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*****
Crunch!
Hank Pym shoved one of his self-made 'bombs' into his mouth.
In order to 'defeat' Mike, he had utilized a new production method this time, even employing techniques from molecular gastronomy.
It had to be said, the flavor of this thing was truly potent. Even though he had made it with his own hands, the moment he popped it in, he was momentarily stunned.
It was as if a bomb made of the foulest stench imaginable had detonated inside his mouth. His head buzzed with a boom, and his face turned green in an instant.
If he hadn't made it himself, and if he wasn't already accustomed to these smells, this single bite...
Damn it! This could kill someone!
Hank Pym cursed silently in his heart, even beginning to berate himself for making it smell so atrocious.
He glanced at Mike. Seeing that Mike's expression was also quite ugly, he felt a bit more comfortable. But as he watched Mike eating faster and faster, the corner of his mouth began to twitch.
He absolutely could not lose!
One, two...
He felt as if his own brains were starting to rot from the smell.
With bloodshot eyes, he stared at Mike, and suddenly noticed the corner of Mike's mouth quirk up slightly.
Hank Pym froze.
Something isn't right!
Mike's expression is wrong!
His gaze shifted, landing on the plate in Mike's hand, and a flash of realization struck his mind.
"Damn you, Mike!"
Roaring in anger, he charged toward Mike.
"Let me taste your food!"
Mike pinched his nose and took two steps back, looking disgusted. "You smell terrible, get away from me!"
"Cut the crap!"
Hank Pym snatched Mike's plate, scooped up a mouthful of 'lava' with a spoon, and shoved it into his mouth. He froze instantly.
It was simply... simply... too delicious!
It was like eating a ball of warm, fruit-flavored sunshine; his entire body felt lighter.
So, while he was stuffing his mouth mouthful after mouthful with 'bombs' that stank enough to scare away actual feces, this bastard Mike was eating something this delicious?
The moment he thought of this, a fire of rage ignited in his heart.
"Mike, you bastard, you did this on purpose!"
Mike looked innocent. "I originally wanted to make something delicious for you. I thought you were thinking the same thing."
"Bullshit! It'd be a miracle if you thought that!"
Hank Pym cursed loudly, but the speed at which he ate didn't slow down in the slightest.
"Don't talk..." Mike frowned. "You stink!"
"Ahhh! You're pissing me off!"
Hank Pym screamed in anger, yet he kept shoveling Mike's cuisine into his mouth.
He had to quickly suppress those disgusting tastes.
He had been played by Mike again.
Mike had deliberately made such delicious food look terrifying, and then tricked Hank into proposing the stupid rule of eating their own creations.
After Hank Pym finished the delicious sauce in one breath, he gave Mike a fierce glare. "You win this round!"
Mike shrugged. "One shouldn't harbor malicious intent against others!"
Hank Pym's expression stiffened. He huffed lightly and walked out of the barrier.
Mike followed him cheerfully, clearly in a very good mood.
"You guys..."
Hope asked curiously.
"Don't ask anything, just eat!"
Hank Pym said coldly. He sat down at the dining table, picked up a set of cutlery, and began eating unceremoniously.
"This is good, eat more!"
Mike chuckled, serving food onto Hank Pym's plate and soothing the other man's emotions.
Seeing this scene, the result of the contest was instantly clear to everyone.
The confrontation between Mike and Hank Pym was just a joke between two old men. The operation tonight was what Hank Pym cared about most. Especially with Mike present, he was determined to complete this operation brilliantly.
Thinking of this, he glanced at Scott Lang. His gaze turned cold and solemn, causing Scott, who had just recovered, to feel immense pressure.
"Old friend, don't be so nervous. It's just an infiltration. How about I just go and handle it?"
Mike followed behind Hank Pym and spoke casually.
"No need."
Hank Pym rejected Mike's suggestion.
He didn't want to be teased by Mike. More importantly, this was his business; he could handle it, and it was still within his control.
Of course, if plans changed and it truly reached a point where Mike's intervention was needed, he wouldn't hesitate to ask for help.
