Chapter 114 The chessboard gradually laid out
Greenwich Village in the West End of New York City was formed around 1910.
Many writers, artists, or so-called idealists live here, and there are colleges and universities nearby. New and young people in the university often like to gather here.
Most of them behave perversely and have outstanding looks, as if deliberately revealing an attitude that is out of tune with the world, representing another way of life, which is the counterculture of the United States.
Charles was not very willing to rent here at the beginning. He was always worried that the "musicians", "painters" or similar groups of hippies on the nearby streets would be too noisy, but due to the very convenient transportation location from New York University Raven liked the atmosphere here, so he finally stayed here.
Charles walks through the adjacent Black Street on his way from home to school every day, which has a typical architectural style and style of Greenwich, England.
A series of three-story Victorian brownstone townhouses, composed of French Baroque architectural design and duplex roof.
Charles had also considered the house on Black Street earlier, but it was too big for both him and Raven.
It was already a bit chilly after autumn, Charles Xavier was wearing a double-breasted gray stand-up collar windbreaker, with his hands in his pockets, and walked past the largest villa on this street, where there were two men in coffee-colored The strange man in the suit jacket looked around.
I don’t know why, but their demeanor and movements resemble those of a professor who teaches Eastern philosophy at school. One of them is a short, yellow-skinned old man with a hand behind his back, stroking his beard from time to time and nodding frequently.
Charles shrugged his shoulders. It's normal to see people in strange clothes or acting weird here.
He took one last look at another younger white man, who was holding a brass-colored metal plate in the shape of a compass, and circled 177 Black Street.
Charles didn't pay attention anymore, and walked towards the school at a faster pace. Today he planned to communicate with his colleague, Mr. Eric Lanshere, about Raven being taken to his house as a "guest".
"Master Wang's house, the location of the house is not bad, and the area is large or small, it is suitable."
The tall and thin white man who looked about forty years old fiddled with the brass plate covered with small square characters, pinched his fingers and muttered a few words in a rather nondescript way, happily speaking in Huaxia with a serious accent and punctuated sentences.
Master Wang stroked his short and thick gray beard with his right hand, his left hand was behind his back, his index finger and little finger were bent, and he also made a strange handprint. He looked up at the three-story villa with a duplex attic roof.
Stretching out his stomach, he spoke in a more eccentric and crappy English accent full of air:
"It's not just good, it's perfect. Mark, your knowledge is still not up to par. You've been using Feng Shui pans for so long, but it's very rare for a Westerner like you to learn this level."
Master Wang's English has no other advantages except self-confidence, but he speaks coherently and fluently, but it is unknown how much Master Mark understands.
The two of them seem to be practicing their spoken English on purpose. One speaks Chinese and the other speaks English, but they really can understand each other just like that.
"This house looks vacant, knock on the door to see if anyone is there, who is the owner, this location must be taken down."
Master Wang finally gave a few instructions, and then walked around with a splayed pace to look around. He raised his arms uncomfortably, and felt that the clothes on his body were still uncomfortable to wear, not as comfortable as long gowns and robes.
Looking at the busy traffic and the American urban environment full of buildings, his wide-eyed eyes looked complicated and helpless, but also filled with unconcealed curiosity.
Master Mark chatted with a lady wearing the uniform of a real estate administrator at the door of No. 177 for a while, then strode towards Master Wang who was asking for prices at the roadside hot dog stand with his hands behind his back, and said stutteringly:
"Ask, I see, this property belongs to the Howlett Group."
The Empire State Building a few miles away.
Located at 350 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, this 381-meter-high, 102-story skyscraper has maintained its status as the world's tallest building since its completion in April 1931.
After the Howlett Group built the Empire State Building, it alone occupied all the floor space of the sixty-sixth floor and above, and used it as the headquarters of this giant group with influence throughout the United States and Europe.
If the professional elites and urban beauties in New York hear someone talking about their work in the Empire State Building, they will definitely ask the same question: Are you above the sixty-sixth floor?
The building has eighty-five floors, a total area of more than 200,000 square meters of leasable office space, and seventy-three elevators. On the eighty-sixth floor, Howlett Group has an indoor and Outdoor observation deck.
Part of the remaining 16 floors is a decorative art tower, and the 100th floor at the top is an empty dark golden long table conference room. The ceiling here is nearly nine meters high, and the space of thousands of square meters is empty. There is only one blue and black quaint rectangular stone table.
