A profound, expectant silence followed Zhou Yi's challenge. It was the silence of a group of teenagers who had just been handed a terrifyingly difficult, yet undeniably hopeful mandate.
Then, a few tentative claps started, quickly spreading until a wave of genuine applause washed over the room.
The Path B he outlined—the path of the celebrated, public superhero—represented the only road to dignity they had ever been shown. It was a perilous route, but it promised sunlight rather than perpetual twilight.
Not everyone in the room found the proposition palatable, least of all the Academy staff who had spent years trying to keep these children out of the spotlight. As Zhou Yi stepped off the podium, Ororo, her face a mask of anxious conflict, moved to intercept him.
"Yi, I cannot believe you put that choice to them so starkly!" Ororo's voice was low but urgent, laced with severe reproach. "You risk dragging them, willingly, into a public industry that is dangerously volatile! We shelter them to keep them safe, not to turn them into targets."
"Ororo, you mistake a prison for a sanctuary," Zhou Yi countered, meeting her intensity with calm, absolute conviction. He kept his voice conversational despite the gravity of the subject.
"Do you believe you can truly protect these children by keeping them confined here? This Academy, luxurious as it is, merely acts as a larger, more fragile cage. They need to be exposed to the outside world, yes, but more importantly, they need to be accepted by it."
He placed a firm, reassuring hand on her shoulder, his eyes focused entirely on her.
"We must shift the narrative. These students must be seen as positive figures—as necessary guardians—rather than the pitiful, persecuted victims they currently are. This is not just for Sharice, Ororo, but for you as well. You all deserve an identity that can walk in the sun, not merely tolerate its existence."
"But the sheer danger!" Ororo persisted, pulling away slightly as she wrestled with the moral hazard.
"The superhero you referenced isn't just fighting petty criminals; he routinely faces monstrous threats and extra-dimensional incursions. Are you suggesting these children, barely in control of their own abilities, can handle threats of that magnitude?"
"You are worrying too far down the line, my beautiful Auroro," Zhou Yi murmured, his voice adopting a soothing, confident register.
"It is not nearly as difficult as you imagine. The start is everything. I can arrange for simple, localized tasks—community outreach, minor disaster relief. I have considerable influence with the city's emergency services—the police, the fire department. We start them small, with easily won victories that generate immense public goodwill. With my guidance and your unique skillsets, a positive reputation can be built with astonishing speed."
Jean Grey, who had been observing the exchange with the cold, strategic calculation of a mind trained in chess, nodded subtly.
"That is a genuinely sound tactical approach, Ororo. I see the value. With Zhou Yi's powerful backing—his resources are truly unparalleled—we can engineer a controlled, safe entry into the public eye. This is not merely an emotional risk; it is a calculated investment in the future of the species. It benefits the students, the Academy, and the entire community. We cannot allow this opportunity to stall over minor anxieties."
"As much as I find this pompous bastard irritating," Logan interjected, having sauntered closer while puffing on a thin, cheap cigar, the acrid smoke momentarily filling the air, "he actually has a point. You're being short-sighted, Jean. The kid's argument—that we need to control the narrative—is based on years of experience operating in the shadows. This is a pragmatic necessity, not a moral failure."
Ororo sighed, her resistance crumbling under the combined weight of Zhou Yi's persuasive logic, Jean's strategic endorsement, and Logan's grudging realism.
"Alright, alright. If we must walk this path, then we will walk it with extreme caution. We must have a meticulous plan, and it must be monitored by faculty at all times."
Zhou Yi moved closer to Ororo, gently wrapping his arm around her shoulder from behind and leaning down. His lips brushed her earlobe as he whispered, not just comforting her, but staking his claim on the shared future he was building. .
"Everything will be fine, Ororo. I will personally supervise their safety. Didn't you always dream of a world where you could live a truly unburdened life? This is the foundation we must lay for that to become reality."
Ororo closed her eyes, taking a deep, calming breath. She turned within his embrace, hugging his arm tightly, the warmth of his presence grounding her. She looked up at him with a grateful, though still concerned, smile.
"I have already spoken to the Professor," she confirmed. "He agrees with the necessity of your plan, but he requires absolute certainty regarding protection. We can only move forward if a faculty member accompanies the students at all times."
"As long as Scott is not involved, the arrangement is perfect," Zhou Yi stated clearly, his face hardening momentarily. The antipathy between him and Scott Summers was well-known, and none of them desired the friction that his presence would inevitably cause.
