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"In front of us?"
The youngster Hank had mentioned looked puzzled, then turned to Arthur. "We have a guest? Hello, I'm Scott Lang. It's a pleasure to meet you."
The woman sighed and slapped her forehead in exasperation. Hank chuckled and turned to Arthur. "What do you think?"
"He's got a lot of spirit," Arthur smiled. "You can call me 'Xia'."
Knowing his name would be difficult for them to pronounce, Arthur decided to keep it simple.
"I've never heard Father mention a friend like you," Hank's daughter, Hope Van Dyne, said, her eyes narrowing suspiciously as she glanced between Arthur and her father. She clearly didn't understand why such a person would be in their home at this moment.
Hank stood up and said to Hope, "Come with me."
Scott Lang opened his mouth to speak, but Hank shot him a warning glare. "Stay here."
The father and daughter had already gone upstairs. Scott shrugged helplessly at Arthur. "See? Old people just get cantankerous, right?"
Arthur didn't agree. After all, a man who was constantly being called "old" hardly had the right to comment on such matters.
So, he just smiled and didn't respond.
"What's your relationship with him?" Scott asked. "Oh, maybe that's too personal... but I'm just curious. I always thought he was just some eccentric old recluse. I never expected him to have a young friend like you."
Arthur smiled. "He helped me out once."
"Ah, I see," Scott nodded. "He helped me out too. Though I only found out later that the whole thing was his design."
"Doesn't sound like a pleasant memory?" Arthur asked.
"Let's just say it challenged my entire worldview," Scott nodded seriously.
Arthur chuckled. "But you seem to be doing alright now."
"I'd say I'm still quite useful," Scott replied. "What do you do for work?"
During their casual conversation, Scott hadn't expected his question to lead anywhere. But Arthur immediately replied, "Superheroes."
"Oh, I know about superheroes. They make a decent living... uh..."
Old habits died hard, and the words spilled out before he could stop himself. But then he paused, dazed. "Superheroes?"
"Mhm." Arthur nodded. "You know, the ones who spend all day fighting supervillains, punching each other back and forth, protecting the peace of Earth and humanity. They're the ones who let people enjoy their comfortable, prosperous lives while still having the leisure and energy to sigh, 'There's no such thing as a peaceful era—it's just that someone is carrying the weight for us.'"
"..."
Scott didn't know how to respond. The conversation had suddenly become incredibly awkward.
Arthur chuckled, looking at him amusedly. "Anything else you want to know?"
"Uh... nope, nope, I'm good." Scott waved his hands dismissively, then couldn't resist asking, "Which superhero are you...?"
"Guess," Arthur answered, turning the question back on him.
"...You know I don't like being deceived."
"Good. I don't like deceiving people either," Arthur said, standing up. "Hank told me he has a young man here who needs training and asked for my help. So... come on, let's see what you've got."
"Here?" Scott glanced around, then shook his head. "If I break anything, I'll have to pay for it."
"At least that would prove you're capable of breaking things," Arthur replied. "And right now, you haven't shown any such strength."
"Huh?" Scott's anger flared. Even if Arthur was a superhero, he couldn't talk to him like that!
Why couldn't he break things?
He stood up, shrugged off his jacket, and stretched his arms. "A woman taught me how to punch. She was meddling. The truth is, I spent three years in prison—I know how to throw a punch. I can't use my full strength against a woman, but against you... you'd better brace yourself for everything, because you're going to end up on the ground!"
Before the words had even faded, a punch was already hurtling toward Arthur's face…
...
When Hank and Hope came downstairs, they found Arthur still sitting there, calmly sipping his tea, while Scott lay on the floor, unconscious.
Hank blinked. "So, you already know his level?"
"Very weak," Arthur replied. "I don't know what he'll achieve once he's paired with your Ant-Man Suit, but in his current state... any unexpected event could be fatal."
Hope couldn't help but interject. "He's not as weak as you say. The only reason you took him down is because he wasn't wearing the suit."
Hank had already explained Arthur's identity to Hope upstairs.
Now, knowing that this man with an Asian face was the legendary Instructor who had vanished after a fleeting appearance.
But Arthur didn't take it too seriously.
To be frank, the only time Arthur operated as the "Instructor" in the public eye was during Loki's invasion of Earth.
Otherwise, he either acted in secret or stayed beyond Earth. Though his reputation was considerable throughout the cosmos, he had become virtually unheard of on Earth.
Even if the identity of the "Instructor" seemed inextricably linked to the one who had been active on the battlefield years ago, as long as he remained out of the public eye for a few years, people would completely forget the name.
Such memories not only allowed humans to forget names easily but also to forget lessons.
After hearing Hope's words, Arthur smiled. "So, you're saying anyone could do the same thing, as long as they have that suit?"
"It's different," Hope said. "He has talent too."
"But he still doesn't try hard enough," Arthur waved his hand. "I have no interest in arguing with you, as it's pointless for me."
Hope was about to say more when Hank cut in. "The Instructor has already agreed to train Scott. This is an unprecedented opportunity for him, because in all of history, the only person the Instructor has ever trained is Captain America!"
Hope fell silent, shook his head, and closed his mouth.
Arthur was puzzled, wondering why Hank's woman was so aggressive. This aggression wasn't just directed at him; it extended to Hank and Scott as well.
(End Of This Chapter)
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