Summer Routine

The time spent traveling slipped away quietly. The fireflies of Missouri, forest adventures, and laughter beneath the stars seemed like only yesterday. After fully relaxing body and mind, the group of four threw themselves back into studying and experimenting during the break with renewed enthusiasm.

Early in the morning, just as the New York sun rose into the sky, Lin Hai had already set off for his master's Chen-Style Chinese Medicine Clinic.

In the clinic's backyard, where the morning mist had yet to disperse, he was performing his daily morning practice. His feet were firmly rooted to the ground, while his arms slowly traced the rounded, flowing movements of Tai Chi. Chen Bing occasionally stood nearby, either nodding slightly in approval or speaking up to correct his posture.

Lin Hai closed his eyes and focused. The emerald Life Force within him circulated with his breathing, blending perfectly with the movements of Tai Chi. Ever since he had overexerted himself during the Green Goblin incident, he had paid greater attention to strengthening his foundation rather than rushing to pursue explosive power.

The latest trip to Missouri had filled him with energy once more, and he needed to integrate that external energy into his body through cultivation.

An emerald glow flickered faintly around him, like tender sprouts emerging in spring, brimming with boundless vitality. Every movement appeared slow, yet carried a strong sense of rhythm. Lin Hai had long learned how to find balance between motion and stillness.

As he moved through each form, his breathing gradually synchronized with the flow of energy within his body. When Lin Hai finally drew his stance to a close, a thin sheen of sweat covered his forehead, yet his eyes were clear and tranquil.

After morning practice, Lin Hai pushed open the door to the medicinal plant shop next to the clinic. The scent of damp soil washed over him. Every plant in the shop had grown exceptionally lush under the nourishment of his Life Force.

At noon, his master would prepare medicinal dishes: black chicken stewed with goji berries, yam and pork rib soup, stir-fried vegetables, and more. Lin Hai often invited Peter or Gwen to join them, and Master Chen's cooking received unanimous praise from everyone.

In the afternoon, sunlight streamed through the glass windows of the medicinal plant shop. Lin Hai had just finished sorting a batch of newly arrived seeds when the shop door was pushed open and Peter poked his head inside.

"Lin Hai! Are we training today?" He pushed up his glasses, his tone excited. Ever since Lin Hai had bailed on their training plan during winter break, Peter had finally achieved his training goal this summer.

"Training, of course. We in Huaxia have an old saying: 'Xi Xi Wu Zhe Wei Jun Jie'—ah, pfft! Wrong channel. It's 'Keep your fists moving, keep your songs singing.'"

"So you should not only train every day during summer break, but continue training every day after school starts too. You can ease up a little then, though, since you will not have as much time."

Lin Hai taught Peter the key to building his body and learning martial arts—persistence.

The two went to the backyard. After Lin Hai demonstrated the moves Peter had already basically mastered several times, he added new material. Peter learned quickly, but he still nearly tripped over himself when turning around.

"Slow down," Lin Hai said, steadying him. "Whether it is Tai Chi or any other Huaxia martial art, they all emphasize harmony between man and nature, or the unity of essence, energy, and spirit. Start slow before going fast—that is the true essence of learning martial arts. Rushing will not help you at all."

Peter nodded and seriously adjusted his breathing. His movements gradually became smoother.

Peter was not exactly dumb—if anything, he was exceptionally smart. After all, not just anyone could be regarded by Tony, Iron Man, as a successor. Peter's learning ability was beyond question; his body simply was not used to this rhythm after so long without regular exercise.

Even during vacation, everyone's days remained very fulfilling. On Mondays and Thursdays, Peter followed Lin Hai in working out and learning some simple martial arts techniques.

Tuesdays and Fridays were Lin Hai and Harry's laboratory days.

Inside the private laboratory at Osborn Tower, Harry frowned at the genetic sequences displayed on the holographic screen. When Lin Hai pushed open the door and entered, Harry did not even look up. "You came at the right time. Take a look at this. There's a strange section of coding in my father's hereditary disease data. It does not look like a natural mutation."

Lin Hai stepped closer and examined it carefully. "It looks like traces of artificial editing, and the technique is relatively primitive."

