Jiang Xiang steadied his breathing, spent the emotional value he had painstakingly saved up, and exchanged it for two Gold Boxes in the system.
Open the treasure chests!
With a familiar flash of light, the contents of the treasure chests were revealed.
[Item: B-rank fragment] [Item: B-rank fragment]
He drew two fragments in a row. According to the description, ten fragments could be combined into one card.
[Special Incarnation Card-Krillin (childhood)] [Rank: B] [Special effect: Can create one additional incarnation] [Skills: Turtle School martial arts...] [Description: A young monk from Orin Temple. He later became a disciple of Master Roshi, joining Son Goku as a fellow student and undertaking all kinds of studies and training alongside him.]
Jackpot!
A B-rank Special Incarnation Card!
[Incarnation Card-Big Baby] [Rank: C] [Skills: Immense strength, enlargement] [Description: Calabash Brothers, Calabash Brothers, seven gourds upon one vine...]
[Item: C-rank fragment]
[Item: Outer-layer stripping gloves] [Description: From Doraemon's pocket. Touching an object allows its outer layer to be stripped away. Note 1: Whole living organisms cannot be stripped. Note 2: Depending on the durability of the stripped object, the user's luck will be consumed.]
Everything had been revealed.
Not a bad deal. The things he got were fairly suitable.
One B-rank card, one C-rank card, and assorted items.
Now that he had obtained a B-rank card, his next consideration was how B-rank and C-rank differed.
The difference between C-rank and D-rank was whether they had superpowers, so what distinguished B-rank from C-rank?
Jiang Xiang chose to incarnate as Krillin. The clone that appeared was short and bald, with no nose, wearing clothes that resembled a monk's robes.
Jiang Xiang could feel the abundant power within his body and the Kamehameha he could fire at any moment.
Strangely, Jiang Xiang could not sense any difference between this B-rank card and a C-rank card. Perhaps B and C merely classified potential rather than actual strength.
Rather than dwell on it, Jiang Xiang decided to work on his script first.
Jiang Xiang returned home and had the rare pleasure of seeing his maternal grandfather, Andre.
"Did something happen today? Why are you home so early?" Jiang Xiang greeted his grandfather with delight.
Ever since Jiang Xiang had graduated, he had rarely seen his grandfather. He seemed busy with work, though a late-life romance was not out of the question.
"Nothing happened."
"I just think you've been staying home too much. You ought to get out a little." With that, the white-haired Andre took out an invitation and placed it before Jiang Xiang.
"This is an invitation to a yacht party. It lets two people board the yacht for a trip. I think you should consider going." Andre grinned and waggled his eyebrows, as though hinting at something.
"All right, I'll go." Jiang Xiang calmly accepted the invitation.
Jiang Xiang cooked a feast and spent Children's Day with his grandfather and uncle.
In fact...
S.H.I.E.L.D. had been keeping an eye on Jiang Xiang. Not just him, either-Frank was another major focus of its attention.
After all, they had ties to Old Man.
After resolving the last incident, Old Man had essentially cut off contact with S.H.I.E.L.D.
Although Nick Fury had explicitly stated that he had reassigned the agents tasked with surveillance and tailing to repair his relationship with Old Man, if everyone in S.H.I.E.L.D. obeyed him, Hydra would have had no role to play.
The reverse was also true.
If the Hydra leaders within S.H.I.E.L.D. had unified leadership, S.H.I.E.L.D. would not have been able to dilute their ranks either.
Although S.H.I.E.L.D. was watching Jiang Xiang, his grandfather was no pushover, and neither were the various powers in New York. They would never allow S.H.I.E.L.D. to do whatever it pleased.
S.H.I.E.L.D. did not want to expose Jiang Xiang and Old Man so soon, either.
As a result, never mind round-the-clock surveillance-S.H.I.E.L.D. was doing well if it could check on Jiang Xiang's movements a couple of times during the day.
That was also why someone had followed Jiang Xiang when he went out, only to leave soon afterward.
That afternoon.
Jiang Xiang arrived at the school gates to wait for Gwen Stacy.
Gwen Stacy spotted Jiang Xiang from a distance and approached with another girl.
"Gwen, is this your boyfriend?"
Gwen Stacy rolled her eyes at the blonde beside her and introduced him. "This is Jiang Xiang."
Then she turned to Jiang Xiang and said, "This is Linda."
"Hello."
"Hello."
Jiang Xiang gave a reserved smile.
"Gwen, congratulations on winning the chemistry competition trophy."
Midtown High School had abundant educational resources, including all kinds of extracurricular training and academic competitions, ranging from school-level contests to national ones.
When Jiang Xiang had first arrived at a New York high school, he had found it unfamiliar and had no intention of taking part in those activities.
Later, his uncle told him that those activities affected college recommendations and graduation credits.
Jiang Xiang then threw himself into them, earning good results and picking up some emotional value along the way.
If he chose the easygoing approach to education, he would not have to worry about any of that.
Having lived two lives, how could Jiang Xiang fail to understand the importance of knowledge?
There was no way he would believe that nonsense about carefree education.
Linda leaned toward Gwen Stacy. "I'll head off first and stop third-wheeling. Remember to come to next week's summer dance."
Midtown High School's summer party was different this year.
In previous years, they would rent a garden, a swimming pool, or a villa to hold a party or dance.
This year, Midtown High School had hit the jackpot.
Its student council had received a charitable grant from Stark Industries.
This time, they were booking an entire star-rated hotel!
And throwing a lavish banquet!
Gwen Stacy glanced at Jiang Xiang with a smile and said, "I'm not planning to go to the dance."
Linda gave them a puzzled look.
Jiang Xiang smiled. "Gwen and I have other plans."
Jiang Xiang politely said goodbye and prepared to leave with Gwen Stacy, though he could tell she might have wanted to introduce this younger schoolmate to him.
But Jiang Xiang was not interested.
Jiang Xiang did not want to make too many friends. Having too many was troublesome.
Jiang Xiang did not consider himself a good person. He would not feel pity for the miserable plight of some distant stranger, but he could not bear to see someone suffering right before his eyes, especially a friend.
Since he could not bear it, keeping away from crowds and making fewer friends was the better choice.
Although this younger schoolmate showed no signs of being pitiful, Jiang Xiang felt that anyone around Gwen Stacy was very likely to mean trouble.
Gwen Stacy said goodbye and left with Jiang Xiang.
"Now there's only one problem left." Jiang Xiang's expression abruptly turned serious.
"Hm?"
"Have you told Uncle George you're going to spend two wonderful weeks aboard the Tech with me?"
Police Chief George had already been demoted to deputy chief.
After all, the incident Kidd had caused was too serious. Someone had to take responsibility.
And now he would hear that his precious daughter was getting ready to find a boyfriend-the proverbial cow manure for his beautiful flower.
That would only add insult to injury.
Perhaps he would go mad.
Jiang Xiang felt a little guilty at the thought.
"I'll tell Dad right now."
George answered the phone, and father and daughter chatted pleasantly.
Until Gwen Stacy said she was going on a cruise ship with Jiang Xiang to attend a party for two weeks.
Jiang Xiang could clearly sense that George's breathing on the other end had quickened a little and seemed less than steady.
Of course, in the end, under Gwen Stacy's barrage of sweet coaxing, George reluctantly agreed.
With three ground rules.
A video call in the morning.
A video call at noon.
A video call at night.
Before you continue