In other words, he considered Mike a trump card, but he wouldn't treat Mike as the only means to complete this operation.
Mike nodded. "I understand."
The group arrived at the command center located in the basement of Hank Pym's house. Looking at the various large and small surveillance screens and instruments, Gwen and Little Liam let out gasps of amazement.
"Shh!"
Raven gave them a look, and Gwen immediately covered Little Liam's mouth.
Little Liam: "?"
Why don't you cover your own mouth?
He looked at Gwen with a bewildered expression.
Gwen laughed mischievously and pointed at the screens. Little Liam's attention was immediately drawn away.
At this moment, the ant army was poised for action.
Hank Pym put on the communication headset, and Hope also put one on, sitting near her father.
Although she was still somewhat dissatisfied about not participating in the action, now that it was happening, she was more concerned about the outcome.
Aside from Mike, everyone else was incredibly curious about the operation.
This was the first time they were seeing Ant-Man in action.
Just then, Hank Pym spoke. "Commence operation."
Following his command, Scott and his ant legion, who had ambushed near the Pym Technologies building in advance, began to move.
"Although Darren Cross won't officially announce the Pym Particle weapon until tomorrow, tonight he is secretly gathering interested buyers for advance purchases."
Hope massaged her forehead and continued, "Originally, Hank and I planned to crash tonight's transaction and help Scott inside the company. But since Uncle Mike and the family came to visit, we had to abandon the original plan and choose to direct from here."
She looked at the screen, speaking with some worry, "But without the help of Hank and me, the plan tonight will be executed by Scott alone. I'm still a little worried."
"No, I'm not alone."
Scott Lang chuckled. "Don't forget, I have a few companions participating in this operation too."
"Companions? Besides those ants, does he have other companions? Why didn't I see them?" Gwen asked curiously.
"Companions? Heh, just accomplices in theft," Hope couldn't help but retort.
"But they are all trustworthy people," Scott Lang added hurriedly.
"Stop chatting and focus on the mission," Hank Pym said coolly, watching the screen in front of him with a hint of tension.
For him, letting a novice like Scott Lang execute the mission was more nerve-wracking than doing it himself.
Scott Lang responded affirmatively and began his operation, controlling the ants.
Wearing the Ant-Man suit, Scott Lang shrank to the size of an ant. Mingling within the swarm, he looked just like one of them as they infiltrated the Pym Technologies building through the sewers.
They moved as one unit. On the way into Pym Technologies, they perfectly demonstrated what coordination and flawless cooperation looked like.
A raft formed by ants drifted along the 'river' in the sewer until it reached the underside of a sink in the building. An ant-ladder pulled Scott Lang up, and he entered the interior of the company through the sink drain. Riding a flying ant mount, he commanded the ant army as they charged in...
Their division of labor was clear. Those meant to sabotage sabotaged; those meant to attack attacked. The whole process was incredibly smooth and very pleasing to the eye.
"How is it?"
Seeing Scott Lang infiltrate successfully, Hank Pym revealed a smile.
"Not bad. He has your style from back in the day," Mike praised.
A look of pride appeared on Hank Pym's face.
"Don't celebrate too early; he's only just gotten inside," Hope said calmly.
By now, she had become the calmest one.
Under everyone's gaze, Scott Lang successfully controlled the ants to infiltrate the server room where the data was stored. He planted the bombs specially made by Hank Pym, then ran toward the location where the Yellowjacket suit was stored.
This operation required not only destroying the data but also destroying the completed Yellowjacket suit.
Destroying the data only required blowing up the servers at the end, but destroying the Yellowjacket suit was more difficult.
It was stored in a sealed container within a sealed room. The container was protected by lasers; not even a bug could fly in.
However, while Scott Lang was moving, his accomplices were also in action.
They were going to disable the lasers protecting the container.
Just as Scott Lang infiltrated the sealed room and crept toward the container in the center holding the Yellowjacket suit, a triumphant Darren Cross walked in with his guests.
