Chapter 19: The Little Girl Who Played With Fire

Jiang Chen's entire body buzzed with excitement.

Moments ago, he had been just an ordinary man, but now, Extremis had transformed him into something much more. He was no longer just Jiang Chen; he had become a superhuman.

And his superpower? Extremis.

Not only could he regenerate from injuries, but he could also summon fire with just a thought. His constitution had been enhanced to levels he hadn't even imagined.

The thought of never needing a lighter to light a cigarette again, just a flick of his fingers, made him smirk with satisfaction.

But as the thrill of his newfound abilities surged through him, another thought crept into his mind.

All the other heroes had names.

Iron Man, Captain America, the green titan—they all had powerful, iconic titles.

Now that he had a superpower too, shouldn't he have a name for himself?

"Fire Man? The Man Who Plays With Fire?" he muttered, but shook his head, dismissing the idea.

"Forget it," Jiang Chen sighed. "I'll figure that out later."

Right now, there were more pressing matters. His stomach growled.

"First things first—food."

Jiang Chen wasn't in the city center but rather a quiet suburb, sparsely populated with only a few homes scattered around. The streetlights were dim, and most of the houses had their lights off. Judging by the dark sky, it had to be late—probably past midnight.

After walking for a while, Jiang Chen spotted a small burger joint. The place was nearly empty, with only one table of customers.

But the advertisement at the entrance caught his eye.

"Today's lucky draw! Win a grand prize and get a free meal…"

Jiang Chen nodded in approval and stepped into the shop.

Behind the cash register sat a middle-aged woman, half-hidden behind a newspaper. She glanced up briefly but didn't move.

"I want to try the lucky draw," Jiang Chen said, pointing to the sign.

Without a word, the woman reached under the counter, pulled out a large box, and set it in front of him. Her eyes didn't even leave the newspaper.

She clearly wasn't worried that Jiang Chen would win—there were nearly four hundred slips of paper in that box, and only two of them promised a free meal. The odds weren't in his favor.

Jiang Chen smiled knowingly and dipped his hand into the box. A moment later, he pulled out a slip of paper.

Sure enough, he'd won the free meal.

He handed the slip to the woman, who stared at it, her jaw dropping in surprise.

A few seconds later, she was watching in disbelief as Jiang Chen carried a massive tray piled high with hamburgers, fries, and Coke over to a table.

Jiang Chen was thoroughly enjoying his first-ever free meal when the door chimed.

A little girl walked in.

She couldn't have been more than eleven or twelve, and though her face was smeared with dirt and her clothes were tattered, there was something striking about her. Her features were delicate, almost doll-like, but her wide, fearful eyes hinted at a rough life.

Jiang Chen was puzzled. What was such a young girl doing in a deserted area this late at night? And why were her clothes in such poor condition?

Maybe she had gotten lost from her family.

The girl scanned the room nervously before settling her gaze on Jiang Chen. She hesitated for a moment, then approached him.

"Big brother, can I have a hamburger?" she asked in a soft, trembling voice.

Jiang Chen frowned slightly, glancing at the proprietress, who was still recovering from his lucky draw win.

"Boss lady," he called.

The woman clutched the lottery box tighter, eyeing him warily.

Jiang Chen cleared his throat and pointed to the little girl. "Another hamburger, please."

The woman blinked, then reluctantly fetched another burger and tossed it onto the table.

Jiang Chen handed the hamburger to the girl, who took it gratefully.

As soon as she had the burger in her hands, she turned and made to leave.

But before she could reach the door, four men—loud, drunk, and rough-looking—got up from a nearby table, blocking her path. They reeked of beer and bad intentions.

"Hey, where'd this little beggar come from? She's a cute one," one of them sneered.

"Yeah, why didn't you ask us for food?" another slurred, his eyes roaming over the girl.

The girl clutched the burger tightly, her small frame trembling with fear.

"I-I already have a burger…" she stammered, her voice barely audible.

The men laughed, closing in on her.

"Come on, one burger isn't enough for a growing girl like you," one of them leered. "How about you sing us a song, and we'll give you another one?"

The girl's terrified eyes darted up to the towering men surrounding her. She was clearly petrified.

Jiang Chen's frown deepened. How could these grown men be picking on such a young girl?

He was about to step in and teach them a lesson when something strange happened.

The little girl's body began to glow, a red light pulsing from her chest and quickly spreading through her limbs.

Before anyone could react, a massive burst of flames erupted from the girl, engulfing the entire burger joint.

The fire was instantaneous, incinerating everything—and everyone—inside.

Jiang Chen shielded his face from the intense heat, but it didn't affect him the way it would have before. He was unharmed.

When the flames finally subsided, Jiang Chen looked down at the charred remnants of the hamburger in his hand, then over at the little girl, who was sitting on the floor, trembling and covered in soot.

The girl was an Extremis adapter—just like him.