Marvel: Making a Superman Movie to Acquire the Man of Steel
Chapter 20 Rem's Strength
Li Chen stood up, but before he could speak, Rem said, "Master, leave them to me."
"Although I don't know how strong Master is, guys like these don't require Master to make a move."
Rem had a horn on her head, and her expression was different from usual, seemingly carrying a hint of cruelty.
The mere thought of Ram lying in Master's arms added another layer of anger to her heart.
It had to be vented!
Seeing her so 'angry', Li Chen exchanged a glance with Ram.
Ram spoke, "Master, please trust Rem."
"Alright, then be careful and don't get hurt."
Li Chen had no choice but to say.
"Rest assured, Master."
Rem had an indifferent look on her face, then jumped straight down from upstairs.
Yet her movements were extremely light, landing on the ground without making a single sound, acting more like a ninja than actual ninjas.
As she entered the garden, her figure instantly vanished.
Ram stood together with Li Chen and asked, "Does Masterwant to watch?"
"I can see it, Ram."
Li Chen stroked Ram's pink hair.
Ram lacking her horn resulted in her having almost no endurance.
But within a limited time, she could also burst out a bit of combat power; what she excelled at most was wind blade magic.
There was also a spell similar to The Clairvoyant, but when casting it, she was in an unprotected state, which was very dangerous.
Ram didn't use her sharp tongue at this moment, instead looking at Master very gently.
As for Li Chen, he used Super Vision to watch Rem.
He couldn't let the little maid get hurt.
At this moment, Rem pulled out a weapon from somewhere unknown—her exclusive meteor hammer.
She gripped the iron chain, and the iron ball attached with thorns on the chain was swung directly towards the side.
"Bang!"
Across the flowerbeds, the meteor hammer directly hit a ninja, knocking him over with his face covered in blood.
"Enemy attack!"
The ninjas were very vigilant and immediately issued a warning.
But it was already to no avail; Rem took the lead in attacking the ninja who made the sound.
In just an instant, she leaped over.
The ninja was startled by the suddenly appearing Rem, especially since Rem's state at this moment was terrifying. She only exposed one eye, and a devil-like horn grew on her forehead.
Most crucially, Rem's face lacked its usual calmness, replaced instead by a cruel smile and an indescribable ferocity.
She was like a completely different person, presenting a sharp contrast.
A girl with such a contrast must be very endearing, right?
Rem's strength to these ninjas was undoubtedly a dimensional reduction strike.
Soon, a squad of ninjas was almost completely wiped out by Rem.
At this moment, Rem's face was stained with blood, and her expression remained terrifying. Looking at these damned ninjas, she said, "You guys are truly detestable, messing up the garden I carefully pruned."
Although these ninjas were still alive, there was no difference from being dead.
They were all heavily injured and looked at this short demon girl with faces full of fear.
"Devil."
Rem wore an evil smile: "I don't want to kill you yet; I still need to know why you came."
However, these ninjas were tougher than imagined. Seeing that Rem wanted to capture them alive and knowing there was no hope of escape, they directly committed suicide by taking poison.
One by one, their heads tilted sideways, and then fresh blood flowed from the corners of their mouths.
"Damn it!"
Discovering this, Rem instantly grew furious and self-reproachful.
They were coming to deal with Master, yet she hadn't figured out who the enemies were. How could this not make her angry?
"Alright, Rem, let's clean this place up."
Ram appeared behind her at this moment and gave Rem a hug.
Feeling the familiar aura, Rem gradually regained her senses and exited her oniized state.
"Ram, Ram, I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"
"No, Master is very satisfied."
Ram replied.
In front of Master, there were no secrets.
Ram could sense that Li Chen's strength was extremely powerful and unfathomable.
The moment these ninjas appeared, Li Chen probed their inner thoughts.
Just as White Queen said, when you possess such powerful strength, wanting to refrain from using it is very difficult.
Even Professor X found this difficult to achieve.
Especially with an ability as bugged as mind-reading, they could know what others were thinking without needing to communicate with them.
No wonder White Queen sighed that she couldn't see through Li Chen.
Because she was accustomed to using her ability to probe others' inner thoughts, when she encountered moments where this ability failed, she naturally felt bewildered.
And because of that, she developed an extra shred of desire to investigate Li Chen.
To some extent, everyone is a curious baby.
These ninjas were all members of The Hand.
Li Chen searched online, and information about The Handwas extremely sparse.
Thus, he called White Queen.
He and White Queen had already exchanged numbers and could call whenever needed.
White Queen answered quickly: "Li, is there something you need?"
Li Chen guessed she was still sitting in that room, because he heard the sound of pouring wine.
"Emma, I need news about The Hand."
White Queen asked curiously: "Did they provoke you?"
"They did a foolish thing."
Li Chen said casually, arousing White Queen's interest.
White Queen: "As long as you tell me, I will tell you what I know. Very fair."
Afterwards, Li Chen told Emma Frost what had just happened.
Emma Frost took a sip of wine and sighed: "Then they are truly utter fools."
Even Hellfire Club didn't dare to casually provoke Li Chen, because they didn't know Li Chen's background or how powerful his strength was.
But The Hand dared.
This was truly the audacity of the ignorant; they simply had no idea how powerful Li Chen's strength was.
"It's your turn, Emma."
Hearing Li Chen's words, Emma Frost told Li Chen all the information she knew, including The Hand's base in Los Angeles.
The Hand was a ninja organization originating from the island nation.
It had existed for at least hundreds of years, had developed into an international organization, and had even changed its name once.
By now, it had become a notorious assassin organization, doing anything as long as there was money.
The reason Emma Frost knew so clearly was because a Mutant had joined The Hand not long ago.
"Li, if you encounter a certain person, please do not harm her life."
Regarding this, Emma Frost had a plea.
"Who?"
Li Chen asked.
"Her name is Psylocke, and her ability is very special."
White Queen said.
Mutants were too few, and powerful ones were even scarcer; they could not afford the loss of a single person.
Li Chen did think of this tight-suited female ninja; he didn't expect her to have actually joined The Hand.
"If I encounter her, I will spare her life."
Li Chen said calmly, but he wouldn't guarantee anything else.
Although he liked to enjoy life, it didn't mean he wouldn't fight back if provoked.
Chapter 21 Gwen Stacy
As the saying goes, swallowing your anger for a moment brings calm, but taking a step back makes you angrier the more you think about it.
If you are provoked and don't fight back, others will only think you are easy to bully and continue to bully you.
Especially in a society like America where the law of the jungle prevails, rather than making others respect you, it is better to make them fear you.
Fear is much better than respect.
Li Chen let Ram and Rem clean up the mess, and went out directly himself.
Because the address given by the White Queen was a large hotel, which was a venue operated by The Hand in Los Angeles.
He certainly couldn't go there wearing the superman suit, otherwise it would shock the entire nationwide in the UStomorrow.
So it was still better to sneak in quietly without making a sound.
Li Chen still flew there directly, arriving outside the hotel in an instant.
He landed in a small alley and happened to see two black youths bullying a White girl.
"Get lost!"
Li Chen gracefully put on the superman glasses and shouted.
Who would have thought that the two black youths directly pulled out pistols and aimed them at him: "Yellow skin? Don't meddle in other people's business."
Under their surprised gazes, Li Chen directly crushed the pistols.
"Get lost!"
This time, without Li Chen needing to raise his voice much, the two black youths were so scared they pissed themselves and fled in panic.
Having been in gangs for so long, they had never seen anyone more terrifying than Li Chen.
Is this even human?
"Thank you."
After being saved, the shy White girl said gratefully to Li Chen.
Li Chen waved his hand: "Hurry back, don't stay outside at night."
The girl with blonde hair looked at Li Chen and thanked him: "I came to Los Angeles to play with my friends. I just came down to buy some Water, not expecting it to be so dangerous."
"Oh, where are you from?"
"New York."
How does the saying go? If you love someone, let them go to New York, because it is heaven there. If you hate someone, let them go to New York, because it is hell there.
But in fact, Los Angeles, this City of Angels, was no less inferior to New York.
Every year, countless young boys and girls harboring the "American Dream" came here, longing to become famous overnight, but in the end, they only left full of scars and sorrowfully departed from this place where dreams were shattered.
Moreover, Los Angeles had a large number of gangs, each dividing up territories, making it very easy for outsiders to be robbed upon arrival.
It can only be said that the girl was very unlucky.
Chatting, the two walked out of the alley. By the streetlight, it was only then that they could see the girl had a somewhat "rebellious" feel to her, with a piercing on her eyebrow, and her hair was not entirely blonde, with the ends instead being a bit pink.
Of course, her appearance was indeed very pretty and sweet.
Then they discovered that their destinations were the same—both were that hotel.
"I live inside here, what are you going for?"
"Looking for someone."
Li Chen said with a casual smile.
