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

Six o'clock in the afternoon.

The sunset in Northwest China is a deep red.

Steam rose from the bathhouse in the Northwest Military Region.

This was the first important activity for Stephen Chow and his group after their arrival: washing off the dried black mud.

Zhou Xingxing stared at his suit for a long time before finally throwing it into the trash can and changing into a military green training uniform.

Over at the female soldiers' dormitory, Lorna was looking at herself in the mirror.

A brand-new training uniform made her look exceptionally smart.

The fabric of this garment is thick and the stitching is fine, giving a reassuring feeling of being wrapped up when worn.

Beside her, Amy, holding the toiletries just handed out by the female logistics soldiers, exclaimed excitedly, "Sister Lorna! They even gave out soap!"

Stephen Chow had just walked over when he saw this scene and quickly jumped back a step: "Control your emotions! Don't cry!"

Amy burst out laughing at his interruption.

I've finished washing up.

Now for the main event: dry rice.

The cafeteria was brightly lit, and steaming hot food was laid out on long tables.

After taking a shower, Edith finally woke up from her drunkenness and exhaustion, rubbing her eyes and looking around for food.

The cafeteria lady at the food window couldn't understand English, but looking at the girl's pale skin and her emaciated appearance, she felt nothing but heartache.

"Oh my, this girl is so hungry! Her face is green... no, blue!"

As she muttered to herself, the woman used a large iron spoon to scoop out three fist-sized meat buns from the steamer.

She ladled out a large bowl of golden millet porridge, served it with a side of pickled mustard greens in chili oil, and placed it on Edith's iron plate before handing it over.

"Eat up! All you can eat! And if you're still not full, I'll get you more!"

Edith looked at the pile of unfamiliar food and tentatively took a bite of the meat bun.

"Whoosh—it's so hot!"

The aroma of meat juice mixed with scallions filled my mouth.

Ignoring the heat, she quickly stuffed a large steamed bun into her stomach and then slurped down a big mouthful of millet porridge.

"It's so delicious!"

Edith mumbled, "McDonald's from China won! This is the best McDonald's I've ever eaten!"

Stephen Chow, holding his tray, sat down beside him and said, "This is called a carb bomb paired with whole grains and liquids—nutritional balance, way better than your fried chicken and fries!"

Just as everyone was enjoying their meal, a series of orderly footsteps approached.

Ma Weiguo walked into the cafeteria with a file folder in his hand.

"Comrade Ling Lingqi".

"Major Ma, have you eaten? If not, sit down and have some."

"We won't eat. These foreign nationals have sensitive identities. According to regulations, they need to undergo quarantine and screening, and blood samples need to be taken for risk testing before being transferred."

isolation.

Blood draw.

Upon arriving here, Lorna asked for a dictionary, and with her strong learning ability, she understood the meaning of the words.

"Creak..."

The stainless steel spoon in her hand began to deform.

Immediately afterwards, the stainless steel plates on the table began to vibrate at a high frequency.

The iron window frames in the distance swayed, and even the safety cap of the pistol at Ma Weiguo's waist shook.

Stryker's face flashed into my mind, and the stinging pain of the thick blood-drawing needle piercing my skin assaulted my senses.

They lied to me!

This place, like in the US, is full of laboratories!

They're all cages!

"Snapped!"

A large hand slapped Lorna on the shoulder, forcefully pressing her back down from her tantrum.

Zhou Xingxing had somehow managed to stand between Lorna and Ma Weiguo.

He turned his head and lowered his voice to Ma Weiguo, saying, "Old Ma, they just crawled out of a pile of dead bodies in an American laboratory."

"But...the procedures have to be followed."

"You have to follow the procedures, but you also have to know how to communicate effectively."

As he turned around, a bright smile spread across his face, and he placed his hands on Lorna's shoulders.

"Xiao Luo, don't be nervous, Major Ma didn't mean that."

Lorna stared intently at him, her voice trembling: "He just said he wanted to isolate me and draw my blood."

"Oh dear, it's all due to translation errors! It's just a difference in Chinese and American culture!"

Zhou Xingxing pointed to the folder in Ma Weiguo's hand: "This is called a high-level talent recuperation and observation period! Think about it, you've just gone through a long journey and your body is depleted. The organization is worried that you might not adapt to the new environment, so they specially arranged a single room for you with meals and accommodation included. That's called welfare!"

"What about a blood test?"

"That's called a pre-employment medical examination!"

"Which reputable company doesn't conduct a medical examination before hiring?"

"Check your liver function and blood routine; it's all for your health! And let me tell you, after your blood test here, the cafeteria ladies will give you two free hot eggs and a carton of milk to help you recover! Can you imagine such treatment in America?"

Lorna was stunned by Stephen Chow's rapid-fire words.

"But he said it would restrict freedom of movement..."

"That's paid leave arranged by the company; employees are strictly prohibited from working overtime without permission!"

Stephen Chow spoke with righteous indignation.

"You're a key protected individual now. If you run around and get hurt, who's responsible? It'll be considered a work injury!"

"To reduce the workers' compensation rate, your company is allowing you to rest comfortably in the dormitory with pay!"

recuperation and observation.

Eggs are given away as a gift during physical examinations.

Paid leave.

These words spun around in Lorna's mind.

The humiliation and fear of being used as an experimental subject were gradually replaced by a sense of absurdity that he had gained a great advantage from the unit.

Lorna loosened her grip on the stainless steel spoon, which had been twisted into a pretzel, and relaxed her shoulders.

She looked at Stephen Chow suspiciously: "Really, they'll send eggs?"

"Two!" Stephen Chow patted his chest to assure them.

Lorna forced herself to calm down, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Then... let's go through the procedures."

A potential bloodshed was averted by a few outrageous and nonsensical words from Stephen Chow.

Ma Weiguo was completely dumbfounded.

After the group was taken away, Ma Weiguo couldn't help but sidle up to Zhou Xingxing and ask, "Comrade Ling Lingqi, does your 749 Bureau usually... communicate like this?"

Stephen Chow pulled a Hongtashan cigarette from his pocket and exhaled a smoke ring.

"Old Ma, watch your words."

Stephen Chow flicked his cigarette ash, his eyes darkening.

"This is called the art of mass mobilization."

"They're treated like monsters in America. People see them as weapons and disposable material. Their nerves are stretched to the limit; the slightest provocation could set them off."

"You can talk to them about discipline and rules, but they don't understand. To them, rules are a form of persecution."

Zhou Xingxing pointed to the seat where Lorna had just been sitting.

"They need to be treated as normal people who need to eat and sleep."

"Been taught a lesson."

Ma Weiguo stood at attention and saluted Zhou Xingxing.

"You're too kind." Stephen Chow resumed his nonchalant demeanor, rubbing his hands together as he leaned closer.

"Um... Major Ma, now that it's paid leave, could the food allowance be increased a little over these few days?"

"I thought the braised pork looked good. Could you arrange it for lunch tomorrow? Also, could you reimburse me for my ruined Armani suit?"