Chapter 11: A Young Agent Eager for Progress
"I want him."
"He is useful."
Although the bald leader's English wasn't good, he still understood Tony Stark's first sentence. In this middle of nowhere, he had no place to find another assistant for Tony Stark.
"By tomorrow at the latest, finish assembling the missile."
The bald leader spat out a harsh threat, then turned and left with his lackeys.
His patience had run out. If Tony Stark still couldn't deliver the jericho missile he wanted tomorrow, he would send Tony Stark to meet Allah.
...
"Hello, Grandpa? I've found Tony Stark. He's still alive. We can start going long on Stark Industries."
"By the way, make it quick. The kidnappers are going to make their move on Tony Stark soon. The news can only be kept secret for two days at most."
High above the clouds, Eros pulled out a satellite phone and first called Alexander Pierce to tell him to start going long on Stark Industries' stock.
Then he sent the coordinates to Grant Ward, telling him to lead his men and prepare to receive them. When the time came, they would work together from inside and out to rescue Private Tony Stark.
...
Afghanistan and New York are in different time zones, with Afghanistan being almost nine hours ahead.
When Alexander Pierce received Eros's call, it was still morning in New York, and the stock market hadn't closed yet.
Thus, with a wave of Alexander Pierce's hand, the Pierce Family Foundation, hundreds of offshore companies, and thousands of offshore accounts set up in advance by Hydra-Shield began to make their move, buying up Stark Industries shares circulating on the market.
At its peak, Stark Industries had a market value of nearly 300 billion U.S. dollars, which had been steadily falling since Tony Stark's accident.
Now it had shrunk by more than half, dropping to around 100 billion U.S. dollars, and investors were still constantly selling off.
Meanwhile, Grant Ward also went into action, quietly leading his men out of Bagram Air Base under the cover of night.
Time quietly passed by like this.
...
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
After the bald leader left with his men, Tony Stark began working overtime to forge the iron.
Bare-chested, he struck the iron block with a hammer, blow after blow.
Sweatdrops as large as beans poured down like rain, along with his fury.
He, Tony Stark, a billionaire, genius scientist, and chairman of Stark Industries—when had he ever suffered such humiliation and threats!
Tony Stark could naturally hear the underlying meaning of the bald leader's words.
If they couldn't deliver the jericho missile tomorrow, he would kill him and Ethan.
There was not much time left for him. He had to finish forging the last few components before tomorrow.
Thud, thud, thud!
Just as Tony Stark was absorbed in forging, a dull tapping sound echoed.
It was the sound of someone tapping on steel with their fingers.
Tony Stark didn't turn around, thinking it was Ethanchecking the mechanical armor because he was worried.
"Ethan, I promise you, I will build this thing, and then I'll get both of us out of here."
"Escape... Can we really escape?" Ethan, who was hard at work, raised his head upon hearing this.
A mech suit involved so many industrial sectors.
Even if several of the World's most powerful industrial nations joined forces, they wouldn't even see a prototype of a mech suit without at least ten years of development!
Could they really handcraft one from scraps in this dilapidated, damp cave?
Ethan was very pessimistic about this, but... looking at Tony Stark, Ethan's gaze became resolute.
If it was this man, perhaps he could do it.
Without studying physics, seeing him is like a frog in a well looking at the moon in the sky;
If one studies physics, seeing him is like a tiny ant gazing up at the vast blue sky.
As a physics doctor, Ethan saw Tony Stark as if he were seeing a god.
But why were there two gods in front of him?
Ethan rubbed his eyes. Under too much stress and having just been startled, he was actually hallucinating.
Two Tony Starks?
"Ah!"
Ethan couldn't help but let out a gasp. Hearing the noise, Tony Stark turned his head and let out a gasp of his own.
The dark-haired man held a carton of milk in one hand and caressed the mechanical armor with the other, tapping it from time to time.
"What the f—?!"
Tony Stark and Ethan's hearts nearly stopped from the shock of this scene.
These Terrorists didn't understand technology, so as long as the parts weren't assembled, they could easily fool them with blueprints. But now that these parts were assembled into a tin can, how could they fool them?
Terrorists were just illiterate, not stupid!
"Who are you?!"
Tony Stark was the first to snap out of it. The man in front of him wore a U.S. combat uniform, and other than a bit of dust, he was clean and tidy, clearly not a terrorist.
Plus, he was able to bypass the iron door and appear here completely undetected...
Tony Stark's face darkened. "Who are you? What do you want?"
Eros turned around, grinned, and casually tossed over a carton of wild dog milk. "Don't be nervous, Mr. Stark. I'm here to rescue you."
Eros's words did not lower Tony Stark's guard. On the contrary, he felt that the man in front of him was just acting mysterious, probably wanting to get something from him.
"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Tony Starkrepeated.
"A young Agent eager for progress." Eros shrugged, doing a LeBron-style shrug.
Eros could tell that in this cave, Tony Stark was in a state of high stress, and it would be impossible for an ordinary person to gain his trust.
"Agent?"
Tony Stark automatically ignored everything else, his attention entirely focused on the word "Agent."
Heaven knows he had been suffering in this cave for three months and had already given up all illusions, preparing to build a mech suit by hand to fight his way out.
Only to be told now that rescue had arrived.
For a moment, Tony Stark's heart was filled with mixed emotions, though gratitude and relief made up the majority.
Inserting the straw, Tony Stark took a big, satisfying gulp of the wild dog milk before handing it to Ethan. He asked, "This milk tastes a bit strange, but it's not bad."
"Which agency are you with? The CIA? How many people did you bring?"
"No, I'm a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent. Here is my business card."
Tony Stark took the business card and looked at it.
Eros Pierce, 12th-grade student at Midtown High School. Phone: ***, Address: Pierce Manor, East 41st Street, Manhattan, New York.
"Didn't you say you were an Agent?"
"Uh, sorry, wrong card."
Eros casually withdrew the card and handed over a new one.
Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, Senior Agent Eros Pierce.
Well, this was specially approved by Alexander Piercebefore Eros departed. His internal rank was Level 5 Agent, belonging to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s middle tier.
S.H.I.E.L.D. was very mysterious in the eyes of ordinary people, and it was the same for Tony Stark.
He looked at Eros suspiciously. "This Strategic Homeland... how many people did you send?"
Chapter 12: Mark 1, Start!
"Just me."
???
Tony's face darkened.
Was this guy playing with him?
Why are you so proud of being just one person?
"And a special ops team outside."
"Holy shit!"
Tony Stark couldn't help but swear. Couldn't he just finish his sentence in one breath?
Eros didn't care about Tony's reaction at all. He placed his hand on the mark i: "By the way, can you give me one of these?"
No man could refuse the temptation of a mech, and Eroswas no exception.
"No problem. I'll customize one for you when the time comes so you can show off at school, high schooler," Tony Stark agreed readily.
Although he seemed full of confidence in front of Ethan, he actually didn't have much confidence in whether the mark icould get him and Ethan out.
The conditions in the cave were too primitive. The mark iwasn't equipped with any weapons, its defense was worrying, and its operation was entirely manual.
If Eros could rescue him, he would acknowledge this life-saving debt. As long as the conditions weren't too outrageous, he could agree to them.
A big toy was obviously not an unreasonable condition.
"Shh, quiet. Footsteps."
Tony Stark was puzzled at first, then his expression changed drastically, and he suddenly looked at the surveillance camera in the corner.
Eros was hiding in a blind spot of the camera, but he and Ethan were not.
If the Terrorists were a bit more careful, they had probably already noticed the anomaly and were rushing toward them.
The mechanical armor still lacked a polished faceplate, but it didn't affect its use.
Tony Stark was not one to sit and wait for death. He immediately had Ethan help him put on the armor.
"Ethan, hurry up."
"High schooler, your people are already here, right? Hurry and tell them to start the operation."
Eros made an OK gesture.
Outside the cave, Grant Ward received Eros's signal and immediately ordered his squad members to open fire.
