The sun was setting, and darkness began to cover the earth once again. The streetlights flickered on one by one as the street vendors wrapped up their busy day and returned home.
Wang Ye had changed into a black suit with gold trim, the well-fitted attire accentuating his tall and perfect figure. His hair, though casually styled, gave him a unique charm. The shop door had already been closed, and he stood outside, waiting for Steve and Bucky. After checking that they hadn't arrived yet, he habitually lit a cigar and began to smoke.
Just as he finished the cigar, the distant sound of a car horn reached his ears—it was Steve and Bucky, finally arriving.
A luxurious stretch limousine came to a smooth stop in front of Wang Ye. Steve got out first, looking at Wang Ye respectfully, and said, "Master, sorry for keeping you waiting! Please, get in!"
Wang Ye gave Steve a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, already knowing the reason for their lateness without asking. It was obvious.
"It's fine. I just waited here on the street for the time it takes to smoke a cigar."
(Fun fact: A regular-sized cigar can take one to two hours to finish.)
Steve, sensing Wang Ye's knowing look, felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly smiled awkwardly, closed the car door, and walked to the other side to get in, not daring to speak.
The car then drove off toward the venue in an odd atmosphere.
~
Since Wang Ye, Steve, and Bucky had left later than expected, there weren't many cars on the road. What would have been a 40-minute drive was reduced to just 20 minutes with Bucky flooring the gas pedal, bringing them to the venue.
After parking, the three of them got out of the car, but the mood remained tense. Once they entered the venue, Steve finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Master, do you want to walk around with us?"
"You two go ahead. I'll just look around on my own." Wang Ye waved his hand dismissively and headed toward an exhibit.
"Hey, Steve, I finally managed to get two girls to come tonight. You can't back out now! You have to perform well!" After Wang Ye walked away, Bucky put his arm around Steve, grinning.
Steve glanced at Wang Ye's departing figure before turning back to Bucky with a feigned look of surprise. "How did you introduce me to them? You didn't say anything bad about me, did you?"
Bucky clapped Steve on the shoulder, laughing. "Don't worry! I only said good things about you. They're really curious about you!"
"Oh, but... but!" Steve hesitated. He had never been good at talking to girls, never once managing a successful conversation with one in his entire life. He had no idea how to chat with girls!
"Stop with the 'buts,' and let's go! The girls will be waiting for us!" Bucky said, taking no further objections and dragging Steve toward the spot where the girls were.
On the other side, Wang Ye had bought a bucket of popcorn and was leisurely eating it while watching the exhibits.
The Expo displayed all kinds of strange inventions, such as a prototype flying suit that used an unknown energy source for flight, and a scale model of a revolutionary stealth fighter. Some exhibits even featured bizarre monster specimens.
Among all the exhibits, the most eye-catching was a red car displayed at the central booth. According to the information plaque, this was a new anti-gravity car invented by the genius inventor Howard Stark.
As music began to play, a group of young women walked onto the stage and began performing an exciting leg dance, which quickly gathered the attention of the crowd. The audience swelled in number as people gathered around to watch.
Steve and Bucky, accompanied by the two girls, also came down to watch the performance.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let's give a warm round of applause to the genius inventor, Mr. Howard Stark!" The announcer's voice echoed through the hall.
The crowd erupted into applause, and the handsome Howard Stark walked onto the stage, surrounded by the women. The spotlight immediately focused on him.
Howard took the microphone from one of the girls, walked to a control panel, and spoke mysteriously to the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen, what if I told you that in just a few years, your car may never need to touch the ground again?"
Several of the women helped remove the car's four tires, revealing special devices hidden inside.
"Now let me show you that this is no joke! With Stark's anti-gravity technology, everything I've said will come true!" Howard said as he pushed a lever on the control panel, causing the car to slowly begin levitating.
The crowd fell silent, holding their breath in anticipation, witnessing what they believed would be a miraculous moment.
However, the car only levitated for a short time before the anti-gravity device malfunctioned, sending sparks flying before the car crashed back down to the stage with a loud thud.
Howard quickly recovered from the mishap, smiling awkwardly and looking at the audience. "I did say it would take a few more years, didn't I?"
The crowd, ever gracious, applauded once again, offering Howard a round of applause to ease the tension.
Amidst the lively crowd, Steve seemed disinterested, merely clapping along. His eyes were scanning the surroundings as if searching for something, and then they fixed on a military recruitment poster on the wall behind them, indicating a nearby recruitment point.
Steve's eyes lit up, and he immediately thought of undergoing the military physical examination. However, he realized he would feel more at ease if he had Wang Ye's approval first, so he began to look around for him.
Wang Ye had noticed Steve's actions and also saw the recruitment poster. Understanding Steve's intention, he approached Steve from behind and patted him on the shoulder.
"Steve, why aren't you looking around the expo? What are you doing here?" Wang Ye asked with a puzzled look.
Steve turned around, startled to see Wang Ye standing behind him. "Master, I... I want to try again!"
"To join the military?" Wang Ye asked.
"Yes, Master! I... I..."
"Alright, I'll go with you. Stop dithering and acting like a little girl!"
Wang Ye led the way, and Steve quickly followed, a smile spreading across his face.
The two of them headed toward the recruitment point together.
Just as they arrived, Bucky, who had noticed Steve was missing, came running over.
"Steve, it's not cool to just leave me and the girls behind like that!"
"Come on, Bucky, you know how important this is to me. This has always been my dream!" Steve explained.
Wang Ye stepped aside, watching the two friends argue. This was a conversation between two good friends, filled with care and goodbyes, and he didn't want to interfere.
(End of Chapter)
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