Psychic control has its limits—it can't rewrite someone's thoughts at their core. Unless Hong Fei reached Professor X's level of power, he couldn't simply erase memories or fabricate new ones from nothing. The current situation actually worked in his favor. If Dr. Helen Cho stayed silent now, pretending complete ignorance, that would be far more dangerous. Her silence would mean she was hiding her true suspicions.
Right now, Helen had two choices. She could leave—put distance between herself and this dangerous place.
If she chose that path, she'd almost certainly report him. That would be her only guarantee of safety. But if she came to him instead, whether directly or indirectly, it would prove she still trusted him—that despite knowing he'd hidden things, she didn't believe he was truly a monster.
The path outside the lab wasn't long. A fork lay ahead—one way led out, the other deeper into the estate. Helen's footsteps slowed until she stopped completely at the junction, hesitating. After a pause, she turned slightly toward the exit.
Hong Fei felt a pang of regret. He'd always liked Helen. At this distance, he didn't need a sniper or even a weapon—his Psychic Power alone could easily pull her back. But standing there, Helen seemed far more conflicted than he was.
Last night had been strange. Why would someone sit in a chair in the dead of night wearing an unfamiliar outfit? And that sword in Hong Fei's hand—the exact same gold-red as the one Tony Stark had wielded on TV. Even if it were cosplay, how had Hong Fei gotten a replica of something that had only appeared hours earlier?
She was sure. Hong Fei was that person. The unusual security measures around the manor only confirmed it—she was more convinced than the news stations that he'd been the one to take Tony. No amount of "Hidden Identity" could erase such obvious connections.
For Helen, this was like Hong Fei ripping off his mask on live television. There was no way not to know. But did she really want to turn him in? The question gnawed at her.
Then, abruptly, she straightened. A deep breath, and she turned on her heel, striding toward the main house.
Patrolmen greeted her warmly along the way, but her smile felt brittle. When she found Samuel, she forced another. "Mr. Samuel, is Mr. Hong in?"
Samuel didn't look up. "Boss is in his room."
"Thank you."
Upstairs, she paused outside the door. She rubbed her cheeks, took several steadying breaths, then knocked.
"Come in."
Her heart lurched, but it was too late to back out now.
The door swung open. Hong Fei sat on the balcony, sunlight cutting across half his face while shadows swallowed the other. "Dr. Cho," he said smoothly. "Please, sit."
She tried to keep her usual detached composure, but she wasn't an actress. The act crumbled fast.
Hong Fei didn't speak either, just looked at her quietly. Dr. Helen Cho occasionally glanced up, meeting his calm gaze, only to quickly look away.
After a moment, Hong Fei turned and lifted the Cross-blade from behind him. He set it gently on the table. The blade caught the light, throwing a sharp gleam across the ceiling.
"Just ask what you want to ask," Hong Fei said, leaning against the table with arms crossed. "You're terrible at lying—it's written all over your face."
Dr. Helen Cho pressed her lips together, her gaze darting to the gold-red Cross-blade. After a long hesitation, she stammered, "That... last night. Was it you?"
"Guilty as charged." Hong Fei shrugged. No point hiding what was plain as day—this wasn't some multiple-choice test.
Helen's head snapped up, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Problem?" Hong Fei smirked. "You look like I just told you pigs can fly."
She shook her head rapidly. It wasn't that she doubted him—she'd just expected denials, excuses, anything but this casual confession. She'd even rehearsed arguments in her head to counter his lies.
When she stayed silent, Hong Fei flicked the blade with his fingernail. A clear metallic ring echoed through the room. "Let's lay all cards on the table. Last night was me. The kidnapping? Me. Harlem? Me. That artillery strike in the suburbs? Still me." With each admission, Helen's shock deepened.
"Truth is, I wanted to tell you sooner." Hong Fei's voice softened. "But some explanations sound crazier than bad sci-fi plots. And honestly? I'd rather keep you out of this mess entirely. That way when—not if—my face gets splashed across every news channel, your research won't get dragged through the mud." He tapped the table. "Your work matters. Those petri dishes and microscopes? They're clean. Let's keep them that way."
