Although she burst in without knocking, her arrival was quite sudden.
However, the fact that she brought a gift clearly indicated that Ancient One wasn't a troublesome guest specifically looking for a fight.
Confirming this, Shi Xiaolei's mental burden was greatly reduced, and his mood relaxed considerably.
From then on, the conversation with Ancient One became much smoother.
...So," Shi Xiaolei asked again, his expression conflicted, after a cup of tea, "Are you really just here to say hello? Not because I messed with fate and caused some bad consequences?"
"No." Ancient One shook her head gently, her calm smile radiating sincerity. "In fact, I also want to make a deal with you."
"Phew, then I'm relieved." Letting out a long breath, Shi Xiaolei subconsciously raised his arm and scratched the back of his head. "Master, tell me, what kind of deal?"
"Don't rush. Before that, I'd like to ask you to come with me." Ancient One put down her teacup, stood up, and while gesturing twice to summon a portal, she invited Shi Xiaolei.
...Alright."
Following Ancient One into the 'ring of fire,' the two appeared in a hospital the next second.
Although it was quite late and there were no patients or medical staff walking around, judging by the reaction of the nurse behind the distant duty desk, Ancient One and I were clearly still in the mirror dimension.
"Where is this?" Looking around, unable to understand why she had brought him here, Shi Xiaolei couldn't help but ask.
"Come with me." Ancient One called out, then took the lead.
Scratching his head, he followed, walking through a long corridor until they reached the door of an office.
Ancient One didn't seem to make any gestures, but the solid wall suddenly split in the middle, revealing a gap wide enough for two people to walk through side by side.
Standing outside the gap, Ancient One raised her hand and pointed at a man sitting behind the desk, his legs propped up on the table, talking on the phone in a casual manner. "I guess you've already recognized who he is, right?"
..." After a moment of hesitation, Shi Xiaolei chuckled and nodded. "Strange, your chosen successor."
"Perhaps." Ancient One shook her head, her gaze falling on Shi Xiaolei's face, a playful smile on her lips. "Your appearance has caused some changes to the predetermined events."
!!"
Does this mean that Strange's future has been altered by me?
The thought that Doctor Strange's birth might be erased sent countless ideas swirling through Shi Xiaolei's mind.
Without Strange's countless persistent reloads, who could resist Dormammu's invasion, especially with Ancient One already gone?
Without Strange's mediation, allowing Thor to see Odin one last time, would he still be able to truly unleash the power of the Thunder God hidden deep within his bloodline? If Thor couldn't evolve and upgrade, Asgard would most likely be taken over by Hela, who had broken free from her seal. Then, given Hela's personality, she would surely launch an invasion against Earth, which is also one of the Nine Realms. In that case... Without Strange's involvement, in the final battle against Thanos, Stark would definitely not be able to rush back from the distant cosmos to participate in the war. And without Iron Man, would there still be a chance to snap that finger that saved the entire world?
From "Doctor Strange" to "Thor: Ragnarok," and then to "Infinity War" and "Endgame." Due to Strange's absence, many plotlines would be affected, with far-reaching consequences, potentially even overturning the entire world.
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became, so Shi Xiaolei quickly pressed on, "Master, do you mean that Strange won't take your place and become the Sorcerer Supreme?"
"Who knows." Ancient One shrugged, very down-to-earth. "After all, with you, there are countless more choices for the future. Perhaps one of your companions might be more suitable to be my successor than him."
As the owner of the Eye of Agamotto, which is the Time Stone, every Sorcerer Supreme is an out-and-out master of prophecy.
For the Sorcerer Supremes, observing the flow of the river of time and choosing the best future from countless potential outcomes is both a habit and an obligation.
Just as a police officer must catch thieves, a Sorcerer Supreme must take on the responsibility of protecting Earth. And for a Sorcerer Supreme who possesses the Time Stone, there is no more convenient or efficient method than utilizing the immense power of the Time Stone.
In comparison, the title of Sorcerer Supreme is obviously much grander than 'police officer.' As the saying goes, 'uneasy lies the head that wears a crown,' and in the process of protecting Earth, the threats faced by Sorcerer Supremes are far greater than those faced by law enforcement officers in the everyday world.
Not everyone has the talent to hone themselves enough to bear this heavy responsibility, nor does everyone have the perseverance to carry such a heavy burden.
In fact, Ancient One chose Stephen Strange as her successor for both of these reasons—if his talent wasn't good enough to quickly learn and master various spells, Strange certainly wouldn't have been chosen. Similarly, if he didn't have such tenacious perseverance and couldn't endure the pain brought by countless deaths and reloads, he might not have been favored by Ancient One.
Both qualities are indispensable.
But then again, was Strange Ancient One's only choice?
Not necessarily.
As is well known, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is just one part of the multiverse. In the endless expanse of time and space, there are countless parallel universes with similar backgrounds. For example, the Zombie Marvel Universe (Earth-2149), the universe where Red Skull unified the world (Earth-2192), the universe where Deadpool broke the fourth wall and slaughtered all heroes and villains (Earth-12101), and even bizarre parallel universes where superheroes are gender-swapped or everyone becomes a comedic character.
Not every parallel universe necessarily has a Sorcerer Supreme. But with such a large base, there certainly won't be few.
In a few parallel universes, Ancient One did not choose Strange as her successor. For example, in the parallel universe numbered 9810, this is an example.
Similarly, Strange suffered a car accident that left his hands crippled, but this experience was caused by Tony Stark... It was Stark who invited Strange to ride in his newly purchased Lamborghini at a party, and it was Stark who caused the car accident while driving under the influence. Then, out of guilt towards Strange, Stark vowed to save Strange's hands.
The process of finding Kamar-Taj didn't change much, except that it went from Strange alone to him and Stark together.
