After placing Little Huang on the sofa beside him, Xi Nian leaned back against the comfortable cushioned backrest and opened his phone to check the messages he had not had time to look through earlier.
Most of the bombardment of messages came from his personal Twitter, though there were some text messages as well.
Xi Nian was actually not all that popular at school. The only person who would specifically look for him on Twitter and send him a virus-like flood of messages was someone he had grown up playing with.
His good "bro," childhood friend Gwen.
Xi Nian quickly scrolled through the messages. Gwen's earlier messages were all Christmas wishes, along with photos of her family and herself celebrating the holiday.
His finger paused as he swiped through the photos.
Huh, Gwen's personal photo in pink rabbit pajamas looked pretty good. Easy on the eyes.
Xi Nian casually tapped to save it without the slightest hesitation.
After noticing the unusual fact that he had not replied, Gwen had sent messages asking whether he was safe and even called him.
By the third day, Gwen had briefly thought Xi Nian had gone missing. Officer George could not resist checking for the sake of his beloved daughter, only to learn that Xi Nian's entire family had gone abroad.
Officer George had probably fixed his sights on him for good this time.
Xi Nian gave a wry smile and quickly replied, "Sorry, Gwen. I made you worry."
"My aunt and I went on vacation. We left in a hurry, so I forgot to tell you."
Less than half a second after he hit send, Gwen replied, "Hmph! If apologies worked, what would we need police for? I need sincere compensation!"
"Fine. You can name your compensation when the time comes. As long as I can manage it, I'll definitely satisfy you." Knowing he was in the wrong, Xi Nian readily agreed.
Gwen: "That's more like it. I need to think carefully about my condition! Don't even think about backing out when the time comes!"
"OK." After replying, Xi Nian continued browsing the other Twitter messages.
He discovered that Kara Danvers, a younger schoolmate, had also sent him a Christmas greeting on Christmas night.
But there had been no second message since then. The last update on Kara's personal Twitter was also from Christmas night five days ago. It seemed she had not been online since then.
"Don't tell me she went abroad on vacation too..." Xi Nian pondered for a moment, then tapped out a reply on the screen.
He first apologized and explained why he had not replied, added a belated Christmas greeting, and finally asked about her health and travel situation...
The concern of an upperclassman.
After the three-part message.
Xi Nian then checked the class discussion group and found that the class advisor had posted an online update. The group trip originally scheduled for mid-January next year had been moved up to January 1st, New Year's Day.
And today was the second-to-last day of 2011.
So after one week of Christmas vacation, they were going to attend one day of school and then head to New York for a three-day group trip?
Xi Nian was speechless. He still had some lingering trauma about traveling.
He only hoped it would truly be a simple "tourist trip." He did not want it to be like the last two so-called trips, where he had either been forced to save the world or forced into grueling training. That was far from the entertainment and relaxation a vacation was supposed to offer.
After browsing through and replying to the Twitter messages, Xi Nian had nothing better to do and started scrolling through online news.
Then he saw it.
Xi Nian's eyes widened in shock. He instinctively straightened up and sat upright on the sofa.
His expression turned grave as he rapidly scrolled down through the news on his phone.
During the days Xi Nian had spent on Themyscira, two events had exploded across the internet!
The first concerned the superhero Captain America, Steve Rogers!
After former American agent Peggy Carter passed away from illness, Captain America, who had awakened from an iceberg after being missing for more than seventy years, made his first public appearance as one of the pallbearers!
The lover from his generation had grown old and passed away, while Captain America, the first superhero to surpass human limits, still looked like a young man in his early twenties!
No peers, no comrades who had fought beside him, and a promise that could never be fulfilled—this was an exceptionally cruel thing for a superhero!
Having crossed through time and arrived in the twenty-first century, where should Captain America go from here? That too was a question.
The second concerned Metropolis's god among men—
Superman.
Ever since Superman became famous in a single battle against the Kryptonian Warship and its forces a year and a half ago, he had continued using his superhuman power to help humanity, worshipped by many as a god among men.
But over the past few days, the direction of public opinion had completely changed.
Due to the destruction of buildings and excessive accidental injuries to civilians, some Metropolis citizens had begun protesting openly. The Metropolis court announced that it would publicly summon Superman for questioning!
The hearing had been set for January 2nd next year!
The superhero Superman was very likely to be convicted and imprisoned!
After reading the two major news reports, Xi Nian could not help furrowing his brow.
More and more superhumans were emerging and awakening throughout the world. Only superhumans could fight superhumans, yet ordinary people would fear and question them.
The Earth faced troubles both within and without, as if it were an invisible trend of the times.
"Should I prepare some contingency measures?" Xi Nian murmured, looking at Little Huang, who was sprawled on the nearby sofa and sleeping soundly.
The juvenile Essence Devourer Beast, the sleeping Venom...
Without counting his aunt, that was clearly not secure enough.
Xi Nian fell into thought.
No matter what, he had to protect the people around him.
On that premise, even if his opponent was the Old Gods, aliens, superhumans, or monsters, he would fear nothing.
Two days later, January 1st, New Year's Day.
It was the first day of the new year, 2012!
The weather was clear and the sunlight bright.
January was usually the coldest time of year, but this year, the global climate seemed out of balance. Temperatures had continued rising as soon as the new year began. Outside, it felt more like autumn, and many students had taken off their heavy trench coats and padded jackets.
At noon, a school bus painted a conspicuous yellow stopped at the entrance to the middle school.
Holding a megaphone, the male class advisor stood at the school gate and called out, "Everyone in our class, move it! Bring all your luggage and belongings, get on the bus, and find a seat!"
The students filed out of the school building and boarded the bus.
"Xi Nian, what are you still doing? Get on the bus, now!" the male class advisor suddenly shouted toward one spot.
"Coming!" With his backpack on his shoulders, Xi Nian hurried out of the school building in response.
He had stopped by Kara's classroom just now, only to find that she had not come to school today either. Since Christmas night, Kara had never responded to his messages, and she had also been taking consecutive sick leaves from school.
That was undoubtedly worrying.
As Xi Nian boarded the bus, he glanced at the thermos the male class advisor was holding, and the corner of his eye twitched slightly.
Of all things to stick on the mouth of the thermos, he had to use a photo of Xi Nian's cross-dressing silhouette from when he fought Abomination...
How was anyone supposed to handle that?
Xi Nian sighed. The moment he entered the bus, he saw Gwen waving at him from a seat toward the back. The seat beside her, coveted by both the boys and girls in class, had been claimed by her little backpack.
Xi Nian immediately waved back and headed toward the seat beside Gwen.
"Sit tight, everyone. We're about to set off!"
With the male class advisor's deep, powerful announcement, Xi Nian's journey to New York was about to begin.
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