After leaving the restaurant, Su Zhan couldn't help but smile to himself. He hadn't expected that a bit of idle gossip with Laurel would reveal so much or that he would see a different side of her. Laurel was attractive in both body and spirit, but because Su Zhan knew the original story, he had never been interested in her. Now, though, his impression of her had changed. There was a new curiosity—a sense of playful "revenge," as he called it.
Laurel cared deeply for her sister, Sarah, and with Oliver Queen's return, she must have wondered if Sarah was still alive somewhere. When Su Zhan hinted that he knew something about Sarah, he could see how much Laurel wanted to know. The temptation was almost cruel, but it was also irresistible.
Just as he was thinking this, a crisp system notification sounded in his mind.
"Ding! Second-generation Black Canary: Laurel Lance, friendship increased by 50%."
Su Zhan was genuinely surprised. He had not expected such a leap. Saving her, giving her the recording as evidence, and mentioning her sister had all combined to make a deep impression. It seemed his place in her heart was more significant than he realized. Still, it was only a side benefit. His main goal remained: to increase Oliver Queen's friendship by another five percent. He figured that spending the next three days with Oliver, learning from each other and sparring, would be enough to do it. Besides, it was a good chance to improve his own close combat skills.
But sometimes, plans change faster than you expect. When Su Zhan arrived at Oliver's secret base, he was greeted by a new system prompt: friendship with Oliver Queen had increased by five percent. As it turned out, Oliver had already learned that Su Zhan had given the crucial evidence to Laurel, allowing her to bring Martin Somers to justice. For that, Oliver's trust and gratitude had grown.
With that, both his main and side missions in this world were complete. Su Zhan felt a wave of relief and satisfaction. For the next three days, he and Oliver trained together during the day, and at night, Su Zhan continued to absorb etheric particles. The days passed in a peaceful, almost leisurely rhythm.
Su Zhan's progress was remarkable. His physical strength and explosive power already exceeded Oliver's, but he lacked experience and refined skill. Through their daily sparring, he could feel himself improving rapidly. On the first day, when using only skill and not his powers, Oliver still had the upper hand. By the second day, they were evenly matched. By the third, Su Zhan was occasionally able to win. Oliver remarked that Su Zhan was like a sponge, absorbing knowledge at an astonishing rate. All he lacked now was real-world experience.
On the final day, as Su Zhan prepared to leave, Oliver looked genuinely reluctant to see him go. "Are you leaving already?" he asked, a hint of sadness in his voice. "Just a few days together, and it feels like we've known each other for years."
Su Zhan smiled. "I have other things to take care of. Star City is in your hands now."
Oliver nodded and offered a parting salute. "Safe travels, my brother."
With that, Su Zhan found a quiet place and left the Arrow world, returning to the main Marvel universe. He did not immediately erase the Green Lantern world or open a new one. For now, he wanted to take stock and consider his next move. There was no rush.
"System, what's the mission reward this time?" Su Zhan asked as he appeared in his own room.
The system's voice was uncharacteristically lively. "It's very generous!"
Su Zhan was pleased. "And if I don't enter the next world right away? Can I go in at any time, and does the refresh timer start when I leave, or does it follow the Arrow world's timer?"
"You can enter at any time. Each world's refresh time is tracked separately," the system explained.
"Perfect. No wasted time," Su Zhan said with satisfaction.
He stepped out of his room and checked in on the base's construction. Blink greeted him, looking a bit anxious. "Boss, there's something I need to ask you about."
"What's up?" Su Zhan replied, his tone relaxed.
Blink explained, "Pepper Potts—yes, that Pepper—said there's actually a company we can hire to build the base. It might cost more, but the speed is incredible."
"Go on," Su Zhan encouraged.
Blink continued, "Pepper said there's an organization called Damage Control. They specialize in cleanup, recovery, and reconstruction. Their engineering techniques are extremely advanced, and they can complete a full cleanup and rebuild in just one month. They're very mysterious and have contracts with government departments, S.H.I.E.L.D., and private companies like Stark Industries. After the Battle of New York, a large part of the city was handed over to them for reconstruction. They're efficient and reliable. If we hire them, the base will be finished much faster."
Su Zhan was impressed. "One month? That's fast. I always suspected there had to be a company like that in the Marvel world. With all the chaos, alien invasions, and constant battles, the city always seems to bounce back quickly. It's not like the government could keep so many engineering teams on standby."
Blink nodded. "Pepper can contact the person in charge. She suggested you meet with them first to see if you want to proceed."
Su Zhan agreed immediately. "Absolutely. If they're as good as you say, I want to see for myself. Let's go find Pepper."
With that, Su Zhan set off to meet Pepper Potts and arrange a meeting with Damage Control. If all went well, his base would soon be built faster and better than he could have hoped.