Due to the invasion of the Hellfire Club, it is clear that the CIA's secret base on this side is no longer usable.
However, the young mutants soon discovered Charles' true power. Compared to intrusive telepathy, Charles' ability to generate money was obviously more appealing, especially to this group of homeless children. Nothing caught their attention more than a luxurious mansion.
During this time, a small incident occurred.
As everyone was about to leave the secret base, a group of CIA agents suddenly arrived. They intended to forcibly take the two prisoners of the Hellfire Club.
Their reasons seemed justified. The impact caused by this group of individuals was too severe. The Red Devil alone killed countless agents the previous night. Moreover, it was evident that the leader of the Hellfire Club was planning something, and the CIA believed they had the right to know, right?
Taking these two prisoners away for interrogation seemed like a normal course of action.
However, just as Charles was about to hand over the prisoners, Fang Mo interjected, "You make a good point, but I refuse."
Fang Mo didn't care much about the life or death of the Red Devil. In his eyes, the guy was a joke at best.
But Emma was different. Her psychic abilities were quite useful. Fang Mo had a rare dream about his childhood last night, so it was unlikely for him to agree to let the CIA take her away.
"I'll give you two choices."
Smiling at the CIA agents in front of him, Fang Mo continued, "The first choice is to know when to quit and take the Red Devil back."
"The second choice is to forcibly take both of them back, and then I will randomly select one hundred lucky cities over the next day and unleash equal destruction upon them, just as you did to the Native Americans in the past. Of course, you can think that I'm lying. It doesn't matter. Be brave and bet with me on the future of the United States for the next five hundred years. Let's see if I have the strength."
It turned out that even the White House could back down.
There was no other way. After all, they were facing Fang Mo now, not someone else.
He was a humanoid monster who could teleport freely and cover a radius of thousands of kilometers with flames exceeding 1800 degrees at any time.
Moreover, Professor Charles had mentioned that Fang Mo's mental state might be somewhat unstable. The higher-ups at the CIA had to think twice. After all, no one wanted to go home and suddenly find that Fang Mo had teleported nearby, blowing a devastating blast of flames.
For now, the official side did not want to escalate the tension between the two parties.
Of course, there were certainly radical factions behind the scenes, such as General Stryker, who appeared later in the plot, and Bolivar, the initiator of the Sentinel Program. But was Fang Mo afraid of them?
Even if they truly poisoned mutants and created Sentinel robots, what did that have to do with Fang Mo?
If they couldn't harm each other, Fang Mo could simply fly to the moon and gradually push those things back to Earth using the gravitational field. Let's see who would back down first.
In any case, the plot unexpectedly remained calm for a period of time.
Charles finally discovered his other hobby, which was teaching mutant students.
With his help, these young mutants experienced noticeable growth, and their relationships with each other improved. This included not only Darwin, who was supposed to have died in the original work, but also the defector Salvador. Even on Magneto's side, with Charles' assistance, he mastered the trick to activate his own abilities, resulting in a significant leap in power intensity.
Perhaps the only person who hadn't changed was Fang Mo.
Charles was genuinely concerned about his well-being and found a way to enlighten him. Thus, the task was usually assigned to Emma, Raven, and Logan.
Unfortunately, Fang Mo had no interest in revealing his secret.
Telepathy couldn't penetrate his mind, and Fang Mo wasn't interested in the women present. Even if Logan attempted to get him drunk, he wouldn't be a match for this unwavering individual.
So despite everyone's efforts, the results were minimal.
Nevertheless, their efforts were not in vain. After all, Fang Mo was not a fool and had noticed the actions of this group of people.
Fang Mo approached Logan, who was smoking a cigar, and said, "Why aren't you drinking today?"
With a smile, Fang Mo extended a bag to Logan, saying, "Is it International No Drinking Day? I didn't see you quit smoking on International No Smoking Day, did I? Oh, and there's also International No Hands Day..."
"Sorry, but those holidays don't exist in my world," Logan replied, glancing at Fang Mo.
"Well, what a coincidence, they don't exist in my world either," Fang Mo chuckled, presenting the bag to Logan. "Here, take it and smoke."
Logan accepted the bag with confusion, opened it, and discovered a uniquely shaped cigar inside.
"Hmm?"
