"Dad, where are we going?" Sitting in the car, Airesha asked, looking at the unfamiliar scenery she had never seen before. She asked this because Mr. Zhou was not taking them home. He had changed his mind at the last minute, which was why they were on this trip.
"Do you remember the boarding school you stayed at?" Mr. Zhou asked his eldest daughter in return.
Although from a psychological age perspective, Shirley was clearly older, Airesha still maintained her position as the older sister, adhering to the principle that the first born is the legitimate elder.
"Hmm?" Airesha made an unclear sound and stared wide-eyed at her adoptive father, not understanding why he would ask such a question.
"Stupid Airesha, Dad means that the place we're going is related to that school!" Thanks to his adorable daughter Airesha, Shirley, after a few months of living with Mr. Zhou, finally accepted his existence as a father. This didn't mean she had forgotten the past, but it did mean she was ready to start a new life.
Airesha didn't care about Shirley's address. In her young mind, as an older sister, she should have the magnanimity of one. It was just a silly name, nothing to make a fuss about. Besides, compared to Shirley, she really was a little bit dumber. So she directly ignored this point and blinked her big eyes, saying to Mr. Zhou,
"Dad, is it like Shirley said?"
"Yes! Shirley is right. Your brothers and sisters from that school have started working, and we happen to have time. Let's go see how they're doing!" Mr. Zhou rubbed Airesha's soft, long black hair, explaining with a smile.
Mr. Zhou's actions made Airesha close her eyes like a kitten being tickled, showing a look of enjoyment. And her appearance stimulated Shirley, and this precocious Little fellow finally showed her childish side.
"Stupid Airesha, you look like an idiot." It was obvious to anyone that this Child with puffed cheeks was surely throwing a tantrum out of jealousy. And to Shirley, who was making such a face, Airesha responded with a carefree, silly grin.
This made Shirley even angrier. She was about to speak when Mr. Zhou's large hand was already on her small head, vigorously rubbing her golden short hair.
"You two, stop messing around. If you keep this up, I'll have Yuriko take you out tomorrow." Although he knew Shirley's way of addressing Airesha was just a term of endearment between the closest of relationships, Mr. Zhou was still worried that some awkwardness might arise between the two Little fellows. So he could only resort to his trump card.
Yuriko's serious personality has a natural deterrent effect on Little fellows. So after he finished speaking, even Shirley, who had the most personality, obediently closed her mouth.
It was originally a childish desire for attention, and such feelings come and go quickly. Soon the two Little fellows started giggling and playing. Mr. Zhou didn't interfere with this behavior; he just drove his car until he reached his destination.
An Advanced apartment building near Manhattan, this apartment nominally belonged to him. Of course, he had now given it to the Mutants.
It was somewhat ironic that he had planned so much for these Mutants and paid a huge price. But apart from inquiring about their situation in daily reports, he rarely had more contact with this group of young people. This was his first time visiting them here.
As for visiting the police station, that would truly have to wait until next time.
Just as he walked into the apartment lobby with the two Little fellows, Mr. Zhou heard a loud voice.
"Sir, this is private property. If you haven't received an invitation, please stop. Of course, it's best if you turn around and leave!"
Mr. Zhou was quite familiar with this voice, so he quickly replied,
"It's me, Mr. Parker. I imagine you wouldn't kick me out, would you!"
It was then that Ben Parker, who had walked out of the lobby security office, noticed the identity of the visitor. He quickly stepped forward and said apologetically,
"Sorry, Mr. Zhou. I didn't expect you to be here, so my tone was a bit harsh!"
"It's alright, Mr. Parker!" Mr. Zhou patted Old Parker's shoulder and asked like an ordinary friend, "Are you used to it here, how's the job!"
"I feel great here, sir!" Old Parker, dressed in a security uniform, laughed heartily. "The work is much easier than my previous one. The gentlemen and Young Misses here are also very reasonable, it's just that the reporters from the tabloids are a bit annoying. Most of my job now is to kick them out of here!"
"It's good that you don't have any problems, Mr. Parker. Is anyone else upstairs right now?" After greeting Old Parker, Mr. Zhou asked about the young people, which was his main intention for coming here.
"Let me think, Little Mary just came back. I guess she won't be going out today. John, that young man, was busy all night yesterday and only came back at noon today. I guess he's still resting now. As for the others, they should all still be on missions and will probably be back in a while!" Old Parker thought for a moment and gave a detailed answer. It was clear that he got along well with these young people.
"Alright, it seems I don't need to think too much!" Mr. Zhou muttered to himself, then waved to Old Parker and took the two Little fellows up the elevator.
Old Parker smiled and went back to his work. He would work until eight o'clock when someone would take over his shift. Of course, generally speaking, not many people would choose to work here like him, so there wouldn't be a concept of a shift change.