Except for the head of the Howlett family, no one can open and use this room, and the senior executives of the group may only have the opportunity to come in two or three times in their lifetime.
James Howlett held a rare high-level meeting today. In this extremely solemn conference room, he introduced a new executive to the heads and directors of various departments.
A senior executive of a group in the western capital world who can subvert a field by stomping at will, was surprised at how young and beautiful this lady introduced by Mr. Howlett was.
Some senior gentlemen couldn't help but wipe their glasses and stared at Mr. James II, who was as young and handsome as the one he met more than ten years ago, without any trace of age.
“.So the Special Talent Affairs Department that Miss Frost is in charge of will not be related to the specific business of any business department of the group, but any help and request put forward by this department, the group affiliate must cooperate with the highest priority.”
After the meeting, the high-level executives who walked out of the giant bronze door couldn't help but exchanged glances, wondering whether Mr. Howlett was the one back then.
Mr. Jay Gatsby is old and rarely participates in the affairs of the group. He has completely retired after organizing a large-scale ocean-going work some time ago. Only Mr. Foss has the closest relationship with the owner, but he has no waves There was nothing unusual on his face.
"The ostentation here is really thinking about my father's pursuit of money and status for so many years. Although he has a small fortune and always claims to be a high-class figure, he has never had the opportunity to touch even the most corner of this stone table in his life. A gentleman."
Emma is wearing a white lady's suit, wide shoulders and slender waist, a pair of transparent high-heeled shoes on her white and tender feet, and long golden hair tied up. She is glamorous and heroic, full of oppression.
She walked her long legs and looked at the three transparent special glass walls. The Manhattan area and the entire New York scene were under her feet. This council room was like a palace in the sky, above the world.
"It's just a group force on the outside, mainly because it can save a lot of trouble."
James sat on the high-backed stone chair at the top, he smiled and continued:
"Mutants are no longer a secret to high-level officials in various countries. Although the Hellfire Research Institute in the Soviet Union was completely destroyed, Xiao's experimental methods have already flowed out. With the increasing probability of mutant gene dominance, coupled with It may be artificially catalyzed, and the things you have to do later will be very hard."
Emma walked to James, leaned against the table, and said confidently:
"Relying on the group's presence in various fields such as commerce, industry, and manufacturing, we only need to set up some special schools and hospitals to collect a large amount of information on mutants and guide them. It's just—"
She paused for a moment, then smiled.
"It's just that I'm worried that the SHIELD Mutation Force Research Department, where Professor Xavier works, will have conflicts with us."
"There will be more and more mutants, and there are even experimental methods that can speed up this process. If the United States is going to win over powerful mutants as extraordinary combat power, it is nothing to worry about."
“It’s terrifying to use these miraculous beings that break scientific cognition as research slices, materialize and demonize mutants, and even cause racial hatred and extinction one day.”
James' face was calm and he couldn't see any emotion, but the brilliance in his eyes revealed an extraordinarily dangerous look.
"Okay, you're officially at work from today, Miss Emma Frost, I'm leaving first, I may not be in New York recently, don't worry."
James suddenly patted Emma's slender and firm thigh, stood up, Emma was stunned for a moment, and asked strangely:
"Where are you going? There are still things that you need to deal with personally?"
"Walking around, look for some corners with strange legends or bizarre events. Recently, I have always vaguely felt that there is an invisible membrane on the sky? The special power of this world should be more than what we know now."
"Isn't Asazo with you?"
"Forget it, he wants to spend more time with Raven now, I can go anywhere very fast now, and sometimes I get upset with him"
Emma watched the blood-red life energy suddenly burst out from James' body. He was like a high-energy polymer in the form of a human being, and he jumped up into the air. go.
In a first-year physics class at New York University.
The three rows of seats in front were full of girls, the competition was fierce, and the whole classroom was full of seats.
It is certain that the vast majority of students here are not supposed to take this physics class, and they are not even students in the physics department at all.
As only the most junior teaching assistant in the university teaching system, Eric Lanshere's popularity has surpassed most well-known professors and scholars.
Charles walked outside the lecture theater, leaned over to look at the scene from the door, and suddenly realized that he was not the most popular teacher among girls in this school.
".Okay, that's all for today's class. It's enough for you to understand the Grand Unified Theory at this stage. This is some kind of conjecture about 'truth'. Tommy, go back and tell Garfield, don't think that you are here to attend the class Too many people and I won't find him skipping class."