His mission was to eliminate the Terrorists outside the cave and cut off their path into the cave.
As for those inside the cave, leave them to Eros.
Well, normally a squad would be split off to enter the cave simultaneously for the rescue, but Eros was highly skilled and bold, so it wasn't necessary.
The more important reason was that he wanted to claim Tony Stark's life-saving gratitude all for himself.
Before long, some Terrorists arrived outside the cave, banging on the iron door while shouting gibberish.
They were probably telling Tony Stark to open the door.
Having suddenly come under attack, the Terrorists also guessed that their location had been exposed, and that people outside had come to rescue the fat sheep inside.
Now they wanted to seize the hostage, force the forces outside to cease fire, and then escape.
Bang—!
The moment the Terrorists forced open the iron door, a deafening explosion rang out, with flesh and dust flying everywhere.
"How was the effect?"
Tony Stark raised an eyebrow. He had calculated this step long ago and prepared a bomb at the door in advance. As long as the door was forced open, it would send the people outside sky-high.
"Don't celebrate too early," Eros threw cold water on his excitement.
Sure enough, before Tony Stark could celebrate for long, footsteps rang out again not far away, even more dense. The bald leader had discovered the anomaly in the surveillance room and sent more men to check.
Tony Stark's expression returned to calm: "Ethan, start the power first."
"Tell me what to do."
Under Tony Stark's direction, Ethan started the power, and the progress bar on the computer screen began to slowly advance.
"Good, come back and tighten the screws for me. No need to be too meticulous. They're coming soon, just tighten them."
Outside the cave, the footsteps drew closer and closer.
Ethan looked back at the computer screen and realized there wasn't enough time. He took a deep breath, picked up a rifle from a corpse on the ground, his eyes filled with determination:
"There's no time, I'll go hold them off!"
"Ethan! Come back! Act according to the plan!"
Tony Stark shouted anxiously, but Ethan turned and walked away, as if he had made up his mind.
"Hey, hey, hey, did you guys forget about me?"
Eros grabbed Ethan and took the rifle from his hand.
"Professional matters should be left to professional people."
Sizing up the rifle in his hand, Eros fired a blank shot to test the trajectory, then nodded with satisfaction:
"Very good. Made by Stark Industries, the quality is indeed top-notch."
Tony Stark's mouth twitched. He didn't know if Eros was praising him or mocking him.
"I'm going to kill a few people. Just stay right here and don't move."
Leaving those words behind, Eros climbed to a high point, aimed at the cave entrance, and prepared to use the terrain advantage to hold off the Terrorists.
After a short while, several heavily armed Terrorists rushed through the broken iron door.
Seeing Tony Stark and Ethan, who was putting on the tin can, they muttered something inaudible and raised their firearms.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the next instant, several gunshots rang out almost simultaneously.
Before the Terrorists could even scream, their heads were blown open, and they crashed to the ground while still holding their guns.
Tony Stark and Ethan, who had been closely watching the door, had just broken into a cold sweat when they relaxed again.
They glanced at each other, then simultaneously looked at Eros.
Firing continuously with a rifle in under a second, achieving the effect of a sniper rifle.
This Agent had some real skills.
No wonder he could sneak into the Terrorists' lair all by himself.
The gunshots here alerted the Terrorists, and soon more people rushed in.
However, this time, they were instantly killed the moment they showed their heads.
Eros had received Agent training since childhood. Before awakening his past life memories and loading the Homelander template, he was already a member of peak humanity.
Pistols, rifles, sniper rifles, artillery—he hit wherever he aimed.
Even if he disguised himself and didn't directly use his superpowers, his marksmanship alone made him a one-man army.
After several consecutive Terrorists who rushed in were instantly eliminated upon showing their heads, the Terrorists behind them were scared out of their wits and no longer dared to charge. They took cover around a corner, sticking their gun barrels out to blind-fire.
Finally, after a period of stalemate, the progress bar on the computer screen reached the end.
mark i, start!
Clang... Clang...
Accompanied by a heavy and slightly clumsy sound of metal friction, a tin can welded from rough iron sheets took a small step forward.
The mechanical armor successfully started up, and Tony Stark breathed a sigh of relief.
Now with reinforcements outside and mechanical armor inside, he couldn't see how they could lose!
"Follow me, I'll lead us out!"
Eros smiled and said nothing.
Stepping out of the cave and turning the first corner, Erosand the others ran head-on into several Terrorists who had run out of bullets and were reloading.
After staring at each other in blank dismay, Tony Starkraised the arm of the mark i, and the Terrorists turned to flee.
Bang, bang, bang!
A series of gunshots rang out, and the Terrorists' heads were blown open.
Eros slowly lowered his gun barrel: "Tell me, is there a possibility that if we hadn't been waiting for you to put on this tin can, I would have already led us out?"
Chapter 13 Brothers, there is a cheat!
Tony lowered the arm of the mark i.
Tony lowered the arm of the mark i again.
Tony lowered the arm of the mark i yet again.
Tony lowered the arm of the mark i once more.
Tony lowered the arm of the mark i repeatedly.
"Holy crab!"
Tony Stark was secretly shocked. Just as he managed to control the mark i to raise its arm and had not even aimed yet, Eros had already precisely sniped the target.
But was it easy for him?
Imprisoned by Terrorists for three months, he skipped sleep and meals, racking his brains to build the mark iusing rudimentary equipment.
He was just getting ready to go on a massacre and wash away his past humiliation, but the result...
"One!"
"One!"
He could not even snatch a single kill!
Finally, the bullets in Eros's rifle ran out, and Tony breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like he could do this again:
"Listen, high schooler, your mission is complete. Leave the rest to me."
With that, Tony piloted the mark i and strode forward.
...
On the other side, the situation for the Ten Rings Gang was not optimistic, and the bald leader was caught in a dilemma.
As an illiterate person, while he was not a complete idiot, he was not smart either.
Not only could he not understand Tony's industry, but he did not even know how to find a proper place to store his own arsenal, carelessly piling it right on the ground and just covering it with a piece of cloth.
Grant Ward naturally would not let go of such an obvious target, wiping out the Terrorists' arsenal as soon as the battle started.
This caused heavy casualties among the Terrorists outside the cave, making them lose the ability to fight head-on.
"Brothers, we have no way out."
"Only by capturing Tony Stark will we have a way to survive!"
"Everyone charge together. Even if there is a sharpshooter inside, he cannot possibly kill all of us before his bullets run out."
After boosting morale, the bald leader took the lead in charging.
Yet the more he charged, the slower he got, gradually shielding himself behind everyone else.
...
Hearing the dense shouts and footsteps ringing out once more, Eros pulled Ethan to hide behind a corner, having Tony drive the tin can to scout the way.
At the corner at the end of the tunnel, dozens of Terroristsrushed out wave after wave, everyone holding new firearms produced by Stark Industries.
The few Terrorists rushing at the front pulled the trigger without hesitation the moment the mechanical armor appeared.
Da da da——!
Gunfire shrieked as the Terrorists at the very front frantically poured bullets and their inner fear towards the mark i.
However...
Tony stated that this was all child's play and he could take it.
After enduring the Terrorists' first wave of concentrated fire, Tony turned on the flamethrower on the arm of the mark i, spitting tongues of fire toward the Terrorists who were firing at him crazily.
The flames engulfed the Terrorists, quickly turning them into acquaintances.
Inside the faceplate, the corners of Tony's mouth curled up wildly.
The high schooler had worked hard to kill steal for most of the day, and he caught up in just one wave.
Boom——!
Suddenly, a stray bullet hit the track joint of the mark i's right leg, causing Tony to uncontrollably drop to one knee, unable to move for a moment.
"Oh no!"
Tony thought to himself that it was bad.
After all, the mark i was just a crudely handmade product. Limited by various reasons, a large number of the mecha's transmission parts were exposed and lacked protection.
"High schooler, come help!"
