The process of traveling between worlds was strange, like walking through a foggy corridor.
Suddenly, he found himself in a vibrant, colorful world.
Then, everything gradually reorganized itself before his eyes, transforming piece by piece into tangible objects.
For Qin Xiao, the whole experience felt more like waking up with both motion sickness and a hangover than like stepping into a fantasy novel.
It wasn't at all the grand, magnificent spectacle described in books, where the world's barriers are broken and everything lies at your feet.
Back in the secret room Tony had built, Qin Xiao sat at his desk for a while.
Then he slowly stood, carefully surveying his home.
Honestly, compared to first-tier cities in China before his trip, the housing prices in Los Angeles weren't high.
For less than two million dollars, one could buy a single-story, standalone apartment of nearly 400 square meters.
Though converting to RMB exceeded ten million, there was still a noticeable price difference.
Although the property wasn't expensive, owning this single-unit property would cost Qin Xiao nearly $100,000 annually in additional taxes per square meter.
Otherwise, he had always heard that buying a big house in the U.S. was easy, but building a large one was difficult.
Indeed, it still felt like traditional Chinese thinking. Coming back here made him feel even more at home.
Next time he returned to Shanghai, he decided he should buy a house there too.
As for this house, given the paused time here, today was the day to celebrate moving in.
Guests needed to be invited for a meal.
Thirty percent of the time would honor Chinese traditions, twenty percent to enjoy his luxurious new home, and fifty percent to kill boredom.
Qin Xiao sent a message to almost everyone he knew in the world:
"Hello everyone! This is Qin Xiao! Today I moved into my new home. According to Chinese tradition, when moving, you should invite friends over for a meal!"
"So I've decided to host a grand Chinese-style banquet at my house tomorrow night. 7 PM, everyone is welcome!"
"PS: In China, there's a tradition of giving gifts and red envelopes when friends move in or buy a house! You can search for 'red envelope' on Google. Also, Chinatown sells them!"
Attached is a screenshot marking the location on an electronic map!
Truth be told, Qin Xiao wasn't much of a cook.
He could manage one or two simple home-style dishes, but hosting guests would be a real challenge.
Yet with thousands of years of Chinese culture, did not knowing how to cook mean he couldn't invite anyone over?
Want hot pot?
He made a trip to Chinatown, gathering all the base ingredients, dipping sauces, and a chaotic assortment of Chinese seasonings.
Some items weren't strictly necessary, but having them at home made the place feel lived-in.
A dual-flavored hot pot, lamb slices, and fatty beef.
Qin Xiao finally understood why Chinese people overseas could never give up Chinatown.
The variety available in a single block far exceeded what a large supermarket in China could offer.
Snacks, traditional Chinese clothing, martial arts training, Cantonese dim sum, Sichuan hot pot—you name it.
From mustard-fried dough strips to raccoon-shaped crispy noodles, everything could be found.
There were wrestling gyms, mahjong parlors, even burial cloths and wreaths.
If you were a homebody, staying in and only going out for necessities, life was almost the same as in China.
Only some restaurants had westernized versions of dishes, slightly different from domestic tastes.
He bought a lot of things.
Carried all the bags home.
Boiled water to rinse ingredients, washed and cut vegetables, and arranged them on the table.
He washed plenty of fruit and displayed them as well.
Let's not even talk about how to host guests. After so many twists and turns, the household's popularity suddenly soared.
"Perfect!"
Qin Xiao spent the afternoon lost in thought, munching on an apple while waiting for red envelopes.
Then, someone arrived—a guest that surprised him.
Dr. Banner!
Qin Xiao had never sent him a message. Ever since S.H.I.E.L.D. had taken him away, Qin Xiao had lost contact.
Sitting on the sofa, he projected the view outside onto the opposite wall.
"Nicole, open the door!"
"Yes, sir!"
This was where having a butler truly showed its advantage.
"Hi, Dr. Banner, welcome to my home!"
No matter how unfamiliar the guest, Qin Xiao always made a point of welcoming them warmly.
Banner was honest. Last time in the desert, Qin Xiao's tricks had inadvertently injured him.
But in this case, the Hulk clearly made more sense than Qin Xiao himself.
Seeing Qin Xiao's enthusiasm, Banner felt a bit embarrassed and brought out a bottle of red wine.
"I've been keeping control recently. I haven't transformed in a long time. They said there's an Avengers project where we need some understanding, but Agent Romanoff mentioned you were moving, and according to Chinese tradition, gifts are customary. So I brought wine!"
"Didn't she tell you anything else?"
Qin Xiao glanced at his hands, noticing only the wine—no red envelope.
"No! Anything I need to know? She's still downstairs in the parking lot!"
Banner nervously pointed downward.
"Nothing at all, nothing at all!"
No matter how shameless Qin Xiao could be, he was too embarrassed to harm this honest, now-homeless man.
He warmly invited Banner to sit.
A few minutes later, Black Widow's name appeared.
"Hey, Qin, stop looking. I just picked up Dr. Banner from Canada today. I didn't have time to go to Chinatown for a red envelope, didn't know what gift to get you, so consider this it!"
Black Widow, seeing what Qin Xiao was thinking, pulled him over and lightly kissed his cheek.
"Alright!"
Qin Xiao helplessly spread his hands.
"Beautiful women always have privileges. But if the next person comes without a red envelope, I swear I'll curse their… well, you get the idea."
Whether it was coincidence or Qin Xiao's arrogance, it didn't matter.
Tony, a workaholic, set aside his research on new elements, and even the sharp-eyed Nick Fury came.
Of course, Agent Coulson, always in Los Angeles, was indispensable.
Apart from the still-frozen Captain America and Thor, misbehaving in Asgard, the original six Avengers were all present.
Yet without exception, none of them brought red envelopes for Qin Xiao.
Some brought wine, some brought paintings, but the most surprising was Hawkeye—he gave Qin Xiao an arrow.
"What am I supposed to do with this? Scratch an itch?"
Qin Xiao used the arrow to scratch his back, complaining.
"If you're all so stingy, don't blame me for betraying myself!"
Muttering in his mind, he added two packs of spicy hot pot base to the clear water side of the dual-flavored hot pot while the fire was still burning.
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