America: A Prodigy of Stereotypes

“Why am I living with Harry?” Peter asked.

“Because Li Qun is our ‘mother,’ preparing lunch and dinner for us every day,” Gwen said.

“I don’t like being a mother, but I’m okay with being a father,” Li Qun said.

“No,” Gwen refused.

“I have no objection,” Stephanie said.

“I like cooking, but I don’t like washing dishes,” Li Qun said.

"Who's washing the dishes today?" Gwen asked.

“Whoever finishes eating last washes the dishes!” Peter said.

“I… okay.” Stephanie was the slowest eater.

"Have you noticed that Spider-Man has been appearing less often lately?" Li Qun asked.

“Maybe the NYPD was working too hard and didn’t give Spider-Man a chance to appear,” Gwen said.

"Is Uncle George trying too?" Peter asked blankly.

“He’s working hard to keep the NYPD from getting complacent, can you feel it?” Gwen said.

“I’ve seen complaints online that the abuse of power by NYPD officers is getting worse,” Stephanie said.

“I don’t think it’s necessary to pay attention to them. These people are too sensitive and too fragile,” Li Qun said.

The TV is on in the living room, and you can see it directly from the dining table.

Now that they live on their own and are the owners of their rooms, Li Qun makes Peter, Gwen, and Stephanie realize that they can do whatever they want on their own turf, and the old rules of "home" no longer apply.

"New York City will invest $900 million to deploy more surveillance cameras."

"Is this the issue being discussed online?" Li Qun asked, referring to the television news.

"There are now more than two thousand official surveillance cameras in New York City?" Peter was also listening to the TV news.

"It's useless. The image quality is too poor and too blurry. Even if you manage to capture Spider-Man, all you can see is his pixelated butt," Gwen complained.

“With a 900 million investment, someone’s going to make a killing again,” Stephanie said.

"We don't know in which areas the surveillance cameras will be added yet," Li Qun said.

“It’s likely to be an affluent neighborhood and an important street, not a gang-run area,” Gwen said.

"Have you been paying attention to any new heroes besides Spider-Man?" Li Qun asked.

“Nothing noteworthy, just ordinary people,” Gwen said.

“A superhero for ordinary people, that’s Batman,” Peter said.

“Just kidding, the only one who can become Batman now is Harry,” Li Qun said.

……

……

"Dad, what is this?"

In Norman's penthouse in Manhattan, Harry stared at Norman in shock.

“His name is Bronsky, and he’ll be staying with you for a while. You’ll have to call him Colonel Bronsky,” Norman introduced the man to Harry.

“I’m asking about this…” Harry looked toward the corner by the window in the room.

Bronsky was arranging his things in the apartment.

On a coat rack sits the Green Goblin armor, next to which is the Devil glider. If it were painted black and had the bat symbol added, it would be Batman's gear.

“This is something your father’s men designed,” Bronsky said, looking at Harry.

“Harry, get along well with Colonel Bronsky. I have work to do and have to go,” Norman said.

“Ah, this…” Harry’s expression froze.

Harry turned around, and Bronsky smiled at him.

"Hello, Harry."

“Don’t be afraid. I’m a professional soldier, and colonel is my rank. If you knew the significance of that title, you wouldn’t be afraid of me,” Bronsky said in a friendly manner.

"Yes, Colonel Bronsky."

"Don't be afraid, I don't like boys."

"How old are you? Are you over 18? Have you ever been to a strip club? Or do you prefer the Big Bird Club?" Bronsky asked.

Harry smiled politely and shook his head like an honest child.

“My dad is very strict with me,” Harry said.

"OK. I understand."

“I am British,” Bronsky said.

Harry's heart skipped a beat. The British.

“I’ll stay in this room upstairs, you can stay in your own room,” Bronsky said.

Harry thought to himself, "Blonski said something completely pointless."

Do you like working out?

"Fortunately."

Bronsky started taking off his clothes, and Harry was so frightened that he retreated to the window, where the fire escape was hanging outside.

“Let me see how your workout is going?” Bronsky said, showing off his physique to Harry.

“Colonel, how many years have you been a professional soldier?” Harry asked.

“Twenty years,” Bronsky said with a smile.

Chapter 346 Corporation and Superheroes

“Gwen, do you think it’s straight?” Li Qun asked.

“Peter, come down a bit.” Gwen pointed to Peter.

"It's lower now."

"It feels about right... Stephanie, we need you!"

In the living room, Li Qun and Peter were decorating the walls. They used a New York City guide map, with simple notes on the places they had personally visited.

"Let me see..." Stephanie walked out of the room, stroking her chin as she looked at the huge map of New York City that was about to be fixed on the wall.

"I think it's fine."

"it is good!"

The city map was fixed in place, and then Peter began to add "decorations" to it, using thumbtacks to stick miniature photos of some locations next to it, and marking certain routes with a red pen.

With the start of the new school year approaching, Li Qun, Peter, and the other three left their apartment to discuss the best route from the apartment to the school.

It records the time of various modes of transportation, including walking, cycling, driving, taking the subway, and taking public buses, at different times.

After figuring out the route, I gathered information from the school forum: things to note after freshman enrollment, unspoken rules among Columbia University students and groups, and how to plan my coursework.

Gwen compiled this information into her notebook, which was half the size of the notebook, and also recorded things to pay attention to in her sophomore and junior years and for graduation.

The landline phone in the living room rang. Gwen was closest to it, so she picked it up without thinking.

Hi, I'm Gwen.

"Harry? You're coming over? What's wrong?"

"Okay, come here."

"Want some dinner?"

"Then you can't come empty-handed."

"Hang up."

Gwen hung up the phone.

“He seems to be going through something upsetting,” Gwen said.

“Interning at a big company, but with nobody knowing he’s the company’s future successor, can definitely feel a bit frustrating,” Li Qun said.

“Harry has quite an appetite…” Peter turned to look at Li Qun, his eyes hinting.

“I’ll prepare an extra dish,” Li Qun replied to Peter.

An hour later, Harry knocked on the apartment door, carrying a watermelon.

“Watermelon? Okay, let’s have it as dessert.” Gwen took the watermelon from Harry with both hands, put it in the refrigerator, and took out a bottle of chilled juice for Harry.

“You’d never guess what my dad did to me!” Harry sat down on the sofa, opened his juice bottle, and took a sip.

“What did Uncle Norman do?” Peter sat down on the sofa next to Harry and looked at him with concern.

“He found me a roommate, a guy who looked to be in his forties, an officer who liked to wander around shirtless,” Harry replied.

“Oh…” Peter instantly felt sorry for Harry.

“He likes to smoke. I reminded him, and he went to smoke on the balcony, but the house still smells of secondhand smoke,” Harry said.

"You didn't have a conflict with him, did you?" Peter asked.

“He wanted me to take him to bars and nightclubs, but I told him I had never been to any, and then he went out and found some himself.”

“I don’t understand why my dad let this guy live with me,” Harry said.

Li Qun walked out of the kitchen and placed the dishes on the dining table. Gwen and Stephanie, who were guarding the kitchen door, seemed to receive a signal and entered the kitchen one after the other to help Li Qun bring out the food.

“Let’s eat first,” Peter said to Harry.

Five people sat down at the table, and the position of each dish was repeatedly adjusted by Gwen and Peter. The placement of each dish could not satisfy one of them. Finally, Li Qun stepped in, and no one adjusted the position of the dishes before picking up their chopsticks anymore.

"Cheers!" Gwen raised her canned ready-made cocktail. Her companions, Li Qun and Stephanie, along with Peter and Harry, all declined alcohol.

"You guys are living a very comfortable life."