The next morning, in the safe house, the three of them ate breakfast separately.
Fried eggs, toast, milk, and a plate of bacon that Chen Mo described as "edible but not recommended."
Allen sat across the table, looking somewhat resentful.
"I think it's alright, at least it's not burnt."
"Dude, are you only asking that breakfast not kill you?" Chen Mo took a bite of toast, picked up the remote, and turned the TV volume up a bit.
The news is playing on TV.
The scene begins with the city's night sky, then cuts to several videos taken by passersby. Under the dark clouds, a huge red beam of light streaks across the distance.
"Last night, residents in many areas captured images of unusual red beams of light. The meteorological department has preliminarily determined that this may be related to upper-level ionospheric activity and refraction from unusual cloud formations. Citizens are advised not to panic."
Chen Mo turned the TV volume up a bit more.
Allen looked at the TV, then glanced at him.
"Is this also weather?"
"Yes, Homelander Weather." Chen Mo put down his toast and nodded seriously. "When some people are in a bad mood, the sky tends to turn red, which is quite reasonable."
Mia sat beside him, holding the blue-headed, goofy cat. She no longer wore the little crown, but she still clung to the cat. She watched TV, then turned to look at Chen Mo.
Why are you happy?
Chen Mo was taken aback.
He looked at the mirror on the wall. In the mirror, the man the Batman Who Laughs, his back teeth almost visible.
Chen Mo paused for two seconds, then reached out and ruffled Mia's hair.
"Children shouldn't imitate this expression; it might get them rejected by kindergarten."
Mia blinked, not understanding, but still obediently nodded.
Looking at him like that, Allen felt a strange chill run down his spine.
"So, what exactly is this red light?"
"This giant baby has finally started working out." Chen Mo picked up his milk and took a sip, his tone casual. "And it looks pretty good; he must have been firing off quite a few shots last night."
Upon hearing this, Allen's lips twitched.
Although he didn't know who the giant baby was, the fact that Chen Mo was laughing like that probably meant something bad was going to happen.
The television screen then switched to another interview.
A passerby stood on the street, describing with a terrified expression that when the red light swept across the horizon last night, the nearby mountains lit up for a moment. The official captions quickly drowned out his voice and continued to emphasize the unusual weather.
Chen Mo found it even more amusing.
"This press release is well-written; they even mentioned unusual weather. Next Homelander sneezes in the sky, will they also say it's localized rainfall?"
Allen paused for a moment, his hand holding the fork still.
Homelander?
Chen Mo turned her head to look at him.
Allen immediately sat up straight and made a surrender gesture.
"I didn't ask anything."
"You're so sensible." Chen Mo finished the remaining half glass of milk, stood up, and pushed his chair further in. "You two, don't go out unnecessarily lately, especially avoid crowded places."
Allen frowned.
"Uh, something bad is going to happen?"
"Not necessarily." Chen Mo walked to the door and picked up his coat. "But who can say for sure about a blond guy with mental illness who just had a stimulant injection?"
Mia looked up at the window.
Seeing this, Chen Mo reached out and gently tapped her forehead.
"You too, stay home as much as possible these days, and be a good girl and stay home with Allen."
Mia hugged the silly cat tightly and nodded seriously.
"Um."
As Allen watched him prepare to leave, he couldn't help but ask, "Where are you going?"
Chen Mo opened the door, turned around, and smiled.
"Work."
In the top-floor office of the Vought Tower, Edgar was already waiting behind his desk.
He was wearing a well-tailored dark suit, with several documents in front of him and an untouched cup of coffee beside him.
When Chen Mo pushed open the door and came in, he sat directly on the sofa.
"Good morning, even big capitalists have to get up early for work?"
Edgar raised his eyes, his tone calm.
Good morning, sir. You seem to be in a good mood.
"I'm in a good mood because we got a new punching bag at the gym." Chen Mo leaned back on the sofa, casually picked up a file from the table and flipped through it. "How are things going on Carnival Island?"
