Chapter 151: Dinner with the Goddess of War
Next, Li Chen took Sif to Tiffany.
Tiffany was a luxury brand native to America, specializing in jewelry and the like.
In the last century, Audrey Hepburn had starred in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany.
This was the first time Sif had experienced anything like this.
Looking at the glittering jewelry, she tried on piece after piece, marveling at how stunning they looked on her.
At that moment, Sif's heart completely melted. She felt as though she were no longer a battle-hardened goddess of war, but rather an Earth woman, savoring life.
It seemed she hadn't come to Earth on a mission at all, but rather on a holiday.
This softened her sharply chiseled, stern features considerably.
Her delight was plain to see.
Li Chen also wore a triumphant smile; a fierce woman was just like an ill-tempered cat.
After all, even the fiercest cat would be tamed eventually.
And once subdued, they would become completely obedient to humans.
Just like Dao Ge at Xiao Feng's house, who now let Xiao Feng pet him.
Women were naturally the same; as long as you made them thoroughly docile, they wouldn't hiss at you anymore.
What Li Chen offered Sif was an experience she had never had before.
Sif had been a troublemaker since childhood, so her parents sent her to train, turning her into a warrior woman.
Having fallen in love with battle, Sif had also drifted away from the ordinary life of a goddess.
Only now did she realize that an ordinary life could be so enjoyable.
No woman could resist a shopping spree—or men, for that matter.
It was just that men were slightly more rational, knowing how hard-earned money was, which made them hesitate and worry when spending.
Yet undeniably, the act of buying brought immense pleasure.
Just like the urge to spend real money on microtransactions in video games...
It was merely a bunch of data, yet it provided pure satisfaction.
Sif shared that feeling of pleasure; by the time they returned to the car, she was carrying quite a few shopping bags.
Only then did Sif realize: "You've spent so much on me, Li."
She felt that even Asgard was nowhere near this fun.
Primarily, Asgardian aesthetics were too monotonous. Under Odin's influence, Asgardians loved golden things, making many places look overwhelmingly gilded.
Sif hadn't thought much of it before, but comparing it after coming to Earth, it seemed a bit tacky.
Li Chen took her hand and said, "It's nothing. As long as it makes you happy, it's worth it."
Sif no longer minded this little gesture, though she was still somewhat unaccustomed to it.
"Take advantage of this time to relax properly. You probably haven't had a break in a long time."
Li Chen continued to instill this mindset into Sif,
encouraging her not to treat this as a mission, but as a vacation.
Sif nodded as well. There really was nothing dangerous here; it was very safe, so she ought to approach it like a holiday.
Thinking this way, the tension vanished from Sif's face, and she reined in her imposing aura.
"Let's go. We're going to get some food."
Li Chen drove Sif to a restaurant located in the Hollywood Hills.
As the Asgardian goddess of war, Sif had given Li Chenonly one requirement: she wanted meat.
"We're here."
Li Chen opened the door for Sif, and as she stepped out, he promptly wrapped an arm around her waist.
This caused Sif to stiffen all over. Li Chen smiled and said, "Everyone who comes here is a couple."
"Rejecting me would make me lose face."
This was where the power of being indebted truly showed itself.
Remembering how much money Li Chen had just spent on her, Sif stopped protesting, though walking felt terribly awkward.
Li Chen's large hand truly was burning hot!
Entering the restaurant, Sif's statuesque figure and striking red gown drew numerous eyes, making her even more nervous.
Only when they sat down at their reserved table did Sifheave a sigh of relief.
Li Chen ordered plenty of meat, and the two began to chat.
Li Chen was seasoned by now, adept at initiating conversation no matter who he was with.
With Sif, for instance, he was very curious about Asgard.
Sif was also happy to share stories about Asgard.
Through this, Li Chen learned several closely kept secrets.
For instance, even though Odin was the God-King of Asgard, not every Asgardian submitted to him.
There was even an 'opposition' faction in Asgard.
Li Chen couldn't help asking, "Why is that?"
Sif's expression turned awkward. "The people of Nornheimfeel the Asgardian Palace treats them unfairly. The grudge runs deep, tracing back to the Nine Realms War."
"Later, a queen rose in Nornheim who wanted to lead them to independence, constantly opposing the Asgardian Palace."
As Li Chen listened to secrets unknown to outsiders, the food was served.
"Let's eat first."
He poured wine for Sif, then prepared to show her how to cut steak.
As it turned out, Sif had no need for instruction at all, tearing directly into it with large bites...
The contrast was striking: despite wearing an elegant gown, Sif could not shake off the hearty, uncouth habits of Asgard.
Fortunately, Li Chen didn't mind. Instead, he copied Sif, eating his steak in large chunks.
Seeing Li Chen follow suit, Sif broke into a grin. "That's more like it! This is the way to enjoy it."
It wasn't that she hadn't seen how the Earthlings around them ate, but she disdained doing it that way.
Asgardians were simply arrogant by nature.
Li Chen acting like her made her admire him even more.
At this moment, Sif couldn't help comparing Li Chen to Thor, whom she had always liked in the past.
By comparison, Li Chen seemed better than Thor in virtually every way, except that his combat power remained unknown.
Comparisons were odious, and Sif's feelings inevitably began to shift.
Her prior fondness for Thor had simply been due to a lack of choices; Asgardians were so few, and Odin held her in high regard.
Yet now... Thor had fallen for an Earth woman, so why couldn't she like an Earth man?
Thus, her curiosity about Li Chen grew even stronger.
The two probed into each other's pasts.
Li Chen offered a blend of truth and falsehood, but Sif's revelations took him by surprise.
"You used to be blonde?"
"Yes."
Sif tossed her jet-black hair. "This was forged by dwarves, but it is nowhere near as lovely as my golden hair was."
"Then what happened to it?"
Li Chen asked, intrigued.
Sif ground her teeth in frustration. "That bastard Loki, of course! One day while I was asleep, he cut off all my golden hair. I will never forgive him as long as I live."
Li Chen was genuinely puzzled.
Wouldn't it grow back after being cut?
Perhaps there was a special reason.
Nevertheless, he could tell that Sif harbored deep hatred toward Loki.
Anyone would find such an act unforgivable: possessing gorgeous golden hair, only to have Loki lop it off, leaving her with black hair forged by dwarves.
Just thinking about it was infuriating.
This also got Li Chen wondering what Sif would look like right now if she still had blonde hair.
Picturing it, he realized... black hair actually suited her better.
Black was more mysterious, more austere, and made her look far more murderous.
It fit Sif's identity as a goddess of war.
Chapter 152: Lorna's Reluctance
By the time they left the restaurant, night had completely fallen.
Sif obediently linked her arm through Li Chen's.
After this meal and conversation, they had grown much closer, especially after learning quite a few embarrassing stories about each other.
Asgardians were naturally quite open-minded, and Sif had also come around to the idea.
At most, she would just indulge herself this once; who knew if she would ever visit Earth again in the future?
Besides, as a long-lived species... by the next time she visited, Li Chen might not even be around anymore.
The aspect of Asgardians that made them most like gods to mortals was undoubtedly their lifespan—even ordinary Asgardians could live for thousands of years.
This was naturally something that invoked pure envy and jealousy.
However, Li Chen was in no hurry to consummate things just yet, as he had other plans.
He first took Sif to watch a movie.
It was none other than Avatar, which was still showing in theaters.
Avatar's box office numbers were extraordinarily high, primarily because ticket prices were very expensive.
For an ordinary 2D movie, a ticket in America cost only a few dollars. But as the very first 3D movie—and directed by Cameron, no less—the ticket price was astounding, costing at least over ten dollars, effectively doubling the standard price.
Consequently, even though its total viewership was actually lower than Titanic, Avatar's box office earnings surpassed it.
Without question, when unable to increase the number of viewers, Hollywood saw the possibility of boosting box office revenues.
Thus, for a long time afterward, 3D movies became the standard choice for mainstream commercial cinema.
Eventually, however, the trend declined; after all, 3D films were simply too expensive.
Sif was quite curious about the movie Li Chen had mentioned, and after putting on the glasses, there was indeed an immersive sensation.
