“No one taught me, Ms.
Madelyn.
If anyone did, perhaps it was the ocean making my brain a bit more flexible,” Chen Mo said with a humorous tone.
“Can you keep it up like this from now on?” Madelyn Stillwell’s scrutinizing eyes curved slightly, as if she were amused by Chen Mo’s deadpan humor.
She leaned back slightly, elegantly swirling the red wine in her glass.
“I like this ‘flexibility,’ The Deep.
As long as your brain can stay on this frequency, Vought can give you anything you want: more fans, higher-level endorsements, even the position you’ve dreamed of in The Seven.” Her words were like a beautiful sugar coating, wrapping a contract of power and obedience.
“Of course…
of course!
Ms.
Madelyn,” the sycophant The Deep logged back on, “The ocean only gave me a brain, but you gave me a soul!” Upon hearing this, Madelyn Stillwell froze for a second, then, as if she had heard the most absurd yet gratifying flattery of her life, she couldn’t help but cover her mouth and burst into laughter.
She laughed until she shook, causing the red wine glass in her hand to sway slightly.
The originally tense, high-pressure atmosphere filled with capitalist scrutiny was, at this moment, completely dissolved by this almost comical loyalty.
“Oh, The Deep…
you are truly interesting.” “How did I not notice before that you actually had this talent?
If you had shown this… this soul earlier, we wouldn’t have left you feeding the fish in the aquarium for so long.” She gracefully walked around the desk, approached Chen Mo, and clinked her glass against his.
“Remember what you said today.
Vought doesn’t need a mute who only knows how to dive.
What we need is an icon who can stand in the spotlight, make the public go crazy, and make Congress tremble.” Madelyn Stillwell’s voice lowered.
“As long as you keep this up, I will make you the most indispensable one in The Seven, other than Homelander.” “It is my honor, Ms.
Madelyn,” Chen Mo lowered his head slightly, “I will always clearly remember who gave me a hand.” “Very good.” Madelyn Stillwell withdrew her hand with satisfaction.
“Go prepare for the evening’s activity; don’t disappoint the audience.” “Understood.” Two down.
Back in the lounge, Chen Mo reviewed the script for the evening—a very cliché drug bust script.
Vought had satellites that could monitor the drug dealers’ locations.
Coupled with behavioral analysts, and perhaps the fact that they had let them be for the past few times, Vought knew exactly what the drug dealers would do tonight and what their next move would be—better than the dealers themselves.
Feeling the steady flow of Telekinesis within him, he finally relaxed.
That was his only trump card in this perilous game.
…
At night, a cargo ship from the Heidel Ocean Service Company docked at the Brooklyn pier.
Chen Mo had already arrived early; he hadn’t come with Starlight.
Chen Mo walked to the highest point of the cargo ship, sat down on top of a shipping container, dangled his legs over the edge, and looked at the sea in the distance.
The sea off Brooklyn was pitch black in the night.
You couldn’t see waves, you couldn’t see foam; there was only the occasional beam of light reflected from some ship, cutting a white trace across the water’s surface before vanishing.
Before long, Starlight also arrived.
She was wearing her exclusive combat suit, primarily a white leotard with golden stripes extending from the shoulders to the waist, a golden star emblem on the belt, and a cape behind her.
She didn’t really want to stand with The Deep, but she had no choice.
To facilitate observation, she had to come to this highest point.
She didn’t want to mess up her first crime-fighting mission.
Chen Mo had noticed her before she came up, including the time she spent pacing below.
Silence was the Cambridge of tonight…
The two were no more than five meters apart, but neither spoke.
The sea breeze passed between them, blowing Starlight’s blonde hair up and letting it fall again.
Finally, unable to stand it any longer, Chen Mo spoke first.
“This job was supposed to be done by you and Translucent, but since he went missing, it’s me instead.” Chen Mo said, then waited.
Starlight didn’t speak, her gaze fixed below, as if she were trying to find a flower in the gap between the iron deck and the shipping containers.
Chen Mo waited a few more seconds.
He turned his head to look at Starlight; her profile looked pale under the light of the searchlight.
The golden trim extended from her shoulders to her waist, and her cape was blown up behind her by the wind, like an unruly flag.
“You’ve read the script, right?
Fight crime, just keep smiling.
There’s no need to be nervous for your first mission.
We are Superhuman; we aren’t afraid of small handguns.
In a moment, you take the front, I’ll take the back, and it will be over quickly.” Chen Mo continued.
Not because he wanted to talk, but because if he didn’t, the silence atop these shipping containers would become even more unbearable.
“Usually, I’m responsible for these aquatic crimes.
Vought needs me to dive into the water beautifully, and then come up with water droplets dripping off my biceps, looking just like a greasy guy.” Chen Mo paused.
Something unknown jumped on the water surface below the shipping containers, making a splash.
“Of course, it gets four million hits a day, but it’s still damn undignified.
Inside, there are at least two hundred thousand gay guys.” “‘Oh, The Deep’s pecs are to the level of saving the ocean; I really want to touch them.’ That’s the exact quote.
When I saw that comment, I was thinking: What logical connection is there between my pecs and saving the ocean?” Starlight wanted to laugh a little, but she held it back.
“There’s another one: ‘The Deep’s biceps are my motivation for going to the gym every day.’ I suspect this person confused me with protein powder.” “And another: ‘If The Deep showed me his abs, I’d be willing to suffocate on the spot.’ I checked this person’s profile picture; it was a balding middle-aged man in his fifties.
Not that I’m discriminating against baldness, but I had insomnia that night.” Starlight covered her mouth with her hand.
She didn’t want to laugh, but she couldn’t help it.
“Do you know what the most ridiculous one is?” Chen Mo asked.
Starlight didn’t speak, just perked up her ears.
“There was a comment that said: ‘The Deep, I don’t care if you’re straight.
I can turn straight for you, or I can turn gay for you.
Whatever you want me to be, I’ll be.'” Chen Mo paused.
The sea breeze blew his messy hair up and let it fall again.
He felt a bit sad.
“I thought about it for a long time, but I couldn’t figure it out.
Did he mean that he’s fluid?
Straight today, gay tomorrow, depending on my mood?
I am the ******* guardian of the ocean, not a switch for fluidity.” Starlight finally couldn’t hold it back.
“Pfft.” She turned her head to the other side, unable to control the “giggle” that escaped her.