This variable led to a change in destiny—both exposed to the mystic arts, Stark also developed a curiosity for this mysterious and fascinating knowledge. Coupled with his inherent 'curse of knowledge,' as a result, Stark not only learned faster and better than Strange, but his immersive dedication to the ocean of magic also surpassed Strange's.
Achieving more than Strange, Tony Stark became the Sorcerer Supreme's successor. Conversely, feeling that Stark was too obsessed with magic and completely forgot his promise to 'heal his hands,' Strange grew jealous and fell into darkness, becoming Dormammu's accomplice.
Compared to the development in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the two are not only different, but from a certain perspective, it's not an exaggeration to say they are diametrically opposed.
Returning to the main topic, since the event of 'Strange's rejection' occurred in the parallel universe numbered 9810, is it also possible for the same thing to happen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
The answer is yes.
Just as the top student in a class isn't necessarily the top student in the grade, and the top student in the grade isn't necessarily the top student in a multi-school joint exam, Strange is merely the optimal choice among the 7 billion Earth natives in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To be honest, if Ancient One hadn't adhered to the principle of 'those not of our kind are sure to have different hearts,' and hadn't considered other candidates outside of Earth, even within the Marvel Cinematic Universe alone, it might have been possible to find someone more suitable than him.
"My companion?" Shi Xiaolei's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting Ancient One to suddenly say something like that.
"You misunderstood." Seeing Shi Xiaolei's thoughts, Ancient One smiled and shook her head. "You are an outsider, I cannot see through your destiny, nor do I know what companions you will encounter in the future."
"Then you..."
"One more possibility, one more hope and expectation." Ancient One said lightly, "The destiny of this world is very bumpy, and the threats it faces are countless. Every bit of help I get makes me very happy. So, if there's a better choice, of course I won't refuse."
"What about him?" After a moment of thought, Shi Xiaolei pointed at Strange, who was still oblivious to being spied upon and was wholeheartedly talking on the phone, flirting with a girl. "Has his future already changed?"
"Perhaps it has, perhaps it hasn't." Ancient One tilted her head. "Let's go, we'll talk somewhere else."
Leaving Strange's office, the two arrived on the quiet, deserted rooftop.
Looking at the brightly lit skyscrapers around them, Ancient One's eyes held endless nostalgia, and a blissful smile appeared on her face. "This world is beautiful, isn't it?"
..." Touching his nose, Shi Xiaolei, not understanding, echoed, "It's pretty good."
"Alright, it seems you're not in the mood right now, so let's continue with the previous topic." Sensing the confusion in Shi Xiaolei's tone, Ancient One smiled with a hint of helplessness. "Strange's destiny has indeed been affected somewhat. Perhaps you don't know yet? He has already received an invitation from Stark."
"Stark's invitation..." After a moment of thought, Shi Xiaolei suddenly understood. "You mean, Stark decided to undergo surgery? And then, to find a more reliable surgeon for himself, he chose Strange?"
"Because of the potions you gave Stark." Ancient One nodded.
"In other words..."
"Yes." Their eyes met, and in response to the question in Shi Xiaolei's gaze, Ancient One replied, "Because he came into contact with the potions you gave him, his 'problem-solving approach' changed after the car accident."
"He'll come looking for me?"
"Performing surgery for Stark left a favor. Strange called Stark to inquire about the source of the potions." As if describing something that had already happened, Ancient One recounted the future development. "He's a doctor, he won't cause inconvenience to your daily life. Plus, he owes him a favor... From Stark's perspective, there's no reason to refuse his request for help, right?"
"..."
"As your friend, Stark decided to give you the choice. He didn't directly resell the potions you gave him to Strange, but instead brought Strange to you and made an introduction." Turning her head to look at Shi Xiaolei, Ancient One's face showed a hint of helplessness. "If it were just the potions, the impact might not have been that great. But if, during this time, you also recruited a companion with healing abilities... I really can't be sure if you can heal his injuries. So, just in case, I had to find you first and make a deal with you."
"I understand. You mean you hope I don't interfere, so as not to change his destiny of seeking out Kamar-Taj, right?"
"Exactly." Ancient One snapped her fingers and nodded with a smile, "He's very talented and shouldn't be wasted."
Perhaps Shi Xiaolei could summon a companion more suitable to be the Sorcerer Supreme, perhaps not.
If it's the former, that's fine, anyway, if Strange is gone, there's a better candidate to fill in.
But what if it's the latter?
If Shi Xiaolei's answer doesn't come, and Strange is missed... if both fall through, then what's the point?
Just in case, a safeguard must be put in place beforehand to ensure that Strange can access Kamar-Taj and become a magic apprentice.
"I understand." Having figured out the crux of the matter, Shi Xiaolei made a promise. "If he really comes knocking, I will follow your instructions and absolutely not get involved."
"No~." Ancient One actually shook her head. "It's not that you can't get involved, but rather that you need to be particular about the method. After all, you might become comrades in the future, fighting against external threats together. If this refusal leaves a rift and affects your relationship... you understand."
"Then what should I do?"
"I need your help with an introduction, to point him towards Kamar-Taj," Ancient One replied. "In return, I will grant you one request. Of course, the condition is that I can do it, and it won't threaten the safety of this world, nor will it affect the normal operation of the world."
...I understand."
"Then we have a deal?"
"Deal."
"Very good." Seeing Shi Xiaolei agree, Ancient One's expression suddenly relaxed, becoming much livelier.
To Shi Xiaolei's surprise, Ancient One even proposed a new suggestion: "Now that the serious business is done, let's talk about other things. Locke, aside from money, are you willing to accept other forms of compensation?"
"Hmm?"
"Your potions are indeed quite good. Can you supply a batch to Kamar-Taj? Em, preferably a long-term supply."