One hour ago.
Chinatown.
"Chinese restaurant~ Chinese restaurant~"
Cindy, with a red-and-black small backpack slung over her shoulder, strolled leisurely down the street on her long, slender legs, scanning the area for a restaurant she liked.
Though not Chinese, her Asian features allowed her to blend in perfectly here.
However, her striking appearance—especially among fellow Asians—quickly drew attention.
"Hey! 'Silk'!"
"It really is Silk!"
"Can I get your autograph? My little daughter watches your cartoon every day! (A superhero spin-off animation, funded by the Ghost-Spider Club.)"
It didn't take long before people started to recognized her, and more and more gathered, asking for autographs.
"Ah....."
Cindy, seeing herself surrounded, shyly pressed her cherry lips together, pulled up her hoodie, and shot out webbing to escape the crowd.
"Goddess! This is for you, please accept it!"
No one knew who started it, but someone handed her a souvenir trinket—a replica of an ancient artifact.
And then.
It quickly spiraled out of control.
"Me! Me! I also have something for you!"
"Wait! Me too!"
A while later...
Cindy ended up holding a chaotic pile of items...
Wrapped cakes, fruit-flavored milk tea, a brand-new pair of women's sports shoes still in the box...
Even a few sticks of lamb skewers...
With all these things in her arms, left Cindy feeling a little overwhelmed.
'This is... way too enthusiastic...'
If she swung away with her webs now, all these items would definitely fall to the ground.
She felt that would be impolite...
Outside the crowd.
A clean-cut young man wearing headphones, standing on tiptoe in white sneakers, peered in. "I think it's... a superhero..."
"Alright la, stop looking la, no matter how much you look, she won't be yours."
Beside him stood a sleazy short man with a gold tooth, fur coat, and a giant gold chain.
He said to his cheap nephew, "Let's hurry up and check out the case—if we're late, someone else will get the bounty la."
…..
Huff... huff...
Cindy sniffed the lamb skewers and curiously asked, "Is this considered Chinese food?"
"Chinese food?"
A woman dressed in a women's suit stepped out of the crowd and asked Cindy.
"Are you here in Chinatown looking for Chinese food? I can recommend a few good restaurants for you."
"Really?"
Cindy said excitedly.
"Hello, you are...?"
"My name is Chen Ying, and I'm a police officer in Chinatown."
After introducing herself, Chen Ying addressed the crowd.
"Alright, everyone disperse, don't block the street."
As a police officer, she had some authority, and soon the crowd dispersed.
Cindy nodded in gratitude to Chen Ying.
"Thank you."
"No problem, I'm a fan of yours too."
Chen Ying smiled as she led Cindy to a Chinese restaurant.
"Let me take you to try some authentic dishes here, superhero."
"Actually....."
As Cindy walked, cradling the pile of gifts in her arms, she chatted, "...I actually wanted to learn how to cook a few Chinese dishes."
"Oh?"
Chen Ying pushed open the door of a Chinese restaurant and turned back to ask.
"Is it to cook for yourself... or...?"
"I...."
Cindy hesitated for a moment but then explained, "I have a Chinese friend..."
Upon hearing that, Chen Ying immediately gave her a knowing smile. "Boyfriend?"
"Ah..."
Cindy's face turned red, but she didn't deny it....
"Y-you... don't say stuff like that..."
"Hehe~ Don't worry."
Chen Ying led her into the restaurant kitchen while teasing her along the way.
"Who'd dare spread rumors about a superhero? If your fan clubs found out, they'd probably tear me apart~"
"My fans are that fierce...? I thought they seemed pretty sweet..."
"Just kidding. Come on, let me introduce you."
Chen Ying introduced Cindy to a female chef.
"This is... someone you can learn cooking from."
"Hello, nice to meet you."
…..
Next, Cindy happily followed the chef and learned to cook a few delicious Chinese dishes.
Soon.
Dozens of minutes passed...
"Good cooking will shine... Of course, that's just a metaphor... We need to control the heat at..."
The chef was explaining the key points of cooking.
Cindy caught something out of the corner of her eye through the kitchen window, then suddenly froze. "It's glowing..."
"What?"
The chef looked at the dish in front of her in confusion. "What's glowing?"
Then, she followed Cindy's gaze and immediately froze in shock.
"My goodness... it's... it's really glowing...!!"
Outside the window.
A blue beam of light connected to the sky.
At the end of it, the sky looked torn open—countless black specks surged out of the hole, spreading rapidly.
A portion of them were heading straight for Chinatown.
A few minutes later, Cindy and Chen Ying rushing to the restaurant rooftop and saw that part of the Chitauri army had already descended to the streets, wreaking havoc.