American comics: I can extract animation abilities.

Chapter 236 New Mexico (Part 2)

A few minutes later, Candice remembered the question from earlier and asked it in confusion.

"Tommy, didn't you have to go to Budapest? Why are you back so soon? Did you finish your work?"

"I came back specifically to see you. As for work-related matters, those below will naturally take care of them."

Tommy dribbled the ball while casually opening his mouth.

Candice listened and nodded.

She is a very intelligent woman.

Knowing when to say something and when to keep quiet.

If Tommy is willing to tell her, she will naturally be a patient listener.

But if she were to be secretive like she is now, she wouldn't pry too much. Instead, she would change the subject and talk about some things that had happened around her recently.

In fact, there is not much to say.

What special experiences could she possibly have?

It was nothing more than going shopping with my girlfriends, having afternoon tea, or going to an art exhibition and seeing those wonderful paintings.

The two lingered for a while longer, until the water in the bathtub was almost cold, before Tommy left, changed into fresh clothes, opened the Anywhere Door, and headed to his next destination.

In fact, he could have left long ago.

Even if he finished, put on his pants, and turned to leave, Candice wouldn't say anything.

But Tommy felt guilty.

Although he is a sentimental person, he is not to the point of being a scoundrel.

Simply put, it means being affectionate but not promiscuous.

At least compared to Tony Stark, who also has a reputation as a playboy, his standards are slightly higher.

Although it wasn't much better.

After leaving Candice, Tommy quickly arrived at his next destination: New Mexico.

Sunshine, desert, cactus.

A few white clouds occasionally drift across the azure sky.

Looking at the several tall cacti in front of him, Tommy was momentarily dazed.

Not long ago, he was in the icy, snowy Siberia.

Now, however, we've arrived in the sunny state of New Mexico.

This stark contrast in climate inevitably gave him a sense of temporal and spatial disorientation.

That makes sense.

Because of the different time zones, what is early morning in Siberia is the morning of the following day in New Mexico.

In other words, from a purely calendar perspective, Tommy is now in yesterday.

It's perfectly accurate to call it time travel.

"So, if we just keep things in the right direction, wouldn't we be able to celebrate our birthdays for several days in a row?"

Of course, Tommy was just joking.

Anyone who uses the Anywhere Door just to celebrate their birthday a few more days is a real joke and the biggest waste.

"Hmm, let me see, where exactly is this?"

Tommy looked around and saw only desert everywhere.

He came to New Mexico partly to test the Anywhere Door's functionality, and partly to see Daisy.

A considerable amount of time has passed since the two last met.

In the past, Tommy would call Daisy to ask about what had been happening to her recently.

But during this time, he was busy working on the Arc Reactor and had just found a suitable scientist when he went to cause trouble for the Red House again.

There was almost no time to rest.

Naturally, he couldn't care less about Daisy, who was far away in New Mexico.

Having obtained the portal, he came here to take a look and also to meet Jane Foster, Thor's future girlfriend and future Thor, as well as Dr. Erik Sullivan, who was recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. and later controlled by Loki.

Tommy's original plan was to go directly to Puente Antique through the Anywhere Door, which is the town where Daisy and the others work.

However, he later realized that this town was a unique feature of this universe and did not exist in the Doraemon universe, so it would not be recorded in the computer data of the Anywhere Door.

So he had no choice but to come to New Mexico and then try to get to the town of Puente Antique.

Looking at the endless desert before him, Tommy felt a pang of nostalgia for his smartphone from his previous life.

If he had a smartphone, he could use its map navigation to pinpoint his location and find the route to his destination.

But now, he can only figure it out little by little on his own.

"Luckily, I can fly."

As the saying goes, "the higher you stand, the farther you see," and Tommy, soaring high in the sky, had a much wider field of vision.

Within minutes, he spotted a campervan parked in the desert.
Although the RV was old, there were obvious signs of modification, which proved that it was not abandoned but was being used by someone.

It was quite a coincidence that Tommy had just landed on the ground when someone got out of the RV.