However, Ben Parker felt that he alone could not complete the twenty-four-hour security work for this apartment. So he reported this problem to his superior, and Ada quickly found him a colleague. A Mutant, and one of the strangely described kind.
Old Parker didn't mind his colleague looking a little strange. In fact, he was even a little happy because he worked the day shift, and that colleague worked the night shift. And this was even at that colleague's request. So Old Parker, who had inexplicably gotten a good deal, actually thought his colleague was a pretty good guy. This also led him to develop the habit of happily waiting for his shift change every day.
Mr. Zhou didn't know what kind of fun Old Parker found there. He took the Little fellows to Rogue's door and gently knocked. Soon there was a sound from the other side of the door, and Rogue, dressed in home clothes and wiping her wet hair, appeared behind the door.
She saw Mr. Zhou and them, was stunned, and an expression of disbelief appeared on her face, but she quickly reacted, hurriedly opened the door, and said,
"Sorry, sir. I didn't expect it to be you! Please come in quickly, oh! My goodness, I wasn't prepared at all."
"Don't worry, I'm not a teacher checking rooms." Mr. Zhou made a joke about their past lives and then began to explain his purpose. "I just picked up these two Little fellows, and I happened to hear about you on the way, so I decided to come and see you. And ask how you're feeling."
Leading Mr. Zhou and them into the living room, inviting them to sit on the sofa, Rogue bustled about like a busy bee. She was busy making drinks behind the bar while answering.
"How we feel? We feel great, sir. Never been better! You see, I only have coffee here, is that okay?"
"I have no problem at all. But these two Little fellows will probably need your attention." Mr. Zhou patted the heads of the two Little fellows beside him, entrusting this problem to Rogue.
"I remember Airesha likes milk very much. I happen to have fresh milk here. Is that okay for that lovely Young Miss?" Rogue opened her refrigerator and took out a large carton of milk. Incidentally, she asked Shirley.
"Airesha is fine, and I'm fine too." Shirley lifted her head and snorted, which actually lightened Rogue's burden. Soon, a cup of coffee and two cups of milk were placed in front of Mr. Zhou and his party.
Watching Rogue finish all this, then nervously comb her hair behind her ears, Mr. Zhou smiled.
"Mary, you're a big girl now. I think Logan will be very happy to see you like this."
Rogue's face showed an embarrassed expression. She quickly glanced at Mr. Zhou, then lowered her head and said,
"Logan came here two days ago and brought me a lot of things. He drank a lot that day, and I could tell he was really happy."
"That means you're doing great. Logan is a very picky person. If your current work wasn't successful, he wouldn't be like this." Mr. Zhou took a sip of coffee, then quietly put it down. "How's your current work, have you encountered any trouble?"
When it came to work, Rogue appeared significantly more confident. At least she no longer kept her head down, not even daring to look at Mr. Zhou. "Our work was a bit troublesome at first, mainly with partners. But Mr. Stacy gave a strict order, and we get along pretty well. So the situation has improved a lot. My partner is a very cheerful woman, and she's very good to me."
"That's good, because of the influence of your previous compatriots, there will definitely be some people who have opinions about you at first. But as long as you persevere, you will definitely gain something. Today I met an acquaintance, and he expressed his gratitude to you. That gentleman also said that if he were a few decades younger, he would definitely pursue you regardless of anything."
Mr. Zhou wanted to laugh when he thought of the French dessert boss, but Rogue's face turned crimson after hearing his words. She probably never expected anyone to say such things to her.
"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. How are the others?" Mr. Zhou waved his hand and changed the subject. He knew Rogue was the leader of this group now, so he directly asked her about everyone's recent situation.
"Most people are making average progress; they've basically been accepted by their partners. The situation of a couple of individuals is also improving. However, citizens are still somewhat worried and afraid of them."
The police station provided them with special uniforms, just like a SWAT Officer team. This made them easily identifiable, and also easily aroused others' wariness towards them.
"Don't worry, this situation will get better. As long as you persevere, and once they have special experiences, they won't be able to do without you." He comforted Rogue, and at the same time hoped Rogue could convey his meaning. Then he asked, "Are there any special circumstances?"
"John's performance is good. Recently, there was a big Fire in Brooklyn. John was the first to rush in and rescue the citizens inside, including several Children. The citizens are very grateful to him, and the firefighters also really like having someone like him around."
"Bobby's performance is a bit strained. His ability is good, but he's always too hesitant. Especially when fighting fires, he's much worse than John in that regard!" When mentioning Bobby, Rogue's expression was very calm, as if she were reporting on her subordinate. This immediately made Mr. Zhou feel sorry for Bobby. He knew Bobby was pursuing Rogue, but from the looks of it, it seemed unlikely to happen