New Year, Journey to New York

Xi Nian leaned back against the comfortable soft backrest and opened his phone to check the messages he hadn't had time to look at earlier, after placing Little Huang on the sofa beside him.

Most of the bombardment of messages came from personal social media, Twitter, with some also from text messages.

Xi Nian's popularity at school was actually quite average. The only person who would specifically seek him out on Twitter and send messages like a virus was his childhood friend.

His good 'bro,' childhood sweetheart Gwen.

Xi Nian quickly scrolled through the messages on his phone. Gwen's initial messages were Christmas greetings, along with some photos of her family and herself celebrating the holiday.

His finger swiped across a photo.

"Huh, Gwen's personal photo in her pink bunny pajamas looks good. Quite a sight for sore eyes."

Xi Nian unceremoniously tapped to collect it.

During this time, after noticing his unusual lack of response, Gwen sent messages confirming his safety and even called him.

By the third day, Gwen had even started to think Xi Nian had gone missing. Officer George, unable to help himself for his beloved daughter, did a quick check and found out that Xi Nian's family had gone abroad.

Xi Nian figured Officer George would now be completely keeping an eye on him.

Xi Nian gave a wry smile and quickly replied, "Sorry, Gwen. You must have been worried."

"My aunt and I went on vacation. We left in a hurry and forgot to tell you."

As soon as he sent the message, Gwen replied less than half a second later: "Hmph! If apologies were useful, what would we need police for? I need sincere compensation!"

"Alright, you can name your price for compensation later. I'll satisfy whatever I can," Xi Nian admitted he was in the wrong and readily agreed.

Gwen: "That's more like it! I need to think carefully about the terms! Don't you dare try to back out then!"

"OK." Xi Nian replied and continued to browse other Twitter messages.

He discovered that his junior, Kara Danvers, had also sent a Christmas greeting message on Christmas night.

However, there were no further messages after that. Kara's last update on her personal Twitter was also from Christmas night, five days ago. It seemed she hadn't been online since then.

"Could she have gone abroad on vacation too..." Xi Nian mused and tapped the screen to reply to the message.

He first apologized and explained why he hadn't replied, then added a belated Christmas greeting, and finally asked about her health and travel situation...

As a senior showing concern.

After the triple-whammy of messages, Xi Nian scrolled through the class discussion group messages again and found that the class advisor had updated them with class information. 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.

Wasn't this just spending a week's Christmas break, attending one day of class, and then going on a three-day trip to New York?

Xi Nian was speechless. He still had some lingering trauma from traveling.

He thought to himself, as long as it was genuinely just "tourism," it would be fine. He hoped it wouldn't be like the last two "tourism" trips, where he was either forced to save the world or undergo harsh training, which was far from the purpose of leisure and relaxation that tourism entailed.

After browsing and responding to the Twitter messages, Xi Nian, bored, started scrolling through online news.

As he looked, Xi Nian's eyes widened in surprise, and he instinctively straightened his back, sitting upright on the sofa.

His expression was grave as he quickly scrolled down the news on his phone.

During the few days Xi Nian had spent on Themyscira, two major events had exploded in popularity across the internet!

The first was about the superhero Captain America, Steve Rogers!

Following the death of former U.S. agent Peggy Carter due to illness, Captain America, revived from the ice after seventy years of absence, made his first public appearance as one of the pallbearers!

His lover from the same era had aged and passed away, while Captain America, as the first superhero to break human limits, remained as youthful as a young man in his early twenties!

Without peers, without comrades to fight alongside, unable to fulfill a promise—this was an extremely cruel fate for a superhero!

How Captain America, who had crossed eras and descended into the 21st century, should proceed was also a question.

The second event concerned the god among men in Metropolis—

Superman.

Ever since Superman became famous a year and a half ago for his battle against Kryptonian warships and forces, he had continuously used his incredible power to help humanity, worshipped by many as a god.

However, the narrative had completely changed in the past few days.

Due to the destruction of buildings and the excessive accidental injury of civilians, some residents of Metropolis had begun to protest publicly, and the Metropolis court announced that Superman would be summoned for a public trial!

The trial date was set for January 2nd next year!

Superhero Superman might very well be convicted and imprisoned!

After reading through both major news items, Xi Nian couldn't help but frown.

More and more extraordinary individuals were emerging and awakening in the world. Extraordinary powers could only be countered by extraordinary powers, yet these extraordinary powers were feared and questioned by ordinary people.

The Earth is plagued by internal and external threats, much like the unseen trends of the era.

"Should I prepare some contingency measures?" Xi Nian murmured to himself, looking at Little Huang, who was fast asleep on the sofa beside him.

A juvenile Essence Devourer Beast, a dormant Venom…

Without counting Aunt, it was clearly not stable enough.

Xi Nian fell into thought.

No matter what, he had to protect the people around him.

Under this premise, he feared nothing, even if his opponents were ancient gods, aliens, superhumans, or monsters.

Two days later, January 1st, New Year's Day.

It was the first day of 2012!

The weather was clear and sunny.

January was usually the coldest month of the year, but this year, the global climate seemed to be out of sync, with temperatures steadily rising as soon as the New Year arrived. The outdoor temperature was more like autumn, and many students had shed their heavy coats and thick cotton jackets.

Around noon, a school bus, painted a conspicuous yellow, stopped at the entrance of the middle school.

A male instructor, holding a megaphone, stood at the school gate and shouted, "Students in our class, hurry up! Grab your luggage and belongings, get on the bus, and find your seats."

Students filed out of the teaching building and boarded the school bus.

"Xi Nian, what are you still doing? Hurry up and get on the bus!" the male instructor suddenly yelled towards a certain spot.

"Coming!" Xi Nian, with his backpack on, responded and rushed out of the teaching building.

He had just stopped by Kara's classroom and found that she wasn't attending class today either. Since Christmas night, Kara hadn't responded to his messages, and the school had also continuously reported her absent due to illness.

This was undoubtedly a cause for concern.

As Xi Nian got on the bus, he glanced at the thermos cup in the male instructor's hand, and the corner of his eye twitched slightly.

Why did he have to put a picture of his cross-dressing back when he fought Abomination on the lid of the thermos cup…

Who could possibly handle that?

Xi Nian sighed. As soon as he entered the bus cabin, he saw Gwen waving at him from a seat a little further back. The seat next to her, which other male and female classmates envied, was occupied by his own small backpack.

Xi Nian immediately waved back and headed towards the seat next to Gwen.

"Everyone, settle down, we're about to depart!"

With the male instructor's loud and powerful announcement, Xi Nian's trip to New York was about to begin.