Five-Person Summer Trip (Part 1)

Two days later, at the Chen-Style Chinese Medicine Clinic.

Summer sunlight streamed through the clinic's glass windows, laying a golden sheen over the wooden floor. Lin Hai was practicing Tai Chi in the backyard. He had not been seriously injured to begin with, only suffering a few scrapes and cuts. A sweep of Life Force had quickly erased even the scars.

"Hey, you recovered pretty well." Chen Bing approached with a teapot. "What happened to you yesterday? You looked completely drained when you came to the clinic that morning. If I hadn't known you so well after all this time, I'd have thought some female demon had sucked you dry."

Lin Hai finished his form and smiled bitterly. "Master, listen to yourself. That was a special circumstance. You know what my abilities are like. There was just a slight mishap in my cultivation. It's nothing serious."

"Cultivation isn't something that happens overnight. Why are you in such a rush?" Chen Bing poured him a cup of medicinal tea. "Drink it. It replenishes your qi and blood."

Lin Hai nodded repeatedly. Just as he took the cup, the clinic's doorbell rang.

Lin Hai went to open the door and found Norman Osborn standing outside with Harry, followed by Peter and Gwen. Norman was dressed in a casual suit today, and the usual gloominess on his face had vanished, replaced by a gentle smile.

"Mr. Lin." Norman solemnly extended his hand. "I came to thank you."

Lin Hai shook his hand. "How do you feel, Mr. Osborn?"

"Better than ever." Norman lightly touched his temple. "Not only has my hereditary disease been cured, but my migraines of many years have vanished as well. The Osborn Group's medical team calls it a miracle of medicine."

Harry eagerly cut in, "I used the healing potion too, and I'm basically fine now. Even if there are any lingering aftereffects in the future, you can just do that thing to me again."

Norman affectionately ruffled his son's hair, then turned to Lin Hai. "I owe you my life. And I nearly hurt innocent people because of my own madness. If there's ever anything you need..."

"That's already enough." Lin Hai smiled. "Harry is an important friend of ours. That's enough."

Gwen and Peter had already wandered into the clinic on their own. They were regular visitors by now and needed no greeting from Lin Hai. Peter leaned close to the medicine cabinet to examine the various herbs. "These prescriptions are so ingenious! Angelica combined with astragalus replenishes qi and blood, and then adding..."

Chen Bing laughed heartily and patted Peter on the shoulder. "Peter, you've got a good eye! Want to learn a little Chinese medicine?"

As everyone chatted and laughed, Norman pulled Lin Hai aside. "About those plants I saw that night..."

"Just a few little tricks." Lin Hai blinked and made a joke of it.

Norman burst out laughing. "You kid, I didn't expect you to hold such a grudge."

Lin Hai smiled as well, then answered seriously, "Would the Osborn Group be interested in investing in research and development for new environmentally friendly materials?"

Norman understood at once. "Of course. I've heard that some plant fibers are as strong as carbon nanotubes..."

After a brief conversation, Norman rose to say goodbye. He had accomplished his purpose in coming to offer thanks today, and the Osborn Group still had plenty of work waiting for him.

For the rest of the day, the four friends held another tea party in the backyard of the Chen Clinic. This time, the topic was their summer trip.

"So, have we decided where to go?" Gwen spread out a world map. "Paris? Tokyo? Or..."

"How about Missouri?" Lin Hai suddenly suggested.

Harry gave his friend a meaningful look. He could probably guess what Lin Hai was thinking, but he still said, "Missouri? Are you serious? What's there to do?"

Lin Hai took out the plan he had prepared long ago and introduced it to his friends, hoping to persuade his three companions.

He felt that he needed to return to that forest from time to time. The flower bud Ego had left behind was brimming with energy like a sun, allowing him to draw energy from it continuously. Experiencing that ancient, profound Life Force more often would also benefit him greatly.

When the four settled on Missouri as their summer travel destination, a rare look of awkwardness appeared on Peter's face.

