meng Huo waited a moment longer before pushing open the door.
He saw that the room's curtains were tightly drawn, and he could vaguely make out Meng Ran curled up under the covers.
Seeing this, Meng Huo sat on the edge of the bed and gently said to Meng Ran, "Xiao Ran, Dad knows you're troubled by something. Can you tell Dad about it?"
"Although Dad might not be able to give you the answer, it's good just to say it out loud."
"Dad can be your listener, your confidant."
"Your mom is also very worried about you. You need to know that Dad and Mom will always be with you, behind you."
"So if you have anything, please don't keep it to yourself. Dad and Mom will always be your strong support."
After Meng Huo finished speaking, he looked at his son, but Meng Ran remained curled up under the covers.
After a while, Meng Ran's somewhat hoarse voice came from under the covers.
"If there was something you could have done at the time, but you didn't, because you didn't think anything would happen."
"As a result, a very serious consequence arose from that matter, so serious that it cannot be remedied or corrected."
"What should I do when something like this happens?"
Meng Huo didn't press for the reason after hearing Meng Ran's question, but simply pondered in silence.
For a moment, the room fell silent, with only the breathing of father and son remaining.
After a moment of silence, Meng Huo spoke, "Although I don't know the exact situation, Dad knows you must be very regretful right now, which is why you're so sad."
"What Dad wants to say is, since the matter has already happened and the outcome has already occurred, these are things we cannot change no matter what. The only thing we can change is ourselves."
"We can only learn from the lesson, letting this consequence serve as a warning bell in our minds."
"Then, when similar things happen in the future, we must do our utmost. Only by giving our all will we have no regrets."
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent again. Meng Huo was not in a hurry; he just waited by the bed, knowing that Meng Ran must be thinking about his words.
After another moment, Meng Ran finally emerged from under the covers. In the darkness, his eyes looked at Meng Huo with determination.
"Dad, thank you. I think I understand what I need to do."
Meng Huo nodded reassuringly upon hearing him, "It's good that you understand. Remember, if you have anything in the future, tell Dad and Mom, don't keep it to yourself."
After speaking, he patted Meng Ran's head and left. He had to go back and report the situation to reassure Zhao Li.
Meng Ran in the room now stood up. He stood by the mirror, looking at himself, his eyes full of determination.
At this moment, he had clearly thought through the path he hadn't decided on before, the consequences he should bear, and the responsibilities he should shoulder.
He had given up on fantasies, because reality was not a movie; it was far more cruel than movies.
Superheroes in movies could avoid killing, could be principled good citizens and good neighbors.
They could engage in a love-hate struggle with villains, fighting the same enemies their entire lives.
But reality couldn't be like that.
If Meng Ran had punished Bill that night, the tragedy of Mia's brutal murder would not have happened.
To let a criminal go free and cause an innocent girl to pay the price with her life, what a messed-up thing that was.
He clearly had the ability, but he failed to prevent this tragedy from happening.
People's growth is always accompanied by some bumps, but what made Meng Ran grow was a living human life.
Since he decided to fight crime, he must bear the corresponding responsibility and be determined to fight against it.
Not for fame or glory, but only for the unwavering belief in his heart to fight crime to the end.
It was precisely because the law had loopholes and could not operate perfectly that masked heroes were born.
Their existence was to fill these loopholes, to judge those criminals whom the law could not judge.
If they, who were supposed to fill the loopholes, acted entirely according to the law, then all of this would be meaningless, including their very existence.
The Venom fully covered him, and the pale eyes under the hood emitted an eerie white light.
Meng Ran looked at the ghost-like figure in the mirror and said firmly in his heart.
"From now on, I am the true malevolent spirit, the malevolent spirit that makes criminals and those who escape justice tremble in fear."
Criminal Bill! The malevolent spirit's judgment is about to descend!
Let your blood and soul be an offering to the innocent departed souls!