System Makes You Marry
2008, Los Angeles. Evening.
The set of a Batman film wrapped for the day.
"Cut!"
With the director's voice, the cameras stopped rolling.
A woman in a sleek, tight-fitting suit and cat-eye mask walked briskly off set.
It was Annie—the actress cast as Catwoman.
She scanned the street, eyes darting as though looking for someone. Her gaze finally landed on a black commercial vehicle parked by the curb. Relief lit her face.
Climbing inside, Annie's expression softened the moment she saw the man waiting in the back seat.
"My dear, you haven't come to see me for so long!" she said, her voice half-pouting, half-playful.
"Annie, you know running a company isn't easy," Xu Mo replied with a weary smile. He handed her a bouquet of fresh roses.
Her annoyance melted at once. Annie snuggled into his arms, all grievances forgotten.
"Thank you—I love it!" she beamed.
Xu Mo wrapped his arm around her slender waist. The partition between the driver's seat and the back ensured privacy. He pressed a button, and the car began to roll forward.
"Wait, I haven't changed out of this yet!" Annie protested, tugging at the Catwoman costume.
Xu Mo grinned. "No need. Tonight, I want Catwoman."
…
Ding!
"Host detected. System binding in progress…"
The cold, mechanical voice rang in Xu Mo's mind.
"Holy shit!" Xu Mo's eyes snapped open, startling Annie.
She blinked in confusion. "What is it?"
"Nothing, sorry—go on," Xu Mo reassured her, hiding his shock.
But inside, his heart thundered.
It's finally here. After twenty years of waiting… my golden finger!
Xu Mo wasn't just an ordinary man. He was reincarnated—reborn into a Chinese family in New York during the 1990s. At first, he thought this world was identical to his old one. That changed the moment he saw Stark Industries on TV.
Marvel.
A universe crawling with supervillains. From cosmic warlords like Thanos to ancient gods slumbering beneath the earth, Earth itself was a battlefield. Mutants roamed the world—Professor X's school on one side, Magneto's Brotherhood on the other.
Yet, there was a silver lining.
This was not the chaotic comic book continuity. From what Xu Mo observed, this was the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Far safer than the comics—though still perilous.
His parents, who ran a mid-sized film studio, had died in a car accident five years prior. Xu Mo inherited the company, using his memories of his past life to produce blockbuster films, expand aggressively, and invest wisely. By 2008, he was among America's richest young men.
Now, at last, the system had come.
But there was a catch.
"System activation requires marriage. The stronger the spouse, the greater the novice reward."
Xu Mo's eyes narrowed.
"Marriage… with someone powerful?"
His mind instantly pulled up a shortlist.
Ancient One. Phoenix. Scarlet Witch. Captain Marvel.
The four strongest women in the MCU.
The Ancient One was out of the question—not only because of age, but because proposing to her would likely get him erased from existence.
Jean Grey, the Phoenix, was even worse. In this fused timeline, she might still live, but her powers were uncontrollable. Staying near her was like hugging a live nuke.
Captain Marvel? At this point in time, she was still wandering the stars, only returning to Earth decades later. Not feasible.
That left one name.
Wanda Maximoff.
The Scarlet Witch. Even before awakening her full chaos magic, she could hold her own against Thanos. Afterward, she could tear him apart with her bare hands.
And right now—in 2008—she and her twin brother Pietro were still ordinary teenagers in war-torn Sokovia.
They weren't Avengers yet. They weren't HYDRA's test subjects yet. Which meant Wanda was still vulnerable… and reachable.
Xu Mo exhaled slowly.
Perfect.
She was the ideal choice.
Picking up his phone, he dialed a number.
"Boss?" a sweet female voice answered.
"Avril, have Soren and the others meet me at the base tomorrow morning."
"Understood, boss. Also, all our American assets—except the film company and Stark Industries stock—have been liquidated. About that acquisition in China, I've sent you the details on the biggest firms. Check your email when you can."
"Good." Xu Mo ended the call.
In the Marvel world, staying in New York without powers was suicidal. Aliens, gods, killer robots—the city was a magnet for disaster.
China, by comparison, was stable. Sure, Thanos' snap couldn't be avoided anywhere, but China was far removed from New York's chaos.
Xu Mo leaned back in thought, his mind racing with possibilities. The moment the system activated, everything would change.
Twenty minutes later, Annie shifted in his lap, and he felt a tingling ache in his lower back.
"Hiss…" Xu Mo winced.