Chapter 2819 - Ch: 31-40

Chapter 31: Homelander Tops Social Media Trends • The Return of the Fantastic Four

The next day.

YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter...

On North America's largest social media platforms, terms related to Homelander all topped the trending searches.

Among them, discussions about The Seven from the comic books were the loudest, followed by scandals and the movie.

Views on related topics surpassed one billion on that very day, with comments exceeding one million.

Now, people were no longer discussing which superhero was better, but rather which superhero would join The Seven.

Among them, Iron Man had the highest demand.

There were even Mutants.

Li Zuguo could be said to have reaped a massive harvest, with his popularity points leaping past the thirty million mark.

His fanatical fans had also grown to over two million.

Vought had also eaten its fill.

With the backing of Stark Industries, Vought developed rapidly and could already be called the number one media giant.

Who was the boss of Vought?

Homelander!

The current Vought had already begun to gradually break away from Stark Industries' support.

Those public opinions on the surface seemed a bit unsurprising.

The ones with the biggest reaction should be Congress and the powerful elites ruling behind the scenes.

They usually wouldn't show their faces personally, but would let their 'gloves' do it, even forcing the White Houseto hold Homelander legally accountable and responsible.

Because Homelander himself had already impacted their status; many of their dark gloves had been wiped out by Homelander, and now he actually wanted to form a team.

This was absolutely not what those powerful elites wanted to see.

For any ordinary person—no, even if the richest man played like this, he would have been killed already.

But they were completely helpless against Homelander.

The White House's first reaction was transmitted to the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.

Which was S.H.I.E.L.D., responsible for handling supernatural events and global crises.

Homelander was already considered a supernatural event.

This naturally made Nick Fury fly into a rage. Although he still had suspicions about Homelander after the battle with Hulk in New York, he had gained a bit of goodwill and intended to recruit him.

But now, word had spread that the other party wanted to find some teammates, and the idea of forming The Sevenwas widely circulated. Wasn't this digging up S.H.I.E.L.D.'s foundation?

He hadn't even formed the Avengers yet, and Li Zuguowas already going to form a superhero group himself?

This was clearly going against him!

But unfortunately, Nick Fury had no way to deal with Li Zuguo at the moment. Since being tough didn't work, he could only take a soft approach for now.

Natasha, his trump card, could not be exposed yet.

Nick Fury pondered for a moment, thought of the last Iron Monger incident, and immediately said,

"Have the Captain go to Vought and talk to Homelander."

...

The ones with the second biggest reaction in the Worldwere the Mutants.

Originally, they only felt envy, jealousy, and even hatred toward Homelander, but now they had a bit more goodwill toward him, unable to help but fantasize about becoming Homelander's teammate.

To be watched by everyone and adored just like him, standing at the center of the World.

Instead of being hunted down everywhere, captured for research and dissection, and having their hearts and lungs ripped out.

The Hellfire Club.

The Black King was not moved in the slightest, but what about the Mutants who had joined the club over the years?

Perhaps they still pursued the Black King's philosophy now.

But there would always be Mutants who were tired of living in dark corners and endless struggles.

The Mutant Academy, the Brotherhood, and those wandering Mutants all had people who held such thoughts.

Li Zuguo was even clearer about this than the Black King.

Inside the Vought Tower.

Since yesterday, ever since Li Zuguo said during his interview that he wanted to find some teammates and mentioned Mutants, his Superhero Points had been trickling in without stopping.

"[Superhero Points +100 (from Mutant Riptide)]"

"[Superhero Points +100 (from Mutant Psylocke)]"

"[Superhero Points +1000 (from White Queen)]"

"[Superhero Points +2000 (from Hedgehog Man)]"

"[Superhero Points +2000 (from Blink)]"

...

By noon today, Li Zuguo's Superhero Points had reached over twenty thousand. He had only casually mentioned Mutants, and yet there was such a pleasant surprise.

There were many benefits, but there were also downsides.

That was, those powerful elites who opposed Mutants and the citizens who had been harmed continued to act as his online haters.

And some association or other kept trying to morally kidnap him.

"What discrimination against humans, gender discrimination... what gender, Walmart shopping bag?"

"I'm precisely discriminating against your gender."

As for Court summons, police warnings, White Housejudgments... Vought had already received a pile of all kinds of documents.

The interesting thing was that Li Zuguo hadn't seen anyone come to arrest him or urge him, though lawyer's letters were sent quite diligently.

"Natasha, how is the information I asked you to collect?"

Natasha took out a document she had prepared long ago and said,

"Supernatural events have indeed become more and more frequent lately. A few years ago, the genius scientist Reed Richards made a calculation error, causing a spacecraft to be engulfed by cosmic rays. Five crew members, including Reed, disappeared."

"Now that several years have passed, they have suddenly returned. The DNA of these people seems to have mutated, giving them various abilities, and they even had a conflict with a group of Mutants not long ago."

Hearing this, a relatively old superhero movie came to Li Zuguo's mind: Fantastic Four.

The Fantastic Four also belonged to the Marvel Universe, though they weren't the mainstream, but rather a branch.

Li Zuguo asked for a few more details before looking at his personal secretary, Raven.

Raven, holding the files, was a bit worried. Some people had already begun to unite and secretly put pressure on Vought.

"Lucien, everyone outside now hopes you can stop your idea of finding teammates and forming The Seven."

Li Zuguo had known this would happen. Those at the very top of the dark side of this society wouldn't want to see a team formed by superheroes.

Because this represented danger and extreme uncontrollability.

Even the official formation of the Avengers relied a bit on being in the right place at the right time.

"Then just reply that it's fine. But next time something happens in New York or any other city, it won't be my business. If they ask, say I'm busy fighting crime."

Without Li Zuguo having to do it himself, someone would put pressure on them.

If that still didn't work, Li Zuguo would use his Super Flight, Super Strength, and Heat Vision to reason with those opponents properly.

Raven nodded. She didn't care about the lives of ordinary people; she only cared about the thoughts of the man in front of her.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. also hopes to talk to you."

Li Zuguo glanced at Natasha. This woman actually knew to avoid suspicion by letting Raven make the report.

"I'm not seeing them."

Raven said,

"The one who came is Captain America Steve. He hopes to chat with you for a bit. He said: You once mentioned you would talk to him."

Li Zuguo indeed had said that, back when he was interviewed after defeating Iron Monger.

"Alright, let's have a brief chat then. Please invite him up."

...

PS: The main storyline is still Marvel. The Fantastic Four is the version with Captain America's actor as Human Torch, and Jessica as Invisible Woman. Just mentioning it for now, and I will slowly unfold the plot.

Chapter 32: Spider Goddess and Totem, General RossContinues to Court Death

Third-floor lounge.

Steve was guided to the door by a staff member.

Li Zuguo had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Steve in a suit, he stood up and smiled, looking like a bright and cheerful big boy.

"Captain, what wind blew you to Vought International? Or have you finally come to your senses and are ready to join Vought? If so, I would be very welcoming."

Steve still had a favorable impression of Li Zuguo, but this feeling was contradictory.

"Homelander, I am very grateful that you found me in the ice of the North Pole, but you know I have my mission."

That was truly an accident. At the time, Li Zuguo had just become Homelander and was rampaging in some corner no one cared about.

Antarctica, glaciers, Africa, deserts... all the places he wanted to go but hadn't visited yet.

One day, he realized that some antique might be buried underneath, so he tried looking for it. His Heat Visionswept recklessly, and then he accidentally found the popsicle Captain under the glacier.

"No need to thank me, it was just an accident. So, Captain, what is the reason you came here?"

Steve said righteously.

"I came here this time to talk to you about how to become a superhero, and what the most precious quality of a hero is."

Li Zuguo wanted to laugh, but he held it in.

"What is it?"

"Dedication."

Steve was qualified to say this. You could call him Hormone Kid, but he truly achieved dedication.

Li Zuguo was silent, but Steve thought his words had touched Li Zuguo's soul and continued to explain to him what a hero was.

Finally, he solemnly invited Homelander to join the Avengers.

Homelander sighed helplessly.

"Is this Nick Fury's idea, or is it your own idea, Captain?"

Steve said seriously.

"It is Nick Fury's idea, but it is also my idea. Li Zuguo, you are a hero, but..."

Hearing the word "but," Li Zuguo directly interrupted Steve.

"No, no, no. Captain, you are the true hero, and I have already joined Vought International."

Steve stated.

"It's just a company; you can quit."

"I'm not used to being led by others, and your Director Nick Fury has a big problem with me, so I refuse to join."