The female students in the front row were whispering about Mr. Lanshere's outfit today. After taking off his coat, he was wearing a slim black shirt, with broad shoulders and a firm and straight back.
When the girls saw his gaze, they boldly did not avoid it.
Finally, it took a long time for the students in the classroom to gradually clear up. Charles cleared his throat and walked in a little nervously.
Professor Xavier, who was saying hello, saw Eric Lanshere suddenly raised his palm to face him, almost thinking that he was trying to control something, and then saw him leaning over and taking out a somewhat dark red helmet from his bag , wearing it on the head, only showing the face, then smiled and said:
"What's the matter Charles."
Eric proudly knocked on the simple helmet that looked like metal, but with a bit of rock texture, as if he had been waiting for today's meeting for a long time.
Charles Xavier was stunned for a while, and then he came to understand a little bit. He stretched out his telepathic power, but Eric's brain could no longer "enter" at will, like the portal that he could let his mind hack into. Blocked by the boulder.
"This is."
Charles re-examined the helmet that Eric was wearing, paired with the black handmade slim shirt on his body, and he was a bit strangely handsome.
"It's made of a material that can resist telepathy. Emma has tested it. Her full-strength psychic piercing can only bring about a slight sting. Although it can't be completely isolated, it can at least weaken it by more than 90%."
Charles Xavier was even more astonished. The spiritual power of Miss Emma Frost was different from his, extremely aggressive and sharp.
Unlike myself, who is better at controlling and radiating a huge range of life groups, Emma's power is more targeted. If she can only be slightly affected through the helmet, then I have nothing to do.
Eric took off his helmet freely, mostly as a joke, not really hostile and guarding against Charles. He straightened his slightly messy hair, stroked some rough lines on it, and continued:
"The helmet is mainly made of lead, which is a magnetically repellent metal, so I can't control it, and it's still a little heavy. I'll have to improve it later"
Eric weighed it in his hand a few times, and then put it back into the bag. Ever since he got this custom-made mind-shielding helmet, he has always carried it with him, waiting for this day for a long time.
"It's amazing."
Charles knew for the first time that lead can isolate telepathy, and that everything is interdependent, and there is no absolutely unsolvable force.
Eric looked at the complicated expression on Charles' face, and was satisfied that he had achieved the desired effect. He asked the colleague again why he came here, and saw him clear his throat and raise his chin slightly, as if he was asking for a crime. Parents of students.
"I know that Raven is visiting your house, ahem, as his older brother, I think it's time to talk to you."
Eric raised his head and laughed, patted Charles on the shoulder, dragged him out of the classroom, and chatted casually while walking on the campus road:
"Ruiwen gets along very well with everyone, and my father also likes her very much. If there is a chance, I really hope that you will come too, and that shy young man, no matter what doubts you have, you can go and see for yourself. "
Charles shook his head noncommittally. He was somewhat repulsed by Mr. Howlett and his family's behavior, especially after he joined S.H.I.E.L.D. Behind it, there is a faint shadow of the surname Howlett.
"Eric, I hope you understand that this world has its own order and rules, people who try to put their own will or desires above."
"None of them will end well?"
Eric asked in a calm tone. The campus of New York University does not have walls or specific gates, and is connected to the surrounding communities, parks, and streets.
They walked to a leisure community where chess lovers often played chess, looked at an empty table with broken chess randomly placed, and sat down like this.
Eric picked up a black king chess piece and looked at it. He rolled up his shirt cuffs to reveal a section of his forearm. There was a line of number tattoos 24005 on the inside. After pondering for a moment, he raised his eyebrows and said:
"My father said a word to me a long time ago, accept yourself, but he never said accept the world, your talent is very high Charles, no matter what ideal you have, how you plan to put it into practice, and who you cooperate with , is your freedom, but—”
Inadvertently speaking, Eric had already arranged the scattered chess pieces. The black chess pieces were on his side, facing the white chess pieces in front of Charles. It's a bit chilly.
"—Get out of our way."
It was only a moment of fierceness, and in a blink of an eye, Ariel finally said carelessly like a homely chatter:
"Dad is really what he looks like on weekdays. He is just a handsome and easy-going young man, but the madness in his heart has been covered up by the dullness of the current world. He can't wait for someone to jump out. If I were you, I wouldn't Be that person!"
