It was early morning in Queens, New York, and the sunlight streamed through the window onto Meng Ran's face.
Perhaps feeling the warmth of the sun, Meng Ran opened his eyes.
He lay in bed, stretched, then lay on his back in a spread-eagle pose, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"A new environment really is hard to get used to," Meng Ran thought to himself, recalling his life over the past decade or so.
His name was Meng Ran, and in his previous life, he was just an ordinary struggling young man.
He grew up in an orphanage, toiled for over twenty years, and finally accumulated enough capital to enjoy life.
But it was as if fate was playing a joke on him; he was stabbed by a gangster while acting heroically and eventually bled to death.
That feeling, the sensation of blood flowing out, his body gradually growing cold, and his consciousness slowly blurring, Meng Ran would never forget.
Most importantly, Meng Ran hadn't had time to format his computer and phone.
Even though he was dying, he still felt incredibly ashamed.
The thought of his study materials being seen by his acquaintances made Meng Ran feel like he couldn't rest in peace even in death.
Unfortunately, no matter how many thoughts he had, they were useless in the face of death, and his consciousness gradually succumbed to darkness.
When he regained consciousness, he had become a baby, and this family, unlike his previous life, was warm and harmonious, a family of three.
His father, Meng Huo, was a master chef and owned his own chain of restaurants, making him quite wealthy.
His mother, Zhao Li, was a corporate executive with an annual salary nearing eight figures, a very successful career woman.
Before Meng Ran realized this was the Marvel Universe, he lived a very comfortable life, always feeling that fate had finally smiled upon him, giving him a happy family and a happy life.
It wasn't until he learned about a different World War II history than his previous life and saw news of Tony Stark that Meng Ran finally realized his previous thoughts might have been a bit too optimistic.
However, he later came to terms with it, as he was in China, still half a world away from the dangerous center of America.
But reality is often like this; you never know whether tomorrow or an accident will come first.
Due to his mother's job change, their family moved to Los Angeles, America.
Though Meng Ran was a bit distraught, he still tried to comfort himself, after all, Los Angeles was in the west, still a considerable distance from the most dangerous New York.
Yet, after just over a year, their family had to move to New York again.
This was the third time, and Meng Ran was already numb; he could only accept this tragic fact while thinking of ways to persuade his parents to move back before the Battle of New York.
Today was the second day after moving into their new home in New York, and Meng Ran lay in bed, lost in thought.
He looked at the ceiling, unable to help but worry about his and his family's future.
"Son, come down and eat!"
His mother's voice pulled Meng Ran out of his jumbled thoughts.
He got up to wash his face while responding to his mother.
"I must protect my family, even if it costs me my life," Meng Ran secretly vowed, looking at himself in the mirror.
Anyway, it's not like he hasn't died before; at worst, he'd be a good man again in eighteen years!
After washing up, Meng Ran went downstairs and sat at the dining table.
Meng Huo was still busy in the kitchen, and when Zhao Li saw Meng Ran seated, she picked up a fried dough stick and placed it in his bowl.
"Eat it while it's hot; your dad just fried it."
"Alright, I've been hungry for ages after moving furniture all day yesterday."
Meng Ran picked up his chopsticks, blew on the fried dough stick, and then said to Zhao Li, "Mom, you eat too."
Zhao Li smiled, seeing her son happily eating, and said, "You eat first; I'll wait for your dad to come and eat together."
At this moment, Meng Huo also came out of the kitchen; he placed the side dishes he was holding on the table and then sat next to Zhao Li.
"I'm here; you eat quickly too. This is the shredded radish you love."
After Meng Huo sat down, Zhao Li also began to eat.
Watching his parents show affection so early in the morning, Meng Ran instantly felt that the fried dough stick in his mouth no longer tasted good.
He looked at the shredded radish on the table and then said to Meng Huo, "Dad, I want side dishes too; I want cucumber."
