Chapter 11: Habit Determines Success or Failure
While Lu Zheng was caught in a storm of panic, juggling both Ye Qin and Miss Qiu Yu at once, Yi Ning—stuffed and satisfied—finally set down her chopsticks.
"I'm going to the bathroom."
She briskly made her way toward the restroom.
Ever since being defeated by Pixel Mask, she hadn’t had a chance to relieve herself. Plus, she’d drunk quite a bit during dinner. It was time to take care of business.
Standing at the restroom entrance, Yi Ning glanced at the signs on either side and—without hesitation—walked toward the women’s bathroom.
Let it be clear: she wasn’t going in out of any dirty curiosity.
She was, at this point, a fully legitimate girl. Going into the women’s restroom was perfectly natural.
With a bit of excitement, Yi Ning entered, chose an empty stall, and went in.
To be honest, she was a little disappointed.
Aside from the absence of urinals, the women’s restroom wasn’t all that different from the men’s.
If she had to point out something noteworthy, it was that there was barely any smell, and a light floral fragrance lingered in the air.
But that was probably just because the restaurant kept it clean.
Disappointed, Yi Ning pulled down her pants and squatted.
She’d come here consciously—there was no way she didn’t know how girls used the toilet.
The sound of flowing water echoed in the stall.
Yi Ning’s expression shifted slightly, a blush creeping across her cheeks.
If she were still male, she wouldn’t have given that sound a second thought. In fact, the louder, the better.
But now, sitting in a women’s restroom, with a woman’s body, an inexplicable sense of shame bubbled up within her.
And thanks to anatomical differences between male and female urinary tracts, she was also feeling a bit… off.
Thankfully, the sound didn’t last long.
Yi Ning instinctively shook herself—and froze.
Right. Due to female anatomy, it was important to wipe after peeing to prevent bacterial infection.
She shakily reached into her pocket, hoping to find something.
Nothing.
She checked every other pocket, again and again, but still came up empty.
It was a new outfit after all. It made sense there was nothing in the pockets.
And as someone who, just this morning, had been male, she naturally didn’t have the habit of carrying tissue.
She turned to glance at the paper roll on the wall.
Empty.
Screwed.
Yi Ning propped her elbows on her knees and cradled her face with her hands, squatting awkwardly.
It’s not that she had no options—just that what was left was way too humiliating.
Was she really going to do this?
After a long internal struggle, she took out her phone.
Because the words "let it air dry" were too heavy for her to bear.
And her legs were going numb.
She punched in a string of numbers and held the phone to her ear.
A familiar ringtone echoed from Lu Zheng’s pocket at the table.
It was Pixel Mask’s phone.
Lu Zheng frowned and pulled it out. It was an unfamiliar number.
This number was only given to heroes who didn’t know his true identity. Almost no one ever called it.
Probably a telemarketer.
He declined the call.
He was busy handling Ye Qin and Qiu Yu—he had no time to chat with a salesperson.
Yi Ning stared at her hung-up call, face twitching with anger.
But she swallowed her pride, took a deep breath, and dialed again.
Seeing the same number appear again, Lu Zheng hesitated.
Could it be a hero he’d forgotten to save in his contacts?
Ding.
A message popped up on his other phone—from Ye Qin.
[The chief and I are coming to find you.]
Lu Zheng gave up and answered the call.
The voice on the other end surprised him.
It was Dr. Alien.
Hadn’t she just gone to the restroom? Why was she calling?
Did she... accidentally enter the men's room and get stuck?
The thought nearly made him laugh out loud, but he managed to hold it in.
“It’s me, your arch-nemesis, Dr. Alien,” Yi Ning said. “Funny thing—I need your help.”
Lu Zheng didn’t reply, trying to maintain his aloof Pixel Mask persona.
Yi Ning knew him well enough not to expect a response. “I’m in the bathroom. Please, I’m begging you—bring me some toilet paper.”
Then she remembered: she wasn’t supposed to know Pixel Mask’s real identity.
She quickly added, “I’m in the women’s restroom at △△ Restaurant on ○○ Street. Third stall.”
Lu Zheng stared in disbelief at the restroom door.
Who the hell goes to the toilet without paper?
This was the woman planning to conquer D-City?
And she was in the women’s restroom. How was he supposed to bring her anything?
He began to consider running. Just paying the bill and vanishing.
Sensing his hesitation, Yi Ning quickly added, “I don’t care how you do it. Third stall in the women’s restroom. If I don’t get supplies within ten minutes—”
She paused, then shortened the deadline: “—I’ll work overtime tonight and build a Super Toilet Paper Destroyer! I’ll annihilate every roll in D-City!”
“I’ll make the entire world feel my despair! And it’ll be your fault, Pixel Mask! For your pitiful pride, you doomed humanity to a paperless future! Enjoy your final moments with tissue!”
And with that dramatic threat, she hung up.
Yi Ning immediately regretted it.
She was asking for a favor—was that really the right tone?
Lu Zheng, meanwhile, stared blankly at his phone.
Was that really necessary?
He picked up the tissue box from the table and glanced around, wondering if he could find someone to deliver this "strategic resource" to Dr. Alien.
Luckily, just then, Ye Qin and Qiu Yu walked into view.
Before either could say a word, Lu Zheng shoved the tissue box into their hands. “For the sake of mankind’s bathroom experience, please deliver this to the third stall in the ladies’ restroom. The evil scientist Dr. Alien is waiting.”
“…What?” Ye Qin and Qiu Yu were baffled.
Dr. Alien? Why was she here? And why were they delivering... this?
“I ran into her on the way home…”
Resigned, Lu Zheng briefly explained the situation.
Once they got the gist of it, both girls were speechless.
Ye Qin took the tissues. “I’ll deliver it.”
She discreetly nudged Qiu Yu, signaling her with a look.
This was a rare opportunity.
Please don’t waste it.