If it were just the leg parts malfunctioning slightly, Tonycould still hold on, but when he saw a Terrorist lift an anti-tank Rocket launcher and steady the launch port right at him, Tony could not help but panic.
He knew the power of his own weapons better than anyone else.
There was no way this mechanical armor could withstand an anti-tank Rocket launcher bombardment; if this shot hit, he would probably go become an acquaintance with the Terrorists.
Under the influence of adrenaline, Tony's concentration was extremely high. He saw the Terrorist's finger pressed heavily on the trigger, and a missile spat flames as it shot out from the muzzle.
Bang!
At that critical moment, a bullet quietly flashed by and precisely hit the Rocket launcher.
Boom——!!!
The missile was detonated prematurely and exploded among the Terrorists. The shockwave generated by the explosion wrapped around shrapnel and fragments, instantly causing massive casualties to the surrounding Terrorists.
Eros kills +N, overtaking Tony.
After the aftermath of the explosion subsided, Tony looked back and saw Eros walking out from the corner.
"Tin Can Mr. Tony Stark, didn't you say my mission was complete?"
The Carnage ended quickly.
After experiencing multiple blows, the Terroristscompletely collapsed. They would rather risk the artillery fire outside to escape than face the demon in the cave again.
The artillery fire outside sounded lively, but at least it was random shooting, just like the bombing zone in a chicken game. It looked dangerous, but in reality it was not safe at all.
But as long as one's luck was not too bad, they could still give it a try.
Although the demon inside only had one gun, that was a cheat, with wallhacks and aimbot enabled.
Eros could not be bothered to chase those fleeing people; Grant Ward would handle it. He came up to Tony:
"Tin Can Mr. Tony Stark, are you alright?"
The Rocket missile had just been detonated prematurely by Eros, and Tony was also caught in the aftermath.
It was not serious, but very unluckily, the transmission device of his leg was hit again, and the mark i completely broke down.
"Of course I am fine. Didn't you see how miserably those Terrorists were burned by me, so scared they pissed their pants?"
After confirming safety, Tony resumed his sharp-tongued nature.
"As for you, high schooler, you are in the twelfth grade. Have you applied to college? Do you want me to write a recommendation letter for you?"
"I will not trouble Mr. Tin Can with that."
Eros said with a smile. Since Tony gave him a nickname, of course he could give Tony one too.
Eros cocked his ear to listen. The gunfire outside had already stopped, with only the occasional sound of ammunition explosions.
He used his X-ray vision to take another look. Grant Wardhad already led his team to complete the final clearing work and was walking toward the cave.
"My team members have already dealt with the Terroristsoutside the cave. We can go out now."
Eros said, turning around and walking outside.
"Wait! Wait!" Tony quickly called out to Eros, "Come give me a hand and get me out."
Wearing the mark i was already troublesome to begin with, and after a battle, many parts inside and outside had deformed again.
Without Eros's help, relying solely on Ethan alone, who knows how long it would take to pry open the mark i and let Tony out from inside.
Tony definitely did not want more people to see him in this current disheveled state.
"Mr. Tin Can, if the mecha you give me later is still at this standard, I will reject it, oh. I certainly do not want to trap myself inside."
Eros bantered a sentence, came before Tony, pretentiously found a crowbar, and pried open the steel on the outside of the mark i in a few strokes.
Super strength?
Nonsense!
This is clearly the principle of leverage!
Chapter 14: Switching from Long to Short, Massive Profits for Stark Industries
The mark i was quickly dismantled into scrap iron.
Ethan pulled Tony and got him out from inside.
As a purely hand-crafted first-generation suit, the mark i's buffering system couldn't compare to the subsequent Markseries.
Tony Stark was obviously injured a bit, with bloodstains on his face and quite a few bruises elsewhere.
But anyway, they survived!
"Tony, I can't believe we actually survived." Ethan sighed.
He had already prepared himself to make the ultimate sacrifice.
In fact, without external interference, Ethan's chances of survival were indeed extremely slim.
Not to mention that starting the mechanical armor took time; even if it started in time, it couldn't protect two people.
"I told you earlier, I will take you away from here!"
Tony recovered a bit, casually took the wild dog milkhanded over by Eros, and took a hearty gulp:
"Ethan, you can return to your hometown and reunite with your family."
Ethan fell silent for a moment, a bitter expression rising on his face: "Tony, actually I lied to you, my family are all dead, dead at the hands of these Terrorists.
Only because I know multiple languages and could help them translate did they spare my life..."
Tony also fell silent for a long while: "These damned Terrorists, who knows how many people they've harmed to death!
Ethan, I promise you, these people will get the punishment they deserve, trust me!"
Tony Stark keenly perceived that Ethan had self-destructive tendencies, and he continued to comfort him:
"Ethan, I've heard a saying, true death is not the disappearance of the physical body, but that no one in the World remembers you anymore."
"Your family members are not dead yet, they live in your memories, and you must live well, carrying their share as well."
When Grant Ward came in, what he saw was a scene like this.
Their Officer Eros was leaning against the rock wall on the side, drinking milk with a melancholic look on his face.
Rescue target Tony Stark was hugging a weeping man, comforting him from time to time.
Seeing outsiders arrive, Ethan pulled himself together.
Several people walked out of the cave and got into the armored vehicle driven by Grant Ward.
Before getting into the car, Tony even knocked on the outer armor of the armored vehicle to see if it was sturdy.
Who knows if he had some psychological trauma.
The vehicle started and drove towards the Bagram Air Base.
"Hey, didn't you guys cut corners on this armored vehicle?" On the car, Tony couldn't help asking.
Eros pointed to an icon inside the car: "See that, it's from Stark Industries, quality is guaranteed."
"That's good." Tony muttered, seeing Eros take out a dozen more boxes of wild dog milk and hand them out to everyone, couldn't help being curious:
"High schooler, can you still do magic? Where did you take this out from?"
"Never ask a magician's secrets, Mr. Iron Can." Eros shook his finger and didn't answer the question.
I don't know how long passed, a buzzing sound rang above the armored vehicle.
Everyone looked up, and it was a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
At the same time, a voice came from the walkie-talkie:
"This is Bagram Air Base James Rhodes, please respond if you hear, over!"
"This is the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, Eros Pierce, over!"
"Is Tony Stark rescued now, is he safe, over!"
"Tony Stark has been rescued, confirmed safe, over!"
Next, escorted by the armed helicopter, the armored vehicle continued to drive toward the U.S. Military Base.
...
While the armored vehicle was leisurely continuing to drive toward the U.S. Military Base, Alexander Pierce was taking action against the clock.
He received the news sent by Eros.
Tony Stark had been successfully rescued, but Tony Stark's mindset had changed after experiencing this incident, and he was preparing to close the Stark Industries armed manufacturing department.
The Pierce Foundation poured in more than billions of US dollars, with five-fold leverage going long on Stark Industries, precisely because they were optimistic that after Tony Stark was rescued, Stark Industries' stock price would rebound, reaping huge profits from it.
If Tony Stark announced the closure of the weapons manufacturing department, Stark's stock would not only fail to rebound, but would be cut in half again.
Billions of working capital, even if it wasn't bone-breaking for the Pierce Foundation, would still be a heavy blow to its vitality.
Therefore, Alexander Pierce couldn't afford not to be anxious.
After receiving the news, he immediately followed Eros's suggestion to meet with Tony Stark's secretary Pepper Potts and bodyguard Happy.
And arranged for reporters to secretly take photos, spreading the photos of them leaving Alexander Piercewith a smile at the fastest speed.
Something like Pepper is the woman behind Tony Stark, Happy is Tony Stark's most trusted bodyguard...
Anyway, make the headlines as explosive as possible.
Combined with the fact that a huge sum of funds suddenly acquired Stark Industries stock in the stock market recently, everything pointed to one clue
—— Tony Stark has been rescued and will return to America in the near future.
As a result, Stark's stock price, which had already shown some improvement due to the Pierce Foundation's massive acquisitions, truly welcomed a rebound.
Ultimately igniting all this was a message released by the Military confirming that Tony Stark had been rescued.