Meng Huo glanced at his son, then gestured with his chin towards the shredded radish and said, "Isn't this it? You can try a couple of bites, but don't eat too much; save some for your mom."
Hearing his father's words, Meng Ran felt a bit dejected and said, "But I don't like radish, Dad, you're too biased."
Meng Huo didn't say anything to Meng Ran's complaint, he just slurped some porridge, then smacked his lips and said, "Children shouldn't be picky eaters. If your mom didn't like it, you wouldn't even have shredded radish, and you're still being choosy."
Meng Ran was speechless at his words, and could only dejectedly slurp his porridge and gnaw on his fried dough stick.
Looking at his calmly drinking porridge father and his mother stifling laughter next to him, Meng Ran felt like he not only ate a mouthful of dog food but also suffered critical damage.
"I guess I really am an accident," Meng Ran helplessly grumbled in his heart.
After a simple breakfast, Zhao Li left for work, and Meng Huo also had to go check on his restaurant; after all, it was newly opened, and there were many areas he needed to oversee.
For the past few years, their family had been moving with Zhao Li.
Wherever Zhao Li worked, their home moved there, and Meng Huo opened his restaurant there as well.
Over the years, Meng Huo's restaurants not only flourished domestically but also expanded internationally.
There was one in Los Angeles and the newly opened one in New York, making a total of two.
Meng Ran sometimes wondered how amazing his father was; not only did the restaurant follow his mother wherever she worked, but business was always booming no matter where it opened.
If one day his mother went to work on the moon, his father would surely open a restaurant on the moon too.
With both his parents out, Meng Ran was home alone.
There were still a few days until school started, so he had a few days of free time.
After being bored for a while, Meng Ran went back to sleep for another nap. By the time he woke up, it was almost noon.
Just as Meng Ran washed his face again and sat in front of the computer, preparing to start a thrilling game of Red Alert, the phone suddenly rang.
Hearing the sound, Meng Ran immediately paused the game, then picked up his phone to answer the call.
After the call connected, Meng Huo's voice rang out: "Son, when I left this morning, I forgot a bag on the sofa. Inside is a freshly made secret sauce."
"I'm a bit tied up right now; could you bring it to me?"
Hearing Meng Huo's request, Meng Ran immediately replied, "I'll leave now. Oh, and Dad, could you send me the address again? I'm afraid I don't remember the way clearly and might get lost."
Meng Huo responded, "Okay, I'll send it to you right away. Tonight, Dad will make you braised pork ribs."
"I'm hanging up now; remember to be careful on the road and watch out for cars."
After hanging up, Meng Ran turned off the computer. He found the bag with the sauce on the sofa and then carried it to the garage.
Meng Ran placed the bag on the passenger seat of his small black car and then sat in the driver's seat.
He got his driver's license last year when he turned sixteen, and this car was a small black car he bought with money earned from a summer job plus a little help from Meng Huo.
Although this small black car wasn't a very expensive luxury car, its appearance was quite good, as Meng Ran was also very particular about aesthetics, especially when it came to things like cars.
Meng Ran started the car while looking at the navigation, and soon arrived at the new restaurant.
By the time he delivered the bag, it was almost lunchtime, so he snagged some lunch and then helped out at the restaurant for the entire afternoon.
When the number of customers began to decrease in the afternoon, Meng Huo told Meng Ran to go home first.
So, Meng Ran drove his small black car leisurely back home.
Just as the car rounded a corner, a black cat suddenly darted across in front of his car.
Seeing this, Meng Ran instinctively slammed on the brakes, then quickly got out of the car to check the situation.
He first walked around to the front to look, then checked the roadside.
After circling a few times, Meng Ran found neither signs of impact nor the black cat.
Seeing this, Meng Ran scratched his head in confusion, then returned to the car.
"Strange, did I see it wrong?" He shook his head, thinking to himself.
"Never mind, maybe I was just seeing things. I should head home first."
