Looking at the messy warehouse and the huge metal model, John Li couldn't help but sigh.
With a wave of his hand, all the guns in the warehouse fell apart and broke into several pieces. A few pieces of metal kept all the bodies together.
He turned around and prepared to leave. The door opened, and as John Li left, the door closed again, plunging the whole warehouse into endless darkness.
With a light turn of his palm, the old door lock was completely twisted and locked, ensuring it could no longer be opened normally.
John picked up his little schoolbag, made a few turns, and blended into the crowd.
...
Back home, John Li didn't have any desire to practice today. He sat at his desk in a daze.
Aunt Jenny knocked on the door and walked in with a cup of hot milk.
"John, I noticed something was wrong with you during dinner today! Did something happen at school?" Jenny asked, placing a thick, rough arm on John's small shoulder. Uncle George came to join them.
"No, school is pretty good, but some kids don't want to play with me. But I don't care; they're too naive!" John rubbed his stiff little face and responded with a smile.
"No!" Aunt Jenny brought a stool and sat next to John. "John, my baby, it's been five years. Today is the first time I've seen you so unhappy, and it makes me very sad!"
She stretched out both hands and took hold of John's right hand, her eyes turning red as if she were about to cry.
George also put his other hand on Aunt Jenny's shoulder, embracing them both.
Deeply, he whispered, "John, from the first day we brought you home, Jenny and I have regarded you as our son."
"You are excellent and sensible. Celebrating our first birthday with you was the best time we have experienced. I am very grateful to God for making my life so beautiful and giving me such a well-behaved son."
"Let me tell you, turning forty and having a beloved child, we are willing to give everything for you!"
"In the past year, we have been busy and did not accompany you well. I heard the sound of the grinding wheel spinning in the garage. Jenny has shed tears several times. John, we want you to be like ordinary children. Watch TV shows with us, go shopping with us, not making money, or in other words, not working so hard!"
Jenny also wiped her tears with a tissue and nodded, "John, in the past year, it feels like since you fell in love with making models, you've grown distant from us. We don't want you to make money. We hope you will be happy!"
With that, she took little John into her arms.
John reached out and hugged them. "Well, Uncle George, Aunt Jenny, I'm fine. But on the way home today, I saw an accident, and someone died. But I'm okay, Aunt Jenny, let's go watch TV!"
Uncle George touched John's little head. "John, you must be careful outside, and you must hurry up if you encounter bad things. You are only a child!"
"Mm-hmm!"
John took both their hands, went out of the room, turned off the lights, and walked downstairs. As they walked, he said, "Aunt Jenny, is 'The Big Bang Theory' starting to update again? I think Sheldon was talking to his girlfriend!"
"Yes, Leonard and Penny are together again. It's interesting, let me tell you!"
"I don't want any spoilers; I want to watch it myself. Hehe, it's been a long time since I watched TV!"
"Jenny, John, I'm going to get a drink. Would you like a pizza to take out?"
"Cheese and sausage flavor, I want two..."
Their voices grew fainter until they could no longer be heard, except for happy laughter.
Moonlight spilled on John's desk through the window, and a pen on the table was shining brightly. A photo of John's sixth birthday with his family was neatly placed in a corner of the table. The three people in the photo had extremely bright smiles on their faces!
Just like now.
...
Six months later, in February 2008, John, who had just celebrated his eleventh birthday, wanted to go to Las Vegas. Although Uncle George disagreed very much, he couldn't resist John's persistence.
"Okay, but I still warn you, you can go, but we are just like tourists. You are not allowed to enter the casino, cannot go to the bar, and can only stay for a maximum of three days!!!"
"Well, I just want to look around, and I won't run off!" John agreed firmly.
Jenny also seemed to be a little excited. Seeing George agree, she cheered, "Oh! I'm going to ask for leave. George, I can't wait to book the flight tickets!!"
George rubbed John's head with a smile. "Your Aunt Jenny has long wanted to see it again, and now her wish will be fulfilled!"
"Go, kid, pack up, our family is going to travel!!" With a tap on the back of John's head, George said with a hint of excitement.
John returned to his room and pulled out a handwritten report from the drawer on the side, with some strange timelines written on it in Chinese.
'Iron Man 1, February 11, 2008, Las Vegas Casino
February 13, Afghanistan, Jericho missile experiment, Stark gets captured
October, exact time unclear, Stark Tower, war!!
November...'
There were always a few timelines written down below, but only the line in October was marked as key.
He looked at it closely, hesitated, then used an eraser to clean it up.
He looked at the panel in his mind.
'Control Points: 73'
'Strength 11 Defense 17 Speed 9 Spirit 19'
'Skill: D-level metal control and D-level physical enhancement'
'Enhancements: Golden Eye (100%) Copper Skin (100%) Steel Bar (1%) Iron Bone (0%)'
'Derivative technique: Destroying Golden Eyes (don't be fooled by any abilities, see through all illusions, enhance visual observation, metalize objects)'
'Don't move the golden body (enhances great defense power, stand on the ground with both feet, you will have infinite physical strength, the body will recover faster, and will not be moved by an external force)'
John touched his still soft skin. It was not like last month at all.
At that time, his body was as hard as iron, so he had to wrap himself up with clothes and wear a mask in class.
His body shook, and a golden light appeared from all over his body. An inexplicable layer of golden energy surfaced on his skin, covering the clothes he wore.
At the same time, a warm current surged from the soles of his feet. The body was connected to the earth, and he felt full of strength.
He tested it in the garage. This layer of golden light couldn't be broken by him and could only be shaken slightly, whether it was smashed with two thousand kilograms of metal blocks or a giant metal warhead that broke the sound barrier.
Walking around at random, the golden light dimmed with John's thought.
In his normal state, the defensive power of his skin had also greatly improved. When he slashed hard with a knife, only a white mark appeared.
Although he couldn't fight bullets, John could confidently say, "No bullets can come near me."
Such confidence finally made John dare to contact the mainline characters.
Aunt Jenny ran up with excited footsteps, holding Uncle George's cell phone in her hand.
"John! John! The ticket has been booked. Look, the ticket for the morning of the 9th, the day after tomorrow!!"
"Aunt Jenny, I heard Uncle George say that you seem to have been to Las Vegas, right?" John looked at the ticket message on the phone and gave Jenny a smile.
Aunt Jenny pulled John to her side and said, as if recalling, "Uncle George never told you! Then I will tell you. It is interesting! That was twelve years ago. At that time..."
John listened with interest to their previous love history and the scene of their first meeting in Las Vegas.
George was packing suitcases in the room, listening to the laughter coming from next door. He shook his head, showing a slight smile.
Three days later, a family of three boarded a plane from New York to Las Vegas.