America: A Prodigy of Stereotypes

“Johnny told me that Lyon would be bringing new friends. Where are the new friends?” Sharon asked Li Qun.

“My friend had something come up and he can’t make it, I’m sorry, but he will definitely come next time,” Li Qun said.

The new friend Li Qun was referring to was Bruce Banner.

Dr. Banner initially accepted Steve's invitation, but changed his mind just before leaving. He felt it was better for him, a man wanted by the U.S. military, to stay away from Steve, lest he implicate him.

Dr. Banner said he had a spiritual perception that someone was watching Steve.

Finally, Li Qun walked over from Brick Street by himself, carrying his bag.

“There’s a necessary ritual for a housewarming party, do you know what it is?” David asked everyone.

“I know that. In the past, we would light firewood to both warm the house and drive away any evil that wandered into it,” Harry replied quickly. Leopold had told Harry that.

“Johnny said his and Sharon’s old apartment was cold and the heating was weak, but the new apartment is warm enough that we can bake something in the oven,” David said.

Chapter 122 The world of adults is not easy.

"Banner, it's my turn to play."

Hulk nudged Bruce Banner in front of the television, which displayed Li Qun's perspective.

“Hulk, this isn’t a game, I’m doing serious business,” Banner said to Hulk.

Traditional sorcerers use crystal balls to spy on others, while Banner, a reformist sorcerer, uses a television set to spy.

The television was actually a normal 27-inch television, but Banner installed a magic antenna on it and set up Li Qun as a human camera to provide him with live footage.

Upon entering the house, Li Qun secretly observed the situation outside every window of Steve's apartment. Bruce Banner was remotely directing Li Qun to check if there were any suspicious persons in the building across the street.

After a thorough inspection, Liqun found nothing.

After David Cage entered the house, Bruce Banner had Li Qun try to extract information about David Cage's identity.

David Cage aroused Banner's suspicion that he was a secret agent hiding his identity and that he had become friends with Steve in order to better monitor Steve's daily activities.

"Alright, you can have it."

Bruce Banner patted the TV, removed the magic antenna, connected the game console to Hulk, and tuned the TV to the game's title screen.

"I want to play something else." Hulk picked up the game controller and gently tugged at the controller cable.

"what?"

Bruce Banner looked up at Hulk's face.

Li Qun once joked that if Hulk ever said he was tired of the game, it meant that Hulk had learned to use his brain and had become intelligent.

"My God, Hulk, what did you just say? I didn't hear you clearly."

"Hulk said he wants to play other games!!"

Hulk raised his voice a bit, almost giving Banner a concussion.

"Hulk wants to play the game you were just playing!"

Hulk pointed seriously at the magic antenna that Banner had taken off. Hulk was using the magic antenna as a game cartridge, placing it on the TV as a "game cartridge".

"Ok."

"Let's play a game called 'A Day in Bruce Banner'."

Banner transformed himself into a human-shaped camera. After putting the magic antenna back, Banner's third-person perspective appeared on the television.

Hulk pressed the controller, trying to control Banner on the TV screen, while Banner's mind heard prompts for "up, down, left, right".

"Hulk has seen Hulk!!"

“Because I’m watching you, Hulk,” Banner said.

"Banner, go to the kitchen."

"Okay, okay."

"Hulk wants a beer, Banner, go get a beer."

Hulk can sense what Banner eats and drinks. If Banner eats something unpalatable, Hulk will protest; if Banner eats something delicious, Hulk will crave it and ask Banner to eat more.

"Hulk, I'll let you control me for an hour, and next time you let me control you for an hour, okay?"

“Hulk is playing games, not doing anything serious,” Hulk said to Banner.

"He's really become intelligent..." Banner muttered to himself.

……

Steve and Sharon moved into their new apartment at the tail end of winter, and on the night of their housewarming party, New York City saw its last snowfall of the winter.

Living in their eighth-floor apartment in Manhattan, Li Qun, Peter, and a few others sat cross-legged in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the snowflakes fall one by one amidst the lights of the Manhattan skyline. Sharon Carter nestled in Steve's arms. At that moment, all their efforts to move to their new home felt worthwhile.

