Chapter 2214: Late Autumn in the Golden City (Part 14)

Loki and Strange chatted while beginning a massive task—searching through a Chinese dictionary, doing their best to decipher the Chinese documents Strange had brought back from the village chief.

"I received an invitation, learning that Shiler will be holding a banquet for his godson's successful graduation," Strange said. "At the same time, he invited us to visit his manor—the one he has in another universe."

"He lives in a manor in another universe?" Loki raised his eyes to look at Strange, confirming with a hint of disbelief. "The kind of building where it takes at least ten minutes to walk from one door to another?"

"That's too conservative. Have you seen Tony Stark's manor in Beverly Hills? There's a golf course between his living room and bedroom; you'd walk your legs off if you didn't take a car."

"Unimaginable. I think Shiler would start complaining after living there for two days," Loki said, flipping a page of the paper in his hand. "He has complained to me more than once that he built Arkham Asylum too large, resulting in him having to walk for over ten minutes every day after his rounds to get back to his office."

"But he enjoys it, because many people marvel at him having such a large hospital. The New York upper class thinks he is wealthy and generous. Do you think he wouldn't like hearing that?"

"Much better than you," Loki said, not without irony. "Whenever people mention you, they just say you're a good doctor with superb skills and a miraculous touch; they don't mention your character at all."

"I know they curse me behind my back," Strange said, rolling his eyes. "My surgery schedule is too full; I operate on whoever pays the most. I am just such a mercenary villain. Tony Stark's favors don't even work well. Who do they think they are?"

"I believe Tony's favors are particularly ineffective," Loki laughed and said. "You're just targeting him. I don't even know where you two find so many things to argue about every day."

"It's him who is always looking for trouble," Strange said, gently flipping a page of the dictionary. "Pepper has a small tumor in her uterus, only 2.8 millimeters. It doesn't even count as an early-stage uterine fibroid; you can't even see it on an ultrasound. But he hired seven experts for a consultation and turned a deaf ear to my suggestions."

"And then he messed everything up," Strange said coldly. "Pepper was made very nervous by him. During her hospitalization, she was found to have arrhythmia, and then she heard Tony express concern about her reproductive function. She completely exploded."

"It is truly his good fortune to have met Pepper," Strange sighed as well. "The person with the lowest emotional intelligence I have ever seen is just like that."

"I have experienced this. Honestly, when people over-focus on your reproductive value, it's as if you are just an organ for gestating embryos. This feeling really makes one break down," Loki shook his head gently and said. "He's lucky she only slapped him once."

"How long has Pepper been undergoing psychotherapy with Shiler? Two weeks or three?"

"Only for a little over a week. After going three times, Shiler referred her to Dr. Xavier, citing conflict of interest or something."

"It's probably because if Pepper kept complaining, it would be difficult for Shiler to maintain his friendship with Tony," Strange said, refilling his tea. "Over so many years, Tony is the only one who hasn't done well in this regard. Pepper has prematurely shouldered too many responsibilities as a wife, and even as a mother, but hasn't received enough emotional feedback."

"I heard they are currently vacationing in the Andromeda Galaxy," Loki paused and said. "Do you think they will rush back to attend the banquet?"

"Of course. Tony might feel it's unnecessary, but if Pepper sees the invitation, she will realize this is a formal social invitation. For the sake of Stark Industries, she will definitely attend."

"The two of them really shouldn't talk about each other," Loki said quite helplessly. "Pepper's sense of responsibility is too strong, to the point where she shoulders the part she shouldn't have to. Perhaps Tony also feels the pressure, but is powerless to change or escape it."

"They will keep spinning and rubbing against each other like this until one side devours the other, or they both cool down, turning from stars into clods of earth. Perhaps it will be better then."

"That might have to wait until they are both old," Loki sighed softly and said. "The hormone-bursting process of short-lived species is always too violent. They spend a few days making decisions that affect their entire lives, and then spend the long remainder of their lives being responsible for those decisions."

"We don't know enough about that universe," Loki brought the topic back on track and said. "Perhaps we have seen it and touched it, but we still don't know what kind of attire is not considered rude, or what gifts to bring."

"I saw some people when I was in the underworld over there; it's about the same as here. So I think the rules of the upper class are the same: exquisite, grand, and distinctive, along with gifts that are valuable without being outlandish."

"Do you think I can wear Asgardian royal robes? Would it be a bit too weird? Should I wear a helmet?"

"I think you'd be better off turning into a woman and wearing a beautiful dress; you can't go wrong anywhere with that," Strange thought and said. "Perhaps you can consider an Asgardian-style long dress, like your sister's."

"I'm not sure if she has been invited," Loki frowned slightly and said. "If this is a very formal banquet, Shiler couldn't possibly leave Hela out. If we dress similarly, it would be too awkward."