However, she felt nothing toward the plot itself, merely finding the experience somewhat novel.
"How was it?"
Li Chen looked at Sif with curiosity.
Sif shook her head and said, "Isn't the protagonist one of your Earthlings? Why would he help the aliens?"
"…"
Li Chen was at a loss for words; the plot of Avatar really was ripe for criticism.
"That's American values for you."
America was a nation of immigrants, so loyalty was naturally hard to come by.
"What about the special effects? Did you find them exciting?"
"Not bad."
Sif nodded objectively. "Though Asgard has had this kind of technology for ages."
Li Chen smiled and said nothing more, instead leading Siftoward a hotel.
Making Sif one of his own first would naturally make everything else much easier.
Both of them knew that the other had long been waiting for this.
"Let me witness the prowess of Asgard's goddess of war."
"Midgardians seem to be quite fragile."
"I'm different."
Sif quickly discovered that Li Chen was indeed different.
His body was as hard as steel, and no matter what combat techniques she used, she could not overpower him.
On the contrary, Li Chen's overwhelming prowess eventually pushed Sif to her limits.
The fierce battle lasted until the heavens turned dark and did not end until the sun rose the next morning.
Neither of them had rested, yet neither felt the slightest bit fatigued.
True to her title as Asgard's goddess of war, her unyielding spirit refused to surrender even while remaining entirely on the defensive.
In that case, Li Chen naturally had no intention of letting her off easily.
It was just like a tug-of-war: it could only end when one side collapsed and the other claimed complete victory.
And so, Li Chen didn't hold back as if treating Sif like a mere mortal.
It was not until two days later that the ultimate victor was decided—naturally, it was Li Chen.
The way Sif looked at him had completely changed.
"You are far stronger than an average Asgardian."
Even Sif had no choice but to admit it.
Of course, she was referring to his physical constitution.
Weren't Earthlings supposed to have frail bodies? Yet Li Chen's strength seemed utterly boundless.
Li Chen wrapped his arm around her and asked, "Sif, how much freedom do you have in Asgard?"
"Freedom?"
"I mean, can you leave whenever you want?"
"Of course. No one restricts me."
Sif nodded with pride.
Li Chen pinched her arm; in Thor 4, poor Sif had lost an arm, which looked rather tragicomical.
However, Li Chen would definitely never allow that to happen.
"Then are you interested in acting in a movie?"
Li Chen asked immediately.
"Would that be helping you?"
Sif hesitated slightly. She had no real interest in acting, but if Li Chen needed her, she would naturally agree.
Seeing the look in her eyes, Li Chen couldn't help but nod.
As expected, making her submit was crucial; he had to establish his position.
"There's a specific role that suits you very well. She is also a goddess of war..."
Li Chen explained the setting of Wonder Woman to Sif.
Afterward, Sif couldn't help but comment, "With a setting like that, aren't you afraid Zeus might strike you with lightning?"
"This is the Nine Realms, Odin's domain."
Li Chen gave Sif a light squeeze.
Zeus and his pantheon were Old Gods, whereas the gods of Asgard were New Gods who had long ruled over the Nine Realms.
In Thor 4, Zeus indeed appeared, only to be nearly taken out in a single move by Thor...
Forget anyone else—even Li Chen found it utterly absurd.
"Interesting."
Sif was clearly tempted.
Earlier, she had thought of this as just a fleeting indulgence, thinking she might never visit Earth again.
But now... she almost wanted to stay here.
No wonder Thor was always thinking about Earth.
Clearly, however, she still had to return for now.
"Is all of that stuff ready?"
"Of course. Are you leaving?"
"I must head back first, but I will come again."
Sif declared firmly.
Afterward, she changed back into her battle armor and followed Li Chen back to the company to pick up the materials.
Virtually all of Starlight Pictures' works had been uploaded into the device.
The Asgardians would soon be able to watch them.
With a wave of her hand, Sif bid her farewell.
"Boss, what have you two been doing these past few days?"
Lorna leaned in close to sniff Li Chen.
However, Sif did not wear perfume, so Lorna smelled nothing.
"She isn't an Earthling, so I showed her around for a bit."
Li Chen said casually, "We need to maintain good relations with Asgard, so I had no choice."
Gwen wore an expression that plainly said,'See if I believe you.'
Even so, she didn't say anything.
Li Chen hugged her and said, "Let's go see MJ in a bit."
"All right."
Although Gwen knew what was bound to happen, she still looked forward to it.
Seeing how sweet Li Chen was to Gwen, Lorna curled her lips.
She knew Gwen also had an assistant, that woman named Mary Jane.
This made Lorna realize that on her own, she was simply no match for the two best friends; she couldn't compete with them at all.
After all, it was two against one; even if she brought out all her tricks, she wouldn't stand a chance.
Two were always more enticing than one.
Lorna pursed her lips; it seemed she had to make a move of her own.
Tragically, though, she didn't have any close sisters...
She had spent some time with Blink, but their relationship wasn't anywhere near as intimate as Gwen and Mary Jane's.
Those two were willing to share even this—was there anything they couldn't do?
They would probably even push each other forward.
"Wait, my father once mentioned... that I might have a sister?"
At that moment, Lorna suddenly recalled that Magnetohad once disclosed to her that she had a younger sister, whom he had placed with a Gypsy family to be cared for.
Chapter 153: All Quiet in the Nine Realms
Li Chen naturally didn't know Lorna's thoughts.
In fact, he wasn't playing favorites; two was simply greater than one—it was just basic math.
He took Gwen along to pick up Mary Jane.
Filming for Iron Man had already begun.
Mary Jane was, after all, the female lead, so she had a fair amount of scenes.
In the first Iron Man film, the only female character with significant screen time was Pepper.
With her red hair, Mary Jane looked far hotter than the real Pepper.
He wondered if Pepper would feel jealous once the moviewas released.
"MJ, how are you feeling?"
When they arrived on the set, Mary Jane was instantly delighted.
"The director and everyone are treating me very well. It's pretty good."
She spoke, though clearly not entirely from the heart, merely because there were so many people around.
Li Chen nodded as well and glanced to the side, where Tony Stark was hitting it off passionately with a blonde woman.
Mary Jane said helplessly, "She's a model who will appear on screen for less than a minute in the movie."
To portray Tony Stark's chaotic lifestyle, women were naturally indispensable.
Tony Stark had initially been reluctant, but as soon as he saw the female models the crew brought in, he instantly agreed to shoot it that way.
Li Chen shook his head with a smile; Tony was certainly having a blast.
No one could resist his charm.
Of course, it wasn't because he was handsome, but because he was rich.
Sir Charles Barkley, the "Flying Pig" of the NBA, had once famously said:
"Handsome my ass! If I had as much money as Jordan, I'd be handsome too!"
To put it plainly, anyone with money is handsome.
There would always be a crowd running after them calling them 'Daddy'.
Tony Stark already possessed a rogue charm of his own, and being this wealthy on top of that, naturally no one could resist him.
Moreover, these people all wanted to try their luck.
What if they spent a lucky night with Tony, struck gold, and got pregnant?
The child support for the rest of their lives would be more than enough for them to live in luxury.
This was by no means a joke; many star athletes earned immense fortunes, yet went bankrupt right after retiring simply because they had too many illegitimate children and child support drained them dry.
Clearly, though, Tony wasn't that stupid; he wouldn't compromise himself just for momentary pleasure...
Once they left the crew, Mary Jane immediately started venting.
"Tony Stark is such a jerk, insisting on shooting everything according to his own whims."
"He constantly interferes with the crew's shooting schedule and even wants to modify the script."
Mary Jane was deeply dissatisfied with this.
What she resented was that Tony held too much power, and that she didn't have that kind of influence herself...
Li Chen smiled and said, "Don't worry, he can't decide anything."
What the movie would ultimately look like wasn't Tony's call to make, nor was it Happy's as the director.
Hollywood operates on a producer-driven system; how the film ultimately turns out is entirely determined by the producer.
That was why many directors felt the final cut didn't match their vision—how could an ordinary director's modest authority ever sway a producer?
This was simply Tony and the others being laymen; a film's raw footage could easily run over ten hours, yet only two hours of story would make the final cut...