Billionaire, playboy, genius scientist, under the blessing of various titles, Tony Stark could be called the darling of the media, and his every move received much attention.
The news of his rescue was urgently broadcast even by major top media radio stations.
Instantly, countless institutions and stock investors poured into the stock market, wanting to take the opportunity to buy the bottom of Stark Industries.
Meanwhile, the Pierce Foundation took the opportunity to withdraw beautifully, making a wild profit of nearly 20 billion.
...
After being busy all night, Alexander Pierce turned on the TV and watched the live broadcast of CNN.
At this time, Tony Stark had returned from Afghanistan, landed in New York, and was preparing to hold a press conference.
Looking at the silent Tony Stark on TV, Alexander Piercefelt short of breath for a long time, his heart beating wildly.
Don't get me wrong, he wasn't interested in Tony Stark.
Originally, Alexander Pierce learned from Eros that Tony Stark was preparing to close the weapons manufacturing department, and intended to secure the profits.
But Eros strongly recommended taking the profits from previously going long on Stark Industries and taking the opportunity to short Stark Industries.
This seemed somewhat unwise to Alexander Pierce.
Tony Stark only had the intention to close the weapons manufacturing department, not necessarily going to do so.
Choosing to short Stark Industries at this time, benefits and crises coexisted, not a good choice.
Regarding this, Eros couldn't explain either.
He couldn't possibly tell Alexander Pierce that he had read the script.
After Tony Stark was rescued, the first thing he did when he returned to America was to hold a press conference and announce the shutdown of Stark Industries' weapons department, right?
Chapter 15: A day apart feels like three autumns
"I witnessed innocent civilians being killed by the weapons I manufactured to protect them."
"I found myself becoming part of a comfort-loving class with Zero responsibility."
On the podium, Tony Stark's declaration continued:
"I have woken up."
"I realize that what I can contribute to this World is by no means just manufacturing weapons."
"Therefore, I have decided to shut down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries."
"Effective immediately!"
"Until I find a new goal for this company, one that gives me peace of mind and aligns with the common interests of this country and the World."
Tony's speech not only shocked everyone present, but also everyone in front of the television.
Stark Industries, the World's largest military-industrial group, closing its weapons manufacturing department—what kind of joke is this?
A military-industrial enterprise that doesn't produce arms?
Predictably, Stark Industries' newly hyped stock would fall again, dropping even lower than the rock bottom when Tony was missing.
At this moment, the retail investors and institutions who had just learned of Tony's rescue and entered the market to buy the dip on Stark Industries went completely crazy!
"Is this how you treat us?"
"RNM, refund our money!"
"I queued up in the early morning to buy Stark stock, is this how you treat us? Refund the money!"
"..."
Retail investors and institutions in front of their televisions wailed, wishing they could smash Tony's obnoxious face inside the TV.
Alexander Pierce, however, finally breathed a sigh of relief, happily turned off the TV, and prepared to sleep.
He was old and couldn't pull all-nighters anymore; in the future, such matters should still be left to the young.
"What we should remember more is that Tony is back, and he is healthier than before. We will have an internal discussion..."
At the scene, Obadiah Stane was still pretending to be calm, attempting to appease reporters, yet no one cared.
"How is it, high schooler?"
"Very handsome, Mr. Stark." Eros gave Tony a thumbs-up.
It wasn't because Tony supported true peace so that the weapons he made wouldn't be abused, sparing no expense to slash his net worth in half yet again on top of a massive cut.
It was because Eros had won big this wave, and could win big another wave in the future.
At this moment, not many people realized that in a crude cave in Afghanistan, Tony had conquered cold nuclear fusion technology that had seen no progress for over 30 years.
He also made a small Arc Reactor, completing the technological implementation.
Relying on this cutting-edge technology, Stark Industriescompletely had the potential to become an unprecedented energy monopoly oligarchy.
Stark Industries' stock price had the potential to rise ten-fold or a hundred-fold.
"Then watch closely and learn well." Tony raised an eyebrow and plopped down on the sofa.
"However, Mr. Stark, have you ever thought that the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries might not be something you can close just because you want to?"
"You're saying other shareholders of Stark Industries will stop me?"
Tony confidently shook his finger: "They are not a problem."
"I hold over 30% of the shares in my hands, plus some secretly, and combined with Obadiah's 17%, we can control Stark Industries. Those other shareholders can't make any waves at all, and..."
Tony raised an eyebrow, "High schooler, I'll give you a chance to get rich, buy some Stark stock."
What I'm talking about is not other shareholders of Stark Industries...
Eros smiled faintly, stood up, and took his leave.
He saw Obadiah Stane walking over angrily, presumably to settle accounts with Tony.
"Tony, how much do you think what you just did will cause our stock to drop?"
"Optimistically speaking, 40 points?" Tony laughed heartily, not caring in the least.
"At least that much!" Obadiah Stane said earnestly: "Tony, we are weapons manufacturers..."
Eros didn't pay attention to what happened afterward.
It was nothing more than Obadiah earnestly advising Tonynot to close the weapons manufacturing department, Tonyrevealing his trump card, the Arc Reactor technology, and Obadiah superficially agreeing with Tony's decision to close the weapons manufacturing department while secretly continuing to sell weapons...
...
Eros did not go home.
He went to Felicia's place.
"Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~"
The door opened quickly.
"Honey!" Felicia, wearing a black nightgown, was pleasantly surprised after seeing Eros, putting aside her reserve to hug him: "Honey, I've missed you to death."
The black nightgown was thin and form-fitting, possessing a mature sexiness that fully revealed her body curves.
Having just tasted forbidden fruit for the first time, the two could be said to feel that a day apart was like three autumns.
Not to mention they hadn't done it for several days.
The two started kissing right at the doorway.
"I missed you too, it's just that I've been too busy recently."
Eros lowered his head and pecked Felicia's warm red lips, then held her as he walked backward into the house, kicking the door shut with one foot.
Sounds of chirping insects drifted from outside the apartment.
Inside the apartment, Felicia became completely unstoppable.
In the end, Eros expressed it fully on his face.
"Honey, let's go again." Felicia came back after washing her face, her eyes charmingly flirtatious.
Felicia was a juicer.
Eros was a perpetual motion machine.
The two hit it off immediately, the flames of war reignited, fighting a decisive battle until dawn.
...
The morning sun rose in the east.
The sky was filled with brilliant rosy clouds, dazzlingly bright.
On the bed.
Eros was holding his phone, his face reflecting a glowing red.
As the stock market opened today, Stark Industries' stock price dropped again, and Eros's profits from shorting Stark Industries further expanded.
At this moment, Felicia buried her head in the quilt to sleep.
"Hoo."
Eros let out a foul breath gently.
He clicked open a Stark stock analysis report, but before he finished reading it, his phone rang.
"Ward, what is it?"
"The prisoner has been refusing to speak, we need you to come over."
Ah.
Eros suddenly felt a slight pain. Hearing Grant Ward's voice, Felicia woke up and bumped into him.
On the other end of the phone, Grant Ward remained silent, as if he hadn't heard anything.
Eros gave a light cough: "Is that so, then I'll go over in a bit."
When rescuing the soldier Tony, Eros incidentally caught the bald leader as well, having Grant Ward bring him back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Base first for interrogation.
Felicia drilled out from the quilt, asking somewhat resentfully: "Why are you always so busy?"
"But no matter how busy I am, the very first thing I do when I finish is come find you." Eros smiled softly and reached out to stroke Felicia's hair.
Felicia narrowed her eyes.
"Alright, let's hurry up, you have to go to work later too."
Eros pulled Felicia into his arms, letting her sit on top of him.
An hour later, Eros hurriedly left, heading to a Base of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the suburbs of New York.
Chapter 16 Eros: I am a person with Buddha-nature and cannot bear to see people suffer"
"Is he still not talking?"
Leaving Felicia's home, Eros came to a S.H.I.E.L.D.stronghold.
