Xu Xialing
Although JARVIS was merely an artificial intelligence program, it was now speaking with conviction about justice, and its words stirred something in the siblings' hearts.
Shang-Chi had always been simple-minded. After hearing what JARVIS said, he stopped dwelling on everything the AI had done and put it out of his mind.
As for Xu Xialing, although those words made her blood surge, she also felt a faint sense of reproach and resentment toward Li Qi. Through their conversation with JARVIS, the two had learned that Li Qi was the one truly in charge of both the villa and Stark Industries.
So Xu Xialing strode firmly toward the door and said to her brother and JARVIS, "I'll go meet Mr. Li Qi and ask him what we should do next. As for you, Brother, stay here and keep those two beauties company."
After hearing that, Shang-Chi inwardly groaned. This is bad. Sure enough, my sister found out about those embarrassing things I did. He offered no further argument, silently stood up, and prepared to return to his room for some time alone.
JARVIS did not try to stop Xu Xialing from seeking out its master. Having finished speaking, it quietly fell silent.
After the siblings left the enormous room one after the other, Xu Xialing headed straight for the basement.
At that moment, Li Qi was still in the basement, fully absorbed in manufacturing the mech and its related components, while JARVIS assisted with production and assembly. The place was bustling with activity.
Construction of the mech was roughly one-third complete. Once the core energy output unit was assembled, half the work would be done.
Xu Xialing reached the basement entrance, only to discover that she could not get in at all. Without the villa owner's permission, nothing she tried worked. JARVIS had already reported to its master that Xu Xialing was outside looking for the entrance.
Li Qi finally took a brief break from his busy work. He looked at the surveillance feed on the wall and saw a slender young woman lingering at the basement entrance. She wore a black uniform and had neat, short hair, with features as exquisite as finely carved jade. Looking at her face, Li Qi realized that the young woman before him was far prettier than the character he remembered from the Marvel movies.
Li Qi still remembered Xu Xialing's character in the Marvel movies. There really was little to praise: she was neither pretty nor well-proportioned.
The Xu Xialing before him, however, had a typically East Asian face, a slender figure, and a brisk, capable air. Every movement displayed the charm of an Eastern beauty, instantly piquing Li Qi's interest. To him, this was what a charming young woman who knew kung fu should look like. He therefore instructed JARVIS to let her in.
Seeing the glass door before her slowly open, Xu Xialing cautiously descended the stairs. The passage was brightly lit, and the underground space was extremely spacious, much larger than the villa above.
She continued down to the second basement level, where Li Qi stood at the passage entrance with two cups of coffee in his hands, watching with interest as she slowly descended the stairs. Smiling, he offered her a cup and said, "You've been wandering around my house for quite a while, miss. You must be thirsty. Have some coffee to wet your throat first. Dinner will be ready shortly."
Seeing a man with East Asian features like her own, Xu Xialing paused slightly. This must be the master JARVIS mentioned. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, then walked over with an affected air of coldness, doing her best to keep her face expressionless.
She accepted the coffee Li Qi offered and took a small sip. It was just the right temperature, leaving a lingering aroma in her mouth, and the beans had been ground extremely fine.
Li Qi stepped aside at the doorway and invited Xu Xialing inside to talk. Only then did she see how vast the room was. A particle accelerator, all sorts of advanced industrial equipment, and an array of finished components and specialized equipment left her staring in astonishment. She could not help wondering, What exactly are all these things used for?
Considering that Xu Xialing's considerable kung fu skills might be useful to him, Li Qi used the supernatural ability that came with his system-mind control. Although Xu Xialing was physically superior to ordinary people, she quickly fell under Li Qi's powerful mental control. He read her memories and confirmed that she possessed no special abilities; she was purely a kung fu expert.
Li Qi considered how Xu Xialing could be useful. In terms of fighting and kung fu, she was undoubtedly an excellent candidate for a bodyguard. He already intended to send Daisy Johnson to S.H.I.E.L.D. for a period of training first, while Xu Xialing could stay by his side for now as his bodyguard. As for her underground fighting arena elsewhere, she could manage it entirely from a distance. Having made up his mind, he hesitated no further.
Then JARVIS informed its master that Daisy Johnson had finished preparing dinner. Upon hearing this, Li Qi stretched. After several hours of busy work, he really was feeling a little hungry.
He therefore beckoned Xu Xialing to leave the basement with him and headed up the stairs. On the way to the dining room, he asked JARVIS to notify Shang-Chi and Katy to come eat.
When they reached the dining room, Daisy Johnson was already waiting there. Seeing her master approach, she hurried forward and guided him to the head of the table.
Before long, Shang-Chi arrived, holding the hand of a still somewhat sleepy Katy. When he saw Xu Xialing standing quietly and obediently beside Li Qi, he paused slightly. He had not expected his usually defiant sister to stand so meekly at Li Qi's side. Instinctively, he felt that something was odd, but he did not look into it, merely assuming that his sister had developed a liking for Mr. Li Qi.
Katy yawned, then saw the table covered with delicious food. She instantly snapped out of her drowsiness, her eyes widening. After sitting down and thanking Li Qi, she began to dig in.
Seeing this, Li Qi smiled faintly and invited everyone else to join the meal.