[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel":3,"chapter-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-191":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Life as a Mental Mentor in Marvel",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2322759,4544,"Chapter 191: Streetlights and Gods (Part 1)","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-191",191,"\u003Cp>Most human thoughts and behaviors follow patterns and logic; a person’s thoughts and actions depend entirely on their current circumstances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not surprising that Strange had such a bold idea—he was a wealthy, accomplished man, not just rich, but extremely rich.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the months before he met the Ancient One, his daily life consisted entirely of dealing with the wealthiest and most powerful people on Earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His encounter with magic wasn’t born of desperation or a need to seek help; the Ancient One’s invitation to study magic resembled an invitation to an academic symposium in a brand-new field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, at this point, Strange held no reverence for magic; his view was much like Stark’s—magic was merely another form of energy to be exploited, and what magic was depended entirely on how people chose to use it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler helped him eliminate distractions, filtering out Wang’s talk of inner cultivation and balance, allowing him to realize that sometimes, solving problems through violence, though crude, was highly effective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under these circumstances, Strange inevitably began to ponder, seeking a path simpler and more efficient than the grueling training at Kamar-Taj.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an unavoidable byproduct of human scientific education—the ultimate goal of all experiments was to increase efficiency and accelerate production.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was no surprise he turned to Stark; though they had previously clashed, the situation had evolved into one of shared interest—clearly, on the matter of magic, their mutual interests would grow even larger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stark sat behind the lab bench, elbows propped on the table, fingers pressed to his temples: “Even so, this is still just an idea—it lacks too many necessary conditions for execution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He waved a hand. “You walked in here, showed me what your magic is, and now we’re both scheming to rob aliens.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Frankly, buddy, if you’d come to anyone but me—the genius inventor Stark—someone would’ve thrown you out as a lunatic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Humanity hasn’t even built a single spaceship yet, and we’re already thinking about borrowing money from aliens. That’s genuinely insane.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strange sat across the lab bench, arms crossed. “The idea is indeed bold, but not impossible—just requires time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It requires a lot of time,” Stark told Strange. “I haven’t even touched the threshold of magic yet, and you—you’re just a novice, never even properly cast a spell.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like we really need to treat this as a long-term project. By the way, did I remind you? Magic can’t be spoken of lightly—so don’t tell too many people about this plan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Relax. Even without magic, I’d stop certain people from finding out about your depraved scheme—they’d never shut up about it, like that old-fashioned jerk who keeps calling himself my uncle, or that idiot who swings around in the sky, and…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strange spoke up: “I don’t know who we need to guard against, but…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up at Stark, who met his gaze with perfect understanding: “...you know we absolutely can’t guard against one person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the SHIELD office, the lightbulb overhead flickered dimly, its glow falling on a square table with one person seated at each side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick and Shiler exchanged glances. Nick said: “So you’re planning to rob aliens?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t phrase it like that,” Stark denied. “It’s borrowing. Borrowing. Do you understand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright…” Nick opened his mouth to speak, but seemed overwhelmed by too many thoughts—he couldn’t find words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause, he placed his hands on the table, gesturing for calm. “I understand everything you just said. There exist powerful beings in this universe who wield magical energy; ordinary people call them aliens, while wizards call them Cosmic Entities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They can lend their power to humans, enabling magic—so magic’s essence is the power of the Cosmic Entities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now you plan to borrow some power to arm yourselves, refuse to repay, then borrow even more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Setting aside whether the technical feasibility works…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick had barely spoken when Stark interrupted: “I know it’s depraved, but the plan was his.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stark pointed at Strange, betraying his teammate without a hint of guilt. Strange blinked, then glared at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick was stunned. “Depraved? What’s depraved about it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick and Shiler stared at Stark and Strange in confusion. Stark and Strange exchanged glances, then Stark said: “Alright, we shouldn’t have overestimated your moral standards.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick said in surprise: “So after setting aside technical issues, the first thing you considered was morality? That’s genuinely unexpected.