Jean gave him a knowing, playful look, shaking her head. "I still don't understand the depth of the animosity between you two. But don't worry, we've preemptively handled that issue. Ororo and I will be accompanying you. And, despite his current disposition, Logan will be coming too."
"You are both more than welcome to join our Christmas excursion," Zhou Yi said, glancing pointedly at the scowling Logan. "However, Mr. Logan, given your obvious enthusiasm, are you expecting payment for your role as a 'chaperone'?"
"Absolutely not," Logan flatly refused, crushing the remnants of his cheap cigar with a disgusted flick of his fingers. "I'm going only because I refuse to allow Sharice and the others to be led blindly into whatever financial trap you've devised, asshole. I'm simply concerned about the kids."
"Understood, Mr. Bodyguard. Just to be perfectly clear: I am not obligated to provide you with any form of compensation or hazard pay."
Logan merely grunted a nasal confirmation. Jean and Ororo exchanged resigned glances, already used to the bristling, indifferent demeanor Zhou Yi maintained with men—a stark contrast to the effortless charm he exhibited around women and children.
With the faculty mandate secured, the remaining logistical issues melted away with the speed only massive wealth could achieve.
Zhou Yi had barely lit his own cigarette—a bespoke blend reserved for moments of profound satisfaction—when the classroom door burst open. Sharice, flanked by two of her closest friends, materialized, laden with an assortment of designer luggage.
"Bing! Brother, you are absolutely incredible!" Sharice exclaimed, bounding forward. "I never knew you had such an incredible mind for public strategy. Honestly, forget being an arms dealer, you should seriously consider running a full-scale global public relations firm!"
"If I dedicated my talents to running for President, Sharice, you'd find your monthly allowance budget dramatically curtailed by campaign finance laws," Zhou Yi retorted, taking a long, luxurious drag of his cigarette and watching the smoke curl.
"Then forget the Presidency, everything's fine as it is!" Sharice immediately decided, easily sacrificing the political ambition for her own financial comfort. She began urging her friends to load their bags into the trunk of the waiting Bentley. "Hey, what are you waiting for? We're all packed! I can't wait to fly to France; this is my first time this far!"
"Patience, little whirlwind," Zhou Yi advised with a playful grin, opening the car door. "You and your friends can enjoy the custom entertainment system until we depart. You won't be the only additions to this expedition."
"Wait, you didn't just make extra arrangements for Ororo, did you?" Sharice asked cautiously, her face twisting into a grimace. A family trip with Ororo's intense sense of responsibility was not her idea of a holiday.
"Even more complex arrangements, my dear," Zhou Yi confirmed, stepping out to watch Ororo and Jean approach, each pulling a sensibly sized suitcase.
Ororo regarded the black, extended Bentley with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. "I never imagined spending a Christmas holiday in France with all of you. It's been years since I left the Academy during the season."
Zhou Yi lifted her luggage with effortless ease. "Don't worry, you won't be the most surprised person on this trip. I guarantee that title belongs entirely to my mother. She doesn't even know our relationship has progressed to this stage yet."
Jean's expression shifted instantly, a subtle, but visible flicker of unease crossing her features. Ororo gasped, gripping Zhou Yi's arm in genuine alarm.
"Yi! You aren't seriously planning on explaining anything to Miss Zhou Lan right now, are you? Oh my God, I am fundamentally not prepared for that confrontation!"
"There's no time like the present for a strategic information dump, Jean," Zhou Yi chuckled. "But don't worry, you have the duration of the flight to prepare your defensive arguments."
He placed the luggage in the vast trunk before turning his attention to the final pair standing near the Academy's steps: Logan and a small, tightly bundled girl standing nervously behind him.
"I remember you, the perceptive girl who asked about solutions," Zhou Yi said, completely ignoring Logan's protective, scowling stance. He walked directly toward the girl, his gaze gentle. "Can you tell me your name?"
"My name is Marie, sir," the girl whispered, taking a small, reflexive step back and keeping her hands—protected by thick gloves—held closely together. "You can call me Little Naughty."
"Very well, Little Naughty," Zhou Yi said, his voice warm and non-threatening. He reached out and gently patted the top of her head—a gesture of pure, safe reassurance, avoiding any skin contact. He smiled confidently.
"Someone has already informed me of your rather difficult ability. Do not worry. It is a problem that can be definitively solved, and it will not require the removal of your powers. It is simply a matter of the correct technical and bio-physical application."