"Officer, not yet."
"Take me to see him." Eros frowned, not expecting the bald leader's mouth to be so stubborn.
Arriving inside the cell, Eros saw that the bald leader was covered in blood, with few intact patches of flesh on his body.
It seemed Grant Ward hadn't pulled any punches during the interrogation; why wouldn't he talk?
"Gibberish…"
"Can you understand what he's saying?" Eros asked Grant Ward in a low voice beside him.
Grant Ward shook his head.
"Then do you think I can understand? Why haven't you gone to find a translator yet?"
A moment later.
"Stop beating me, I'll talk about whatever you want to ask."
Hearing the translator's words, Eros glanced faintly at Grant Ward: 'Is this what you meant by he hasn't talked?'
"What is your name?"
"Who leaked the information to you and hired you to kidnap Tony Stark?"
"I don't know, I only knew the mission was to kill everyone in that car."
"After I attacked the vehicle, I discovered the person inside was Tony Stark, so I temporarily changed my mind and made him help me build a missile."
"It seems the employer behind this is quite cautious." Erosmuttered, "Give me the employer's contact information."
"If I give it to you, can you let me go?" Zara asked in return.
"Why are you so naive?" Eros looked at Zara in surprise,
"Did Ward do something to make you mistakenly believe S.H.I.E.L.D. is some kind of charity organization, and that you still have a chance to leave here alive?"
"Since I'm going to die anyway, I won't tell you!"
Seeing the bald leader acting tough, Eros chuckled.
Out of sight, out of mind—ordinary cultivation.
Enter all appearances, shatter all appearances, and only then can one attain true freedom.
Eros was a person with Buddha-nature and could not bear to see others suffer, so he turned and left, as if having made up his mind.
"Continue to torture him until he talks."
Eros came to the stronghold's lounge, and just after finishing a box of wild dog milk to replenish his ammunition, Grant Ward walked in and handed over a slip of paper.
"The prisoner has confessed. This is his contact info with the employer."
Eros nodded: "Very well, seal these files away for now; I have use for them."
"Also, have that translator sign an additional confidentiality agreement and keep him here for a while so he doesn't leak the news."
This information could be considered a gift Eros prepared for Tony.
Once Stark Industries stock fell further, he planned to buy the dip and acquire more shares of Stark Industries.
In case Tony Stark crashed and got taken down by Obadiah Stane, he would take a huge loss.
He certainly didn't think Obadiah could bring about a successful transformation for Stark Industries.
Of course, this material wouldn't be handed to Tony right now.
Distant relations cannot drive a wedge between close ones.
Obadiah had first assisted Howard Stark, and after Howard Stark's accidental death, he assisted Tony Stark.
Obadiah's status in Tony's heart was almost equal to that of a father.
If Eros took this information to Tony at this time and said someone wanted to harm him,
Tony might just turn around and hand it to Obadiah, asking Obadiah to investigate who wanted to assassinate him.
Only when a rift formed between the two would be the time for this information to play its part.
Eros checked his watch; it was still early. He could take a trip to the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in Washington to check the files of his mother, Juliet Pierce.
Afterward, he could return before dark and pick up Feliciafrom work.
Unfortunately, Eros's plan was interrupted before it could even be put into action.
"Officer, there's another matter. Agent Coulson from headquarters is looking for you."
"The newbie village chief? What is he looking for me for?"
"Where is he?"
"In the conference room."
In the conference room, a smiling, somewhat bald middle-aged man sat, drinking coffee unhurriedly.
He was Phil Coulson, a Level 8 Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury's top lackey.
"Hello, Agent Coulson."
"Hello, Agent Pierce."
Seeing Eros naturally sit at the head of the table, Grant Ward's eye twitched slightly.
Had he forgotten to remind the Officer that this Agent from headquarters had Level 8 clearance?
Level 8!
The watershed between ordinary Agents and core management.
Even ace Agents like Hawkeye and Black Widow only had Level 7 clearance.
To Grant Ward's surprise, this Level 8 Agent from headquarters showed no reaction whatsoever to Erossitting at the head of the table.
After the two sat down according to primary and secondary seats, Coulson spoke first: "I need to understand the detailed situation of the rescue of Tony Stark."
"You can ask Agent Ward about that. I remember he wrote an operation report and has already submitted it," Erosreplied.
"That report isn't precise enough. Headquarters needs a more detailed report," Coulson smiled, putting forward a request:
"Regarding how Tony Stark was found and the performance of the mechanical armor manufactured by Tony Stark, none of those are in the report."
Instead of answering, Eros asked in return: "Agent Coulson, how long have you worked at S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Coulson didn't understand why, but still replied: "I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. after being discharged from the military; it's been about seventeen or eighteen years."
"Then you should know one thing: Agents can only understand the content they are responsible for, and are strictly prohibited from crossing zones to learn other Agents' secrets."
Eros smiled: "Regarding the performance of the mechanical armor manufactured by Tony Stark, I will submit a supplementary report later."
"As for how I found Tony Stark, that is classified."
The smile on Coulson's face froze. He looked straight at Eros for a moment and nodded: "Alright."
Holy shit, is the Officer this hardcore?
Grant Ward exclaimed repeatedly in his heart.
Rules were one thing, and enforcement was another.
Could S.H.I.E.L.D. really be such a strictly disciplined organization?
Eros was unaware of Grant Ward's psychological activities, otherwise he would surely have told him he was overthinking it.
His relationship with Coulson was not that of an ordinary Level 5 Agent and Level 8 Agent.
He represented his grandfather Alexander Pierce, while Coulson represented Nick Fury.
Alexander Pierce was not only the former Director who single-handedly promoted Nick Fury, but also Nick Fury's direct superior.
Solely speaking of influence within S.H.I.E.L.D., the current Alexander Pierce was still above Nick Fury.
Of course, another point was that Coulson needed the detailed report on rescuing Tony Stark mainly for two purposes.
To evaluate the power of the mechanical armor.
To investigate why Stark Industries' weapons ended up in the hands of Terrorists.
Both of these items were related to World security and fell within S.H.I.E.L.D.'s scope of responsibilities.
As for how Eros found Tony Stark, finding out was best, but it didn't matter if he couldn't.
After dictating the performance of the mark i and having Grant Ward organize it into a report, Eros boarded a private plane to head for Washington.
Chapter 17 Agent 13, Sharon Carter
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, the Triskelion.
Eros walked out of the landing pad with a trace of a smile.
On his way here, he checked his phone and saw that Stark Industries' stock had dropped by 20 percentage points compared to when he shorted it, with expected profits approaching 4 billion US dollars.
And this was still because a large number of investors were on the sidelines, hoping Tony Stark would retract his decision to close the weapons manufacturing department; otherwise, it would drop even further.
According to the analysts of the Pierce Foundation, if Tonynever retracted the decision, Stark Industries' stock would fall by more than 70 percentage points.
When he closed his position after Stark Industries' stock dropped by 70 percentage points, Eros would be able to make a profit of nearly 14 billion US dollars from this shorting, ruthlessly harvesting a wave of retail investors.
Even more ruthlessly, after closing his position, Eros would immediately buy the bottom of Stark Industries, and by then, those harvested retail investors would still have to thank him for saving the market.
"Little Mr. Pierce, is there something good happening that makes you so happy?"
Outside the landing pad, Alexander Pierce's assistant, Jasper Sitwell, saw Eros walking out and walked up to greet him.
"Uncle Jasper, Stark's stock dropped by 20 percentage points. Do you say this is a good thing?"
"This is indeed a good thing, worth opening a bottle of champagne to celebrate."
As Alexander Pierce's assistant, Sitwell had also been paying attention to the recent moves of the Pierce Foundation, and most of the time he was the one helping to keep an eye on it.
How much profit could be gained from shorting Stark Industries this time, Sitwell could figure out with just a little mental calculation.
Updates are not easy, remember to share 101 Reading Network.
