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"Mr. Rocket...?" Rocket's furry ears couldn't help but twitch. He subconsciously straightened his back, smoothed the fur on his chest, and couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth curl up.
"Hmm... even in Centaurus, not many people are this polite."
He immediately found Homelander much more pleasing to the eye.
But a second later, he realized the meaning of the second half of Homelander's sentence.
"Wait, you mean... teaching a class?"
Rocket laughed exaggeratedly as if he had heard the funniest joke in the Universe, even slapping his thigh.
"Ha?! You want me to teach this kind of high-end technology to a bunch of primitives who are still boiling water?"
"Hahahaha! Are you dreaming!"
"...Maybe?"
The smile on Homelander's face didn't disappear, but two crimson beams of light lit up in his eyes.
Rocket's laughter stopped abruptly.
"That... actually, I'm not the stingy type."
His eyes darted around, and he immediately put on a generous face.
"Knowledge is meant to be shared, right?"
"I'll teach! I'll definitely teach! Guaranteed results!"
"But..." Rocket rubbed his paws, his greedy nature surfacing again, "Technology is technology, and labor fees are labor fees. This is an intergalactic technology transfer; I need more money!"
"Money?" The red light in Homelander's eyes dissipated, and he returned to his amiable appearance. "No problem, how much do you want?"
"Fifty thousand... no, a hundred thousand!" Rocket held out a paw. "Two hundred thousand Universe Credits! Or the equivalent in rare metals!"
"Universe Credits don't circulate here," Jane interjected.
"Then use something else for trade!" Rocket pointed to the hammer in Jane's hand. "That looks good. Is that Uru Gold? Just cut off half for me!"
"Don't even think about it!" Jane hid the hammer behind her back.
"The money issue is easy to solve."
Homelander smiled, turned around, and his gaze landed on Thor nearby.
"Thor."
"Huh?" Thor was staring blankly while holding a wrench. Suddenly called upon, he looked completely confused. "Why call me? Are we going to fight?"
Homelander walked over, put his arm around Thor's shoulder like an old friend of many years, and pushed him in front of Rocket.
"This person," Homelander introduced grandly, "is Thor Odinson. Prince of Asgard, first in line for the throne."
"Asgardian Prince?" Rocket stopped and looked suspiciously at the burly man covered in engine oil. "Him? That golden-haired monkey with the wrench? He's the Prince of Asgard?"
"The real deal," Homelander said with a smile. "Mr. Rocket, you might not know Earth's exchange rate, but you surely know how many good things are in Asgard's treasury, right?"
Rocket's eyes lit up instantly. Asgard was a place famously dripping with wealth in the Universe.
"Really?" Rocket rubbed his paws, his look toward Thor changing as if he were looking at a walking fat sheep. "Can you pay in Units?"
"So?" Thor had a bad feeling.
"So, you have to pay this technology transfer fee."
"Why should I?!" Thor jumped up. "You guys brought this rabbit here, you guys want to learn the technology, why should I pay? I don't need to learn it; I have the Bifrost Bridge!"
"Sigh..."
Homelander sighed and produced a folded piece of paper out of thin air.
"I didn't want it to be like this. But Thor, do you know that the United Nations has been very strict lately about reviewing aliens staying illegally?"
As he spoke, he unfolded the paper, which was a professional-looking "Alien Deportation Order."
"Your visa... oh, to be precise, your 'Earth Residence Permit' expired yesterday."
"If you can't prove you've made a significant contribution to Earth..." Homelander looked at Thor with regret, "...I'll have to shove you into the Bifrost Bridge and send you back to Asgard."
"Furthermore, due to your previous bad behavior... you will be blacklisted and barred from re-entry for five hundred years."
"Five hundred years?!"
Thor panicked. He subconsciously glanced at Jane, who was debugging equipment not far away.
If he couldn't come to Earth for five hundred years, then he and Jane... "Fine, fine, fine! I'll pay! I'll pay!"
Thor didn't hesitate for a moment. He turned and rushed to Rocket, patting his chest heroically.
"Put it on Odin's tab! Or when I get back, I won't owe you a single cent!"
Rocket looked at this big guy who had suddenly become generous. Although he doubted his intelligence, he still respected Asgard's credit.
"Deal!" Rocket held out a paw. "But with interest!"
"No problem!" Thor waved his hand and high-fived Rocket. Right now, he only wanted to stay by Jane's side; nothing else mattered.
Watching this scene, Homelander nodded with satisfaction.
Getting something for nothing—this was the highest realm of doing business.
Having settled the technical issues, Homelander's gaze suddenly landed on the little tree person chasing butterflies nearby.
Baby Groot.
Those big watery eyes and those adorable movements were practically a walking traffic magnet for views.
Homelander walked over and pulled a piece of chocolate from his magic pocket.
"Hey, little guy."
Homelander crouched down, showing the extremely approachable smile he used in front of the cameras.
"I am Groot?"
The little tree person tilted its head, looking at the chocolate in Homelander's hand.
"This is for you." Homelander peeled the wrapper and handed it over. "Want to be friends with me?"
"I am Groot!"
The little tree person happily took the chocolate, stuffed it into its mouth, and then reached out a small branch-like hand to grab one of Homelander's fingers.
Homelander took the opportunity to pick it up and place it on his shoulder.
Looking at this illegally cute little thing... it was a ultimate weapon for harvesting female and child fans!
If he took this little guy to do a livestream later, or filmed a forest protection public service announcement, wouldn't his popularity value skyrocket?
"Get away from my tree! You bedsheet-wearing pervert!"
Rocket rushed over, scooped up Groot, and looked at Homelander warily.
"Don't be nervous, Mr. Raccoon."
Homelander stood up and clapped his hands.
"Since we've reached a consensus, my employees will arrange the best food and lodging for you. You can rest here until the ship is repaired."
He turned to look at Jane.
"Jane, take good care of the guests. Especially this raccoon; his head holds more than all the World's polytechnic institutes combined. Squeeze as much out of him as you can."
"Understood." Jane smiled knowingly.
After arranging everything, Homelander didn't stay.
Ego's threat was like a sword hanging over his head. He had to quickly check the situation on the other side... the Himalayas, Kamar-Taj.
The air here was thin and pure, and the silhouettes of distant snow-capped mountains were faintly visible through the mist.
In the ancient courtyard, dozens of apprentices were practicing the construction of magic circles.
"Be steadier! Your mind must be calm!"
The voice of a magic instructor rang out over the training ground.
Wanda Maximoff wore a mage's training robe, her hair tied neatly behind her head. Her hands were suspended in the air, and an extremely complex magic circle rotated slowly in front of her.
In just one short week, her speed of progress made even Master Mordo, who was responsible for teaching her, feel ashamed.
"Boom—"
The sound of something breaking through the air came from the sky.