At the dining table, the atmosphere was as cheerful as ever. Zheng Xian was widely knowledgeable and possessed an extraordinary memory; no matter what topic came up, he could keep pace. He truly was a hero of his generation.
After three rounds of drinks and five flavors of dishes, he picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and, for some reason, started talking about fishing.
No matter the fishing gear or the various techniques, Old Zheng spoke with perfect familiarity, making Su Ming wonder whether he had once been a fisherman somewhere before studying qi cultivation under Zhang Heng.
"Speaking of that, I know an old man." Su Ming took a bite of fish as well. The roe was rich without being greasy, bursting with fresh flavor. "He used to lie curled up in bed every day like he was about to die. But now that he really is close to dying, he's fallen in love with fishing and started enjoying life."
"It's never too late to enjoy life." Old Zheng wiped the sweat from his face. The spicy steam rising from the hotpot had given him a healthy flush, and he smiled. "Like that saying young people have been using online lately—what was it? Life is more than the drudgery before your eyes; there are also beautiful poems and distant horizons?"
Su Ming's heart stirred. This was probably a probe.
Not about crossing the multiverse, though. Zheng Xian had heard that Deathstroke had business off-world, and he wanted a piece of it too.
Of course Su Ming refused. S.H.I.E.L.D. and S.P.E.A.R. only needed to protect Earth—that had been the Brotherhood of the Shield's original purpose. What, did he want an alien bicycle too?
Deathstroke answered without missing a beat:
"The distant horizon is about the same as