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But what I’m saying isn’t about morality—it’s about logic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, according to you, the Cosmic Entities are intelligent and communicative—that proves they’re not fools.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just like human credit systems: if you take a loan from a bank and refuse to repay, the bank will never lend to you again. If the sum is large, every other bank will blacklist you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know this behavior is more like bank robbery than borrowing—but banks are stationary. If you’re strong enough, you can rob them repeatedly. But Cosmic Entities aren’t immobile—they’ll see you won’t repay, can’t defeat you, and just leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick looked at Strange with confusion: “You said your teacher borrowed power and refused to repay, then defeated all his creditors—doesn’t that mean every Cosmic Entity would flee from him? How would he ever borrow more power?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is there a possibility?” Shiler looked at Nick. “Those who don’t want to lend him power can’t escape.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strange offered a more plausible explanation: “Cosmic Entities don’t wander the universe. The stronger ones usually have their own domains—what were they called? The Dark Dimension, the Crimson Dimension—I heard that from Wang. Those are their territories.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That does make it somewhat feasible,” Nick murmured, stroking his chin. “But there are still many problems—especially technical ones.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three began discussing, back and forth, how to borrow money to buy guns, then use the guns and money to rob.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait…” Shiler tapped the table, as if he could no longer bear it. “Why is your thinking always so limited? Why do you always fixate on violent robbery? Can’t you be a little more flexible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other three turned to him. Shiler sighed. “This is why I never fit in with you. Do you know? Your conversation just now sounded like a bunch of rednecks playing poker in a barn, shouting at the top of their lungs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Abandon your blunt, violent thinking—it’s the least efficient method. In this era, bank robbery is so outdated. Buying guns, recruiting men, preparing vehicles, fueling them, scouting locations, planning escape routes—it’s all too complicated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just say your plan,” Nick studied Shiler. “I can tell you’ve been holding it in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Instead of robbery, we can use an entirely different approach.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Scam.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler spread his hands. “What’s the highest payout a bank robber ever made? A few million dollars? What about a con artist?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That depends on what kind of con artist you mean. If you mean a successful one…” Nick looked at Strange. “You’d better ask him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why look at me?” Strange snapped. “Compared to certain people, what am I, a successful con artist?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to Stark, who glared back. “Why look at me? I’m an industrialist—I don’t do financial fraud. Besides, the Elixir of Immortality wasn’t even my invention…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at Shiler. The other two followed his gaze. Nick said: “At this point, you can answer your own question—I haven’t seen a con artist with a more impressive record than you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, I have a plan. The ‘borrow and never repay’ routine is outdated. Let’s rebrand it with a modern twist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Like what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Like investment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler placed both hands on the table and began his explanation:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look, the Cosmic Entities’ current transaction model is one-on-one—this is incredibly primitive by human standards.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re still stuck in barter and face-to-face exchanges, but modern finance has long moved beyond that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Step one: abandon the one-on-one model. We can implement one-to-many or many-to-many transactions—in short, get the Cosmic Entities to invest their power in us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And then? Investment requires returns.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Cosmic Entities…” Shiler moved his right hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…invest…” he moved his middle hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…power to us.” Finally, he moved his left hand, indicating three stages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“More Cosmic Entities, investing more power, into us.” Shiler repeated the three gestures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the curious gazes of the other three, he suddenly accelerated his speech, spitting out a rapid stream:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We use the power invested by other Cosmic Entities to pay returns to others, telling them: the more you invest, the more you earn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Set up a tiered system, define promotion levels, escalate returns—recruit one Cosmic Entity, take 3% of the transaction as commission; recruit two, take 7%; and so on—the more you recruit, the more you earn…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once the base is large enough, use later investments to pay earlier investors. Investment income grows, returns grow—until the gap reaches an ideal value…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler spread his hands. “...the enterprise faces unforeseen difficulties and must temporarily bid farewell to all investors. We deeply regret this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After he finished, the room fell silent for a minute. Stark was the first to speak: “That’s a genuinely creative concept… bullshit—it’s just a Ponzi scheme, isn’t it?