"Brand marketing prioritizes superpowers above all else."
Qi Li typed the words on his phone and angled the screen toward Kate.
Right on cue, Professor Brink said from the front of the room, "The bedrock of brand marketing is none other than your superpowers."
A flash of surprise flitted across Kate's eyes.
"Shooting lasers from your eyes is the most popular superpower right now," Qi Li continued typing.
Professor Brink went on, "Heat vision, laser eyes, and the like are undoubtedly the powers the public loves most in this day and age. Because Homelander is the captain of the Super Seven. Because he is the greatest superhero..."
When Kate looked back at Qi Li, a layer of admiration had crept into her gaze.
She opened her notebook and quickly wrote on a blank page: *How did you know?*
How did he know?
His manager, Monica, never stopped lecturing him about this kind of thing, of course.
Professor Brink's reputation as an expert in the superhero field was certainly no exaggeration. Not only had he personally trained many renowned superheroes, but the textbooks he wrote were also studied inside and out by Vought personnel and managers like Monica. Having been immersed in that world, Qi Li naturally knew plenty.
Instead of answering directly, he typed: "I know a great restaurant. Lunch is on me, and I'll answer all your questions while we eat."
Kate looked down at the screen, an involuntary smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
She scribbled: *Does this count as walking straight into the lion's den?*
Qi Li chuckled softly. "Of course!"
Her eyes danced with amusement, and she immediately put pen to paper: *I accept.*
Date secured.
Just as Qi Li was about to reserve a table online, Professor Brink brought him up.
"...Even without a flashy superpower, one can still shine. Qi Li is an excellent example."
Professor Brink looked over with an appreciative gaze.
For a split second, Qi Li felt as though he had been snapped back to his past life, called on without warning by his homeroom teacher.
The difference was that, as a superhuman now, his reflexes were lightning-fast. Before Professor Brink's eyes had fully turned toward him, Qi Li tucked his phone away in the truest sense of a flash. By the time the professor and the rest of the class turned their eyes upon him, he was already sitting upright with immaculate posture, the very picture of a model student.
"Qi Li's hero moniker is 'Bronze.' That title does not come from his superpower, but from his meticulously crafted public image. I must say, Qi Li and the team behind him have handled this with exceptional professionalism. Whenever the outside world speaks of him today, they naturally call him 'Bronze' without the slightest sense of dissonance."
Professor Brink offered Qi Li an approving nod before turning his attention back to the rest of the class.
"Therefore, in brand marketing strategy, those with wildly popular superpowers should naturally lean into that strength. Those whose powers are less visually impressive need not be discouraged, either. True heroes will always carve out a path of their own."
Professor Brink was lying, of course.
As far as Qi Li knew, superhumans like Shuttle were practically destined never to make it big, even if they avoided a life of crime. Nobody was going to idolize a man who had to strip stark naked every time he phased through a wall. The best someone with Shuttle's kind of ability could hope for was being cast as comic relief in a movie, playing a buffoonish bit part.
And that was considered a lucky break.
Some superhumans had abilities that were practically useless. For instance, could anyone imagine having a superpower that merely turned your five toes into five fingers—and that was it? How was a superhuman like that any different from an ordinary person?
All that could be said was that the superpowers in this world were wildly eclectic, boasting an extraordinary ceiling and an abysmal floor.
Qi Li shook his head. He had already finished reserving the table.
At that moment, Professor Brink called out several students' names in succession, having them demonstrate their powers so he could critique them one by one.
Just as the professor swept his finger around to pick the next student, Qi Li noticed something off in Kate's expression beside him.
He leaned in and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Kate gave a slight shake of her head, offering no explanation.
Seeing that, Qi Li did not press the matter.
Fortunately, Professor Brink's finger skipped past Kate and pointed straight toward the back row. "Jordan Li, your turn to show us."
Qi Li looked back.
Jordan appeared even more anxious and reluctant than Kate had. Their voice quavered as they stammered, "Professor, I..."
Professor Brink offered gentle encouragement. "Jordan, there is no right or wrong when it comes to superpowers. If a person cannot even face their own heart, how can they ever become a true hero?"
Unlike a seasoned cynic like Qi Li, Jordan was clearly the sort of obedient, model Asian student who hung on every word of authority.
Bolstered by Professor Brink's encouragement, Jordan still carried an air of self-doubt, but nonetheless mustered the courage to unleash their power. In the blink of an eye, Qi Li watched Jordan transform from a boy into a girl right before his eyes—a female in every physiological sense.
"Whoa! That is so cool!" Maverick marveled from nearby, clapping his hands.
Jordan lowered her head slightly and whispered in a distinctly feminine voice, "Thank you."
Kate turned to look as well. After a brief wave of surprise, she said sincerely, "She's pretty."
There were quite a few students in the lecture hall like Kate who took Jordan's shift from male to female in stride. However, several students from conservative states visibly furrowed their brows.
As for Qi Li...
He was a man of earthly tastes, and watching Jordan switch sexes at will instantly sent his imagination running wild.
Once Kate spoke up, he snapped out of his reverie and added, "Jordan must be very popular with bisexuals."
For them, there would always be a Jordan that suited their taste—on standby and ready to switch at any moment.
Kate smiled softly. "What about you?"
Qi Li swore with utter solemnity, "I am straight as an arrow."
Afterward, Professor Brink heaped praise upon Jordan for breaking through personal barriers, encouraging her to embrace whichever appearance she preferred rather than worrying about the judgment of others.
"A true hero's heart is always unwavering. Let this be my message to you, Jordan, and to every student in this room."
With Professor Brink delivering that closing line, the first lecture for Qi Li and his peers drew to a close.
Classes at Godkin University were quite relaxed—usually just one session in the morning and one in the afternoon, and often only half-days. Once class let out, Qi Li took Kate, who was experiencing her very first date, out to enjoy lunch.
He had no idea that not long after he departed, explosive news swept across the campus:
Godkin University's former No. 1 and current No. 2, Derek Fowler, had officially challenged Qi Li to a duel.
Chapter 21