Jordan and Cate

Jordan's expression suddenly turned serious.

She gave Lu Heng another once-over, her gaze like an X-ray scanner.

"You're the famous Guardian? The one who slapped A-Train flying!"

"You've seen the video?"

"Everyone at school has seen it!" Jordan sat up straight. "You're the hottest topic on campus this semester. No contest."

"Hotter than Golden Boy?"

Jordan scoffed.

"What's Golden Boy even worth? He's just a freshman. He can't hold a candle to you!"

That was an interesting reaction.

Lu Heng remembered that in Gen V, Jordan and Golden Boy had gotten along pretty well.

They'd been rivals who respected one another.

But judging by this, she didn't think much of Golden Boy.

"I'm here today to see if Godolkin has any talent worth recommending," Lu Heng said bluntly. "The Seven will be making some personnel changes soon, so there'll be openings."

Jordan's eyes lit up, but the spark quickly died down.

"You have the authority to recommend people?"

"I do."

Jordan watched him for a few seconds, then smiled.

"So, what do you think of me?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen what you can do."

"I can show you right now."

"Another time. I've got a packed schedule today." Lu Heng stood up, pulled a business card from his pocket, and handed it to her.

It was a Vought PR Department business card, with just one name and a phone number on it.

Jordan took the card and examined it carefully.

"Seriously? It only has a phone number? Not even a job title?"

"Trust me, kid. If they'd tried to print one, it wouldn't have fit on the card."

Lu Heng thought back over his nicknames.

Artilleryman, Captain, Monster Hunter Supreme, Harran Superman, Butcher of Blaviken, Ripper of Valentine...

Jordan slipped the card into her hoodie pocket.

"I'll call you."

"Okay!"

[Key Character: Jordan Li — Emotional Changes: Curiosity, Interest, Ambition]

[Ability Points Gained: +1,124]

Current Ability Points: 79,332 / 100,000

Training Ground B.

It was a lot livelier here than in the lounge.

A dozen or so students were sparring in pairs, superpowered flashes and shockwaves erupting one after another.

If you took them to Hollywood to shoot a movie, you probably wouldn't even need to pay for post-production effects.

Lu Heng stood on the observation platform and quickly spotted his target in the crowd.

Cate Dunlap.

With her golden curls and round face, she looked like a harmless girl next door.

But her superpower was the kind that could hold its own even in Marvel.

Mind control.

One of the most dangerous powers at Godolkin University.

At that moment, Cate was standing at the edge of the training ground, not taking part in the sparring.

Her partner was a muscular young man, battling another pair in the center of the arena.

But Lu Heng noticed that the muscular student's movements seemed a little unnatural.

His reactions were too fast, as if he weren't making his own decisions. Every dodge and counterattack looked like he'd been warned of his opponent's moves in advance—almost like he could see the future.

Lu Heng looked at Cate.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, her lips moving silently.

She was controlling her partner.

It seemed like a kind of supportive mental link. She appeared to be reading the opponent's intentions and relaying them to her partner in real time.

The two worked together seamlessly.

When the training session ended, Cate's partner ran over excitedly to high-five her.

Lu Heng came down from the observation platform and headed toward Cate.

She noticed him.

A man in a suit she didn't recognize, showing up at the training ground—and not even as a member of the faculty—was bound to draw attention.

"Hi?" Cate tilted her head. "Are you a new coach?"

"No, I'm with Vought."

"Vought?" Cate blinked. "You're the agent who came to recruit people?"

Word traveled fast.

Brink, that big mouth, had probably already spread the news about the agent's visit all over campus.

"Something like that." Lu Heng looked at her. "You're Cate?"

"Cate Dunlap!" She held out her hand with a bright smile. "You can call me Cate, sir."

Lu Heng shook her hand.

The moment their skin touched, he sensed an extremely faint mental ripple, like someone gently brushing against his mind.

Cate was testing him.

She was probing his emotions and intentions with her mind-reading ability.

Lu Heng didn't stop her.

A Viltrumite Soldier's mental defenses were more than enough to resist a probe of this level. Cate couldn't get anything useful from him.

But he deliberately let a little something through.

Kindness!

Admiration!

And even a hint of... anticipation!

Cate's pupils widened slightly.

She let go of his hand, her smile shifting from polite friendliness to genuine curiosity.

"You seem... different from the other people at Vought."

"How so?" Lu Heng asked, curious.

"People at Vought are more focused on practical matters. Their minds are full of selling points, packaging, marketing, and things like that. Your emotions are much purer."

Cate had never met anyone so free of ulterior motives.

"I see. A mind reader? You have an impressive ability."

He pulled a second business card from his pocket.

"The Seven will be making some changes, and there'll be openings. I have the authority to recommend people. If you're interested, get in touch, and we'll find a time to talk one-on-one."

Cate took the card and glanced down at it.

"Fuck! You're Guardian?"

"Not many people would pretend to be me, I'd imagine!"

Cate's expression went through even more changes than Jordan's had.

"I've heard about you. You saved that mother and child, and stopped A-Train."

"It was nothing."

"It might've been nothing to you," Cate said, carefully tucking the card into her pocket, "but it wasn't nothing to the people you saved. You've saved who knows how many families!"

Her words made Lu Heng give her a second look.

Mind controllers usually had a deeper understanding of other people's emotions. That made them especially good at saying the very things that struck a chord.

It was a kind of talent, but also a curse.

Human nature couldn't withstand scrutiny. Anyone who spent too long walking the edge was bound to fall into the abyss eventually.

"I'll get in touch," Cate said. "And I have a lot of questions I want to ask you."

"We'll have the chance."

Lu Heng didn't say much more. He was only here to make a brief introduction. Godolkin University held plenty of secrets, and there'd be time enough to uncover them.

[Key Character: Cate Dunlap — Emotional Changes: Curiosity, Ambition, Initial Trust]

[Ability Points Gained: +1,347]

Current Ability Points: 80,679 / 100,000

On the drive away from Godolkin University, Lu Heng sat in the car, thinking things over.

Jordan and Cate had completely different personalities.

But both had the potential to join The Seven, and both could be useful.

Just as he was thinking, new information appeared on the panel.

[Billy Butcher — Status: Contact Imminent]

[Estimated Time: Within 12 Hours]

Butcher?

Why would this butcher want to get in touch with him?

"Interesting. Does this count as the butterfly effect?"