The President's proposed Mutant targeting bill was ultimately rejected, and he himself was the one who rejected it. This wasn't surprising. The current president had always been considered by the public and the media as someone who didn't use his brain. A large portion of his public support came from his celebrity dog. If America allowed animals to run for office, his dog should be sitting in his current position.
Of course, only a few knew that the President's erratic behavior was entirely due to the threat of Mutants. Charles had returned, and Mutants once again had a deterrent effect. Those claws that had just reached out quietly retracted. All plans were put on hold, and they could only watch as the Mutant academy steadily rebuilt itself.
Zhou Yi naturally contributed a lot in this process. He provided funds, manpower, and even acquired some shares in Charles's academy. This was Charles's way of giving back, and Zhou Yi accepted it without hesitation because it also helped his future plans.
However, Zhou Yi didn't get involved with the Mutant academy anymore. For him, there were some people he shouldn't meet at this time, such as Charles and Ororo. The conflict between them was deepening, and the cracks in their relationship were widening. It was hard to believe they were once considered boyfriend and girlfriend.
There was Jean's influence, but also their own reasons. Their beliefs and personalities made their conflicts almost inevitable. Before, they might have been able to barely maintain their relationship by one side's forbearance, but when they both stood firm on their positions, the relationship was almost at an end.
He arranged for the children temporarily staying at his home to return to the new academy. At the same time, he adopted a girl in a special capacity.
Aresa Otis, or now she could be called Aresa Zhou. This thirteen-year-old girl was now his adopted daughter. Although it might not seem entirely appropriate, it became a reality due to his persistence.
After all, even the Mutant academy had to abide by the law, and it went without saying that the law would side with Zhou Yi. They had no reason to fall out with Zhou Yi because of this, so they could only accept it by default.
The reason for doing this was, on the one hand, because of Aresa's abilities. The souls that descended were uncertain. If something similar to the Fear King were to appear, it would undoubtedly be a disaster. The Mutants Academy couldn't afford such a loss, and he couldn't accept placing such a dangerous person so close to his family.
However, if he were to kill this girl for this reason, Zhou Yi knew he couldn't do it. Then, placing her by his side became the most suitable approach. At the same time, he had other ideas about the girl's abilities.
However, not everyone agreed with him on this matter. Ororo was the most opposed. She did everything she could to stop this, even personally bringing Aresa to Zhou Yi to talk to him. She didn't think Zhou Yi would be a good father because of his identity, and he might not give Aresa a good childhood. She always insisted that the Academy was Aresa's only destination.
Zhou Yi was very decisive on this matter. He had Serana receive her while he hid. The feeling of betrayal still affected him, and he wanted to use this method to put an end to their relationship. Since they couldn't go back to the way things were, it was better to let go completely. This was his thought, and he did just that.
Ororo could only leave, and this departure, in a sense, was forever.
In the following period, Zhou Yi's life returned to normal. Besides his daily work and learning how to be a father, he stayed at home less and spent a lot of time with Serana and Jean. Of course, as Christmas approached, he also took his adopted daughter to Paris, where he spent a special Christmas with his mother and sister.
Zhou Lan and Xia Ruis easily accepted the new member of the family. They weren't critical people, and they both had genuine sympathy for Aresa, who was pitiful and alone. Although they inevitably made fun of Zhou Yi, after all, he was not yet thirty years old, and having a teenage daughter was indeed a ridiculous thing.
The new family member became the most beloved princess, something Zhou Yi hadn't expected at first. But it was undoubtedly a good thing. Aresa was living well, which was what he was happy to see. Although he had to admit that he initially had the idea of using her.
Holidays always passed quickly. Zhou Lan still had to work hard for her career, and Xia Ruis also needed to continue her studies. In Zhou Yi's plan, if everything went smoothly, she could even enter an Ivy League school. Therefore, both he and Zhou Lan had high expectations for her in this regard. This was the expectation from parents, which was the same no matter the country.
As for Zhou Yi, he returned to New York. He was a superhero and a super-rich man with extraordinary influence and fame. Neither of these identities was easy, especially when he needed to take care of more and more people.
New York, Hilton Hotel. At a charity auction and gala to provide a better life for the families of the firefighters and police officers who had sacrificed themselves, Zhou Yi appeared with his adopted daughter. His private accountant told him that this was the best way to avoid taxes at the moment, and he also had some things he wanted to talk to the organizers about. So, he came here.