Putting his jumbled thoughts aside, Meng Ran restarted the car and headed home.
As the car drove steadily, a black, liquid-like substance moved out from the car's undercarriage and then adhered to the rear door.
Soon after Meng Ran returned home, Meng Huo also came back from the restaurant.
Meng Ran went upstairs to continue his Red Alert game that had been interrupted at noon, while Meng Huo went to the kitchen to prepare dinner, so it would be ready just as Zhao Li returned home from work.
Just as Meng Ran was sitting in front of the computer playing games, the black liquid quietly squeezed through the door crack, then moved quickly along the wall.
It burrowed behind the computer host under the desk and then began to move towards Meng Ran, who was sitting on the chair.
Just as it was about to touch Meng Ran's ankle, there was a sudden knock on the door outside.
Hearing the knock, Meng Ran immediately stood up to open the door, and the black liquid quickly retracted, shrinking back behind the host.
The door opened, revealing his mother, Zhao Li, who had returned home from work. At this moment, Meng Huo had just finished making dinner.
Zhao Li had come up to call Meng Ran down for dinner.
She usually just called from downstairs, but because Meng Ran was wearing headphones and didn't hear her, Zhao Li came up to knock on the door.
Tonight's dinner consisted of four dishes and one soup; ordinary ingredients, under the extraordinary culinary skills of Chef Meng, became a feast of color, aroma, and taste.
Meng Ran, who had just come downstairs, couldn't help but swallow at the aroma, and then he sat at the table, ready to feast.
When Meng Huo placed the last dish, braised pork ribs, on the table, Zhao Li and Meng Ran, who had long been impatient, began their "massacre."
Chef Meng sat at the table, watching his happy mother and son eat, a blissful smile spreading across his face.
After dinner, the family of three sat on the sofa and started chatting.
Zhao Li talked about her day at work, while Meng Ran and Meng Huo listened quietly. Somehow, their casual conversation drifted to Meng Ran's studies.
Thinking of this, Zhao Li turned to Meng Ran and asked, "Son, you'll be going to a new school in a few days. How are you preparing?"
Meng Ran spit out an orange seed from his mouth and nonchalantly replied, "There's nothing much to prepare. High school courses are always the same content, and I've already mastered them."
Zhao Li wasn't worried about her son's studies. Meng Ran had been smart since he was little, and they never had to worry about his academics.
Zhao Li was actually worried about Meng Ran's social life; frequent moves meant he barely stayed in one place long enough to study, which also prevented him from forming deep friendships.
Thinking of this, Zhao Li looked at Meng Ran with a pained expression and said, "Mom is sorry, because of Mom's job, you haven't been able to get along well with your classmates."
Meng Ran looked at his mother, whose eyes were glistening with tears, and dropped his nonchalant attitude.
He looked at Zhao Li and said earnestly, "Mom, it's not what you think. I just haven't met any friends who share my interests."
Meng Ran was indeed speaking from the heart at this moment. Although he was only in his early twenties when he died in his previous life, he had, after all, graduated from university. Now, socializing with a group of middle schoolers was indeed not particularly suitable for him.
Even though he had relived his life from childhood to adulthood in this new existence, it made him feel younger at heart, not so old.
But he certainly wouldn't be playing with Ultraman cards with his classmates anymore.
Compared to middle schoolers, high schoolers were still approachable, and boys and girls in high school were relatively innocent, with simpler relationships between people.
For Meng Ran, who had already experienced the pressures of society, this was indeed a rare second chance. After all, everyone only has one youth, but he had two.
Meng Ran's honest words sounded to Zhao Li like a sensible child suppressing his grievances to comfort his parents, which only made Zhao Li feel even more heartache.
Seeing this, Meng Huo also hugged Zhao Li comfortingly. He, too, felt that his son was comforting them, and he couldn't help but sigh, "What a good child. Your mom and dad have indeed put you through a lot."