Logan was genuinely surprised for a moment, but he curiously examined the cigar. He found that it was not only heavy but also enveloped in a layer of purple-golden light.
After a brief pause, Logan lit the cigar and took a puff.
The smoke felt rich and smooth in his mouth.
A complex aroma filled the air, a blend of tobacco, coffee, cocoa, nuts, and fruit, with a mellow bitterness and a subtle hint of sweetness.
Logan's eyes lit up, and he couldn't resist taking a few more puffs.
As he smoked, Logan hesitated to put out the cigar, intending to save it for later enjoyment. However, he suddenly noticed something peculiar.
Although the cigar had been continuously burning, it didn't seem to diminish in length at all.
"What is this..." Logan muttered in surprise.
"Infinite Cigar," Fang Mo replied, smiling. "The world's top Cuban cigar combined with an enchanted altar and a forging table. It's an infinite and indestructible cigar. Do you like it?"
"This thing never runs out?" Logan asked, examining the cigar in his hand, genuinely surprised.
"Yes," Fang Mo confirmed with a nod. "I wanted to give you a bottle of infinite whiskey, but for some reason, I couldn't create it."
Logan discarded his cheap cigar on the ground and took another strong puff of the infinite cigar given by Fang Mo, exhaling a fine white smoke. "Thanks."
"Just a cigar, nothing more," Fang Mo shrugged, then tossed a golden object towards Logan. "You smoke all day long, like an old chimney. Remember to eat this to nourish your lungs."
Curious, Logan caught the object in his hand and found it to be a weighty apple.
"Hmm, what's this again?" Logan inquired, sniffing the golden apple, but it was coated with a layer of gold, making it scentless.
"Tony's Happy Apple," Fang Mo explained, shrugging.
"Is it meant to be eaten?" Logan questioned, weighing the golden apple in his hand.
"Take a bite," Fang Mo encouraged with a smile. "I've heard that mutant powers stem from genetic mutations, and this item seems to influence human genes. Even ordinary people who consume it can surpass human limits. So, I assume it can enhance mutant gene powers as well."
"Is this valuable?" Logan inquired, inspecting the
golden apple.
"It's worth less than twenty tons of gold," Fang Mo shrugged. "Anyway, try eating one first. After all, your power of sarcasm is still too weak. I was afraid I might accidentally kill you if I used my full strength earlier, which would tarnish my reputation..."
"I have a question to ask," Logan interrupted, looking at the golden apple in his hand and then raising his gaze to meet Fang Mo's. "Can you tell me the truth?"
"Go ahead and ask," Fang Mo responded, nodding.
"You..." Logan paused for a moment, then rubbed his forehead. "Are you really a mutant?"
"No," Fang Mo replied, "I'm your father."
"I'm serious," Logan pressed, rubbing his forehead. "Please don't say random things at a time like this."
"I'm not saying random things," Fang Mo shrugged, spreading his hands. "I just admitted that I'm not a mutant."
"Then what the hell does 'I'm your father' mean?" Logan asked, growing impatient.
"It means exactly what it says," Fang Mo shrugged again. "I'm so amazing that I could be the father of anyone."
"..." Logan stared at Fang Mo for a long time, then suddenly spoke up, "Actually, I can understand that feeling—the feeling of not finding direction and loneliness. You could be a bit more honest..."
"Why are you suddenly talking about this? I'm not that fragile, you know?" Fang Mo chuckled, a mix of laughter and exasperation. "Right now, I'm preoccupied with how to obtain a hydrogen bomb and find a tattoo artist to ink my portrait on the Red Devil or something. I'm living a fulfilling life, alright?"
"But that's not what you truly want," a voice interjected, and Fang Mo turned to see Raven approaching them. "You should strive for what you genuinely desire instead of settling for substitutes."
"Like how you use Hank as a substitute for Charles?" Fang Mo quipped with a smile. "Have you finally realized that being a lapdog is not the right path?"
"You!" Raven retorted, becoming visibly annoyed. "I'm trying to help you! How can you say that about me?"
"So you're suggesting that I pursue the things I truly want?" Fang Mo interrupted Raven, not letting her finish. "Are you willing to assist me?"
"Huh?" Raven was taken aback, then instinctively responded, "I can, but how can I help you?"
"Come to my room tonight."