Li Zuguo could not possibly join the Avengers. He never had that thought from beginning to end, even if Nick Furyhadn't targeted him.

Steve still wanted to make a final attempt to persuade him.

"As long as you explain it clearly, I believe Fury will trust you."

Li Zuguo restrained his smile.

"Captain, if you come to Vought International as a guest, I welcome you, but if it's about S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Avengers, let's forget it."

At this point, Steve felt there was no need to continue the conversation, so he said goodbye and walked towards the door.

He stopped at the door, turned back, and asked one more question.

"The reason?"

"HYDRA."

As for how he knew about the existence of HYDRA, besides Li Zuguo knowing that S.H.I.E.L.D. was jokingly referred to as the HYDRA headquarters, there was another reason.

There were also HYDRA moles within Vought International.

Moles could hide from others, but not from Li Zuguo; he had Super Hearing and X-Ray Vision.

Even the most cautious mole would reveal flaws.

Steve left, carrying a big secret to find Nick Fury.

Li Zuguo then tested the advanced combat skills; logically, with his Super Intelligence, he should have been able to remember that information and apply it proficiently.

Reality told him that once the experience time was up, all the information was withdrawn, and the dream of getting it for free was shattered.

Forget it. It's a rare day off, so I'll go see how Dr. Connors' research is going.

...

Vought Laboratory.

There was no one else in the laboratory but Dr. Connors. After Li Zuguo entered, he got straight to the point.

"Dr., how is the research going?"

On Dr. Connors' experimental table were three genetically modified super spiders, one of which had already died.

He held the experimental data, his face filled with fanaticism.

"Boss, this is simply incredible. The data for the temporary compound v is extremely unstable, but on the first attempt, it combined perfectly with the spider's genes!"

"At the time, when I first combined it, it was extremely unstable and I almost died. If it weren't for the lizard's regeneration genes..."

Li Zuguo didn't understand scientific research, but according to Dr. Connors' data, it seemed that the two had succeeded on the first combination.

Spider genes stabilizing Compound V was completely unreasonable, but he thought of a possibility.

spider totem.

It completely subverted the origins of all Universe Spider-Man. Spider-Man being bitten by a spider wasn't a scientific accident, but being chosen by the spider totem.

The spider totem was born from the Spider Goddess.

The Spider Goddess was the source of the spider totemsystem in the Marvel Multiverse, and all Spider-Man's powers essentially came from them.

Among them, the most core and powerful one was the primordial Spider Goddess Neith, who created the Web of Life and Destiny and all spider totems.

Therefore, at least one spider totem avatar would be born in every Universe; they were the Guardians of their respective Universes, working together to maintain the stability of the entire Multiverse.

Li Zuguo didn't really believe in such legends because Spider-Man had already been born.

But the stability after the spider genes combined with the temporary compound v reminded him of the Hero Heart.

The combination of the two was like being chosen.

It seems I can talk to Gwen.

Having a Hero Heart meant she also longed to become a hero... or perhaps it was because Li Zuguo guided her that this idea was born.

Li Zuguo didn't go to Midtown High School to find her; instead, he had Vought open up internships, having people recruit Gwen into the company early for an internship or invite her to tour Vought International.

Of course, Midtown School of Science and Technologywas full of talent, so he could recruit a few more interns.

Or organize a tour.

...

Meanwhile.

Outside New York.

In a secret Base.

On a dim operating table, Special Forces Captain Emil Bronski, who had originally injected the serum and become a super soldier.

The expansion of power made him lose his mind. In an operation to encircle and suppress the Hulk, he stepped forward to fight one-on-one and ended up being almost kicked to waste.

Subsequently, after the battle between Homelander and the Hulk, General Ross collected the Hulk's blood to continue research, and Bronski volunteered to be the subject of the experiment.

Few people could refuse the powerful strength of the Hulk.

General Ross was the same; otherwise, he wouldn't have been relentlessly pursuing the Hulk.

Looking at Bronski on the operating table, he hesitated for a moment and took out a tube of genetic serum.

"If you can't hold on, you can inject this."

General Ross was purely treating a dead horse as if it were alive; this thing had been researched for so long without progress, and he didn't hold out much hope.

Bronski took the serum and took a deep breath. He was loyal to General Ross, but his desire for the Hulk's power was even greater.

He didn't know what this thing was, but he would choose to inject it without hesitation.

Chapter 33: Visiting Vought International, Spider-ManBites Gwen

Midtown School of Science and Technology.

Today, everyone in the school seemed exceptionally excited and active, all because representatives from Vought International had contacted the school administration to host an event.

Those selected would get to visit Vought International and might even secure an internship opportunity.

There was even a chance to meet Homelander face-to-face.

To high school students, this was undoubtedly a golden opportunity for a bright future.

Everyone knew Vought had Homelander; as long as Homelander was there, Vought International would continue to rise.

Not only the students, but even the principal and teachers wanted to pull strings to get people in.

But the final decision lay in the hands of the people from Vought International.

Everyone had to line up for an interview.

Faced with such a great opportunity, Peter was still hesitating, but Mary Jane and Harry dragged him into the queue anyway.

While waiting in line.

Mary Jane looked at Harry Osborn and teased,

"Instead of going home to inherit your dad's company, why are you here competing with us for an internship?"

Harry smiled and said, "MJ, I just want to go for the tour. I won't compete with you guys for the internship."

Mary Jane retorted that even if he wanted to, he might not get chosen. The interviewers were from Vought International, so there were no backdoors to exploit.

At this, she thought of Gwen Stacy again. With her relationship with Homelander, she would definitely be chosen, right?

She hated people who went through the back door—specifically, she hated that the one going through the back door wasn't her.

Unfortunately, Mary Jane didn't have Spider-Man's contact information. Otherwise, she would definitely call him and ask him to put in a word with Homelander to bring her along too.

"Peter, what's your relationship with Spider-Man like? I heard that all of Spider-Man's exclusive photos in Daily Bugle were taken by you. You two must be on pretty good terms, right?"

Even after gaining Spider-Man's extraordinary powers, Peter hadn't changed at all.

"Of course. Because my photography skills are great and I take the best photos, Spider-Man always has me take them."

Mary Jane leaned in close to Peter, her eyes sparkling.

"If you have his contact info, I was thinking you could ask him to talk to Homelander so both of us can go visit Vought International. What do you think, Peter?"

Peter was a bit uncomfortable with this sudden affection, but he said with a hint of joy,

"MJ, Spider-Man isn't that kind of person. I believe you can get chosen by Vought based on your own abilities."

Even if Peter could use a backdoor, he wouldn't.

Mary Jane instantly lost interest in chatting with Peter. He was too dull and too honest.

In the interview room.

Raven casually asked a few questions and then announced that Gwen Stacy had passed the interview and secured a spot to visit Vought International.

She had wanted to filter this woman out, but Lucien had given the word.

Gwen was very happy when she found out, seemingly not expecting it to be so easy. She looked at Ravenexpectantly.

"Ms. Raven! Did Lucien receive the flowers I asked you to pass on to him last time?"

Raven lied without even blushing.

"No. As you know, Mr. Lucien is very busy every day. He doesn't have time to pay attention to such trivial matters."

"Alright, thank you."

Gwen felt a bit disappointed upon hearing this, but she still thanked Raven politely multiple times before leaving.

...

In the afternoon.

Unsurprisingly, the list of selected students was released soon after, with fifteen people in total.

Gwen Stacy, Marcus Reynolds, Peter Parker, Lynn Carmichael, Harry Osborn, Mary Jane Watson...

The group of fifteen would be guided on a tour of the company by Vought staff in a few days.

The moment the results came out, Mary Jane could hardly believe she had been selected. After all, compared to the others on the list, she held no advantage whatsoever.

She even wondered if Peter had called Spider-Man to get them in through the back door.

Peter Parker was very honest, denying it completely, and even praised Mary Jane, saying she was chosen because of her own excellence.

Gradually, Mary Jane also took it for granted that she was chosen because her abilities far surpassed the others, and that she deserved the best!

...

Saturday morning.

Vought Tower.

The fifteen students stood in the lobby, looking up. The lobby was six stories high.

Peter raised his camera and took a photo of the lobby.

The staff member leading the group looked back at him, smiled, and nodded. Photography was permitted.

"Students, next we will visit several of the company's major departments. Please remain quiet during the tour and do not touch any equipment."

The staff member's voice echoed in the lobby.

The group began to move forward.

While everyone else was looking at the posters on the walls and the merchandise in the display cases, only Gwen's gaze swept across every corridor corner they passed.