"Um... I wanted to ask... could we bring one more person? I mean, Gwen is the only girl traveling with the three of us guys, so there'll always be times when that's inconvenient. It would probably be better to have another girl come along."

Lin Hai, Gwen, and Harry exchanged glances, the corners of their mouths lifting into knowing, meaningful smiles.

"Oh? Peter, who's this mysterious girl?" Harry teased, his eyes full of amusement.

Peter's face instantly turned red to the tips of his ears. He stammered, "It's... it's Mary Jane. She's really nice, and it's not like you don't know her."

The three of them naturally knew that the girl Peter meant could only be Mary Jane, but they still could not resist teasing him. So when Gwen called Mary Jane and confirmed that she could join the trip, their laughter only grew louder.

Amid everyone's cheerful laughter, the summer travel plan gained another new member.

Over the following days, everyone began preparing for the trip.

Lin Hai busied himself packing his backpack, preparing various plant seeds and medicines in case of emergencies. Harry was responsible for booking hotels and planning the route, making sure every part of the trip was meticulously arranged. Gwen carefully picked out clothes for the journey and prepared several unfinished science magazines to bring along. Peter was even more excited. He had a decent camera and had accumulated plenty of photography skills, so he planned to capture beautiful memories for everyone during the trip.

At last, departure day arrived. The four met Mary Jane at the airport. She wore a light purple dress that, paired with her wine-red hair, made her far more captivating than when she wore casual clothes at school.

After exchanging greetings, they boarded the plane bound for Missouri together. On the plane, everyone laughed and chatted, full of anticipation for the journey ahead. The white clouds outside were soft as cotton candy, and sunlight filtered through them onto everyone's faces, as though promising that this trip would be filled with wonderful memories.

"This private jet was a birthday gift I got last year." Harry leaned back in a leather seat, swirling apple juice in a champagne glass. "But my father never let me use it alone until now."

Lin Hai looked through the porthole at the New York skyline gradually shrinking below the clouds. This was his second time on a private jet, but its luxury still surprised him as someone who had crossed over into this world. The cabin was equipped with a panoramic skylight, leather massage seats, and a small movie theater.

"Seriously, Harry." Mary Jane sat beside Peter, her red hair tied into a neat ponytail. "Are you sure five high school students need this level of transportation?"

Peter immediately chimed in, "Actually, from an aerodynamic perspective, private jets are more efficient than commercial flights because they can fly in a straight line, and..."

"Peter." Gwen looked up from her science magazine. "Mary Jane is just expressing how flattered she feels, not questioning the principles of flight."

Lin Hai noticed Peter's ears turning red. Ever since Mary Jane had agreed to join the trip, Peter had been in a state of excitement and nervousness, like an overly energetic husky.

The flight attendant served an exquisite lunch. Harry raised his glass. "To summer vacation! To a holiday without surprises, final exams, or laboratory emergencies!"

"To summer vacation!" everyone toasted.

Lin Hai's glass lightly clinked against Gwen's. The blonde girl wore a light blue shirt today, making her eyes look like the sea beneath a clear sky. When their gazes met, Gwen quickly looked away and pretended to become deeply interested in the clouds outside.

After several hours of flying, the plane finally landed at an airport in Missouri. As they stepped out of the airport, fresh air rushed toward them. Everyone took a deep breath, savoring the land's unique atmosphere.

A modified luxury RV was already waiting on the tarmac—clearly another of Harry's arrangements.

"It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a small kitchen." Harry introduced it. "More than enough for the five of us to travel comfortably."

Peter circled the RV once. "This one was modified from a Ford F-53 chassis and comes with a 6.8-liter V10 engine. In theory..."

"Get in, Mr. Encyclopedia." Mary Jane smiled and pulled open the door.

Lin Hai volunteered to drive the first leg. While helping stow the luggage, he quietly checked the special equipment in his backpack: several packets of seeds treated with Life Force, as well as the topographical map he had obtained last time, marked with the location of Ego's Flower Bud.