"Alright, this is just a personality issue. He'll get better once he gets used to the job." Facing this situation, Zhou Yi could only laugh it off. Emotionally, he hadn't even solved his own problems, let alone someone else's!
"I can tell you some things ahead of time. There's a purpose to why I placed you in New York. More accurately, it's to allow Mutants to secure a foothold in this World. You must have sensed how unique this city is! Compared to other cities, this one always has more strange guys, like Superheroes!"
"Are you talking about yourself and that high-profile Iron Man?" Rogue's tone was strange; she hadn't expected anyone to categorize herself as strange.
"Uh! You can count me separately. Alright, I was just making an analogy, I hope you understand what I mean." Grinning, Zhou Yi spotted the ashtray on the coffee table and instinctively pulled out a cigarette. Rogue was quick to act; she immediately found a lighter and lit the cigarette for Zhou Yi.
"Are you learning to smoke?" She didn't look like it was her first time, so Zhou Yi casually asked. This question immediately made Rogue blush.
A woman smoking is actually not a big deal, and Zhou Yi wasn't bothered by women who smoke. But Rogue didn't see it that way; she felt that being caught smoking by Zhou Yi was like having a stain discovered. This filled her with a sense of shame.
"Alright, I'm not questioning you. Don't be like that! I'm just worried about your health; without a strong body, smoking will only cause trouble." Zhou Yi, who thought Rogue was just embarrassed, began to reassure her.
Hearing the comfort, Rogue smiled awkwardly and began playing with her hair, squinting her eyes. No one knew what she was thinking, and Zhou Yi wasn't a mind-reading maniac like Charles. So he could only continue with his topic.
"I think you've also noticed that there are many more Superheroes in this city. Similarly, there are naturally many super criminals. Theoretically, these superhumans shouldn't affect you much, but once I brought you to this city, that theory ceased to be true."
"You left Charles's protection, which means you were placed under the spotlight. This city, amidst increasingly active heroes and crime, is starting to attract the attention of the entire World. Everything you gain here is more than what you could get anywhere else. This is an opportunity, do you understand, Mary?"
Rogue wasn't stupid. In fact, being able to rally a group of people out of Charles's School and lead them to establish a footing within the Police Department proved that she was a girl of considerable intelligence.
Therefore, she quickly understood Zhou Yi's meaning.
To make Mutants a more focused-upon group in this increasingly active city —only this way could they salvage their community's utterly ruined reputation. The Earth belongs to humanity, and to live better, they must be accepted by humans. This had become their shared understanding.
"I understand what needs to be done, Sir!" Rogue clearly answered Zhou Yi. As a Mutant, she knew what was best for herself. This was exactly what Zhou Yi needed. His purpose for coming here today had been achieved, so it was naturally time for him to say goodbye.
Of course, he always had something to say before leaving.
"It's getting late, so I won't bother you anymore. Also, remember this: opportunity is important, but life is more important. Don't do anything foolish, understood?"
Rogue nodded in agreement. She escorted Zhou Yi and his two daughters all the way to the elevator. And at the moment of parting, Zhou Yi left her with a meaningful remark.
"Also, Rogue. You should practice your coffee brewing technique."
This remark puzzled Rogue. Even after returning to the room, she was still wondering if there was a deeper meaning to it. She was quite confident in her coffee making skills; Logan had been here and drank her coffee, and he had even praised her craftsmanship. This proved her coffee was fine. So where was the problem?
Thinking this, she picked up the cup of coffee that Zhou Yi had only taken one sip from, and took a small taste. Immediately, intense bitterness flooded her taste buds. Only then did she realize she hadn't put anything in it.
This was terrible. Rogue, feeling so embarrassed she could crawl back to Canada, truly felt utterly miserable at that moment.
This was the complex inner World of a small woman plagued by anxiety. Meanwhile, in another city, Bruce Banner's heart was equally complicated.
He had been monitoring Jennifer's condition for six hours. The surgery went smoothly, and Jennifer was saved. But whether any strange changes had occurred in her body was something no one knew.
