Afternoon, Godolkin University, Teaching Building B.
Inside the classroom, a female teaching assistant was lecturing on the "Interpersonal Communication and Interaction" course.
Wade sat in the last row, listening attentively while taking notes—though the contents of his notes were completely unrelated to the lecture.
Combining the intelligence Hughie had sent during this period, he drew a simple map of various states across the country in his notebook, marking 53 points and names. Under the desk, his phone in the drawer automatically executed a search for the map locations based on those points.
A white stream of light flew out from the phone, entered the desk surface, and flowed into Wade's palm. A cheerful voice rang out: 'I've memorized all these hospital names and locations. Are they all in neonatal intensive care units?...So many snacks!'
Wade used an eraser to wipe the map in his notebook: 'That's right, they're all yours. Find them, drain them dry, and then come back.'
A white stream of light slid out from the phone screen, condensing into a tiny humanoid halo on his thumbnail: 'What about A-Train? It needs some too...'
'When you're stronger and can possess things longer, can't you just bring some takeout back for it?'
'That makes sense. Then I'm off... Remember to give A-Train water, or it'll die.'
'Wait, you won't get lost, will you? Stay safe!'
'So wordy, just like an old man. Don't forget I can travel through fiber optic cables. If I don't know the way, can't I just look it up?'
Wade watched the white stream of light flow into the floor tiles from beneath his feet, feeling truly envious: 'How convenient.'
Through conversation and observation, he had a rough idea of the Ghost Girl's abilities. In her energy state, she was completely immune to any physical attacks; by merging with biological magnetic fields, she could possess and influence brains, though only for a short time; she could also use electrical signals on a small scale to hack and influence electronic devices.
Aside from the limitation of energy consumption, in some aspects, she could truly be called a darling of both the physical and digital worlds.
Wade understood that a connection bound solely by interest was not stable and could only hold for a time.
The Ghost Girl was only 12 years old; no matter how mature she seemed, she was still just a child. He had to bind her firmly to himself: 'A child who grew up in an orphanage must be starved for affection. Since my mental power can actually touch her, I have a plan... I'll try it next time.'
The teaching assistant tapped the desk on the podium and explained: "Next, we will discuss the core principles of managing relationships: respecting others, maintaining personal boundaries, and taking responsibility for communication..."
Suddenly, a fluffy pink long tail extended from under the desk and chair, groping and coiling around. Wade calmly lifted his legs to dodge it repeatedly.
A few minutes later, the bell rang.
A pink figure flipped over the desks from the front row and sat on his desk, her face full of resentment: "Why haven't you come to see me lately? Found a new flame?"
Wade hesitated for a moment, took out his phone, and showed her his social media updates and photos with Jill: "Sorry."
Clap clap clap clap—
"So it's that Ice Girl, Jill." Harper lowered her head and clapped, then whispered persistently, "Even though I never thought about taking things further, can't we even be 'friends' anymore?"
Wade had always maintained a flirtatious relationship with her, but he had already made up his mind. He grabbed her tail and kept swatting his own face with it: "Being ordinary friends is fine too, isn't it?"
Harper jerked her tail back, covered her face, and sighed: "Why? If I'd known, I would've made my move first!"
Wade was prepared to be hit, scolded, or embarrassed, but he still couldn't bring himself to say the words he'd prepared.
Harper stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly chuckled and reached out to rub his head hard: "Fine, don't make that miserable face."
She jumped off the desk and leaned into his ear: "I hope you have fun. But... if you ever find that ice cube too boring, remember to come find me." With that, she turned away coolly, leaving behind only the sight of her swaying tail.
Seeing her return to the front row, Wade couldn't help but sigh in relief:'Starting multiple relationships in the same place is like walking through a minefield. So dangerous.'
Buzz Buzz
At that moment, his phone vibrated a few times.
He checked his anonymous inbox and found a new message with an icon of five middle fingers.
Wade smiled, knowing that Butcher's trio, who had gone to Iowa, had returned to New York and were paging him to meet... Evening, Ranger Station, Safe House.
In the basement, permeated with the smell of fast food and cigarette oil, Hughie, MM, Frenchie, and Kimiko sat around the dining table eating.