Gently patting Sitwell's shoulder, Eros's status instantly switched from a junior relative to the Family Head:
"Sitwell, the Pierce Family will not monopolize this glory."
"In a while, you can pay attention to your private foundation."
"Thank you, Little Mr. Pierce."
The smile on Sitwell's face became even more brilliant. He turned his body slightly and led Eros toward Alexander Pierce's office.
Alexander Pierce's office was empty. He had been working at the United Nations Headquarters in New York these past few days, dealing with some affairs of the World Security Council.
Entering Alexander Pierce's office, Eros familiarly turned on the computer and logged into Alexander Pierce's internal account.
Seeing this, Sitwell's cheek twitched slightly.
Eros's behavior of course did not conform to the rules, but rules could sometimes be flexed, especially since Eros had just promised him a dividend.
Coupled with the fact that Sitwell was also a backbone member of HYDRA, he knew very well who would be in charge of HYDRA in the future.
Therefore, aside from silently noting down Eros's operations to relay to Alexander Pierce, Sitwell just stood quietly aside, pretending he didn't see anything.
Moments later, through Alexander Pierce's account, Erosauthorized himself to access the information regarding Captain America Steve Rogers, his mother Juliet Pierce, and his nominal father Virgil Green.
"Thanks, Uncle Jasper."
"A few days ago, a friend gave me a coupon for a family trip to Hawaii, and it's about to expire."
"I've been busy lately, so you can take Auntie and the others to have some fun."
Having completed the authorization, Eros logged out of the account, turned off the computer, and smilingly handed an all-inclusive travel voucher to Sitwell.
Sitwell took it and looked.
There was no date restriction at all!
He could go whenever he wanted, and it was a luxury package that covered almost all expenses.
Young Master Eros, so loyal!
Leaving Alexander Pierce's office, Eros walked toward the archives room.
For information security considerations, the data of S.H.I.E.L.D. senior Agents only had a brief version online, and the complete version was kept in the archives room as paper documents.
...
"Eros Pierce?"
"Yes."
"Retrieving complete archives of Steve Rogers, Juliet Pierce, and Virgil Green?"
"Yes."
Eros nodded.
Across from her, a female white S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent was sitting.
She wore a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform, with blonde hair tied back, no makeup on her face, bright eyes, and overall looked concise and capable.
It was just that her face was a bit round, lacking a bit of heroic spirit and adding a bit of cuteness.
The female Agent operated the computer, and after entering a few commands, a trace of surprise couldn't help flashing in her eyes.
A Level 5 Agent applied to access a Level 8 classified document, a Level 7 classified document, and a Level 6 classified document, and it actually passed.
After confirming that the application passed, Sharon Carterlooked at Eros with curiosity:
"Hello, Agent Pierce, I am Sharon Carter. Please come with me."
"Okay, Agent Carter."
Hearing the title 'Agent Carter', Sharon Carter stumbled under her feet, and she corrected:
"It's Sharon Carter."
"Okay, Sharon." Eros showed a harmless smile.
He had recognized the other person long ago.
Sharon Carter, the niece of Peggy Carter, one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D., could be said to have a very powerful background.
It's just that he didn't know why she hid her identity and shrank in the archives room to be a clerical Agent.
Well, if the clerical admiral was a spoof by One Piece fans, then S.H.I.E.L.D. indeed had the distinction of clerical Agents and combat Agents.
To be precise, they were administrative Agents and field Agents.
As the name implies, the former was responsible for administrative work, which was safer, but relatively slower in promotion and smaller in power.
The latter was responsible for fieldwork, which was more dangerous, but faster in promotion and greater in power.
S.H.I.E.L.D. was essentially a violent institution, not an administrative institution!
People with strong management skills might not necessarily rise to the top, but people with strong force who could complete field missions would definitely not be buried.
Of course, this was limited to Level 7 Agents and below.
Going further up required a hundred million points of influence and background.
Logically speaking, Sharon Carter should not lack any of these.
In the Cinematic Universe, she had eye-catching performances in Captain America 2 and Captain America3.
Unfortunately, because she supported Captain during the Civil War in Captain America 3, she was implicated and wanted, and escaped alone to the gangster city Madripoor to avoid pursuit.
Two years later during the Thanos event, Sharon Carterwas considered blipped; after Endgame, everyone else was exonerated, but she was still wanted.
Finally, relying on her own ability, she mixed herself into a boss of Madripoor's Dark Dimension, and even appeared as a major villain in the American TV series The Condor Heroes.
"Agent Pierce, is there something on my face?"
"Sorry, Sharon. I have a bad habit; whenever I see something beautiful, I always tend to get distracted."
"You must be joking, Agent Pierce."
Sharon Carter was stunned for a moment, and after reacting, she showed a big smile.
No matter who it was, being praised by a pretty/handsome person of the opposite sex would naturally bring joy in their hearts.
"I never joke, and besides, just call me Eros."
"Okay, Eros." Sharon Carter went along with it smoothly.
Chapter 18: Verbal Thanks Aren't Enough?
"Why are you looking up Captain Rogers's files?"
"Maybe I can help. In fact, a lot of information about Captain Rogers can be found without pulling up the files."
After a brief conversation, their relationship grew a bit closer, and Sharon Carter actively offered to help.
Eros smiled awkwardly and politely declined Sharon Carter's good intentions: "Thanks, Sharon. This matter is a bit special, I'd rather handle it myself."
Eros accessed Steve Rogers's and his parents' files mainly to find out the truth about his own identity.
Why would he look up Steve Rogers's files while investigating the truth of his own background?
Eros thought of the show The Boys.
Homelander's biological father, Soldier Boy, was prototyped after Captain America Steve Rogers.
What if during World War II, Steve Rogers beat HYDRA so miserably that they developed PTSD?
What if Alexander Pierce used Steve Rogers's genetic material to artificially inseminate and cultivate a fetus?
Opening Steve Rogers's file and turning to the genetic information page, Eros compared their original genetic data.
This method was different from traditional forensic identification, but there was no other way; applying for Steve Rogers's biological samples was very difficult.
Eros could only use this clumsy method. Fortunately, he had a super brain.
The results showed that the long-chain DNA he shared with Steve Rogers was extremely minimal, and they could be determined to be unrelated individuals.
Eros breathed a sigh of relief. Although he needed to find his biological father to complete the main quest, it didn't mean he wanted such a f*cked-up thing to happen to himself.
Repackaging Steve Rogers's files, Eros began browsing through the files of his nominal father, Virgil Green.
He similarly flipped straight to the genetic information page and compared the genetic data.
Just as Eros had anticipated, this nominal father was only nominal, presumably to cover up his mother having a child out of wedlock.
America talked about being open-minded, but in reality, it was still quite traditional in certain aspects, and having a child out of wedlock was an unmitigated scandal.
Finally, Eros looked at the files of his mother, Juliet Pierce.
To be safe, he first compared their genetic data. They shared nearly 50% of their DNA—this time there was no problem; she was his biological mother.
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Since the nominal father was meant to cover up the scandal of his mother having a child out of wedlock, then...
Eros directly narrowed down the scope, focusing on the period from a year and a half to half a year before his birth.
Whoever Juliet Pierce had been in contact with the most during this period was the most suspicious.
"Norman Osborn?"
"Uncle Norman even used to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent?"
Eros found a familiar name in the files: his good neighbor, good uncle Norman Osborn.
According to the files, Norman Osborn had once joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and was even Juliet Pierce's deputy, with an Agent clearance level as high as Level 7, just a step away from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s inner circle.
And at that time, Norman Osborn was not even thirty years old!
Steady and solid, it could be said that he was bound to become one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s core upper echelons, with a boundless future.
However, Norman Osborn quit S.H.I.E.L.D. right at this time.
Eros thought carefully. He hadn't felt it before, but thinking back now, he realized that the frequency of his physical examinations before adulthood was a bit high.
And the Osborn family happened to have a hereditary genetic disease.
It's just... Harry seemed to be only a few months younger than him, right?
