Chapter 4

Zhou Yi's silence did not interrupt Professor Charles' conversation, but he tactfully shifted the topic to something both were interested in.

"Your abilities are very powerful. Are you interested in taking a systematic test here?"

"Test? What do you mean? And Professor, please forgive me for being frank, but I doubt my abilities come from the X-gene," Zhou Yi said, unaccustomed to Professor Charles' enthusiasm. He was well aware of his own body; all his superpowers were likely related to his past life.

"Whether you are a mutant is no longer important. What matters is that you are a superhuman. In the eyes of humans, you are no longer one of them, but we stand on the same side," Professor Charles smiled, pointing at Zhou Yi's chest and then at himself. "You, me, and all the people in the world with extraordinary abilities are on the same side."

Zhou Yi had no way to refute this point. After some thought, he asked, "What does the test mean?"

"On this, I think Jean will be more authoritative," Professor Charles smiled kindly, stepping aside to give his talented disciple a chance to showcase her abilities.

It was only then that Zhou Yi began to carefully observe Jean. The red-haired beauty.

She was an extremely intellectual beauty. Her delicate and charming features, along with her bright red shoulder-length hair, highlighted her independent and capable demeanor while accentuating her swan-like, fair neck. Under her white lab coat was a well-fitted women's suit that accentuated her impressive figure, giving her an inexplicable allure. In short, she was a stunning beauty.

Jean Grey ignored Zhou Yi's gaze. To her, Zhou Yi, who was six or seven years younger, was just a young boy. Facing Zhou Yi's gaze, she looked at him as if he were a big radish and said expressionlessly,

"As you know, the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters was founded to help mutants. The situation of mutants is very special. Even with Professor's powerful abilities, he can only sense those who have awakened their X-gene with the help of machines. For those who have not yet awakened, even the Professor is powerless. Without being able to detect those who have not awakened, we cannot prevent potential dangers. By the time we find them, it might already be too late, and an irreparable tragedy might have occurred. Therefore, over the years, we have been dedicated to researching the X-gene, hoping to find its awakening patterns. In this process, we have also developed methods to test the strength of abilities."

"What does this have to do with me? I've already said I'm not a mutant," Zhou Yi emphasized. He did not take Jean Grey's words seriously. The extent of Charles' power might deceive others, but not him, a穿越者 (穿越者 means "time traveler" or "穿越者" in this context, but it's better to use "穿越者" to maintain the original flavor). The most powerful telepath in history was not to be underestimated.

"The X-gene is too singular for us, lacking a point of reference. Henry and I believe that having different ability genes as a reference would be beneficial to our research. Whether you are a mutant or not, as long as you are willing to participate in the test, it will be helpful to us."

"We will not force you to do anything; everything is voluntary," Jean Grey concluded.

Zhou Yi thought about the suggestion. He did not fully understand his own abilities. Although he had been studying his superpowers since his awakening, he could only clearly and skillfully use force fields, telekinesis, and his increasingly enhanced physical constitution. As for the others, he only had a vague idea and had not gained more information. Therefore, he was quite looking forward to the tests at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters.

However, the idea of being a guinea pig was still repulsive to Zhou Yi. He did not want to end up like some unfortunate superhuman who suddenly had thousands of sisters. One Cherys was enough for him.

After some consideration, Zhou Yi decided it was necessary to take the risk. After all, Cherys had joined the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. If his memory served him right, the institute had many enemies, including the military's X-Organization and the Brotherhood of Mutants, both of which had conflicts with the institute. Although he did not know Cherys' abilities, as her brother, he had no reason to let her take unnecessary risks. His goal was to protect his family with his own strength, a commitment that had never changed.

With Zhou Yi's agreement, Professor Charles was very pleased. For him, this was highly beneficial for mutants, and for Zhou Yi, it was a way to enhance his own powers. It was a win-win situation for both parties.

Professor Charles smiled and patted his wheelchair, saying,

"Dear Mr. Zhou, I am very pleased that you have made a correct choice for both of us. Although I would love to accompany you to see your abilities, I am unfortunately not very mobile. However, I believe that having Jean accompany you will be more enjoyable than having an old man like me. Of course, you need not worry about Ms. Zhou's safety. I am sure we have plenty of time to wait for you to return."

