"Wow, kid, you actually remembered me."
It was late January 2009.
On the 26th, not only Chinese people, but all of New York was celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year.
Zhang had already returned to China for the New Year, taking with him a huge pile of Recovery Serum Oaks had given him.
"Hi, Mr. Oaks! Happy New Year!"
The video call across the ocean made Oaks feel as though he had reconnected with that magical land.
The thirteen-hour time difference meant it was still seven in the morning for Oaks, while Zhang had already finished dinner.
The guy had taken that into consideration and had not started the video call late at night:
"Actually, I think you could come to China and celebrate the New Year with me. This year is your zodiac year, too."
"Thanks, Zhang. If I get the chance someday, I will."
Oaks chatted in fluent Chinese with Zhang and his family for quite a while before reminding them that they ought to get some rest.
"Don't worry, Mr. Oaks. I'll cherish my work with the Benevolence Society and make absolutely sure nothing goes wrong. I'm on standby twenty-four hours a day!"
Zhang understood very well just how rare his current position was.
If not for Oaks, this golden thigh to cling to, he might not have had the chance to get involved with a behemoth like S.H.I.E.L.D. even if he struggled for a lifetime.
Although his meeting with Director Fury had made him realize that Goose did not seem to be one of Oaks's "creations," that actually put him at ease.
Compared to the modified creatures from novels and movies, even if she really was a cat demon, at least she existed naturally...
So Zhang had merely taken Oaks's claim of being a "Druid" who had "modified himself" with a grain of salt.
Whatever existed had its reason, didn't it?
"Don't overdo it. With Melinda and Blaze there, you can take a few days off—
At noon today, Roosevelt Park in Lower Manhattan will have three straight hours of six-hundred-thousand-firecracker displays, along with traditional dragon and lion dances.
And in Flushing, Queens, there'll be the Chinese Lunar New Year parade in three days—there's no less New Year atmosphere here than over there."
"Wow, that sounds amazing! I'll keep an eye on YouTube videos!"
After ending the video call with Zhang, Oaks stretched and poured himself a cup of coffee, just as he heard the shop door open.
"Hi, President Oaks. We've got a lot to do today. It's so cold out—aren't you paying overtime?"
Melinda pushed open the door. It had snowed heavily last night, and she wore a Mink Coat over her uniform.
As someone of Chinese descent, although she had not grown up in China, she knew plenty about and had no small interest in traditional holidays.
"I remember S.H.I.E.L.D. pays your salary, dear May. No money, but as usual, you can take however much Recovery Serum you want later."
Oaks put on his long coat and a baseball cap, making Melinda raise an eyebrow.
"Couldn't tell you were this resistant to cold. The snow outside is already up to your calves."
"Heavy snow is part of nature too. You, on the other hand, May, would get an earful from animal rights activists for that outfit—
And the Benevolence Society has expanded into wildlife protection and pet rescue as well."
"I don't collect a paycheck from the Benevolence Society! If anyone has a problem, tell them to come find me!
Don't think I have to maintain an image like those government officials. Anyone who dares come at me, I'll throw every last one of them in the slammer!"
"Wow, Aunt May is mighty, Aunt May is radiant, Aunt May... well, dating is out!"
After cracking a joke in Chinese and earning Melinda's disdainful sneer and middle finger, Oaks headed out with her, ready to drive to the Benevolence Society headquarters.
As for why Melinda allowed him to call her "Aunt May," aside from being over a decade older than Oaks, it was also because it made her sound more respected than Mr. Director—though only when speaking Chinese.
"Come to think of it, a car like this is meant for delicate women like us. Aren't you cramped sitting inside it, as a grown man?"
With a look of utter contempt, Melinda drove Oaks's Smart through Brooklyn's surging traffic and crowds, dodging them with one thrilling maneuver after another.
"Every time I drive this car, I feel like something's missing... Today, I finally realized what it is!
This car doesn't have even the slightest scent of gasoline..."
"Huh? You call that a scent? Smell too much of it and you'll get chronic poisoning! And if you're a delicate woman, May, then wouldn't that make me congenital deficient?"
Oaks stared at Melinda in horror.
"I finally know why you're so bad-tempered, May. You must have inhaled too much gasoline!"
"I'm perfectly healthy! As a man, you don't even understand the romance of gasoline and engines. You're hopeless!"
Melinda shot the wryly smiling Oaks a vicious glare.
"Spill it. What's going on? You wouldn't be insane enough to use those green plants of yours as air-conditioning filters, would you?
And why is it that no matter how far I drive your car, the fuel gauge never moves? S.H.I.E.L.D. has a gas allowance!"
Melinda normally could not care less whether someone needed to refuel, but for one thing, she was now the Benevolence Society's liaison and, in a manner of speaking, this consultant's watcher.
For another, Oaks's green plants had greatly improved the health of her mentor, Ms. Carter, and even made her willing to stay in Brooklyn a while longer, allowing Melinda to visit her often.
And thirdly...
Oaks basically never drove when he went out, so this car was practically Melinda's now!
"Well, that's a secret for now... As long as the engine keeps roaring, isn't that enough?"
Oaks laughed it off. There had been too much going on lately, and he had no desire to stir up another major incident.
He tugged down his baseball cap as tiny vines tightly bound him to the seat, letting him mostly ignore veteran driver Melinda's showboating.
"By the way, the Benevolence Society really has you to thank for coordinating everything, May. Otherwise, how would those guys know what to do or how to do it?
The Benevolence Society has developed so fast that its operations have already expanded into Manhattan. You deserve a lot of credit, May. Want me to ask Director Fury for a bonus for you?"
"Heh. The Christmas apples and Christmas trees last month satisfied everyone at the agency. The director already gave me my bonus."
Melinda's expression eased considerably, and her attention was successfully diverted—besides, the extra income she got here was far better than any bonus.
As long as she did not sell it, she had all the Recovery Serum she could want. For a middle-aged woman already thirty-five, what could be more wonderful than that?
Melinda was truly getting younger the longer she lived. Whenever she visited her mentor, even her junior sister Sharon was envious.
"But what really surprised me was that clerk of yours, the Benevolence Society's secretary, Mr. Antonio Zhang."
At that, Melinda could not help looking full of admiration.
"Are you sure he studied environmental science rather than management? He's got those people completely under control, and his work efficiency is incredibly high. He's also extremely familiar with the day-to-day operations."
"Uh, he was the student union president in college, and he took a half-month secretary training course at Tony's Stark Industries. But I think the most important thing is..."
Oaks cleared his throat awkwardly.
"When that kid first came to Brooklyn, he got beaten up by the group Clyde led. So now they're a little scared whenever they see Zhang."
"..."
Amid their banter, the Smart pulled up at the Benevolence Society headquarters.
This was the newly transformed Little Rainforest. Thick vines interwove to form a new gate, and even in New York's coldest month, January, it remained lush and green.
"A Spring Festival in every sense of the word."
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