Just because something was filmed didn't mean it had to be shown; the final cut depended entirely on the producer.
So Li Chen didn't bother interfering; it would all have to be edited in the end anyway, at which point he could simply cut out every single one of Tony's ideas.
Even if Tony got mad then, there would be nothing he could do, and as long as the movie turned out great with high box office returns, he wouldn't complain.
After all, who would turn their back on money?
The trio had dinner together, and even after arriving at the apartment they rented, Mary Jane was still complaining.
Feeling that she was whining like a resentful woman, Li Chen promptly held her down and stuffed her mouth.
...
If you had a lifespan of thousands of years, what would you want to do?
Such was the case for the Asgardian people; thousands of years of existence left them utterly bored.
Therefore, Asgardians loved revelry; with minor feasts every three days and grand banquets every five, they were perpetually drunk.
After all, repeating the exact same routine day after day for thousands of years was simply too dull for them.
When Sif piloted her spaceship back to Asgard, it happened to be a day when the gods were holding a grand party.
The gods and goddesses of Asgard were gathered in the Golden Palace, and by the time Sif walked in, they were already drinking while singing, dancing, and rapping.
"Hey, Sif, you're finally back!"
Thor shouted loudly upon catching sight of Sif.
The other Asgardian Palace Warriors also asked, "Sif, Thorsaid you went to Midgard again. What did you go there for?"
Midgard was Earth, and because it was situated right at the center of the Nine Realms, it was also known as the Middle Realm.
Previously, The Warriors Three and Sif had traveled to Earth to search for Thor, so they were already familiar with it.
Sif had a helpless expression; she didn't particularly care for scenes like this.
However, the male gods of Asgard all relished drinking and combat, violent genes etched deep into their very marrow.
"Thor, I've brought back everything you asked for."
"Really? Come on, let's go watch."
Thor's eyes instantly lit up, and he didn't even care to drink anymore.
"What could possibly be more important than drinking?"
Though Fandral and the others were puzzled, they were Thor's loyal followers, so they naturally tagged along.
Sif, for her part, couldn't wait to slip away.
Their departure had no effect on the banquet; everyone remained swept up in the festivities.
Ever since peace settled over the Nine Realms, the Asgardian residents living in Asgard had lowered their guard, becoming increasingly immersed in hedonism.
This was by Odin's design; the Asgardian people were so bellicose that without something to keep them occupied, they would probably spend all day doing nothing but picking fights.
The dilemma, however, was that Odin had no desire to wage another war.
Thus, he could only resort to this method to keep the Asgardian population sedated.
The drawback was that the combat prowess of the native Asgardians grew increasingly weaker; now they only understood brawling, but had forgotten what genuine war truly meant.
Sif and the others followed Thor into Thor's room.
Thor said smugly, "I specially set up a huge screen, guaranteed to give us a thrilling watch."
His only complaint about Earth was that the television set in the pub was far too small.
A television screen barely larger than a human head was simply impossible to enjoy!
Unlike in the Asgardian Palace, where they could project images directly.
He took the items from Sif and activated the projection right away.
"Huh! Why are there so many?"
Thor looked utterly flabbergasted; he had only told Sif to buy rick and morty, so how had she brought back so much in one go?
Furthermore, rick and morty was buried quite deep in the catalog.
Displayed right on the very first row was man of steel.
This forced Thor to browse line by line until he finally spotted rick and morty in the middle.
In the process, he couldn't help but notice the other titles.
Things like Superman and Batman—though he had no clue what they were, they had already caught his eye.
And some truly piqued his curiosity.
"I'll take a look after finishing rick and morty."
Immediately afterward, he excitedly opened rick and morty.
"Hogan, believe me, you won't be disappointed!"
Thor shouted at the top of his lungs.
Chapter 154: Thor: Getting Hooked
Fandral and the others were originally not interested in Earth's things.
Their Asgard had developed for so many years; what didn't they have?
However, seeing that Sif hadn't left, they immediately stayed behind as well.
Sif naturally wouldn't leave; she didn't know much about Li Chen yet and wanted to learn more.
Afterward, Thor started the playback.
"A cartoon? Thor, you're so childish."
Hogan mocked.
Yet soon enough, as the plot began, Hogan's initially indifferent gaze became glued to the screen.
The screen Thor had specially prepared was even larger than movie theater screens on Earth, providing an immersive experience.
Of course, the main reason was that the animation was genuinely interesting.
Grandpa Rick's charm captivated him thoroughly.
Soon, Hogan cried out in astonishment, "Does Midgard truly have someone with such supreme intellect?"
"Oh shit, Thor, let's travel around the universe too!"
Fandral also shouted at this moment.
As The Warriors Three, they had always been the embodiment of simple-minded meatheads.
It was precisely because they were so simple-minded that they were conquered by intellect right now.
They watched for several hours straight, almost finishing the entire run of twenty-odd-minute episodes of rick and morty.
Because of this, they were also fascinated by this splendid and magnificent universe.
Their own universe didn't seem bad at all either.
The universe had three great empires and many interesting places, like Knowhere.
However, they had only heard about these places and had never seen them with their own eyes.
Before this, at most they only wandered within the Nine Realms or visited the Realm of the Dwarves for fun.
This was all due to Odin's retrenchment strategy.
Odin did not allow Asgardians to leave the Nine Realms at will.
Therefore, without permission, juniors like them would never leave.
Nor were they particularly interested.
After all, the Nine Realms was already big enough, and Asgard offered plenty of entertainment.
In Asgard, you would never be bored; the gods would pull you into singing, dancing, feasting on meat, and drinking wine.
Yet now, a flicker of curiosity about the universe had sparked within them.
Thor spoke up, "I originally wanted to go, but I broke the Bifrost..."
"Back on Earth, I had it all planned out: I was going to take that grandson Loki to travel around the universe, with me as Rick and him as Morty."
After Thor finished speaking, joyful laughter erupted in the room.
Undoubtedly, Loki was indeed a little punk.
Soon, the first season finished playing.
"What? Only one season?"
"I bet there's more after this. Sif?"
Only then did they remember Sif.
Sif's interest in animation wasn't as great as theirs, but she had to admit that Li Chen's company produced top-quality work.
"They've only produced this one season so far. Once more are made, I'll go to Midgard and get them for you,"
Sif said nonchalantly.
This gave her an excuse to visit Earth whenever she wanted.
Sure enough, Thor and the others didn't think twice about it.
None of them were interested in Sif, and they were even a bit afraid of her because she had such a fiery temper, always ready to beat someone up at the slightest provocation.
Yet even the fiercest tigress turns into a kitten when she meets the right man.
"Let's watch something else first."
Thor finally remembered there was still a bunch of other works on the drive.
At this moment, they couldn't help but marvel at Li Chen's foresight; if there had only been one season of rick and morty, it would have felt quite lonely.
But now, they could watch other things.
"Let's watch Superman! I want to see what kind of being gets called Superman!"
Hogan said curiously.
They were just like elderly folks on Earth, exceptionally gullible, believing every commercial they saw.
Even if the advertisement made wild, exaggerated claims.
Just like right now watching Superman, when they saw Superman Clark take off directly from the ground, they were instantly stunned.
"Is there a place called Krypton in the universe?"
"Never heard of it, it's probably fake!"
Volstagg, possessing a bit more wisdom, said.
"The universe is so huge, how do you know it's fake? Maybe it really exists!"
"Growing stronger just by basking in the sun—how could they be even more formidable than us Asgardians?"
"What you should be wondering is how such a powerful empire was destroyed in the first place."
"Then what about our Asgard..."
"Shut up!"
Sif hurriedly snapped.
Although they didn't believe anything would happen to Asgard—after all, everything had been fine for so many years—
what if?
Thor hadn't thought that deeply about it, saying carelessly, "Even if there's real danger, my royal father is here."
When the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up.
And the God-King Odin was both towering and unyielding.
As long as the God-King Odin was around, nothing unexpected would happen to Asgard.
At this time, none of them had considered what would happen if Odin were no longer around.
They stared intently at the screen, for as Clark learned he was a Kryptonian, the movie was gradually entering its most thrilling phase.
They didn't find it boring at all; on the contrary, they found Earth quite fascinating.
