"Daddy, where are we going?" Erisa asked, looking out at the unfamiliar scenery from the car. She asked because Zhou Yi wasn't taking them home. He had suddenly changed his mind, leading to this unexpected journey.
"Do you remember the boarding school you stayed at?" Zhou Yi asked his eldest daughter. Though Sherry was clearly more mature psychologically, Erisa still held her position as the eldest sister based on the principle that the firstborn comes first.
"Hm?" Erisa blinked her large eyes at her adoptive father, her gaze fixed on him. She couldn't understand why he would ask such a question.
"Silly Erisa, Dad means the place we're going is related to that school!" Thanks to her adorable daughter, Sherry had finally accepted Zhou Yi as her father after several months. This didn't mean she had forgotten the past, but it did mean she was ready to start a new life.
Erisa paid no mind to Sherry's nickname. In her young heart, an older sister should have a magnanimous spirit. It was just a silly nickname, nothing to worry about. Besides, compared to Sherry, she *was* a little bit silly. Ignoring the remark, she blinked her large eyes at Zhou Yi and asked, "Dad, is what Sherry said true?"
"Yes! Sherry's right. Your older siblings at that school have already started working, and we happen to have some free time. Let's go see how they're doing!" Zhou Yi smiled and explained, ruffling Erisa's soft, long black hair.
Zhou Yi's actions made Erisa close her eyes like a kitten being tickled, a look of pure enjoyment on her face. This sight, however, stimulated Sherry, and the precocious child finally showed her childish side.
"Silly Erisa, you look like a fool!" It was obvious to anyone that this little girl, with her puffed-up cheeks, was throwing a tantrum out of jealousy. Yet Erisa responded with an oblivious, carefree smile, which only made Sherry more furious.
Just as Sherry was about to retort, Zhou Yi's large hand covered her small head and began vigorously ruffling her golden hair.
"Stop fighting, you two. If you keep this up, I'll have Yuriko take you out to play tomorrow." Although he knew Sherry's term of endearment for Erisa was just an affectionate nickname between close friends, Zhou Yi worried about awkwardness developing between the children. So he pulled out his secret weapon.
Yuriko's serious nature held natural power over children. After he said this, even the most spirited Sherry fell silent.
The argument had been born from childish rivalry, a fleeting thing that vanished as quickly as it had come. Soon, the two children were laughing and roughhousing again. Zhou Yi paid no mind to their antics, focusing instead on driving until he reached his destination.
A luxury apartment building near Manhattan, technically owned by him but now gifted to the Mutants.
It was somewhat ironic that after planning so much for these Mutants and paying such a steep price, he had rarely interacted with the young people beyond checking on their progress in daily reports. This was his first time visiting them in person.
As for checking on the police station, that would have to wait for another day.
The moment Zhou Yi entered the apartment lobby with the two children, a booming voice rang out:
"Sir, this is private property. If you haven't been invited, please stop. Frankly, you'd be better off turning around and leaving!"
Zhou Yi recognized the voice and quickly responded.
"It's me, Mr. Parker. I doubt you'd turn me away, would you?"
Ben Parker, who had just emerged from the security booth in the foyer, now recognized the visitor. He hurried over, apologizing.
"My apologies, Mr. Zhou. I didn't expect you here, so my tone was a bit too harsh."
"It's alright, Mr. Parker!" Zhou Yi patted Old Parker's shoulder, asking like an old friend, "Are you settling in well here? How do you like the job?"
"I'm doing great here, sir!" Old Parker replied with a hearty laugh, his security uniform crisp. "The work is much easier than my old job. The young ladies and gentlemen here are very reasonable, though those tabloid reporters can be a real nuisance. Most of my day is spent chasing them away!"
"That's good to hear, Mr. Parker. Is anyone still upstairs?" After greeting Old Parker, Zhou Yi inquired about the young people—his main reason for visiting.
"Let me think... Little Mary just got back. She probably won't go out again today. John was busy all night yesterday and only returned at noon. I bet he's still resting. As for the others, they should all be out on missions. I'd say they won't be back for a while!" Old Parker replied after a moment's thought, his answer detailed and thorough. It was clear he got along well with the younger staff.
"Alright, looks like I'll just have to check in on Rogue. I hope Logan doesn't read too much into this!" Zhou Yi muttered to himself, waved goodbye to Old Parker, and boarded the elevator with the two children.
Old Parker smiled and returned to his work. He had to stay until eight before his shift ended. Of course, most people didn't choose to work here as long as he did, so the idea of a shift change was more of a formality.
