Chapter 149: I’ve Done the Flirting for You, Now Go!

"Wait. You didn’t transform into me and do something weird, did you?"

Orion Cross looked at Mystique in alarm.

"You guessed half of it. But if you could take off those yellow-tinted glasses, maybe you’d get the whole thing right."

Raven smiled and threw the adjective Orion Cross had been using so often right back at him.

"What exactly did you do?"

Orion Cross looked at Raven helplessly.

"Do you remember that place?"

Raven walked to the window and pointed toward the street outside Queens.

That was where the final battle between Hulk and Abomination had taken place.

It was also where Orion Cross had beaten Abomination to death and banished Hulk to the Arctic.

Of course, Orion Cross had not forgotten that after the battle, during the reporters’ interview, Whiplash, posing as a good Samaritan, had delivered the Blade of Chaos to him.

"You’re just like that Iron Man. Neither of you wants to hide your identities, so everyone in New York knows about you."

Raven folded her arms and turned around.

"I’m just too lazy to deliberately hide it. That Stark guy doesn’t simply refuse to hide his identity. He practically wishes the whole world knew who he was."

Orion Cross curled his lips.

Compared to Stark, he was already a very low-profile person, okay?

For starters, unlike Tony, Orion Cross had never personally endorsed and advertised his company’s products.

"Yes, yes."

Raven smiled helplessly.

"But the problem is that your heroic performance that day actually convinced even more people that you’re a Kryptonian."

"Huh?"

Orion Cross froze, then said helplessly, "Have they read too many comics? Why don’t they think Abomination is Doomsday?"

"What’s Doomsday?"

Raven looked at him in confusion.

"I almost forgot. Superman comics flopped in this world. The later stuff never even came out."

"...Wait. You mean you didn’t use my face to approach Zhao Hailun. You used my body?"

Orion Cross suddenly understood what Raven was getting at.

"Uh... well... yes. But don’t you think that wording makes it sound worse?"

Raven looked at Orion Cross with an awkward expression.

Saying she had approached her using his body made it sound like she had gone there for some other purpose.

"She researches nanotechnology, but her research is focused on medicine, so naturally she’s interested in human cells and genes. You used that to get close to her?"

Orion Cross stroked his chin as he reasoned it out.

Nanotechnology had an extremely broad range of applications.

For example, once Tony Stark realized how convenient and practical nanotechnology was, he would probably immediately scrap all his existing armor and start researching nanotech armor instead.

"Exactly. She was extremely interested in your physical strength, so I used the opportunity to become a temporary consultant at her laboratory."

Raven sat down on Orion Cross’s bed and stretched lazily.

"But don’t worry. Right now, we’re not trying to gain her trust. She’s the one trying to gain yours."

"I just tested my punching speed in her laboratory."

"I went all out, but she thought I was holding back."

"But that’s understandable. With your actual strength, calling those numbers ’holding back’ would still be an understatement."

Orion Cross listened carefully to Raven’s account. After pondering for a moment, he spoke.

"I remember you said she’s an independent scientist, right? Then why don’t we just have her join us?"

Even if Zhao Hailun’s technology could not yet be mass-produced, it did not matter.

Just think about the Lizard, one of Spider-Man’s future enemies, who was still only a primary school student at this point. His disability was precisely what drove him to obsessively research the regenerative abilities of lizards, eventually turning himself into a monster.

If the Lizard knew that Zhao Hailun had a Regeneration Cradle, he would probably abandon everything immediately just for the chance to use it once and return to normal.

"If you want her to join us, that’s where you come in."

Raven looked at Orion Cross with a mysterious smile.

"What do you mean? Can’t you just continue talking to her using my identity?"

Orion Cross frowned.

"I think you need to show some sincerity. For example, you could use your strength to win her over."

"Win her over..."

Orion Cross rolled his eyes.

"Good thing Thanos isn’t a woman. Otherwise, you’d probably expect me to solve the next universal crisis this way too."

"Not necessarily."

Raven shrugged.

"Miss Raven, I’m not some kind of human jackhammer, nor am I irresistible to everyone. You can’t seriously expect every female creature in the universe to fall for me, can you? At that rate, there wouldn’t be a single female dog within ten miles of Queens left unmarried."

Orion Cross looked helpless.

Nobody could be perfect in every way.

Some women liked money. Some liked looks. Some liked physiques. Some liked talent. Some liked strength. Some liked status. Some liked excitement...

Hmm...

Orion Cross seemed to satisfy all of those requirements.

"Don’t worry. I’ve already completed the ’beginner quest’ for you."

Raven placed her left hand on Orion Cross’s shoulder and pulled out her phone with her right.

"You’re going to help Skye ascend, right? If you bring her along, there’s a very high chance you’ll be able to recruit Zhao Hailun directly."

The Ascension Ceremony was a sublimation and qualitative transformation of life. Zhao Hailun would undoubtedly become extremely curious after witnessing it and desperately want to understand the principles behind it.

"Fine. Then invite her."

Hearing Raven’s suggestion, Orion Cross nodded in agreement.

As long as he did not have to forcibly sell his "looks" to her, he was fine with it.

Raven tapped her phone several times, composed a message, and sent it.

Less than a minute later, Zhao Hailun immediately replied.

"Okay, done. She even canceled her plans for tomorrow just to meet you."

Raven handed the phone to Orion Cross and indicated that he should look at the message.

"Good. Then that settles it. I’ll save her number."

Orion Cross glanced at the phone screen but did not take it.

As for whether he should exchange phones with Raven, Orion Cross felt there was no need.

If everything went smoothly and Zhao Hailun chose to join them, she would inevitably learn about Susan and Raven’s abilities.

After spending enough time around them, she would also notice the differences between Orion Cross and the Orion Cross who had actually been Mystique in disguise.

So if everything succeeded, Orion Cross would simply tell Zhao Hailun what Raven had done.

There was no need to continue pretending or exchange phones.

"But... what did you mean when you said you’d completed the ’beginner quest’ for me?"

After saving Zhao Hailun’s number, Orion Cross looked up and asked.

"You really don’t understand?"

Raven looked at Orion Cross in surprise.

"I already did the flirting for you. You didn’t seriously think I was using your identity just to establish a simple business partnership with her, did you?"

Orion Cross stared at her.

"I..."