The group turned a corner and entered a wide exhibition corridor.

Glass cabinets on both sides displayed various products printed with Homelander's logo.

Mugs, T-shirts, action figures, and most prominent of all was a freezer covering an entire wall in the center, filled with blue and red beverage bottles.

"Homelander Energy Drink," Mary Jane read the words on the bottle.

The staff member at the front explained Vought International's brand strategy.

Gwen walked near the front of the group.

No one noticed that something was moving near the joint of a thin pipe on the ceiling.

It was a spider with a dark blue body and red patterns on its abdomen. It crawled a few centimeters along the surface of the metal pipe and then released its grip.

Its falling arc was very short.

Gwen happened to look up at a spotlight on the ceiling, leaving her neck completely exposed.

The spider landed on the right side of her neck, just above her collarbone.

"Sss!"

Gwen slapped her neck, thinking a strand of hair had pricked her skin, but her hand missed.

With the second slap, the pain set in—a sharp, needle-like sting. She let out a cry, her hand finding a slightly raised bump on her neck.

Peter was just a few paces behind her. Gwen's cry made him look up.

Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, the elevator doors at the end of the corridor opened.

The metal doors slid to both sides.

A man wearing a star-spangled battle suit stepped out, a red cape trailing behind him.

All fifteen high school students stopped in their tracks.

Everyone looked in the same direction.

Li Zuguo stood at the end of the corridor, the spotlight shining down from above onto his shoulders. He glanced at the group of teenagers before him, his lips curling up slightly.

"Hello, everyone. I am Homelander. I will be guiding you on your tour of Vought Tower next."

This was an unexpected surprise.

Gwen lowered her hand from her neck. The pain was still there, but it no longer mattered.

This was Peter's first time meeting Homelander as an ordinary person. He figured the other party wouldn't recognize him.

Harry Osborn was a bit excited. Compared to Spider-Man, he preferred an undisguised superhero like Homelander.

While everyone was excited, Mary Jane took the first step forward.

"Mr. Homelander, I'm a big fan of yours. Could I get your autograph, please?"

At these words, the other students also scrambled forward, declaring their fan status and asking for autographs.

Mary Jane hoped Homelander would sign her palm, though other places wouldn't be out of the question either.

Li Zuguo naturally obliged and signed for everyone one by one, then looked at the girl trailing at the very back, greeting her like an old friend.

"Gwen, long time no see!"

Chapter 34: Gwen: His gaze is always stolen by Peter Parker

In the crowd.

Gwen Stacy stood in the back row, her long blonde hair cascading casually over her shoulders.

A simple white shirt and dark pleated skirt, with a thin belt around her waist, outlined her tall figure. A pair of deep blue eyes hid beneath her light bangs, looking highly charming.

She watched Lucien, who was surrounded by students, quietly waiting for him to finish signing autographs for her classmates.

Until Li Zuguo stepped forward and greeted her like a friend.

"Hi, Luci—um, Mr. Homelander, long time no see."

Only then did Gwen ignore the other students' gazes and generously greet Li Zuguo.

"It's fine to call me Lucien."

Unlike his polite distance with others, Li Zuguo's attitude toward Gwen was like seeing an old friend he hadn't met in a long time.

"Hi, Lucien."

Hearing this, Gwen greeted him again, stopping just in front of him, raising her hand and casually waving her fingers.

The first sentence used a formal title, while the second used his name.

Mary Jane felt even more that she had underestimated Gwen; everyone else was scrambling to be first, while only Gwen chose to wait until the very end.

*Click.*

Everyone looked toward Peter and Harry, realizing there were still two people hiding in the back, who had even taken a photo of Homelander and Gwen.

Peter felt a bit embarrassed; his camera shutter sound was indeed a bit loud.

Seeing this, Harry Osborn pushed Peter forward, a marker and a notebook having appeared in his hands at some point.

"Mr. Li Zuguo! Could you sign for the two of us..."

Homelander smiled.

"Of course, no problem."

This was the first time Peter had met Li Zuguo without his mask. He stood very straight, his hands hanging politely at his sides.

When Li Zuguo's gaze swept over, he even bowed slightly, showing a respect almost akin to facing an elder.

Yes, whether as Spider-Man or Peter Parker, he respected Homelander, just like facing Uncle Ben.

Peter spoke up somewhat shyly.

"Mr. Homelander, I took a photo of you and Gwen."

"Really? Let me see."

Li Zuguo showed great curiosity, and Peter took out his camera to show him.

Li Zuguo found that the photo was indeed very good.

"You're Peter Parker, right?"

Peter nodded.

Li Zuguo praised him generously.

"Your skills are better than many professional photographers. Are you interested in coming to Vought International as an intern photographer?"

Peter was tempted, but he still had a salary being held back by J. Jonah Jameson.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Homelander, but I still want to finish my studies first..."

Gwen crossed her arms and watched this scene helplessly. Whenever she felt she had caught Lucien's attention, Peter Parker always managed to steal it back in some unexpected way.

Li Zuguo didn't force the issue. He offered a word of encouragement to Peter and Harry, then turned back to face everyone.

Li Zuguo said,

"Alright, today I'll give everyone a brief tour."

He led the group forward, while the staff beside them introduced the functional zones of each floor of the Vought Tower as they walked.

Li Zuguo would occasionally add a more professional detail. He stopped when they reached the fifth floor.

"Now you can look around freely, except for the offices upstairs."

The crowd dispersed. Some had truly come with the goal of securing an internship.

Mary Jane turned her head to look elsewhere, but just happened to see...

Li Zuguo had already led Gwen into the private elevator. The moment the doors closed, the whispers in the hallway were cut off.

The elevator went up.

Li Zuguo held a can of beverage in his hand. The can was bright red, with a 'V' logo in the middle representing Vought International.

"Want to try it?"

Gwen took it, turned it over, and looked at the ingredients list.

"What is this?"

Li Zuguo pointed to the name on the can.

"Vought Superpower Drink. Drink it, and you can awaken superpowers."

Gwen stared at the can for two seconds, then looked up at him.

"Are you serious?"

"When have I ever lied to anyone?"

Gwen spun the can in her hand, feeling that Lucien was just joking. If drinking this could awaken superpowers, wouldn't the World be in utter chaos?

But she was the kind of girl who wasn't a party pooper.

"I'll drink it. When the time comes, the superpower I awaken will definitely surprise you. So, when are you going to return my flowers?"

The elevator arrived.

Gwen looked at Li Zuguo, her blonde ponytail swaying slightly under the fluorescent lights. She held the can between two fingers, with no intention of opening it just yet.

Li Zuguo asked in confusion,

"Flowers?"

Gwen said casually,

"You know what I'm talking about."

The elevator doors opened.

It was not only an office but also a lounge, with the New York skyline sprawling outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The wind poured in from the window, blowing the stray hairs hanging by Gwen's ears. She turned her head, tilting it to look at him, waiting for an answer.

Li Zuguo's Super Intelligence whirred, and he finally connected it to the flower presentation at Midtown High School... and then Mystique Raven giving him a bouquet of flowers.

Well, he understood everything now.

But he couldn't blame Raven. It was a woman's nature, and she had provided a substantial amount of superhero points, though he still had to give her a warning.

"I remember now. It was a bouquet of lilies, right? I liked them very much. This can of Vought drink is my return gift to you. It will definitely allow you to awaken superpowers."

Gwen was quite happy that he at least remembered. She opened the drink in her hand and took a big gulp, not worried at all.

It tasted quite good, but...

"I don't seem to feel any sensation of awakening superpowers."

Li Zuguo merely gave a mysterious smile.

"You'll feel it when you wake up in the morning in a few days."

Gwen didn't believe at all that sleeping and drinking a beverage could awaken superpowers, but seeing Lucien's confident look, she felt a bit unsure.

"Then how about we make a bet?"

"Sure, what do you want to bet?" Li Zuguo nodded and agreed.

Gwen hesitated for a moment and said,

"If I win, you buy me a meal. If I lose, you decide!"

Li Zuguo let out an 'oh'.

"Just buying you a meal? Is it that simple?"

"Simple? It's not simple at all, okay? Lucien, do you know how many people outside want to pay to buy you a meal? The highest bid is already close to ten million dollars!"

Gwen felt that having Li Zuguo buy her a meal was already something extremely enviable.

Li Zuguo himself didn't know that a meal with him was so expensive.

"Then I agree, Gwen. If you lose, how about you join Vought International and become part of The Seven?"

Was this a punishment? To Gwen, this was clearly a reward—getting to see the man who made her heart race every single day.