Just as depicted, it was rather beautiful.
And the scene where Clark survived in the universe, spreading his arms to embrace the sun, left them utterly shocked.
"No wonder he's called Superman."
"Hogan, can we survive in the universe?"
"What are you thinking? You can't even breathe."
"So who is the god here—him or us?"
Thor couldn't even answer this question.
Those who proclaimed themselves gods seemingly couldn't even hold a candle to Superman.
"This Kryptonian empire must have been incredibly powerful; why haven't we heard of it?"
They looked at Sif, and Sif shook her head as well.
At this moment, they were as anxious as Earth seniors eager to buy health supplements.
The final battle also gave them immense satisfaction; the clash jokingly dubbed the 'farmer's three punches' showed many people for the first time what a battle between Supermen was truly like.
Even long after, this remained the absolute pinnacle of fight choreography.
The Warriors Three were all debating how many punches they could take.
Though considering they had been utterly thrashed by the Destroyer Armor...
they probably couldn't even withstand a single punch.
One had to remember that was merely the Destroyer Armor controlled by Loki, whose strength was like a little chick before the God-King Odin.
Yet it had still beaten them one-sidedly, an utter disgrace.
"Superman's strength is just terrifying."
They could only sigh in amazement.
After watching rick and morty and man of steel, they developed a profound interest in the rest of the movies.
Drinking their liquor, they urged, "Keep going, keep going!"
The physique of an Asgardian differed from that of an Earthling; an Earthling watching for so long would have been exhausted ages ago.
If not aching all over, their eyes would at least be sore and strained.
Yet the Asgardians were completely fine, capable of watching for several more days and nights.
Afterward, without taking any rest, they watched every single work produced by Starlight Pictures straight through.
From Superman to Batman, from One Piece to one-punch man, and even several musical tracks...
The music style of Earth was completely different from that of Asgard, sounding surprisingly addictive.
Chapter 155: Advanced Lottery
After Thor and the others finished watching, thanks to big mouths like Hogan and a few others,
word quickly spread throughout the Asgardian Palace.
Asgard had far too little entertainment, so boasting and gossiping had become a daily routine.
Whenever Hogan and his group saw someone now, they would ask, "Have you seen rick and morty?"
"No? Well, surely you've seen Superman, right?"
Once the other Asgardian gods or goddesses looked completely bewildered, they would smugly launch into explanations.
Consequently, the rest of Asgard soon learned about these shows.
Then they went looking for Thor, leaving Thor no choice but to copy the videos for them.
rick and morty and man of steel were especially beloved by the Asgardians.
The former satisfied their fantasies about the universe, while Superman made them Marvel at the might of the Kryptonians.
Without a doubt, Asgard revered strength; every Asgardian was valiant and combative, admiring only the strong.
The Kryptonians' power earned their "approval."
Meanwhile, the goddesses thought, "If Kryptonians are that formidable, they must be just as incredible in bed."
"If only I could get my hands on a Kryptonian."
Before long, even Queen of Gods Frigga heard about it.
Curious, she had her maid go to Thor to fetch a copy.
Then she started watching the show while cracking melon seeds.
...
[rick and morty went viral in Asgard. Gained 5,000 Prestige Points.]
[man of steel went viral in Asgard. Gained 7,000 Prestige Points.]
[one-punch man...]
[Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another world...]
[...]
Li Chen finally had a rare day off, so he bathed and lit incense in preparation for the lottery, only to be stunned upon opening the system.
Sif really was capable; it had genuinely spread throughout Asgard.
What's more, a quest had even been completed.
[Hidden Quest: Beyond Earth (Completed).]
[Description: Let Earth's works shine across the galaxy. Reward: 100,000 Prestige Points.]
[Current Prestige Points: 603,255]
[Host's cumulative Prestige Points have exceeded 1,000,000. The lottery system can be upgraded. Would you like to upgrade?]
[Note: Upgrading the lottery system will increase the probability of obtaining high-quality items.]
"There are even hidden quests?"
Li Chen hadn't expected his casual move to succeed, let alone complete a hidden quest.
Sure enough, this was what being the protagonist was all about!
Li Chen naturally believed he was the "protagonist," the Child of Destiny.
Every era had people like this; just like after Cao Caoconquered the north, he inevitably felt favored by heaven and sought to unify Huaxia.
There was also Fu Jian, who unified the north and naturally believed himself to be the chosen one who could easily swallow the south.
Both of those examples turned out rather tragic, though...
But Li Chen shared the very same confidence they once had.
They had achieved so much success, how could they possibly fail?
"Upgrade. Absolutely upgrade."
Li Chen didn't hesitate at all.
After upgrading, the drop rates would indeed increase.
[Lottery system upgrade complete. Current tier: Advanced Lottery. 100,000 Prestige Points per ten-pull. Draws will no longer yield 'Try Again'.]
"Guaranteed prizes on every draw?"
Li Chen was astonished; he had grown completely accustomed to the damn system giving him blank pulls.
But now... it truly lived up to being an Advanced Lottery.
Checking his Prestige Points, he only had enough for six ten-pulls.
But with no blank pulls, what was there to fear?
"Nami!"
Li Chen called Nami inside, intending to borrow her "luck" directly.
"Mmh."
Nami blushed, but could only let Li Chen have his way.
Li Chen was so good to her and had taken such great care of her since arriving in this world; it was only borrowing a bit of luck, after all.
There was no other reason—Nami was simply big.
With all that luck right in front of him, he would be a fool not to take advantage of it.
Feeling the warmth in his palms, Li Chen immediately initiated the draw.
"Let's do a ten-pull."
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining: YoRHa 2BSummoning Shard *1]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining: virtuous contract.]
[virtuous contract: YoRHa 2B's signature weapon.]
[Congratulations, Host, on obtaining: Small Recovery Potion...]
After finishing the ten-pull, there were indeed no more 'Try Again' duds; even the worst results yielded items.
And they were all good stuff.
For instance, Bayonetta's lollipops weren't ordinary candy; they could restore stamina, magic power, and the like, each with a different effect.
Then there were recovery potions—items that were practically divine artifacts in reality.
No matter the injury, as long as one wasn't dead, a single bottle of recovery potion would pull someone back from the brink of death. No amount of money could buy that.
"An Advanced Lottery really hits the jackpot."
Although it now cost 100,000 Prestige Points for a ten-pull, Li Chen was accumulating more and more Prestige Points anyway.
Starlight Pictures' fame was growing by the day, and not just in North America.
movies like Batman and Superman had also achieved great box office numbers in Europe.
Places like Great Britain and France, for example.
That was only normal; this had always been Hollywood's traditional box office territory.
Although Europe tried to produce art films every year to rival Hollywood, anyone who had watched European films knew they were merely entertaining themselves.
Li Chen really couldn't understand why these so-called "art films" loved shooting all those pointless nude scenes...
In their eyes, was the human body the definition of art?
But that inherently alienated a portion of the audience; at the very least, anyone under eighteen couldn't watch them.
Mainstream Hollywood commercial films were rarely rated R, so how could Europe hope to compete with Hollywood?
What brought a pleasant surprise, however, was the East Asia box office.
Hong Kong, the Japan, and even Huaxia.
Ever since Hollywood movies were permitted entry into Huaxia, sharp eyes had latched onto this untapped market.
How staggering was a population of over a billion?
Thus, even though only a handful of films could be imported each year and the box office split was very low, Hollywood never tired of it.
In later years, some movies even premiered in Huaxiabefore America.
Many Marvel films, for instance, followed this pattern.
Starlight Pictures' movies had also barely managed to get imported.
Superman and Batman were fortunate enough to avoid heavy censorship scissors, but a film like obsession failed to pass review.
Over a decade later, it probably wouldn't have been an issue.
But for now, only mainstream commercial movies could make the cut.
It was precisely because he had tapped into the globalmarket that Li Chen's Prestige Points kept mounting.
Anywhere else, achieving this would likely have been nearly impossible.
There was no denying that at this point in time, America's self-proclaimed status as the "Beacon of Freedom" had some justification.
Especially after the Big Brother fell, there was no longer another pole to counterbalance it.