Charles has been watching Eric's movements, tone, and demeanor. Although he has only seen Mr. Howlett once, he can feel that Eric Lanshere is following and learning, consciously or unconsciously, in many aspects. that man.
He collected himself, did not continue this topic, but said relaxedly:
"Can you play chess? I've always been good at it."
"Of course, but I doubt whether your victory depends on chess skills."
Eric smiled slyly, looked at Charles who moved his chair and moved a square of white soldiers, raised his blue eyes to look directly at him, and said forcefully:
"When it comes to any game, I always follow the rules."
Snapped! Eric also advances Black's pawns.
"So mutants all have this special gene? X gene?"
Edgar Hoover was looking at the blood cell tissue under the microscope in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Strategic Science R&D Department, and asked the researchers around him.
Although the current research on mutants is mainly concentrated in the Department of Mutant Power Research, this issue has attracted widespread attention in all fields of genetic science, especially the scientists who focused on the research of super soldier serum earlier, have spontaneously done a lot of it exploration and understanding.
And Director Hoover has more trust in the former German scientists gathered by the paperclip project. After all, for him, these people are the best.
"Yes sir, the sudden and heritable variation of genomic DNA molecules is often caused by the change of X gene. From the molecular level, gene mutation refers to the occurrence of base pair composition or arrangement order in the structure of genes. changes."
Hoover listened impatiently to the long speech of the researcher with a strong German accent. He glanced at the laboratory table on the other side of the room. A dwarf who was only as tall as a child was standing on a small square stool Carefully write and draw something.
He suddenly felt that this freak might be a mutant.
"You just need to tell me if this blood sample belongs to a mutant!"
"Yes, yes sir."
Hoover finally interrupted the researcher's chatter. He picked up the sample on the glass slide and looked at it under the incandescent light for a long time, as if he had already memorized the method of identifying mutants.
The tie was loosened a little, the sample was put away, and it was placed in the inner pocket of the chest, but it did not stay. This was the blood obtained through Dr. Schneider of the White House.
Hoover pondered for a moment, and suddenly asked the researcher a more anthropological question.
"What do you think of the mutant group?"
The German-born researcher was stunned. He was used to solving issues within his profession rather than expressing his views on issues involving race and ideology, especially since his identity was so sensitive.
Looking at him faltering for a long time without saying anything, Hoover didn't say anything more, and as soon as he walked to the door, he heard a deep and deep voice and said simply:
"They are the antidote."
Hoover scratched his beardless chin. He never liked to grow a beard. He turned around slowly and looked at the dwarf who propped himself up and worked at his desk while still looking at the documents in his hand. He said again:
"They are the antidote to the contradictions of this world."
"how to say?"
The dwarf jumped off the low stool. Although he was less than 1.4 meters tall, he did not appear to be flinching in his words or actions. He closed the folder in his hand, straightened his glasses with black square frames, and looked at this American high-ranking official in awe. Director Edgar Hoover, who scored three points, talked eloquently:
"Human beings are a group of animals. From an individual, to a family of three or five people, to a city, a country, a nation, or even a race, we are always doing the thing of uniting one part and destroying another part. Mutants are a perfect, A race against all mankind."
"They are to us what Homo sapiens is to Neanderthals. One will eventually be replaced by the other, and they will also become the saviors of the current divided world and the common enemy of all mankind. The ultimate enemy to fight."
Edgar Hoover has really opened his eyes in the Science Department of S.H.I.E.L.D. these days. Not only did he see the "Hydra" doctrine of Hydra scientists who were naturalized from the "Paper Clip" project, but he also discovered this A wonderful person.
He stretched out his big hand, whose skin was wrinkled and loose, but still powerful, and shook hands with the young dwarf researcher who looked about thirty years old, and asked aloud:
"Excuse me?"
"Bolivar Tresk, nice to meet you, sir."
I was in a bad state today, and I haven’t written much. In the evening, I read everyone’s messages, especially Jian Ni, who encouraged me after I became a guardian. I was full of energy. Thank you, Jian Ni, and thank you every Big support to today's readers.
As you may have seen, we have obtained the Wanjun badge. Now there are only 800 copies of Wanjun’s works on the whole site, and there are very few comic-themed ones. Apart from carefully writing the following stories, there is nothing to repay you.
work hard together! Love everyone!
I will work hard to add more later, um, akimbo!
(end of this chapter)