Banquet hall, northeast corner.
The lights became blindingly bright, shrouding this relatively quiet corner in a hazy halo.
A woman sat alone on the sofa, her hair and eyebrows frosted with ice crystals.
Her skin tone was normal, her figure slender and graceful, and her temperament cold and stern—like a mature, petite version of Jill.
She was none other than one of the board members of Godolkin University, the legendary "Ice Girl," Klara Damon.
"Mom, he, he is the one I told you about... the one." Jill pulled Wade to sit nearby, lowering her head as she introduced him in a low voice.
Klara held a glass of champagne with elegant posture, her eyes carrying the scrutiny typical of someone long accustomed to high positions: "Wade Thompson? From the Red River Institute, with the ability of Gas Manipulation."
"Jill often mentions you, saying that you are... very special."
She extended her palm, and Wade, wearing a smile, reached out to shake it.
The moment their palms touched, a bone-chilling cold penetrated his body.
Klara's palm turned completely ice-blue, and she sneered: "If you can withstand this, I won't interfere in your business. If you can't, then don't expect to keep this arm."
Jill leaned back on the sofa, lifting her head proudly: "Mom, use your full strength, he's not afraid!"
Wade focused his mind, and the movement of gas molecules around him suddenly accelerated fivefold. His blood continuously surged through his right arm, quietly dissolving the layers of ice crystals that were creeping up his limb.
Crack, crack—bang!
The dripping water and snowflakes converged between them into a slowly rotating ice ball.
Wade squeezed his right hand tightly: "Auntie, shall we continue?"
Klara let go with a calm expression and picked up her glass to take a large gulp.
Wade knew she was evaluating his strength and whether he was worthy of Jill; the [Extreme Cold Ice Body] was not to be underestimated and could easily take the life of an ordinary Supe.
He tossed the ice ball into Jill's arms: "To be honest, I learned this from Jill."
Klara picked up the ice ball with two fingers and glanced at it: "Your ability development is not bad—controlling temperature to sublimate water vapor, condensation nuclei, manipulating water molecules... no wonder you could withstand it..."
"Jill's constitution is inherited from me," she said, pulling Jill closer and whispering, "This is both a gift and a burden. It makes us powerful, but it also makes it... very difficult for us to have a normal family life. A suitable partner is exceptionally rare."
Wade understood the meaningful look in her eyes, his thoughts crystal clear: Klara was looking for an "adapter" who could withstand the power of their family's bloodline.
"She is still young and doesn't think far enough ahead about some things," Klara said, smoothing Jill's pigtails. "But as an elder, I must consider the future. Our family has substantial assets in Alaska that need a reliable person to manage."
Wade looked at Jill's hopeful face and thought to himself: 'That godforsaken place in Alaska only had a total GDP of around 70 billion last year, right? How could a single family's income be higher than the state's total revenue... Once my Nexus Company finishes production this month, the military's procurement price for the serum is 30 billion, and the initial basic technology and operational revenue will be at least another 10 billion. There's really no need to become a kept man or a son-in-law living off someone else.'
He took a sip of his drink and lowered his head apologetically: "Thank you for your kindness, ma'am. However... I still want to explore the world, and I'm afraid I cannot shoulder such an important responsibility."
A look of disappointment flashed in Klara's eyes, immediately replaced by understanding, and her tone turned cold: "It's good for young people to have drive. The storms outside may be larger than you imagine. Some opportunities, once missed, will never return."
"I don't want that!" Jill broke free from her embrace, threw herself onto Wade, and murmured, "Hmph, I'm going with you. If worse comes to worst, I just won't go home."
Wade stood stiffly, not knowing what to say; after all, he had no plans to get married.
Klara kept a straight face, her brows furrowed, just about to say something.
A tall figure in an exquisite black suit walked over, breaking the subtle atmosphere between the three.
Klara looked at the newcomer, putting on a professional fake smile: "Oh, you all should know this person, right? Robert Vernon, Vought's 'Great Detective.' The Vernon family behind him is a leader in the New York real estate industry; he is a bona fide young master."
"It's just that some of his personal quirks... well, are a bit unique. You young people should have a good chat."
Robert Vernon gave a two-part awkward laugh at her half-introduction, half-teasing comment: "Ms. Klara is joking; we can't compare to your Damon Family."
He nodded at Wade with a forced smile: "Would it be convenient to go to the balcony for a chat?"
"Sure." Wade readily agreed, pacified the sulking Jill, stood up, and followed him.
His heart, however, was pounding... Why is Tek Knight looking for me?
...
On the balcony, the glass door slowly closed, blocking out the noise of the banquet hall as a warm breeze blew under the night sky.
Robert raised his glass and nodded at Wade, but his pupils scanned left and right like precision instruments.