Riding this tailwind, Li Chen naturally intended to make a massive fortune.
"Another ten-pull."
Holding Nami in his arms, he chatted with her while continuing the lottery draws.
Hundreds of thousands of Prestige Points flowed away like water.
But Li Chen didn't panic at all; what was spent would always be made back.
Chapter 156: archive rewind device
After upgrading to the Advanced Lottery, Li Chen's reputation points were only enough for six ten-draws.
Therefore, he was very cautious every time.
Even though being cautious didn't actually change anything.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on lottery reward: YoRHa A2 Summoning Shard.]
A2?
Li Chen's heart stirred.
If 2B gave off the vibe of the girl next door, then Model A2 was unquestionably a mature older-sister type.
And unlike ordinary YoRHa Robots, both of them possessed emotions nearly indistinguishable from humans.
For a Robot, the cruelest fate was to be granted intelligence without being given human emotions.
Yet once they gained human emotions, one was forced to consider a question... is an emotional Robot still a Robot?
An artificial intelligence crisis was an occurrence found in many a world.
Even the renowned 'Warhammer' had experienced a machine rebellion during humanity's Golden Age.
Fortunately, Li Chen was only summoning a few Robots, and they were completely loyal, so there was no need to worry about such things.
The one who truly needed to worry was Tony Stark—the Ultron created by that guy had nearly destroyed the world.
Regardless, Li Chen still preferred A2; after all, who doesn't love a mature beauty?
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on lottery reward: archive rewind device.]
[archive rewind device: After establishing a save point, death or manual triggering will rewind time. The truth, however, is that each rewind transports the user to another parallel universe, where that universe's self is destroyed.]
"...?"
Seeing what he had drawn, Li Chen actually felt a slight chill of dread.
Without question, this wicked contraption came straight from the rick and morty world.
You could never predict what insane nonsense lurked in Grandpa Rick's head.
Moreover, he lacked any sense of morality whatsoever; destroying a universe was as routine to him as eating a daily meal...
Just like the contraptions he created, if this archive rewind device lacked that final sentence, it would be an absolute god-tier artifact.
After all, who wouldn't want the power to rewind?
It meant you could do any crazy thing you wanted, like kissing your crush; if she disliked it or grew angry, you could simply rewind to right before it happened.
That was merely an example; there were far too many outrageous things one could do.
Yet this rewind device demanded a price: the extinction of yourself in another universe, merely trading one parallel world for another.
This raised an ultimate question: Is the version of you in a parallel world still you?
Furthermore, how could Li Chen know for sure that he wasn't the'sole existence' in this world?
"This thing cannot be used."
Li Chen stashed it at the very bottom of his inventory.
"Continue the ten-draws."
[Ding...]
Li Chen burned through all six hundred thousand reputation points in one breath, securing a good number of great items.
Aside from Bayonetta's lollipops and recovery potions, summons were now available as well.
[YoRHa 2B Summoning Shards x10 (Summon Available).]
[YoRHa A2 Summoning Shards x10 (Summon Available).]
In addition, there were several other items.
Besides [virtuous contract] and [archive rewind device], there were new ones.
[Tremor-Tremor Fruit: Paramecia Devil Fruit. This fruit can trigger spatial vibrations, causing earthquakes, tsunamis, and atmospheric shockwaves, possessing immense physical destructive power. The user can freely regulate the vibration's intensity and range, much like Edward Newgate causing a massive tsunami.]
Li Chen looked at it and thought it was quite impressive, but Devil Fruits carried a monumental drawback.
Namely, after consuming a Devil Fruit, you could no longer swim...
Li Chen held no interest in anything burdened with negative side effects.
This was different from the Kryptonian Bloodline.
Kryptonite could be destroyed, but being unable to swim was far too fatal.
Li Chen put it away to see later if anyone on his side wanted to use it.
Most likely, however, they would refuse; they loved swimming pools far too much.
"Nami, do you want a Devil Fruit?"
Thus, Li Chen asked Nami.
Nami was the most familiar with Devil Fruits, as she had originated from that world.
Sure enough, the moment she heard the words 'Devil Fruit,' her head shook like a rattle drum.
"No way!"
Her gorgeous orange hair swung through the air and brushed past the tip of Li Chen's nose, carrying a refreshing fragrance.
"Why? This is a Paramecia fruit, extremely powerful."
Li Chen teased with a smile.
"If I were still on the ship, of course I'd consider it."
Nami giggled and said, "But I'm very safe here. With you all protecting me, why would I want a Devil Fruit?"
"Besides, I really love swimming."
A Devil Fruit would strip away her ability to touch Water, which was completely out of the question.
As a girl who loved beauty, being able to take a bath and even swim in an oversized bathtub—what could be more delightful?
Hence, she rejected the Devil Fruit without the slightest hesitation.
Even if it was a legendary Paramecia fruit, she couldn't care less.
"Fair enough."
Li Chen nodded, and subsequently shared an enjoyable time with Nami.
Only when Nami's face was flushed red and she refused to get out of bed did Li Chen finally head toward the garden.
Perhaps he subconsciously felt the garden was both secure and private, which was why he came here for every summon.
"Let's summon 2B first."
One had to show some respect to the reigning queen of the 3D realm.
You might never have played nier: automata, but you definitely knew 2B, had seen cosplays of her, or played games that featured collabs with her.
Such was her popularity.
[Begin Summoning!]
A glow flashed before Li Chen's eyes, revealing once again an incomprehensible Magic Circle.
"Should I try to obtain a magic talent?"
"Where would I even get one?"
There were quite a few franchises featuring magic, and Li Chen could think of several right off the top of his head.
Like the Type-Moon series—wondering if it even existed in this world—with the famous Rin Tohsaka and the wonderful Sakura Matou...
There were also various magical girl anime, movie titles, and the like.
Even the legendary The Witcher existed.
Except The Witcher series was protected by copyright.
"Human!"
Right as Li Chen was pondering, a mechanical girl wearing a black dress and high-heeled boots, sporting short silver hair and a blindfold, threw herself straight toward him.
"Wait!"
Li Chen failed to stop her in time and was nearly crushed to death by 2B landing on top of him.
If he were an ordinary human, he would have lost half his life right then and there.
Because 2B was a young lady weighing three hundred catties.
After all, she was not made of flesh and blood, but packed with all manner of mechanical components, naturally weighing far more than any human.
Otherwise, even if a human were built like a 'tank,' at 2B's height—nearly 1.7 meters, precisely 1.68 meters—they would only weigh around two hundred catties at most.
And that would already be considered an extreme anatomical outlier.
Nothing like 2B, who possessed an impeccably proportioned figure yet tipped the scales at three hundred catties.
"All right, 2B, get down quickly."
Li Chen supported 2B and placed her down onto the ground.
"Human, are you my Master? I will protect you with my life."
2B was overwhelmingly thrilled, showing no trace of resembling an emotionless Robot.
Because this was the very first time she had ever laid eyes on a real human!
Chapter 157: Miss 2B
In the world of nier, true humans had long since vanished.
The YoRHa Unit unit to which 2B belonged also held an ambiguous attitude toward humanity.
2B had wandered Earth for so long without encountering a single human, until she met Li Chen and discovered he was a true human, directly triggering 2B's core code.
For regardless of YoRHa Unit's stance toward humanity, these Robots possessed an absolute trust in true humans.
Their mission was to find humans and protect them with their lives.
This was dictated by their programming, just as a cat hisses when facing danger, or a woman screams in terror to trigger a battle cry.
That was why 2B was acting so "crazy" right now.
When she was summoned, absolute loyalty to Li Chen had been instilled in her mind, and on top of that, Li Chen was a pure-blooded human.
Supporting 2B's "delicate body," Li Chen said, "Alright, 2B, come on down."
With a delicate body weighing three hundred pounds, an ordinary person really wouldn't be able to hold her.
"Understood."
2B stood gracefully on the ground, her blindfolded eyes regarding Li Chen.
She was scanning Li Chen, confirming once more that Li Chen was indeed a pure-blooded human.
Meanwhile, Li Chen thought to himself that, for some reason, having her eyes covered seemed even sexier.
"2B, why does your skin feel just like a human's?"
