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"How do you want me to help you, Mr. Norman?" Nick looked at Norman Osborn in the projection in silence. "You know, I'm just the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and my power is not as great as you think.
If this happened on this planet, I could help you. But this matter is beyond my authority. In other words, even if I wanted to help you, I can't.
I don't want to deceive you on this point."
"I know, but you have a close relationship with Heberon, don't you? Since they were able to find Captain Rogers, maybe they can find my son too?
"I know that everything has a price, and I'm willing to pay it. As long as Harry is found, both the future Osborn and I will always be your staunchest ally, no matter what it takes," Norman Osborn said solemnly.
"I'm sorry, I still say the same thing. I really want to help you, but I can't. Let me give you a piece of news. Both Luke and the major shareholders of the Energy Bank are now focused on conquering another valuable universe. Even if you approach them about this matter, you will not get the response you deserve." Nick shook his head slowly under Osborn's gaze, his tone soft but firm.
As the head of a violent organization like S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick is very clear about where his authority lies and what he should and should not do.
Although he had done many small things behind the back of the Council during the period when the Council was in power, embezzled a lot of funds, and built many safe houses all over the world, that was all for the purpose of maintaining and responding to possible changes and disasters in the future.
Nick didn't want to claim to be noble or anything like that; he was just a dark and cold-hearted spy king. In this situation, even if Osborn's son was gone, or even if the president was kidnapped, without the Council's permission, it wouldn't be his business. He wouldn't get himself into trouble.
He believed Osborne understood this, too. After all, he had been dealing with politicians for years and was a seasoned businessman. It was just that his concern led him to panic. When he realized he was powerless, he could only seek out those who might be able to help and plead with them.
As for staunch allies?
That's alright, it's somewhat believable. But unless you've signed an Abyssal Contract, chances are good that something unexpected will happen at the critical moment, right?
"Sorry." After being rejected repeatedly, Osborn finally sobered up and calmed down. He gave Nick an ugly smile with loneliness and understanding, and wanted to disconnect the communication.
"Actually, you could go directly to Loki. As the administrator of the Time Administration, this is a huge blow to his reputation. He's not without competitors. His sister, Hela, the eldest daughter of Odin, the Asgardian God King, has always wanted to snatch that position from Loki.
Loki had to find a way to deal with this matter, no matter what. Otherwise, he'd have a hard time facing Hela's questioning and pressure. Although, based on my understanding of Loki, he'd probably try to cover it up, pretending nothing had happened and finding scapegoats, such actions wouldn't be hidden from the Energy Bank's shareholders.
You can test his intentions and lay them out before him. He's a smart man, and I've heard he's turned over a new leaf and is ready to take some responsibility. With no other options, he'll make the right choice.
You can use his power and the Time Bureau he controls to find your son. I believe you can definitely do this. I also believe you can find a way to get in touch with Loki and have a conversation.
Finally, this matter has nothing to do with me." Perhaps Osborne's sudden appearance of ageing touched Nick, and he gave a little reminder with a flicker in his eyes.
Given Osborn's intelligence, after being frustrated here, he would have quickly thought of other solutions. For example, contacting Loki. So Nick didn't mind doing him a favor beforehand. At least, his reminder this time did point out some useful information.
"Thank you." Osborn looked at Nick deeply, and only disconnected the communication after Nick stopped talking.
Nick also knew from Osborn's final expression that the other party understood his various reminders.
…
[…A multi-billionaire heir, the rebirth of a business empire or its decline? …]
[…It is reported that Harry Osborn has officially suspended his studies and has begun to take over the management of the multi-billion dollar corporation, Osborn Industries…]
[…Internal and external troubles, a multi-billion dollar group is in turmoil…]
[…He will destroy Osborne Industries! A kicked-out Osborne shareholder roared…]
…
The car TV switched channels, and each one was reporting like a carnival about Osborn Industries, which had been in the spotlight recently. Among them, its new successor, Harry Osborn, received unparalleled attention and exposure.
From dating a supermodel, to driving out Osborn Industries shareholders, to buying back Osborn's plummeting stock, the ship known as Osborn Industries began to develop one leak after another, sailing through the storm, and the one at the helm was no longer Norman Osborn, but a new, immature, and inexperienced young man.
No one was optimistic that he could save the declining Osborne Industries, and everyone concluded that Osborne Industries would gradually decline.
In fact, the decline of Osborne Industries has been a well-known fact for over a decade. The fall of a giant is not a sudden event, but rather a series of signs and foreshadowings. The fact that Osborne has created such a negative impression among the public is clearly due to the fact that it has lost so much over the past decade.
Young Harry, sitting in the car, stared blankly at the images on TV and listened to the people's analysis and inference. A feeling of depression lingered in his chest, making it difficult to let it out.
He knew exactly how bad the situation at Osborne Industries was! It was even worse than what those people on TV said! It was like a tree that looked healthy on the outside, but was actually full of worms and even hollowed out on the inside.
Harry also knew that behind these overwhelming reports, there must be one or more people behind the scenes, and he also knew what these people behind the scenes wanted.
What they wanted was the corpse of Osborne Industries. They hoped to carve up and devour the bankrupt Osborne Industries like a falling whale. The current plight of Osborne Industries was also closely related to the combined efforts of these dark forces.