However, the security of this hotel was very strict, with fully armed security guards at the entrances and exits unexpectedly.
Seeing the two approaching, the security guard immediately stopped Li Chen: "Sir, do you have an invitation?"
Who would have thought that the girl beside him would directly wrap her arm around Li Chen's and say: "He is my boyfriend, and we are going back to our room to rest."
The security guard looked at the intimate pair and finally cleared the way.
The two walked inside, and Li Chen said in a low voice: "Thank you."
"It is I who should thank you for saving me."
She blinked at Li Chen: "By the way, my name is Gwen Stacy, what about you?"
"You can call me Li."
Li Chen exchanged names with her and then took another look at her.
It turned out to be the famous Gwen Stacy.
I wonder how old Peter Parker is?
"Hurry back and rest."
Li Chen didn't talk much more with her, thinking about his own business in his heart.
Gwen also nodded, walked into the elevator, and opened her mouth looking at Li Chen.
But before she could say anything, the elevator door closed.
"Damn it, I haven't asked for his contact info yet."
Gwen was filled with regret.
There is a term called the suspension bridge effect, which refers to how people in stressful and exciting environments tend to mistakenly attribute physiological responses like accelerated heartbeat to romantic affection for the person beside them.
Simply put, the environment makes you nervous, but you think it is the person beside you who makes your heart race.
This is why a hero saving a beauty always easily turns into giving oneself in return.
Of course, this also depends on appearance modeling; Li Chen's model was considered pretty good, so Gwen was moved and naturally fell in love with him.
So much so that Gwen, even back in her room, still had a racing heartbeat and said to her good friend: "Simple, you don't know what I've been through."
...
Li Chen's gaze then looked toward the underground.
This hotel was not simple; like most places in America, its basement was a large-scale casino.
Therefore, Li Chen found the passageway and went straight down.
The casino was much livelier than above. White-collar workers in suits and ties roared frantically, waitresses dressed as bunny girls shuttled among them, and dealers with dresses so low they were about to fall off smiled as they dealt cards.
The lighting here was dazzling, with all kinds of food, drinks, and entertainment, while the exits were "hidden" away, which would make people forget to leave for a time, unless they lost down to their underwear.
Li Chen had only two words to describe this place, and that was "crazy".
He saw some gambling dogs with excited faces, while at the same time the people beside them were filled with despair.
One thought of heaven, one thought of hell.
But there was no sympathy in Li Chen's heart, only a sneer; gamblers come to no good end.
He was just calmly searching for his target.
Such places often could not do without gangs, because armed deterrence was needed to prevent people from causing trouble.
Therefore, in every corner, there were thugs who looked like they had combat power.
Li Chen took a look and confirmed that they were the ninjas of The Hand.
Ninjas deployed when there was a mission, and watched the venue when there was no mission.
Leaving Li Chen with nowhere to complain.
He asked a bunny girl for a glass of wine, and then used Super Hearing.
All the noisy sounds drilled into his mind, and he slowly distinguished useful information.
Soon, he found the keywords.
"I don't know how it's going, just teaching that Huaxia brat a lesson will do."
"Rest assured, Mr. Morita, with The Hand making a move, teaching a bodyguard who isn't even a Huaxia person is too easy."
"Haha, he is also naive; how can someone mix in Americawithout a private bodyguard?"
Hideo Morita laughed heartily; his bodyguards were provided by The Hand, and it had been very safe up to now.
Li Chen was very certain that these two idiots were talking about him.
Therefore, he walked directly toward the passageway on the side.
It seemed that clubs like this liked to make such secret rooms, and unsurprisingly, there were ninjas guarding outside the door.
The moment they saw him, the two ninjas became alert.
Because Li Chen didn't look like he was drunk, and normal people wouldn't approach.
"Stop!"
The two ninjas shouted immediately.
But Li Chen came before them in an instant, then threw a punch to the stomach of one and a direct knee strike to the other.
KO!
To deal with ordinary people, he didn't even need to use two moves!
Chapter 22 Dimensional Strike
"Who is it?"
After taking down two ninjas with lightning speed, Li Chenarrogantly opened the room door.
Hideo Morita, who was drinking with prostitutes inside, and a potbellied Japanese man looked over.
One of their hands held a drink, while the other arm embraced a kimono-clad island woman, and kneeling on the floor nearby were two more kimono-clad women serving them.
This truly seemed to be the proper way to live a life of nobility.
Wearing superman glasses, Hideo Morita couldn't recognize Li Chen at all and simply shouted, "Who are you? Who let you in?"
Seeing Li Chen's skin tone, Hideo Morita subconsciously scolded him, mistaking him for a fellow islander.
As everyone knows, in the East Asian cultural circle, people like Koreans and islanders are extremely particular about the order of respect and inferiority.
As long as someone was born a minute earlier than you, they are your'senior'.
This senior culture makes many people miserable.
Therefore, one can imagine how arrogant these people are toward their subordinates. No wonder islanders love subordinates overthrowing superiors so much.
Without saying another word, Li Chen directly threw a beer bottle over.
Hideo Morita's reaction was not slow, subconsciously hiding behind the kimono-clad woman, even though his hand was still placed inside her clothes...
The kimono-clad woman screamed in fright, but the beer bottle did not hit her. Instead, it made a turn in mid-air and accurately struck Hideo Morita's head.
This was the [Blessing of the Preemptive], a conceptual ability where the first attack is guaranteed to hit the enemy.
"Ah!"
Hideo Morita let out a scream, and fresh blood flowed down from his forehead, trickling onto the woman's white skin.
Using his super brain, Li Chen had already recognized who this person was—someone from Sony.
As a large multinational enterprise, Sony actually used such despicable methods, which made Li Chen very angry.
He hadn't even adapted to the capitalist way of dealing with enemies yet, and others were already using it on him?
"Beep beep!"
Meanwhile, the other potbellied Japanese man immediately pressed a button under the table.
The entire underground venue instantly flashed with red light.
The outside suddenly became noisy because the ninjas of The Hand started clearing the area.
No one had dared to come here and cause trouble for a long time; they had a lot of nerve!
Li Chen didn't care either. He had originally come to The Hand to cause trouble anyway, just didn't expect the mastermind to be right here.
With a kick, he sent the potbellied Japanese man flying, then roughly pushed the kimono-clad woman away, grabbed Hideo Morita by the neck, and lifted him up.
"Mr. Li would very much like to know why you did this."
Li Chen asked aloud.
At this moment, he was wearing the superman glasses. Under this conceptual equipment, no one could recognize him.
Sure enough, Hideo Morita didn't even recognize him personally, but instead had a sudden realization: "So it was that Chinese person who sent you."
Afterwards, he said with an arrogant face: "There is no other reason, it's just a normal commercial dispute."
"Commercial disputes can be handled using commercial means."
Li Chen said.
If everyone acted like Hideo Morita, wouldn't things descend into chaos?
Hideo Morita remained arrogant: "That's right, but he is a Chinese person."
"People from Huaxia cannot enjoy the rules; in our eyes, they are nothing more than the very bottom tier."
"I see."
Li Chen understood. It boiled down to two words: discrimination.
"Let me go quickly, or you're done for."
Hideo Morita threatened. No wonder he wasn't afraid; it turned out he had backing and felt secure.
Li Chen suddenly smiled: "Mr. Li has bought your life, go in peace."
Hearing Li Chen's words, Hideo Morita was finally frightened.
"No, you can't do this. How much money did he give you? I'll give you double!"
"No, no, no, ten times."
Hideo Morita's pupils dilated. Under the threat of death, he instantly peed his pants.
What he saw was Li Chen's expressionless face. This unfamiliar face could not be at peace at this moment, looking at him as if looking at a dead man.
"You are an islander, your crimes are unforgivable."
Li Chen said calmly.
Old grudges and new grievances, let's settle them together.
"Snap!"
He directly snapped Hideo Morita's neck, and the entire body instantly went 'limp'.
Killing him was no different from killing an ant.
However, this was Li Chen's first time killing someone, but he had a strong mentality and didn't feel any discomfort.
He turned his head to look at the potbellied Japanese man.
The man leaned against the corner, surrounded tightly by several kimono-clad women.
"Mister, your mission is already complete. We of The Handhave no enmity with you, and I can let you leave."
Li Chen smiled slightly: "Do you guess I believe your bullshit?"
His Super Hearing directly heard the opponent's inner resentment; this was merely buying time.
Once the ninjas of The Hand arrived, he would change his face.
Sure enough, the opponent's expression changed, and he waved his hand.
Several kimono-clad women who were 'trembling with fear' moments ago instantly pulled out weapons from their kimonos and charged at Li Chen.
They were well-trained and attacked from several different directions, trying to block off Li Chen's route.
Even the hostesses were assassins.
This was The Hand.
