Afterward, Strange was led to the lounge to wait, and a server brought him a cup of coffee.
Strange took the coffee with trembling hands, brought it to his mouth, and took a small sip to moisten his throat.
"Strange, if you needed me, you could have just called. Why come all the way to the company?"
Just then, sparks flickered, and a golden portal slowly opened. A voice sounded from the other side of the portal, and Wong's figure followed the voice, stepping out of the portal.
Shatter!
Strange could no longer control his trembling hands, and the cup fell straight down.
"Sorcerer... it's a real sorcerer."
Wong frowned, puzzled. "Strange, what's wrong? Did something go wrong with your magic studies? Or were you backlashed by dark energy?"
He remembered that Strange was quite normal when he handed over the magic array protection work a while ago, not looking like he couldn't control the dark energy within him.
"Sorcerer, help me." Strange said with trembling hands, too excited to notice what Wong had just said.
"Strange, sit down and tell me properly, what happened?" Wang's frown deepened.
He first comforted Strange, telling him to sit down, then quietly sent a text message to Lucas.
"Sorcerer Lucas, something's wrong. Strange is in trouble."
Lucas: Don't panic, I'm watching. This isn't Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme from another Universe, it's Stephen Strange from the 404 Universe.
Wong: Oh, understood. What should I do then?
Lucas: Just tell him where Kamar-Taj is, don't give him too much help.
Handing Strange over to Wang, Lucas withdrew his gaze.
With Wong handling things, he was reassured.
On the other side, Wong understood the whole story from Strange's narration.
Looking at this person who was very likely to work with him in the future, Wong didn't make things too difficult.
"Strange, I can tell you where Kamar-Taj is. It's in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Of course, you can also go to the Himalayas within China."
"Sorcerer Wong, can't you just take me there directly? Like how you just came over?" Strange asked, puzzled.
"This..." Wong was speechless, not knowing how to answer.
Finally, he sighed, throwing his hands up, "The Sorcerer Supreme said not to give you too much help."
"Why?!" Strange exclaimed, his tone a mix of confusion and anger.
Wong remained unfazed, merely explaining gently, "Strange, you are a Doctor, with a degree. You should know that the path to knowledge is not easy. All sorcerers who join Kamar-Taj have undergone similar trials."
Strange also explained, "But I just want to heal my hands."
He thought Wong had misunderstood, believing he was looking for Kamar-Taj to learn magic.
Wong flatly denied, "No, you're not."
He paused, then added, "Strange, I don't know how to explain it to you right now, but I truly cannot offer you more help. Perhaps, you can ask the Sorcerer Supreme yourself when you meet him. But I advise you not to do so."
Saying this, he glanced around, lowering his voice. "The Sorcerer Supreme has a bad temper, you know."
Strange said angrily, "I don't know. If you're willing to help me, why can't you just take me there directly?"
Seeing this, Wong made a quick exit, opening a portal behind him and fleeing.
"Calm down, Strange, stay calm. Once you calm down, you'll understand."
...
That night, Strange returned to his cramped apartment.
Wong was right. After calming down a little, Strange understood.
In any case, he had obtained the exact address of Kamar-Taj, and the Sorcerer Supreme had also revealed his intention to help him.
As for not providing more help, this kind of test was similar to how he sometimes assessed whether a patient was worth helping.
When it happened to him, Strange found it hard to accept, but he could understand.
However, after counting his remaining loose change, Strange fell silent.
443 dollars.
This was the cash he had left.
As for his credit card? It had been frozen when he went bankrupt.
And a one-way flight ticket from New York to Nepal costs over 2000 dollars.
Strange was filled with regret at this moment. He recalled Christine's words: if he hadn't spent as much money as he earned, he wouldn't be in such a desperate situation now.
Strange didn't go to other friends to borrow money. He had tried before he went bankrupt, and none of his rotten friends were willing to lend him money.
So, was there still anyone willing to lend him money at this time?
The answer was undoubtedly yes.