"But she usually wears dark colors, and I've noticed you prefer light colors when you wear women's clothing."

"That's precisely so I don't look like her," Loki shrugged and said. "Otherwise, it would make Frigga sad."

"Then, as always," Strange put on his monocle and began to carefully search the dense small print in the Chinese dictionary and said, "Unified style, but staggered colors and designs. That dress you wore at the God-King's wedding banquet was not bad."

Loki raised an eyebrow and said, "I didn't expect you to have such an eye for fashion. That is my favorite dress so far, but I can't wear the same one. It's too disrespectful."

"Then gold?"

"Sif's exclusive color. I can't steal the spotlight from the Queen of the Gods."

"Then silver."

"Thor's armor is usually bright silver."

Strange sighed and said, "I understand your difficulties a bit now. Then, white as always—the color you can least go wrong with."

Loki looked like he was seriously considering the style. He said, "What do you think about pale yellow-green? The color of tender buds. The goddesses say I look very good in this color."

Strange also thought for a moment and said, "I think it might be refreshing, but there are risks."

"Shiler will be tolerant of me," Loki grinned and said. "He understood my difficulties earlier than you did."

"Are the two of us attending together? Or do you have a male or female companion?"

"I originally hoped to find a female companion. The candidates I was considering were Wanda or Natasha, but if I attend in a female image, then the male companion candidate would be you, Thanos, or Hawkeye."

"If I wear the Sorcerer Supreme's robes, will it affect your image? Won't red and green clash?"

"I very much want to suggest you don't wear a cloak, but I reckon your cloak wouldn't agree, and making it change color is also a difficult task. But I think purple or a suit's black is also hard to match with yellow-green."

Both fell into deep thought, seemingly wondering how to coordinate their colors. Loki suddenly realized and said, "Find Stark's fashion consultant. Leave professional matters to professional people."

"Don't mention Stark again... Oh, you mean find Pepper, right? That's actually a good idea. I'll go give her a call in a bit."

Loki handed the paper in his hand to Strange and said, "I've finished translating this page. Take a look. The more useful information is that their plan this time covers 16 nearby villages."

"The international information here is also translated," Strange handed it to Loki and said. "They have launched cooperation with Nepal, India, and Pakistan. They call this cooperative organization the Ring Peak Traffic Development Alliance."

"The first line is expected to pass through Nepal to reach India, and the second line is to pass through India to reach Pakistan."

"That's quite a big project. So, which line are we on?"

"It doesn't count as a big project for them. In fact, we can be on any line, because the air traffic system is different from land-based traffic; the routes can be more flexible and changeable."

"Look at this one," Strange pointed to one of them and said. "What is initially solved is the freight problem. Carrying people might need more testing, but I think it will be at most half a year. So we must make progress within these few months so that we can obtain a station."

Loki put down the things in his hand and began to think seriously, saying, "Actually, I think the villages around us are not poor, just slightly primitive. And if we want them to enter modernization quickly, it is inevitable that we will destroy the original customs and style."

"I don't think we need to compromise with modernization," Strange also put down the things in his hand, placed his hands on the table and said. "That is the path belonging to science, and we have already walked our own path."

"Magic lighting doesn't need wires and electricity towers, so naturally, it doesn't need to break ground and start construction with great fanfare. The magic seeds we study, when applied to the farmland of ordinary people, will also allow them to have a bumper harvest, without even needing any modern agricultural machinery."

"I think such an investment is reasonable, because those energies from the universe, when placed in our hands, cannot produce any benefit to Earth."

"And if one stubbornly believes that magic cannot enter the society of ordinary people, then one day it will flow in in another way we don't like."

"So you think we can try to build a magic society here?" Loki raised his eyes to look at him and asked.

Strange nodded. The benefit of chatting with Loki is just this: he can always grasp the intention very quickly and summarize it in a perfect way, which makes the conversation divided into clearly meaningful paragraphs, and is also very convenient for echoing.

"Yes, we can conjure a lot of gold, but that is not a good way to govern the society of ordinary people. They need a lifestyle closer to their nature—producing, selling, and after obtaining money, investing a part into production and enjoying life with a part."

"What do you think they can produce?"

"Many things. Of course, the grain brought by this year's bumper harvest can allow them to earn a small amount of money, but this is obviously not a long-term plan. The population here is sparse, not much grain is needed, and it is also difficult to sell to distant places."

"Traditional farming and grazing are not suitable for villages in remote areas. Handicrafts would be a good choice, but the efficiency is too low, and magic can't help much. We can't sell real magic props to ordinary people."

"But if the scope of magic seeds is expanded to medicinal herbs, it will be completely different." ===== CHAPTER 2215 =====