Li Chen didn't show any mercy either. When dealing with Japanese women, one had to be a bit fiercer.
These ordinary people couldn't even see his movements clearly as several kimono-clad women flew backward, crashing a human-shaped 'hole' into the wall and flying off to who knows where.
"Aren't you afraid of becoming an enemy of The Hand? No enemy of The Hand has ever been able to survive!"
The potbellied Japanese man put up a bold front and said.
Li Chen laughed, unaccustomedly adjusting his glasses: "I am here to wash The Hand in blood."
At this time, the people in the casino had already been cleared out, leaving only the ninjas of The Hand.
Furthermore, the entire casino suddenly lost power, plunging into darkness.
The ninjas of The Hand wanted to use this method to interfere with Li Chen.
However, they didn't expect that what they got in return was simply a slaughter.
"Zzz!"
Li Chen put away his glasses and used Heat Vision to deal with the enemy for the first time.
An unlucky ninja was swept by his Heat Vision, turning into a puddle of bloody water in just an instant.
Afterwards, Li Chen exhaled a breath of cold air, and all the ninjas coming toward him turned into blocks of ice.
With a gentle tap from him, these ninjas turned into fragments—the kind that would probably take over half an hour to piece back together.
Li Chen suddenly felt that these ninjas were so weak.
This reminded him of what the Trisolaran civilization did to Earthlings, which boiled down to a few words: dimensional strike.
They were simply not opponents of the same dimension; killing these ninjas of The Hand was no different from crushing an ant to death.
Feeling a bit unenthusiastic, Li Chen prepared to head back.
Just as he walked into the lobby, a purple blade light slashed over from the side.
"Now this is somewhat interesting."
Li Chen turned his head to look and reached out to grab the blade.
The ambusher was startled for a moment and wanted to pull the blade out, but found that they didn't have enough strength, so they simply canceled the manifestation, and the blade vanished into thin air just like that.
"You must be Psylocke?"
Chapter 23 Psylocke's Self-Delusion
The attacker was a woman with an Asian face and long black hair.
She had a tall figure, looking to be about 1.8 meters tall, much taller than Li Chen's two maids, and her expression was stern, unaffected even in the dark.
"Do you know me?"
Psylocke asked in a hoarse voice.
"White Queen let me spare your life."
Li Chen said calmly: "I promised her, I won't kill you, but I won't let you wander outside anymore."
"What do you mean?"
Psylocke frowned.
"You will become my captive."
Li Chen had no affection for the island nation, and he completely failed to understand the mindset of Japanophiles.
Anyway, now that there was an opportunity, he had to retaliate, even if it was just taking it out on Psylocke.
Upon hearing this, Psylocke was furious; Li Chen was treating her like a pet.
Anyone with a normal personality could not accept this.
"Then you can try!"
She said through gritted teeth, her attacks becoming even more ferocious.
Her mutant ability was Telepathy, just not as powerful as White Queen and Professor X.
But she could use psychic energy to create psionic weapons, just like the katana she conjured earlier, combined with her combat skills and ninjutsu, making her an extremely powerful ninja even within The Hand.
At this moment, she used all her skills.
Suddenly flashing behind Li Chen, she first ambushed Li Chen with darts.
Her darts were also conjured, looking like ninja hidden weapons, but far more dangerous.
However, when these things hit Li Chen's hand, they made a 'clang' sound, as if they hit metal rather than flesh and blood.
"Shit, what's going on?"
Psylocke was shocked beyond measure.
She hadn't gone to the movies lately; if she had gone to the cinema to watch Starlight Pictures' man of steel, she probably wouldn't have been so shocked.
Seeing Li Chen approaching, she subconsciously flashed away wanting to leave.
But she suddenly found that the world seemed to have slowed down.
No, it wasn't that the world had slowed down, but rather that Li Chen's speed was even faster than hers; the very instant she moved, Li Chen grabbed her by the neck.
Psylocke struggled desperately, but with a crisp'slap', she immediately behaved.
She looked at Li Chen with shame and anger; fighting was fighting, why did he hit her backside?
Never before had anyone humiliated her like this.
She was filled with grief and indignation, but in the end she couldn't bring herself to do anything, she didn't want to die.
People of the island nation had a lot of experience in living in disgrace.
"It's time to leave."
Holding her, Li Chen directly arrived outside at an extremely fast speed, soaring into the sky under the cover of night.
Yet with such a big thing happening, The Hand never even thought of calling the police.
Even the hotel above showed no panic at all, acting as if nothing had happened.
But secretly, The Hand suffered heavy losses, and their people were very angry.
The pot-bellied middle-aged man immediately reported what happened here.
The Hand's headquarters were very angry, but Li Chen's desired goal had also been achieved.
"Before figuring out the enemy's background, do not act rashly."
Making a living in this world depended on fists; Li Chen's strike deterred The Hand, making them swallow their losses and not dare to retaliate casually.
But this feud had been forged.
...
Psylocke's thoughts were very chaotic.
She was lifted up like a toy by Li Chen, and then with a 'whoosh' flew into the air; this was an experience she had never had before.
Under these circumstances, she began her self-delusion.
She had originally wanted to die to end it all, but at this time, the island nation's nature erupted, which made her dare not truly die, deciding instead to endure humiliation and carry on.
No matter how Li Chen treated her, she would endure it, and then find a chance for revenge!
Just like that, soon enough she was brought back to Li Chen's manor.
At this moment, Psylocke finally saw Li Chen's face clearly; so... handsome.
No matter what kind of woman she was, she liked handsome men; this was the importance of character modeling.
Being good-looking could earn extra points over there.
Therefore, Psylocke, who was originally somewhat unaccustomed, instead felt a vague anticipation.
It was as if some attribute had been triggered.
Li Chen arranged a room for her: "You stay here for now, don't think about running away, otherwise..."
Hearing Li Chen's threat, Psylocke acted all haughty: "I won't run, even though if I wanted to run nobody could stop me."
Li Chen looked at her mockingly, with just your strength, could you even run away?
Psylocke was angered by his look, and in a fit of anger, she threw a brief tantrum.
Still, as the saying goes, endure humiliation and carry on.
Only then did Li Chen take a look at Psylocke's outfit, a very classic purple one-piece tight ninja suit, looking at it, one had no idea how Psylocke managed to squeeze into it.
Because compared to her slightly bulky figure, this ninja suit was too petite.
"Do you wear this daily, or...?"
Psylocke said with shame and anger: "I only wear it when fighting."
"Then from now on, you must wear it every day here with me."
Li Chen said very domineeringly: "I will also prepare some things for you, and from now on I am your Master."
"Why should I?"
Psylocke 'glared' at Li Chen, but in her heart she wasn't as tough as she appeared on the surface.
"Because you are my trophy."
Psylocke had nothing to say, seemingly tacitly accepting the statement of being a trophy.
As an island nation woman, her acceptance level in this regard was very high.
Li Chen didn't continue to provoke her, instead letting her engage in self-delusion.
In this regard, Psylocke would not disappoint him.
He locked Psylocke in the room, as if isolated from the world; Psylocke stared blankly at the door for a few minutes before resigning herself to sit down.
From then on, her life would undergo earth-shattering changes.
"Master."
As soon as Li Chen came out, he saw Ram and Remstanding outside the door waiting for him.
The two little maids asked curiously: "Who is that woman?"
"She is my trophy."
Li Chen smiled and said: "She will be handed over to you from now on; properly educate her and let her know how to be a perfect maid."
Ram and Rem were expressionless, and Ram spoke: "If Master wants, just look for Rem."
Rem's face instantly turned red, looking at Ram in disbelief: "Ram Ram, what are you talking about?"
Ram ignored her sister: "However, Master's will is our direction, we will educate her well."
Rem had no choice but to nod with a blushing face.
Li Chen stroked their hair: "She might be a little naughty."
"It's fine, I'm best at dealing with such people."
Ram didn't mind.
Many people couldn't get used to it at first, but soon they would resign themselves to their fate.
In their original world, being a noble's maid was a good life many people dreamed of.
Therefore, Psylocke should be grateful to Master.
Li Chen went to prepare some small items for Psylocke.
To make her accept her new identity from both body and mind.
Chapter 24: Things in the Bone
The next day, Psylocke didn't know how she had fallen asleep the night before.
Early in the morning, driven by her biological clock, she still woke up quickly.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she was greeted by an unfamiliar environment, and it took her brain a few seconds to realize her situation.
From today onwards, she was no longer free...
Psylocke had mentally prepared herself all night, thinking she had adapted, but upon waking up, she still felt somewhat broken.
But before she could continue her mental construction, the bedroom door was knocked.
She immediately sat up. The ninja suit on her body hadn't been taken off the night before, as if it were a layer of protection, and she didn't dare let her guard down at all.
A blue-haired maid walked in. Her bangs covered one eye, and the exposed eye looked at her with extreme indifference.
