"Now, we'll proceed with testing your superpowers," Jean Grey announced, leading Zhou Yi away from the gravity platform into the deeper recesses of the laboratory—a large, heavily reinforced chamber resembling a super-wind tunnel.
"What specific abilities have you cataloged so far?" Jean asked, her eyes fixed on an electronic screen as she adjusted the sophisticated equipment in the tunnel. The chamber echoed with the grinding and whirring of shifting metal apparatus.
Zhou Yi took a moment to list them. "In addition to the gravity field control and the telekinesis I demonstrated earlier, I have some degree of light manipulation. I can also control fire; the peak temperature was initially around 2,500 C, but now I can push past three thousand degrees. Finally, I can fly at speeds comparable to my running speed."
Hearing the sheer breadth of his powers, Jean Grey again leveled a strange, intense look at Zhou Yi, but she said nothing. She simply asked him to systematically unleash each ability on the activated instruments to gather precise data.
Zhou Yi obliged immediately. Taking to the air, he first completed two blistering laps around the tunnel at supersonic speed. Then, two potent rays of energy shot from his eyes, slicing a heavy test metal object cleanly in half.
Next came the elemental assault: he used fire, gravity manipulation, and telekinesis, bombarding all the test tools indiscriminately. The entire chamber looked as though it had been carpet-bombed, the very floor nearly pulverized.
Faced with such overwhelming, raw destructive power, Jean Grey had to cut the assessment short. She quickly extracted a small blood sample from Zhou Yi before dismissing him.
As a condition of cooperation, Zhou Yi requested that the blood sample be thoroughly destroyed after testing, and Jean readily agreed. She understood the immense danger of such sensitive research material falling into the hands of hostile forces, a threat many powerful Mutants desperately feared.
With Professor Charles gently reversing the psychic suggestion, Zhou Lan awoke, and the mother and son soon departed from Xavier's School after tearfully saying goodbye to Charisse. They had much to do, especially since they were newcomers to New York.
Zhou Yi's departure marked the beginning of a relentless work session for Jean Grey. She immediately connected with Professor Charles via telepathy, summarizing the raw, destructive power observed. Then, she dedicated herself entirely to the blood sample analysis.
Though her official doctoral degrees were in psychology, medicine, and biological science, Jean was voluntarily undertaking this research alone. She viewed it as a critical assignment, but her core motivation was a skyrocketing curiosity about Zhou Yi's nature.
If his power was X-Gene related, he was already demonstrating the potential to be one of the most powerful Mutants after Charles and Magneto. If his power wasn't an X-Gene mutation, then what was it?
This research was also about security. Given the possibility of spies within the school, such sensitive data on a high-level Super had to be kept strictly confidential. Jean's personal research was the most reliable way to minimize leakage, ensuring the data only reached the most core personnel.
Lost in her intense work, time flew by. It wasn't until a light tap on her shoulder startled her that Jean snapped back to reality.
"Jean, how are you holding up? Did that boy leave?" Ororo, having returned and standing behind Jean, looked curiously at the shattered state of the laboratory's deepest section.
Jean pinched the bridge of her nose, took a deep, bitter gulp of coffee, and finally spoke. "To be honest, I'm not great. As for that guy, there was no way we could let him stay any longer."
"Very tricky, then?" Ororo's eyes landed on a file resting near Jean's hand. The prominent X-mark on the cover caused her pupils to constrict. "You used a top-secret file format?"
"You know the rules," Jean said soberly, not stopping her close friend, who had advanced internal clearance, from examining the file. "You can look, but you can't speak of this."
Ororo nodded, acknowledging the gravity of the confidentiality agreement, and opened the folder.
The first page contained Zhou Yi's simple social data—name, school, family, and medical history—which Ororo quickly skimmed. The second page, however, made her expression turn instantly serious.
At the very top, Jean had marked a bold, unmistakable conclusion:
A Super created by genetic mutation caused by unknown factors. A natural mutation not produced by the X-gene.
Below was the detailed report from Jean's analysis of Zhou Yi's blood sample:
Cell Division Rate: Abnormally high rate of cell division detected. Speed of growth, evolution, and mutation was beyond anything ever recorded.