Tonight, he had gathered the most potential clients for this event. He would demonstrate his results to them in advance to stimulate their desire to purchase.
Seeing this, everyone was startled, and Scott Lang almost fell into the laser grid.
He steadied himself, took two deep breaths, and continued to descend toward the container. Just the moment he touched the laser grid, the lasers vanished for one second, and he passed straight through.
Scott Lang breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the Yellowjacket suit within reach, joy filled his heart.
His first mission was going so smoothly; it seemed he had a real talent for being a superhero!
He secretly praised himself.
Just then, Darren Cross's voice suddenly rang out.
"Perhaps some people still doubt the authenticity of the Yellowjacket suit I spoke of, but now, a living example is right in front of us."
Scott Lang's heart jumped as he saw Darren Cross's cold, sinister gaze turn toward him.
He found me?
Impossible, I'm so small, how could I be discovered?
Scott muttered in his heart as he reached out to grab the Yellowjacket suit.
Suddenly, an opening appeared beneath the Yellowjacket suit. Just as Scott Lang was about to grab it, the suit slid downwards, brushing past his fingers.
Scott Lang was stunned. He retreated sharply, but seeing Darren Cross smiling at him, cold sweat broke out instantly.
Damn it, he really was discovered!
"Everyone, look. This is the example I was talking about."
Darren Cross pointed at the spherical transparent container and happily announced to his guests.
The buyers looked over. Seeing an ant-sized person inside the container, they were startled at first, then became excited.
This weapon was actually real.
They looked at Darren Cross with fiery eyes, mentally calculating the upcoming deal.
Darren Cross tapped on the container and flashed a sinister smile at Scott Lang.
"Did you really think I wouldn't be prepared? You truly underestimated me."
Saying this, he snapped his fingers. "Exterminate this bug."
As his voice fell, a dense laser grid, too tight for even a bug to pass through, appeared and began to shrink rapidly toward the center.
At this rate, in less than a second, he would be turned into ash.
But he couldn't pass through this laser grid at all.
Scott Lang's eyes lost focus, his mind went blank, but he didn't hesitate in the slightest. He pressed the shrink button again.
This was the only way to escape the laser grid.
Just then, a figure suddenly appeared. Just as the laser grid was about to close, the figure smashed through the container and grabbed at the space where Scott Lang was. At the same time, invisible psychic power swept through the entire building, turning everyone into puppets frozen in place.
"Hmm?"
Mike raised an eyebrow.
After withdrawing his hand, he opened his palm.
There was no trace of Scott Lang.
Could this guy have shrunk to the atomic level and entered the Quantum Realm right at the moment he was about to be saved?
A thought flashed through Mike's mind.
Scott Lang's reaction speed was fast, but sometimes, being too fast wasn't a good thing.
Mike looked helpless as he turned to look at Darren Cross, who was staring at him in terror.
A psychic shield?
"Hello." Mike greeted him with a smile. "Hank Pym is an old friend of mine."
Hearing this, Darren Cross's pupils constricted. He activated the Yellowjacket suit without hesitation.
In the next second, the Yellowjacket suit mechanism in his palm expanded violently, spreading over his entire body like flowing water.
As long as he put on the Yellowjacket suit, he still had a chance to escape. Using nanotechnology, the Yellowjacket suit only needed three seconds to complete equipping.
Darren Cross calculated the time in his mind. Watching the suit nearing completion, his suspended heart began to relax.
Almost there, I can just...
"Huh, nanotechnology?"
A voice full of surprise rang in his ear. Darren Cross was completely enveloped by fear.
He subconsciously pressed the button to shrink, but his body didn't react at all.
Mike walked up to Darren Cross and casually crushed the psychic shielding device he was holding.
Three seconds, for him, was far too long.
"You actually added new technology to this suit?"
Mike exclaimed in surprise. His psychic power invaded Darren Cross's mind, and then he frowned.
"It's technology provided by MODOK? You got mixed up with him?"
Darren Cross's face had turned as pale as paper.
In front of Mike, he had no secrets, and absolutely no ability to resist.
(End of Chapter)