"My name is Rem, the personal maid of the Master, and also your senior."
Rem said coldly to Psylocke.
Hearing the word "senior", Psylocke felt as if some kind of DNA had been triggered.
She immediately said, unconvinced, "You look younger than me."
"But I arrived earlier than you."
Rem's words instantly choked Psylocke, leaving her completely helpless.
Rem was seen carrying a basket in her hand, coming before Psylocke: "The Master allows you not to change into a maid outfit, but you must wear these."
"What is this?"
Psylocke looked at the things in the basket, her pupils dilated in shock.
Inside were ropes, bells, tails, and other items. These were not meant for humans, but for pets.
"You know your identity."
Rem looked at her coldly, which filled Psylocke with humiliation and despair.
She stood up. Her height was much taller than Rem's, and her gaze was very angry, making her look quite oppressive.
But Rem just looked at her calmly, completely unshaken.
Because if she really wanted to die, Psylocke should have committed suicide last night.
Since she had endured until today, it proved that she wouldn't do anything rash.
Therefore, Rem wasn't in a rush to urge her. Sure enough, after waiting for a short while, Psylocke hardened her heart and closed her eyes.
Rem was somewhat speechless: "You don't want me to help you, do you? Put them on yourself."
"I..."
Psylocke really wanted to curse.
But since it had already come to this, she still complied.
Before long, she had put all these things on.
Seeing that she was still standing, Rem said: "Do you know how a pet should move?"
"Humph."
"No need for you to tell me."
Psylocke had completely given up struggling, directly lying on the ground on all fours.
When they finally came downstairs, Li Chen looked at Psylocke and Rem in surprise, not expecting Rem to be so capable.
If he had done it himself, I'm afraid Psylocke wouldn't have agreed so easily.
No wonder Rem had confidently taken on this task.
Coming before Li Chen, Rem handed the rope to him: "Master, she is very obedient."
"Of course."
Li Chen laughed. People from that island nation had this kind of thing deep in their bones.
Facing those stronger than them, they would act servile and submissive; conversely, if someone was weaker than them, they would perfectly exemplify what it means to bully the weak and act arrogant.
"Not bad."
Li Chen stroked Psylocke's hair, just like encouraging a little kitten.
Psylocke forced a smile; what she thought inside no longer mattered.
She learned from Rem and called out: "Master."
...
For the next period of time, Li Chen was full of motivation every day at work, wanting to finish his tasks quickly so he could go home and properly educate Psylocke.
However, there really were a lot of official matters.
The preparation for the crew of " Transformers " went very smoothly. After all, the main characters were Transformers, and the real expenses were all on special effects.
And special effects developed rapidly in the Marvel World. As long as the money was in place, there was no need to worry about anything else.
Starlight Pictures also prepared a budget of over 100 million dollars to produce this movie.
In Hollywood's 'Golden Age', besides the Big Six studios, there was the rise of countless second- and third-tier small studios.
The Hollywood film companies back then were all crazy; they crazily borrowed bank loans to invest in shooting movies.
But movies were things with both gains and losses; eventually, many companies exploded with financial scandals, which also led banks to no longer blindly approve loans for Hollywood.
The path of borrowing money from banks had long since been blocked.
Fortunately, movies were high-return projects, and there was never a shortage of people wanting to invest and make money, especially the financial giants of Wall Street.
It was just that they lacked connections and weren't insiders, so they were often screwed over miserably by Hollywood.
Starlight Pictures didn't scam people. The first batch of dividends from the investment in " Superman " was distributed out, making their movie projects highly sought after.
Therefore, preparing new projects became very easy.
Upon hearing about " Transformers ", Zack Snydercouldn't help himself and immediately found Li Chen, wanting to prepare for shooting " Batman ".
There was a famous saying in Hollywood called chasing in the footsteps of the successful.
Therefore, Hollywood often had bandwagon movies; once a genre became popular, countless copycats would immediately pop up.
However, DC Comics couldn't just follow trends blindly, but Zack Snyder, going from a commercial director to a successful film director overnight, naturally received invitations from many people.
However, Li Chen had long been prescient, signing several movie contracts with Zack. Before fulfilling these contracts, he had no way of jumping ship.
Perhaps this was also the reason why Zack was in such a rush to shoot " Batman ". At this time, feeling proud and complacent, he naturally wanted to continue working hard while his creative enthusiasm was high.
Li Chen also agreed. " Batman " was extremely important for the upcoming DC Universe, and it had to have solo movies to hold down the fort.
Otherwise, messing around like Warner in his past life would ultimately harm this cinematic universe.
But Warner had no choice at the time either; with Nolan's " Batman " trilogy ahead of them, it wasn't easy for them to shoot a new Batman movie.
Therefore, Li Chen didn't choose the " Batman " trilogy. Although that trilogy was a classic, it was no good for a cinematic universe.
"There must be enough supporting characters appearing in " Batman ". Classic roles like Robin, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and the clown must all be filmed."
That was Li Chen's only requirement for the screenwriter.
If these characters weren't filmed in, how else could he draw prizes?
Although he felt that there might not be any connection...
Because in the currently serializing " One Piece ", the Empress obviously hadn't had her turn to appear yet, but he had still drawn her fragment.
But regardless, Li Chen had to give it a try. What if it could increase the probability?
The screenwriters sent by DC naturally agreed.
Naturally, DC wanted to bring all these characters onto the big screen so they could make more money.
Because movies could drive comic book sales, and besides that, merchandise could also make money.
As Hollywood developed to this day, box office receipts were long ago no longer the only way to make money.
In fact, many movies couldn't turn a profit relying solely on the box office, but they could rake in huge profits through DVDs, copyrights, and merchandise. This diversified way of making money was something local films in other regions could not replicate.
Chapter 25: Audition Anecdotes
A few days later, Li Chen reluctantly left the estate and arrived at the studio.
The education of Psylocke over the past few days had been very successful.
At first, she still had some resistance, but later on, she resigned herself to giving up and letting things slide.
Anyway, in front of Li Chen, her height of 1.8 meters meant she never stood up again.
While conducting psychological education, other aspects were also being carried out, and just one final step away, she could be turned into the image of Li Chen.
Today was the audition segment for Batman.
When Starlight Pictures spread the news about filming Batman, many second- and third-tier stars in Hollywood became excited and eagerly sought to get this opportunity.
Look at Henry Cavill, that lucky bloke from the Sun Never Sets; just by playing the role of Superman, he instantly became wildly popular across Hollywood.
Although deeply bound to the role of Superman, his subsequent acting career was much smoother than that of an ordinary person.
Therefore, first-tier stars might not be very interested, but those second- and third-tier stars were all craving this opportunity to become an overnight sensation.
Batman's popularity was not inferior to that of Supermanat all. As the "Old Master" of DC Comics, whoever could secure this role would definitely become famous overnight.
Therefore, they made full preparations and used every trick in the book.
Besides that, there were female stars who tried every possible way to offer themselves, but they could not find Li Chen at all.
How could female stars be as interesting as Psylocke?
Even Scarlett had not seen him for several days.
But fortunately, Li Chen had promised to give her a chance, letting her directly participate in the final audition.
The auditions were divided into several rounds. By the time Li Chen arrived in person, it was already the final round.
Several people were sitting in the audition room, including Zack, the people sent by DC, and Geoff acting as the producer.
An audition with so many people made the initial ideas of Li Chen seem ridiculous.
He had heard rumors before, such as female stars coming in for auditions and stripping completely off right away...
Just thinking about it made it impossible, with so many people watching.
Even if there really was any transaction, it would have been completed long ago, or would take place after this.
"First is Batman."
Zack said in a low voice.
"Let us begin."
Li Chen did not understand either, so he simply watched from the side.
The first to come in was Christian Bale, and seeing him made Li Chen perk up.
Because this was the Batman from the Batman trilogy of Nolan.
Bale quickly performed a short snippet of the script, mainly focusing on his performance as Bruce Wayne. He indeed looked like a gentleman, just like a true aristocrat.
Then, he was asked to put on the Batsuit and try it out.
"Please leave for now, and we will notify your agent if there are any results."
Zack remained expressionless.
After Bale went out, he said, "What do you think? I feel he is a bit thin and lacks that Batman feel."
Everyone else felt the same way.
Li Chen thought about it; compared to Bale's version of Batman, he actually preferred Ben Affleck's version more.
Because Ben Affleck was more "profound" and had more presence.
Of course, Ben Affleck had a lot of dark history, but this was Hollywood, and there were no "good guys" in Hollywood.
Wanting to find a good guy in Hollywood was no different from looking for chocolate in a cesspit; it was an impossible thing.
Someone like Li Chen did not consider himself a good guy, but in the eyes of others, he was already an absolute paragon of goodness.
Suffice it to say, in Hollywood, you could not judge these stars with normal moral standards; you had to lower them a bit.
