Qin Xiao never expected the Ancient One to simply hand over the Time Stone.
In *Avengers: Infinity War*, Doctor Strange used the Time Stone to glimpse over ten million possible futures.
And in *Avengers: Endgame*, when Banner went to see the Ancient One and asked about Doctor Strange, she replied, "You're five years too early. He should still be performing surgery a few blocks away."
This clearly demonstrated the Ancient One's ability to see the future.
If that were the case, she should have known that Doctor Strange was her successor and the next guardian of the Time Stone.
So why did she say she would entrust the Time Stone to him in the future?
As for the Time Variance Authority, based on the *Loki* trailers Qin Xiao had seen before his transmigration and the Ancient One's initial remarks, they were supposed to apprehend anyone who disrupted the established timeline.
For example, Loki, who was destined to be imprisoned in Asgard, had escaped with the Cosmic Cube.
Undoubtedly, Qin Xiao was also a disruptor of the timeline. So why hadn't the TVA come for him? Because of the System?
If the System could shield him from the TVA, why couldn't it shield him from the Ancient One?
What had she seen in the future?
Why was it so important that he end up at Kamar-Taj, learning magic with Doctor Strange?
Qin Xiao, who had felt like he had an omniscient view of the Marvel Universe, now found himself shrouded in layers of mist, waiting to be peeled back one by one.
He wanted to ask the System, but it was stuck in an upgrade state.
*Why now? Why upgrade at this critical moment?*
"Aaaaaah!"
Frustrated, Qin Xiao kicked a massive trash can—over a meter tall and nearly two meters wide—that stood nearby. The metal bin, along with its contents, soared at least two stories high, followed by a sparse rain of garbage.
"I'm done thinking about it! Let it be what it will! Once I've grown strong enough, no one will be able to touch me!"
*Clang!*
The trash can's heavy landing echoed Qin Xiao's words, finally releasing some of his pent-up frustration.
*Don't overthink what you can't understand. With the System in hand, I'll steadily grow stronger. Then, nothing will be able to stop me.*
After this self-consolation, Qin Xiao was about to leave the deserted alley.
Suddenly, Qin Xiao noticed a white man standing in front of him, dagger in hand, staring blankly.
Two twisted strips of toilet paper were stuck to his head, and a blood-stained sanitary pad dangled conspicuously.
The dagger was also adorned with strands of spaghetti coated in meat sauce.
Judging by his position, he had likely been hiding behind the large trash bin, preparing to rob Qin Xiao.
Being kicked aside, he was probably stunned.
He was as thin as a lightning bolt, clearly a drug addict.
Yet his rigid stance reminded Qin Xiao of the kid who used mantis boxing in *Shaolin Soccer*.
His posture was identical.
"Robbery?" Qin Xiao stepped forward and asked.
"No, you misunderstood! I was just eating!"
The robber held up the dagger, its spaghetti strands dangling, and shook his head, making the sanitary pad sway in the wind.
"Eating here?"
"Yes, the air's quite fresh, isn't it?"
"Nice hat. Got any cash on you?"
"Fifty dollars!"
"Enough to get a taxi to Stark Industries' branch from here?"
"Yes!"
"Hand it over! Thanks!"
Qin Xiao took the bills and casually patted the robber's shoulder.
*Crack!*
A faint sound, but it was clear Qin Xiao had fractured the man's shoulder blade with a single strike.
***
Inside the New York Sanctum, Gu Yi, who had appeared so composed and all-knowing before Qin Xiao, like a wise elder guarding the secrets of the universe, now sat slumped on the sofa, her face etched with worry.
"How could this happen? What went wrong?" she murmured to herself.
After a long silence, Gu Yi seemed to make up her mind. She sat cross-legged on the sofa, her hands forming a mudra with one above the other. Between her palms, the Time Stone hovered, emitting faint green light.
As the green light slowly spread, Gu Yi's body began to tremble violently. The tremors grew faster and faster, until she left trails of afterimages in the air. In that instant, it was as if countless versions of herself were overlapping in place.
Countless heads of Gu Yi appeared from different angles—some contorted in pain, others serene, some joyful. The tremors intensified, the green light pulsed faster, and the afterimages multiplied.
Just as everything reached its peak, there was a sudden surge and retraction of all the tremors, afterimages, and light.
Everything fell silent.
*Pfft!*
Gu Yi spat out a mouthful of blood, her face frozen in disbelief.
Then came an explosion of wild joy.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
If Qin Xiao could have seen Gu Yi in this state, he wouldn't have recognized her as the same person he saw earlier.
With blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, she sat cross-legged on the sofa, laughing wildly at the sky like a madwoman.
But Qin Xiao saw none of this. After robbing a hapless mugger and getting fifty dollars from his pathetic wallet, he hailed a cab straight to Stark Industries' New York branch.
Though it was called a "branch," it had effectively become the headquarters after Tony blew up the Los Angeles industrial building in a fireworks-like explosion.
Increasingly, business operations were shifting to New York, the international financial hub.
Otherwise, the Stark Expo wouldn't have been held there.
The branch was subtly transforming into the main headquarters.
The taxi Qin Xiao was in squeaked to a stop in front of the building. He had barely stepped out when a car horn blared beside him.
A flashy dark red convertible Acura NSX pulled up next to him.
It could only be Tony Stark.
"I distinctly remember generously lending you my company's business car and driver. Why are you taking a cab back? You know how rarely I'm so generous."
"Don't even ask. I thought it would take ages, so I sent the driver home. I didn't expect it to be over so quickly."
Qin Xiao shrugged, a hint of helplessness in his voice.
"Looks like you didn't have a very pleasant day. Get in—I'll take you somewhere that'll instantly lift your spirits!" Tony patted the passenger seat beside him.
"How about we take a different car? This convertible is too flashy, and I don't like the color. Dark red—it's too flamboyant, Tony! This isn't my style!"
Tony's car was a limited edition—now even the truly wealthy couldn't buy one. Qin Xiao suddenly remembered the way Tony had looked at him last time, like he was looking down on a poor person, and felt a twinge of bitterness.
"Promise me you'll help me with something, and this car is yours. What do you say? I told you, I'm feeling unusually generous today."
Qin Xiao's eyes lit up, and he shoved Tony into the passenger seat.
"Tony?"
"Yeah?"
"You know, when I was a kid, my parents used to say the specialty of my hometown was bayberries. Have you ever had them? They're sweet and tangy—so delicious. Ripe bayberries are the same color as this car. Oh my god, I love this color—it's the color of home!"
Tony: ...
-----------------------
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