"Well, it's just a personality issue. He'll get better once he settles into the job," Zhou Yi said with a forced laugh, trying to brush it off. He hadn't even resolved his own issues in love, let alone others'!
"I might as well tell you some things in advance. I placed you in New York for a reason—more specifically, to carve out a place for Mutants in this world. You must have noticed how unique this city is, right? Compared to others, it's always full of strange characters, like superheroes!"
"Are you saying you're including that show-off Iron Man in that category?" Rogue's tone was peculiar. She hadn't expected to be classified as one of those "strange characters."
"Uh! You can count me out of that. Okay, I was just using an analogy. I hope you understand what I mean." Zhou Yi grinned, spotted the ashtray on the coffee table, and casually pulled out a cigarette. Rogue's movements were swift; she immediately found a lighter and lit his cigarette.
"Are you learning to smoke?" Zhou Yi asked casually, noticing she didn't seem like a beginner. Rogue's face flushed crimson at the question.
Women smoking wasn't a big deal to Zhou Yi, and he didn't dislike female smokers. But Rogue saw it as a shameful secret, as if she'd been caught with a stain on her character. The very thought filled her with shame.
"Hey, I'm not judging you. Don't look like that! I'm just worried about your health. Without a strong body, smoking will only cause problems." Zhou Yi, mistaking her embarrassment for shyness, tried to reassure her.
Hearing the comfort, Rogue smiled sheepishly and began playing with her hair, her eyes narrowing. No one knew what was going through her mind, and Zhou Yi wasn't Charles, the mind-reading freak. So he simply continued the conversation.
"I'm sure you've noticed, this city is teeming with superheroes. Naturally, there are plenty of supervillains to match. In theory, these supers shouldn't affect you, but once I bring you here, that theory no longer holds true."
"By leaving Charles's protection, you've stepped into the spotlight. This city, with its increasingly active heroes and villains, is drawing the world's attention. Everything you gain here will be far greater than anywhere else. Do you understand? This is an opportunity, Mary."
Rogue wasn't foolish. The fact that she had managed to rally a group of people to leave Charles School and then hold their ground at the police station proved she was a girl of considerable intelligence. She quickly grasped Zhou Yi's meaning.
By making Mutants a more prominent figure in this increasingly active city, they could finally salvage their group's utterly tarnished reputation. Earth belonged to humanity, and to thrive, they needed to be accepted by humans. This had become their shared understanding.
"I understand what needs to be done, sir!" Rogue replied clearly to Zhou Yi. As a mutant, she knew instinctively what was best. This was exactly what Zhou Yi needed. Having achieved his goal for the day, it was natural for him to leave.
Of course, he always said something before departing.
"It's getting late, so I won't keep you any longer. And remember this: opportunities are important, but life is more important. Don't do anything foolish, understand?"
Rogue nodded in agreement. She escorted Zhou Yi and his two children to the elevator. At that moment of farewell, Zhou Yi left her with a cryptic remark:
"By the way, Rogue, you should practice your coffee-making skills."
This left Rogue puzzled. Even after returning to her apartment, she pondered whether there was a hidden meaning behind his words. She was confident in her coffee-making abilities. Logan had once praised her skills after tasting her coffee. That should have been proof enough that her coffee was fine. So, what was the problem?
With this thought, she picked up the coffee cup that Zhou Yi had only taken a single sip from and took a small sip. A wave of intense bitterness flooded her taste buds, and only then did she realize she hadn't put anything in it.
*Oh no,* Rogue thought, feeling so embarrassed she wanted to run all the way back to Canada. In that moment, she felt absolutely terrible.
This was the inner world of a woman consumed by anxiety and insecurity. Meanwhile, in another city, Bruce Banner's heart was equally troubled.
He had been monitoring Jennifer's condition for six hours. The surgery had gone smoothly, and Jennifer had been saved. But whether any strange changes had occurred in her body remained unknown.