That being said, if Norman Osborn really was his biological father, then he was also an old scumbag.
"Alright, thank you, Sharon." Eros packed up the files and returned them to Sharon Carter.
"Although I didn't help much, but... just verbal thanks?" Sharon Carter blinked at Eros.
Verbal thanks weren't enough?
Woman, you are quite greedy!
Eros: "It's almost afternoon. Let me treat you to lunch. Do you have any recommended places?"
"I know a restaurant that's quite good."
"Shall we go, then?"
Although it was already getting late, after finishing dinner plus possible post-dinner activities, returning to New Yorkwouldn't make it in time to pick up Felicia from Oscorp Industries after work.
But with a beauty inviting him out, how could Eros refuse?
Moments later, a stretched Lincoln Navigator drove out of the Triskelion.
"Eros, what is your relationship with Minister Pierce?" Inside the restaurant, Sharon Carter asked.
A Level 5 Agent could view Level 8 classified documents, among which was even a document about the daughter of the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director, coupled with the last name Pierce.
Adding all this together, it was hard for Sharon Carter not to notice anomalies unless she wasn't a qualified Agent.
Eros looked at the blond-haired, blue-eyed girl opposite him and didn't avoid the question: "Alexander is my Grandpa."
"As expected."
"Sharon, I have many secrets on me, and this is just an insignificant one of them."
"Is that so? Can you tell me about them?"
"Sorry, you'll have to discover that for yourself."
At the dinner table, the two of them chatted very happily.
During this time, Eros noticed that Sharon Carter hesitated to speak several times, probably because she needed his help with something, but was restrained by the fact that it was their first meeting and she was too embarrassed to bring it up.
After the dinner ended, seeing that Sharon Carter still hadn't spoken up and didn't seem to have any post-dinner activities in mind, Eros handed over his business card and prepared to take his leave:
"This is my business card. If you ever come to New Yorkone day, you can look me up to hang out."
Sharon Carter took the business card and smiled brightly: "Alright."
"Then... see you in New York?"
"See you in New York."
...
According to some manual on coaxing women, the best way to coax a woman is to get on a boat with her.
Of course, this trick carries risks, because after she enjoys it, she might sue you in court, so use it with caution.
However, Felicia was not the kind of woman who would turn hostile right after pulling up her skirt. After a night, she was already much better.
The next morning, the sun was already high in the sky.
Eros finished washing up, and when he came out, he saw Felicia wearing a black OL uniform changing her shoes at the doorway.
When she bent over to put on her shoes, her black short skirt stretched out into a full, rounded contour like a honey peach, and her legs wrapped in black silk appeared even straighter and slender.
Eros's breathing couldn't help but grow heavier. If time hadn't permitted, he would have loved to stay in bed all day.
Feeling the fiery gaze from behind, the corners of Felicia's lips curled into an arc:
"Honey, drive me to work today, okay?"
"OK!"
Coming to the underground garage, Eros chose a matte black Bugatti Veyron given by Norman Osborn and called Felicia to get in.
Watching her conscience outlined by the seatbelt with a bewitching curve, Eros smiled and rolled up the car windows.
"Felicia, it seems something of mine dropped down below. Could you trouble yourself to help me pick it up?"
"No way." Felicia spat lightly. Could she not tell whether something had fallen? She immediately rejected Eros's request.
"Good sis~"
"I really can't do anything with you." Felicia bit her red lips and hesitated for a moment, helplessly glared at Eros, unbuckled her seatbelt, and leaned down.
She had always been susceptible to soft approaches rather than hard ones.
That wasn't right; she probably succumbed to both soft and hard approaches.
Chapter 19 Oscorp Industries
Eros finally understood why this luxury sports car chose to completely remove the back seats just to enhance performance, yet still retain ample driving space.
It turned out to be for greater comfort while driving.
After a journey of more than ten kilometers, which Erosdrove for over half an hour, he finally arrived at the Oscorp Building.
Amidst the dense and orderly steel jungle, the Oscorp Building stood out as uniquely distinctive.
The glass curtain walls, reinforced concrete, and impregnable walls made people feel intimidated.
Standing at the entrance of the building before even going in, Eros felt a wave of office drone vibe hitting his face, making one...
That's not right, he wasn't here to go to work.
"Is this the Oscorp Building? It's so amazing!"
"F*ck! This is a real building! It would be great if I had a house like this belonging to me; as long as I rent it out, I can lie down and make money."
"Haha, stop dreaming. A building like this costs at least billions of U.S. dollars. In all of America, there aren't many people who can afford it."
Downstairs at the Oscorp Building, a group of students from Midtown High School couldn't help but exclaim in admiration as they gazed at the Oscorp Building.
Today happened to be the day Midtown High Schoolorganized its outstanding 12th-grade graduates to visit and intern at Oscorp Industries.
Eros thought about it; anyway, he was going to visit Norman Osborn to collect some biological samples, plus there might be a chance to witness the birth of Spider-Man.
So he smoothly blended into the group.
"Harry, it turns out your family is so rich!"
"So-so, just so-so." Harry Osborn desperately pressed down the corners of his mouth and put on an indifferent expression.
It has to be said that Harry, as a second-generation rich kid, was truly unusually low-key, so much so that despite being quite handsome, he was still single to this day.
Led by the teacher, the students lined up and entered the Oscorp Building.
"Welcome to Oscorp, originating from the vision of founder Dr. Norman Osborn..."
Almost simultaneously, the voice of Allie, the weak artificial intelligence belonging to Oscorp Industries, rang out.
Guided by the artificial intelligence Allie, the group took the elevator to the floor opened for Midtown High School's visit first.
When they reached the visiting location and the students scattered, Harry finally noticed Eros:
"Huh, Eros, why are you here too? I haven't seen hide nor hair of you at school these past few days."
"I've been busy doing business these past few days and took a leave of absence." Eros brushed it off casually.
"What kind of business? You didn't even return to school."
"There are import and export businesses worth hundreds of millions and stock market operations worth tens of billions."
"Go on and brag."
Harry's face was full of disbelief.
If it were tens of millions, that might still be possible; in families like theirs, taking out tens of millions to let the heir practice was very normal.
But hundreds of millions was a bit too early, let alone tens of billions.
Oscorp's market value was only 250 billion!
And this wasn't even solely owned by their Osborn family.
"Believe it or not." Eros shrugged, doing a James-style palm spread with an indifferent look.
But the more Eros acted like this, the more Harry actually believed it:
"You wouldn't get rich all by yourself and leave your bros behind, right? Forget about the tens of billions one, bring me along for the hundreds of millions one."
"No way!"
Eros flatly refused.
"We might still have a chance to cooperate on the tens of billions one, but the hundreds of millions one is absolutely impossible." He didn't have that kind of special fetish.
"But for the tens of billions one, I can't call the shots..."
After following Harry to tour the Oscorp Building for a while, Eros was just about to bring up the main business and have Harry take him to see Norman Osborn when he saw Felicia walk over and extend her hand.
"Hello, Harry."
"Hello, Eros."
"The President asked me to take you guys over."
When their hands parted, Eros felt as if Felicia had scratched his palm.
But when he looked at Felicia, he found her expression calm and businesslike, as if she had done nothing just now.
If not for her blinking at Eros while avoiding Harry's line of sight as she turned around, Eros would have thought that moment was just his hallucination.
Interesting.
Smiling, Eros kept pace with Felicia and walked towards the elevator.
Felicia ahead of him was wearing a black office lady suit, her hair meticulously combed into a high single ponytail, swaying with every step she walked.
Her high heels tapped against the ground, making a clacking sound as if she were deliberately walking with a cat-walk.
Viewed from Eros's angle, her body proportions were extremely perfect.
Her slender swan-like neck, delicate waist, curvaceous hips, and finally her round and slender beautiful legs.
This back view could be described as graceful, charming, and moving, beautiful enough to intoxicate one's mind and arouse an impulse to invest in her.
Eros pretended to inadvertently quicken his pace, blocking Harry's line of sight, and lowered his voice: "Just wait and see how I deal with you when we get back."
