Lin Xiao has been at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, LCU (Intensive Care Unit), for a week Japan, and he couldn't be happier. Now he has many people taking care of him, and he doesn't have to lift a finger. It's like he's living the life of a king. Right now, a nurse is feeding him oranges.
To be honest, this nurse's hands are really soft.
What was her name again— Maria? No, Mariana? Never mind, the name doesn't matter. What matters is that her orange-peeling technique was incredibly professional; she could remove every last bit of the white pith from each segment and then respectfully offer it to his lips.
Lin Xiao lay on the hospital bed, opened his mouth to catch the twenty-fifth segment of orange, chewed it twice, and nodded in satisfaction.
This is life. No fighting, no going to work, no being tossed around like a sack by the Hulk, just lying around eating oranges and watching SpongeBob SquarePants every day, with a nine-point nurse to take care of him. He was even seriously considering whether to pretend for another month, since Thaddeus Ross wouldn't storm into the LCU to arrest him anyway. Just as Lin Xiao was enjoying himself, a news report came on TV.
Stark Industries announced today that pre-orders for its latest "Agent Jetpack" have surpassed 30,000 units, with order backlogs extending to 2012. The product has garnered significant attention due to the heroic actions of a mysterious agent during a battle against an unknown creature at Culver University.
Lin Xiao stopped chewing the orange.
On the television screen, Tony Stark's flamboyant face was directly facing the camera, speaking eloquently, with a huge product poster behind him. The poster featured a blurry figure flying in mid-air—although the face was blurred, Lin Xiao recognized it immediately. S.H.I.E.L.D.., in an effort to quell the controversy, demanded Tony delete the video. Tony outwardly agreed, but he pulled a fast one: he blurred his image and identity. "If I blur it, how can you tell who's who?"
Below is a bolded slogan. "The dream of flight, only $500,000. The same style as that of secret agents, you deserve it."
"Five, ten, ten thousand, Dao Le?" Lin Xiao read out each word carefully, his voice unusually calm.
"Yes," the nurse said excitedly while peeling an orange, " Mr. Stark used your image as a spokesperson. Now all of New York knows you're a flying hero. If you hadn't come to our hospital, I wouldn't even know what you look like. My cousin on Long Island ordered one too, saying she wants to fly like you."
Lin Xiao did not answer the question.
He did some mental math. Thirty thousand units. Five hundred thousand per unit. Thirty thousand multiplied by five hundred thousand is how much is that? -- 1.5 billion US dollars. He was too lazy to calculate the net profit, but even if it was only ten percent, that would still be 150 million. And Tony Stark, that bastard in the metal suit, didn't even give him a single penny.
"Sir? You don't look well. Is your chest hurting again?" The nurse put down the orange and reached out to touch his forehead.
Lin Xiao abruptly threw off the covers.
"It doesn't hurt anymore."
"But you just said—"
"I'm all better." Lin Xiao sat up in bed, his movements so nimble that he didn't look like a "seriously injured person" at all. He took out his wallet and ID from the bedside table drawer and stuffed them all into his canvas bag.
The young nurse panicked. She stood up and blocked the bed, clutching the hem of her nurse's uniform with both hands, her eyes visibly reddening.
"Mr. Lin, you can't leave! Your test results aren't back yet, and the attending physician said you still need—"
"Did the doctor mention that I need a share of the endorsement fee?" Lin Xiao asked without looking up.
"... I never said that."
"Then I'm completely cured."
Lin Xiao slung his canvas bag over his shoulder and strode towards the door. He paused as he passed the nurse. She was truly beautiful, with the honey-colored skin typical of Latinos, deep brown eyes, and long, curled eyelashes. Right now, her eyes were glistening with tears, making her look both pitiful and aggrieved.
Lin Xiao sighed.
He pulled a ballpoint pen from his pocket—he didn't know where he'd gotten it from—and took the nurse's hand, writing a string of numbers in her palm.
"This is my personal cell phone number," he lowered his voice, his tone suddenly becoming extremely gentle, "Don't tell anyone. Call me after you get off work, and I'll treat you to dinner—no, I'll treat you to oranges. I'll peel them for you."
The young nurse looked down at the crooked numbers in her palm, then looked up at Lin Xiao's face. Her eyes were still wet with tears, but the corners of her mouth were already turned up. She nodded vigorously.
Lin Xiao kept a final thought in his heart about the nine-out-of-ten nurse, then pushed open the LCU door and strode into the corridor.