And The Seven was actually real!

"No problem, I accept. The bet is on!"

Whether she won or lost, Gwen felt she was getting a huge bargain. She decided that regardless of the outcome, she would give Lucien some compensation when the time came.

The two didn't stay in the office for too long.

Afterward, Li Zuguo took Gwen to visit other parts of the company while observing her condition.

News also came from Dr. Connors that the spider combined with the Compound had died.

So, could a second spider still be born in this World?

Chapter 35: Invisible Woman, a Top-Tier Blonde Mixed-Race Stunner; Anti-Homelander Armor?

In the afternoon.

Peter and his group finished their visit and went back to their respective homes.

Harry registered several social media accounts and immediately posted Homelander's autograph. A bunch of people in the comments section expressed real-name envy, though some expressed doubt.

He planned to tell his father about today's visit to Vought International when he got back; after all, he had received Homelander's approval.

His father would probably be proud of him, right?

Gwen, on the other hand, felt a bit unwell. As soon as she walked out the door and the wind blew on her, she felt uncomfortable all over, her mouth dry and parched.

She remembered that she seemed to have been bitten by something today, so she quickly hailed a cab to go to the hospital.

...

Vought Office.

Li Zuguo stared at James and asked in a low voice,

"James, can you tell me why my popularity has dropped so quickly this week?"

James wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Mr. Homelander, it's only down by five percent, and I've already found the culprit."

James handed over a trending news newspaper.

On it, a striking headline read:

"The Fantastic Four, a Super Hero Alliance!"

The Fantastic Four consisted of Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and The Thing.

James gave a brief explanation.

Like Li Zuguo, these four did not hide their identities, and they exposed their abilities in public without any restraint.

The only difference was that these four had not joined any company.

Most importantly, the simultaneous appearance of these four made them a team in their own right.

Among them was Mr. Fantastic, as well as a mixed-race stunner like the Invisible Woman. The Human Torch's abilities were also very cool, and he was the Invisible Woman's younger brother.

Even the ugly-looking Thing was highly sought after by many transgender people due to his indefinable gender.

"Sir, this is a superhero team. Each of them attracts different or shared fans, so it's normal for your popularity to drop slightly. But I can guarantee that even all four of them combined can't compare to you!"

Li Zuguo gestured for James to continue.

James first pointed out the shortcomings in their abilities.

"Mr. Fantastic's ability is very strange; his entire body can stretch infinitely like rubber. The Invisible Woman's ability also has a major flaw—she has to take off all her clothes."

"The Human Torch is a bit better, but it's not like there haven't been similar existences among Mutants. As for The Thing, those who like him do so purely out of curiosity for the bizarre."

"Most importantly, when these four cause destruction, they are comparable to a demolition crew, which has drawn resistance from many citizens."

James brought out a video showing Pyro fighting crime, only to end up setting an entire street of cars on fire.

Therefore, James was certain that even if these four were combined, they could not compare to Li Zuguo.

Whether in terms of abilities or appearance, their combined ability to attract fans was not as strong as Homelanderalone.

The only one with some ability to compete was the Invisible Woman.

Because she was a mixed-race woman and also a stunner, she was bound to attract a group of thirsty fans.

There was nothing to be done about that.

However, James knew that Homelander was waiting for an opportunity to publicly announce the existence of The Seven and officially recruit teammates.

By then, the Invisible Woman's advantage would no longer be an advantage.

There was another benefit to the appearance of the Fantastic Four.

That was, the direction of the White House and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s investigation had shifted. Now that the first superhero alliance had appeared, could the second be far behind?

...

Sunday.

Brooklyn, New York.

Li Zuguo, as usual, dealt with a crazy hater and saved a little girl. Before he could say anything, a massive explosion occurred in the distance.

A burning car came flying through the air.

In this situation, Heat Vision would definitely cause the vehicle to explode, so Li Zuguo directly caught the small car with his bare hands and flew up into the sky.

*Boom!*

The car exploded, leaving Li Zuguo completely unscathed. He flew high into the sky, pushing his speed to the limit.

He wanted to see exactly who was launching a sneak attack.

Up in the clouds.

Li Zuguo finally saw the culprit, but he couldn't quite understand the situation on the scene.

Why was Tony fighting someone else?

In the sky, the Human Torch and Iron Man were engaged in a chase.

On the ground, Captain America was leading S.H.I.E.L.D.Agents in a fight against Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, and The Thing.

However, both sides were fairly restrained and hadn't gone all out. Otherwise, no matter how strong the S.H.I.E.L.D.Agents were, they were still ordinary humans and casualties would have occurred long ago.

On the other hand, Tony and the Human Torch seemed like they genuinely wanted to kill each other.

Li Zuguo could see that Tony's current armor was at too much of a disadvantage against a high-temperature Superhuman like the Human Torch.

His repulsor blasts and missiles were also intercepted mid-air by the other party's flames.

Just as the Human Torch was about to grab Tony, from even higher in the sky, a beam of Heat Vision directly struck the Human Torch. The unexpected attack forced him out of his fiery form, and losing his ability to fly, he began to plummet rapidly.

Upon seeing Homelander, Tony was still in the mood to greet him.

"Thanks, Star-Spangled Boy."

Li Zuguo slowly descended from the sky.

"Tony, your armor needs an upgrade."

Tony opened his faceplate and teased,

"Oh, I am indeed building an Anti-Homelander Armor, but now I plan to prioritize fireproofing first. These new heroes have absolutely no respect for their seniors."

Li Zuguo didn't bother to pay attention to Tony's sharp tongue. He glanced at the falling Human Torch and lunged downward.

Creating a sonic boom, a nearby white cloud was directly blasted into a vacuum hole behind him.

Tony could only barely make out an afterimage. This speed had probably already exceeded Mach 5. It seemed that building an Anti-Homelander Armor was going to be quite difficult.

Just as the Human Torch was about to hit the ground, Li Zuguo had already flown ahead to his landing spot and caught him with one hand.

He then looked at the brawling crowd and said,

"Can anyone tell me what is going on here?"

The crowd tacitly stopped fighting.

Li Zuguo looked at the Fantastic Four... no, the Fantastic Three, since one was in his hand.

The Invisible Woman, Susan Storm, was not invisible. Her dazzling blonde hair was more blinding than the afternoon sun, cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall with slightly curled ends, lazy yet fatal.

She wore a minimalist blue knit sweater that highlighted her impressive assets, her body curves graceful and alluring. Below, she wore slim-fit dark blue jeans that wrapped around her straight, slender legs.

No wonder she could attract a bunch of thirsty fans; her figure alone certainly had that power, let alone her exquisite, mixed-race face.

But at this moment, she was anxiously looking at the Human Torch in Li Zuguo's hand.

"Who are you? Why did you attack my brother?!"

Li Zuguo looked at her expressionlessly.

"Get this straight: your brother attacked me first."

Johnny Storm slowly woke up. Li Zuguo hadn't used his full power in that laser blast just now, nor did he sustain it.

Otherwise, his body would have been burned right through.

However, upon seeing Li Zuguo, the kid not only wasn't afraid but instead started shouting,

"Homelander! I know you! You're really strong, way stronger than Reed!"

Li Zuguo was somewhat speechless. Was there something wrong with this kid's brain?

Mr. Fantastic Reed's face darkened.

Susan breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that her brother was fine.

"I'm sorry, I was just too worried about Johnny. I can apologize to you."

Li Zuguo said expressionlessly,

"I don't need meaningless apologies. I just want to know what happened here. Captain, how about you tell me?"

Steve let out a sigh of relief that they had finally stopped, but what saddened him was...

He had tried to mediate for ages to no avail, and they ended up fighting anyway, yet the moment Homelanderarrived, it was over.

"Thank goodness you're here, Homelander."

Chapter 36: Mediating the Superhero Civil War; Captain America? You're Just a Hormone Kid!

What happened was actually quite simple.

With the sudden emergence of the Fantastic Four, S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't just sit idly by.

So they sent Steve and S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents to assess the situation and see if they could recruit them. Tony was just an external helper invited by Fury.

At first, the negotiations went fairly smoothly.

[If you are reading this, please remember our domain name. For Taiwan novels, look for Chao Shunchang.]

But Johnny was a troublemaker, and the other three had no intention of joining S.H.I.E.L.D. either.

At that point, Tony, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but make a sharp-tongued remark.

Johnny fired back, and eventually, the two traded barbs until their tempers flared and they started fighting.

This escalated the situation into an all-out brawl.