Edgar pushed one of the documents in front of him.
"The list has been finalized. A total of 173 Superman have been invited, including 28 medium- to high-risk targets and 41 targets with special abilities that are valuable as samples."
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow.
"The menu is quite extensive."
"All security personnel have been removed; only these Superman are on site," Edgar continued. "The flight route has been applied for, and all preparations are complete."
Chen Mo flipped to the page with the contingency plan and glanced at it.
"Yes, remember to evacuate the workers. It wouldn't be good if too many people got hurt in the ensuing fight."
Edgar nodded. "Of course."
Chen Mo flipped through two more pages, looking at what the event described about relieving Superman stress, giving back to society, and creating a healthier ecosystem for heroes.
"You guys are really good at writing epitaphs," Chen Mo couldn't help but chuckle. "Even the dead would feel like they left with great social value."
Edgar smiled and replied.
"Sir, from a public relations perspective, a positive narrative helps reduce subsequent public opinion costs."
Chen Mo tossed the file back onto the table.
"Okay, let's proceed as planned."
Edgar nodded slightly.
"The first group of people will board the plane at 9:00 AM tomorrow. Carnival Island will officially open at 11:30 AM. Communication on the island will be under control after their arrival, and all external signals will be relayed by the Vought server."
"Not bad." Chen Mo looked out the window. "What about Homelander's side?"
Edgar paused for a moment.
"In fact, sir, Homelander is not on the official list."
"Add him too," Chen Mo said, "Send him an invitation as well."
Edgar raised his eyes.
"Sir, Homelander appears to have completed his enhancement last night. Judging from energy readings from multiple locations, his Heat Vision output power is unprecedented, and his physical indicators are unconfirmed. This could be very dangerous."
Chen Mo smiled.
"This is what I wanted."
Edgar's tone remained calm. "If he loses control on the island or engages in battle with you, it could affect your efficiency in recovering other samples."
"I don't care. With such a feast, who cares about those small fry?" Chen Mo leaned back lazily. "If I beat up V1's Homelander and eat him, I can level up."
Upon hearing this, Edgar remained silent for half a second.
"Risks still exist."
"No, Old Ai, why don't you ask that Homelander if he's afraid of me?" Chen Mo tilted his head to look at him, smiling casually. "He tried all night last night, probably not to increase the workload for the meteorological bureau."
Edgar looked at him.
You believe he will take the initiative to contact you.
"It's only a matter of time," Chen Mo said. "A giant baby whose divine position has been usurped, suddenly given a new toy, will suffocate if he doesn't show it to others."
The office was quiet for a moment.
Edgar looked down and edited the list on his tablet.
"I will have the public relations department extend an invitation to him as a core member of the Seven, and at the same time arrange media coverage to ensure that he cannot refuse in terms of public opinion."
"Don't be too obvious," Chen Mo reminded him. "He's as sensitive as a cat whose tail has been stepped on right now; pushing him too hard will make him explode."
Edgar calmly replied, "I will send the invitation in Madelyn's name."
Chen Mo paused for a moment.
"Huh?"
"Sir, this is the safest way."
"Okay." Chen Mo waved his hand with a smile, "Leave the professional matters to the professionals. I trust you to handle things."
Edgar didn't respond, but simply confirmed the last arrangement.
A few seconds later, he looked up.
" The Carnival Island Plan will officially begin tomorrow morning."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a commotion broke out outside the office.
First came gasps from the direction of the elevator lobby, followed by faint screams coming from the plaza below. Someone was calling out Homelander's name, the voices rising in layers, quickly drowned out by more excited shouts.
Chen Mo turned to look at the floor-to-ceiling window.
In the distance, a figure draped in a Stars and Stripes cape was flying towards Vought Tower. Sunlight fell on him, making his red and blue uniform dazzlingly bright.
The confident, invincible Homelander have returned.
Chen Mo looked out the window, a slow smile spreading across his face.
"You arrived pretty quickly."