Of course, other places actually applied to this point as well...
It is just that many fans wore tinted glasses.
The Batman audition was quick. When Ben Affleck walked in with a profound expression, Zack Snyder's eyes instantly lit up.
In his script, Batman was supposed to be like this.
What Bale had was called melancholy, not heaviness.
So after this, most of them agreed to choose Ben Affleck, and Li Chen agreed as well.
Next up were the female characters.
Li Chen finally perked up.
"Li, considering that the length of the first solo film is limited, we can only feature Catwoman for now. Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy will appear in subsequent Batmanmovies."
The DC screenwriter explained to Li Chen.
They also wanted to cram them all in at once, but that would easily turn into a hodgepodge.
After all, this was a Batman movie, and putting in too many characters would not be appropriate.
Li Chen looked at the script; this movie was the "origin movie" of Batman, showing why he would become Batman, and of course Robin would also appear.
During this process, it focused on the growth of Bruce Wayne, his love-hate entanglement with Catwoman Selina, and of course, the final showdown with the villain was indispensable.
Furthermore, Li Chen proposed adding an easter egg: at the end of the film, Batman witnessed the battle between Superman and Zod with his own eyes, triggering the "grudge" between the two.
This proposal made Zack Snyder's eyes shine.
He really wanted to film Batman v Superman.
"Sure, after introducing Harley Quinn later on, we can also film Suicide Squad."
Li Chen spoke, "Zack, do you not think filming female superheroes is cool? We can consider bringing Wonder Woman to the big screen."
He definitely was not lusting after the long legs of Wonder Woman.
Zack nodded and said, "Wonder Woman is already included in the planning of the DC universe by me."
Li Chen replied, "Then I am really looking forward to it."
When the time comes for the casting of Wonder Woman, he must participate.
Play with a fake Wonder Woman first, and then summon the real Wonder Woman... double happiness.
Ever since he gained enough power, Li Chen found that his thoughts had become much bolder.
Back in the past, he would not even dare to think about such things, and even if he dared to think, he would not dare to do them.
Now Li Chen even felt that he was becoming a bit unbridled.
But this was not necessarily a bad thing; this was America, and as long as Li Chen had power and money, he could become an "emperor" in reality.
If you add having enough power on top of that, excuse me, then Li Chen would be their god.
For Catwoman's audition, the first one to walk in was Scarlett.
Scarlett was very scheming and had prepared early. Not only did she put on makeup, but she also specially changed into Catwoman's costume, an outfit Li Chen was very familiar with.
When she came in, she first gave Li Chen a resentful look, and then began acting to empty space.
Many female roles in Hollywood were basically eye candy, and Catwoman was no exception; she just needed to showcase her beauty and temptation.
Zack and the others knew about her relationship with Li Chen, so they immediately said, "Not bad, very suitable to play Catwoman."
For a role like this, acting skills were not important at all; what mattered was looking good.
Scarlett had high looks and a great figure, perfectly matching.
On the contrary, Li Chen was noncommittal: "Let us see more."
If there was no one better than Scarlett, then it would be her.
The one who was originally supposed to play Black Widow had now become Catwoman, making Li Chen feel a bit unaccustomed, but this was life.
Chapter 26 Black Queen
"My dear Li, do you have time tonight?"
After the audition, Scarlett waited for Li Chen, and issued an invitation with her husky voice.
Li Chen had been busy lately, which had made her itching with anticipation for a while.
"Sorry, my dear."
Li Chen said regretfully, as he really had things to do.
Otherwise, faced with Scarlett's seductive outfit, he would have just picked her up and headed straight home.
Scarlett said with immense regret: "It's fine."
"Rest assured, Catwoman is yours."
Li Chen said to her.
"Really?"
Sure enough, she quickly cheered up.
This woman had her motives, but Li Chen didn't mind that either.
This was essentially an exchange of interests, surely nobody actually thought there were real feelings involved, right?
Therefore, Li Chen never held back, always going all out every single time...
As the saying goes, there are no saints in Hollywood.
When evening came, Li Chen took a car to the Hellfire Club.
The White Queen spoke very formally on the phone, and Li Chen guessed that things were coming to a head.
Sure enough, when he arrived at the Hellfire Club tonight, the security was much tighter.
But Li Chen already belonged here; as long as he wore the Batman mask, no one would stop him.
Therefore, Li Chen familiarly headed to the White Queen's secret room.
Having not seen the White Queen for a few days, he missed her a little.
Although the two gentle and cute maids at home were intoxicating, the noble and icy White Queen also had her own unique flavor.
Men all possess a desire for conquest; the harder something is to obtain, the more they want to pursue it.
This was why many people couldn't control themselves and ultimately ended up as simps.
He pushed open the door and walked in, but the person inside was not the White Queen.
A woman dressed entirely in black was lazily lying on a red sofa, forming a sharp and contrasting clash with the White Queen. She had supple black hair cascading down to her waist, and was dressed head-to-toe in a black bodysuit, black leather pants, and even black gloves.
The feeling was as if one had accidentally strayed into an ancient European castle and encountered a dust-sealed, beautiful vampire inside.
Compared to Emma Frost, the White Queen, she gave off only one impression: black.
Seeing Li Chen enter, she raised her eyes and curiously looked at Li Chen wearing the Batman mask.
She leisurely picked up the wine glass placed on the table, the red wine inside as vivid and rich as blood, and took a gentle sip, making her dark lips seem to turn vibrant red.
She and the White Queen were two extremes—one bright white, the other deeply dark.
"You're the gigolo Emma found?"
Only then did she speak.
But she remained lying on the red sofa, in a very seductive posture.
Li Chen wasn't polite either; he walked straight over and sat on the other sofa.
"The Black Queen?"
The senior positions in the Hellfire Club were all named after chess pieces.
Therefore, just as there was a White Queen, naturally there was a Black Queen.
"Emma has mentioned you to me."
Li Chen said intentionally.
This piqued the Black Queen's curiosity: "What did that bitch say about me?"
One could tell at a glance that the two of them had quite a deep conflict.
This was also normal; beautiful women never pitied each other. The Black Queen was equally stunning, except that her appearance was too aggressive.
"She said you are powerful, and that it was you who led Hellfire toward glory."
Li Chen's words made Selene, the Black Queen, smile slightly.
"No wonder that bitch likes you; your mouth is so sweet."
The Black Queen handed the wine glass in front of him: "Stop following that bitch. Be my man; as long as you obey, I can give you anything you want."
She licked her lips toward Li Chen, and at some point, a long whip appeared in her hand, giving off the aura of a dominant heroine.
Li Chen's face instantly darkened. This was completely turning things upside down—wasn't this what he usually did to Psylocke?
He liked being the Master, not the other way around.
Before Li Chen could refuse, the door was rudely pushed open from the outside.
"Selene, you old witch, Li won't take a fancy to you."
Emma Frost, the White Queen, walked in first, her white cape fluttering behind her with a formidable aura.
Emma walked in, without even glancing at the Black Queen, and said to Li Chen: "Li, don't be fooled by her. She has lived for thousands of years; if you listen to her, she will suck your blood dry."
"Thousands of years?"
Li Chen's brow twitched.
Good grief, as the saying goes, three years older, hold bricks of gold; three thousand years older, ascend to immortality.
Could this Black Queen possibly be a normal person?
Seeing the White Queen expose her shortcomings as soon as she entered, the Black Queen's expression also turned icy: "Bitch, so eager to defend your little lover?"
"Although I've lived a long time, unlike a certain rich girl who puts on an innocent act every day and kicks people away after using them."
"My dear Li, if you're fooled by her, she probably won't even let you touch her hand, but I'm different. Everything is yours."
The Black Queen said seductively to Li Chen.
The White Queen immediately snorted: "Of course, you suck people dry directly. Li, this old witch is even more terrifying than a vampire."
"I heard she has lived so long just by absorbing other people's life force."
Li Chen didn't say a word, just watching the two of them hurl insults at each other with amusement.
Two prominent women were acting just like fishwives at the moment, exposing each other's shortcomings.
He just wondered if they would start pulling each other's hair like ordinary women once they started fighting...
However, the two women did not grant his wish. Noticing that Li Chen was silent, they immediately turned their heads and saw his expression of watching a show.
Only then did they realize they had lost face in front of Li Chen.
The Black Queen was still more seasoned. She changed the subject: "You didn't call us here just to watch us quarrel, right?"
Although the two women didn't see eye to eye, their thoughts regarding the Hellfire Club were still the same.
They both wanted to develop and expand the Hellfire Club.
To develop, naturally they needed talent.
"Humph."
The White Queen also chose a truce: "It's mainly about Li's matter."
With that, she said toward the outside: "Come in, all of you."
Consequently, several people walked in from outside the door.
They were dressed in white or black suits respectively, distinct and sharply divided like two factions.