Steve explained the whole situation to Li Zuguo from start to finish, while Agent Coulson, standing nearby, was also updating Nick Fury on the progress.

Li Zuguo felt that the Fantastic Four should have known about Captain America; even if Tony lost his cool, the others shouldn't have.

"Captain, don't they know who you are?"

Before anyone else could speak, Johnny, who was still in Li Zuguo's grip, couldn't help but sneer.

"Oh, please. What Captain America? He's just a hyped-up hero who got injected with some drug. He's no Captain America, just a Hormone Kid!"

Steve's face darkened. No matter how good his temper was, he felt a sudden urge to punch someone.

Seeing Johnny still babbling, Susan's temper flared, making her look like a furious leopardess.

"Shut up, Johnny! Just stop talking, will you?"

Was her younger brother an idiot? He was literally in someone else's hands, yet he kept provoking them.

It was as if he was desperately trying to test their patience and practically begging to be killed.

Tony, who had just arrived, couldn't help but give Johnny a silent thumbs-up. This kid had at least thirty percent of his own trash-talking skills.

It was the first time he had ever seen Steve's face turn so dark.

Susan continued to appease everyone.

"This is all a misunderstanding. I apologize to everyone on behalf of my brother. Especially to you, Homelander. Johnny definitely didn't mean to attack you."

She specifically addressed Homelander because she realized he held absolute authority; the moment he arrived, everyone had stopped fighting.

There wasn't even a hint of a smile on Homelander's face.

"Don't apologize to me. Besides, what's the use of apologizing after the fact? The ones he should apologize to are the people he hurt—those who suffered heavy losses, like damaged vehicles, because of his crime-fighting antics. And he needs to pay compensation!"

The current Li Zuguo was fully qualified to say this, as Vought International had already paid in full for any damage he had caused.

From the distant crowd, someone yelled out.

"Li Zuguo is right! What's the point of an apology!"

With one person leading the charge, the rest of the crowd quickly grew indignant.

"Yeah! We should deport this fire-starting bastard! He doesn't deserve to be a superhero at all!"

"The damage you guys cause is worse than what the criminals do! The cargo truck I worked so hard to buy to support my family was burned to ashes by you, and now my wife is divorcing me!"

"Pyro is a bitch! Fuck you, lick my big black d*ck!"

"We deserve proper compensation!"

"I used to think Homelander was just putting on a show, but today I want to say—he is the real hero!"

"All of you Fantastic Four combined can't even compare to Homelander's d*ck!"

[Fans +103, +109...]

[Popularity +150, +213...]

Homelander's actions had clearly won the approval of the people of New York.

Mr. Fantastic, Reed, was socially awkward and not very articulate. After enduring the crowd's insults for a long while, he finally managed to say something.

"You're right. We will do our best to pay compensation and apologize."

The Thing, Ben Grimm, also voiced his agreement.

"We will apologize and pay compensation."

The reason they said 'do our best' was because they had only recently returned and were far from wealthy; even if they sold everything they owned, they wouldn't be able to cover much of the damage.

By then, they would be forced to sleep on the streets.

Susan, on the other hand, stated that she would take full responsibility and follow up on all reasonable compensation claims.

Li Zuguo looked at Steve and said,

"It seems some people need to learn how to be a superhero even more than I do."

Steve couldn't refute those words. Perhaps Li Zuguo was right; compared to him, these people were far more difficult to communicate with.

He could already picture the look on Fury's face.

Johnny hung his head as he listened to the crowd's accusations. He never expected that, in their eyes, he wouldn't even compare to a d*ck.

"Homelander, you've been blamed like this before too, right?"

Johnny had read plenty of news reports, including those about Homelander being condemned by the public for the damage and losses caused while saving people and fighting crime.

"Yes, but admitting your mistakes isn't that hard. And Vought International compensated for all the damage caused."

Johnny's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"Then how about I join Vought International too?"

Homelander's face darkened.

"No. Don't even think about it, kid. No one is going to clean up your messes unless you realize one day that you need to be responsible for yourself and the people around you."

The Human Torch was just a fun-loving troublemaker. Li Zuguo would have to have money to burn to let him join Vought.

Johnny might not listen to anyone else, but Li Zuguo had crushed him with absolute power.

Facing a Li Zuguo whose experiences were somewhat similar to his own, but whose strength far surpassed his, a rare look of contemplation appeared on Johnny's face.

Of course, it could also be that Johnny was afraid that if he didn't behave, Li Zuguo would use his Heat Vision to blast a gaping hole through his chest.

No one would ever want to experience that.

Homelander wasn't about to give Johnny time to contemplate. After speaking, he threw him straight down, and Reed stretched his arms to catch him.

Only then did the other three members of the Fantastic Four realize that this man, who looked just like Superman, was actually not with S.H.I.E.L.D.

His intervention was purely because Johnny had attacked him, and he couldn't stand the kid's behavior.

Susan stepped forward to check on her brother's injuries, asking with concern,

"Johnny, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Johnny remained somewhat silent, the cursing from the surrounding crowd sounding harsh to his ears.

"I'm fine, Susan. Am I really such a bastard? Have I done so many things wrong...?"

Susan froze. For the first time in her life, she actually saw remorse on her brother's face.

What was Johnny like before?

He was narcissistic, flashy, loved to show off, had an unmatched silver tongue, was full of youthful impetuousness, and constantly chased excitement and attention... As a result, he caused trouble everywhere, and she always had to clean up his messes.

Usually, when faced with her lectures and concern, he would only show indifference and rebellion.

But this time, he was actually being so well-behaved?

Susan suddenly realized that her years of discipline hadn't been nearly as effective as a few words from an outsider, which had only made Johnny more rebellious.

She really needed to find someone suitable to keep Johnny in line.

Reed was socially awkward and a research maniac, so he wasn't suitable, and Johnny wouldn't listen to him anyway.

The Thing, Ben... forget about it.

Susan looked up at Homelander, whose cape fluttered in the sky, and she had to admit he was highly charismatic.

From forcefully mediating the battle to lecturing Johnny... this man was like a fierce tiger.

She thought that perhaps she could let Johnny leave the Fantastic Four. As long as Johnny could grow and have someone keep him in check, joining Vought would be worth it.

However, judging by the current situation, the other party might not necessarily agree.

In the distance, the long-waiting, eager reporters and media outlets, seeing the battlefield mediated by Homelander's arrival, all kicked into high gear.

Chapter 37: Human Torch: Homelander Is the Best Candidate for Brother-in-Law

Reporters rushed over, carrying cameras and microphones.

Dozens of microphones were thrust forward, the first of which landed right in front of Homelander.

"Mr. Homelander! What are your thoughts on this superhero civil war?"

"Did you come to mediate of your own accord?"

"There are reports that the Fantastic Four rejected S.H.I.E.L.D.'s recruitment. How do you evaluate that?"

Li Zuguo raised his hand, and all the questions came to an abrupt halt.

Standing at the edge of the ruins, his cape billowed in the wind, the star-spangled banner cape snapping before the cameras.

Dozens of microphones fell silent, waiting for him to speak. It wasn't a bad feeling.

Li Zuguo smiled and spoke in a relatively relaxed tone.

"First of all, I don't think this can be called a civil war. A civil war requires some sort of protocol, some sort of stance. At most, this is like a neighbor's kid throwing a baseball through your car window, and then your dad rushing out to pick a fight with the neighbor."

The crowd laughed.

A few reporters couldn't help but chuckle, and even the cameramen behind the lenses were shaking. They loved Li Zuguo's style—the kind of style that made headlines and got them praised by their bosses.

Li Zuguo kept the momentum going.

"But I want to say one thing. A superhero's protection shouldn't be like this. We protect this city so that citizens don't have to worry about their cars and houses when two groups of superheroes are fighting."

"If we can't even do that, then what's the point of us wearing these suits?"

The World went quiet for a second, and then a burst of applause erupted from the crowd.

[Fans +89 +76 +112...]

[Popularity +203 +187...]

Li Zuguo smiled and stepped slightly to the side.

"As for what exactly happened, you'll have to ask the Captain. He was the one who witnessed the whole thing."

A group of reporters immediately turned to Steve Rogers.

"Captain! The Human Torch publicly called you 'Hormone Kid'. What is your response to this?"

"How do you feel right now, being publicly humiliated by a young hero?"

Steve stood there expressionless, his shield slung over his back, his jawline tightly clenched. He opened his mouth, but in the end, only said one sentence.

"I decline to be interviewed."

But even if Steve declined the interview, given the nature of reporters, the words 'Hormone Kid' would likely trend on social media platforms for quite a while.

