"Difference, yes. I am talking about your abilities, which constitute the primary divergence between you and ordinary humans. But for powerful individuals like myself, save for a few extremely rare exceptions among you, the rest of you pose absolutely no threat. Some of you might be able to fly, but we have private jets.
Some of you can flash around in a small area, making you omnipotent on a small court, yet we maintain entire teams at our disposal. Some of you might pass through obstacles, rendering security layers useless. But frankly, unless you are actively taking my assets, this capability has zero impact on my life."
"However, these very abilities have directly impacted the ordinary people who rely on routine labor and systems to earn a living. And there lies the core of your problem."
"Look, we—the wealthy and powerful—will always be a minority. We rely on a vast number of ordinary people to work for us, not on you. If forced to choose, most of us would side with ordinary people, not with the Mutants. The reason is simple: Profit. The wealth they generate is vastly greater than the wealth you generate. Therefore, the key to your problem is not us, the powerful elite, but the ordinary populace."
"Humans are a fundamentally narrow-minded species; we carry original sin. This isn't my claim; it's from the Bible. And one facet of original sin is envy. Your differences undoubtedly make the ordinary people around you envious. Take my sister's ability, for example—if I possessed her power, I'd probably be a baseball player right now, not a businessman."
"See? Even I feel a pang of envy. Imagine the feelings of ordinary people. Once they focus on what you have and they lack, they become profoundly uncomfortable. At that point, if someone throws a match into the situation, resentment is guaranteed to flare up."
"Sir, may I ask why?" A young man stood up. "Mutants haven't interfered with them in any way, have we? Why should they envy us? Are they all so unreasonable?"
"Young man, what is your name?" Zhou Yi asked, smiling as he gestured for the student to remain standing.
"Bobby, I'm Bobby!"
Acknowledging the young man, Zhou Yi continued his explanation.
"Alright, Bobby. Let me give you an analogy. Imagine that because you are a Mutant, you have never been sick and never had to go to the hospital—in fact, Ororo told me that you genuinely possess perfect health. But your siblings aren't like that; they are constantly plagued by all sorts of illnesses. Do you believe they would envy you?"
"Sir, I don't know. I have a younger brother, and while our relationship isn't perfect, it shouldn't be that hostile." Bobby looked genuinely troubled, clearly unsure of his brother's feelings.
"Let's extend this hypothesis. You know, despite our advanced healthcare system, getting sick and hospitalized still requires a considerable amount of money. For a family, this might not be ruinous, but what about the comparison within the house?"
"Your brother isn't as healthy as you are. While you are full of life, he is constantly taking medication and listening to endless scolding from your parents. Do you think he'd feel comfortable? Would he not envy you?"
"When your parents cater to your every healthy whim, yet constantly nag your less-healthy brother, treating him like an invalid. Do you think he would be happy?"
Seeing Bobby's troubled expression, unsure how to answer, Zhou Yi waved his hand and shifted the scenario.
"I apologize, that might be too heavy for you. Let's try another analogy. You're a porter who earns a living doing physical labor. Because of your naturally healthy body, you outperform your colleagues, and your boss expects that output. When the economy tanks and most workers are laid off, you are kept on. What do your former colleagues think?"
"It shouldn't be that everyone would envy me, right? After all, others were also kept on," Bobby asked, puzzled. There was a clear logical flaw in the setup.
"Yes, you're right. But what happens if your identity is exposed?" Zhou Yi's face held a strange, knowing expression. He had just seen the door open: Ororo, Jean Grey, and Logan, whom he had just finished antagonizing, were all standing there, quietly listening to his lecture.
Zhou Yi did not stop, but continued with his point.
"Those laid-off workers will blame you for their job loss. Even if only one spot was open in reality, every single laid-off person will believe you took their job. Wouldn't they envy you then?"
"You, and strictly speaking, your kind—your mere existence, your 'difference'—has become a convenient excuse for many people. They attribute the factors of their failure, their hard luck, to you. When this envy matures into prejudice, and then someone orchestrates a protest against people like you, just imagine the spectacle. That's exactly what's happening now. The parades, the demonstrations, those very scary things you see on TV, mostly stem from this first problem, what I call Difference."