"Li, let me introduce you."
The White Queen then smiled at Li Chen and said.
"This is the Black Rook, Sunspot."
"This is the White Warrior, Viper."
"This is..."
She introduced them to Li Chen one by one, and Li Chennodded.
The members of the Hellfire Club also looked at him curiously, seemingly wondering what made him special.
After the introductions were finished, the White Queensaid: "I formally propose that Li Chen will become the White Rook of the Hellfire Club."
"I object."
Sunspot stepped forward, his expression somewhat agitated: "I made huge contributions to the Hellfire Clubbefore I became the Black Rook. Why should he become the White Rook just by joining?"
This was what he was dissatisfied with.
He had joined the Hellfire Club for so many years before becoming a Black Rook, yet Li Chen got the exact same status the moment he joined—who could endure that?
Chapter 27: Completely Pissed Off
The White Queen glanced at the Black Queen Selene, only to see the Black Queen simply drinking her own red wine, saying nothing about this.
Although she wanted to snatch people from the White Queen, she didn't recognize Li Chen's strength either.
No one knew what Li Chen had done.
Mainly because the White Queen was too generous, giving her little lover the position of White Rook right upon entering; was she going to let him be the White King next, or even the Supreme Monarch?
The Supreme Monarch was the most noble position in the Hellfire Club.
However, wanting to become the Supreme Monarch required suppressing everyone in the club and also convincing them.
It was impossible to become the Supreme Monarch with strength alone.
"Li's social status is very high, and furthermore, he helped us find Tony Stark."
The White Queen sat down, crossed her legs, and said, "the military has already taken action now, perhaps they are already in the midst of a rescue."
Hearing this, Li Chen felt a slight stir in his heart.
The stocks were finally going to rise.
Although some people were unconvinced, since the White Queen had said so, there was nothing they could do.
But Sunspot was still able to express his opposition; he was a Black Rook, and his status was only lower than the two Queens present.
As for the Black King and White King of the Hellfire Club, neither had arrived.
They were more ambitious than the two Queens and unwilling to wait inside the club.
"It's just finding a person, I can do it too."
Sunspot immediately stood up and said.
This was a black young man; he was not from America, he was from Brazil.
He had liked playing football since he was a child, and at the age of fourteen, he awakened his Mutant ability on the football field.
His Mutant ability sounded somewhat similar to a Kryptonian; he could absorb and store sun energy and use it to enhance his physical fitness in all aspects.
This made him almost like a mini Superman; utilizing the sun energy, he could achieve Flight, control temperature, and release light waves, among other things.
Although it couldn't reach the level of an Omega-level Mutant, his strength was already powerful enough, and he was also prominent within the Hellfire Club.
"This is a notification, not seeking your opinions."
Emma Frost looked at him with a cold expression.
"My, since when did the Hellfire Club become a dictatorship?"
The Black Queen Selene said at this moment: "Such a major matter requires the agreement of at least two Queens or Kings."
The Hellfire Club had existed for so many years, so naturally it had rules.
White Rook was also a high-level position, so naturally it wasn't something the White Queen could decide with a single word.
"How about this."
The Black Queen said lazily at this moment: "Li will fight Roberto. If Li wins, I will support him in becoming the White Rook."
She glanced charmingly at Li Chen: "Li, do you have confidence?"
Emma Frost also looked toward him.
Everyone else looked over, the meanings in their eyes varying.
Some carried scrutiny, while others were watching a joke.
At this moment, the White Queen's voice entered Li Chen's mind: "Li, you must teach them a lesson, otherwise..."
Otherwise, she, the White Queen, would also lose face.
Li Chen glanced at the White Queen, knowing this was the American style.
Just like the cowboys back in the day, pulling out guns to biubiu at the slightest disagreement.
Here, reasoning with people was useless.
Just like Vi's quote, punch first, ask all the questions while punching.
"No problem."
Li Chen said calmly.
Completely ignoring Sunspot's gaze.
Sunspot sneered, and the group immediately left the room, arriving at the innermost passageway where there was a hidden elevator.
Through the elevator, they came underground.
Li Chen naturally knew there was an underground space here; his Super Vision had seen it the first time he came.
Clubs like this all liked to carve out spaces underground, making whatever they did relatively secretive.
But the Hellfire Club wasn't underground to run casinos or anything like that; it was for safety and Mutant training.
And so, the group arrived at a huge training ground.
It had a high-tech style, with walls entirely made of silvery-white sequins.
Li Chen and Sunspot arrived at the very center.
The Black Queen Selene was still holding her wine glass, gently parting her black lips to say: "Good luck."
She didn't call out a name, so no one knew which side she was cheering for.
On the field, the atmosphere between the two was heavy.
Roberto the Sunspot spoke: "Kid, don't blame me for not warning you, it's still not too late to admit defeat now."
He wasn't a pure-blood black person, but of mixed race, appearing a bit white.
However, this made no difference in the eyes of others.
Black folks all had the one-drop rule; as long as you had a single drop of blood belonging to a black person, then you were black...
"Cut the crap."
Li Chen extended a hand and beckoned to him.
Bullying a kid—might as well let the kid make the first move.
This infuriated Sunspot; originally a simple-minded person, he immediately got angry and used his ability.
He had stored quite a bit of sun energy in his body, which kept him from becoming useless at night or when there was no sun.
When converting solar energy, his whole body was like a black hole, instantly absorbing the surrounding light, turning his skin completely black so that only the white parts of his eyes could be seen.
This made Li Chen feel like he was watching a black-and-white silent film.
Subsequently, a bit of sunlight bloomed from Sunspot's palm, and an intense light wave was launched toward Li Chen.
In everyone's view, Li Chen didn't dodge at all and just stood in place, as if scared out of his wits.
The White Queen frowned, enduring and refraining from crying out.
On the other side, the Black Queen Selene was also very curious about Li Chen's ability.
"Fool."
Sunspot, on the other hand, was helpless; he didn't want to kill directly, as that would be equivalent to offending the White Queen.
But who would have thought that Li Chen wouldn't even dodge.
"Boom!"
The solar light wave blasted onto Li Chen, instantly stirring up a storm indoors.
This made people unable to open their eyes.
After waiting for quite a while, the light wave finally dimmed down.
Only to see Li Chen standing in place without even a change in expression, merely flicking his suit with his hand.
Even though he didn't say a word, he made people feel what he was expressing.
As if he were saying: "Is that it?"
The White Queen's eyes brightened, and she desperately wanted to learn from the Black Queen, opening a bottle of red wine to celebrate—no, it should be champagne.
Even for her, to take Sunspot's attack head-on, she would have to transform into her diamond form.
Otherwise, with her physical strength, she would probably be reduced straight to slag.
Yet Li Chen looked as though he hadn't even picked up any dust.
Sunspot felt humiliated, so he no longer held back and began to show off his full abilities.
Controlling temperature was one thing; Li Chen felt like he was taking a sunbath, his whole body feeling warm and cozy.
"Not bad, can you turn up the temperature a bit more?"
A Kryptonian could take a bath on a star; this bit of temperature was no different from an ordinary person sunbathing.
If Sunspot weren't a black man, his face would probably have completely turned black from anger right about now.
Chapter 28: Promises Are Forever Valid
Sunspot was trembling with anger, not knowing what was going on.
He could only release all the energy he had stored at once, as if forming a strong "Sunspot", and just this black-hole-like flickering thing reached a power of 20 tons.
However, Li Chen caught it casually, and in his hands, it was no different from a basketball.
At that moment, Sunspot knew he had completely lost.
Not only himself, but all the members of the Hellfire Clubwatching the battle also knew the result.
Those eyes that were still somewhat unconvinced instantly became clear.
They were not unfamiliar with this scene, because Black King Sebastian Shaw could also do this.
This was related to the Mutant ability of Black King Shaw; he had the ability to absorb all forms of energy, convert it into his own energy, and release it.
Of course, people all have limits, and Mutants are no exception.
In their view, they thought Li Chen had the same ability as Black King Shaw.
White Queen's eyes lit up even more; no wonder Li Chenwanted to become White King—he truly had the ability.
This was America; as long as your fists were strong enough, you could gain the respect of others.
But Li Chen did not stop. Having taken so many hits, he naturally had to return them; after all, he was no saint.
Therefore, he spoke: "I am just returning this to you, lest people say I am bullying others."
With that, Li Chen threw the dark mass in his hand out.
The 20-ton dark mass flew towards the exhausted Sunspot.
Sunspot instantly felt his hair stand on end. This was a 20-ton gadget, and he certainly didn't dare to take it head-on!
He dodged immediately, but bizarrely, this thing seemed to have locked onto him and even had a tracking feature. No matter which way he ran, this thing would "turn".
This was the [Blessing of the Preemptive], a conceptual skill that was guaranteed to hit upon the first strike.
