Glow sticks? Of course that's just chemistry at work. Thanks to Sophia's current setup in that run-down old lab—and the generous funding from Wild Chicken University—Adam grabbed Sophia's hand, pulled her over, and started inspecting her closely, searching for any signs of chemical burns.
"What are you looking at?" Sophia asked, her face the picture of confusion.
"Once I hit the jackpot, I swear I'll build you a lab—a real one, just for you," Adam let go of her hand, reached out, and tapped Sophia's forehead. "Whatever equipment you want, I’ll buy it. Whatever wild experiment you dream up, you get to run it. Sound good? Someday, you’ll unleash that super-genius brain of yours, invent miracles nobody else can, cure diseases nobody else can, tackle world-shaking projects, peek through the mysteries of time and space, and crack the secrets of life and the universe! Instead of burning all your talent on... on this... this..."
Adam pursed his lips and struggled to keep his cool; his eyes drifted, but in the end, he gritted his teeth, forehead veins bulging, and forced it out: "Wasting all that brilliance in this mud-puddle of a life!"
Sophia just quietly watched Adam—his clenched fists, his silent howl, his stubborn refusal to back down, and that deep, deep defiance buried in his heart.
After a moment, Sophia suddenly grabbed Adam’s hand: "Come on, let’s go."
"Go where?" Adam asked, still baffled, but his stubborn streak was finally starting to melt.
"Hop on the bike, we’re going home," Sophia said.
"The bike? But it’s still parked at home…" Adam replied, scratching his head.
Sophia waved her hand, and with a shimmer of invisible energy—bam!—that specially tricked-out old bike materialized right in front of them, like magic. In that split second, Sophia had somehow leapt across a thousand miles and snatched the bike straight from Wisconsin to their side.
Sophia patted the bike seat and turned back with a sly grin: "Quit sulking. Let’s roll."
"Looks like you really are back to normal." Adam stared at the old bike, mentally retracing the US map—from Old Gold Mountain to Wisconsin, that’s thousands of kilometers.
"Uh... so we’re just gonna ride it all the way back?"
"Yup." Sophia hopped onto the back seat. "Let’s go."
"............" Adam honestly had no idea what to say. After a beat, he shrugged: "Whatever, I give up. You’re the wizard here—let’s roll."
It’s just a cross-country bike ride, right? Let’s ride!
Grumbling and mumbling, Adam climbed onto the bike, his shadow heavy as if he was carrying a thousand pounds of worries. With Sophia in tow, they cruised through big streets and little alleys, heading northeast, Adam lost in thought, silent and distracted.
But soon enough, Adam realized something was off.
Why is this road so smooth?
The city lights just came on; nightlife was barely starting. Crowds packed Old Gold Mountain’s streets, shoulder to shoulder, while cars zoomed by in every color. But for some reason, every single pedestrian parted like the Red Sea as the two of them rode past. Every car seemed to bend around their bike, gliding by in a perfect arc, as if the whole world was giving them a VIP lane.