"...So you specifically target the lost little lambs—the students with family troubles, mental illnesses, and no sense of direction—and use your 'highly professional' jargon to peel back their minds layer by layer... culminating in a gentle, 'Come to mama, good boy.' All to feed your twisted gratification, that haughty thrill of conquest, and the satisfaction of watching superhumans weeping and repenting before you."
In the president's office, having listened to Indira Shetty's explanation, Qi Li lounged on the sofa with one leg crossed high over the other, delivering his sarcastic commentary in a voice dripping with mockery.
Not quite finished, he added with relish:
"Almost forgot—with an illustrious track record like yours, Shetty, you could host a Herogasm of your very own! Get all those well-trained boys and girls to put on their superhero costumes, dress up as a dominatrix with a whip, grab a Queen Maeve-branded club, and whip whoever you please. Wow—just thinking about it is thrilling. No wonder so many people want to be superhuman shrinks!"
Shetty, who was leaning over to pour Qi Li a glass of Coca-Cola, paused slightly at his words.
She lifted her head, looked at Qi Li, and said in a helpless tone, "That's hardly the way to speak to an elder, Qi Li."
Just as Qi Li was about to fire back, Shetty continued, "Besides, those 'well-trained good boys and girls' you mentioned include Kate. In a way, she's the best of them all. Even if you didn't mean anything by it, I assume you wouldn't want to hurt Kate all over again."
At that, Qi Li swallowed the retorts right on the tip of his tongue.
Seeing that Shetty had already composed herself, having slipped back into her British poise and elegance, he scoffed. "Shetty, you're as eloquent as ever. So why did you lose your touch with Lucy earlier and nearly get yourself killed?"
Shetty fell quiet for a moment. She poured the chilled cola into a goblet on the table, handed it to Qi Li, and turned to pour herself a glass of red wine.
She took a small sip, letting the tart, astringent flavor linger in her mouth as memories flickered across her eyes. Only then did she turn back to face Qi Li and admit her mistake:
"Indeed. I rushed things this time and took too blunt an approach. I underestimated Lucy's sensitivity, and her... increasingly frequent bouts of intermittent rage. But as you know, taking time off put me far behind schedule.
"As both president and therapist, I have a duty to care for the mental health of every student. Not every superhuman student is like you, Qi Li."
Shetty drained the red wine in her glass, stepped behind Qi Li, and rested a warm hand on his shoulder as she continued:
"Superpowers grant absolute, definitive strength, but they also amplify the traits each superhuman already possesses. They make the good parts better and the bad parts worse. That is what I have observed from all of you over the years."
She looked down, her gaze settling on his shoulder as her fingers gently patted it.
"Unfortunately, here at this superhuman hero university, far too many students suffer from severe psychological flaws. All I do is temper those flaws before they lead to catastrophe, giving them a chance to understand and correct themselves.
"Kate is a prime example of that, isn't she?"
Not everyone who had spent most of their youth locked away could step back into society and adapt to its dizzying complexities, rather than cowering like a frightened deer, terrified as novelties they had never seen before washed over them like an overwhelming tide.
Seeing that Shetty had brought up Kate again, Qi Li found it hard to argue.
Unlike Westerners who readily visited therapists and believed counseling did wonders for them, Qi Li had never cared for such things.
To each their own, perhaps.
He finished the cola in his glass, not bothering to turn around as he said in a flat voice:
"What? Is our great philanthropist—who has no interest in conditioning students' bodies, only in mending their minds—the spiritual successor of Mother Mary, planning to keep 'caring' for troubled students? You should know, I won't always be there to wipe your... clean up your mess.
"Or should I just kill off a troubled student for you every time? That way, every hidden threat is eliminated, and you go down in history as the greatest president Godkin has ever had."
"If that happened, you'd have no choice but to take me on the run with you, Qi Li," Shetty joked from behind him.
The hands resting on his shoulders slid slowly upward, her fingertips pressing gently against his temples as she began to massage them in calm, measured circles. Her voice softened with the motion:
"This was just an accident, I promise. As for Lucy... that's an outcome no one wanted to see. The blame lies entirely with me, not you. On the contrary, you did what a true superhero is supposed to do.
"You averted a disaster for Godkin University, Qi Li."
Shetty spoke with absolute sincerity.
Indeed, if news leaked that a student had murdered the president of Godkin University, it would have been an enormous scandal.
Qi Li didn't deny it, leaning back and accepting Shetty's massage.
While Lucy had been far more dangerous and volatile than Marcus before her, when all was said and done, he had eliminated her to save Shetty.
"Is this my only reward?"
Qi Li pointed at the hands massaging his temples.
Shetty paused, then broke into a knowing smile, clearly prepared for the question.
"Of course not. As the protector of Godkin, starting today, all the university's network and resources will be at your disposal. We'll coordinate with Vought to allocate a portion of mission quotas in New York specifically for you. Vought's Crime Analytics will support you, and the Godkin University media team will assist you to send your popularity soaring once more.
"Furthermore, regarding your proposal upon enrollment about handling superhuman incidents, we have decided to fully approve it after careful consideration. Moving forward, we'll slash campus security's budget by half and reallocate those funds toward your special operations—both on campus and off-campus operations connected to Godkin.
"There's only one condition: some of these operations may involve Vought classified information. You must maintain strict confidentiality, Qi Li. Can you do that?"
A spark flashed in Qi Li's eyes.
He hadn't expected this unexpected crisis to hand him leverage to climb even higher.
He nodded decisively. "Of course! I've always had the utmost respect for the hands that feed me."
An agreement was reached.
The storm had subsided.
As Qi Li stood up to leave, he smiled faintly and joked, "By the way, Shetty, since you're so committed to your cause, don't forget to include Kate in your will. You two are as close as mother and daughter—she deserves a share when the time comes."
Shetty laughed and replied, "No problem! I'll name Kate as my sole heir."
Qi Li assumed she was only joking.
In truth, Shetty really had drawn up a will, and just as she said, Kate was the sole beneficiary.
After all, she no longer had any family.
After Qi Li left, the smile on Shetty's face faded.
She picked up her phone, dialed Dr. Cardosa, and said calmly:
"There was a slight accident, but it doesn't matter. The plan continues..."
Chapter 55