Manhattan, Rand Medical Company Headquarters, top floor.
As the chairman and largest shareholder of Rand Medical Company, 29-year-old Daniel Rand stood upright in his office, recalling the meditation techniques he learned from ancient Eastern countries. He struck a standard Tai Chi opening pose.
"Ignoring, unheard, holding the spirit still, form will naturally rectify itself."
One had to admit, a foreigner reciting Zhuangzi in at least a Grade 2 A-level Mandarin while practicing Tai Chi was a rare sight anywhere. Especially with him currently wearing a long blue gown, it was even more peculiar.
Unfortunately, the leisurely morning hours were always short. Daniel, who was adjusting his mental state, was still affected by worldly affairs. With a series of irritating knocks, he calmly said, "Come in."
"Mr. Rand, Attorney Matt Murdock is here."
"Matt? Please, show him in quickly."
Daniel smiled. Matt, feigning to be an ordinary blind lawyer, walked in with his cane. Daniel enthusiastically stepped forward and embraced him.
"Long time no see, Matt, what brings you here?"
In his ear, he heard the devil's whisper.
"I need Iron Fist's help, Daniel."
After the embrace, Matt immediately smiled and explained his purpose: "Nothing much, just came to see you. After all, the lawsuit to help you reclaim your father's inheritance from your uncle was a tough battle. I always have to check if my wealthiest client to date has any more legal issues to handle."
"Right, just like what happened yesterday. We need to talk about private, friendly matters. Please close the door, thank you."
Watching his assistant close the door, Daniel's expression also became serious: "What happened, Matt?"
Daniel Rand, a martial artist who once trained in the mysterious Eastern holy land of K'un-Lun, had an intersection with Matt beyond Rand Medical Company's legal issues. This was because Matt's master, Stick, had once prevented the evil Japanese organization The Hand from finding a path to K'un-Lun. Daniel knew that, generally, the problems of Hell's Kitchen wouldn't be difficult for Matt, and with Fisk incarcerated, Matt should theoretically be having an easier time.
"It's a big problem. Recently, or rather, for the past decade, there's been a large-scale human trafficking and disappearance cases across New York City. I just got news from a few friends. The US military is kidnapping people for human experimentation, creating super-soldier serums."
Upon hearing "US military," Daniel's brows furrowed deeply. He took a deep breath, about to respond, but Matt's grim revelation wasn't over: "And, it's highly likely that Hydra has infiltrated the US military. These human experiments are even being aided by Hydra."
Hydra? The Hydra that fought Captain America in World War II?
Daniel gave Matt a strange look and retorted, "Are you sure? I thought they were wiped out back in World War II."
"I thought so too, but considering Captain America has been revived, perhaps Hydra has followed suit."
"Alright." Daniel didn't dwell on Matt's joke: "Do you need my help to deal with those guys?"
"No need, but most importantly, we need a lab where we can conduct blood sample analysis, and it has to be guaranteed that no one can disturb us. Rand Medical isn't a huge corporation, so the chances of Hydra targeting it are slim."
As someone in the medical device industry, Daniel could certainly arrange this. He simply nodded and patted Matt's shoulder: "Leave this to me."
"Thanks."
"Oh, and if you ever need Iron Fist's help, just say the word."
"So, who exactly is this Daniel Rand?"
Jessica Jones had lost count of how many times she had asked this question. To this, Daredevil could only reply helplessly: "A friend. When his father was young, he went on an expedition to the East and almost fell off a cliff, but he was saved by the locals. Later, his father returned home and founded Rand Medical. Once he achieved success, he took his wife, son, and brother on a trip to the East to thank the locals who had helped him."
However, what the elder Rand didn't expect was that his brother harbored ill intentions. While climbing K'un-Lun mountain, his brother took advantage of the lack of witnesses and surveillance nearby and pushed his family down the mountain. The elder Rand also didn't expect that the locals who had saved him earlier were actually from a secret realm called K'un-Lun. They discovered the Rand family again and saved the dying Daniel, just as they had his father.
"Daniel stayed there for ten years, finally returned to New York, reported to the police, and eventually I helped him send his uncle to prison in court."
Jessica half-jokingly retorted, "What did he do there for ten years? Learn kung fu?"
Matt smiled and confirmed.
"Yes, he's quite good at boxing."
Jessica seemed to understand something, raised an eyebrow, and quickly skipped the topic.
"So what we need to do now is compare Luke's and Captain America's blood samples. Your Avenger friend says he can get Captain America's blood sample, but how are you going to get Luke's blood? He's invulnerable; last time he cut himself with a chainsaw, it didn't even leave a white mark. What kind of needle can pierce his skin?"
"About that..."
Matt smiled without speaking. Dressed in his uniform, he opened the door to the medical laboratory, and there was a muffled thud. Jessica Jones was surprised to see the invulnerable Luke Cage being punched senseless, quickly clutching his nose, while Spider-Man held a test tube, catching the flow.
"You alright, buddy?"
The steadily flowing nosebleed quickly satisfied the need for samples. Luke held his nose, tilting his head back, his voice muffled: "I'm fine. I've taken harder punches before, I mean, it felt harder. Man, that was quite a punch."
Daredevil smiled at Jessica.
"If we have an Avenger whose punching power can easily exceed twenty tons, trust me, even if that person is invulnerable, they can still be punched until their nose bleeds."
"And the scientist responsible for the analysis? You wouldn't happen to know one, would you?"
Daredevil remained silent, listening as Spider-Man put the collected blood samples into the centrifuge. This Avenger was multi-talented; there was no need to hire another scientist.