He immediately snapped his gaze to Logan, his gentle expression vanishing instantly.
"As for you, my friend," he commanded, his voice sharp, "you will ride in the front passenger seat. I don't trust leaving the well-being of my sister, or the security of the children, entirely in your volatile hands."
Logan grunted a deep, resentful sound, but the fact that Zhou Yi had placed Marie's situation at the center of the journey—a problem the X-Men had struggled with for years—held his aggression in check. He reluctantly climbed into the front seat.
The custom-built, extended Bentley was a fortress of privacy. The children, along with Jean and Ororo, were sequestered in the vast, soundproofed rear compartment. Sharice, quickly exercising her authority as the owner's sister, had immediately lowered the electric privacy partition. The driver, the reluctant Logan, and Zhou Yi were sealed in the front.
The dominant sound was the ragged exhale of Logan's breath, interspersed with the sickeningly sweet, cheap smoke wafting from his cigar.
Zhou Yi wrinkled his nose, the smell an offense to his meticulous palate. He reached into the central storage compartment, retrieved a small, unassuming wooden box, and tossed it to Logan.
"Stop contaminating the air, man. That cheap tobacco is a public health hazard," Zhou Yi said with genuine distaste.
Logan caught the box with one hand, suspicious. He opened it, and his eyes widened imperceptibly. Inside lay several exquisitely rolled, dark cigars, nestled on a bed of Spanish cedar.
"Cohiba. 40th Anniversary Series," Logan muttered, his gruff voice betraying a momentary, almost reverent awe. He instantly stubbed out his own inexpensive cigar on the car floor and carefully selected one of the Cohibas.
He clipped the end, lit it with a practiced, ritualistic precision, and took a long, deep, satisfying drag. The air immediately filled with the rich, complex, earthy aroma of meticulously aged, high-quality Cuban tobacco.
"You, sir, have excellent taste," Logan conceded, the Cohiba smoke acting as a powerful, temporary truce. "These legendary jewels are worth every cent. Most people would kill for a single one. Only the super-rich, the truly established elite, can afford to leave a box of these lying around for casual consumption."
"You don't have to hoard them, Logan," Zhou Yi said, a faint, amused smile touching his lips. "The entire box is yours. Just don't assume I have more hidden; I only grabbed this one for the trip."
Logan took two more deep puffs, savoring the flavor, before reluctantly extinguishing the cigar halfway and carefully placing the remainder back in his pocket—an act of preservation that spoke volumes about its value. The tense silence, previously filled with antagonism, was replaced by a grudging, fragile respect forged by shared, expensive indulgence.
Logan initiated the conversation, the effects of the superior cigar still softening his edges. "You claimed you could solve Little Naughty's problem. Marie's ability… to absorb life force. Are you actually serious?"
"If by 'solve' you mean surgically removing her X-Gene and turning her into an ordinary human, then no, I cannot do that," Zhou Yi clarified, maintaining the serious, businesslike tone necessary for the conversation.
"But if you mean creating a permanent, non-invasive technological solution that allows her to interact with others—to touch, to hold a hand, to hug Sharice without causing unconscious bodily harm—that is not difficult for me at all."
Logan turned his head, his eyes narrowed. "You're talking about a dampener? Xavier has been trying to figure out a neural inhibitor that doesn't induce a coma for years."
"The Professor's research is focused on genetic reversal and neural suppression," Zhou Yi stated dismissively, as if discussing obsolete technology.
"My approach is different. It is an application of bio-field regulation and psychic containment, leveraging technology far beyond anything currently known in the public domain. Marie's power is a naturally occurring energy drain; it must be shielded, not suppressed, by creating a harmonically matched external sheath that filters the bio-electric field."
He looked straight at Logan. "The technology exists to manufacture a second skin, worn beneath the clothing, or even a molecular-level implant, that perpetually grounds the energy discharge. She keeps her abilities, but her passive lethal effect is neutralized. It is a technological solution to a biological problem, and it requires specialized French labs and my personal oversight to fabricate the components."
Logan stared at him, the Cohiba truce deepening into something akin to reluctant admiration. He valued survival above all, and the promise of maintaining one's dangerous power while achieving normalcy resonated deeply with his own desire to control his feral nature.
"So you're not trying to take away her edge," Logan concluded, his voice low.
"Never," Zhou Yi confirmed. "I am merely giving her a mute button. That is what she desperately wants, and that is what I intend to deliver."