Helen stared at the table like it held the secrets of the universe. Hong Fei could practically hear the gears grinding in her head—confusion, disbelief, maybe a dash of betrayal all tangled together.
Finally, without looking up, she whispered, "I... I need to hear everything."
"One story at a time then." Hong Fei pulled up a chair. "First, 'kidnapping' Tony—bad choice of words. Someone else tried to kill him first. You'll laugh, but his dear Uncle Obadiah? Bald, fake-smiling Stane? Mastermind. Tony knows—keeps quiet to avoid stock market panic and preserve the family name."
"Kingpin's Wilson Fisk's street name. Drug lord. You knew that."
"Harlem was a disaster waiting to happen. Hulk versus Abomination? That fight would've flattened half the borough. Yeah, my artillery solution wasn't subtle, but it worked. Hulk bolted, Abomination's in the Cage now." Helen's sharp inhale told him she hadn't known about the Cage.
"Now last night." Hong Fei leaned forward. "Notice Tony's recent... extracurricular activities?"
Helen nodded.
"Know why he's partying like there's no tomorrow?"
She shook her head.
"Because for him, there isn't."
Helen's hand flew to her mouth. "What?"
Hong Fei tapped his sternum. "That arc reactor's brilliant, but it's killing him. Palladium core leaks toxins—chlorophyll smoothies can't fix that. Every time he suits up? More poison. Even if he quit tomorrow..." He let the grim silence speak for itself.
Helen's eyes widened. "So last night you—"
"Had the cure he needed. Consider it a house call."
However, he clearly was still holding a grudge about the time I kidnapped him, insisting on getting revenge before discussing anything else." Speaking of this, Hong Fei pointed to the Cross-blade on the table: "This is the thank-you gift he prepared for me; otherwise, do you think he would know how to use a sword himself?" What I said makes so much sense, I feel like I can't even refute it myself.
And analyzing Dr. Helen Cho's expression, she already believed it ninety percent. "Since that's the case, why don't you explain it? I mean those media outlets; they all think you are a kidnapper. No one knows it was you who saved Tony Stark, and last night you saved him again. Also, why doesn't Tony Stark clarify these things?" Hong Fei laughed unconcernedly: "It's unimportant.
Anyway, they don't know who I am, so let them say whatever they want. Besides, you can try paying attention to Iron Man in the future; if what I said is true, then the chest of his suit should change from a circle to a triangle." "Why?" "Because I personally installed the new reactor in his chest." "Okay!" Dr. Helen Cho nodded heavily. Thinking of her wild speculations when she arrived, Dr.
Helen Cho couldn't help but smile shyly. She looked at Hong Fei, suppressing the urge to look away, and said sincerely: "Mr. Hong, compared to Iron Man, I think you are the true superhero." You are pretty, so everything you say is right. However, I haven't even used any skills, so why does your gaze suddenly make me a little afraid? With their eyes meeting, Dr.
Helen Cho's eyes were rippling with tender emotion, her upper body leaning forward continuously, her pink lips trembling from time to time. Across the table, Hong Fei's head seemed to be attracted as well. A warm, soft, and delicate sensation came from his lips, and he smelled a faint, fragrant scent in the air.
Immediately following, Hong Fei felt her breathing suddenly become heavy, his lips and teeth were quickly pried open, and the enemy actually began to wantonly stir up a storm. With a clatter, the table between them was pushed away by Dr. Helen Cho.
Maintaining the kissing posture, she arched her waist and stood up, took two steps, and sat directly across Hong Fei's lap, her arms also naturally wrapping tightly around Hong Fei's head. Aggressive like fire. Master Hong lost the initiative; how could he be willing to admit defeat? After a while, Dr.
Helen Cho lay on Hong Fei's chest, her body occasionally trembling unconsciously amidst her rapid breathing. Her forehead and the hair at her temples were dampened by sweat and stuck to her cheeks, her eyes unfocused, as if she had lost her soul. Master Hong: "Fighting me, is that all?" Over twenty-eight hundred words without a chapter break; you should know how much I love you all, right?