Night fell.
On the bright, crowded street, a young woman stood at the curb—slender, curvy, light-wash pencil jeans paired with a fitted tee, a clean, fresh look. It was the Invisible Woman, Sue Storm.
Not far away, a black car idled beside the curb. Inside sat Mr. Fantastic, Reed Richards. Staring at the beautiful Sue, Reed felt a surge of jealousy. I was finally about to smooth things over with her, and now this punk shows up. If he lays a hand on Sue, I'll make him regret it.
A jet-black supercar slid toward the curb, lines sleek, paint swallowing the city's glow—like a predator in the dark. It was the Bugatti La Voiture Noire. The fabled one-off drew every eye on the street, Sue's included.
"Wait—wasn't there only one of those in the world?"
"How is it here? Whose car is that?"
The window lowered. Maguire's roguish face appeared, the same signature black suit—now perfectly matched to the Noire's menace.
Maguire looked at the radiant Sue. "Hop in. Dinner's on me."
Sue glanced toward where Reed was lurking, then smiled and slipped into the car. She'd dressed this nicely so Reed would see—yet she didn't realize Maguire wasn't anyone's obedient "tool."
Eyeing her long legs as she settled in, Maguire said lightly, "A beauty like you must get this kind of attention all the time."
Sue answered with a small smile.
Maguire went on, mock-serious. "I'm not sure what you're hinting at, Miss Sue. Honestly, I don't even keep track of whether I have money—money doesn't mean anything to me. It doesn't make me happy. I was happiest when I worked part-time at a burger joint."
"You're funny, Mr. Maguire," Sue said, amused.
Down the block, Reed saw Sue climb into Maguire's car, his expression darkening. This kid is no good. I'd better follow—no way I'm letting Sue get hurt. He pulled out and tailed them.
Maguire parked in front of a Chinese restaurant. "Didn't have you pegged as a fan of Chinese food, Miss Sue."
Sue grinned. "I love it. It's delicious, and surprisingly refined."
They sat. A young waiter with a Chinese face approached. "What can I get you?" he asked—in English.
Maguire replied in fluent Mandarin, with a hint of Beijing lilt. "What are your signature dishes?"
Hearing proper Mandarin, the waiter blinked, then answered in kind. "Sir, your Mandarin is excellent. Did you study in China?"
Across from him, Sue stared. "Mr. Maguire, was that Chinese? You speak Chinese too? That's amazing."
Maguire nodded with a smile and ordered several house specialties. Being Chinese, he knew exactly which dishes would suit a Western palate. Each one made Sue glow with praise; if she weren't still a bit reserved around him, she would have dug in with abandon.
A shadow flickered past the restaurant window—Reed, peeking in.
Sue had already noticed. Hmph. You flirt with other women, Reed? Watch me drive you crazy. She turned back to Maguire. "I don't just love Chinese food. I also love baijiu. Think you can handle it?"
Sue's mind was already working. Before the cosmic rays, my limit was one bottle of strong baijiu. After the accident? Three bottles, easy. I'll drink him under the table, drag him to a hotel, and make Reed furious.
To her, Maguire was just a tool—rich, convenient, someone to get drunk and make a scene.
"Of course," Maguire said with an easy smile. "No problem."
Sue signaled the waiter. "Please bring a few bottles of your strongest Moutai. That's my favorite." Then to Maguire: "You don't mind, do you?"
"Not at all," he said, still smiling—while thinking something very different.
Six bottles of Moutai arrived. They drank cup after cup until both faces flushed. Bottles dwindled.
Sue eyed him, surprised. Didn't expect his tolerance to be this high. What if I can't outdrink him?
Maguire swayed, playing it up. "I'm at my limit, Miss Sue. Your tolerance is something else—I can usually only do a jin and a half, and we've already done two."
(One and a half jin ≈ 750 ml; two jin ≈ 1 liter.)
Sue's heart leapt. By my test I can do three bottles now; he's about to fold.
Once he's drunk, I'll have my fun, then dump him on the street.
She still thought she was "doing the public a favor"—unaware she had already fallen into the palm of evil.
(Ik... Least Chinese chapter ever)
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