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick looked at Shiler. “I’ve tried to underestimate your moral bottom line as much as possible, but its flexibility still terrifies me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler suddenly grew serious. “I’ve always believed that for humanity to reach the cosmos, we need not only the essence of our civilization, but also its dross.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Trash is just a resource misplaced. Essence propels us toward the stars; dross is our weapon. After all, no other cosmic civilization has as much dross as humanity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, this is just an entry-level method.” Shiler shrugged. “After expanding the concept of one-to-many or many-to-many transactions, we must abandon barter—it’s a primitive relic. Without a universal medium of exchange, how can they still call themselves advanced aliens?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With a universal medium, you get currency—then markets, supply and demand, crowdfunding, corporations, stocks, futures…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Humanity’s role isn’t to be a debtor who refuses to pay, or a thug who attacks creditors—it’s to be a trustworthy, reputable, universally praised, fair, and ethical operator.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And force? Merely the necessary means to guarantee fairness. We can even promise never to use the Sorcerer Supreme first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then if they refuse to join, we send the Sorcerer Supreme to knock on their door, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t say it like that—if the Sorcerer Supreme knocks on their door, they still have a chance to live. That’s already a huge improvement. We’re practically the Cosmic Anti-Violence Vanguard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once we have both force and legitimacy, we can establish a transaction system, define rules, create class divisions, subdivide layers, and do it all with perfect justification and inevitability…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other three exchanged glances. Shiler remained calm, as if he weren’t plotting to capitalize the entire universe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, all that’s for later. First, let’s discuss the initial plan—there are many advantages.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, this isn’t really a scam. In the end, the early investors will know the truth—but they won’t stop. To protect their sunk costs, they’ll help us keep the secret—not just keep quiet, but actively recruit more people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This solves Earth’s information isolation problem. Though we don’t understand Cosmic Entities, they understand each other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t need to explain Ponzi scheme mechanics again—we know. But the biggest problem with a Ponzi scheme is: after you run off with the money, you need a way to hide and launder it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it were just one person, hiding and changing identity might be simple. But Earth can’t run away—we can’t abandon the entire solar system just to fleece Cosmic Entities,” Nick pointed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we truly start operating, hiding ourselves might indeed be difficult. But there’s another approach: find a powerful patron, promise them a share of the profits, and have them handle the fallout after we abscond.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Shiler looked at Strange. “You mentioned earlier that your teacher, the Sorcerer Supreme, told you she’s been busy preparing for the birth of a new god?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, as I told you before, some mysterious entity she’s been dealing with told her something is about to be born near Earth, and she’s preparing for it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does that mysterious entity behind her have any interest in investing?” Shiler shifted his elbow on the table. “Use the Sorcerer Supreme’s reputation as a guarantee. Let her mysterious patron be the host—recruit a few minor entities first, use their invested power to stage a show, and promote a positive example.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once more joiners arrive and power accumulates, focus on a major entity—spend heavily to lure them in, promise high returns, get them in, let them taste success, then use that to convince more major entities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once these powerful entities join, introduce the recruitment principle: have them help us pressure smaller entities, and we’ll give them a cut.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When it’s time to run, the strongest get their full share; the weaker ones get taken down together and eaten—part goes to the Sorcerer Supreme’s patron as protection money, part we keep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When the smaller entities in the universe grow again, we can use this power as capital to harvest another round.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One problem…” Stark frowned. “You know the key point of a Ponzi scheme is that early on, you need real assets to lure investors. What are you going to use to convince them to invest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t Stephen mention it earlier? The mysterious entity behind the Sorcerer Supreme told him a new beast totem is being born.