Qi Li caught on as well.
Having studied acting in Hollywood, he gave a faint sigh. "It was just a match. May God bless Derek."
Shetty, with all her worldly experience and a doctorate in behavioral psychology, was even more seamless. "May God bless him."
Kate stood by, looking completely dazed.
It suddenly dawned on her that she still had a tremendous amount to learn.
Once the two sly foxes finished going through the motions of their pious benedictions, Shetty turned slightly and smoothly introduced Qi Li to Polarity, who was standing beside them.
This Black version of Magneto appeared remarkably genial, possessing none of the overbearing aura one might expect from a magnetic superpowered being. He even took the initiative to apologize for his son's past behavior.
"What Andre did back then was entirely out of line. Qi Li, let me apologize on his behalf first. He'll apologize to you in person later."
Naturally, Qi Li played along cordially, eager to keep the peace.
After all, Andre had a Godkin trustee for a father.
On top of that, once the brawl had broken out that day, even though the boy had hesitated from start to finish, his overall conduct had been fairly commendable. Qi Li had no reason to pursue the matter further.
A moment later, Brink arrived with his prized pupil, A-Train.
A-Train was exceedingly courteous, greeting Qi Li warmly right away. "Hey, bro! That match of yours was incredible. Real shame we couldn't be teammates before."
Come to think of it, this was the first time Qi Li had ever encountered an active member of the Seven up close in the flesh.
He thought of him specifically as an active member because back in Los Angeles, he had occasionally run into Mister Marathon at superhero mixers—another speedster, but one whom A-Train had surpassed and who had subsequently been quietly dropped from the Seven.
Qi Li extended his hand to shake A-Train's, offering a poised smile. "There's always another chance."
Hearing that, A-Train looked momentarily surprised, but he quickly nodded in agreement. "I like the confidence. Tell you what, an opening might be coming up real soon. You heard about Starlight? That video of her beating someone up has been making the rounds online. Madelyn's already thinking about replacing her."
Just the night before, the Seven's newest recruit, Starlight, had sparked quite a controversy.
According to Starlight's public statement, she had been walking down the street when she came across two men attempting to assault a young woman, so she charged in to stop them and beat both men senseless.
Under normal circumstances, that wouldn't have been an issue.
Unfortunately, a surveillance camera had been running nearby, and due to the angle, it only captured Starlight brutally battering the two men, completely missing the part where she rescued the girl.
To make matters worse, the two men she beat had already filed lawsuits against Starlight for assault and battery, and public sentiment online had turned fiercely hostile toward her.
After listening, Professor Brink remarked in a heavy voice, "That is precisely the downside of superheroes fighting crime without a camera crew."
Shetty's eyes brightened. "Does that mean Qi Li has an opening again?"
Qi Li, however, shook his head, pouring cold water on the idea. "If Starlight is telling the truth, all it takes is for the girl she saved last night to speak out in time. Not only will she be off the hook, but once public opinion swings back, her approval rating will climb even higher."
"Who knows if she's telling the truth or not," A-Train replied with a careless shrug.
In his mind, Starlight beating people up for no reason was par for the course; beating people up with a valid reason would have been abnormal. Long accustomed to fighting scripted crime orchestrated by Vought, he didn't believe for a second that Starlight had thrown punches just to protect some girl. Claiming as much was nothing more than PR.
"By the way, I've got a 'Race of the Century' at MetLife Stadium the day after tomorrow. Of course, I'm the fastest man alive, so my victory is guaranteed," A-Train said at last. Glancing at Kate, who was nestled daintily beside Qi Li, he extended a warm invitation. "If you're free, you and your girlfriend should come check it out. I'll get you two VIP tickets."
The moment Kate heard the word "girlfriend," the corners of her lips curled upward in an uncontrollable grin. She turned her head, gazing at Qi Li with eyes brimming with eager anticipation.
Naturally, Qi Li agreed without hesitation.
***
Late that night.
Four Seasons Hotel, Suite 1215.
When Qi Li pushed the door open with an arm around Kate—who was already swooning and thoroughly intoxicated from their kisses on the way over—he finally understood why this place was called a specialty suite.
The elaborate furnishings and apparatuses inside were truly an eye-opening spectacle.
"How is it?" Kate asked, tilting her flushed, hazy face up toward him, her tone carrying both anticipation and a hint of bashfulness. She had booked the room herself.
Qi Li had never expected this seemingly innocent, pristine little cabbage to harbor such a wildly adventurous heart.
He sighed softly.
Not for himself, but for the girl beside him.
"I'm worried you won't be able to get out of bed tomorrow," Qi Li said in all honesty.
Kate pressed herself into his chest, her eyes heavy with sultry affection. Raising her fair, bare hands—the gloves long since cast aside—she tenderly cupped Qi Li's cheeks and whispered into his ear in a husky, seductive tone: "I'm a superhuman. You can do whatever you want to me."
What else was Qi Li supposed to say? He scooped her up in his arms.
In response, Kate's long legs clad in black stockings clamped tightly around his waist. Before he could make the next move, her luscious red lips proactively pressed against his.
*Boom—*
*Crash—*
*Bang—*
The suite descended into relentless chaos, sounding as though a massive barrage of fireworks were going off inside. Even the specialty suite's exceptional soundproofing could not contain the racket, and the resulting commotion was downright terrifying.
A passing hotel attendant turned pale at the noise filtering through the door, scrambling in panic to consult the manager.
"You mean Room 1215? Oh, that's fine," the manager said with practiced calm. "The guests in that room will cover all the damages tomorrow. Last time Fem-Beast stayed here, she tore down the exterior wall, and it was repaired in no time."
With that, he cast an envious glance back toward Room 1215.
Who wouldn't want a superhuman's godlike physique?
Especially the chance to share intimate encounters with those seemingly untouchable, screen-goddess heroines.
It wasn't entirely impossible for ordinary humans, of course.
Except...
The manager shuddered violently at the memory of a former coworker who had been crushed into paraplegia by Fem-Beast.
Forget it. The risk was far too great.
He was better off sticking to his Starlight-branded dildo and amusing himself in the privacy of his own home.
Chapter 33