American comic: From Beijing with Love, starting with a mutant.

A yellow taxi stopped in front of the group.

The car window rolled down, and Slug poked half his head out: "Get in! Quick!"

When Stephen Chow saw the car, his face turned black.

"Is this what you call providing backup?"

"So what do you want? A Hongqi motorcade with a cannon salute? I'm already doing a skill by managing to get a taxi that hasn't passed its annual inspection!"

Stephen Chow peered into the carriage and saw old newspapers and potato chip bags scattered on the back seat.

"Alright, hard work and frugality are our fine traditions."

Jiliu carried Anton into the back seat.

Lorna bent down and sat down, the hem of her hospital gown sliding up to reveal her long, shapely legs.

Stephen Chow placed his hand on the car door, pausing for half a second.

Lorna turned her head and stared at him: "Have you stared enough?"

"I'm checking you for any external injuries. Our company takes the health of its employees very seriously."

"I haven't signed the contract yet."

"Prospective employees are employees too. Don't be narrow-minded, Comrade Xiao Luo."

"You just called me a spendthrift woman."

"That's a term of endearment. Our Chinese culture is profound and extensive; you wouldn't understand."

Slug slapped the steering wheel: "Hey you two, can't you find a safer place to flirt? If we don't leave soon, Stryker's men will be bringing us our lunchboxes!"

"drive!"

The taxi sped off.

Just as the car turned the corner, two black SUVs sped out from the other end.

"They've caught up!"

Stephen Chow glanced out the rear window. "Two cars, at least eight people!"

Jiliu held the unconscious Anton tightly, "I'll go take care of them."

"Solve my ass! You're injured, and your brother's still lying in bed. If you spin around a couple more times, your stomach will come out."

Lorna raised her hand, and green light emanated from her fingertips.

The hoods of the two SUVs behind them vibrated as a result.

Stephen Chow quickly intervened, saying, "Stop! I'll do it."

With a flick of his wrist, two fruit knives flew out of his hand, followed by the sound of tires exploding.

Lorna looked at him. "Just how much have you practiced?"

Stephen Chow raised his hand to straighten his collar: "Not much. Slaughtering pigs, cutting meat, peeling apples, dodging city management officers, submitting fake invoices."

"Does that last one count as a skill?"

"Of course. You'll understand when you join the company. Expense reimbursement is an art."

Twenty minutes later, the taxi turned into a back alley in Chinatown.

Slug parked his car at the back door of a foot massage parlor with a sign that read "Fu Gui Yuan Health Center".

Lorna looked at the sign: "This is your secret hideout?"

"The more rustic, the safer. Who would have thought a secret agent was hiding in a foot massage parlor?"

Zhou Xingxing nodded: "That makes sense. Last time I hid in the pork stall and no one checked."

"Is your organization really reliable?"

Stephen Chow pushed open the door and went in: "Very reliable. Our main focus is on being down-to-earth."

The space inside is not very large.

There were several old sofas in the front hall, and a meridian chart hung on the wall.

Slug led the group through the inner room, lifting the carpet to reveal a hidden door to the basement.

The basement does look quite decent.

Two computers, several satellite phones, and a map of New York and several wanted posters on the wall.

There was also a makeshift bed in the corner.

The rapids carried Anton to bed.

Anton is still unconscious, but his breathing is steady.

Stephen Chow reached out and touched his forehead. "No fever. He's stable for now."

Jiliu's voice was hoarse: "Will he die?"

"Won't."

Are you sure?

"I'm not one to make promises easily," Zhou Xingxing said, withdrawing his hand. "But if I promise to take you away, I won't let your brother die in America."

The torrent bowed its head and fell silent.

Slug rummaged through the wooden cabinet and pulled out a first-aid kit: "I have hemostatic drugs, antibiotics, glucose, and two packets of Banlangen granules here."

Lorna couldn't help but ask, "Can Isatis root cure gene rejection?"

"No, but it makes me feel at ease."

Stephen Chow gave a thumbs up: "This is the humanistic care of Eastern medicine."

Zhou Xingxing sat down at the computer and opened the flight page.

"We're doomed."

The slug came closer. "What's wrong?"

"Airfares to Beijing have gone up."

Lorna nearly crushed the corner of the table. "We just escaped from Stryker's lab. Are you most worried about plane tickets?"

Stephen Chow slammed his fist on the table: "What do you know! Economy class tickets have gone from 680 to 1200! This is robbery! Capitalism is truly a living hell!"

Slug whispered a reminder: "You have two wanted mutants and one who's unconscious. They can't board a regular flight in this condition."