"Please note, boys and girls: it is the main reason. The World is always full of bigots driven purely by hatred. The tragedies caused by some Mutant abilities may have deeply hurt some people, and they oppose you out of sheer malice. Those people are outside the scope of this discussion."
"Sir, if 'difference' is the root cause of our situation, then is there no way out? We don't want to live like this; these abilities are innate, and we can't control them. If I could, I truly wouldn't choose this life." A girl stood up, speaking with intense emotion. Zhou Yi noticed the girl's appearance; she was wrapped up very warmly, still wearing a coat and gloves despite the heated indoor environment. Only a cute little face was exposed, and it was filled with sorrow.
"Child, there is always a way. But I hope you will hear me out completely, and then reconsider your choices, okay?"
The girl nodded earnestly. Zhou Yi could tell she genuinely regarded his words as a guiding light. This put a little pressure on him. After briefly collecting his thoughts, he continued his topic.
"Before this, I mentioned you have two problems: Difference and Reputation. Let's now discuss the Reputation issue. I want to ask, who is the most famous Mutant you know or have heard of?"
"I'll give you my answer: Professor Charles and a gentleman known as Magneto. I know them because I'm an arms dealer, and these two once nearly triggered what would have been the biggest war since World War II. Now, who do you know?"
The students chattered loudly, but their answers were utterly unconvincing. The most famous person in their mouths turned out to be Charisse, which was simply ridiculous.
Pressing his hand down, Zhou Yi quieted the students. He continued his explanation.
"I'm sure you know how unreliable your answers are. That's the problem. You yourselves barely know who is famous among your own kind, and ordinary people know even less. We—the people who matter—know a few individuals, but they rarely step up to publicly represent you. This leads to a massive problem: you have no spokesperson. The only person among you who holds a visible political position is a Mr. Hank McCoy. Believe me, outside of government circles, most people don't even know he exists. They might even mistake him for an actor in a plush suit."
"I have no intention of insulting Mr. Hank; I am merely stating a fact. But I still have to apologize to him, because I do know of him; he is a respectable and wise gentleman. But do any of the rest of you—the young Mutants here—have any public awareness? Does anyone know the good or bad deeds you've done?"
"No one speaks for you publicly, and your collective reputation is completely unprotected. Do you know why some Politicians use attacking you as a political tool? It's simple. Because no one will challenge them for it; ordinary people won't, we won't. And you yourselves won't either. Your reputation is being trampled, and you don't defend it. Some Mutants even resort to extreme, violent methods; perhaps you find it satisfying, but what is the actual effect? It merely makes the ordinary people watching you look down on you even more. This is detrimental to your reputation, not beneficial."
"Do you know why I bring up this issue? Because there are clear ways to solve it. Compared to ordinary people, you possess the ability to protect your own reputation."
"Just look at Robert Downey Jr. He was addicted to drugs for years, but after successfully quitting, he was accepted back by the public thanks to a Superhero movie. In fact, you can do the exact same thing."
"You possess the abilities to perform actions that can fundamentally reverse your image problem and rebuild your reputation. Yes, your reputation is poor right now, and you can partially blame your Seniors for leaving you this mess. But it is not irreparable."
"So, what should we do?" It was Ororo who asked, her voice tight with concern. When it came to the future of Mutants, she was easily one of the most worried individuals. It is impossible to grasp the severity of their situation without living within a Mutant environment.
"The method is simple: Act. Use your abilities to help people. Reality has proven that humans are willing to accept those who help them, just like that dark fellow who flies around New York all day. Didn't he accumulate his reputation as a Hero little by little through such means? You know, I recently attended an orphanage fundraiser, and what those children wanted most was no longer candy and toys, but little figurines of that guy. I think even if I were made into a figurine, I wouldn't be as popular as him. So, here is the problem: he is like you, a guy with superpowers. Why can he do it, and you can't?"
"You mean, let us become Superheroes? You must be joking." Ororo's face was etched with disbelief.
But Zhou Yi was dead serious.
"Why not? This is the choice I am offering you. Do you want to live a life of constant fear, hiding your differences as a Mutant among ordinary people, using every possible means to conceal your identity? Or do you want to be a Superhero with an extraordinary reputation, upholding justice, enjoying the cheers and support of the people, being proud of your differences, and even making those ordinary people proud of your differences?"