Perhaps because he was far away, or perhaps because his eyesight wasn't very good, the man didn't notice Tommy. He simply put on the green apron and tied the straps behind his back.

It wasn't until Tommy got close enough to be only a dozen steps away that the man finally noticed Tommy's presence and was startled.

Outwardly, this manifested as his expression turning serious, and his hands unconsciously reaching for the non-existent crease of his trousers.

Yes.

He wasn't wearing pants.

It should be said that he wasn't even wearing a shirt.

Looking at his entire body, he was only wearing a pair of white shorts and a green apron that he had just put on.

A gentle breeze blew by, and the green apron swayed back and forth in the wind.

If it were a world-famous model, this would be an absolutely beautiful scene.

But now, as a bespectacled, weathered middle-aged man, he's a bit of an eyesore.

"Wow, are all people in New Mexico this wild?"

Tommy shook his head inwardly, too lazy to care.

What does someone else's personal hobby have to do with him?

Even if this person were to go out and run naked in the street, it wouldn't concern him, let alone that he was wearing shorts.

Anyway, he just came to ask for directions.

"Hey buddy, how do I get to Puente Antique?"

"Just keep going south from here and you'll get there."

The middle-aged man pointed out the directions, appearing somewhat flustered.

As the saying goes, if you have a clear conscience, you have nothing to fear.

He had just done something wrong and was feeling very anxious. When a stranger suddenly appeared, he was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost fell to the ground.

Fortunately, the other person wasn't there to cause trouble; they were simply asking for directions.

At this moment, the middle-aged man just wanted to get rid of the man in front of him as soon as possible, so as not to ruin his good time later.

Unfortunately, that's just how interesting the world is.

The more you worry about something happening, the more likely it is to happen.

Just then, a bright yellow sedan slowly drove up from a distance and came to a stop nearby.

Inside the car, Emilio sat in the back seat, holding a gun to Jesse's back in the front passenger seat. He glanced at the two people outside and asked fiercely.

"These two guys are your accomplices?"

"Yes, that's right... Wait, you mean there are two people?"

Jesse was stunned.

Two people?
Shouldn't it just be his chemistry teacher, Walter White?

Where did the other guy come from?
Could it be that the old man secretly found a buyer behind his back?
Tsk, it seems his teacher, Walter, isn't as honest as he imagined.

Thinking about this, Jesse became a little unhappy.

They initially agreed to split the profits 50/50, but now they're secretly playing dirty tricks on him. They sold the goods to someone else without even a word.

Do you still consider him one of your own?

In his anger, Jesse even forgot the threat beside him, staring intently at the two people outside the car without saying a word.

This infuriated Emilio.

"Hey kid, I'm asking you a question!"

Emilio mistook Jesse's silence for defiance and struck him squarely on the back with the butt of his rifle.

The latter grimaced in pain, inwardly cursing his bad luck.

"Damn it, why am I so unlucky?"

Today was his first time working with his teacher, Walter, and everything was going well.

Walter successfully produced large quantities of high-purity finished products.
The key issue is that the buyer he found had problems.

Based on his experience on the street, such a large quantity of goods would be too much for ordinary street vendors to handle, and they would have to find a buyer from a higher-level supplier.

So, he simply used his past connections to find Xiao Ba, the largest flour distributor in the area.

That's where things went wrong.

Jesse thought he was going to make a fortune this time, but Emilio unexpectedly appeared out of nowhere.

This guy was just tricked into going to the police station a few days ago.

When they met again, she immediately gave him a good beating and taught him a harsh lesson.

However, this matter is not over yet.

With her sharp eyes, Xiao Ba immediately recognized that the finished product Jesse brought this time was of astonishing purity, something that this street thug could never have produced.

There must be a reclusive master hiding behind the other party.

Jesse vehemently denied his speculation.

He had promised his teacher that he would never reveal their relationship to outsiders.

Emilio was too ruthless; a few punches left him dizzy and disoriented, and he almost broke his bones.

Realizing he would be beaten to death if he didn't speak, Jesse had no choice but to agree to Xiao Ba's request and led them here, appearing around the RV.

Back to the present.