"Help!"
This bizarre scene frightened Sunspot into screaming loudly.
Fortunately, as the Black Rook of the Hellfire Club, the Black Queen naturally wouldn't watch him get seriously injured, so she stepped forward at this moment.
She extended her hands wearing black gloves and gently squeezed towards the dark mass.
Under the influence of her ability, space began to distort, but Sunspot's light ball was unaffected, directly drilling out of the distorted space and still smashing towards Sunspot.
Black Queen Selene widened her eyes: "Incredible."
She flashed in front of Sunspot, but the dark mass seemed to "bypass" her, as if it were truly locked on.
At this moment, she reached out, caught the 20-ton light ball directly, and crushed it.
"Interesting."
A wisp of heat emerged from inside her black gloves.
She immunized against this damage, but the clothes on her body could not be immunized.
But she did not care. She looked solemnly at Li Chen and said: "I agree to Li becoming the White Rook of the Hellfire Club."
No one talked about seniority anymore after this.
All voices of opposition vanished instantly.
It was as if everyone had become good people, with smiles on their faces.
White Queen Emma Frost said proudly: "I've had a party prepared, everyone heading up."
During the subsequent Hellfire internal party, everyone came before Li Chen to become familiar with him.
After all, he was now the White Rook, leaping to become one of the top executives of the Hellfire Club.
But everyone's eyes were very clear, because Li Chen had proven his strength.
Proving oneself with strength was the fairest thing of all.
Li Chen handled the pleasantries for a bit and immediately came to a corner to sit down.
Before long, Black Queen Selene also sat over, but before she could speak, the sharp-eyed White Queen also followed.
"Li and I still have things to discuss."
Furthermore, the White Queen said directly.
She pulled Li Chen and was about to leave. Black Queenhad no choice but to telepathically transmit to Li Chen: "Li, my promise is permanently valid."
Drinking red wine, Black Queen blinked at Li Chen.
Although Li Chen was the White Rook and nominally on the White Queen's side, who said one couldn't switch factions?
Flirting a bit was not a big problem.
Li Chen covertly glanced at Black Queen's whip; he certainly didn't have that hobby.
The reverse would be more like it.
Li Chen followed the White Queen to the balcony of the Hellfire Club.
"So much has happened tonight, and I haven't had time to congratulate you yet."
"Thank you."
Li Chen and the White Queen clinked their wine glasses.
Becoming the White Rook of the Hellfire Club meant he had the qualification to use the resources of the Hellfire Club.
To say nothing else, the Hellfire Club had branches and manpower in almost every important city in the world; this was a vital resource.
The two took a sip of wine, and only then did Li Chennotice that the White Queen was wearing blue lipstick.
He still felt this color suited the White Queen better.
Emma Frost noticed his gaze, her heart stirred slightly, but she didn't show it.
"I heard about the matter with The Hand, but Psylocke is missing?"
She looked at Li Chen and asked.
Psylocke was also a powerful Mutant, and she had always wondered if there was a chance to win her over.
"She is my person now."
Li Chen said.
White Queen Emma gave him a sideways glance: "Men all like pretty ones."
Speaking of which, Psylocke's physique was even better than hers.
With a height of 1.8 meters, her long legs were simply astonishing; even the White Queen was two centimeters shorter than her.
"No."
Li Chen looked at Emma and said: "I like women like diamonds."
This remark was pointed; Emma Frost's ability was diamond transformation.
This made Emma look at him strangely: "I'm afraid you can't handle it."
After diamond transformation, her whole body would turn into diamond; ordinary people, let alone getting inside, would hurt just bumping against her.
"How would I know without trying?"
Li Chen said calmly.
The two looked at each other, successively placed their wine glasses on the edge of the balcony, and then drew closer and closer.
Just as Li Chen lowered his head, White Queen Emmaintentionally played a trick.
Her entire body turned into sparkling diamond in an instant, and when Li Chen touched her, he only felt hardness and coldness.
He looked down at Emma and found that a hint of a smile was also carried in her diamond-transformed blue eyes.
"How is it? Do you still think you can do it?"
Diamond was the hardest naturally occurring mineral, and ordinary people couldn't harm her, let alone enter her.
Li Chen certainly couldn't admit defeat: "Actually, it's not bad."
Seeing that Li Chen still wanted to kiss down, the White Queen chose to push him away.
The diamond form was actually quite uncomfortable.
Furthermore, she couldn't let Li Chen get it too easily.
Having mixed in Los Angeles for so long, she naturally knew how to manipulate people's hearts; she was no longer the silly sweet girl of her youth.
"Wait for another chance in the future, darling."
White Queen Emma Frost said coldly and gracefully: "Now, you should go enjoy everyone's cheers."
After all, in this party, Li Chen was the protagonist; he couldn't always hide on the side.
Chapter 29: Moving Beyond Low-Level Tastes
The next morning, Li Chen woke up from a hangover.
Last night, that group of people from the Hellfire Clubfrantically toasted him and were very enthusiastic towards him, the newly appointed White Rook.
On the contrary, the White Queen, who had stirred up his desires, ran away, leaving him with no choice but to go home.
Opening his eyes, he saw Rem looking at him with a grievance-filled expression.
"Master, we agreed to replenish magic yesterday."
Rem's body was very weak, but last night Li Chen was hungover, so she didn't say anything and just waited until this morning.
"Forgot."
Li Chen immediately got up and told Rem to come over.
"Master should wash up first."
Rem wasn't in a rush and began to serve Li Chen.
This made Li Chen let out a long sigh, feeling like he was living the life of a feudal landlord.
Rem, his personal maid, used a hot towel to wipe his face, brought over a basin to help him brush his teeth, and even helped him change his clothes.
As a maid, she looked at Li Chen without changing her expression, already very familiar with everything about her Master.
"Alright, let's start replenishing magic, and then we'll go down to eat."
Li Chen watched Rem busy herself for a long time and said.
"Alright."
Rem immediately lay in his arms, and Li Chen used the sun's energy to replenish her magic.
The sun's energy transformed by Li Chen was even purer than ordinary magic, making Rem feel very comfortable, and her face instantly flushed red.
Afterward, she looked up at Li Chen and said, "Master, I also learned two Chinese dishes."
"What Chinese dishes?"
Li Chen was somewhat curious.
Then Rem's little hand went down: "The first dish is shredded chicken."
"This..."
Li Chen widened his eyes, looking at the gentle yet somewhat sharp-tongued Rem.
"Master, Rem thinks your internal heat is too high."
She shifted the blame onto Li Chen.
Li Chen had no choice; he was a normal person, and besides, he now possessed a Body of Steel, so naturally he was just like the leader of the Transformers.
After tasting Rem's Chinese dish, Li Chen really wanted to know what her second dish was, but she refused to show it no matter what.
Arriving downstairs, Li Chen was actually a bit hungry.
Rem had already prepared breakfast, enough for three people.
Psylocke wasn't eating with them yet and could only watch from the side, her gaze towards Li Chen somewhat complex, with a faint trace of ingratiation vaguely visible.
After finishing his meal, Li Chen held a leash and took a short walk to aid digestion.
When the time was about right, he finally headed to the company.
Watching his retreating figure, Psylocke felt as though her palms and knees were almost worn raw, but there was a hint of submission in her eyes.
She was already getting somewhat used to it.
...
Li Chen came to the office and turned on the television.
At this moment, the news in America had exploded.
"Tony Stark has safely returned to New York. Aside from looking a bit unkempt, he is in high spirits..."
"God bless America, our genius scientist has returned once again, and he even ate his favorite cheeseburger."
People were all immersed in joy.
Tony Stark, who had been missing for several months, finally returned to America. What made people feel fortunate was that he was still alive and didn't seem to be in any serious condition.
Of course, the most joyful part was the stock market.
Although the U.S. stock market wasn't an emotional market like A-shares, everyone knew the importance of Tony Stark to Stark Industries.
Therefore, after the news of Tony Stark's return exploded, Stark Industries' stock, which had fallen quite a bit, immediately rebounded.
For American investors, this was definitely an extraordinary day.
Who knows how many people were filled with regret, but at the same time, others were overjoyed.
Li Chen also paid attention to it, a smile on his face.
He didn't care about anything else; he only knew that he had made a profit.
Meanwhile, after Tony Stark returned to New York, he also found out about the situation.
When he was in the cave, he had already decided to rely on himself.
The U.S. military was unreliable; after so long without finding him, he had already given up hope.
But what he didn't expect was that while he was bitterly hammering iron in the cave and fantasizing about putting on the Iron Man Armor to slaughter everywhere, the U.S. military actually raided the base and rescued him and Yinsen.
Tony Stark, who was well-acquainted with the U.S. military's typical behavior, knew very well that this was definitely not the U.S. military's capability!
Although it was still caught in the twilight of the empire, in this era, America remained the behemoth with the strongest existing power, but it had already begun to rot from within.