Zhao Li wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said to Meng Ran, "Son, don't worry. After this transfer, Mom should be here for a long time. You can get along well with your new classmates."
Meng Ran, who had been thinking about how to comfort his mother, suddenly felt uneasy when he heard this.
He was going to be in New York for a long time; this feeling wasn't very good.
Meng Ran wanted to persuade Zhao Li, but he didn't know how to start the conversation without sounding too abrupt. After a moment of thought, he swallowed his words.
"The more I refuse, the more guilty Mom and Dad will feel. Oh well, it is what it is. There will be a way. It's still early; maybe we'll have left here by then."
Then, the family of three chatted for a while longer. Seeing that it was getting late, Zhao Li urged Meng Ran to go to bed quickly.
"School starts in a few days. You need to adjust your sleep and develop a habit of going to bed early and waking up early."
Meng Ran heard this and could only get up and say, "No problem, I will heed Mother's teachings."
Just then, Meng Huo emerged from the kitchen with a glass of milk and called out to Meng Ran.
"Come, drink your milk. You're still growing, so drink more milk and try to grow another ten centimeters this year."
Meng Ran had no choice but to turn back to drink the milk. Listening to Meng Huo's words, Meng Ran laughed and said, "I'll try to grow to 190 this year and surpass Dad."
Meng Huo heard this and smiled as he took the glass, saying, "Then you'll have to work hard. I also hope you can surpass me soon."
Meng Huo was a burly man, one meter eighty-seven tall. Zhao Li herself was one meter seventy.
It was precisely because of good genes that Meng Ran, at only 17, had already grown to one meter eighty.
After drinking his milk, Meng Ran returned to his room. He brushed his teeth in the bathroom, then lay on his bed, closing his eyes and trying to fall asleep.
The black liquid hidden behind the computer host finally got its chance.
Seeing Meng Ran return, it immediately began to crawl forward from behind the host, quickly reaching the side of the bed.
Once it reached the bed, it extended a tendril and grabbed Meng Ran's ankle.
Then it began to writhe and instantly vanished from its spot, completely entering Meng Ran's body.
Meng Ran, lying on the bed, felt no abnormality at this moment. He still had his eyes closed, trying to fall asleep.
"Unknown consciousness detected!"
"Resisting consciousness invasion!"
"Counterattacking!"
A clear electronic voice suddenly rang out in Meng Ran's mind, accompanied by a violent headache. He instantly woke from his slumber.
He instinctively clutched his head, his body arching like a shrimp, as if that would lessen the pain.
After an unknown amount of time, the same electronic voice rang out in Meng Ran's mind again.
"Crisis averted, unknown intrusion eliminated!"
"Symbiote Venom discovered!"
"Fusing Venom!"
"Venom System generated!"
As the sounds continued to ring out, the painful sensation in his head gradually began to subside.
In just this short amount of time, Meng Ran's cold sweat had completely drenched his clothes.
He swore he had never felt such pain in this life—no, in both his lives.
As time passed, Meng Ran's brain gradually returned to normal. Not only did the pain disappear, but there was also a cool sensation that cleared his mind considerably.
Coming back to his senses, Meng Ran recalled the voices that had constantly appeared in his mind.
"What was that thing?" he wondered, puzzled.
"Venom?"
"System?"
"Could I have a golden finger from my transmigration?" Meng Ran suddenly became excited.
"But where is this thing, and how do I use it?" As the sudden excitement passed, doubt gradually began to creep into his heart.
Meng Ran thought for a moment, then tried to call out to the system in his mind.
Sure enough, with his call, an electronic voice rang out in his mind.
"Super Venom System activated!"
"host, please carefully browse the instructions!"
Hearing the system's prompt, Meng Ran calmed down and carefully perceived the system in his mind.
After a while, he had understood the basic situation.
It turned out that the black cat he encountered while driving this afternoon was not a black cat, but Venom.
It had followed him home and only found an opportunity to possess him just now.