Still, Ben Parker felt he couldn't manage the building's twenty-four-hour security alone. He reported the issue to his supervisor, and Ada quickly found him a colleague—a mutant, and a rather peculiar-looking one at that.
Old Parker didn't mind his colleague's slightly odd appearance. In fact, he was rather pleased, as he was assigned the day shift while his colleague worked the night shift—a request from the colleague himself. Feeling he'd inexplicably gotten the better deal, Old Parker came to see his colleague as a decent fellow. This habit of happily anticipating the shift change each day took root.
Zhou Yi had no idea Old Parker had found such simple joy. He led the children to Rogue's door and knocked softly. Soon, movement came from the other side, and Rogue appeared, wearing a home outfit and toweling her damp hair.
Seeing Zhou Yi and the children, she froze in surprise, her face showing disbelief. But she quickly recovered, flung the door wide, and exclaimed,
"Oh, I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't expect you! Please, come in—oh my, I wasn't prepared at all!"
"Don't worry, I'm not some teacher checking up on you," Zhou Yi joked, referencing their past lives. He then explained his purpose. "I just picked up these two little ones and heard about you on the way. I thought I'd stop by to see how you're doing and ask how you're feeling about it all."
Zhou Yi brought the children into the living room and invited them to sit on the sofa. Rogue buzzed around like a busy bee, preparing drinks behind the bar while answering their questions.
"We feel great, sir. Better than ever! I only have coffee here, is that okay?"
"I have no problem with that. But these two little ones might require a bit more of your attention." Zhou Yi patted the heads of the two children beside him and handed the challenge to Rogue.
"I remember Erisa really likes milk. I just got some fresh. Is that okay with the little lady?" Rogue opened her refrigerator and pulled out a large carton of milk. She also checked with Sherry.
"Erisa is fine with milk. I'm fine with it too." Sherry huffed and nodded, easing Rogue's burden. Soon, a cup of coffee and two glasses of milk were placed before Zhou Yi and his group.
Watching Rogue finish everything, she nervously tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Zhou Yi smiled.
"Mary, you've really grown into a young woman. I'm sure Logan would be delighted to see you like this."
Rogue's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She quickly glanced at Zhou Yi before lowering her head.
"Logan came by a few days ago and brought me a lot of things. He'd had quite a bit to drink that day, and I could tell he was genuinely happy."
"That's a testament to your hard work. Logan's a very demanding man. He wouldn't be like that if your job wasn't going well." Zhou Yi took a sip of his coffee and quietly set the mug down. "How's your job? Any trouble?"
When the topic of work came up, Rogue's confidence visibly improved. At least she wasn't keeping her head down anymore, not even daring to look Zhou Yi in the eye.
"We had some initial difficulties, mainly with my partner. But Uncle Stacy laid down the law, and we've been getting along much better since. My partner's a really cheerful woman, and she's been very kind to me."
"That's good. Because of what some of your people did before, there will definitely be some people who are wary of you at first. But if you persevere, you'll absolutely see results. I met an acquaintance today who expressed his gratitude to you. He even said that if he were decades younger, he'd pursue you without hesitation."
Zhou Yi chuckled as he recalled the French pastry shop owner. Rogue, however, blushed crimson at his words. She clearly hadn't expected anyone to speak so highly of her.
"Alright, I'll stop teasing you. How are the others?" Zhou Yi waved his hand, changing the subject. Knowing Rogue was now the leader of the group, he directly asked her for an update on everyone.
"Most are progressing normally. They've basically been accepted by their partners. The situations of a few individuals are improving, but the public remains wary and fearful of them."
The police department had issued them special uniforms, similar to those worn by SWAT teams. This made them easily identifiable, but it also tended to raise people's guard against them.
"Don't worry, this situation will improve. As long as you persevere, once they've had some special experiences, they won't be able to leave you." He comforted Rogue, hoping she would convey his message. Then he asked, "Are there any special circumstances?"
"John is doing well. There was a major fire in Brooklyn recently. John was the first to rush in and rescue the citizens trapped inside, including several children. The citizens are very grateful to him, and the fire department loves having someone like him on their team."
"Bobby is struggling a bit. His abilities are good, but he's always too hesitant, especially during fires. He's far inferior to John in that regard." When mentioning Bobby, Rogue spoke with detached neutrality, as if reporting on a subordinate. This immediately made Zhou Yi pity Bobby. He knew Bobby was pursuing Rogue, but judging by this, it seemed unlikely to work out.
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