Zhou Yi's arrival naturally surprised many people. After all, their circle wasn't large, and there weren't many people like Zhou Yi who stood at the top. Any one of them was enough to attract a lot of attention.
They began to try every means to ingratiate themselves with this financial darling, including some with excellent looks, even stars with influence in the world. However, Zhou Yi had no intention of putting his energy into these people. His goal was clear.
George Stacy, his old friend, the New York Police Department Commissioner. He was in charge of this cocktail party, and he was also Zhou Yi's real target for coming here.
Seeing Zhou Yi's arrival, the commissioner looked very surprised. Accompanied by his female companion, he walked quickly to Zhou Yi with a glass of wine, a smile of immense honor on his face.
"Welcome, Mr. Zhou. I didn't expect you to really grace us with your presence. If I had known in advance, I should have made more preparations."
"No need to be so polite, Commissioner Stacy, we're not meeting for the first time. Too much preparation might scare me away." Zhou Yi made a slight joke and looked at his female companion. "If I remember correctly, this should be your daughter. I have to say, your daughter is very beautiful. I think she must have inherited the advantages of you and your wife."
"Mr. Zhou, you are too kind." Commissioner Stacy was very happy, for him his daughter was his greatest pride. He even couldn't wait to show how outstanding his daughter was. "Gwen is my greatest pride. Although she is only in high school, the achievements she has made are much better than mine back then. You might not know, she has now been accepted by the research department of Osborn Company and has her own project."
"Oh, Dad. I'm just an assistant, not as good as you said!" Regarding her father's boasting, Gwen Stacy beside him couldn't help but roll her eyes. She felt that her father was boasting a little too much.
But Zhou Yi didn't think so. He was, after all, a shareholder of Osborn, and naturally knew how rigorous Osborn's talent selection was. It could be said that most of the world's PhDs weren't even qualified to step over the threshold. That was one of Osborn's core departments, and also its most cutting-edge department. Those who could enter it could all be called geniuses.
So he naturally praised,
"It's a pity I haven't been to Osborn recently, otherwise I would definitely remember such a beautiful and intelligent young lady. Oh, I forgot to introduce, this is my daughter, Aresa. This is her first time attending such a banquet, so she might seem a little shy. Aresa, say hello to Mr. Stacy."
Dressed up like a princess, Aresa hid behind Zhou Yi, tightly holding his hand and peeking out her little head, and said in a tender voice,
"Good evening, Mr. Stacy."
"Hello, little angel!" Stacy was a little surprised by the age of the father and daughter, but he still squatted down and patted her little head.
The little girl felt Stacy's kindness and didn't make any evasive movements. After living with Zhou Yi for a while, she had already been able to integrate into the lives of normal people. This was a good thing for her, meaning she had stepped out of the shadows of the past.
Sensing Aresa's mood, Zhou Yi smiled and said, "Mr. Stacy, I think we can chat privately. If you don't mind, could your daughter take Aresa around?"
"Of course!" Stacy nodded, agreeing that partnering with a wealthy man like Zhou Yi was a dream come true. He understood what these wealthy individuals represented – something that could propel his career forward. Therefore, he didn't hesitate to agree. "Gwen, show Miss Zhou around. Mr. Zhou and I have some things to discuss in private."
"Alright, Dad." Gwen glanced at the smiling Zhou Yi. Although she couldn't help but mutter something about dirty politics, she still agreed. She took Aresa's small hand and walked towards the table. When dealing with children, food was more effective than conversation.
Watching the two walk away, Zhou Yi opened the conversation.
"Mr. Stacy, the world isn't very safe right now, is it? I recall the invitation mentioned this charity auction was for the families of the one hundred and sixty-four martyrs of New York."
"You're right, Mr. Zhou." Although Stacy didn't know Zhou Yi's intentions, he continued with the topic. "New York, while the greatest city, is also the worst. The crime rate here is among the highest in the country. We've put in a lot of effort, but we still can't avoid some sacrifices."
As the world's financial center, New York also had the highest number of bank robberies globally. Crime occurred almost every day, and with crime came sacrifices. Even super heroes couldn't prevent this.
"These people are heroes, Mr. Stacy. Their actions are admirable, but I have to say, their sacrifices are not worth it!"
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