"The Super-Soldier Program from the thirties and forties of the last century?" Harry raised an eyebrow. The Super-Soldier Program was extremely famous in the Marvel Universe. Nearly anyone with a little status knew something about it, especially since Captain America, who was currently frozen in an iceberg, was a household-name hero.

"Possibly," Lin Hai said thoughtfully. "But your father's illness has already been cured, so this section of coding should not activate again."

Harry let out a breath of relief, then smiled. "No matter what, we should continue researching it. Maybe we can develop more stable gene therapy, or even genetic enhancement technology, so human bodies will no longer be so frail. After that, our journey should be toward the stars and the sea."

Lin Hai gave him a thumbs-up. He deeply agreed with what Harry had said.

Then there were Wednesdays and Saturdays, when Gwen's visits always turned the backyard of the medicinal plant shop into a temporary biological laboratory.

You ask why I did not go to Gwen's house? Then let me ask you this: when a female friend invited you to the home she shared with her police commissioner father, and her father's eyes had evolved into Gatling guns that wanted to riddle you with holes, would you go?

That afternoon, she brought a stack of papers and a box of homemade culture dishes, eagerly showing Lin Hai her latest discovery.

"Look at the growth patterns of these colonies." She pointed at the image beneath the microscope. "They react to your Life Force three times faster than ordinary fungi!"

Lin Hai leaned closer to observe and nodded. "Life Force can indeed accelerate cellular metabolism, but if it is not properly controlled, it could also cause excessive growth or even mutations."

"So we need to find the balance point." Gwen quickly recorded the data on her tablet. "If we can stabilize this effect, we might be able to develop a new kind of biological restoration technology."

The two discussed things fervently until the sun began to set, and only then did Gwen reluctantly put away her equipment. Before leaving, she suddenly asked, "Lin Hai, who else knows about your abilities?"

Alarm bells rang in Lin Hai's mind. Though he did not know why, he paused before answering, "Other than you guys, only Master Chen."

Gwen smiled faintly, looking even happier. "Hehe, that's good. Bye!"

Weekend dinners were one of the group of four's most anticipated activities.

This time, Peter brought Mary Jane along. The five of them sat around a round table at the hot pot restaurant in Chinatown that they often visited. Red chili oil bubbled in the pot, filling the air with a rich aroma.

"Do I... really just dip the meat slices in there for three seconds and eat them?" Mary Jane held a slice of beef so thin it was almost transparent, looking hesitant. Unlike the others, this was her first time trying such a magical thing.

After all, most people in the United States at that time considered anything connected to Huaxia rather magical. Lin Hai's own extraordinary nature had only reinforced that impression for Mary Jane.

"Trust me, it's amazing!" Peter had already skillfully cooked a slice of meat, dipped it in sesame sauce, and happily stuffed it into his mouth.

Mary Jane curiously copied Peter and put the cooked beef into her mouth. Her eyes immediately lit up. "This is amazing! Uh... it's just a little spicy."

Unlike Mary Jane, Gwen had now become especially fond of the spicy broth. Even though her cheeks were flushed from the heat, she could not stop eating. "Hiss, hiss... so good!"

Lin Hai smiled and poured everyone a cup of chilled sour plum juice to cool their mouths. "Next time, I'll take you to try iron-pot stew. That kind of food is great for gatherings too."

Time flowed like water, and in the blink of an eye, the end of summer vacation approached. One evening, the five of them sat on the grass in Central Park, watching the sunset slowly sink between the skyscrapers.

"Tomorrow is the first day back at school," Harry said, stretching lazily. "Second-year students. That sounds much more mature than first-year students."

Peter pushed up his glasses. "I hope the physics competition this semester is not too difficult."

Gwen chuckled. "The physics competition is difficult for you? What was that thing Lin said? Oh! Right—please stop showing off!"

Lin Hai looked toward the distant sky, the corners of his lips curling upward. "No matter what, this summer was very fulfilling."

Mary Jane raised her drink. "To vacation, to friends, and to second-year life at Midtown High School!"

"Cheers!" The five cups clinked together, their crisp sound echoing in the late-summer breeze.