Chapter Fourteen: Superman’s Underwear

Whether it was because Allah was preoccupied today or the Buddha had finished his shift, Liu Yunfei’s pinch caught nothing but empty air. Yet, with his eyes closed, everything around him seemed even clearer, especially moving objects; it was as if every pore of his body had opened wide, keenly sensing the temperature, speed, and direction of every current in the air.

All of this happened in a split second. By sheer reflex, Liu Yunfei halted his backward flight and reached out with all his might. “Got it!” he cried in elation. But he didn’t try to stop the missile’s forward momentum; he was afraid that halting it so abruptly might trigger an explosion, ruining everything.

Instead, Liu Yunfei subtly altered the trajectory of the warhead, gently guiding it upward into a graceful arc. As he turned, he caught sight of the rapidly receding speedboat—designed for five passengers, yet crammed with nine. Henry stood in the rear center, clutching his left thumb with his right hand, his eyes fixed anxiously in Liu Yunfei’s direction.

“Take back your filthy toy,” Liu Yunfei sneered, swinging his arm and hurling the rocket back with even greater speed than it had come. In the blink of an eye, it overtook the speedboat. Henry, seeing this, abandoned all else, transforming into a bat and fleeing alone, leaving his companions behind.

The others aboard the speedboat were not so fortunate. Amid thunderous explosions, the vessel shattered into fragments, its occupants obliterated, their remains scattered into the sea—an offering to the sharks.

Liu Yunfei had no time to savor the spectacle. He hurried to the lobby on the first floor of the Star Cluster. Before he even stepped inside, chaos and the old prince’s shouts reached his ears: “Release Shalina this instant, you cursed fiends!”

Relieved to hear Shalina was still alive, Liu Yunfei didn’t rush in. He peeked inside first: the hall was a wreck, sand strewn everywhere, flowerpots smashed to pieces, bullet holes peppered the walls, letting in slivers of light. Two corpses of kidnappers lay on the floor, while two more, each clutching a struggling Shalina, were retreating toward the entrance. The old prince and his servants, guns in hand, had taken cover behind the sand and a grand piano, shouting threats.

The hall was large, and since there was no view of the main window, the two kidnappers likely had no idea what had just happened outside. Liu Yunfei, with a twist of his body, transformed into Henry’s likeness and strode confidently inside.

At the sight of Henry, the two kidnappers lit up. “Boss, this one’s some kind of princess, I think. Did you take care of that kid outside?”

Liu Yunfei put on a look of contempt and, imitating Henry’s peculiar, nasal voice, replied, “That brat? He was just strong, nothing more. By now, he’s probably vacationing in a shark’s belly.” Amused by his own performance, Liu Yunfei was about to continue when Shalina, overcome with emotion, blurted out, “You bastards! Shalina curses you—Allah will punish you all!” She struggled desperately, her headscarf long gone, tears streaming down her cheeks as she cried out, “Brother Yunfei isn’t dead! He’s Allah’s messenger, sent to save us! He’ll come back and kill you all!”

Liu Yunfei was deeply moved by the tears flowing from Shalina’s eyes. Had she fallen in love with him?

He reached out and pinched Shalina’s cheek. “Not bad, this girl. Come here.” He pulled her into his arms. The two kidnappers, seeing their boss like this, laughed brazenly and made no move to stop him.

Pressed tightly against his chest, Liu Yunfei could feel the softness and elasticity of Shalina’s body; her strong thighs pressed against his, sending a surge of heat to his head. He quickly composed himself and gave Shalina a subtle look. Her eyes, at first confused, quickly filled with joy. She took the hint, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her face gently on his shoulder. Such a clever girl, Liu Yunfei thought. This princess is more than she appears.

Glancing at the weapons in the kidnappers’ hands, Liu Yunfei willed their AKs into the Light Jade Talisman.

The kidnappers, still laughing, looked down to find their guns had vanished into thin air. Their laughter died instantly. They stared at their empty hands in disbelief, then exchanged bewildered glances before looking up at Liu Yunfei, as if seeking an explanation from their leader.

“Why are you looking at me? Where are your guns?” Liu Yunfei, held tightly by Shalina, couldn’t easily make a move, so he kept up the charade.

“Yeah, where are our guns?” The two began searching themselves. “Did we bring our guns?”

“Are you an idiot? Who comes here without a gun?”

While they argued, the old prince and his servants realized something was amiss. Noting the three kidnappers were unarmed, they immediately surrounded them. If Shalina wasn’t still in their grasp, they would have opened fire already.

“Hands up! On your knees, now! You devils, move or I’ll shoot!” The tables had turned.

Liu Yunfei raised his hands first. “Let’s surrender, brothers.”

Weaponless and seeing their boss give in, the two kidnappers, terrified, quickly raised their hands and dropped to their knees. Servants rushed over and, with ropes of unknown origin, tied them up tightly. Vengeance in their eyes, they didn’t spare the kidnappers a kick or a curse. “Move again and I’ll stomp you to death! Try moving!” The two kidnappers were beaten until they cried out, “Stop, I’m not moving! He’s the one who moved me!”

“Shalina, what are you doing? Come here!” the old prince called, perplexed. Shalina turned, smiled blissfully at him, and then once again rested her face on the other shoulder of “Henry.”

“What have you done to Shalina, you scoundrel?” the prince roared. “You must have cast some spell on her—how else could she act this way?”

“Alright, Shalina, if you don’t let go, your father is going to turn me into a beehive.” Liu Yunfei gently caressed her back. With warm, fragrant softness in his arms, Liu Yunfei couldn’t help but savor the moment. He wished it could last a while longer, and then a while more. Yet he could feel certain changes in his body growing harder to control. If this went on, he’d soon embarrass himself. With a gentle but firm effort, he freed himself from Shalina’s embrace.

“Father, can’t you tell? It’s Brother Yunfei!” Shalina, her cheeks flushed red with shyness, left Liu Yunfei’s arms and threw herself into the prince’s.

Already aware of Liu Yunfei’s shape-shifting abilities and hearing his voice, the old prince believed her. “How are things outside, my dear child? Yunfei, we owe you everything.”

“It’s all taken care of—only Henry escaped, but he’s badly wounded.”

“Find a place to change back to yourself and go upstairs. I really can’t get used to seeing you like this. I keep thinking of that vampire’s fangs.”

“Oh, right. But, could you get me some clothes? My own were all torn in the fight.” Liu Yunfei blushed, grateful he’d been disguised as Henry when he came in; otherwise, he would have been stark naked.

Suddenly, Liu Yunfei found himself longing for a pair of Superman’s indestructible underwear—no matter the battle, they’d never tear.