As a giant in the military-industrial complex, Tony Starkknew very well the filth inside...
For example, his good friend specialized in taking kickbacks.
As the saying goes, if you don't take it and I don't take it, how is Commissioner Smith supposed to take it?
Not only were military expenditures exorbitant, but the U.S. military also lacked decent citizens; anyone who had ever read a book was unwilling to enlist in the U.S. military.
Therefore, all sorts of people entered the military, causing the combat effectiveness of the U.S. military to begin collapsing.
Because of all these things, Tony Stark firmly refused to believe in the U.S. military's capability.
So when he returned to New York and asked around, he found out that it was the Hellfire Club that had found him.
"I have never felt so strongly as I do now that joining the Hellfire Club is the most correct decision of my life."
Tony Stark said to the White Queen on the call.
White Queen Emma Frost was noncommittal, doing Li Chen a favor: "It was the White Rook of Hellfire who found you, and then we passed the news to the U.S. military. It's great to see you back."
"White Rook?"
Tony Stark asked: "Wasn't the position of White Rookalways vacant before?"
As an ambitious person, Tony had once pursued this status.
But he didn't know what the requirements of the Hellfire Club were.
Of course, it was mainly because he didn't pay attention to these things before.
In the past, he only thought about debauchery and enjoying life, until he stayed in the cave for several months, which made him suddenly seem to have 'attained enlightenment'.
"That was in the past."
The White Queen hung up the phone.
...
At this moment, Li Chen was in a rush to dump his stocks.
Although selling now wouldn't earn him much, he really didn't know when Tony Stark would go crazy.
No, when he would decide to shut down the weapons manufacturing division.
This was why ordinary people had a hard time making money in stocks.
Stocks, to put it bluntly, were about information asymmetry. If you knew the information in advance, you could naturally set things up ahead of time and make money.
But what about ordinary people? Ordinary people lacked information channels and instead got misled by released false news. When their blood boiled and they charged along with the so-called main forces, they instantly became cannon fodder.
Li Chen knew the subsequent trend in advance, but because he didn't know Tony's thoughts, it was still difficult to seize the right timing.
Fortunately, he wasn't greedy either; as long as he made a profit, that was enough.
Making one dollar was making money, and making a hundred dollars was also making money—there was no difference!
Of course, the most important thing was that money was just a number to him.
Ever since he got a Body of Steel, Li Chen felt that he had moved beyond low-level tastes. He wasn't very interested in making money anymore; he only wanted to fulfill the 'ideal' of his perfect life.
Having both financial power, superpowers, and beauties accompanying him—this was what life was all about.
Chapter 30 one-punch man
Time seemed to have pressed the fast-forward button.
After Tony Stark returned, there were no major news stories across the nationwide in the US.
For Hollywood, the explosive summer blockbuster season had also passed, entering a slow season for movies.
Compared to the late 1990s, when a movie would easily screen for months or even over half a year, Hollywood movie theatrical runs have become extremely fast nowadays.
The vast majority of a movie's box office revenue is concentrated in the opening weekend; sometimes, the opening weekend box office can even account for half of the total box office.
This is due to changes in film promotion strategies; Hollywood tends to herd audiences into movie theaters right from the start to harvest their cash.
Therefore, since the new century, situations like Titanicplaying in theaters for nearly a year have basically disappeared.
Starlight Pictures' man of steel had also finished its theatrical run, and Li Chen casually glanced at the box office, which was over a billion globally.
What he cared about was the subsequent buzz.
The buzz brought by the theaters was gone, but as Hollywood movies have developed to this day, they long ago stopped relying solely on box office earnings to make money.
When Superman was released, DC Comics' merchandise was already selling explosively; Superman dolls, superman suits, and the like sold even more than the movie's box office.
After all, a movie ticket is only a few dollars, but a single doll costs a dozen dollars or even more.
Unfortunately, all of this stemmed from Superman's popularity, which, for Li Chen, could not provide additional prestige points.
And after a movie finishes its theatrical run, it will enter a new cycle.
It is worth mentioning that during this period in the Marvel World, the internet had already risen.
This also caused things like DVDs to collapse quickly, and basically everyone watched movies online.
Therefore, Starlight Pictures chose to release it directly onto streaming media.
In fact, many movies that lose money at the box office can recoup their costs through a long cycle.
It's just that this time is too long, and many movie companies go bankrupt before they can recoup their costs.
Therefore, the box office remains the most important standard for judging whether a movie is successful.
Without a doubt, Superman was a huge success.
The explosive box office would drive up streaming popularity, and Li Chen felt he could harvest another wave of prestige points.
He took a look at his current prestige points, which were exorbitant; after accumulating them over this period of time, they had already broken ten thousand.
[Current Prestige Points: 11822.]
This wasn't entirely the movie's credit; the manga accounted for the lion's share.
Especially One Piece, which had gradually become a North American phenomenal manga and was preparing to 'invade' the entire world.
Although "Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another world wasn't quite as explosive, it was still considered very popular, remaining stubbornly high in the top ten of the rankings.
This is the difference between manga and movies: every update of a manga brings a new wave of buzz. Although it's not as terrifyingly huge as a movie, it emphasizes steady and sustained growth.
And after Li Chen's'squeezing', the first season of "Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another world had ended a week ago, but they clearly weren't ready to immediately produce the second season.
With Ram and Rem in hand, Li Chen needed to change his target.
Others didn't know this news yet; even Li Chen, this capitalist, had given his beasts of burden a week off.
Therefore, he was now facing a problem.
"What should the next manga be?"
Li Chen thought to himself, regretting once again pulling out One Piece.
Because this completely tied down most of the personnel, and now they were even preparing to produce the One Piece anime, which would require quite a bit of manpower and energy.
When the employees were all putting their energy into producing One Piece, how could they produce a new manga?
"Now I have strength, and there aren't many in manga as fierce as Kryptonians."
Superman was omnipotent; otherwise, why would he be called 'God Among Men'?
Therefore, Li Chen was no longer worried about strength.
What do people live for?
Of course it's for lewd stuff.
At this moment, Li Chen felt as if struck by lightning, instantly thinking of an animated series he used to sit in front of the television and guard during his childhood.
"Cat's Eye".
He hurriedly searched online.
"What a pity, it's already been made."
Li Chen looked at what was searched online and sighed.
His three sisters...
If they could all be summoned, wouldn't he get nosebleeds every day?
"How about filming a Real person version?"
Li Chen thought to himself, but still turned his target toward a new manga.
First, it had to fit the aesthetic here in North America; otherwise, making something like "The Outcast" or the like, Americans wouldn't understand it either.
Thinking like this while searching online, Li Chen quickly found a target.
"It's you."
...
The personnel of the animation department, who had been on a week-long vacation, returned to the studio once again. For a moment, it was filled with an atmosphere of joy, and everyone was talking about how they spent this short holiday.
They were all staff members who previously produced "Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another world; although their bonuses weren't as much as the One Piece team's, they had time to rest!
Of course, this was just their self-consolation; who wouldn't want to make money?
On this sinful land of America, once you lose a stable job, you will rapidly plunge into the 'execution range'.
Therefore, after returning, they quickly entered a work state, happily preparing to start producing the second season of "Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another world.
But right at this moment, their supervisor Caitlin and boss Li Chen walked in together.
"Guys, we have a new project."
Li Chen clapped his hands, attracting everyone's attention.
"Boss, are we not making the second season of "Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another world?"
An employee asked.
"We're not doing it for now."
Li Chen nodded and said: "The first season just ended, and the buzz hasn't completely risen yet; let's slow down for a bit."
This is just like Hollywood movie franchises; sometimes there are several years between installments before they are served up.
Because connecting them too closely can easily lead to over-development of the IP, resulting in a loss of viewers.
The employees accepted this explanation, and then looked at the boss with curiosity.
In their view, Li Chen was definitely a genius.
Because the ideas he gave had already swept across the nationwide in the US, leaving the employees in endless admiration.
Moreover, whether it was character design or plot, the boss gave them all by himself, and he even checked the character drawings.
Li Chen opened the PPT at this time and said: "The new project will be a story about heroes."
"superhero comics... aren't there too many from DC Comics?"
Someone hesitated and said.
"No, no, no, this isn't an ordinary superhero story."
Li Chen immediately smiled and said: "This is a hero out of hobby/interest."
Its name suddenly appeared on the PPT.
one-punch man!
There is nothing more suitable for North America than one-punch man.
Here, there is a natural soil suitable for superheroes to survive, and compared to shonen manga that people are tired of seeing, one-punch man has a completely different style.
Therefore, along with Li Chen's explanation, everyone's eyes began to shine.
They seemed to have already seen the day when one-punch man exploded in popularity across the nationwide in the US.
This is so different from the stories of superheroes like Superman and Batman.