The death of Norman Osborn Sr. clearly made those people believe that the moment they had been waiting for had finally arrived. All their connections and backgrounds, at the moment of Norman Sr.'s death, before Harry had proven himself, stood aside and watched, waiting for everything to settle.
The Osborne family's old house.
This was a place Harry had been reluctant to come to, but after old Norman left, he followed his advice and moved back in. He climbed the stairs like a zombie, arrived at his room, unlocked it, and the moment he walked in, Harry suddenly realized something was wrong. He could sense another person in his room, and the smell of blood lingered in the air, which he could detect with his keen senses.
"Don't shout, and don't be afraid. I have no ill will towards you."
In the dim room, a pair of eyes on the bed stared at Harry in front of the door.
"An uninvited guest came to my room and told me he meant no harm?" Harry sneered, but perhaps because of the suppressed emotions in his heart, or other concerns, he did not really call for help at the first time.
"I've only been here a short time."
The light next to the bed in the room suddenly turned on, revealing a face that was familiar and shocking to Harry Osborn.
"Hello, me in this world!" Harry Osborn on the bed stretched out his hand and waved to Harry Osborn in front of the door, but this action seemed to hurt his wound, making his face look a little grim.
"This is ridiculous!" Looking at the man with the same face as his own, but with a calmer temperament and a stronger physique than his own, Harry Osborn was speechless for a moment as if looking in the mirror.
"I think it's ridiculous too. Even when I was most fantasizing, I never thought that one day I would meet another me in such an embarrassing state." Harry Osborn said with a wry smile on the bed.
"Do you think I should believe you?" Harry, standing in front of the door, looked full of suspicion. He was now in a period of doubting everything, and the appearance of the man on the bed made him think that he had fallen into a trap.
"I know this is hard to believe, but I can explain it to you clearly. I can even share some of my own embarrassing moments that only I know about. Of course, I don't know if you in this world have experienced this.
If there's anything that can convince you, perhaps it's the basement in our family that only our direct bloodline knows about? I believe my father told you about its existence when he left, right?" Harry, lying on the bed, revealed a secret that few knew.
Harry froze in front of the door.
"Can you give me some medicine? My injuries are quite serious. I have used all my equipment and emergency measures, and they are ineffective. I don't want to die yet." The older and more mature-looking Harry on the bed pleaded with the younger Harry in front of the door.
"Wait." Little Harry's eyes flashed, he turned around and walked out the door in a hurry, shouting loudly to the servant.
…
"The technique is a bit crude, but just make do with it. If it really doesn't work, maybe I should find a few doctors to help? If you don't want to go to the hospital, I can ask them to come home. This old house also has a full set of medical equipment." Little Harry applied medicine to Big Harry, bandaged his wound, and said softly.
His feelings towards Big Harry were complicated. In their earlier exploratory chat, Big Harry had indeed revealed many embarrassing moments and psychological fluctuations that only he knew. The longer they spent together, the more it felt like looking in a mirror; that familiarity was undeniable. The only difference was that the other person had more experience, was more stable, and more accomplished than he was.
"No need, this has already helped me a lot. If my injuries weren't too serious, I could heal myself from such a simple wound." Big Harry shook his head.
"Are you really from another universe?" Little Harry couldn't help himself after all.
"I thought you would hold back and not ask. Of course, maybe you haven't come into contact with the extraordinary in this world, but inter-dimensional travel, and even traveling from one universe to another, have indeed happened. The organization I belong to is responsible for managing this." Big Harry smiled and explained.
"Then how did you get injured so badly?" Little Harry looked at the hideous wound on his chest. He couldn't imagine how strong the vitality of a normal human being had to be to survive such an injury and not die on the spot.
"Just affected by the intruders." At this point, Big Harry's face darkened inexplicably. How could a non-combatant, an honest office clerk, suddenly encounter such a mad attacker? If he hadn't happened to have an old time staff he'd kept as a walking stick, and if he hadn't had some energy left to spare, he wouldn't have been able to escape and might have died there.
Big Harry, who was caught up in this universe, had countless curse words in his heart. He was now at the end of his rope. If he had not come to such a strange yet familiar world, he might have been dead.
"Is he from this universe?" Little Harry asked tentatively.
"I don't know, but I only know that after I activated the Scepter of Time, the portal was affected by an unknown force and was dragged here by him. Maybe I will arrive earlier than him?" Big Harry sighed.
"What about the characteristics? Tell me, or draw a portrait, and I can use Osborn's power to help you find it." Little Harry said.
"A strange man wearing an iron mask and whose face cannot be seen clearly. He has powerful magical abilities. I think you'd better not search for him in a high-profile manner. This may cause trouble for you and me. If the other party follows the clues and finds me, I can't protect you at all now." Big Harry shook his head and reminded Little Harry not to act rashly.
"Could it be that even the equipment in the basement is useless? That's what my father left me, the pinnacle of Osborn technology." Little Harry had already been to the basement and seen the crystallization of Osborn Industries' technology over the years. He firmly believed that with this technology, he would be able to get through this difficult period.
"Although I don't want to discourage you, the fact is that those technologies are too outdated. In my eyes, those things are not as good as the toys in our world." Big Harry also watched the video that Little Harry filmed for him, as well as the general description of the technology. In his opinion, these technologies in his world have long been thrown into the trash.
"I have better technology! Technology that can make you the most powerful person in the world!"