Underground Laboratory.
"Hammer, the pawn, has been put in place."
"Next is Ivan Vanko… though unfortunately, I don't know his current whereabouts."
Renjie interlaced his fingers, resting them just in front of his lips. The protective blue-tinted glasses he wore glimmered with an opaque light.
Though his face was expressionless, an overwhelming sense of authority radiated from him.
He looked strikingly like Commander Ikari from Eagle Warriors.
"What's wrong? Why such a grim expression…"
"A little unfriendly, aren't you, boss…"
A sultry, mature female voice teased from the shadows.
The crisp click of high heels echoed across the floor as she stepped into view.
A short-haired beauty in a red qipao, her every step a seductive catwalk.
This was Aida Wong.
She was completely different from the modified Android 18.
She was not an artificial human but had been injected with the Tyrant Virus, perfectly integrating it to become an Evolver.
Every single parameter—strength, senses, everything—had exceeded the potential limits of even elite warriors.
Her regenerative ability was nearly supernatural, extending even cellular longevity.
And her transformation was not just internal. Her appearance had changed drastically.
Her skin was smoother, more radiant; her features more striking and alluring.
Every inch of her skin was flawless.
Renjie called Aida Wong's transformation Evolution.
Once he confirmed it was safe, he injected himself with the Tyrant Virus as well.
Not only that, he had also built nanobots using research blueprints from the Dragon Ball world.
With the proper commands, he could control every single nanobot.
In other words:
He controlled the lives and deaths of all Evolvers.
No matter where in the world they were, he could kill silently, invisibly.
Aida Wong approached Renjie from behind, bending slightly to wrap her arms around his neck. Her fox-like eyes squinted seductively, her smile full of playful curves.
"Boss… when will it be my turn?"
Expectation—and a hint of plea—shone in her eyes.
She had grown utterly tired of this zombie-infested underground lab.
"Until Hammer Industries completes its initial transformation, you are not suited to appear publicly," Renjie said.
"So for now, it's not your time to shine."
"However… I do not limit your actions," he added, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
He had a grand plan.
To replace Stark Industries and establish his own industrial empire.
Umbrella.
Or rather, the Umbrella Corporation.
Replacing Stark Industries was only the first step.
Next came infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. and absorbing Hydra's veterans.
Gradually, he would form his own League of Injustice, supplanting the Avengers.
He would become the superhero of all humanity.
A savior.
The world's richest man.
A legendary pioneer recorded in history.
This was Renjie's goal, the ideal he pursued.
"Once Android 18 finishes tidying up, we'll leave here."
"We cannot stay any longer."
"Through Hammer's phone tracking, the military could locate this place at any time."
Renjie's intellect rivaled Tony Stark. He understood the situation perfectly—and that suited him just fine.
"What about this lab?"
"Blow it up?"
"What about the little monsters in the incubation tanks? They can't be moved, can they?"
Aida Wong rolled her eyes at him playfully, then delicately grasped the mouse on the table, freezing the monitor on the private lab interior.
Inside the lab, a fist-sized insect embryo slowly developed in an incubation chamber.
It was another artificial human.
Code name: Cell!
Unfortunately, from the day Cell was born, it was doomed to fail.
There was no Super Saiyan in this world.
Even 17 had never been created.
From the start, it was incapable of evolving into its perfect form.
Add to that the nanovirus inside it, which Renjie could control at any moment.
It was Renjie's meticulously designed Pandora's Box, a carefully prepared trap—a gift to the Avengers.
Thinking about his future layout, Renjie could not help but release a restrained laugh.
Rising from his seat, he placed his hand on Aida Wong's shoulder, signaling her to stay calm.
"Do you really think, after seeing Android 18's terrifying power, they'd dare attack here?"
"The only reason I'm evacuating is fear the military might use nuclear weapons and destroy this place outright."
"I understand this country's ugly truth far better than you do."
"They crave my technology, be it artificial humans or the Tyrant Virus."
"Just like the 2003 invasion war, they'll act under the banner of 'justice.'"
"They'll assemble a superhero team, use a sudden strike, and attack this lab."
"Which is precisely why, without at least a fifty percent certainty, they wouldn't dare make a move."
"They… wouldn't even approach this place…"
Renjie's smile radiated the calculated power of someone who controlled every detail.
He held Aida Wong close, openly showing the admiration in his eyes.
Without a doubt, the mature, commanding woman before him was exactly his type.
Aida Wong softened at his expression, choosing to trust this young boss.
This corrupt nation, with its short two-century history, was proof enough.
"So… after we leave here," she asked, easing his hand away from her, turning to smile lightly.
"Will we act together, or part ways for now?"
The biggest difference between her and Android 18 was that she retained some memory.
She had once been a cunning mercenary, with terrifying combat skills.
To extend her life, she had voluntarily become a super soldier test subject.
Now that her wish had been fulfilled, she had no reason to betray her current employer.
Besides, following this employer promised far greater benefits in the near future than she could imagine.
Why not?