One thing Bruce was certain of: Jennifer couldn't possibly be as normal as she appeared. Changes must have already begun to manifest in her body. Now, he could only pray that these changes wouldn't be as terrifying as his own.
"Bruce, you should rest," Betty said as she entered, placing a hot drink and a burger in front of him. "The doctor said she's out of danger and seems to be doing well. Maybe your worries are unfounded."
"You don't understand, Betty. My blood is too dangerous. I've spent so long trying to control it, and I still haven't found a way. It's not safe at all, and Jennifer can't be completely unharmed." Bruce clutched his head, still regretting his choice. This was his true personality as Bruce Banner: indecisive, introverted, and somewhat timid.
"We don't have any other choice, do we, Bruce?" Betty wrapped her arms around his head, stroking his hair and comforting his soul. This was something she had been doing for years, something she had grown accustomed to.
Just then, a man in a medical uniform entered the room. He ignored the embracing couple and walked straight to Jennifer's bedside.
"Sir, what are you doing?" Bruce knew Jennifer's treatment plan well. He remembered the doctor saying no medication would be administered until she woke up. What was this medical staff doing?
"The doctor said to give her pain medication!" the staff member replied without turning around, but this only deepened Bruce's suspicion. After so long on the run, he had become hyper-sensitive to these small, suspicious actions.
"Which doctor said that? I don't remember hearing anything like that," he said, stepping forward and grabbing the healthcare worker's hand, which was holding a syringe. This was clearly not what the worker had expected.
"Sir, you're interfering with my work. If you have questions, please contact the attending physician!" the worker said with a peculiar look, as if he truly felt his work was being disrupted. But Bruce was confident; he was certain this person was up to no good.
"I'm taking you to Dr. Hannibal. He'll determine whether you're actually a healthcare worker here!" He began to pull the worker away, causing the man to panic.
"Sir, can we discuss this calmly? Please don't get physical." The worker tried to break free from Bruce's grip, but couldn't shake him off. After all, he had trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wasn't someone who could be easily thrown aside.
"Bruce, are you sure you're not mistaken?" Betty thought Bruce was overreacting. This was a hospital; how could anyone just waltz in? And attempt an assassination in plain sight?
As he was thinking this, Bruce, who had already reached the door, was suddenly shoved aside by the medical staff. The staff member pulled out a silenced pistol and emptied it into Jennifer on the bed, then turned and fled.
Betty stared in stunned silence, overwhelmed by terror. Her fear wasn't for the killer, but for Bruce, who had been knocked to the ground.
"No, Bruce! Don't! Stop!"
Her screams were useless. The moment she saw the medical staff pull out the gun and start shooting, Bruce's heart rate had instantly shattered his so-called safety threshold. He could no longer control his rage, and that meant the monster within him had been unleashed.
A chilling green light appeared in his pupils, and as it spread, his body began to undergo a cataclysmic transformation.
His muscles swelled uncontrollably, tearing through his clothes in an instant and sending his frame soaring upward. A green, paint-like substance spread across his skin, and with its arrival, not just his muscles, but even his deepest bones and other tissues began to change, growing larger and more powerful.
A green giant replaced Bruce, appearing before Betty. His towering frame, over three meters tall, forced her to crane her neck to look up at him. His rippling muscles seemed more formidable than rock or even steel, and his massive build and skeleton evoked the awe-inspiring presence of a prehistoric beast.
This was a creature that shouldn't exist in the world, a being that belonged only in storybooks or nightmares. Yet here he was, in reality, and consumed by rage.
"Hulk, smash!" the green giant roared, his face contorted in a savage grimace as he slammed his massive hand against the wall blocking his path. A deafening explosion shook the air, and the thick concrete wall instantly disintegrated into flying debris and billowing dust, leaving a gaping hole that pierced through two floors.
He braced himself against the shattered edges of the wall and peered through. His eyes immediately locked onto the medical worker, who had turned back in stunned disbelief while running. Grinding his enormous teeth and striding forward on legs as thick as tree trunks, he charged forward like a rampaging tank.
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