Li Chen asked curiously.
He had felt her texture just now; it was remarkably firm and perky, as if enhanced by top-tier tech.
Well, her entire body was high technology to begin with.
"Master."
2B considered a form of address before answering, "2B's skin material mimics human flesh. Not only the texture, but the impact sensation is also identical to that of a human."
Impact sensation?
Li Chen paused for a moment before realizing that 2B was making an innuendo!
Then again, that had been humanity's original intention when creating Robots.
Initially, creating Robots was naturally so that Robots could "serve" humans.
As for how they served, that encompassed every aspect.
It was only later, out of necessity, that Robots were needed for combat, which just required modifying their parameters.
So it was completely normal for YoRHa Unit Robots to be able to serve humans.
"I'll test that next time."
Li Chen was genuinely somewhat intrigued.
2B's weight was no issue at all, considering Goddess of War Sif wasn't much lighter than her.
An Asgardian's body density was several times that of a human, and naturally, their weight followed suit.
So Li Chen was already used to it.
"Alright, I'll bring A2 over as well,"
Li Chen said.
Hearing this, 2B obediently stepped aside, though it was impossible to tell what she was truly thinking.
Because A2 was her enemy.
YoRHa Type A No. 2 was the prototype unit of the YoRHa Unit unit, essentially the first generation and the earliest combat android.
If 2B looked entirely like a human on the outside, A2 still retained a few Robot characteristics.
This was also normal, as humans initially designed them to avoid making Robots look too identical to humans.
If a Robot looked exactly like a human, how could anyone tell them apart?
Thus, distinct lines ran across A2's skin, resembling seams.
Moreover, she did not wear a blindfold like 2B, and she could switch freely between long and short hair.
When she appeared, a pair of cold eyes fixed directly upon Li Chen.
"Are you my Master?"
"A pure-blooded human actually exists."
Unexpectedly, Li Chen could sense much stronger emotions coming from her.
If 2B, who appeared more human, was truly a Robot inside,
then A2, who looked more like a Robot, possessed an inner heart far more akin to a human's.
Li Chen could clearly feel the liveliness of her emotions.
This also reminded Li Chen of the game's plot.
In the third playthrough ending, A2 inherited 2B's memories and underwent an awakening of humanity.
"A2, welcome."
Li Chen examined her, finding the lines on her body far from jarring; instead, they had a unique aesthetic appeal.
"This will be your home from now on."
"There is no need for you to fight here. You only have one duty: serve me well."
Li Chen chose to be direct when communicating with them.
Because they were not human, there was naturally no need for the Wanwan and roundabout ways humans communicated.
"Understood, Master."
Sure enough, 2B, possessing less humanity, responded immediately.
A2, on the other hand, had a flicker of light pass through her eyes, but nodded nonetheless.
She was lost in confusion, because in the eyes of YoRHa Unit, she was a traitor.
Likewise, she did not trust YoRHa Unit either.
Yet having arrived here and seen Li Chen, a pure-blooded human, A2's feelings shifted.
Her underlying code was the same as 2B's: to serve humanity.
"Very well, now I'll introduce you to everyone."
Li Chen held out both hands.
2B decisively grasped Li Chen's hand and spoke coy words in a gentle tone: "Master's hand is so warm."
Li Chen suspected she was trying to imitate human bashfulness, yet lacked genuine emotion.
Still, it sounded quite gentle.
A2 was much colder, but she placed her hand on his as well. "Yes, Master."
She clearly possessed emotions, yet chose to conceal them.
This matched Li Chen's impression: A2 was more like an aloof, cool beauty.
In any case, Li Chen had gained two more Robot maids.
Otherwise, Ram and Rem would surely have worked themselves to exhaustion.
Seeing Li Chen bring two newcomers inside, the household was already used to it.
"Whoa, it's 2B!"
Nami, an otaku at heart, recognized her right away.
She loved this world's entertainment, dabbling in both movie productions and games.
And when it came to Starlight Pictures' own creations, she didn't Miss a single one.
Mischievous Nami hurried over and started pinching and prodding 2B.
"She really feels just like a human."
"And A2, she looks a bit more primitive."
A2 appeared taller and more slender, whereas 2B was the curvier, fuller type.
That was why cosplayers who were too thin could never pull off 2B.
But one had to admit, 2B's voluptuous figure was amazing.
Even Nami was getting addicted to touching her.
"A human..."
2B felt helpless, not daring to move an inch.
Because she discovered there was another human here.
It was just that pure-blooded ones were few.
They had their own sensory detection; for instance, Ram and Rem, as well as Bayonetta and Jeanne, were not pure-blooded humans in their perception, differing from Li Chen.
That was because Ram and Rem belonged to the Oni race, while Bayonetta and Jeanne were witches.
In contrast, Nami surprised 2B by being a pure-blooded human.
However, they had been summoned by Li Chen, so even among humans there was a priority hierarchy, and Li Chenwas paramount.
Li Chen introduced them so they could get to know each other.
"From now on, everyone is family."
Li Chen's words caused A2's eyes to flicker slightly in surprise.
Her heart had originally been filled with hatred.
But now, she felt surprisingly relaxed, able to perceive the beauty of the world.
This was also where she differed from 2B: she wore no blindfold, and could see the truth of the world.
Chapter 158: Quake
Time quickly passed into 2010.
The first decade of the twenty-first century sped by just like that, as if the era had entered a period of rapid development.
For Hollywood, it was entering an even greater golden era.
movies filled with all kinds of special effects emerged, greatly stimulating the audience's senses.
Crystal dragged Skye out to watch a movie.
Crystal really liked Earth's holidays, especially Halloweenand Christmas before, which she and Skye had thoroughly enjoyed.
This also made her feel that Skye was not bad by nature.
So, after watching the movie, she dragged Skye along to pick up a package.
A package from the moon...
"What's this? The delivery guy seemed to know you?"
Skye was a bit curious.
"Let me explain after we get back. Of course he knows me; I'm a princess after all."
Crystal had a proud look on her face.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Skye had gotten used to it, as Crystal had always told her that she was a princess.
Though she had never seen a princess so down on her luck before...
But then again, what girl doesn't dream of being a princess?
Back when Anne Hathaway became a hit nationwide in the US after starring in The Princess Diaries, one could see what everyone thought.
They returned to Skye's RV.
"Can you tell me what it is now?"
"Let's go to a safe place first."
Crystal said.
"Alright."
Her air of mystery thoroughly whet Skye's appetite.
Having arrived at a deserted suburb, Crystal finally pulled Skye out of the vehicle.
She opened the box to reveal a crystal-like object inside that neither had seen before.
"What is this?"
Curious, Skye reached out her hand to touch it.
But Crystal caught her hand directly and asked, "Skye, are you ready?"
"Ready for what?"
Seeing her serious expression, Skye instantly grew a bit nervous.
Crystal smiled. "Didn't you say you wanted to gain superpowers? Just use this, and you can have them."
"Really?"
Skye was startled.
She began to hesitate.
People are like that: when they don't have something, they want it, but once they can actually obtain it, they grow afraid.
Just like Lord Ye's professed love of dragons.
"Of course it's real."
Crystal said calmly, then demonstrated her ability in front of Skye for the first time.
A ball of flame suddenly appeared in the palm of her hand, its intense heat making Skye's eyes widen.
"It's actually real?!"
Skye went wild with excitement.
Her desire for a superpower instantly overcame her fear, so she nodded and said, "I want a superpower! Can I control fire too?"
"No."
Crystal clenched her palm, extinguishing the flame immediately.
"Everyone's ability is different. It all depends on yourself."
Hearing this, Skye nodded nervously and swallowed hard.
She was both excited and terrified right now.
"I just need to touch it, right?"
Skye asked.
"That's right."
So Skye reached out her hand, her fingers trembling slightly, clearly nervous.
Crystal looked at her encouragingly.
Right as she was about to touch the Terrigen Crystal, Skyepulled her hand back again. "I won't turn into an ugly monster, will I?"
Crystal was somewhat speechless. "You'll turn into a white swan!"
"Ahem!"
Skye stopped hesitating; any further hesitation, and Crystal might hit her.
Steeling her resolve, she squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed it directly.
