Shawn lifted his eyes slightly, scanning the area with a gentle gaze, his X-ray vision taking in the entire scope of Red River Home.
There were no lies; it was truly as the director had described.
He settled for the next best thing: "Hmm, if they have an ordinary physique, other special talents will do as well."
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I cannot meet your requirements in that regard either."
The director looked into Shawn's eyes, a surge of guilt rising in her heart. What a warm-hearted young man, coming all the way to this orphanage in person to help the vulnerable, yet she couldn't even fulfill such a simple request.
The wrinkles on the director's face became more pronounced as she sighed: "For teenagers over the age of 16, they are already capable of deciding their own lives. We don't actually restrict their comings and goings, but you must understand that most of the children who remain here suffer from severe ability defects. Our greatest wish is simply for them to be able to grow up as ordinary people..."
Well, reality isn't a novel or a movie; sometimes the truth is indeed too cruel.
The side effects brought on by certain Superpowers are unbearable; it would be better not to have them at all.
At this point in the conversation, a normal person would think Shawn had just had a whim and come to the wrong place.
But Shawn himself didn't feel disappointed; after all, his words earlier were just a pretext anyway.
Establishing a connection now meant that making requests next time wouldn't seem abrupt.
He chatted with the principal for over half an hour afterward and interacted closely with the children, presenting them with heartwarming gifts on the eve of Christmas.
This tour yielded an unexpected harvest for Shawn.
[Name]: Matthew Culbert (Gecko)
[Gender]: Male
[Age]: 15
[Ability]: Painless Regeneration LV4
[Assessment]: Block-level, limbs and organs can regenerate painlessly, personality is weak and dull.
...
What a suitable test subject!
Shawn couldn't help but ask: "Your name is Matthew? Are you interested in joining me in some agricultural assistance work?"
Who would have known that Matthew, hiding in the corner, would look up at him once, lower his head with a gloomy expression, and seem to sink back into his own world.
The director added apologetically from the side: "Matthew is a very introverted child with severe psychological issues; he is not suitable for going out at the moment."
"That's alright," Shawn said, not without regret.
If he remembered correctly, this Gecko had appeared in The Boys series, where he had interacted with a young Starlight, only to be coerced and exploited. He was one of the few characters with a kind personality.
At that time, he was able to work normally, which was much better than the state he was in now, indicating that he had either been healed or had successfully overcome it himself.
Shawn therefore quietly took note of him.
He handed Matthew his contact information: "If you ever need help, give me a call."
The harvest didn't end there.
[Name]: Wendy Kaplan (Intuitive Physician)
[Gender]: Female
[Age]: 41
[Ability]: Life Perception LV2, Medical Intuition LV1
[Assessment]: Block-level, can perceive life status by touching skin with hands, possesses near-intuitive judgment for drug ratios and surgical incisions, but excessive use of the ability leads to painful dizziness.
...
Shawn looked at the white woman who was busy giving the children routine check-ups; her old-fashioned medical coat was quite conspicuous. "Are you the full-time doctor here?"
Wendy looked up at Shawn, a smile appearing on her weathered face: "Part-time."
After saying this, she went back to her work.
"We can't afford a professional doctor. Wendy helps the children for free. She comes whenever she has free time and has been doing so silently for thirteen years."
The director added in a low voice from the side: "She used to be employed at a large hospital in Manhattan, New York, and was a very skilled doctor, but she quit her job after her own superpowered child tragically passed away. Now she is divorced from her husband, and her life is not going well..."
Shawn remained silent after hearing this.
He smiled and said to Wendy: "Our family is in great need of help; would you be willing to become our private doctor?"
Wendy pondered: "I will consider it."
She didn't agree immediately, but Shawn was not in a hurry.
After leaving his contact information for both the principal and Wendy, Shawn left with a good mood.
This scouting trip, following the clues, had yielded huge gains.
In just this short while, Shawn had already identified the 'good seedlings' in the orphanage and had even quietly copied the admission files of Red River Home.
The latter was his main purpose for coming here.
It hadn't been easy for him to go on consecutive field missions, and having traveled such a long way, he was destined not to return empty-handed.
With the information, the Christmas party time-limited mission could basically be completed.
But it had to be said that this trip, involving compound v and superpowered beings, was probably the closest Shawn had ever been to the center of the storm in The Boys world.
...
Vought International Observation Channel: "Law-abiding superheroes can better serve humanity and the world. 'The Seven' have been invited to tour the White House and will be received by the Vice President, who will award them the 'Law-Abiding Superhero Medal'!"
Texas Cowboy News Headline: "Superman strikes for justice, completely dismantling a human trafficking ring on the Mexican border. Sixteen superpowered criminals did not escape!"
Vought Entertainment: "Breaking news, breaking news! The silent warrior Black Noir is about to team up with the Lord of The Seven Seas, The Deep, to launch a radio talk show! Let us step into the world of superheroes together and understand their joys and sorrows!"
CIA building lounge area.
Senior Agent Grace Mallory watched the scrolling screen, her face devoid of any sign of relief.
The superheroes that ordinary people worshipped endlessly had gradually become an inescapable nightmare for her.
She had once been deeply involved in the secret CIA-planned "Operation Charlie" in the Nicaragua region in the 1980s.
Because of this, she had an intersection with the Vought International superhero team "Payback".
It was precisely that contact that left her feeling extremely dissatisfied with this group of undisciplined superpowered beings.
So many years had passed, and she still remembered that group of guys led by Soldier Boy; they treated human life like grass and were cold and incompetent, simply villains and scum.
From then on, Mallory began to harbor a high level of vigilance and hostility toward superheroes.
In the days that followed, her experiences only served to corroborate her viewpoint—superheroes are a scourge to the world.
To this day.
Under the leadership of Stan Edgar, Vought International had grown increasingly powerful, its influence reaching every aspect of society.
And all signs indicated that their ambition did not stop there; they were even preparing to extend their reach into the military and national defense of America!
'Cannot let Vought do as they please; must do something!'
When Mallory thought this, her opportunity also arrived.
There are always people with lofty ideals in a vast imperial institution.
The higher-ups agreed with some of her opinions and decided to form a team specifically to monitor and oppose superpowered beings.
As for who would be in charge?
Mallory was the obvious choice.
"Time is tight, and Christmas is coming again soon; who should I find for the team members?"
Looking at the various superhero news scrolling on the screen, she suppressed the impatience in her heart and spoke as if muttering to herself: "To oppose superpowered beings, one must at least not be timid; one must be bold enough, and it would be best to also possess a calm mind and excellent combat capabilities..."
The dark corruption of America was not formed in a day.
Before that.
In unseen corners.
There are both dirty and depraved transactions taking place quietly, and great personalities holding up a collapsing building, shining brightly.
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