Felicia turned back to cast a flirtatious glance and lowered her voice as well: "I'm so, so scared."
The top floor of the Oscorp Building.
This entire floor was the chairman's office of Oscorp, and also where Norman Osborn usually lived and resided.
As for the Osborn Estate, Norman Osborn was busy with work and rarely went back there.
"Harry, Eros, you're here. Sit down."
Norman Osborn sat in his office chair with a file placed on his desk; the cover of the file was somewhat yellowed, showing that it had some years to it.
Hearing the sound of the elevator doors opening and looking up to see Felicia leading Eros and Harry in, Norman Osborn broke into a smile.
He gestured with his hand, signaling Eros and Harry to take a seat.
Norman Osborn looked to be over fifty years old, his hair meticulously groomed, though wisps of white hair were faintly visible among it.
It was unclear whether he just aged prematurely in appearance or if it was due to a history of family genetic disorders.
"Uncle Norman."
"Dad."
After greeting him, Eros and Harry sat down, and then Harry asked impatiently: "Dad, why did you call us up here?"
Norman Osborn glanced at Harry imperceptibly, slightly shook his head, and seemed somewhat disappointed that Harry couldn't hold his composure like this.
"I called you up here to ask what your plans are. Right with this internship, you can understand Oscorp's business in advance."
"Me and the other classmates..."
Before Harry could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Norman Osborn's sharp gaze. He timidly said: "Alright."
Seeing this, Norman Osborn nodded: "Felicia, introduce to them the core projects currently being advanced by the corporation."
"Alright, Boss."
Felicia first handed Eros and Harry a document, then slowly began to speak:
"Oscorp's most core project currently is with the Military, and..."
Pausing for a moment, Felicia took a deep breath and said: "The super soldier serum in cooperation with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division."
"super soldier serum..."
Eros's expression was somewhat peculiar.
Chapter 20 Gwen, Spider-Man?
Ever since Dr. Erskine was assassinated, the original formula of the super soldier serum was lost.
Over the past nearly 70 years, the Military and S.H.I.E.L.D.have invested in multiple pharmaceutical companies to replicate the super soldier serum.
Oscorp Industries was one of them, and could be said to be the best among them.
Although Oscorp Industries failed to replicate the original super soldier serum, it developed a low-end version.
Hawkeye Clinton Barton, Black Widow Natasha Romanoff, and others were all beneficiaries.
According to normal development, the Military and S.H.I.E.L.D. would continue to invest in Oscorp Industries, the leader in the super soldier serum.
But the problem is that Eros has now obtained a formula very close to the original serum from Felicia's father.
If everything goes smoothly, human experiments should be completed in a few days, and then mass production will begin, rolling out among the HYDRA core members of the Pierce Family lineage.
There is no such thing as an airtight secret.
As time goes on, super soldier serum users will definitely be discovered by various factions.
By then, to maintain Military leadership and uphold hegemony, the America Military will inevitably extend an olive branch to the Pierce Family lineage, which has mastered the mature technology.
If the Pierce Family accepts, they will abandon Oscorp Industries and other super soldier serum project teams.
If the Pierce Family does not accept, the Military will also put pressure on Oscorp Industries and other super soldier serum project teams, demanding the delivery of results as soon as possible.
Anyway, as long as news of a mature super soldier serumleaks into the market, Oscorp Industries' days will not be easy.
This is not just a project, but the ballast stone of Oscorp.
Losing this project, Oscorp will consequently lose a lot of policy support.
"In addition, the research and development of the bio-battle armor and its matching aircraft are also being promoted recently. The partners of this project also include the Military and..."
"You can use the abbreviation S.H.I.E.L.D., Felicia." Seeing Felicia ready to take another deep breath, Eros gave a friendly reminder:
"Even among the Agents inside the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, there are generally only a few people who can remember the full name; it's too long."
After saying that, Eros smiled.
If he guessed correctly, the project of the bio-battle armor and its matching aircraft should have appeared after being stimulated by Tony Stark.
Afterwards, if Tony's improved mechanical armor performs well, this project will officially land.
Otherwise, it will be shelved.
As the major country that initiates wars most frequently in the World, even though corruption is serious from top to bottom, the America Military still has a keen sense of high-tech weapon technology.
"The above two projects are the current core businesses of Oscorp." After finishing, Felicia stepped aside.
Norman Osborn nodded: "Eros, Harry, share your thoughts. Which project are you interested in?"
Eros glanced at Harry beside him. Seeing that he was still hesitating, Eros spoke out his thoughts first and politely declined:
"Sorry, Uncle Norman, I just came by to visit the Oscorp Building along the way."
He came to the Oscorp Building just to collect some biological samples of Norman Osborn, which he had now obtained.
As for internships and the like, forget it.
He was very busy.
"Oh."
Norman Osborn nodded with some disappointment.
"Harry, what about your thoughts?"
"Alright, Felicia, take Harry to meet the person in charge of the bio-battle armor later."
...
At noon, Eros and Harry reunited with their classmates from Midtown High School and headed to the cafeteria together.
The cafeteria of Oscorp Industries was almost free, charging only a symbolic fee. Peter Parker would probably like this place very much.
Wait, where was Peter Parker?
Eros suddenly remembered that Peter Parker didn't seem to be in the morning tour group. He had thought he could witness the birth of Spider-Man today.
"Harry, isn't Peter with you?"
Eros asked Harry beside him. Harry and Peter could be described as good bros with similar interests, always sticking together and inseparable on campus.
If Eros hadn't stepped in early, the two of them would have even liked the same woman, turning from brothers into love rivals.
"Oh, Peter didn't participate in this internship. He seemed to have gone to intern at a newspaper office. I heard that newspaper office pays a slightly higher internship salary and allows him to deliver takeout along the way."
Mentioning Peter, Harry looked a bit listless.
He obviously wanted to intern with his good bro, but Peterdidn't come to Oscorp for livelihood reasons, and Harrycould do nothing about it.
Although he could easily pull out a sum of money enough to change Peter's life, doing so would probably bring their friendship to an end.
Equality is very important in friendship.
"Harry, I didn't expect you to have this kind of realization and see things so clearly."
"That's for sure, I am the know-it-all."
Harry proudly raised his eyebrows, then looked around, and lowered his voice only after finding no one was looking:
"Do you remember my dad's assistant just now? She's so sexy."
"Felicia? I remember. What's wrong?"
"When she brought us up, she fluttered her eyes at me and twisted around in front of me." Harry said, lowering his voice a bit more:
"Eros, tell me, does she like me?"
Eros:...
Patting Harry's shoulder, Eros said earnestly: "Harry, do you think there's a possibility that that wink wasn't meant for you."
"Imposs—" Harry turned to look at Eros, and the words on the tip of his tongue stopped abruptly.
Harry realized that by Eros's side, he would always just be a foil.
Harry: "Get lost, you bastard Eros."
Eros: "Clearly it's your fetish that's weird; you always like your sister-in-law."
Harry: "Isn't your girlfriend Mary Jane? When did Feliciahave a thing with you?"
Eros: "You didn't know, did you? Felicia is also a student at Midtown High School, three years older than us."
Harry: "...Eros, as expected of you."
Pausing for a moment, Harry said maliciously: "By the way, does Felicia know about your relationship with Mary Jane? Didn't she fall out with you like Gwen?"
Speak of the devil, as soon as the two mentioned Gwen, Gwen came over.
"Eros, I suddenly feel a bit unwell. Can you take me home?"
Eros looked at Gwen and found her body temperature somewhat abnormal, far exceeding the normal person's 37 degrees.
"Gwen, what's wrong with you?"
"When visiting the laboratory, I seemed to have been bitten by something."
As Gwen spoke, she stumbled underfoot, looking dizzy and lethargic all over.
Seeing this, Eros scooped Gwen up in his arms and ran outside with flying steps.
"Harry, tell the teacher. I'll take Gwen for a checkup first."