Tony Stark, on the other hand, was generous, accepting the interview while still in his armor.

"Thanks to our Mr. Homelander for arriving in time, otherwise who knows how much more damage we would have suffered today."

"One thing I must make clear: I will only pay for my share of the damages."

Having taken enough photos of the two in the same frame, the reporters finally turned their focus to the Fantastic Four.

Reed Richards stood at the very front, his rubber-like body now restored to its normal form, wearing his blue uniform.

Facing the reporters' questions, he looked like a socially anxious student.

"Dr. Richards, what are your thoughts on the property damage caused today?"

Reed thought for a moment before speaking slowly.

"We will do our best to make restitution."

Honestly, Reed was already a bit annoyed with Johnny. He was just too much of a troublemaker.

Given their current financial situation, even if he poured in all of his research funding, it wouldn't be enough to cover the damages.

But with just those few words, there was no way the reporters would let him off the hook.

"'Do our best'—what does that mean? Does it mean you are unable to afford the full compensation? Isn't that an irresponsible attitude?"

Reed's face flushed red. He wanted to explain, to say that they had just returned from the cosmic ray accident and the procedures to unfreeze their assets hadn't been completed yet.

But saying these things in front of the cameras would only make them sound more like excuses.

In the end, it was Susan who took a step forward.

"I will take full responsibility for this matter. All reasonable compensation claims, I will follow up on them one by one and provide a clear timeline."

Susan turned her head, her gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"At the same time, I would also like to thank Mr. Homelander."

The reporters perked up their ears instantly.

Susan said sincerely,

"My younger brother has always lacked discipline. Today, Mr. Homelander's actions, in a way, did for me what I have always failed to do well."

The microphones thrust toward her face in unison.

"Are you saying you approve of Homelander's physical intervention against the Human Torch?"

Susan did not dodge the question.

"What I approve of is that someone was able to make Johnny realize the consequences."

These words, coming from an older sister, carried significant weight.

Johnny was standing behind her. Susan looked back at him, a trace of encouragement in her eyes.

Johnny took a deep breath, raised his head, and stepped forward.

The reporters' cameras focused on him.

"I... my behavior today was indeed out of line. To those who suffered losses because of me, I apologize. And not just with words—I will find a way to pay for the damages."

His voice wasn't loud, but the recording equipment captured every single word clearly.

There was a few seconds of silence in the crowd, but at least no one was shouting insults anymore.

Susan breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at her brother's unusually serious profile.

How many years had it been?

The person she had failed to control for so many years had been set straight by a stranger in just a few words.

Susan looked up again, gazing at the figure against the skyline.

He was floating in mid-air, his profile sharply outlined by the lingering glow of the setting sun.

What kind of person was he?

Powerful, but not overbearing; lecturing, but every word hit the nail on the head.

He didn't even show any anger. Whether it was beating Johnny or demanding compensation in public, everything he did carried a sense of... self-evident righteousness.

Susan found herself wanting to know more, but in the end, she cut off her own thoughts and withdrew her gaze.

In the distance, two reporters finally approached The Thing, Ben Grimm.

"Mr. Grimm, as the only... uh..."

The reporter hesitated, searching for the right words.

Ben The Thing said in a muffled voice,

"I'm also responsible for today. I failed to stop Johnny in time. I should apologize and pay compensation too."

Simple and direct, done in three sentences. The reporters didn't press further.

The quota for politically correct interviews was considered fulfilled.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Johnny leaned in close to Susan. He lowered his voice, but his excitement was impossible to hide.

"Susan, he's way better than Reed, right?"

"Huh?"

"When Homelander grabbed me, I tried to flare up with all my power. Guess what happened?"

Susan looked at him.

Johnny rubbed his arms.

"It was completely useless. When he held me, it was like grabbing a chicken. That strength..."

He whistled.

"You know, if this guy became..."

Susan glared at Johnny and said,

"What are you trying to say?"

"Well, I just noticed you've been staring at him the whole time... If he becomes my brother-in-law, I'd support it with both hands."

"Johnny!"

Susan's voice wasn't loud, but Johnny shut his mouth immediately and raised his hands in surrender.

But he noticed that the tips of his sister's ears were red.

Seeing Johnny's frivolous attitude, Susan suddenly said solemnly,

"Since you admire Homelander so much, why don't you quit the Fantastic Four and join Vought International?"

Johnny countered, "What about you?"

"My business is none of your concern," Susan said.

Johnny actually wanted to join, but he would need Homelander's approval, and right now, the man clearly didn't think much of him.

"I'll definitely get rejected if I go alone. Susan, you have to come with me."

Susan stopped in her tracks.

"I don't know Homelander well enough. I need to think about it, and we also need to talk to Reed and the others about this."

The farce here was over.

Meanwhile, in a room in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, New York, Gwen Stacy fell into deep thought as she looked at the cup stuck to her hand that she couldn't shake off no matter what.

It seemed she had really awakened some kind of superpower.

Chapter 38: Doomsday practicing Wing Chun? Isn't that ridiculous?

S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.

When Nick Fury hung up the communication, he threw the mug on his desk.

Coulson stood at the door.

Fury stared with his single eye at the news replay on the screen.

The footage of Homelander holding the Human Torch with one hand played on a loop, with a scrolling caption at the bottom reading, "Homelander Mediates Superhero Conflict."

He had originally sent Steve to recruit the Fantastic Four, believing that this group, who were willing to sacrifice themselves to explore the Universe, would be much better than Homelander. And the result?

The recruitment failed.

Tony got into a fight with someone, and now all of America knew that S.H.I.E.L.D. had no one capable, and nobody respected them.

In the end, it was Homelander who had to clean up the mess.

Fury leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest.

Homelander's performance today was absolutely flawless from start to finish.

His mediation was timely, his words were proper, his demands for compensation were completely reasonable, and even his lecturing of the junior hero seemed perfectly justified.

On the other hand, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s side...

Fury closed his eyes briefly.

"Coulson."

"Director."

"Reorganize the files on the Fantastic Four."

Coulson nodded and turned to walk out. As he reached the door, he heard Fury add another sentence.

"Compared to those four idiots, at least the guy in the cape knows how to behave in front of the camera."

Coulson didn't turn back, but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. This was probably the first time since he joined S.H.I.E.L.D. that he had heard the Director praise Li Zuguo.

Above New York, the setting sun was sinking into the Hudson River.

Li Zuguo hovered above the top floor of the Vought Tower, overlooking the entire city. The call from Vought International's public relations department in his earpiece hadn't been hung up yet, and they were reporting today's public opinion data.

[Popularity Points +1304 +1508 +3046...]

[Hero Points +5000 (from Invisible Woman)]

[Hero Points +5000 (from Human Torch)]

The frequency of these numbers ticking up was ten times faster than usual.

As expected, topics like superhero conflicts and civil wars were much more popular than fighting crime.

Li Zuguo had merely grabbed Johnny, thrown him down from the sky, and given him a lecture, yet he had won the favor of the public.

Instead of being angry, the guy's sister had even thanked him in front of the cameras of the entire nation.

The siblings combined had also provided ten thousand Hero Points.

This was a triple win.

His phone vibrated.

Li Zuguo looked at it. It was a text message from an unsaved number, which Vought International had just forwarded to him.

"Mr. Homelander, I am Susan. I apologize for the intrusion, but I would like to ask if it would be convenient for us to meet and discuss the follow-up matters regarding Johnny?"

Li Zuguo didn't reply. He looked at the second message.

It was from Gwen. Judging by the exaggerated wording of the message, she seemed exceptionally excited right now.

Not just exceptionally excited; to be precise, she was overexcited.

Gwen Stacy was absolutely sure of this, because she was currently hanging upside down on the ceiling, crawling back and forth.

This superpower brought her not only the ability to climb, but also immense physical strength.

With just a slight slip of control, Gwen had almost torn her room apart.

But after playing around for a while, she suddenly realized: why was her superpower so similar to Spider-Man's?

*Ding.*

Her phone vibrated. Hanging from the ceiling, Gwen took out her phone and saw a message from Lucien.

"Get used to this power. You have already met the standards of a superhero reserve. If there's anything you don't understand, you can come to the company to find me."

Gwen replied: "Then do I need to show my face like you do?"

Gwen thought about it; she could accept it, but her father would definitely not allow it.

Li Zuguo messaged back: "You can show your face if you want, or not if you don't. If you can pass the assessment and join The Seven, I'll ask Tony to help customize a suit for you."

If she wore a mask, her positioning would be somewhat similar to Black Noir of The Seven.

