Teleportation

Zhang Xuan didn't know how he had made it back to his new home. His mind was a fog, a haze. He lay on the sofa, eyes unfocused, staring blankly ahead as countless scenes spun through his head—some his own, some Alex's.

In his past life, Zhang Xuan had been one of the most widespread shut-ins on Earth. The only thing that set him apart was that he was also an Ability User, one with the power of Teleportation.

Relying on his Teleportation ability, Zhang Xuan feared no one discovering him. He did many things—like bringing back artifacts belonging to China from the British Museum, or going to Japan to burn down Yasukuni Shrine.

Eventually, Zhang Xuan provoked someone he shouldn't have. He was surrounded and hunted. His Teleportation was blocked by a special device his enemies used. He had no way to escape, and in the end, his physical body was completely destroyed.

But what Zhang Xuan couldn't understand was how he had ended up traveling through time to 1940—and not just any 1940, but the 1940 of the Marvel Universe.

"Right, my ability!" Zhang Xuan, still baffled, suddenly stood up from the sofa. Three days ago, he had tried to use Teleportation but failed, falling into a coma that lasted three days. Today had been a whirlwind of activity, and he hadn't had a chance to try again. Now that he had a moment, he had to test it. The Marvel Universe wasn't the real world—it was full of powerful people. Having a life-saving skill was essential.

But with the experience of his first attempt fresh in mind, Zhang Xuan didn't rush in recklessly. He had no desire to relive that drill-through-the-skull pain. So instead of attempting a long-distance teleport, he set his target within the room.

Zhang Xuan fixed his gaze on a cabinet a meter away, his mind racing. A sharp, needle-like pain stabbed through his head, making sweat bead on his forehead. He didn't stop. He knew this was a necessary part of the Teleportation process—only by gradually adapting would the stabbing pain fade.

Suddenly, the needle-like pain vanished. Zhang Xuan found himself standing in front of the cabinet, less than a centimeter away!

"It worked!" A hint of excitement surged through Zhang Xuan, and a faint smile unconsciously spread across his face. After a moment's thought, he understood.

Teleportation wasn't a Mutant Ability. It was a special power innate to Zhang Xuan, etched into his soul. And since Zhang Xuan had crossed into this world as a soul, his soul intact, the Teleportation ability naturally hadn't disappeared. Moreover, because his soul was whole, the experience from his past life greatly accelerated his re-cultivation of Teleportation.

That night, Zhang Xuan didn't sleep. He devoted himself entirely to training his Teleportation. With over a decade of experience from his past life, he quickly grasped the knack of it. His Teleportation largely recovered to its former level—no need for any photos, just a thought to reach any place.

The only drawback was that, perhaps due to the time travel, his Psionic Power had been greatly weakened. It wasn't as strong as before, limiting both the distance and intensity of his Teleportation. For now, the farthest he could teleport was a kilometer, and he could only do it once every three minutes, or his soul couldn't bear it.

By the time the sky was fully bright, Zhang Xuan used Teleportation again. He reappeared in the movie theater from last night. The morning theater was empty, not a soul in sight. The large screen had been rolled up, revealing the red stage beneath. He turned to look around, a slight smile curling at the corner of his mouth. Then he vanished from the spot, reappearing in his new home.

Filled with excitement, Zhang Xuan lay down on the bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.

When Zhang Xuan was woken by a crisp knock at the door, the sun outside the window had already climbed high. Sunlight streamed through the glass, striking his chest with an intense heat. Summer sun was truly harsh.

"Alex, time to get up!"

Hearing Bucky's shout from outside the door, Zhang Xuan sprang up from the bed. He glanced out the window and said in a low voice, "Marvel Universe, I'm here. Superheroes, I'm coming!"

After a quick tidy-up, Zhang Xuan vanished from the room and reappeared by the door. He smoothed out his slightly wrinkled clothes, pulled the door open, and looked at Steve and Bucky standing outside. A faint smile bloomed on his face. "Good morning, Steve, Bucky!"

"It's almost afternoon now!" Bucky clicked his tongue and exclaimed, "Alex, you didn't sleep all the way till now, did you?"

Alex shrugged, looking completely unbothered. "I was too tired yesterday. Cleaned all afternoon, then stayed up late having fun. I'm still sleepy!" As he spoke, Zhang Xuan let out a big yawn.

"Alex, you just got better. You need to rest." Steve looked Alex up and down, his face full of concern as he warned him.

Zhang Xuan knew his own body well. Three days ago, the beating he'd taken wasn't that serious. The coma had been entirely caused by recklessly using Teleportation with insufficient Psionic Power. After three days of sleep, he was already fine.

Still, Steve was just looking out for him. Zhang Xuan thanked him and welcomed the two inside. "Make yourselves at home. What brings you two to see me?"

"The Stark Expo. You didn't forget, did you?" Bucky leaned back on the sofa, tilting his head to look at Zhang Xuan, who was getting water. "It starts tonight. We need to head over now, or we'll miss out on good spots."

Zhang Xuan nodded. "I remember. But do we really need to go this early?" He had originally planned to spend the afternoon writing down some classic movie stories from his past life and selling them to Hollywood to make money. He still remembered he owed Steve money!

"Of course we need to go early. You have no idea—the Stark Expo is packed every year. If you're late, you won't see anything." Bucky said seriously, as if afraid Zhang Xuan wouldn't believe him.

Zhang Xuan hesitated. All the high-end designs showcased at the Stark Expo seemed very primitive to him, so he had no interest in attending. But he couldn't refuse Bucky's invitation. Just as he was wavering, a thought struck him. He remembered something Bucky had mentioned yesterday. "Bucky, is Vivien Leigh really coming to the Expo?"

"Of course! The posters are already up!" Bucky sat up straight, a gleeful smile on his face, speaking excitedly.

"Alright, let's go now!" Zhang Xuan nodded with a smile, already scheming in his mind about how to approach Vivien Leigh at the Expo. Writing the stories wasn't necessary—telling them directly to Vivien Leigh might work even better.

PS: I'm really helpless with the formatting issue. I edited Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 the same way. Why did Chapter 2 turn out fine, but Chapter 1 is still the same? Why?