American Comics: The Strongest Villain

Laurel didn't want to choose whether to get a room or go outside, but when Su Sheng saw that she hesitated too long and was about to pull her away, she reluctantly chose to get a room.

They entered the hotel, booked a room, paid, and got the key. Su Sheng, with an almost casual air, led Laurel into the room. As the door closed behind them, Laurel's nervousness spiked when she saw Su Sheng pull out a camera from his bag and point it at her. Her face paled instantly.

"Take off your clothes," Su Sheng commanded.

Laurel glared at him with resentment but complied reluctantly. She didn't dare resist, not because she was afraid of dying, but because she feared what Su Sheng might do to her family if she disobeyed.

Piece by piece, she undressed until she was completely exposed. Su Sheng took his time fixing the camera at the right angle, then turned back and pulled out a tape measure. Approaching her, he began to carefully measure her body.

"What are you doing?" Laurel asked, trying to mask her fear with defiance.

"Making a dress for you," Su Sheng replied casually, pinching her sides to take measurements. "You have a better figure than my girlfriend."

"You have a girlfriend?" Laurel sneered, trying to deflect the situation with sarcasm.

"I'll introduce you two someday," Su Sheng said, putting away the tape measure. He then examined the camera before finally placing it back in his bag. "Your figure is good, but your physical condition is average. You'll need to build up your strength and endurance if you want to defeat your enemies."

"Like you?" Laurel shot back.

"No," Su Sheng replied calmly. "Like the person who caused the Queen's Gambit accident that killed your sister. His influence is all over Starling City, so if your identity is exposed, you'll be in trouble. And he's strong—very strong. Even if I train you to your limits, you might not be able to beat him on talent alone. So, I'll prepare some gadgets to help you out."

"All you have to do is train, train, and train some more. Start with his minions first."

Laurel looked at Su Sheng, utterly confused. Although she knew he wasn't necessarily a good person, his behavior left her questioning his motives. Was he trying to help her, or was this just another one of his twisted games?

"Do you know Sarah?" Laurel asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.

"Sarah? We haven't met," Su Sheng shook his head.

"Then why are you so intent on getting me to avenge her?" Laurel asked, bewildered.

Su Sheng smiled, thinking of his long-term plans. He wanted Laurel to become Black Canary ahead of time, to set things in motion for future events and, in the process, to give Felicity a new "job." But he wasn't going to tell Laurel that.

"You want to know why? I'm not telling you. Just focus on getting stronger. You know basic physical training, right? Start now."

"Now?" Laurel was stunned, ready to grab her clothes and put them on.

"No, just like this," Su Sheng said, taking her clothes and tossing them onto the bed. He lay down casually, raising his chin slightly. "Begin your workout."

Laurel gritted her teeth, glaring at Su Sheng in anger, but she didn't move.

Su Sheng raised a finger with a mischievous grin, and electricity crackled and sparked around it.

"Ah!" Laurel flinched involuntarily.

"I wasn't trying to rush you, but it seems to work," Su Sheng said with a smile.

Reluctantly, Laurel began to exercise. At first, the forced sense of shame overwhelmed her, making her want to crawl into a hole. But gradually, she realized that Su Sheng wasn't leering at her. Even when his eyes were on her, it didn't feel like he was objectifying her; it felt more like he was supervising her training. Whenever she slowed down or hesitated, he would raise his finger, reminding her to keep going.

Eventually, Laurel started to focus. Whatever Su Sheng's intentions were, she knew that becoming stronger could only benefit her. The law might uphold justice, but strength was necessary to protect oneself.

Before she knew it, the entire morning had passed, and she was drenched in sweat. When Su Sheng finally told her to stop, it was like hearing the sound of angels singing. She collapsed to the floor, too exhausted to care about anything else.

Su Sheng chuckled at the sight of her lying on the ground like a dead weight. He nudged her with his foot. "Don't play dead. Get up, take a shower, get dressed, and let's go."

"Let me rest for a minute," Laurel pleaded.

"As the saying goes, everything is difficult at the beginning, then difficult in the middle, and difficult at the end. Since it's all going to be difficult, why bother resting? Get up," Su Sheng said, showing no sympathy as he raised his hand, electricity sparking around his fingers.

With a yelp, Laurel sprang up and dashed into the bathroom like a gust of wind.

After a while, Laurel emerged, dressed and ready to leave with Su Sheng. As they stepped out of the room, the door to the neighboring room opened, and a middle-aged man walked out. He glanced at Su Sheng, then gave him a thumbs up in admiration.

Su Sheng smiled modestly, giving a slight nod. "It's average."