"How can I make myself look less...downcast?" David Cage asked quietly, holding a beer bottle.

“Exercise, adjust your posture through exercise, and don’t just laugh like an idiot,” Li Qun said to David Cage.

“David, is your back a little stiff?” Li Qun asked.

"How did you know?"

"I can tell, you have a slight hunchback."

"Lie down like this, and I'll set your bones."

“What is bone setting?” David asked, lying on the wooden floor of his apartment.

"Return your bones to their original positions."

Li Qun twisted David Cage's neck, then raised his arms and swung his shoulders, causing David's neck to show obvious restriction of movement.

Li Qun stepped on David Cage's back, grabbed David's wrists with both hands, and gently pulled him up from behind with both hands.

Li Qun dared not use too much force, as his current strength had already surpassed that of a normal person.

David heard a strange cracking sound coming from his spine, like it was tearing. His ribs suddenly tightened, and then he felt completely comfortable.

It was as if Liqun had pressed a switch on my body.

David Cage got up from the floor, and he had grown taller.

"Wow, wow! Wow!!"

“You straightened your back! David, were you really that tall?” Peter exclaimed in surprise.

"Even if I straighten my back, I'm only about the same height as you."

“Leon, can I learn kung fu from you?” David asked.

"You didn't even ask me if I know kung fu, so you're just assuming I do, is that it?"

“It’s just my stereotype, so kid, would you?” David asked apologetically.

"Actually, I really do know how."

"I'll teach you now, I'll teach you how to improve your posture."

"What is it?"

“Guess based on your stereotypes?” Li Qun said to David.

Tai Chi?

“You guessed right.” Li Qun laughed, and David laughed along with him.

"David, how old are you?"

“I’m 42, right? I can’t quite remember, I haven’t celebrated my birthday in years,” David replied.

“Some of the moves might be a little difficult for you,” Li Qun said.

"I'm happy to take on challenges."

Li Qun taught earnestly, David learned earnestly, and Steve learned it after watching it once. Steve's learning talent made David exclaim that he was getting old, and his comical actions drew constant laughter.

All the lights in the room were on, and they stayed on until dawn...

Gwen and Sharon were asleep in the bedroom, while Steve, David, Liqun, Peter, and Harry were sprawled out in the living room. Empty beer bottles and cans were scattered on the dining table and coffee table; they had been drinking.

Li Qun forgot that they were under 21 and couldn't drink alcohol. David saw this but didn't care, and Steve was unaware of this. Peter and Harry drank naturally without any worries when they saw Li Qun.

Norman Osborn and Ben Parker would definitely be furious if they saw the two minors drinking and getting drunk.

Peter and Harry didn't wake up until nearly noon the next day.

"Chewing gum to freshen breath."

David laughed as he shared his tips with the two children on how to cover up drinking.

Besides chewing gum, there's also the trick of using orange peel to remove odors.

"What's baking in the oven? It smells delicious," Harry asked.

"The potatoes are almost done roasting. I'm practically a potato roasting master; there's no need to eat too well when you live alone," David said.

Li Qun understood David's unspoken message.

"Is eating only potatoes enough?" Liqun asked David.

"Yes, and a glass of milk too. Didn't the science magazine say that a person only needs to eat potatoes and drink milk every day to meet their basic physiological needs?" David said with a smile.

"Potatoes can taste different depending on the sauce you pair them with. I have more than 20 kinds of sauces to choose from in my cupboard," David said with some pride.

"Wait a moment, I'm going downstairs to get two bottles of sauce."

Five minutes later, David Cage returned carrying a basket of glass jars of sauce.

"I would first recommend this tomato hot sauce, the recipe comes from Central America."

"The second is this Asian hot sauce, whose main ingredient is fermented beans."

David Cage spoke to Peter and his friends as if he were hosting a TV shopping show, introducing them to his favorite sauces to eat with baked potatoes.

“David, you can really handle spicy food!” Harry exclaimed.

"It's alright, my mouth can handle the spiciness, but my stomach can't," David Cage said with a laugh.

With a "ding," the oven timer went off.