"Ow!"
In an instant, an overwhelming cry escaped her lips.
Then her nose began to bleed.
Crystal simply watched her; this was normal.
Typical Inhumans cultivated their powers from childhood, whereas Skye's situation was clearly very unique.
"Bang!"
Soon, the Terrigen Crystal exploded directly, turning into a mist that was absorbed into her body.
Skye collapsed onto one knee in agony.
"Ah!"
"Feel its power and try to control it!"
Crystal urged immediately.
Skye wasn't sure if she heard her, but a surge of power soon emerged from her body.
"Crack!"
Cracks appeared directly on the ground, accompanied by a tremor that nearly knocked Crystal off her feet.
Crystal quickly manipulated the Earth element to steady herself.
"Is this the Earth element? No, it's shockwaves."
Crystal sensed it carefully, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes.
Just like Mutants, every Inhuman had different powers and levels of strength.
Without a doubt, Skye's ability was quite powerful.
"Shit, is this my power?"
Skye finally snapped back to reality, staring at the fractured Earth and swallowing hard.
Just now, she had only felt intense pain across her body and a surge of energy that had to be released, resulting in this scene.
"We need to leave quickly."
Crystal was quite experienced and immediately pulled Skye to flee.
Fortunately, this was in the outskirts.
Skye also came to her senses. "Right, we have to run!"
They scrambled into the RV and hurried away.
"Crystal, so... you really are a princess?"
Skye drove for a while before gradually accepting her transformation.
Then she remembered Crystal's identity.
"Of course."
Crystal nodded.
"...":
Skye looked on with envious admiration. A real princess!
What girl wouldn't want to be a princess?
"By the way, what was my power just now?"
She looked down at her hands gripping the steering wheel.
"If I'm not mistaken, it's shockwaves."
Crystal was quite powerful herself and could sense her energy.
"Shockwaves?"
"Yes. You'll need to practice a lot going forward and gain proper control so you don't accidentally hurt others."
Crystal said, "Don't worry, I'll help you."
"Thank you."
Skye thanked her sincerely. "By the way, are we both Mutants?"
"No, no, no!"
Crystal said with a look of disdain, "What are Mutants compared to us? They can't hold a candle to us."
"We are Inhumans. Remember, our city is on the moon. I'll take you there in the future."
Crystal said with great pride.
Compared to the fragmented Mutants, the unity of the Inhumans was indeed praiseworthy.
It was just that due to the royal family, Inhuman society was extremely rigid.
Skye didn't know any of this; she only knew she had hit the jackpot with an incredible ally.
Are the Inhumans that amazing? They even have a city on the moon!
This is way more incredible than America!
After all, America had only allegedly been to the moon back in the last century.
Why "allegedly"? Because after that, America somehow never had the capability to land on the moon again...
Forget landing on the moon, they couldn't even sample moon rocks anymore.
It was like some single-use skill that vanished after one activation.
Such a bizarre situation struck Skye as completely absurd.
"Phew, back in the city."
"Safe at last."
Skye kept checking through the rearview mirror, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
It seemed they hadn't been spotted.
"What do we do next?"
She looked at Crystal with excitement.
Wondering if they would run around punishing evil like Ghost Spider did before, and make front-page headlines?
Crystal chuckled and said, "I'm hungry, let's get food!"
Chapter 159: The Local Vampire race Lacks Manners
Black Widow Natasha hopped down from the vehicle.
With her hands in her pockets and her hood up, she walked over.
"What's the situation?"
"A powerful energy surge was detected, likely a Mutantability."
Coulson had already arrived and was questioning the person in charge.
This was precisely where Skye had awakened her ability, and it was now tightly cordoned off by S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents.
Black Widow Natasha sent a message to Li Chen, then put her mobile phone away.
Unable to go to Los Angeles, she could only keep in touch with Li Chen via text.
To her delight, Li Chen replied quickly, clearly showing he cared about her.
Natasha had no idea that the replies were all sent by wheelie—of course they were instant...
Li Chen was far too busy; if he replied to everyone who messaged him, he wouldn't get anything done all day.
Having the little Robot wheelie around made for the perfect way to put him to good use.
Natasha looked down at the ground, only to see countless fine cracks splitting the Earth, looking as shocking as if it had suffered through an entire summer of severe drought.
"Natasha, what do you think?"
Coulson asked the Black Widow beside him.
Natasha was tempted to say 'with my eyes,' but instead replied, "Looks like another powerful Mutant has appeared."
"Indeed."
Coulson sighed. "The General Assembly has already agreed to the founding of a Mutant nation; it seems a Mysterious person threatened them."
"That's not good news for Mutants. Everyone fears them, unless they possess firepower beyond nuclear strikes."
The problem was that Mutants weren't strong enough.
If Mutants truly had untouchable, absolute power, the other nations wouldn't dare push them so hard.
Black Widow knew he was dropping hints at her, because within S.H.I.E.L.D., they suspected the Mysterious personwas connected to Li Chen.
They suspected Saitama had taken action.
In S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files, Saitama had already been listed as one of the most dangerous people on Earth.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had even set up a special task force dedicated to reading the one-punch man manga and watching the anime, dissecting every detail to figure out Saitama's true strength and his weaknesses.
Naturally, it produced some insights, but the conclusion was disheartening.
Saitama's power was boundless, limited only by how the manga was drawn.
Even Boros, the dominator of the universe in the manga, had been utterly crushed by Saitama.
One had to remember, Boros claimed to have conquered the entire universe, yet he still stood no chance against Saitama.
Thus, S.H.I.E.L.D. reached two internal conclusions.
First, if Saitama existed before the manga was created, then his power might not be quite so exaggerated, since manga doesn't need to abide by real-world logic.
Second, if the manga came first and Saitama came after, then they were in serious trouble...
Because theoretically, Saitama's feats were infinite.
Regardless, S.H.I.E.L.D. dared not provoke Saitama.
Their only solace was that Saitama had a strong moral compass, and if Earth ever faced danger, he would certainly intervene.
Yet from this perspective, the logic suspecting Saitama fell apart.
That meant among the Mutants, there existed someone comparable to Saitama.
Every conjecture sent chills down S.H.I.E.L.D.'s spine.
Therefore, they could only treat Li Chen better—especially Natasha, who was close to him.
Thanks to Li Chen's influence, Natasha's Agent clearance level had risen again, and Nick Fury refrained from assigning her dangerous missions.
Li Chen and Natasha's relationship was practically public knowledge; if Natasha were injured on a mission or worse, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s relationship with Li Chen would collapse.
Because of this, Nick Fury had even considered transferring Natasha to a desk job.
Her sole purpose was to deepen the connection between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Li Chen.
It was precisely for this reason that Natasha had it so easy.
After S.H.I.E.L.D. ran scans with various instruments, someone came over and reported, "Target locked."
A satellite image appeared before Coulson and Natasha.
"This RV?"
"Yes, this is the only vehicle that has appeared here during this timeframe,"
the Agent nodded.
"Have you pulled up her information?"
"It's a hacker named Skye."
The Agent promptly pulled up her primary files.
Skye thought she was being secretive, but in reality, tracking her down was child's play for S.H.I.E.L.D.
Looking at Skye's profile, Coulson asked, "Agent Black Widow, are you interested?"
"Hand it over to me, then."
Without hesitation, Black Widow said, "I'll go recruit her."
S.H.I.E.L.D. intended to let her form a small squad with relatively light duties.
To put it bluntly, its real purpose was to cater to her relationship with Li Chen.
Natasha naturally didn't mind grabbing a bit of authority for herself; free power was power nonetheless.
This Skye looked like a good candidate—she was a hackerand had awakened a superpower.
And of course, most importantly, she wasn't bad-looking.
...
Night, Los Angeles.
A charming, attractive white woman dressed in a tight black uniform stood atop a roof, sending out a summons.
Yet after a long while, not a single figure came to pay homage to her.
"The local Vampire race is terribly impolite. How dare they not send anyone when I've arrived!"
The woman's expression soured, making her already pale complexion appear even more bloodless.
Without question, she was also a vampire.
Given her status, every member of the Vampire race in Los Angeles should have come to pay their respects.