Cell Consumption/Stability: Target cells appeared to be in a state of internal decline, with more evolved cells actively consuming backward, undeveloped cells to maintain their stability. Hypothesis: The energy production of the target's body is currently insufficient to sustain efficient, high-level cell evolution, forcing this internal cannibalization to maintain minimal stability.
Radiation Reaction: Ray No. 3 (a specific form of hard radiation) did not cause adverse reactions. Instead, the cells gained energy from the ray, significantly accelerating their division and evolution, maintaining a high evolutionary state. Conclusion: Target exhibits a profoundly positive reaction to ray irradiation, indicating a high probability that radiation exposure could substantially increase his abilities.
Cell Resistance/Exclusivity: Target cells showed extreme exclusivity in the fusibility experiment. All other injected substances were engulfed, having no discernible effect on the core target cells. Further testing using specific viruses is required...
Accompanying the data were detailed microscopic photographs. Ororo knew Jean wasn't exaggerating; the conclusions were staggering.
A natural Super, not generated by the X-Gene, with a power level that was already unimaginably high. Such an existence was almost inconceivable. However, just as Mutants were a small minority compared to humans, individuals like Zhou Yi were too rare to change the fundamental political equation.
Ororo's first reaction was to ask, "What is the Professor's opinion on this?"
"The Professor hopes we can maintain a strong, positive relationship with him. If we could somehow bring him into our fold, that would undeniably be the optimal outcome."
"But he isn't a Mutant. We have no leverage, and frankly, no reason to compel him to join us," Ororo pointed out, setting down the file and nervously tapping her fingers on the table.
"We may not have a reason to force him to join the X-Men, but we can certainly call on him for help when required," Jean argued, gathering the files and turning her back to Ororo. "His sister is a member of the school. If necessary, we could potentially groom her to become a future member of the X-Men."
"Damn it, his sister is only eight years old!" Ororo held her forehead, exasperated. "What are you thinking? The Professor would never agree to that."
"The Professor certainly won't agree now," Jean conceded. "This is Scott's and my long-term perspective. It's not for today, but for the future. Every potential strength, as long as it can be gained, must be pursued without hesitation. This isn't for us, Ororo, but for the future survival of the Mutant race."
Ororo fell silent, contemplating the brutal pragmatism of that statement. After a long moment, she said, "I hope you haven't made a terrible mistake. And I hope your decision doesn't bring tragedy down on us all."
Jean Grey nodded silently. With a subtle surge of her power, the paper files instantly disintegrated into countless fragments. The digital data, already archived in the school's core confidential computer, would be encrypted in layers, accessible only to the most critical personnel.
Unless the school was completely compromised, Zhou Yi's information was safe. In the eyes of the Xavier School elite, Zhou Yi had already become a crucial, hidden resource. If leveraged correctly, he could make their enemies suffer greatly.
The only remaining problem was establishing the crucial, friendly relationship. Jean's head began to ache. By Zhou Yi's behavior, he clearly possessed a strong adolescent desire for the opposite sex. But they couldn't possibly use a honey trap. The school was a haven, not a spy organization. Even if they could, who would they send?
If Jean went, Scott Summers (Cyclops) would likely laser-blast Zhou Yi's home the next day. Any chance of friendship would vanish in a deadly fight. If Ororo went, she was too unpredictable and independent.
A thought struck Jean, and she inwardly called herself an idiot. The future is a blank slate, she mused. No one can truly say what will happen.
Back home in their new New York apartment, Zhou Yi suddenly sneezed violently. Before he could speak, Zhou Lan placed her hands on her hips, her eyes sharp and unforgiving.
"Don't you dare try to charm your way out of this! You will explain every single thing you've been hiding today, or you won't be sleeping in your bed tonight."
"But, Mom, that's my privacy!" Zhou Yi attempted to resist, but one look at the sheer, cold intensity in his mother's eyes drained all the fight out of him.
In the traditional Chinese way, regardless of his superpowers, his Mother was the highest authority, the absolute master of the house whose word was law. Zhou Yi knew he was defeated. He could grumble inwardly, Damn Charles, you old bald head, you talk too much!
But outwardly, he could only offer a contrite smile, carefully attending to his demanding "My Lord." It looked utterly miserable, yet deep down, Zhou Yi cherished this moment. Because this, finally, was home.