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, what exactly is this?” Nick asked Strange. “What’s a beast totem? If it’s born on Earth, will it harm us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strange shook his head. “According to my teacher, it’s a symbol of cosmic power—purely mystical. Though it’s being born on Earth, it has nothing to do with humans here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick rubbed his temple. “I bet it’s connected to that giant bat from last time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he looked at Shiler, who gave him a nod and said, “This thing can be turned into something useful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Marvelous Destiny of Immortal Wood”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A new totemic force of the universe is rising, and it needs your help. Give a rose, and your hand retains its fragrance. During the birth of a new god, investment returns reach 200%. Join the Totem God Cult, embark on a successful demonic life—how about it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stark and Strange clapped their hands; Nick remarked, “Theoretically, it does make sense. A powerful demon god with retaliatory capability is also a stakeholder, and those minor demon gods stripped of their power certainly can’t defeat this united front.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Add to that the entity behind the Sorcerer Supreme, ensuring no one dares reach out with dark hands—the chain of exploitation and harvesting is nearly complete.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick sighed and said, “The plan is sound, but the risks are still immense. Earth’s disadvantages are too great—humanity here is too fragile, civilization still backward. Without borrowing outside power, we have almost no chance to bargain with any cosmic force. Once they track us home, we have nothing to stand against them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve always believed…” Stark said firmly, “if one day Earth faces annihilation and we’re powerless to resist, at least we must have the capacity to avenge it. So…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop!” Shiler cut him off directly. “Don’t speak such ill omens. Besides, Earth isn’t powerless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You may think resistance must mean brute force. I admit—we need sufficient military strength to earn a seat at the negotiating table.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But when we cannot develop enough force in the short term, using other means to accumulate resources and buy time isn’t shameful—just like the plan we just outlined.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, I think your thinking is too limited,” Strange continued after Shiler. “You assume human-made nuclear bombs can’t effectively kill those bizarre aliens—but what if we change our approach? What if we use magic to build one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we truly can trick—excuse me, borrow—enough power from those cosmic demon gods, we can turn it into a weapon to defend Earth. These are merely different paths, not fundamentally different.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick sighed again and added, “The hardest part is always the beginning. We have a plan—but where do we start?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We truly know too little about things beyond Earth,” Stark said. “I certainly don’t know any of those cosmic demon gods.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strange shrugged. “I could go back and consult my teacher, but I feel this plan… is just too unethical.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed, then said, “It will seriously damage my image in her eyes. She’ll think I’m an uneducated con artist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And I’m not even sure she’ll actually go to the entity behind him to report this. After all, no matter how you look at it, this is just too despicable…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The immediate priority,” Shiler proposed, “is to find someone who understands extraterrestrial matters—especially the cosmic demon gods and other factions—and can enlighten us so we can screen our first list of victims… I mean, participants.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How easy is that?” Nick rubbed his forehead. “Most people on Earth don’t believe in aliens. Even NASA and astronauts can’t possibly know anything about such mysterious things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if you find someone, you still have to make sure they’re not dangerous and can communicate normally with humans,” Stark added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ideally, they should be a bit dim-witted—so we can extract information without them guessing our true intent,” Strange added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three sighed in unison, feeling they were dreaming in broad daylight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Nick’s phone rang. He answered and said, “Yes, that’s right… What happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you say?… Are you sure?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? Anything else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hanging up, Nick repeated the report: “A possible alien crash site has been detected in New Mexico State. Simultaneously, the state reported a mentally ill man claiming to be a god who attacked the investigation team.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He claims to be a god from Asgard, and the alien wreckage is his weapon. Since he’s been stripped of all divine power, he can’t lift it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, the four exchanged glances and spoke in sequence:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An alien?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An alien without power?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An alien without power or weapon…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An alien without power, without a weapon, and apparently not very bright!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>",2986,"2026-06-20T16:39:12.484Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","55ae434637adee784dbf1e90e5ff6189c72e205f7e19309adce8049623581fae","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-192","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-190",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-cover.jpg"]