Yet these fools lacked all manners—not a single one showed up!
She waved both hands, sending Bats flying out from her body, and soon her brow furrowed.
"What is going on? Why are there so few vampires in Los Angeles?"
She was somewhat astonished. The vampire population in Los Angeles should have ranked near the top nationwide in the US, on par with New York.
Yet now, she discovered hardly any vampires remained in Los Angeles.
"Could it be Blade? But could he alone slaughter so many vampires?"
Perplexed, she flew toward one of the few remaining vampire gathering spots.
At this moment, the remaining vampires were still partying revelously.
They were the nonviolent sort of vampires, having no desire to provoke humans. They simply wanted to live their own lives—sleeping by day, partying by night. Wasn't that enjoyable enough?
Why go out of their way to challenge human authority?
Just then, the woman barged in.
"Who's there?!"
A somewhat comical white man barked, freezing as soon as he saw her appearance.
Fair skin, strikingly young and beautiful, and most tellingly, her attire—wearing a vampire crown on her brow, her tight black outfit slit down to her midriff.
"Lilith!"
"Mother of Vampires, Lilith!"
The male vampire blanched in terror, immediately scrambling forward on hands and knees.
This woman was none other than the daughter of Dracula, progenitor of the Vampire race: Lilith.
Lilith asked coldly, "What happened in Los Angeles? Where are the other vampires?"
Hearing her words, every vampire present trembled.
Fortunately, they disliked fighting; otherwise, they too would be corpses by now.
The male vampire stammered, "Honored Lilith... they're all dead."
This came as no surprise to Lilith.
She simply asked, "Who did it?"
"It seems to have been those two female vampire hunters."
To this day, they still believed it was Bayonetta and Jeanne who had done it.
Thus, they regarded the two as vampire hunters.
Chapter 160: Supergirl and Wonder Woman
Li Chen enjoyed a rare holiday.
However, he soon got back to work, laying out plans for the new year.
Revenue in 2009 had been solid, and every employee at Starlight Pictures received a handsome bonus.
As a result, they were looking forward to the coming year all the more.
Li Chen felt the same; he hoped to produce even more projects.
Consequently, he was no longer satisfied with their previous scale.
After acquiring MGM, Starlight Pictures had streamlined its operations, lowering its annual output compared to before, though the quality had improved significantly.
Yet Li Chen was no longer content with that.
His appetite had grown.
First came DC. They had previously maintained a pace of one movie per year, but now he felt that was too slow.
"For DC movies or television series, there should be at least three a year. And while the storylines of these three movies or series can be standalone, they must be interconnected under a single worldview."
Li Chen revealed his ambition.
Compared to the Marvel of later years, this was hardly anything. During Marvel's craziest era, they churned out three to four movies a year, along with a slew of spin-off series.
Although most of those series had bizarre and atrocious production quality—especially during a certain period flooded with an excessive amount of LGBTQ elements—some shows were still well-crafted.
Now that DC had stabilized on the back of two films and gotten off to a strong start, it was naturally time to begin rapid expansion.
This was tough on Zack Snyder, however. Though excited, he still admitted, "Li, I can't pull this off alone."
Even if he were a'speed shooter' like Spielberg, he couldn't possibly direct three movies or series in a single year.
At his fastest, when Spielberg shot Catch Me If You Can, he wrapped filming in less than two months.
That was why he was dubbed Hollywood's'speed shooter.'
Moreover, his movies were not just fast; they were finely crafted and reliably high in quality.
And that was Spielberg. If it had been a visual-effects heavy movie, even he couldn't have been that fast.
Li Chen naturally knew that Zack Snyder couldn't do it on his own.
"Of course. That's why I'm dividing the workload among you, and I've brought in a new director."
It was already impressive for a director to make one moviea year, which was why studios generally kept them under exclusive ties.
Much like Spielberg: before setting up DreamWorks to go independent, his films were typically made with Paramount and Universal, his two main partners.
Other movie studios couldn't even find a way to get a foot in the door.
Just like Zack Snyder right now, who directed exclusively for Starlight Pictures.
Because Li Chen had discovered him; otherwise, who knew where he would still be shooting commercials.
Therefore, Li Chen had already found a new director long ago.
He looked toward a Chinese face in the corner. "Wan, say hello."
James Wan stood up shyly and introduced himself.
At this time, James Wan had already gained some recognition. He had arrived in Hollywood in 2004 and embarked on his career.
The beginning of his career was, of course, the renowned Saw.
However, his career hadn't truly taken off yet, and he was still digging deep in the horror genre.
For instance, The Conjuring universe was something James Wan had built single-handedly.
Any horror enthusiast would undoubtedly be familiar with all those classic horror films.
Perhaps because he had shot so many horror movies, James Wan possessed a distinct trait: achieving great results on a shoestring budget.
He was very adept at cutting production costs, yet the resulting quality never suffered in the slightest.
The most famous example would probably be the later Sea King.
Sea King had a relatively modest budget, yet its visual effects rivaled—or even surpassed—those of other big-budget blockbusters.
As a result, Sea King pulled in massive box-office profits that year.
Even after Warner meddled heavily with James Wan later on, Sea King 2 still managed to turn a profit.
That was true talent.
Furthermore, after poaching James Wan, Li Chen could also have him executive-produce horror movies.
Over a decade later, many people would buy tickets whenever they Saw the words 'Produced by James Wan,' even knowing it might be a dud, and the horror film would still rake in profits.
That was the power of a reputation.
Faced with Li Chen's recruitment offer, James Wan did not refuse.
Chiefly because the terms Li Chen offered were simply too good.
To put it plainly, even though he had directed so many horror movies and each one turned a profit, Hollywood studios still doubted his capabilities, unconvinced that he could helm a major blockbuster.
James Wan had long grown tired of directing low-budget horror flicks.
Yet nobody believed he could handle a blockbuster, and people still looked down on him.
So when Li Chen extended an olive branch, inviting him to direct a new DC movie, James Wan agreed immediately.
There was nothing like a fellow countryman; both were of Chinese descent, and finding common ground brought warmth to the heart.
"For the upcoming DC movies, we'll first shoot Superman2, followed by Batman 2. These won't just flesh out the worldbuilding and character development, but will also use post-credits scenes to introduce new characters."
Li Chen laid out his strategy; this was Marvel's standard playbook in later years.
Introducing other new characters in solo movies—even through a brief post-credits teaser—was enough to thrill the fans.
The best execution of this had to be Captain Marvelbetween Avengers 3 and Avengers 4.
When fans Saw that post-credits scene, they truly believed only Captain Marvel could save Marvel.
Riding on that unique momentum, Captain Marvelexploded at the box office, though the sequel inevitably bombed into the core of the Earth.
"After these two movies, we will develop Supergirl and Wonder Woman—both are female-led tentpoles."
Li Chen had given this plenty of thought.
The Justice League had plenty of characters, but those who could carry a solo movie seemed to be limited to the Trinity.
Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.
As for others like Green Lantern... perhaps because that movie in his past life had been such a disaster, or maybe because it was just too green, Li Chen simply disliked it.
He could appear later down the line.
characters like Cyborg, The Flash, and Sea King could certainly have solo movies, but releasing them right now wasn't appropriate.
They could wait until the Justice League assembled before releasing their solo films.
And Zheng Kai's The Atom—why not?
This choice left quite a few people with doubts, but they said nothing; Li Chen was the boss, after all.
Truth be told, Li Chen was confident about Wonder Woman, but Supergirl was another story.
Compared to other characters, Supergirl was still relatively obscure.
Still, Li Chen chose her.
"On the television front, we are preparing to produce Green Lantern Corps and Titan. These must also tie into the cinematic universe rather than exist as standalone series."
Li Chen wasn't Gunn; he didn't care for obscure, niche characters, preferring high-profile figures with massive traffic.
Green Lantern was, after all, a core pillar of the Justice League, and the Titan were no slouch either—characters like Robin (Nightwing) and Raven enjoyed immense popularity.
Titan could essentially be seen as a mini Justice League, with character dynamics that mirrored the League itself.
This was a hallmark of American comics—for example, the mantle of Green Lantern had been passed down through several generations of characters.