Godolkin University.
Some people were flying around the field. Others were flying while getting high.
And some were doing both at once.
This superhuman university was also known as the University of Not Being Human.
This time, Lu Heng didn't pretend to be from Vought International. He showed up in his real face.
No more pretending! Time to come clean!
I'm Guardian!
His arrival caused quite a stir on campus.
Guardian, a member of The Seven!
One of America's five most popular superheroes!
Personally visiting Godolkin to recruit!
What could that mean?
It meant that the students he picked might get to join The Seven directly, rake in endorsement deals, and even star in their own superhero series. It was a chance to rise straight to the top.
The school arranged a demonstration, where the most talented students could show off their abilities in front of Lu Heng.
Lu Heng sat in the audience with one leg crossed over the other.
He wore a pair of oversized sunglasses.
He also held a list of students in his hand.
Jordan and Cate were both there in the crowd.
Lu Heng had given them a heads-up. They were both ready to show him their best.
The demonstrations began.
The first student up was a dwarf boy whose ability let him shrink and grow at will.
It sounded pretty good. In the San Fernando Valley, he'd probably be a rising star.
Then he held out one hand and made his pinky shrink and grow by three centimeters.
What a useless ability.
Lu Heng gestured for him to leave and told them to bring up someone who could actually fight.
The second student was an Asian boy.
He wore a tight-fitting outfit and carried a pair of nunchucks. Seeing that Lu Heng was Asian too, he'd apparently dressed that way to win the judge's favor.
Then the kid spun his nunchucks with impressive skill.
He had to admit, the moves were smooth.
"Kid, you've got your kung fu down, but that doesn't look like a superpower to me."
The boy put away his weapon, then bashfully stuck out his butt.
"Guardian, my ability is farting."
Then he let one rip, filling the room with the scent of coconut milk.
"Sorry. I had coconut milk and garlic bread for breakfast."
Before Lu Heng could say anything, the dean had already sent the boy packing.
Lu Heng blew hard, dispelling the stench.
A powerful gust swept across the field.
The principal clung to the table and begged Lu Heng to stop using his powers.
"Cate Dunlap."
Lu Heng decided to call on her directly, before anyone else could whip out their junk.
Cate stepped out from the crowd.
She had the classic blonde bombshell look, with delicate features and a striking presence.
"Guardian, my ability is mind control."
"More specifically, I can make a target see any scene I want them to."
"Would you like a demonstration?"
Lu Heng nodded.
Cate walked over to the dean and touched him.
The dean froze for a moment, then suddenly screamed.
"Snakes! There are snakes everywhere!"
He jumped onto a chair, trembling with fear.
Snakes were his greatest fear. Cate had read his mind, then made him see them.
In reality, there was nothing on the ground.
"...What just happened?"
The dean finally realized it had been mind control.
Mind control that required physical contact had a hard ceiling, unless Cate could use it remotely and project hallucinations.
Still, the ability could be used to interrogate criminals, so it did have its uses.
"Does your ability work on other superhumans?"
That was what Lu Heng really wanted to know.
"Yes. As long as they're not mind-based superhumans. If they've had psychological training, it can be a bit harder."
Lu Heng nodded and circled her name on the list.
He'd only asked Cate those questions in front of everyone to put on a show for the school.
In reality, the position had already been made for her.
Nobody else had a chance.
"Next, Jordan Li."
Jordan came out from the back of the crowd.
She was in her female form.
She walked to the center of the demonstration area and switched genders on the spot.
Her body instantly grew taller, her muscles filled out, and her features became more rugged.
She changed from her female form into her male form.
Then she faced the test targets at the edge of the field and punched one.
The wooden target exploded.
"My male form is built for pure strength. Its upper limit is probably around ten or so tons."
She switched again. Two glowing balls of light appeared in her palms, and she hurled them at the target wall.
They blasted two huge holes in it, each roughly equivalent to an anti-tank missile.
Now that was a punch.
Lu Heng nodded and circled her name on the list.
After that, he went through the motions of selecting a few more students. Some had even stronger abilities than Jordan, but unfortunately... the position had already been made for someone.
The person came first. The position came later.
"Let's go with these two for now. They're better suited to the positions I'm offering." Lu Heng handed the list to the school.
The school representative rubbed his hands together excitedly. Guardian hadn't picked the students they'd had their eyes on, but having students recruited by Vought would still count toward their record.
"Guardian, are you planning to have them join The Seven?"
"Not exactly. These are just internships at Vought."
The school representative hesitated.
"Internships?"
"Yeah. They'll go to headquarters and learn first. If they do well, they can move on to the next stage. Not just anyone can get into The Seven. It depends on how you perform. Got it?" Lu Heng gave him a pointed look.
Whether the school representative understood was anyone's guess, but he gave Lu Heng an "OK" sign.
They'd see how he understood it later.
Lu Heng found Jordan first and spoke with her in private.
He flew up to the roof of the teaching building.
Jordan was leaning against the railing in her female form. She preferred to be seen like this. She also had an energy drink in her hand.
"Do you all—superheroes with such versatile powers—always like meeting on rooftops?"
Lu Heng raised an eyebrow. "There aren't many people up here. It's a good place to get things done."
Jordan gave him a strange look.
"Do I have to let you lean on me to get a chance to join Vought?"
???
Lu Heng slowly typed out three question marks.
He knew foreigners could be blunt, but surely they weren't that forward.
Jordan looked pretty good in her female form, but she had originally been a guy. Her female appearance was just another expression of her superpower.
In other words, Lu Heng wasn't interested in men.
"I just like acting cool, kid! As for 'leaning on someone,' I have someone else in mind."
Jordan looked disappointed.
"Okay. To be honest, I kind of wanted to try it. Not everyone gets to sleep with Guardian."
Lu Heng: "..."
"So, can I join The Seven?"
Seeing Lu Heng at a loss for words, Jordan ventured the question.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. The Seven wouldn't pick someone with your image. The American version may be progressive, but there's still a pretty large part of the population that's normal."
Jordan knew he had a point.
"So...?"
"I can offer you an internship at Vought. Maybe you'll become a candidate for the Young Superhero Team someday."
Lu Heng started dangling the carrot.
A candidate for the Young Superhero Team?
Jordan was tempted. In truth, even just an internship at Vought was an opportunity no student could turn down.
It was too good to pass up.
"I'm in!"
Then it was Cate's turn.
Before you continue