Wade pulled over a stool and drank beer by the table: "So, you let that Rubber ManEzekiel go?"
MM stirred the food on his plate with a fork: "We have recordings and videos of his confession. If he dares report to Vought, we'll leak everything, making him lose his reputation just like that Saint and Standard."
Hughie ate barbecue and grinned: "And we didn't show our faces the whole time. Even if he wants to investigate, he'll only look at Supes. He won't find us ordinary people."
Frenchie served Kimiko some noodles and pointed to the blackboard covered in notes on one side, explaining in turn: "We've combed through all the clues. Vought is shipping compound v to 53 designated hospitals nationwide."
"The locations of these hospitals highly overlap with the birthplaces of most of their registered heroes, confirming the allegations of systematic Supe manufacturing."
"Only a few heroes' birth records don't match; they might have been created through other means."
Wade nodded, picked up a hot dog from the table, and looked around: "Where's Butcher?"
Hughie took a sip of water: "He went downtown. Said he was going to see the CIA Deputy Director to negotiate using this intelligence, officially sue Vought, and get us official high-paying identities, investigative authority, and personal safety guarantees."
Hearing this, Wade scoffed and mocked: "Persuade? More like 'bed-suade.' Didn't he tell you... that Deputy Director Susan is his old flame? Careful he doesn't sell you all out."
Hughie put down his skewer and said gloomily: "He wouldn't. He told me privately about Becca's disappearance; he just wants the CIA's help to find her."
"I'm not against you working with the CIA." Wade tapped the table with his knuckles. "But what's the deal with letting those ordinary agents provide security? Is the place I arranged for you not safe enough?"
"As long as you aren't stupid enough to show your faces around there frequently, no one will care who is living in a remote bunker."
MM put down his utensils, frowned, and countered: "But my daughter needs to go to school, and my wife needs to keep working. We can't live in a hole like rats forever, can we?"
Hughie also nodded: "Hiding isn't a long-term solution either. I want a stable, official job too."
Wade took a large gulp of beer, not understanding how, after risking their lives for so long, these people were still so traditional, talking about school and work.
He opened another can of beer and pointed at them: "Fine! As long as I'm not dead, I can keep paying your salaries. On top of the team funds, I'll personally give each of you an extra two hundred thousand dollars a month. Is that enough?"
Hughie's eyes widened, Frenchie whistled, and MM was stunned with his mouth wide open.
They all looked at several medicine boxes on the nearby table. Although it seemed absurd, they quickly accepted it—after all, since Chameleon brought millions of dollars worth of temporary targeted potions every time, a million a month for the five of them combined wasn't actually that much.
'Millions? This is custom-made stuff, there's no market price for it.' Wade leaned back and sensed their thoughts while eating a squid skewer, continuing, "We're together to bring down Vought. You can work with the CIA and take double the money."
"After that, whether you take the money and run far away with your families or continue being heroes of justice is up to you."
Hughie counted on his fingers and laughed, raising his skewer: "Hahaha... That adds up to over a million a year. I've no objection."
A guarantee of one hundred thousand dollars a month was enough to ensure he and his father received the best care; the temptation was too great.
MM was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Fine, it is indeed safer for them to stay in the bunker."
Frenchie raised his beer can with a grin: "Why not take the money? We're doing life-risking work anyway."
Kimiko saw that her companions were happy, and though she didn't quite understand what it meant, she followed suit and nodded.
Wade chewed his food and said unclearly: "The CIA is full of shrewd people; don't reveal everything to them... Let's get this straight: not a word about the help I provide or those little gadgets."
Frenchie immediately clapped in agreement: "Exactly! We have to keep a few tricks up our sleeves so they don't just discard us whenever they want."
Hughie and MM looked at each other and nodded, agreeing with this cautious decision: "I agree." "Me too."
Kimiko buried her head in her food. Seeing the relaxed atmosphere, a hint of relief appeared on her face.
Wade smiled and toasted with them. Sensing their sincere thoughts, he felt temporarily at ease.
He couldn't let The Boys slip out of his control now. With them and government agencies like the CIA drawing Vought's attention in the open, he would be able to act more freely in the shadows.
'Now I just need to deal with Butcher, that "pure love warrior" who doesn't care about anything and is the hardest to handle...'
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