Chapter 42
Avengers Tower
Inside the conference room, the group was still immersed in the shock of Hydra's infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Yang Jian glanced at the time and stood up: "You handle the Hydra situation yourselves. I need to head back."
"Wait!" Iron Man called out to him. "You're just leaving like that? At least leave a way to contact you."
Yang Jian waved his hand without looking back: "I'll come back when I feel like it."
With that, he raised a hand and drew open a golden portal. Under the group's complex gazes, he stepped through and vanished.
Villa Balcony
Golden light flashed. Yang Jian's figure reappeared.
"Origin, how long was I gone?"
[30 minutes 17 seconds, sir.]
Yang Jian raised an eyebrow: "Only half an hour?"
He looked inside the house. Wanda and Helen were still resting.
"Still early."
He lay back down on the familiar lounge chair, closed his eyes, and sank his consciousness into his mind-sea.
The familiar dimensional space reappeared once more—countless universe bubbles floating in the darkness.
But this time, Yang Jian sharply noticed a region at the edge of his vision radiating strange rainbow-colored light.
"What is this?"
He guided his consciousness closer and found that all the bubbles in that area were shrouded in hazy mist, completely obscuring the interior.
Completely different from the clearly visible Marvel universe bubbles he had seen before.
"Interesting."
Driven by curiosity, he selected the brightest rainbow bubble and sent his soul directly through it.
The next second—
Yang Jian's soul floated above this unfamiliar world.
He flew to high altitude and began observing the surroundings.
It was a strange city.
No mutants. No super-soldiers. No alien technology. Not even a single decent villain.
It was simply an ordinary Earth, almost identical to the real world he had come from before transmigrating.
"Okay… looks like it really is a normal world."
He withdrew his perception, preparing to return to his body.
Although it appeared completely unremarkable on the surface, since it existed in the bubble space, it must have something unique.
Perhaps vacationing here wouldn't be bad.
With that thought, Yang Jian's consciousness instantly returned.
The next second—
On the lounge chair, Yang Jian opened his eyes. He stood up and drew open a golden portal with a wave of his hand.
Without hesitation, he stepped straight through.
...
Some Universe New York
Yang Jian stood on an unfamiliar street and looked around again.
Here there was no Avengers, no mutants, no S.H.I.E.L.D., not even the slightest trace of supernatural power.
Pedestrians hurried past, car horns blared, shopping mall billboards flashed, the aroma of coffee drifted from shops.
Everything was so ordinary it was almost surprising.
A world without superheroes?
Yang Jian became interested. Super perception covered the globe; super vision pierced through layers of obstacles.
In the end, he really confirmed several things.
No superpowered individuals existed—at least none publicly active.
Technology level was roughly equivalent to early 21st-century Earth—no Stark Industries, no Wakandan vibranium tech.
Historical trajectory was highly similar to the real world—no records of alien invasions, no trace of the Battle of New York.
"So it really is just for vacation?"
He put both hands in his pockets and strolled down the street like an ordinary tourist.
Sunlight warmed the asphalt slightly. From an old-style radio by the roadside came the voice of a news announcer, tinged with the characteristic static of the early century.
"Today is June 12, 2007. Next up is the midday news…"
"2007?" Yang Jian raised an eyebrow, hands still in his pockets, walking slowly along the street.
He mentally recalled events that might correspond to this year—the early signs of the financial crisis? The iPhone had just been released? Or perhaps…
While thinking, he turned a corner. Ahead appeared a rundown shop named Bobby's Auto Repair.
The rolling shutter door was half open; the sound of wrenches clanging against metal came from inside.
At that moment—
A young woman in a white tank top stepped out of the repair shop and bent down to inspect a motorcycle parked at the entrance.
She brushed aside her fallen black hair. Her stunning figure was fully on display. Yang Jian's footsteps paused slightly.
Megan Fox?
That iconic face, the slightly upturned lips, and those wild eyes.
It was indeed the actress who became famous for Transformers.
But immediately after, a shout came from inside the repair shop.
"Mikaela! Grab me the 3/4-inch socket!"
The woman replied without turning her head: "Got it."
Yang Jian narrowed his eyes.
Mikaela? Megan Fox? 2007?
A guess took shape in his mind.
He walked straight toward the repair shop. The rusted bell rang crisply as he pushed the door open.
"What can I do for you?" A middle-aged man covered in grease lifted his head from behind the counter.
"Fixing a car?"
Yang Jian looked around the shop, let his gaze wander for a moment, then gave a polite smile: "Actually, I want to buy a car, but I'm not very knowledgeable. I need someone to come with me and take a look. The pay is a thousand dollars."
The repair shop instantly fell silent.
The sound of a wrench hitting the floor was especially clear.
Mikaela slid out from under a vehicle, dusted off her hands, and looked at Yang Jian with interest: "You serious?"
"Cash payment." Yang Jian pulled a stack of hundred-dollar bills from his pocket and flicked them lightly between his fingers.
The middle-aged man frowned, but before he could speak, Mikaela had already taken off her gloves and walked over: "I'll take the job."
As she got closer, Yang Jian accidentally caught a glimpse of something he shouldn't have.
He definitely wasn't looking on purpose.
"So," Mikaela straddled her motorcycle.
"Which dealership are we going to?"
"Wait—no need for the bike. Close your eyes." Yang Jian said with a smile.
Mikaela closed her eyes suspiciously, her long lashes trembling slightly in the sunlight.
"This better not be some kind of prank."
Before she finished speaking, she suddenly felt a dizzying sensation, as if a breeze had swept around her.
The roaring wind in her ears stopped abruptly. A pair of warm hands steadied her shoulders.
"You can open your eyes now."
Mikaela snapped her eyes open. The sight in front of her made her freeze instantly.
Just moments ago she had been standing at the entrance of the rundown repair shop. Now she was in front of the glass facade of a Chevrolet dealership.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto a brand-new Camaro. Reflections of the car's paint danced across her face.
"What the hell!!"
She stumbled back two steps, nearly crashing into the fire hydrant behind her. "How did we get here? This place is twelve blocks from the shop!"
Yang Jian had already pushed open the glass door of the dealership. The bell chimed crisply: "Come in and pick a car."
Mikaela mechanically followed him into the showroom, her brain still processing the surreal experience.
Her gaze swept over the displayed vehicles and suddenly stopped on a yellow Camaro in the corner.
She thought that model suited Yang Jian's style perfectly—high-end, muscular, domineering.
"Like this one?" Yang Jian noticed where she was looking.
"What do you think? It's pretty cool, right?" Mikaela instinctively ran her hand over the door; the metal felt warm.
The sales manager enthusiastically approached: "Sir, madam, I must say—you have excellent taste! This is the latest SS performance edition, equipped with a 6.0-liter V8 engine!"
"I'll take this one." Yang Jian directly pulled out his wallet and wrote a check.
A minute earlier, Origin had already prepared an identity for him—and conveniently acquired some cash.
"Full payment."
Mikaela's eyes widened: "You didn't even ask the price!"
"Not important." Yang Jian's fingertips lightly tapped the hood as he looked at the car that was identical to Bumblebee from the movie.
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