During the lunch break, the student dormitory hallway was quiet.
Inside Jordan Li's dorm, the three of them gathered around Cate. As she touched them one after another, Andre, Luke, and Jordan Li's bodies shuddered simultaneously, their expressions quickly shifting from blankness to shock.
Wade waved his hands repeatedly toward the walls. For every secret meeting, he would set up a soundproof barrier, and this time was no exception.
"Oh, hell..." Luke slapped his forehead, his face full of embarrassment. "I remember now... I actually told that balding investor that my thermonuclear ability was meant to 'light up a bright future for America'?"
Andre covered his face and muttered, "That's nothing. I was performing magnetic tricks everywhere—either levitating champagne towers or serving drinks like some kind of clown!"
Jordan Li let out a dry gag. "Stop it! At least you guys were talking about abilities and the future. I actually told Madelyn's assistant her hairstyle made her look like a 'freshly baked sweetie pie'! God, I'm such a suck-up!"
Wade leaned against the desk, listening to their confessions, and couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Wonderful, truly wonderful. It seems everyone worked really hard to carve out a grand future at Vought."
"You think we didn't see you? You and Jill were practically glued to each other!" Jordan Li immediately pointed the finger at him, laughing. "The meeting-the-parents phase went well, I take it, future son-in-law of the Damon Family?"
Wade shrugged with an innocent look. "I had to find something to do to distract myself, right? Was I supposed to be like Luke, following Brink around and meeting people everywhere?"
Luke's face flushed. "Still better than Andre, listening to that producer dressed like a crosswalk talk about his dad's heroic journey three whole times."
Andre didn't back down. "Ha! Still better than you, Luke, practicing the line 'It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Homelander' over a dozen times, only to end up just giggling and sweating when you actually saw him!"
Everyone in the room burst into laughter.
"Alright, alright." Wade waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "At least now we don't have to recite those disgusting scripted lines on stage anymore."
Cate nodded and said with emotion, "Aside from our debut and performance that day, what concerns me more are those suddenly hacked videos and that politician who was killed in the attack—I heard it was the Speaker of the House."
Andre held his head and said, "This shows we aren't the only ones exposing Vought's dirty secrets. We aren't alone."
Jordan Li sat at the computer, fingers flying across the keyboard, skillfully bypassing the firewall. "Let me look... See, here, even Russian websites are reposting it."
He clicked on the videos of Translucent's 'confession' and the plane crash.
Luke leaned closer to the screen, brow furrowed. "This camera angle... it looks like an interrogation. It might have been done by the group that caught Translucent. But what about the plane footage? How could it stay intact after falling from that height?"
Andre stood to the side, pointing at the shaky screen. "Maybe someone was filming with a phone at the time, and after the plane broke apart, the device fell into the sea and survived, only to be salvaged later? This laser eye scattering effect and energy dissipation pattern are exactly the same as when we spar with classmates at school."
Jordan Li nodded and added, "The cost of faking a video like this is too high. I think it's very likely real. The Seven really are doing all sorts of inhumane things for Vought. Homelander did indeed massacre the passengers on that plane."
Wade clapped his hands loudly to get everyone's attention. "The important thing is that we know the truth. So, what's next? What are your plans after graduation? Join Vought as expected, or... forge your own path?"
Andre sat on the edge of the bed, looking up and sighing. "My dad wants me to inherit the name 'Polarity,' but after knowing all this, I realize I can't do it."
"I want to stay here and be a teacher. Many students are still completely in the dark about the truth of Vought. I want to guide them in secret, let them see Vought's true face, and then let them make their own choice."
Jordan Li twirled the pen in his hand, looking melancholy. "My parents just want me to get a good ranking, find someone of the right status to marry and have kids with, and step-by-step become a superhero."
"They find my bigender identity very awkward, and I've had enough of this control... Becoming an undefined street hero who exposes the truth might be a good start."
Luke reached out to touch an old poster of The Seven on the wall. "Since I was a kid, my dream was to join 'The Seven.' Now, that dream is shattered."
"But because of that, I want to get in even more! With my abilities, I'll see from the inside just how rotten it really is... only then will I have the chance to leak some insider intel to you guys."
Wade smiled and raised his hand. "As for me, I want to try joining FEMA. Doing something practical in the face of natural and man-made disasters seems more meaningful."
At that moment, everyone's gaze fell on Cate, who hadn't said much.
Cate lowered her head and said softly, "I... I want to open a psychological counseling office. I want to use my ability to listen to and help those in trouble resolve their problems."
Wade was the first to clap. "That's a great idea. I noticed the senior has been helping out at the counseling center lately, and many students have posted to thank her."
Luke, Andre, and Jordan Li also smiled and clapped in agreement. "That's right." "We support you, Cate!"
"Remember to give us a discount when the time comes!"
The barriers between them completely vanished amidst the mutual teasing and heart-to-heart talk.
After the celebration, Jordan Li picked up a piece of paper, scribbled on it, and said, "In that case, how about we form a big group?"
Cate bit her lip. "Combine our respective groups, 'G-Agents' and 'Paradox'? What should we call it? I won't agree to anything that sounds too bad!"
Jordan Li held up the A4 paper to show everyone. "Let's just go with what Wade said at the school gate last time. How about... G-Men?"
Luke stood by the desk, looking at the English characters he had drawn. "Becoming vigilantes to expose more of Vought's secrets and spread the truth to the students of Godolkin and the general public? That's a great idea!"
"Not just to carry out justice, but also to resist injustice." Andre slapped the table. "Ho ho ho... feels much better than something like The Seven!"
Wade stood against the wall, sipping a sweet Coke. "However, we must continue to keep a low profile and play the long game. Only then can we expose more things without putting our families in danger."
"Haha, makes sense!" "I agree!"
After the cheering, their excited thoughts gradually settled.
Wade casually crushed the can. "Now that we have a name, we need to talk about how to work. Our biggest advantage is being in Godolkin, and our different identities."
Jordan Li scratched his head. "I can access some of the budget files of the Crime Fighting School, files of troubled students, visiting Vought executives... I'll look for clues in those areas."
Luke leaned by the bed with his legs crossed. "Brink often coaches my training, and I've heard him complain about Vought in private quite a bit. Those seniors who have already graduated also keep in touch with him. I'll do my best."
Cate shook her head, her expression firm. "I can't reveal any privacy of the counseling clients, but I can record and compile information about Vought while wandering around campus."
Wade patted his chest. "I've actually been specially hired by Ms. Shetty as a night duty staff member to assist with campus security. Don't let me catch you guys at night! If I see any suspicious unidentified people, I'll let you know."
"I don't have any official position." Andre put down his phone and spoke. "To avoid detection, we must only observe, not contact; only record, not interfere."
Jordan Li spun his gaming chair left and right. "Actually, we can meet once a week under the name of a'study group' like we are now to share our progress."
Wade leaned over the chair and added, "We'll use our spare time to investigate the entanglement between the Godolkin campus and Vought. Our goal is to understand the operating logic of this beast called Vought, so we know where to strike."
The five of them looked at each other, seeing the same determination in each other's eyes.
They reached out their hands and stacked them one by one.
Andre said in a low voice, "For those who are still kept in the dark."
"For the truth," Luke followed.
Jordan Li nodded firmly. "For the justice in our hearts."
Cate said softly, "To be able to help more people."
Wade finally placed his hand on top, smiling exceptionally brightly. "For a bright future."
Under his guidance, a scrambled Rubik's cube had finally turned into a single color.
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