Chapter 2: Sokovia War! Gwen Stacy!

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Chapter 2: Sokovia War! Gwen Stacy!

As the afternoon drew to a close, Lorien silently thought, "Sign in."

[Check-in successful, reward received: 10 packs of Super Popping Candy!]

"..."

He was getting used to it.

The next moment, with a "click" from the door lock, Lorien and Stephen appeared outside the office door. They made their way to the elevator leading to the underground garage. Stephen looked back at the office door and then checked the time on his watch.

"Are you always this punctual?" he asked.

"Of course," Lorien replied, glancing at him. "Even if the world were to end at 4:30, I'd still make sure to leave work on time at 5 o'clock."

Stephen raised an eyebrow. "Then how do you manage to survive that extra half hour?"

Ding Dong~

As the elevator doors opened, Lorien stepped in and turned to Stephen. "By my unwavering resolve to neither leave early nor be late."

"..."

...

Woo~! Woo~! Woo~!

The roar of an engine filled the air as a black Lamborghini sped out of the North Building's underground garage, heading straight to the banquet venue. This car belonged to Stephen. As a top surgeon in the world, and with his U.S. credentials, buying a Lamborghini was a breeze for him.

In this land of opportunity, if you're capable, you can earn as much as you want.

The reason Lorien didn't drive his own car was simple: when you don't have one, you want one; but once you have one, you often can't be bothered to drive it. Especially when you own enough to buy any mass-produced car in the world... you just lose interest!

The Lamborghini moved smoothly along the road. Stephen, holding the steering wheel with his right hand, leaned his left hand against the car window and spoke to Lorien.

"If you don't drive your Ferrari, the dust on it will be thicker than a pizza."

Wearing sunglasses and resting his head lazily on the car seat, Lorien complained, "First of all, my car is parked in a VIP spot and gets cleaned daily. Secondly, could you please change these car seats? They're so uncomfortable."

To be honest, Lamborghini seats aren't known for their comfort. But ergonomically, they do provide a sense of competition.

Faced with Lorien's complaint, Stephen shook his head. "No, I won't change them. Modifying them is like adding a pillion seat to a racing motorcycle or air conditioning to an F1 car."

Stephen clearly understood sports cars well. They aren't called sports cars for their comfort. For designers, performance is everything. If a sports car doesn't challenge your body a bit, can it still be called a sports car?

And so, Stephen drove his Lamborghini with Lorien, until suddenly, a piece of breaking news came through the car's smart system.

"At 5:20 pm New York time, the Avengers are engaged in combat with an unidentified terrorist force in Sokovia. Notable heroes, including Iron Man and Captain America, are involved."

"The conflict has resulted in Sokovia being transformed into an island rising into the sky, now hovering thousands of meters above ground."

"How will the Avengers handle this crisis? How can they ensure the safety of local residents' property?"

Good job.

The news first highlighted key figures and then started posing questions—questions about property, no less. What about lives? Aren't they important too?

And isn't this the same scenario as the Sokovia conflict in 'Avengers: Age of Ultron'?

That is, the Avengers were fighting in Sokovia.

The only one left in the group was Wanda's younger brother, Quicksilver.

In the end, Wanda was left with a considerable... um... not a major trauma, but it was significant nonetheless, even if it wasn't mentioned much later.

At this moment, when Stephen heard the news, he shook his head helplessly.

"This world is too chaotic," he said. "I sometimes wonder how long I can keep performing surgeries."

Lorien calculated the time and replied with a joking tone, "Maybe, less than a year?"

Stephen glanced at Lorien. "Then it seems your career as a psychiatrist will only get busier."

"That's true. More and more people are suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) these days."

"Indeed," Stephen said, breaking into a brief laugh.

With that, they no longer paid attention to the broadcast as they continued on their way to the banquet.

As for the affairs in Sokovia, Lorien had no intention of getting involved. What could he possibly gain? There was no benefit to be had, and revealing his abilities would only invite trouble.

For Lorien, it was enough to focus on living a good life. At most, he would take care of his close friends. To paraphrase the saying from A certain someone, "No matter how bad the world gets, I can protect myself, my family, and my friends."

As long as the Earth wasn't about to disappear, why bother?

Who says having abilities means you have to save the world?

Who?

He's just an ordinary psychiatrist with a few quirks. And maybe two hobbies: playing a bit recklessly and admiring beautiful women.

Fifteen minutes later, Stephen parked the Lamborghini at the entrance of the banquet hall, handed the keys to the valet, and got out with Lorien.

The crowd recognized Stephen's Lamborghini immediately. But even more eyes were drawn to the even more striking Lorien as he stepped out of the car.

People quickly gathered around, eager to greet him, take photos, or discuss various matters.

Lorien didn't particularly enjoy this kind of attention. But in the midst of the crowd, he noticed someone intriguing. A young woman with a beautiful face and smooth golden hair stood out.

She was part of a group, and she was Gwen Stacy.