Gwen thought about it and felt it was better not to show her face. Being a superhero was great, but she didn't want to make her family worry, and she also wanted to live a normal life once in a while.

If she was stared at wherever she went, she would go crazy.

Wearing a mask would allow her to have the best of both worlds.

Besides, Lucien said he would get Iron Man to customize a suit for her, which made her feel like she was getting a huge bargain.

"Lucien, why are you being so good to me? I don't know how to repay you."

After sending the message, Gwen's heart beat rapidly. She was looking forward to Lucien's reply, yet also a bit afraid.

But after being anxious for quite a while, she realized that the other party seemed to have gone offline.

Gwen figured Lucien must be busy. After all, he was Li Zuguo; it was already good enough that he could spare the time to reply to her.

...

Vought Tower.

In the office, Li Zuguo called Natasha in and asked her to find him a few combat experts as sparring partners.

He planned to self-study first. Advanced combat skills were too expensive, but he had Super Intelligence and photographic memory.

As long as the techniques were sufficient, it was fine; what mattered most were his stats.

Of course, he was referring to combat techniques here, not so-called martial arts.

Homelander learning martial arts? Isn't that a joke?

It was practically equivalent to Doomsday learning Wing Chun. He didn't even dare to imagine how "beautiful" that picture would be.

Natasha asked in confusion,

"Sir, the skills you showed that day are completely enough to crush most people. Even if you find someone to learn from..."

"No, no, no, Natasha. I'm not looking to learn; I just want to find a sparring partner."

With Li Zuguo's abilities, it wouldn't take him long to learn all of a person's combat techniques, and even their combat habits.

So he wasn't looking for some master or anything; he just needed a few sparring partners.

He chose Natasha because she was from S.H.I.E.L.D., and she should be able to give him some pleasant surprises in this regard.

Natasha thought for a moment and said,

"Sir, with your strength, I'm afraid those sparring partners would end up dead or crippled if you even touched them."

Li Zuguo clenched his fist and said,

"Don't worry, I won't hurt them. Have you ever heard of a Bio-field?"

His Bio-field could only envelop himself, but that was enough. At the very least, as long as he controlled it properly, he could still act like a normal person, just with a bit more strength.

Otherwise, how did Ryan from The Boys come to be?

If a normal human female mated with a Superhuman, without a Bio-field, she would probably fall apart before they even got started.

Natasha thought that thing only existed in comic books; she didn't expect it to actually exist.

"Since that's the case, Mr. Homelander, how about I be your sparring partner?"

Ever since the Fantastic Four incident, Nick Fury had given Natasha more authority, with only one requirement: to do her best to win Li Zuguo over.

Li Zuguo didn't expect Black Widow to volunteer, but he still had to put on an act.

"Natasha, are you sure you can do it? The combat I'm talking about is no joke."

The corners of Natasha's red lips curled up slightly.

"I've learned a bit before. Why don't you give it a try first?"

Although being a secretary was nice, her true identity had always been a top S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent.

Since Fury had already relented, there was no need for her to hide so thoroughly. It just so happened that Vought International had a gym floor with a sparring ring.

Chapter 39: In Marvel, Speedrunning Fighting; Sparring with Black Widow; No More Hiding

Vought Tower, high-level gym.

When the lights around the ring turned on, Li Zuguo had already changed into loose training clothes. It was rare for him not to wear his uniform this time.

Raven was a bit unaccustomed to it at first from the side, but after watching for a while, she found it had a different kind of charm.

Natasha walked out of the locker room, her neat red hair tied up and falling by her ears, her black tight training suit outlining her voluptuous curves.

Beneath her slender waist was a round, perky butt, and her long, powerful legs exuded a dangerous aura in her combat shoes.

Her entire demeanor was completely different from when she wore a suit skirt as a secretary.

Now, she was like a rose with thorns.

Li Zuguo glanced at her. Natasha had been pretending to be a submissive little secretary before, but now that she had changed into her training clothes, her muscle lines and stance exposed her—the result of long-term systematic training.

Raven pulled up a chair and sat by the edge of the ring.

"Sir, do you need me to time it?"

"No need."

Li Zuguo stretched his neck, stepped onto the ring, and clapped his hands.

"Come on."

Natasha vaulted onto the ring.

"Rules?"

Li Zuguo said rather arrogantly,

"No rules. Use your full strength."

Natasha tilted her head.

"Are you sure?"

"I don't say things I'm not sure of."

Natasha wasted no more words. In the next second, she launched herself forward, her front foot pushing off the ground, her back foot following, throwing a lead straight punch through the centerline.

Li Zuguo sidestepped to avoid it, his brain already deconstructing her movements—the angle of the punch, the sequence of force generation, and the rhythm of her center of gravity shifting.

The processing speed of his Super Intelligence far exceeded the analytical capabilities of any fighting coach. As long as he saw a movement once, its mechanical principles, muscle mobilization chains, and optimal response methods would automatically form an image in his mind.

But there was a physical coordination adjustment period between understanding and executing.

An ordinary person might need thousands of repetitions to turn a technique into muscle memory. How many did he need?

A few times at most.

Natasha delivered a continuous combination of punches—left hook, right straight, knee strike, elbow strike—switching rhythms mercilessly, clearly intending to strike to kill.

Li Zuguo blocked the first two punches, sidestepped the knee strike, and blocked the elbow strike with his forearm. His movements were a bit stiff, but his lines were completely correct.

Seeing this, Natasha closed in again, this time not with punches and kicks, but with grappling.

Grabbing Li Zuguo's right wrist, she pressed her body against him and circled to his side, threading her left hand under his armpit in an attempt to perform a judo-style Shoulder Hold.

At the moment of physical contact, Li Zuguo paused slightly. He could feel Natasha's body heat and the elasticity of her muscles, her breath brushing against the side of his neck.

Li Zuguo didn't break free, allowing her to complete the entire technical demonstration of the Shoulder Hold. His brain was working at high speed, recording the mechanical principles of every contact point.

"This move is called a Shoulder Hold," Natasha said, controlling his arm and slowing down her speech.

"The key is to use your entire body weight to press down on the opponent's shoulder joint..."

Li Zuguo swept his hand back, using the mechanical angle he had just learned to reverse-lock her wrist, cleanly breaking the Shoulder Hold.

Natasha froze for a fraction of a second.

The technique she had just demonstrated was immediately thrown back at her by this man in the exact same way, and his angle was even more precise than hers.

Li Zuguo released her wrist.

Raven sat by the edge of the ring, her tablet screen already dark.

She put her pen down, crossed her hands over her knees, and stared at the two figures tangling on the ring.

She was definitely doing it on purpose, choosing such a shameless fighting style out of so many moves.

Natasha switched techniques again, to a Triangle Choke.

This technique required using both legs to clamp the opponent's head and one arm.

She jumped, wrapping her legs around Li Zuguo's neck and right arm, hanging her entire body on him, using her weight and leverage to pull him down.

Like a black siren snake wrapped around Homelander's body.

Homelander's body didn't budge at all.

The difference in raw stats was right there; Natasha's full-force Triangle Choke felt about the same as wearing a scarf to him.

But he didn't throw her off roughly. Instead, he let her maintain the pose, looking down to observe the wrapping angle of her legs, the position of her ankle lock, and the direction of force in her joints.

Li Zuguo even had the leisure to say,

"If you shift your current angle by another two degrees, the choke will be much more efficient."

Hanging from his neck, Natasha looked up at him, sweat sliding down her forehead.

"You knew the optimal angle after seeing it only once?"

Natasha released her legs and jumped down to the floor. She knew Homelander would learn quickly, but she hadn't expected it to be this fast.

It wasn't just being gifted in the ordinary sense; his learning speed was simply beyond human comprehension.

Li Zuguo stretched his neck where it had been wrapped.

"Is there anything harder?"

Natasha wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Yes, but the next techniques will involve much more physical contact."

"Do you mind?"

"There's no need to mind during training."

Natasha hesitated no longer and rushed forward, her left hand making a feint grab, her right foot hooking his ankle. She spun 180 degrees to face away from him, pressing her entire back against his chest, reverse-locking his arms with her hands. Then, she lowered her waist, her hips pressing against his pelvis, in a preparatory stance for a reverse shoulder throw.

But Natasha didn't actually throw him. She maintained this position, their bodies pressed together seamlessly. From behind, it looked as if one person was completely holding the other from behind.

"This move is called back-control transition. In actual combat, you can transition directly into a choke or a throw."

Li Zuguo's brain finished recording all the technical details, although this kind of tactic, similar to a Rear Naked Choke, was useless against him.