Seeing Emilio raise his gun again as if to attack, Jesse quickly answered the question.

"Yes, that's right, they are my accomplices."

Despite Jesse's seemingly dull nature, he dropped out of high school.

But when it really comes down to it, he does have a bit of quick wit.

Xiao Ba values ​​Mr. Walter's technique.

It's not him, that little scoundrel.

In other words, Walter, who has the skills, might not die, but he, who has nothing and has betrayed his teammates before, will definitely die.

Therefore, he used Tommy's name to make a big deal out of him, claiming that Tommy was his business partner.

Even though he didn't know who Tommy was.

One more person means more power.

His teacher, Walter, who was completely defenseless, certainly couldn't defeat these two flour dealers with guns.

But if an outsider is added, things might not be so certain.

As for whether this will cause any other trouble?
Jesse didn't care about anything else anymore.

Trouble can come later; let's focus on surviving for now.

"Very good, you better behave yourself later, understand?"

Emilio continued to hold the gun to Jesse's head, threatening him menacingly.

Jesse nodded repeatedly.

Even without anyone telling him, he wouldn't dare to make a move.

What if Emilio accidentally fires the gun?
He's so young, he doesn't want to die.

"Alright, stop wasting time talking to him, let's get down to business."

Xiao Ba took his gun, loaded it, and quietly hid it on his person. He left Jesse, the hostage, in the car and handed her over to his accomplice Emilio for safekeeping.

He then opened the door, got out of the car, and walked towards the two people opposite him.

He did not doubt Jesse.

Those who work in this line of work in the underworld are basically all part of a "iron triangle" setup.

A "chef" who cooks, a thug who settles disputes, and a peddler who sells goods.

Now, Xiao Ba plans to invite this trio to his team in order to obtain a higher purity product and earn more money.

"Hey guys, how about coming work for me?"

Xiao Ba didn't waste any words; after a greeting, he got straight to the point.

Upon hearing this, Walter quickly gave him a meaningful look.

Cooperation is certainly possible.

As long as it makes money, it doesn't matter who you work for.

The key is that we can't say this now, can we?
Didn't you see there were other people next to him?

If people find out what kind of shady business they're in, wouldn't they be finished?
However, his overthinking was completely unnecessary.

Tommy doesn't care about other people's business as long as they're not in his way.

So, after finding out the way to the town, he turned and headed south.

But his actions were interpreted differently by Xiao Ba.

"Hey, what are you doing? Didn't you hear me talking to you?"

Tommy's indifference annoyed Xiao Ba.

People in the underworld usually call him Crazy Little Eight, which shows how bad his temper is.

Before he could fully lose his temper, Emilio, who was waiting in the car, suddenly widened his eyes, anger welling up inside him.

"Damn it, I knew you were a traitor!"

Upon recognizing Walter's face, Emilio cursed and grabbed Jesse, dragging him down.

"Xiao Ba, this is the guy who was with the anti-drug squad that day. Those guys are all damn undercover agents!"

Xiao Ba, who was already tense, completely exploded at this moment.

He drew the pistol from his waist and aimed it at Tommy, who was not far away.

Emilio also drew his gun and aimed it at Walter in front of him.

Walter panicked when the dark, gaping wound pointed directly at him.

He had been a good citizen his whole life, but he never imagined he would encounter this.

Jesse seized the opportunity and ran away.

He had some conscience, though, and didn't forget to send a warning while he was on the run.

Unfortunately, bullets are faster than legs.

Although Emilio's shots missed Jesse, they startled the latter so much that he stumbled and fell to the ground, completely disoriented.

Walter, alerted, tried to flee in panic, but he was no match for Hachi and was quickly defeated.

Even after subduing the two men, Xiao Ba was still not satisfied. He raised his wound, aimed it at Tommy in front of him, and said threateningly.

"Are you deaf or what? Didn't you hear me tell you to come here?"

"Let me tell you, if you dare take another step forward, I'll fucking shoot you dead!"

To be honest, although his words were a bit harsh, they actually worked.

Tommy paused in his steps and slowly turned around.

"Believe me, you'd better not try to do that."

(End of this chapter)