"Thank you."
Starlight held Qi Li's gaze for a moment. Seeing not the slightest hint of mockery or sarcasm in his eyes, she exhaled a long breath and finally offered a sincere smile.
Qi Li gave a slight smile and tapped his fingers idly against the conference table, offering no trite remarks like "Don't mention it" or "You'd have pulled through on your own anyway."
Looking at the massive V-shaped table before him, he smoothly changed the subject, asking curiously, "Where do you sit, Starlight?"
By now, Starlight had relaxed completely. At his question, she pointed to where he was sitting and smiled. "Right where you are now."
Qi Li took in his surroundings.
There were seven chairs in total around the V-shaped table—one at the head, and three flanking each side.
Starlight's chair was the third on the right.
In order, they went from Queen Maeve to A-Train, then her.
Starlight then pointed to the second chair on the left. "That one used to belong to Deep Sea. Unless something unexpected happens, that's where you'll be sitting from now on."
Qi Li looked over and nodded.
Originally, the lineup on the left had been Translucent, Deep Sea, and Black Noir.
Now it was Translucent, Bronze, and Black Noir.
Well... Translucent was almost certainly going to be absent for a long time, or would they bring in another newcomer eventually?
Qi Li stared at the first seat on the left, musing to himself.
Starlight walked over to the chair at the head of the table, patted it, and asked him, "Want to try sitting here? Best view in the room."
The central seat, naturally, belonged to Homelander.
Qi Li turned toward her and shook his head calmly. "If a seat doesn't belong to me, sitting in it feels hollow."
Starlight pouted in mild surprise. "Bronze, I've noticed everything you say sounds so philosophical. But..."
She plopped right down into Homelander's seat. "Fuck it! I didn't sit here last time. Opportunities like this don't come often—I have to give it a try."
She swiveled the chair back and forth, soaking in the sensation. "Mm, it really does feel great."
'If only someone snapped a Starlight evil meme right now, that'd be perfect,' Qi Li thought.
With the tour of the final room concluded, Starlight made sure to remind him, "There's a Super Seven meeting tomorrow morning at nine. Homelander organized it specifically to welcome you. Don't be late."
"Don't worry," Qi Li nodded.
He was indeed quite curious about his first Super Seven meeting.
***
The next morning.
Having spent the night at Vought Tower, Qi Li was up early to work out.
Inside his newly renovated training room, he was jogging at a steady hundred kilometers per hour on a specially built treadmill while casually replying to an endless stream of congratulatory emails, texts, and messages on his phone.
There were messages from Godkin University faculty and students, including Kate, Shetty, Professor Brink, Sigrid, Maverick, Luke, and Jordan.
There were also greetings from Hollywood associates and Vought production crew members he had worked with, like Anya, Lily, Chloe, and Emma.
On top of that, there were numerous acquaintances from Los Angeles—close ones like Madam Miranda, along with casual acquaintances he had only spoken to a handful of times—all warmly sending congratulations on his induction into the Super Seven.
Among them, Mister Marathon's note was easily the most bitter.
He complained that his old teammate Homelander hadn't given him a second thought, and now even an unknown kid from a Los Angeles party had made it into the Super Seven.
Of course, the second half was an enthusiastic invitation to an ultra-wild party at his villa whenever Qi Li had free time, promising an unforgettable experience.
"Spend all day getting high from dawn till dusk with a bunch of junkies slathered in baby oil?"
Qi Li shook his head in disgust.
The former Steelclaw Man had loved attending those bashes, singing their praises every time he returned.
Qi Li was different.
He was now a red-hot member of the Super Seven. There was no way he would mingle with washed-up vermin.
Qi Li decisively skipped Mister Marathon's email. He had already replied to important contacts like Kate and Shetty the previous night, so now he only needed to send out a few brief responses.
At nine o'clock in the morning, having enjoyed a hearty meal at Vought Tower, Qi Li arrived at the entrance of the Super Seven conference room.
With a soft chime, the doors slid open to either side.
Instantly, a barrage of glances swept over him—some scrutinizing, some friendly, some curious, some cold.
On the left sat Black Noir, all by himself. On the right were Queen Maeve, A-Train—whom Qi Li had met a couple of times—and Starlight, whom he knew best of all. All of them turned their varied gazes upon him.
The only one not seated was Homelander, who stood by the window with his hands behind his back, looking out into the distance.
Hearing the doors open, he turned around slowly. His eyes locked onto Qi Li, and an immaculate, dazzling smile spread across his face.
"Bronze! It seems you're a punctual man. I like that. When superheroes save lives, every minute and every second counts."
This was Qi Li's first face-to-face meeting with Homelander.
A bit surprised, he greeted him, "Captain."
Homelander's smile was warm. "Homelander. Just call me Homelander."
With that, he strode over to Qi Li, gave him a warm, enthusiastic embrace, and patted his back.
"Bronze, welcome to the Super Seven family! The evils of this world persist, and we need more like-minded people. I am thrilled! We have gained another wonderful teammate to fight shoulder to shoulder with, another warm and loving brother!
"Truly, nothing could make me happier!"
As he spoke, Homelander's eyes even grew slightly red.
Feeling the incredibly powerful, warm embrace, Qi Li was struck by a whirlwind of emotion.
All along, he had thought of Homelander as a version of Superman—or perhaps an evil Superman?
Looking at him now...
How was this Superman?
Being this kind and righteous, the man was practically Captain America!
Until...
A camera flash went off in his peripheral vision.
Qi Li glanced sideways and realized there was actually a camera crew standing in the corner of the conference room.
Homelander released Qi Li and immediately turned to the camera crew. "How was that shot?"
The director held up a thumb. "Fantastic."
At that, Homelander's smile grew even more sincere.
Noticing the bewildered look on Qi Li's face, he patted the newcomer's shoulder. "It's a new initiative. Fans all over the world want to see what a new member's first Super Seven meeting looks like and what kind of chemistry develops with the veterans. I've always listened to our fans, so I made this call.
"What do you think? Great, isn't it?" Homelander asked, thoroughly pleased with himself.
Ever since Maeve planted the idea of caring about his teammates yesterday, he had put it into practice immediately, resulting in the scene playing out now. His efficiency was off the charts.
Once this video was uploaded to the internet, audiences would see him being approachable and warm as he welcomed a new teammate, every word and gesture radiating deep concern.
In the workplace, who wouldn't want a boss like that?
Homelander could already picture the rave reviews online and another surge in his approval ratings.
Qi Li was... somewhat speechless, but also somewhat relieved.
Yeah, this was the true nature of this world.
That display just now had felt downright unsettling.
Chapter 84