*Thud.*

A sound came from the side of the ring.

Raven stood up, her chair knocked over onto the floor. She feared that if she didn't do something, this woman would choke him to negative distance.

But annoyance aside, she could also see that Natasha was definitely no ordinary person; this series of techniques was by no means something that could be trained in a short period of time.

"Sir, the PR report from Vought International needs your signature. I suggest doing it now."

Natasha stepped back from Li Zuguo, and the two women stared at each other across the ring for a second.

Natasha tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and smiled.

"What's the rush, Miss Raven? The training isn't over yet."

Raven walked to the edge of the ring, her blue eyes staring at Natasha as she said as a matter of fact,

"Training can continue at any time, but official business cannot be delayed."

Li Zuguo took a towel and wiped his hands—well, it wasn't his.

"Alright."

He vaulted down from the ring, took the tablet from Raven, and glanced at it. There was indeed a PR report on the screen, but the timestamp in the top right corner showed that this file had already been generated two hours ago.

He didn't expose her either, lowering his head to sign his name.

Natasha jumped down from the ring, walked to Li Zuguo's side, and asked softly,

"Sir, do you still need a sparring partner tomorrow?"

Li Zuguo didn't look back.

"Yes, but we can have fewer tactics involving Rear Naked Chokes and close contact."

Natasha hadn't used her full strength in a long time. This feeling was much more satisfying than being a secretary.

"I'd be glad to do extra training with you, though I'm afraid some people might not agree."

Not to be outdone, Raven said,

"Lucien, I can also be your sparring partner. I'm no worse than Natasha."

She was equally proficient in hand-to-hand combat, firearms, stealth, and assassination. Combined with her shapeshifting abilities, she was only stronger, not weaker, than Natasha.

In the past, she was afraid of exposing herself and causing Lucien to suspect her, but now that Natasha had done this, what did she have to fear?

Li Zuguo readily agreed. It looked like he was going to speedrun fighting in a single day.

In Marvel, Speedrunning Fighting.

Although it wasn't of much use...

...

New York, Baxter Building.

At this moment, the Fantastic Four were already arguing up a storm over the compensation issue.

Chapter 40: North American Headline, The Fantastic FourSplits

The next day.

Just after the intro of the CNN morning news, the host's opening remarks directed their firepower straight at the superheroes.

"The conflict between superpowered individuals that occurred on 5th Avenue yesterday afternoon caused at least thirty-seven million dollars in property damage and seventeen injuries, with two people still in the ICU."

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name.]

The screen cut to aerial footage, showing half the street unrecognizable.

"And the first to arrive at the scene and stop the conflict was the superhero under Vought International—Homelander."

The scene switched.

Homelander's silhouette floated in the air, backlit, his star-spangled banner cape spread wide, with a clapping crowd below.

Right after was a clip of his interview after landing. The line, \"If we can't even do this, then what's the point of us wearing these suits?\" was singled out, subtitled, and enlarged.

The host continued.

"In stark contrast, the main parties responsible for this damage, Johnny, the Human Torch of the Fantastic Four, and Steve Rogers, Captain America, who was involved in the conflict, have yet to provide any specific compensation plan."

The screen cut again.

A clip of Steve Rogers facing the camera and saying \"I refuse to be interviewed\" was broadcast.

The accompanying headline read: \"Superheroes Refuse to Face the Public, Who Will Bear the Responsibility?\"

FOX News was even harsher.

They went so far as to make a special segment out of the clip where Johnny called Steve the \"Hormone Kid.\"

"A super soldier modified by the government, publicly called 'Hormone Kid' by a young man in his early twenties—does this show that the shield we have always worshiped isn't actually as glorious behind the scenes as we imagined?"

The commentator talked eloquently in the studio.

"Don't forget, the serum itself is a human enhancement drug. From a technical definition, although Johnny's wording was crude, it wasn't entirely wrong."

On social media, the hashtag #Hormone Kid surged to third on the trending list.

The comments below were toxic.

"So Captain America is basically just a product of taking drugs, right?"

"Back in World War II, it was called Super Soldier Serum. What is it called now? Steroids?"

"LMAO, should the Captain have a urine test during his next physical?"

Meanwhile, on the other side.

The hashtag #HomelanderMediatesSuperheroCivilWar had been sitting at number one on the trending list for eight consecutive hours.

Baxter Building, New York.

At this moment, the Fantastic Four were already arguing up a storm over the compensation issue.

Reed Richards slammed a stack of documents onto the conference table, his voice filled with anger.

"Over a hundred million dollars! The structural damage Johnny caused to that building, plus personal injuries, car owners, and claims for business losses from surrounding shops—it's not even enough if I throw in all of my research funding."

Insurance companies nowadays are very clever; they refuse to cover any losses related to superheroes, and have even explicitly stated this clause.

This meant they had to take full responsibility for the money to resolve the damage.

Johnny leaned against the French window, arms crossed over his chest, turning his head to look at the skyline outside as if this had nothing to do with him.

Susan stood at the other end of the table.

"Reed, that building had structural hazards to begin with. You've read the municipal report yourself."

Reed interrupted her.

"So? Are structural hazards an excuse for Johnny to start fires? He burned right through an entire load-bearing wall with a single fireball, and you're telling me it's a structural hazard issue?"

Susan said helplessly.

"I'm saying the compensation ratio is unreasonable. The authorities pushed all the parts they should have covered onto us."

In other words, regardless of whether it was actually caused by superheroes, all the losses were pushed onto them; someone was balancing their books.

But Reed wouldn't hear any of it, slamming his hand down on the documents.

"Enough! The insurance company pushed it onto us because Johnny has a record. Susan, three counts of public property damage. No insurance company is willing to underwrite him."

Johnny finally turned his head.

"Hey, Rubber Man, what are you yelling at my sister for?"

Reed propped his fingers on the table.

"I'm not yelling at her. I'm stating facts."

Ben Grimm sat in the steel-framed chair specially made for him in the corner. This matter didn't have much to do with him.

Even if the Fantastic Four disbanded, he wouldn't have much of an objection, because he was essentially a dispensable existence.

In his heart, he even hoped Reed would fall out with the others. Everyone had gained superpowers, but only his superpower was unwelcome.

If it weren't for Reed, he wouldn't have ended up like this. He would rather be an ordinary person.

Johnny walked over from the window, stepping up to the table and mocking him.

"Facts? The fact is you throw all the money into those crappy experiments of yours! The team account is completely clean, and when something happens, we don't even have working capital. What kind of management is that?"

Reed's face changed.

"My research is for the future of the entire team."

Johnny snapped back.

"What future? Your future, your papers, your patents, your name! The Fantastic Four is just your private laboratory, Reed Richards!"

The pen on the table twitched slightly. Susan was on the verge of losing control, but she took a deep breath and suppressed it.

"Johnny, stop talking."

Johnny turned his head to look at his sister. "Why shouldn't I say it? Sis, you know better than I do, this team..."

"I said, stop talking."

Susan glanced at Johnny expressionlessly, and Johnny shut his mouth. He felt that the current Susan was somewhat similar to Homelander that day.

Reed regained his composure, but that calm was even colder than anger.

"I heard you are going to Vought International."

Johnny didn't deny it.

"Yes."

Reed looked straight at him.

"Do you know what kind of person he is?"

Johnny smiled, with a hint of provocation.

"At least he is generous. Tens of millions of dollars is just pocket change to him, and at least he respects his teammates."

The above was pure fabrication on Johnny's part, but he did feel that Vought International was incredibly wealthy.

Ben finally spoke, his voice hoarse.

"Give it a rest, everyone."

No one responded to him. Susan picked up her phone from the table, turned, and walked toward the door.

"Susan," Reed called out to her.

Susan reached the door and said.

"I'll find a way to handle the compensation. You don't have to touch your research funding."

Johnny followed his sister out. The door closed behind her, leaving Reed standing where he was.

The Thing, Ben, slowly stood up, the steel-framed chair behind him groaning with metal fatigue.

"Reed."

"Don't try to persuade me."

Ben actually wanted to mock him with a few words, but he felt that given the current situation, there was no need for mockery.

He shook his massive head, his back looking heavy and slow as he walked toward the elevator.

Four people, three directions.

Outside the company.

After Susan came out, she contacted Vought Internationaldirectly; she didn't have Homelander's contact information.

She was only able to contact Vought International because Johnny had gone directly to their company to ask for it.

Meanwhile, at Vought International.

Li Zuguo was currently sparring with Natasha and Raven. Speedrunning in a single day was truly no joke.