"Artoria, are you thirsty?"
"Artoria, are you hungry?"
At this moment, Artoria felt as if a vast prairie had appeared in her mind, with a herd of the famous mythical beasts, the Grass Mud Horses, galloping happily across it. She felt very helpless. I didn't see it coming! Susan, you look so refined, but you're actually a total simp. I misjudged you. Although the men nearby didn't sense anything, Artoria felt quite embarrassed and rejected Susan's feeding requests.
"Ignition starts at nine tomorrow morning. I Hope everyone gets a good night's sleep tonight."
"Also, tomorrow morning, I Hope everyone can wear this set of specially made spacesuits. They can automatically regulate your body temperature, keeping you at a constant temperature so you won't feel any discomfort."
As he spoke, Reed pulled a set of black tight-fitting suits from a box. Except for the color, they looked exactly like the 'Hot-Blooded Youth Set' Artoria had once drawn from the system. Seeing this, Artoria's eyes twitched. Fine! It seemed she couldn't escape this fate after all. She really didn't like tight-fitting clothes.
"Feel free to choose your rooms. I Hope you all have sweet dreams."
Finally, Reed gave everyone some final instructions and handed out the boxes. The suits were one-size-fits-all for both men and women because the special material accounted for stretching, so they wouldn't feel tight. They were perfect for someone who didn't know their own size, like Artoria. Her clothes were always measured and custom-made by maids, so she had no idea what her size was. However, judging by the envious looks from the maids, her figure was probably quite excellent.
"Let's share a room, Artoria."
"I must respectfully decline."
Seeing Susan's eyes light up, Artoria felt a bit awkward and expressed that she preferred sleeping alone; the incident with Helen Cho was just an impulsive moment. Everyone was an adult, and there was no need to talk about right or wrong—it was consensual. Neither side held the other responsible, and they occasionally had some flirtatious moments, being more than friends but less than lovers. It seemed Artoria had this kind of relationship with quite a few women.
"Alright then! Goodnight and sweet dreams."
Artoria's refusal didn't dampen Susan's enthusiasm. She wished Artoria a good night's sleep with understanding. Taking her own set of tight-fitting suits, Susan returned to her room. Just as Johnny Stone, Susan's brother, saw his sister leave, he swallowed hard and wanted to strike up a conversation with Artoria. Unfortunately, Artoria had no intention of chatting with these men. She also picked up her tight-fitting suit and left, leaving Johnny with his arm just extended, not knowing whether to raise it or put it down. At this moment, Ben, a married man who had seen it all, smiled and stepped forward to pat Johnny's shoulder.
He understood that this kid had his sights on Artoria, but he didn't want to encourage him at all. In fact, he wanted to mock this arrogant poor kid. Please, kid, a rich and beautiful girl falling for a poor boy is just something in movies. Especially for a wealthy socialite like her, whose assets could move all of New York; the outside world calling her the stark familys little princess wasn't for nothing. Not everyone who looks good can carry that title; one also needs status and power.
Her older brother is the world-famous playboy Iron Man Tony Stark. If word got out that a poor kid like you was pursuing his sister, that playboy probably wouldn't even need to lift a finger. Those high-society playboys would give you a hard time. By then, this kid would likely be sleeping forever at the bottom of the sea with the fish and shrimp.
"Kid, stop daydreaming. That woman isn't someone you can touch."
With a "you're still too young" expression on his honest and simple face, Ben successfully drew Johnny's intense resentment. Johnny glared at Ben angrily and walked away, which made Ben amused; the kid was still defiant.
"Reed, I believe in your talent, but for tomorrow's successful ignition and liftoff, you should check it a few more times."
"Don't worry! I will, Victor."
Although he was a bit tired, Victor's words weren't without merit. He decided to work overtime tonight to thoroughly inspect the flight vehicle. He estimated the inspection would take until four in the morning. Although there wasn't much time to rest, for everyone's safety, he was willing to give up his sleep. Reed was just such a kind-hearted person.
"Bullying the honest man again. This guy is truly insidious!"
Ben had watched everything from start to finish. He could see Victor's malice toward Reed. He could also sense that what the guy said was just an excuse; his real purpose was simply to exploit the honest Reed. Having a family himself, Ben couldn't say such things because Victor paid his salary. But he was very dissatisfied with this boss of his—gentlemanly on the surface but arrogant and disdainful to the core. Anyone with some experience could see it. Although he didn't know why his boss liked to mess with the very simple-minded Reed, he could only sigh for the kid. He couldn't say anything to embarrass the boss because he had a family to support.
"Sis, are we there yet?"
"Alright, hurry up and pack your things!"
"Oh!"
Young Brian, still drowsy, saw the threatening look his sister gave him and quickly took his backpack off the rack. Their things had already been mailed to the new rental address, so they didn't have much to carry. With one bag for Elizabeth and one for Brian, the siblings got off the plane. This was their first time in New York. The scheduled interview was seven days away, so they could take a good look around this beautiful big city.
Seeing the bustling city, young Brian showed a sun-like smile. It was his first time in such a mega-city; the small town they lived in didn't have so many people. He was very handsome, and his bright, sunny smile made the surrounding girls' hearts flutter. But he had a sister who thought her brother was a loser and was indifferent to his charm.
"Should we go for a stroll, Sis?"
Stepping out of the airport, they didn't rush to find a taxi but walked slowly down the street. Seeing the busy streets, he felt a bit restless, so he cautiously asked for his sister's opinion.
"There's still plenty of time. It's fine to go buy some daily necessities."
Extending her wrist to look at her watch, she had just synchronized the time and found it was quite early. Thinking that some daily necessities hadn't been bought yet, she decided to go with her brother to buy some. There were still many things to organize in the rental apartment, and they needed to buy some cleaning tools.
"It's Spider-Man! Look, Sis, it's Spider-Man!"
Just as she was about to pull her brother to go shopping, he looked at the high-rise buildings as if possessed. Then, her brother grabbed her arm and pointed at the buildings. However, Elizabeth narrowed her eyes because her clothes had been torn. Brian, who was no longer an ordinary person, had forgotten that his strength had increased significantly. His unintentional action would bring him a huge disaster; Elizabeth had already sentenced her brother to death.
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