Jean Grey then stepped forward, her face cold, and said to Zhou Yi, "Mr. Zhou Yi, please follow me."

Zhou Yi nodded, stood up, and said to Professor Charles, "I hope you are worthy of my trust, Professor!" With that, he followed Jean Grey out.

Professor Charles looked at him with a smile, his eyes deep and serene like a tranquil lake, as always.

As they walked along the path in the campus, Zhou Yi curiously observed the surroundings. The Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, built on the foundation of the Xavier Mansion, was a high-level school that did not fall short of well-funded universities in terms of teaching capabilities. In research, with the support of many high-IQ mutants, the institute was quite secretive and, at least on the surface, was no worse than some renowned research universities.

In terms of living conditions, the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters combined the elegance of old mansions with advanced technology, making it very satisfactory, especially for someone like Zhou Yi, who had a parental instinct.

Jean Grey, as the guide, was also very pleased with Zhou Yi's expression. As a mutant, especially a second-generation member of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters personally taught by Professor Charles, she felt a deep connection to the institute, much like her own home.

Zhou Yi's admiring gaze naturally made her proud. So she put aside her initial reservations and no longer maintained a cold face, starting to speak to him proactively.

"The history of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters may not be long, but I believe it is no worse than any other school, isn't it?"

"Of course, the school is great, and the teachers are great!" Zhou Yi chuckled and joked with Jean Grey, "I wonder if I have the honor of inviting this wonderful teacher to dinner?"

Jean Grey's face turned cold, and she stared at Zhou Yi, her height giving her a clear advantage. She said condescendingly, "I'm sorry, I have no interest, especially in men whose bodies and minds are not fully developed."

"Alright, Miss," Zhou Yi raised his hands and said, "I admit I may not meet your standards now, but I think with my current age and development, I will soon reach your level."

"Zhou Yi, I really want to use a gamma knife to see how thick your skin is!" Jean Grey glared at Zhou Yi, her mental energy causing the pebbles on the path to float.

"Seriously, after the test, can we go out for dinner and a movie?" Zhou Yi walked a few steps faster, almost touching Jean Grey's body, and his stronger telekinetic power suppressed her mental field, leaving it with little resistance.

Realizing she could not deal with Zhou Yi's persistent behavior, Jean Grey stiffened her face and quickened her pace towards the laboratory.

Seeing this, Zhou Yi sensibly shrugged and followed silently. The joke had gone far enough; if he continued, Jean Grey might really get angry.

Although he did not know where he went wrong, Zhou Yi understood that trying to date this mutant beauty was probably out of the question. He could only sigh, realizing that mature and powerful women were much harder to win over than innocent schoolgirls, a strategy that had always worked for him in the past.

Despite his thoughts, they soon arrived at the research laboratory of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters.

Jean Grey deliberately avoided many people and led Zhou Yi to a laboratory that looked highly confidential. She first verified her iris, then unlocked a keypad, quickly inputting the password with her mental power, and finally activated a communication device, saying,

"Ororo, it's me. The Professor asked me to bring someone over for research."

As soon as Jean Grey finished speaking, the steel door in front of them split open along an X-shaped path, revealing a deep corridor.

Seeing this, Zhou Yi could not help but say, "I can only say that your security measures are probably more complex than the President's."

"There are many people who target us mutants!" Jean Grey frowned slightly and said, "Not just human governments, but also some extreme mutants. To protect the institute's secrets, we must do this."

Hearing this, Zhou Yi nodded. The Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters was not just a place for superhumans like Professor Charles but also for low-ability mutants and beginners like Cherys. Without some secret methods and security measures, he would have to take Cherys back.

As they walked through the corridor, the radiation from the surroundings made Zhou Yi clearly feel the detection of various instruments. To show his harmlessness, he relaxed his telekinetic defense, allowing the radiation to touch his body. Clearly, he felt as if he had eaten something, and his abilities became slightly more active.

Well, he had already found a problem before the test even began. He did not know if it was good or bad. Zhou Yi sighed inwardly and followed Jean Grey into the laboratory.