That's the real problem.

He has a wanted record for swift action.

Lorna just ran out of the lab; her profile is probably already a viral sensation online.

Are there any smuggling boats?

The slug shook its head.

"Yes, we do, but we won't be leaving for three days."

Seeing that he couldn't leave anytime soon, Zhou Xingxing's eyes lit up and he thought of something else.

Stephen Chow turned to Lorna: "Lorna, do you know anyone here?"

Lorna was taken aback.

"What acquaintance?"

"Mutants. Those who are on the run, those who are not doing well, it's best if they don't eat too much."

Stephen Chow counted on his fingers one by one: "Able to move bricks, build bridges, dig tunnels, generate electricity, cool down, and dredge silt. The weirder the ability, the better."

Lorna pouted: "Your definition of 'monster' is too broad."

"Of course. The 'Toad Man' is practically becoming an outstanding construction worker in Guizhou now. There are no useless abilities in the world, only people who don't know how to assign positions."

Lorna lowered her eyes, and a figure appeared in her mind.

But this person...

Seeing her like this, Stephen Chow perked up: "Really?"

Lorna remained silent.

Stephen Chow pushed off the ground with both feet, sliding himself and his chair in front of her: "Tell me quickly! Gender, age, abilities, job preferences, and whether you can accept overtime?"

Lorna raised her leg to brace against the chair, preventing him from getting any closer.

As she stretched out her leg, her hospital gown slipped up a little more.

Stephen Chow turned his face to the meridian chart on the wall: "Ahem, don't look at what you shouldn't look at. I'm a respectable person."

Lorna scoffed: "I do know a mutant. A woman. Her abilities are very special."

"How special is it?"

"It's so special that I don't want to talk about it."

Stephen Chow immediately became anxious, "If you don't explain how to evaluate the position, I need to create a talent profile!"

"You'll understand when you see her."

"Where is he?"

Lorna thought for a moment: "She was in Chicago before I was arrested. She should still be hanging around there."

"Chicago?" Zhou Xingxing quickly opened the flight page.

The next second, he clutched his chest again.

"Flights from New York to Chicago have gone up in price too? These airlines are scoundrels!"

"I'll save an extra hundred dollars, and when I get back I can buy ten pounds of locusts for Lao Mo."

Lorna looked at the rapids.

"Who is Lao Mo?"

"Toad Man".

Lorna was somewhat incredulous, and her expression became extremely strange.

She had always thought that this agent named Stephen Chow was a somewhat capable madman.

Are there really mutants willing to go back with him?

"Is he really tightening bolts?"

Stephen Chow took out his phone and showed photos of the construction site.

In the photo, the toad-man is wearing a helmet and his face is covered in ash.

A group of workers surrounded him, giving him a thumbs-up.

There's another one where a toad-man is holding a bowl the size of a washbasin, and he's smiling ugly but very happy.

Lorna stared at the photo, remaining silent for a long time.

The rapids also converged.

He looked at the toad-man in the photo, his shoulders relaxing a little.

That guy used to always hide in a corner in the fraternity.

Nobody cared about him.

Nobody really considered him one of their own.

In this photo, the toad-man is sitting in a crowd, with a red paper pasted on his helmet that reads "Excellent Tongue Worker".

Lorna returned the phone to him.

"Your place... can you really let us live like this?"

Stephen Chow put away his playful smile and said, "I can't guarantee I'll be happy every day, nor can I guarantee no one will gossip."

"But there's a contract, a salary, food to eat, and a place to sleep."

"Whoever bullies you, I'll beat them up first."

Lorna didn't reply, and the basement remained quiet for a while.

"Um..." Slug broke the silence, "Are you guys going to Chicago or not?"

Stephen Chow stood up. "Go."

Jiliu stood up: "I'll go with you."

"No way." Zhou Xingxing pressed down on his shoulder. "Your brother can't be left alone right now. You stay here."

"I owe you," the rapids whispered.

"Don't do that." Stephen Chow waved his hand: "After you go back to China, just focus on running the fan properly and stop slacking off."

Jiliu frowned. "Turn on the fan?"

"Wind power project. You're responsible for resolving issues during windless weather."

Rapids: "..."

He suddenly realized that his former identity as a killing machine was actually quite respectable.

Lorna picked up her coat from the table and put it on.

That was a black leather jacket that the slug had found; it was a bit short, just enough to sit on his waist.

"Let's see what the fees are."

Stephen Chow quickly reached into his pocket: "Can you issue an invoice?"

Lorna almost broke down.

"roll."