Wade clinked glasses with him and looked up, dispelling the warm air: "Sir, is there something you need?"
Robert incorporated everything into his analysis: the young man's pupil contraction, the subtle tension in his facial muscles, and even the slightest, most imperceptible tremor in his fingertips.
"Wade Thompson! Regarding the incident of the 'drug dealer camp discovered at Minnewaska State Park Preserve,' the official report and documentary have already explained it very clearly. However, I am personally curious about some details and hope you can help clarify them for me."
"Of course, Mr. Robert, I would be happy to." Wade wore a look of admiration and nodded in agreement, "To be honest, I've watched your 'True Detective' show and am very impressed by your observation and reasoning skills."
As he spoke, he unconsciously traced slow circles along the rim of his champagne glass with his index finger.
Robert's gaze was drawn to this action, and his Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly.
Wade had long heard of "Tek Knight" and knew he was obsessed with any object with holes or ring-like structures: "Sir, sir... what was it you wanted to ask me? Please, go ahead!"
"S-sorry... I just saw a strange bird fly by." Robert quickly pulled his attention back, his pupils refocusing on Wade's face.
"Smell. You claimed that you only went to investigate after smelling an unusual odor. Please describe the anomaly you discovered when setting up camp, the specific direction of the wind, and the three most prominent secondary scents in the air besides the chemical smell."
"Ha, that's my specialty." Wade met his gaze, his tone steady, "The wind was blowing from behind us, that is, from the northwest. The secondary scents... a spicy, pungent aroma, the smell of damp earth, and... a very faint scent of blood."
"The smell of blood?" Robert immediately seized on this point, "You smelled it before contact?"
"Yes, but it was very weak. I wasn't sure if it was animal or human."
Robert didn't dwell on it and quickly asked the next question: "I've asked your companions, and they said most of the Supe drug dealers were fleeing at the time. Did the initial escape routes chosen by those people disperse, or was there a clear, dominant direction?"
Wade pinched his index finger and thumb into a circle and replied: "They fled in scattered directions with no clear orientation."
Robert's gaze was again drawn to the hole, and he clenched his fist to force his eyes back, his speaking speed suddenly increasing:
"That rock-skinned Supe, according to your companions, after he knocked Luke away, did he charge straight at your position, or were there clear tactical evasion maneuvers and other small movements?"
"Like throwing something, for example?"
Wade knew what he wanted to ask and used his Blood Control ability to keep his heartbeat steady: "He charged straight at us. That rock man just wanted to break through our defensive gap."
"A clear target?" Robert muttered repeatedly, gesturing with his fingers, "When he charged, who was his focus on? Cate? Andre? Jordan Li? Or you?"
"That person..." Wade pondered for a moment, recalling, "He was extremely manic at the time. It felt like he just wanted to tear apart everything in his way and wasn't specifically targeting anyone."
Robert was silent for two seconds, blinking, analyzing every one of Wade's micro-expressions and physiological indicators.
Without warning, he pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and threw it downstairs: "One last question. In the chaos, did any of you five notice or... pick up any... strange objects that didn't belong to your personal belongings?"
Wade looked full of confusion and shook his head candidly: "Strange objects? No. We were only focused on saving our lives and dealing with the attacks; we didn't pay attention to anything else. After the battle ended, we left immediately according to Homelander's instructions."
Robert stared fixedly at him, as if trying to pierce through the facade: "Are you sure? Try to remember again!"
Wade pondered for a moment and shook his head firmly: "I really don't remember."
A few seconds later, Robert nodded slightly: "Your account is very consistent. Thank you for your cooperation, young man."
He didn't say anything more and was about to turn and leave the balcony.
Wade looked down at the building below, catching a glimpse from the corner of his eye of a masked figure on the lightning rod, wearing a backpack on his front and looking down, operating a computer.
His pupils quickly constricted as he realized that the person's backpack and curly hair looked familiar—it was Hughie!
"Mr. Robert." Wade stepped forward half a step, using his body to block that line of sight, and raised his phone, "Could I take a picture with you? My girlfriend is a loyal viewer of yours; she would be very happy!"
Robert stopped his turning motion, looking at the expectant, young face opposite him; as a public figure, it was hard to refuse outright.
"Of course, come on." Robert forced a formulaic smile and performed his signature gesture of pointing forward at the camera.
Click!
After three shutter clicks, Wade watched him leave with a smile: "Mr. Robert, thank you."
His own crisis was temporarily averted, but he didn't know how Jordan Li and the others fared under Robert's interrogation, or if they had revealed any flaws.
He leaned against the balcony, drained his glass in one gulp, and looked downstairs; the lightning rod was already empty.
'That guy Hughie is working way too hard just to hack in. I wonder if he succeeded?'
Sounds of sound checks came from the banquet hall, and Wade turned and walked back.
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