At that moment, a reporter stood up and asked:
"Mr. Smith, as we all know, rescuers are not supposed to bear any liability, otherwise no one would be willing to lend a hand—after all, the cost is too great."
Smith Dole nodded.
"That's right. Rescuers bear no responsibility."
"But as I said, this only applies to battles that involve me."
Another reporter quickly followed up:
"Mr. Smith, wouldn't that place immense pressure on you? Can the foundation operate sustainably in the long run?"
With a smile on his face, Smith replied:
"To ensure smooth operation of the foundation, I will coordinate with the relevant departments and adopt the principle of subrogation, so the real culprits behind the destruction will bear the cost. After all, anyone capable of causing such destruction—and requiring my intervention—should have some assets."
"Of course, if they're truly penniless, then my foundation will just have to take the loss."
"In fact, creating this foundation is also a way to help more people avoid property damage as much as possible."
In the corner of the room, Agent Coulson had also arrived at the press conference, carefully recording all of Smith's remarks and analyzing his psychology and behavior.
The reporters erupted into applause in response to Smith Dole's declaration.
Just then, Tony ran up onto the stage and publicly announced:
"To support the charitable foundation Mr. Smith Dole is setting up, Stark Industries will donate 100 million dollars. Consider it my way of supporting his mission."
That's right—Smith Dole's foundation was a charitable one, which also meant it could be used for reasonable tax avoidance.
"At the same time, I, Tony, will establish a similar foundation to compensate for any damage caused in my battles."
Smith responded to Tony's gesture with a smile.
This move not only benefited the general public, but also brought considerable benefits to himself. Some spoils of battle could now be taken and sold off legally, and combined with tax deductions, he might actually make quite a profit.
Take the massive haul of Chitauri tech and weapons in the future, for example.
Tony, unaware of Smith's inner calculations, threw his arm around Smith's shoulder and said:
"Bro, I'm a good friend, right?!"
Looking at Tony's enthusiasm, Smith chuckled and replied:
"You're a true nakama!"
Seeing the interaction between the two on stage, the reporters below eagerly snapped away with their cameras.
"Mr. Smith, we heard you became the second-largest individual shareholder at the Stark shareholders' meeting today, second only to Tony. Judging by your rapport, it seems you two are quite close friends?"
Tony grabbed the mic and answered directly:
"Smith is my friend—no, more than that. We've shared life-and-death situations. He's helped me immensely!"
With the conclusion of the shareholders' meeting and press conference, Smith Dole left Stark Industries with his subordinates.
…
Time flew by.
Three days quickly passed.
Inside the training room, Smith Dole was engaged in intense physical training, while Puer floated nearby, acting as a cheerleader.
"One hundred laps—amazing, Master Smith!"
As he spoke, Puer floated over with a towel and a bottle of mineral water.
Smith Dole unwrapped the chains from his body, took the towel to wipe his sweat, then opened the bottle for a drink.
"Without a gravity chamber, this kind of training still feels inefficient."
Puer replied:
"Once the base is finished, Miss Bulma will build the gravity chamber."
Just yesterday, Smith Dole attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the base. With both money and government policy smoothing the way, the base would soon be under construction. The only uncertainty was how much they could shorten the timeline.
"Guess I'll have to make do for now."
At that moment, the training room door opened and Bulma walked in.
"Smith-nii, I've solved the issue with Yelena."
Smith Dole blinked in surprise, not expecting it to happen so quickly—it had only been a few days.
"You've made the antidote?"
Bulma nodded.
"It's done. Yelena has already regained consciousness."
Hearing that, Smith Dole turned to Puer:
"Puer, notify Natasha's family to come over."
…
Inside the laboratory.
Natasha, Melina, and Alexei had all arrived. At that moment, Yelena was lying inside a medical pod constructed by Bulma.
"Yelena's consciousness has been restored. I'll now begin the awakening process."
Bulma pressed a button, and white gas sprayed inside the pod. As it dissipated, Yelena slowly opened her eyes.
She looked around in confusion, scanning her surroundings until her gaze landed on Melina, Alexei, and Natasha.
"Mom… Dad… Onee-chan…"
Bulma opened the pod's glass door, and Yelena stepped out.
Though she didn't fully understand where she was, she had regained control of her body and retained all her memories.
Yelena immediately ran into Melina's arms, and the four of them embraced warmly.
Watching the touching scene, Smith Dole smiled.
After a brief exchange, Yelena walked up to Smith and said with heartfelt gratitude:
"Thank you for saving me."
"Other than the three years I spent with my family, you're the only person who has ever helped me and pulled me from the abyss."
"Not only did you save me—you saved my entire family."
"You are the light of my life, and I would willingly give my life for you."
Hearing Yelena's vow of loyalty, Smith Dole nodded. The White Widow had a strong reputation and a noble character—someone willing to fight for her family. In the original timeline, when Natasha died, she even went after Hawkeye to avenge her.
"I accept your loyalty. For now, take some time to reunite with your family."
"As for the rest, once you fully understand the rules of the Assassin's League, further arrangements will be made."
Yelena nodded in understanding.
As Melina and Alexei left with Yelena, Natasha stayed behind and spoke up:
"Boss, S.H.I.E.L.D. has initiated my recall procedure."
"I'll be resigning from the company and returning to S.H.I.E.L.D. to accept a new assignment."
Smith Dole wasn't surprised by this update.
Since he had agreed to join the Avengers, it made sense for S.H.I.E.L.D. to recall Natasha, who had been embedded within the company.
After all, she wasn't an ordinary agent—she held significant influence within S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Natasha, S.H.I.E.L.D. has invited me to participate in a project called the Avengers. Does that ring a bell?"
Originally a program to evaluate whether Tony was fit to be an Avenger, Smith wasn't sure if Natasha had been informed yet. After all, she and Hawkeye were both members of the future Avengers team.
…
(End of Chapter)
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