In the corridor, Captain Ralph was leaning against the wall drinking coffee. The moment he saw Lin Xiao walk out, his coffee cup fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
" Lin Xiao? You--"
" Captain Ralph, thank you for taking care of me these past few days." Lin Xiao patted him on the shoulder. "Go back and tell General Ross that I'm healed and discharged from the hospital. No need to see me off."
"But... but the general said—"
"What the general says is none of my business. I'm not under his jurisdiction." Lin Xiao didn't stop walking, waving his hand behind him as he went.
Ralph stood there, watching Lin Xiao's figure disappear into the elevator doors. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, finally managing to squeeze out a single sentence through gritted teeth. "... He said he's completely healed. Yesterday he said he was about to die and had the nurse rub his stomach for ages."
Second Lieutenant Miller silently picked up the coffee cup from the ground and said in a tone that suggested he had seen through it all along, "I told you, this guy is a monster."
Before the elevator doors closed, Lin Xiao saw a person still standing at the end of the corridor.
Maria Hill.
The deputy director of S.H.I.E.L.D.. was standing next to the nurses' station, holding a briefcase, watching him with an extremely subtle gaze. That gaze contained surprise, scrutiny, and a barely perceptible hint of gratitude—perhaps only noticeable upon close inspection?
Lin Xiao grinned at her, revealing two rows of big white teeth, and gave her an OK sign.
The elevator doors closed.
Hill stood there, watching the elevator floor numbers drop. Then she turned around and said in a voice only she could hear, "Finally out of the hospital. I'll have to get Fury to give me a raise when I get back."
In a corner where no one could see, the corner of her mouth curled up very subtly.
As Lin Xiao walked out of the hospital's main entrance, the sun was shining brightly. Lin Xiao slung his canvas bag over his shoulder, ready to find a secluded spot to take off, when he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure across the street.
plum.
She stood across the street from the hospital entrance, wearing a beige trench coat, her hair slightly disheveled by the wind, carrying an insulated bag. She just stood there, neither moving forward nor backward, staring straight at him. Her eyes were red, clearly from crying, but she tried her best to maintain a calm expression.
Lin Xiao paused for a moment.
He strode over. Mei saw him approaching, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but nothing came out. She tried to take a step forward, but her feet seemed rooted to the ground. Only when Lin Xiao got closer did he notice the dark circles under her eyes, which were several shades darker than usual.
Lin Xiao was heartbroken. "Mei, didn't I tell you I was fine? I'd be back in a few days... Why are you like this..."
Mei didn't respond. She shoved the insulated bag into his arms, her voice muffled. "Century egg and lean pork congee, just made today. I've been worried you haven't been eating or resting well these past few days, so I've come every day. I didn't want to bother you, so I didn't tell you, but the soldiers won't let me into the LCU, but I'm still worried... I just want to see you with my own eyes."
Lin Xiao looked down at the insulated bag in his arms, then looked up at Mei. The only thing Mei wanted to do these past few days was to bring him a bowl of hot porridge. As a result, she had been running around for several days, and the porridge had gone cold bowl after bowl. She hadn't even gone inside the door. She didn't dare tell Lin Xiao because she was afraid he would worry.
"Mei." Lin Xiao put the insulated bag aside, his voice trembling, and reached out to take her hand.
Mei pulled her hand back and turned her face away from him.
"Where's your scientist girlfriend? Didn't she come to pick you up?" Her voice was unusually low. "One of the soldiers inside said so. She's a professor at Culver University, quite good-looking. She's younger than me, more educated than me, and has a PhD. I'm just a nurse, I've worked at a community hospital most of my life—"
Lin Xiao didn't let her finish speaking.
He grabbed Mei by the waist and hoisted her onto his shoulder.
Mei let out a short scream and patted his back several times, " Lin Xiao! Put me down! In the street! What are you doing!"
Lin Xiao ignored her. He carried Mei on his back in one hand and a thermal bag and canvas bag in the other, striding towards the parking lot. The Mexico at the street hot dog stand saw this and dropped his tongs onto the griddle, his mouth agape enough to fit a whole hot dog.
Lin Xiao carried Mei's crutch and rushed to the underground parking garage. He found the black minivan at the back, looked around, and gently opened the door with a punch.
An hour and a half later, the car windows were covered with a thick layer of fog. Mei leaned back in her seat, her hair loose over her shoulders, her cheeks still flushed. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her voice hoarse.
Don't think that I'll forgive you just because of this.
