Cassius boarded the flight back to Los Angeles alone.
First class was much more spacious. The seat next to him was empty, missing the person who always slept leaning on his shoulder.
Cassius put on his eye mask but didn't feel sleepy.
During the flight, he reviewed the gains from this trip.
After several roadshows, his fame had skyrocketed!
Online buzz was high!
He had also established a solid friendship with Robert Pattinson.
His attribute panel was much richer.
And most importantly, his relationship with Kristen had entered a more stable stage after being tested publicly.
Of course, there was also the continuously operating [Male God Enhancer].
Occasionally looking in the mirror, he could feel the optimization proceeding in subtle details—sharper contours, more settled temperament.
When the plane landed in Los Angeles and the familiar California sunshine shone through the porthole, Cassius took a deep breath.
Hollywood, I'm back!
This time, not as the bottom-tier Chinese extra worrying about visas and rent, but as Cassius, with Thor on his resume, the title of Kristen's boyfriend, and about to have his own regular TV role.
Turning on his phone, a string of messages flooded in.
Some were preparatory materials for 2 Broke Girls that he hadn't had time to open.
Kristen sent a funny selfie from the airport cafe after he took off, with Robert looking lifeless in the background.
He put away his phone, picked up his carry-on, and walked off the plane.
Outside the walkway, Rob greeted him with excitement.
"Welcome back, superstar!"
Rob took one of his bags. "How was it? How did the global tour feel?"
"Like riding a rollercoaster through hell for a month, but pretty awesome!"
Cassius answered honestly.
"Awesome is right! Hurry up, the 2 Broke Girls script has been tweaked again, you need to familiarize yourself asap. Also, several endorsements are in talks, all eyeing your recent heat..."
Rob chattered on about the upcoming schedule.
Cassius listened, his gaze sweeping over the crowds coming and going in the airport hall.
No one pointed at him anymore, no crazy screams, but this feeling of returning to normalcy was unexpectedly grounding.
He got into Rob's car.
"Let's go, Rob!"
Cassius buckled his seatbelt. "First, let's get a decent meal. Airline food is an insult to food."
Rob's car had just driven out of the airport parking lot.
Just as Cassius was about to search for nearby delicacies to heal his stomach ravaged by airline food, his phone vibrated frantically.
The name jumping on the screen made him pause:
Chris Hemsworth.
Calculating the time, it had been over a month since he got Mjolnir. The time limit was long overdue!
Chris was probably going crazy!
Sure enough!
He had just swiped to answer, before he could even say "Hey," a fast-talking tenor voice came through the receiver:
"Cass! Thank God! You finally answered! I was about to buy a plane ticket to storm Beverly Hills and smash the door down!"
Cassius moved the phone a bit further away and mouthed "It's Chris" to Rob who was driving. Rob immediately showed an "I understand" expression.
"Chris, calm down!"
Cassius tried to soothe him. "I just got off the plane, signal wasn't great..."
"Bro, do you know what kind of life I've been living recently? I dream about Mjolnir every night!"
Chris's voice was frantic and helpless.
"How many days has it been? How many messages did I send you? How many calls? Stone sinking into the ocean! I thought you eloped to an alien galaxy with my hammer!"
Cassius rubbed his brow. This guy was really anxious!
"Tour schedule was too tight, jet lag was chaotic, and you know, some occasions aren't convenient for answering calls!"
He referred to those moments surrounded by fans and media.
"I don't care! Where's my hammer? Is it still alive? You didn't use it as a doorstop or to open packages, did you?"
Chris's tone was full of resentment.
An image flashed through Cassius's mind of the hammer acting as a coat rack in the corner of his living room, occasionally used as a dumbbell for bicep curls. But his tone was extremely sincere:
"Relax, intact and undamaged, didn't even catch a speck of dust!"
This wasn't entirely a lie; he did wipe it occasionally.
"God..."
Chris let out a long breath on the other end, sounding exhausted.
"I missed it to death!"
Cassius could almost imagine Chris's crumbling face. Holding back laughter, he said seriously:
"Understood. How about this, tomorrow... no, I'll bring it back to you this afternoon?"
"No need for you to bring it!"
Chris refused immediately, afraid of complications.
"I'll have my assistant go pick it up right now! Waiting right at your door!"
"OK! I'll tell security. Relax! The hammer is very safe in the house!"
"It better be!"
Chris added a few more instructions, the core message being "watch my hammer, my guy is coming," before hanging up.
The car fell silent, and Rob finally couldn't help laughing out loud.
"Haha, looks like Mr. Hemsworth hasn't slept well this month."
Cassius put the phone back in his pocket and laughed too. "Dreaming about his hammer!"
Thinking of Chris's frantic state, he felt a bit sorry for this sunny big boy, but mostly amusement.
[Chris Hemsworth Favorability -5, Current Favorability 75]
"So you really didn't use that hammer for anything else?"
Rob asked curiously, with a hint of teasing.
"Am I that kind of person?"
Cassius raised an eyebrow. "At most used it to hang a coat!"
A gray attribute orb dropped from Cassius himself.
[Guilty Conscience +1]
Rob laughed heartily.
They eventually found a nice steakhouse for lunch.
During the meal, Rob detailed the latest progress on 2 Broke Girls. The script tweaks were mainly to strengthen Han Lee's comedic effect and his chemistry with Max and Caroline.
"Director Michael hopes you can blend that Eastern mystique and dry humor more naturally!"
Rob said while cutting his steak.
"Like the coin trick during your audition. Add some small characteristics, but don't overdo it!"
Cassius nodded.
He started pondering how to perfect this character in his mind.
After eating, Rob drove Cassius back to Beverly Hills.
Sure enough, as soon as the car arrived at the gate, they saw a well-dressed, capable-looking young man waiting there, a black business van parked nearby.
Cassius got out, confirmed with security, and then said to the young man:
"You're Chris's assistant?"
"Yes, Mr. Cass!"
The young man was very polite, but his eyes showed urgency. "Mr. Hemsworth asked me to pick up a prop!"
"Follow me!"
Cassius led him into the villa.
When the assistant saw the majestic Mjolnir standing perfectly fine in the corner of the living room, with one of Cassius's casual jackets actually hanging on the handle, the corner of his mouth seemed to twitch imperceptibly.
He walked over cautiously, put on white gloves, and then picked up the hammer, checking it carefully to confirm there was no damage.
"Intact, Mr. Cass."
The assistant breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Cassius. "Thank you very much for keeping it safe. Mr. Hemsworth is very grateful!"
Cassius guessed Chris's way of being grateful was wanting to strangle him, but he kept a smile on his face.
"You're welcome, happy to help!"
Sending off the relieved assistant, Cassius looked at the empty corner and actually felt the living room was a bit too tidy!
Used to the presence of that big metal guy, suddenly gone, he wasn't quite used to it.
He took a photo of the empty corner and sent it to Chris:
"Item safely transferred. Your baby is going home!"
Almost instantly, Chris replied with a string of crying and hugging emojis, followed by a voice message filled with the joy of surviving a disaster:
"Brother! You saved my life! Next time you visit, I'll treat you to Australian lobster for a month! No, a year!"
[Chris Hemsworth Favorability +10, Current Favorability 85]
Cassius shook his head with a smile.
These mood swings, truly worthy of playing Thor!
He collapsed onto the sofa and sent a message to Kristen to let her know he was safe, mentioning in passing "Hammer returned to owner."
Kristen replied with a "smiley face." Seems she also knew about Chris's suffering during this time.