The only thing Bruce understood was that Jennifer definitely wasn't as normal as she currently appeared. Changes must have already begun in her body. He could only pray now that this change wouldn't be as terrifying as his own.
"Bruce, you should rest." Betty walked in from outside, placing a hot drink and a hamburger in front of him. "The Doctor also said she is safe and looks to be doing well. Maybe your worry is unnecessary."
"You don't understand, Betty. How terrifying my blood is. I've spent so long and still haven't found a way to control it. It's not safe at all, and Jennifer can't possibly be completely fine." Bruce said, clutching his head. He still regretted his decision. This was his true personality as Bruce Banner: indecisive, introverted, and somewhat cowardly.
"We didn't have any other choice, did we, Bruce!" Betty hugged his head and began comforting him. This was what she had been doing for years, and what she had grown used to.
Just then, a man in a medical uniform walked in. He ignored the two people embracing and walked straight toward Jennifer.
"Sir, what are you doing?" Bruce was very clear about Jennifer's treatment plan. He remembered the Doctor saying that no medication would be used before she woke up.
So what exactly was this medic intending to do?
"The Doctor said to inject her with painkillers!" The medic replied without turning his head, but this only heightened Bruce's suspicion. Having lived in exile for so long, he was extremely sensitive to these kinds of subtle movements.
"Which Doctor said that? I don't recall anything of the sort." He stepped forward and grabbed the medic's hand holding the syringe. This was clearly something the medic hadn't expected.
"Sir, you are interfering with my work. If you have questions, please contact the attending physician!" the medic said with strange eyes, acting as if his work had genuinely been interrupted. But Bruce was confident; he was certain this person was trouble.
"I'll take you to Doctor Hannibal, and let him check if you really work here!" He began pulling the medic, causing the medic to panic.
"Sir, can we talk about this calmly? Don't use force." The medic tried to break free from Bruce's grip, but he couldn't escape his hand. After all, Bruce had studied Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil; he wasn't someone who could be easily shaken off.
"Bruce, are you mistaken?" Betty thought Bruce was overreacting. This was a hospital. How could someone just sneak in, especially to commit an assassination right in front of people?
Just as she thought this, Bruce, who had reached the doorway, was suddenly pushed away by the medic. The medic shoved Bruce, pulled out a silenced pistol, fired multiple shots at Jennifer on the bed, and then turned and ran.
This instantly stunned Betty and filled her with immense fear. The source of her terror was not the assassin who had just fled, but Bruce, who had been knocked to the floor.
"No, Bruce. Don't, stop!"
Her screams had no effect, because the moment Bruce watched the medic-assassin pull out the gun and shoot, his heart rate instantly exceeded his so-called safety threshold. He could no longer control his rage, which meant the monster inside him was being unleashed.
A chilling green light appeared in his pupils, and with the emergence of this green light, his body began to undergo Earth-shattering changes.
His muscles began to swell without limit. Almost instantly, the bulging muscles completely tore his clothes, causing his figure to rapidly increase in size. A paint-like green color began to spread across his body. With the appearance of this green, it wasn't just his muscles changing anymore. Even his deepest bones and other parts began to transform, becoming larger and stronger.
A green giant replaced Bruce, appearing before Betty's eyes. His body, over three meters tall, forced Betty to crane her neck just to look at him. His powerful muscles looked more impactful than rock or even steel, and his massive body and frame gave people the shock of seeing a prehistoric behemoth.
This was a creature that shouldn't exist in the World; he should only appear in storybooks or nightmares. But now, he had appeared in reality, filled with immense rage.
"Hulk, smash!" Roaring this phrase, the green giant, who called himself Hulk, smacked the wall blocking his path with a ferocious expression. Immediately, a huge boom sounded, and the thick wall instantly turned into flying fragments and dust filling the air. A gaping hole spanning two floors appeared before the giant.
He tore open the sides of the wall and peered out. He immediately spotted the medic, who was running and looking back wide-eyed. Grinding his massive teeth and moving his tree-trunk-sized legs, he charged forward like a fully powered tank.