However, thinking of his argument with Christine, especially the angry words he had used to scold Christine, Strange didn't know how to ask.
Suddenly, he remembered a bill, a bill Christine had accidentally left behind during their last argument.
Strange quickly rummaged through his backpack for this bill.
—Christine Palmer paid Lucas Bookstore owner in Queens, New York 14,500 dollars.
12,000 dollars were for rescue fees, and 2,500 dollars were for a thank-you gift.
Under the light, Strange looked at the bill, his heart aching faintly once again.
He deserved to die, he truly deserved to die, for scolding Christine like that at the time.
Strange silently swore that once his hands were healed, he would definitely apologize to Christine, beg for her forgiveness, and...
The next morning, in the bookstore lounge.
Lucas looked at Strange before him, silent.
Hadn't he told Wong to just tell Strange where Kamar-Taj was and not to give too much help? Why did he give Strange his address?
"Hello, Mr. Lucas, I... I'm here to express my gratitude. Thank you for calling the ambulance for me that night."
When he first spoke, Strange was a little awkward. After the words came out, he was still generous and natural.
'Hmm, he's here for Mr. Lucas, not sorcerer Lucas?' Lucas raised an eyebrow.
He said calmly, "No need, Strange. I just did something any kind person would do."
Provided that emergency services are free, or paid by the patient, not by the person making the call.
Thinking of this, Lucas couldn't help but complain about Ultron.
A dignified artificial intelligence, couldn't it have used an anonymous call?
"You truly are a good person."
Strange first smiled, then he said, "Mr. Lucas, I've come to ask a favor of you this time."
Lucas also smiled. "Oh, what is it?"
Knowing that Strange was here for Mr. Lucas, not sorcerer Lucas, Lucas's mood brightened considerably.
This scene reminded Lucas of five years ago.
At that time, he went to see a psychiatrist and accidentally encountered the Ancient One, thus forming a master-disciple bond.
Strange said, "I'd like to borrow a little money from you, not much, just two thousand dollars."
"No problem." Lucas laughed heartily.
He picked up a pen and wrote out a check, tearing it off and handing it to Strange.
"Thank you."
Strange took it, and after thanking him, looked down. "20,000? Mr. Lucas, did you accidentally add an extra zero?"
Lucas slowly shook his head, comforting him, "Strange, I know you're going through a difficult time right now, but I believe you'll get through this."
Upon hearing this, Strange was moved. "Mr. Lucas, thank you so much. I don't know how to express my gratitude to you."
Strange's mood improved considerably after receiving a generous donation from Lucas.
After leaving the reading room, he immediately went to the bank to cash the check and swiftly booked a flight to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
Even after boarding the plane, Strange still felt a bit disoriented.
Since the car accident, he had encountered numerous misfortunes.
Unsuccessful surgeries, ineffective new treatments, seeking supernatural help, and falling into a cult.
But thankfully, ever since he met that female superhero, everything had started to look up.
First, he learned the true identity of that Lord and his location, Kamar-Taj, from the female superhero.
Then, he learned the precise location of Kamar-Taj from the CEO of Kamar-Taj Group.
Finally, Mr. Lucas, who had only once called an ambulance for him and otherwise had no interaction, generously lent him, a bankrupt man, twenty thousand dollars.
Now, only one last step remained. He wondered what the Sorcerer Supreme's trial would be.
In the bookstore, Lucas watched Strange from a distance and suddenly thought of a question.
Yesterday, he had told Wong not to give Strange too much help, wanting to give Strange a bit of a test.
Today, he had funded Strange with twenty thousand dollars, helping him cover travel expenses and guide fees. What did that count as?
Shaking his head, Lucas stopped thinking about such trivial matters. Strange coming to the bookstore to borrow travel money was a bit unexpected for Lucas.
But since Strange had sought him out, he wouldn't deliberately make things difficult for him. He was now Mr. Lucas, who was happy to help others.
However, what did Mr. Lucas not making things difficult for Strange have to do with sorcerer Lucas?