"I just wanted you to know, they're all still here."
"I did not mean that--"
After a while, Mei finally calmed down. She buried her face in Lin Xiao's chest and mumbled, "I won't ask about the scientists' affairs anymore."
Before Lin Xiao could speak, she added, "Anyway, there will be plenty of opportunities to ask later."
Lin Xiao decided it was best to keep quiet at this point and quickly changed the subject. "How Peter Lin Xiao these past few days?"
Mei's body visibly stiffened.
"... He doesn't know you're back, because he hasn't been home for the past few nights."
"Didn't he go home?" Lin Xiao frowned and sat up straight. "Then where did he go?"
"I'm staying at Mr. Tony's house."
Lin Xiao's expression froze.
" Tony Stark? Peter has been staying with him these past few days?"
"Hmm." May lifted her head from his chest, her expression somewhat helpless. "Mr. Tony said he was responsible for taking care of Peter while you were away, so he sent Happy to pick him up from school every morning and take him straight to Stark Tower after school, saying he'd give him a lesson."
"They kidnapped my nephew, sold my name, and didn't give me a single penny." Lin Xiao repeated each word carefully, his voice unusually calm.
But Mei knew that whenever Lin Xiao spoke like that, it meant someone was about to be in trouble. After some time, Lin Xiao changed the subject and decided to ask something else.
"By the way, did you know that Peter and Ned sometimes go out to do other things at night?"
Mei remained silent for a long while, then nodded and said in an extremely complicated tone, "They will go out. At first, I disagreed, but later he said it was you who made him do it, so I didn't stop him. But they will force those criminals to recite the Eight Honors and Eight Disgraces."
Lin Xiao paused for a moment, then a smile curved his lips.
The laughter surged from deep within his chest, low and hearty, making his shoulders shake. Mei looked at him, bewildered, and asked what he was laughing at, but he wouldn't answer. He simply pulled Mei back into his arms and kissed her face several times, leaving her face covered in spittle. She pushed him away in disgust, but then leaned in to straighten his collar.
" Lin Xiao, are you crazy?!"
"I'm not crazy. I just discovered something really interesting." Lin Xiao released Mei, his smile widening. "They actually used the teaching materials I left behind. Good nephew, you're reliable."
Lin Xiao leaned back in his chair, narrowed his eyes, and began to mentally calculate. Before he left, he suggested that Peter and Gwen Stacy form a team, with Ned taking care of logistics. The trio seemed to be operating quite smoothly. Gwen Stacy had Spider-Sense, Peter had the Fool's Stand; one could scout and the other could control the situation. Now that they had worked together for so long, it was time for them to officially debut.
He'd been in the hospital for so long, accumulating a bellyful of anger and a bellyful of ideas. Tony had made so many billions of dollars off him; wasn't it only natural that he'd ask him for some "team-building" fees? And that old bastard Wenwu, who'd been running rampant in Afghanistan for so many years—shouldn't he be the first one to be dealt with?
"Plum."
"Um?"
"Do you remember that team I mentioned to you before? You know, the superhero team? Now that Peter and Gwen Stacy are capable of standing on their own, it's time to form it."
Mei blinked, trying hard to recall, "You said... you said you wanted to form a team someday, what would it be called—a superhero idol group?"
"A superhero team," Lin Xiao corrected, his expression suddenly becoming very serious. "Public relations, legal, marketing, sponsors, equipment, logistics, miscellaneous tasks, assistant— Tony. Financial management—you. Legal representative— Tony. Leader—" He pointed to himself, "Me."
Mei opened her mouth, a look of amusement and exasperation on her face. "You want Mr. Tony to provide the money, manpower, and resources, while you become the leader? Do you think he'll agree to that?"
"It's no use if he doesn't agree," Lin Xiao said confidently.
Seeing his confident demeanor, Mei finally couldn't help but laugh. She gently patted Lin Xiao's face, her tone tinged with a resigned helplessness. "You—I can't control you anyway. But what's a legal representative? Why are you happy that Mr. Tony is the legal representative?"
"The legal representative is the one who takes the blame when things go wrong."
May fell silent, silently making the sign of the cross for Mr. Tony.
Lin Xiao didn't say anything more. He hugged Mei tighter, already having envisioned his new image, his " Homelander's " entrance look. Wearing sunglasses, activating his Laser Eyes, standing tall in the sky, arms crossed, facing the rising sun and saying, "I don't eat beef"—just thinking about it was exhilarating.