The first stop was the Gateway Arch, the landmark of St. Louis in eastern Missouri, the state's second-largest city. The 192-meter stainless steel structure gleamed in the sunlight, like a massive metal rainbow spanning the sky.
"This is the tallest man-made monument in the United States." Gwen read from the travel guide. "It was designed by architect Eero Saarinen and completed in 1965."
The five of them took the egg-shaped tram to the observation deck at the top. Through the narrow viewing windows, they could see all of St. Louis and the winding Mississippi River below.
"Wow!" Mary Jane pressed excitedly against the glass. "This view is amazing! I can see..."
She suddenly lost her balance and fell backward. Peter, who had been taking pictures beside her, instinctively reached out and caught her before she could fall completely, helping her steady herself.
It had to be said that Peter's physical condition and reflexes were much better now than when he had first entered freshman year. Lin Hai deserved half the credit, since he had given Peter some basic martial arts training in his spare time. The other half came from Peter's own efforts.
"Careful." Lin Hai also caught her shoulder in time. "It's very cramped up here."
"Thank you, both of you. I got a little too excited just now." Mary Jane patted her chest.
Gwen handed Mary Jane a bottle of water. "Have some water. You'll feel better."
Harry leaned against the other side of the observation deck, a mysterious smile hanging on his lips. He took out his phone and secretly snapped several photos—Peter asking after Mary Jane with concern, Gwen stealing glances at Lin Hai, and Lin Hai's profile as he watched the scenery without noticing anything.
"Perfect composition," Harry muttered. "What should I call this photo collection? The Romantic Entanglements of Young Scientists?"
Their second stop was the Anheuser-Busch Brewery.
It was also located in St. Louis, near the Mississippi River, and was the headquarters of the famous Budweiser beer.
"According to the guide, they produce two million bottles of beer here every day." Gwen flipped through a brochure, her blonde hair tied into a neat ponytail at the nape of her neck. "The fermentation tanks have a capacity equal to—"
"Thirty Olympic swimming pools!" Peter suddenly cut in. Then, under Mary Jane's puzzled gaze, his ears turned red. "Uh... I did some research beforehand."
Harry took off his sunglasses and studied the rows of gleaming copper brewing vats. "Osborn Industries nearly acquired this place last year. My father said alcoholic beverages were a cash flow that never declined."
Lin Hai and Gwen gave Harry a thumbs-up, as if saying: You're the real badass!
"Everyone may sample two glasses of non-alcoholic beer for free." The female tour guide handed out green wristbands. "Minors, please wear these."
Harry took a wristband and teasingly poked Peter. "Hear that, little Parker?"
"Like you're any different." Peter shot back, though his eyes followed Mary Jane as she tied up her hair. She wore a simple white T-shirt and jeans today, her red hair casually pinned up with a plain hairpin. In the sunlight, the line of her neck looked as though it had been glazed with honey.
As they followed the guide into the oak barrel display room of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, they immediately smelled the intoxicating fragrance of alcohol in the air.
The guide was explaining the brewery's long history of beer-making, but Harry noticed Lin Hai quietly falling behind the group.
"I'll go see what our botanist has discovered this time," Harry whispered to Gwen, then followed Lin Hai around the corner of the corridor.
He saw Lin Hai standing before an ancient grapevine used for display, his palm hovering above its withered vines. A jade-green glow seeped from Lin Hai's fingertips and into every line of the grapevine. Branches that appeared long dead began to sprout tender green buds.
"Wow! It still feels magical every time I see it!" Harry could not help speaking up.
Lin Hai quickly withdrew his hand, and the buds stopped growing. "You know, I can roughly sense plants' memories. So I discovered that this grapevine remembers some interesting things."
"Such as?" Harry was extremely curious.
"Such as being irradiated by some kind of extraterrestrial energy." Lin Hai lowered his voice. "Sometime in the seventies or eighties of the last century, a meteorite fell in Missouri..."
He knew this was part of the history of Star-Lord's father, Ego, visiting Earth. Since Harry was one of the people who knew about that flower bud, Lin Hai also told him about the images and information he had seen through the grapevine.
The third stop was the flower bud left behind by Ego.
After parking the RV in a nearby public parking lot, Lin Hai called for everyone to take the things they would need for heading deep into the forest from the trunk.
Harry effortlessly put on the equipment he had prepared long ago. Peter, Gwen, and Mary Jane, who still had no idea what was going on, were confused by the sudden plan to venture deep into the forest. But after Lin Hai promised it would be interesting and Harry nodded, they quickly put on their gear.
Lin Hai walked at the front of the forest exploration team, his eyes carrying a hint of excitement and anticipation. He could sense the ancient, profound Life Force contained within the flower bud calling to him from somewhere in this deep forest. This forest also held special meaning for him; it had been a key turning point in the evolution of his abilities.
Everyone followed Lin Hai into the forest. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting patches of dappled light and shadow. The air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees, while birds sang cheerfully from the branches, as though welcoming their arrival.
Suddenly, Lin Hai stopped. He sensed a familiar and powerful Life Force not far ahead. He signaled for everyone to proceed carefully, and soon they saw the flower bud glowing with a faint blue light in a concealed clearing.
The flower bud was not very different from what Lin Hai remembered. Or rather, it would not change after Ego planted it unless Ego used Star-Lord's power to activate it.
Under the shocked gazes of Peter, Gwen, and Mary Jane, Lin Hai slowly stepped forward and gently touched the flower bud. In an instant, that familiar, powerful Life Force surged into his body once more, leaving him feeling full of strength.
His companions gathered around him. Harry was no longer surprised by this; Lin Hai had done it in front of him for half a month.
Although Peter and Gwen were shocked, Lin Hai and Harry had previously told them about the experiment in Missouri.
But it was not so easy for Mary Jane. She covered her mouth with one hand, her widened eyes and constricted pupils revealing the turmoil in her heart. Nothing beyond ordinary understanding had ever appeared in her life before.
Lin Hai had actually expected this, which was why he had not refused Peter's suggestion to bring Mary Jane along, nor did he mind Mary Jane learning about his unusual nature.
Because if Mary Jane and Peter ended up together, she would inevitably be drawn into the extraordinary world Peter encountered as Spider-Man. Even if Mary Jane ultimately did not end up with Peter, as a girl Peter knew and liked, and as a resident of New York, the "center of the Marvel Universe," she would eventually have to accept the existence of all kinds of superhuman and supernatural events. This could serve as an early warning for her.
That blockhead Peter had no time to look after his goddess. This was also his first time seeing the miraculous flower bud, so he quickly took out the camera he carried with him and recorded the precious moment.
Harry and Gwen quietly felt the Life Force radiating from Lin Hai, as though their souls had also been cleansed.
After Lin Hai finished absorbing the energy, he did not feel any major qualitative change in his own power. He simply felt full of energy again, as though he had "eaten his fill."
Thinking about it, that made sense. First, his ability had already evolved once. Second, he had not yet cultivated the new Life Force to a threshold. No major changes would occur in the short term. Being able to fully absorb energy once was already quite good. Next, he would need a considerable amount of time to digest it before returning here to recharge.
The purpose of the third stop had been achieved: Lin Hai had come to recharge, Peter and Gwen had satisfied their curiosity, and Mary Jane had received an early warning. After a round of wild speculation and discussion, they left the place and headed for the next stop on their trip.
Before you continue