Chapter 16
Uncle Long's Day of Suffering
"This is District 13. It's bigger than I imagined... I just wonder if there's any connection between District 13 and S.H.I.E.L.D."
Despite having prepared himself mentally, Riley was still deeply moved to see with his own eyes that such a large and secretive organization existed beneath New York City, where he had lived for fifteen years.
"Ah, I see Uncle Long and the others! Xiaoyu, let's get ready to go down... Xiaoyu? Xiaoyu?!"
But when Riley came to his senses and wanted to remind Jade behind him to be careful so as not to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings...
Only then did he belatedly realize that Xiaoyu, who should have been lying obediently on his back, had disappeared without a trace at some point!
Keep in mind that even disregarding Riley's current position, which is perched on the ceiling of District 13, the second floor, with the smallest drop, is still about four or five meters above the ground. How could Jade, who hasn't received any training from Uncle Jackie and has absolutely no martial arts skills, land unharmed and without making a sound? Leaving aside this baffling question…
The spider silk produced by Riley itself, after a series of tests in Harry's laboratory, has been determined to be able to withstand a force of at least ten tons in terms of tensile strength.
No matter how you look at it, Xiaoyu is just an ordinary little girl. How did she manage to break free of the spider silk? And how could Riley, whose senses have been greatly enhanced after his physical mutation, not notice anything during this process, even at near-zero distance?!
No wonder before the transmigration, everyone online was saying that keeping an eye on Xiaoyu was an epic level challenge.
So it seems that the value of this statement is constantly increasing, and it's definitely not just a simple meme!
"Uncle Dragon—!!!"
Just as Riley was falling into a silent self-doubt because of Jade's mysterious disappearance.
Xiaoyu, who was also entering District 13 for the first time, somehow managed to acquire an electric scooter without anyone noticing, even though there were countless rooms of all sizes and it would probably take ten days or half a month for her to figure out what each room was specifically for.
Startled by her loud shouts, Sheriff Black and Uncle Long instinctively stepped back to the side, creating some distance between them. Jade then displayed driving skills far beyond her years.
With one foot on the ground, he gracefully made a 180-degree turn, then decisively floored the accelerator and sped off at full speed, taking away the bewildered Uncle Long in a single glance!
However...
Since the shortcut we took to enter District 13 relied more or less on Riley's climbing ability, it was clearly unsuitable for electric vehicles.
After "saving" Uncle Long, Xiao Yu was left to wander aimlessly in the unfamiliar District 13, trying to find a new way out by relying on her good luck and intuition.
As a result, not only were the hardworking agents in District 13 thrown into chaos, but the entire district was thrown into turmoil.
Because the incident happened so suddenly, there was no time to sit on the back of the electric scooter. Uncle Long, who just instinctively grabbed whatever was nearby and squatted on a wheeled seat so that he could pull the electric scooter along when Xiaoyu passed by, suffered even more!
Putting aside how much arm strength and body coordination this requires...
As Xiaoyu, small in stature but bold in spirit, charged down the stairs at full speed, a terrified Uncle Long could only quickly jump, taking his chair with him, onto the pipe beside the stairs. The intense friction, accompanied by ear-piercing sounds and bursts of sparks, looked particularly frightening.
After that, Xiaoyu, who was only focused on rushing forward, seemed to have completely forgotten that she had a hapless uncle following her, and she deliberately chose to go through remote and narrow roads!
Forced to dodge obstacles and innocent passersby, Uncle Long had no choice but to grab the seat and jump, supporting himself on the back of the electric scooter with one hand, speeding along the wall at an almost 90-degree angle!
After Uncle Long finally got used to the speed of the electric car, he laboriously reached out with his other hand, pulled out the key, and forcibly shut off the engine, forcing Xiao Yu to prematurely end her dream of becoming a speed demon.
Before Uncle Long could even feel happy, the enormous inertia threw him and his chair flying away!
Finally, amidst the clanging and clattering of falling objects, Uncle Long, who felt utterly humiliated by his niece, collapsed to the ground, utterly despondent, ending this undeserved disaster.
However, what's both funny and sad is...
Jade's original intention was to help Uncle Jack escape from District 13, or at least get away from Commissioner Black, that "malicious villain."
But after Jade had made a ruckus in District 13, Sheriff Black, who was on the second floor, calmly walked down the stairs and arrived right in front of Uncle Dragon.
Even Xiaoyu herself was easily captured by the agents following Sheriff Blake, one on each side, because her electric scooter couldn't start.
"Jackie Chan, my good friend, are you alright? Look over here, how many fingers are there?"
"Ah...hehehe, so many stars...is it already night...?"
"...Alright, it's nothing. You should lie down and rest."
After crouching down and confirming Uncle Long's condition with a worried expression, Sheriff Black, who was usually stoic, couldn't help but frown and reveal a rare hint of anger.
He stood up, turned around, and looked at Xiaoyu, who was still struggling even though she was being held by two detectives. His tone became noticeably harsher as he questioned her, word by word.
"Little girl, how did you get into District 13?!"
"Hmph! What's so difficult about that? Of course, I'll just do what you did and take the stairs!"
Hearing Sheriff Black's words, Jade, who had been struggling, finally calmed down a bit.
But that doesn't mean Xiaoyu was scared.
Xiaoyu only thought that Riley might be quietly watching her every move from some corner of District 13, trying to salvage some goodwill in the face of a failed rescue plan. That's why she stood tall and proud, responding with the confidence of a hero about to face death.
"I'm the brave and fearless T-girl! You won't get any useful information out of me! Just wait until my comrades take care of you, you evil kidnapper!"
"What? An evil kidnapper? Are you talking about me?"
Seeing Xiaoyu's righteous and awe-inspiring appearance, Sheriff Black belatedly realized that he was being treated as a heinous villain. As his furrowed brows relaxed, he immediately revealed an embarrassed expression that was both funny and exasperated.
He then explained to Xiaoyu while reaching into his pocket, taking out his wallet and rummaging through it. He pulled out a photo of himself and Uncle Long, who was still a student at university, taken when they were young.
"Little girl, you might have made a mistake. I'm Jackie Chan's friend. We've known each other for many years. Look at this photo; I even attended his graduation ceremony back then."