However, Venom, in the process of possessing and invading his consciousness, unluckily touched the hidden "cosmic fire" within Meng Ran's body.
It was this treasure that allowed Meng Ran to be reborn, and at the same time, it now prevented him from having his consciousness invaded by Venom.
Now, the "cosmic fire" had combined with Venom to form the Super Venom System.
The biggest function of this system was Venom's possession ability.
The host could control Venom to possess other people, and after possession, could also receive feedback on the target's physical qualities and abilities.
Moreover, there were also system-specific points. These points were a value derived from his reputation, converted through a special calculation method.
At this stage, Meng Ran could not see the specific use of the points, because the system reminded the host that when the points reached a certain value, the system could be upgraded, and more functions would be unlocked after the upgrade.
After understanding the current functions of the system, Meng Ran's mind moved, and a panel visible only to him appeared before his eyes.
host: Meng Ran
Age: 17
Height: 180
Intelligence: 30 (Normal average 20. A relatively smart youth)
Strength: 80-110 kg (A strong youth)
Speed: 10 (A relatively agile youth)
Current Abilities: None
Several data points displayed Meng Ran's physical qualities, and he nodded as he looked at them.
He was quite clear about his own strengths and weaknesses.
Besides being a bit smarter, stronger, and more handsome than the average person, he had no outstanding qualities.
"There's still a lot of room for growth," Meng Ran mused inwardly, looking at his data.
"I wonder what changes Venom's possession will bring."
Thinking of this, Meng Ran's mind moved again, and instantly black liquid covered his body. The Venom suit was fully deployed!
Meng Ran turned to the mirror, and a black figure appeared in the reflection.
The black "bodysuit" tightly enveloped his body, making his already chiseled muscles even more defined, possessing a unique, powerful aesthetic.
The narrow, white eyes reflected a cold gaze, adding an aura of evil to the suit.
Meng Ran looked at himself in the mirror, and a strong fighting spirit and a feeling of being invincible suddenly surged within him.
Upon realizing this illusion, he quickly composed himself. This feeling was actually an illusion brought about by increased power.
The full coverage of the Venom suit doubled Meng Ran's physical qualities and all his stats.
If the ordinary Meng Ran was a strong ordinary person, now, wearing the suit, he was more like a seasoned special forces soldier (in terms of physical qualities).
Meng Ran looked at himself in the mirror, a thrill stirring within him.
"Perhaps I can strive to grow, to face future dangers head-on, instead of constantly running away." Thinking of this, Meng Ran clenched his fists.
"After all, only my own strength is most reliable. I need to protect Dad and Mom, and if possible, nip those dangers in the bud."
Having made up his mind, Meng Ran's gaze fell back on the suit.
Looking at himself in the mirror, he touched his head and mused inwardly, "This suit is cool, but my head is bald, like a bald man."
So, Meng Ran activated Venom again, creating a hood on his head, and at the same time, he adjusted the suit according to the combat uniforms he had seen in his memory.
After the adjustments were complete, Meng Ran looked at the mirror again.
Unlike the previous smooth, tight-fitting suit, the current suit had become even more stylish.
Overall, it resembled a black combat uniform, with a hood added to conceal his entire face in darkness.
At the same time, only a pair of narrow, pale eyes were visible beneath the hood, making anyone who saw them feel a shiver down their spine.
Meng Ran looked at the improved Venom suit with satisfaction, then didn't forget to strike a few poses he thought were cool.
Just then, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.
"Son, are you still awake? Why is the light still on?" Meng Huo asked from outside the door.
Meng Ran heard the voice and quickly retracted the suit, then replied, "No, I was a little thirsty, so I got up to drink some water."
Meng Huo outside the door heard the reply and then urged, "Alright, then drink up and go to sleep quickly. It's getting late."
"Got it!" Meng Ran quickly agreed.
Listening to the sound recede, Meng Ran looked at the suit again, then burrowed into his covers and went to sleep.