Tony fell silent, thinking it over. "But my armor research isn't finished yet. I can't get away right now."
Guan Heng cried out dramatically, "You're always cooped up in the lab, man. Your designs are going to hit a dead end if you keep that up. Just listen to me and come have some fun."
After thinking it over, Guan Heng said, "Let's go... Actually, why don't we head out to sea? It's the weekend, and I'm off too. We can take your yacht and have a two-day, one-night party at sea. We can also invite a couple of cute girls to liven things up. It'll be a chance to recharge so we can get back to work at full throttle."
But Tony still wanted to think it over. He'd rather keep working on his armor than take a vacation, especially after all the effort he'd put into it.
"Come on, stop hesitating. How about this?" Guan Heng's eyes darted as an idea struck him. "I've got some suggestions for upgrades to your armor. I guarantee they're fresh ideas you haven't heard before. Come out to sea with me, and I'll tell you about them."
Anyway, in the movies and comics, I've seen dozens of Iron Man suits, maybe even over a hundred. I can just pick out a few ideas and tell you. A little spoiler won't get me struck by lightning, right? Besides, Thor's one of our buddies, isn't he? What's there to be afraid of?
It was the weekend. Peter had gone to spend time with his girlfriend, and with nothing else to do, Guan Heng figured he might as well use the chance to meet a few pretty girls through the wealthy Tony and go out to sea with them. Even superheroes needed a vacation.
Thanks to Guan Heng's suggestions about the armor, Tony had already been impressed by his unusual ideas. After thinking it over, he decided that taking some time off might not be a bad idea.
"All right, you've convinced me. I think I've been working too hard lately. A break would do me good," Tony said with a smile. "Let's head out to sea."
A golden, streamlined luxury yacht cut through the deep blue sea. To anyone watching, it was an incredibly eye-catching sight.
The yacht's powerful propellers churned the azure water into a frenzy, leaving a trail of surging white foam behind it like the tail of some sea spirit.
The sky was clear and cloudless, and the blazing sun beat down on everything.
The yacht was nearly seventy meters long and one of Tony Stark's prized possessions. It had two decks, every modern convenience, and even an automatic navigation system. It was truly state-of-the-art.
Guan Heng stood by the railing on deck, leaning against it. He wore a floral short-sleeved T-shirt and shorts, looking every bit the laid-back young gentleman.
Pushing his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose, Guan Heng sighed. "Rich people's toys really are something else. This is a wonderfully relaxing cruise."
"Hey, want an ice beer?" Tony suddenly popped his head up from the lower deck and tossed a bottle toward him.
"Sure!" Guan Heng called back. As the bottle sailed through the air, he smiled and made a casual gesture. A surge of invisible Qi Control instantly caught it in his hand.
Looks like all that hard work is paying off, Guan Heng thought, looking at the bottle in his hand. If I master the Iron Fist school's Qi Control technique, I'll be able to learn the second level of the Corpse Control Secret Method too.
The Corpse Control Secret Method Guan Heng had obtained divided the art of controlling corpses into three levels: essence, energy, and spirit, each deeper than the last. Using Essence Blood to draw a profound formation on a zombie allowed the user to control a single one. Using Qi Control to split off streams of Negative Qi Flow allowed them to control two to four zombies. And by dividing off a sliver of one's Primordial Spirit and sending it into a zombie, one could control a hundred or more. This kind of Split Spirit Control was so advanced that the zombies could practically be used as the user's own clones.
So far, Guan Heng had mastered the first level, controlling zombies with Essence Blood formations. And since he was already skilled in the Qi Control techniques taught in the Kunlun Secret Realm, using external Negative Qi Flow to control several zombies wasn't too difficult either. Only the third method, splitting off his Primordial Spirit, posed a challenge.
But knowing the first two levels is enough. It's not like I have that many zombies to keep, and the Corpse Storage Bag couldn't hold them all anyway. Guan Heng wasn't greedy; he knew when to be satisfied.
He opened the beer and took a sip. A refreshing chill spread through his body. "Ah, that hits the spot!" he exclaimed.
Tony walked over and tapped his bottle against Guan Heng's. They each took a swig, and Tony asked, "What do you think?"
Guan Heng, who had been lost in thought, came back to himself and smiled. "Well, your yacht is pretty nice."
"Looks like you didn't understand what I meant." Tony shook his head. "I was asking how you're finding life in this world."
"It's all right, I guess." Guan Heng took another sip and spoke in an unhurried tone. "Honestly, I've been doing pretty well here. I was all alone in my old world, too."
At that, Guan Heng gave a self-deprecating smile. "To stave off the loneliness, I spent ten whole years chasing the only zombie in that world—an ancient, decrepit thing. I had just one reason: boredom. I had no family or friends over there. At least here, I've met a whole bunch of friends, some familiar and some still strangers."
Tony sighed. "Hearing you say that makes me feel a little better. To be honest, I had no choice when I brought you to this world without asking. I've wanted to apologize ever since, but I never found the words. I'm sorry, brother."
"Haha, I stopped blaming you a long time ago," Guan Heng said with a laugh. "If anything, I should thank you for giving me such an exciting life. Deep down, we're both restless souls. All right, if we're friends, let's stop with the sentimental talk. This world needs you and me. That's why we're here, isn't it?"
"Good point. Cheers!"
The two bottles clinked, and Guan Heng and Tony tipped their heads back and drank.
Just then, a young woman poked her head up from the lower deck. She was tall and slender, with soft curves, and had long, curly, bright orange-blond hair. Her oval face held a pair of lively eyes that sparkled as she blinked.
"Hey, boys! Food's ready. Come down and eat before it gets cold. Hurry up!"
Guan Heng and Tony exchanged smiles. Tony called back, "Thanks, Ai Wei. We'll be right down."
The girl was one of the two models Tony had invited on the cruise. Her name was Ai Wei. The other, with tanned skin, short brown hair, and a doll-like face, was called Lily.
"Come on," Tony said to Guan Heng. "Let's go eat. We'll need to keep our strength up before we find that island I told you about."
Guan Heng said, "Camping on the beach was your idea, but I can't help feeling it's a bit unreliable. Are you sure you remember exactly where the island is?"
"Trust me, brother," Tony said confidently. "I went there once when I was eight, and I haven't forgotten it since."
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