Gin waited for him from a distance outside the building, looking in the direction of the swamp beyond the barbed wire fence, which was now covered in snow.
She wasn't afraid of the cold at all and was dressed lightly, as relaxed as someone on a spring outing, sipping from a small flask.
"Boss." She smiled as she walked over, keeping up with Su Ming's pace.
"Did Howard call?" Su Ming glanced in the direction of the swamp, noticing some animal tracks in the distance that seemed to be from a wild rabbit or something similar.
"Yes, he really did. I arranged for someone at Horn Daily to take photos, and they'll be delivered later." Gin replied with a smile, finding it amusing to even think about it: "That hiring line hasn't been used in over a decade and now it's activated by a major client."
"Plenty of people want to kill him. Even I can't guess who exactly wants him dead, but with Howard's hire, Deathstroke can rightfully investigate Dr. Xavier's murder case. Even if we enter SSR Headquarters, it gives the other side a chance to save face, avoiding the need for force."
"Bureaucratic style, even Asgard has it."
Gin and Su Ming walked along the path; they were heading to another dormitory building to take a look.
"I didn't notice; what issues do Asgardian officials have?"
"Vostag of the Three Warriors is responsible for retrieving new weapons from the Dwarves and distributing them, and sending damaged or broken weapons back to the Dwarves for repair. That's his usual task." Gin screwed the cap back on the flask and put it back into her jacket pocket: "But when he does the work, it completely depends on his mood or whether he drank enough the day before."
"Aesir are almost never drunk. How much do they need to drink to be satisfied?" Su Ming asked with a smile.
"Getting Loki to drink until he collapses, foaming at the mouth and passing out under the table can be considered enough... Boss, Loki isn't an Asgardian, right?" Gin looked at Su Ming's face with big eyes, seeking confirmation.
This question is not ready to be publicly disclosed yet.
"Why don't you ask the all-knowing Heimdall?" Su Ming put his arm around her shoulder and dragged her forward.
"Asgard welcomes you, not me. I'm a bona fide traitor now." Gin brushed back her hair near her ear and whispered.
"Being human isn't so bad, haha."
All that was left in the snow was an eerie laughter and two lines of parallel footprints.
Meanwhile, in another dormitory, the atmosphere was much livelier than on Charles' side. In the common room, Ciri and Natasha were watching TV with others, a group of girls chattering non-stop, occasionally interjecting in Russian.
Natasha, like Dotti, didn't find cultural courses useful; she was going to continue her life as a special agent.
Since killing had become an instinct, they couldn't change it, so why force it?
However, watching singing and dancing shows was her personal hobby, coinciding with Ciri's interests; she loved to dance, while Ciri loved to watch.
Now, all of them were slumped on the sofa, sweat sticking their hair to their fair foreheads, each holding a bottle of Dali, gulping it down.
When Su Ming pushed open the door, he saw the scene as if they had just engaged in some intense activities. It's known that Ciri and the others weren't ordinary people, so their stamina surpassed that of normal girls.
Seeing Su Ming enter, they made space for him, pulling him onto the sofa.
Apparently, they saw a program on TV and, for some reason, started practicing a cheerleading routine, building human pyramids and doing somersaults, only stopping just now.
"Is sir here to see our rehearsal?" Natasha asked with a smile, putting her drink on the coffee table and leaning closer to Su Ming with her chin on her hand.
"Rehearsal?" Su Ming glanced at Gin, who shrugged; she wasn't in the know, as Hamill and Lorin handled academy affairs now.
Natasha, like a kitten, grabbed his sleeve, climbing up to his ear: "The academy is organizing a New Year event, and we're preparing a performance for it."
"I see, I originally had a task planned for you, but never mind, Lorin can handle it too." Su Ming stood up, dusted himself off, and prepared to leave. Since the girls had things to do, let them do what they loved.
"A task?!"
Natasha's ears seemed to perk up as she grabbed onto Su Ming's pants, and her roommate Eva, quick on her feet, grabbed his other arm, shaking it.
"We can dance anytime, what's the task?"
They knew about Dotti and the others graduating, and as the second batch, they too harbored a fear of becoming 'useless people' deep inside.
Even though they left the Red House, understanding that it was completely different from before, the deeply ingrained fear was unforgettable.
Su Ming didn't tease them but stated the situation: "I've arranged for two residents to be moved into Block 66, one of whom is a very powerful Mutant."
"Are we to protect them?" Natasha held the speaking power among this batch of girls because she was the strongest.
"Yes, but the boy is a Psychic, capable of reading thoughts. You'll need to protect from the shadows, not appearing in his sight, and don't get within a thirty-meter radius." Su Ming also grabbed a drink and sat back down, while Gin remained at the door, guarding against eavesdropping.
Ciri yawned, smacked her lips a couple of times, and leaned on the sofa with her eyes closed, clearly not her concern. She's an adult now, and this task seemed meant for kids.
All dormitory buildings on campus were of the same style, so without complicating the structure, protection could be built around that block.
Natasha thought for a moment, her red hair twirling around her fingers unintentionally: "Can we use heavy weapons?"
"Zhongsi Academy is my private domain; any infiltration or assault is considered illegal invasion in the United States, and shooting to kill is justified. However, if someone breaks in, I want at least one captured alive."
Su Ming answered her with a smile, seeing Natasha respond with a pure, lovely smile.
"I love American law..." Natasha licked her lips with her small tongue, showing a charming expression despite her young age: "Among our batch of 100, we'll select 40 and divide into two shifts, keeping others in a combat-ready state. We'll need to equip sniper rifles and explosives, portable radios, take over all elevated points in the academy, monitor all high-traffic areas, in the snow and outside the school..."
She happily started to organize the task, dividing the school into blocks and giving them code names, making it all seem well organized.
Su Ming never realized before that Natasha had a gift for command.
But it was obvious why; in comics and movies, she never had the chance to develop this talent since all her classmates died, killed by her.
The girls who were previously laughing and chatting quieted down, eyes shining with strange light and maintaining demure smiles as they looked at the map, seeming as if they were preparing for a ball or something.