Rain was falling outside the window...
Sean sat in his seat, his gaze fixed on the aircraft window. Outside was a dark night sky, with rain drifting through the clouds.
Occasionally, he could catch a glimpse of flashing navigation lights, like faintly visible lighthouses on a stormy sea.
Like drifting clouds, his thoughts continued to scatter...
Sean was aboard a private jet heading to Tokyo. After a pleasant and peaceful week, someone troublesome had managed to pile a heap of tasks onto his plate.
Yes, Sean was talking about the leisurely life of the Osborn heir. If his life were an eight o'clock soap opera, Harry Osborn would undoubtedly be the female lead.
Because every time the other got into trouble, Sean would inevitably find himself on the way to rescue or bail him out... whether it was the incident with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Asgardians in New Mexico, or this trip to Tokyo...
"Why don't these people have the sense to pick on S.H.I.E.L.D. or Tony Stark instead? Do they think I'm an easy target?" Sean muttered.
As the subject of his inquiry, Skynet remained silent...
As one of the most powerful artificial intelligences on the planet, it probably understood that Sean's emotions were currently in an unstable state.
As a rising star in the biomedical industry, Oscorp Industries had quickly monopolized the upstream industry chain through gene therapy and limb regeneration technology, maintaining a close partnership with Japan's leading company, Yashida Pharmaceuticals.
Two days earlier, Harry had taken a private jet to Tokyo to attend a recently held pharmaceutical exhibition.
As a partner of Yashida Pharmaceuticals, he was warmly received upon arrival. However, eight hours later, all traces of the young Osborn disappeared from Tokyo, wiped clean.
Upon receiving the news, Sean activated Skynet's surveillance, hacking into the city's cameras and signal hotspots to locate the missing Harry.
He wasn't in immediate danger, but had temporarily lost his freedom. It seemed that the HYDRA branch rooted in Japan had set its sights on Umbrella's biotechnology...
Perhaps due to Sean's good relationship with the Department of Defense and his complex connections with numerous superheroes, HYDRA had clearly not targeted the founder of Umbrella, but instead aimed for his college classmate and business partner, Harry Osborn...
"I feel like something strange is going to happen," Sean mused.
Under the influence of the butterfly effect, the trajectory of this world was gradually shifting, slipping beyond his control.
The feeling of no longer being in complete control was undoubtedly frustrating, but it was also filled with novelty and the unknown, stirring a sense of excitement in the young man...
For instance, this trip to Tokyo gave him a strange premonition that HYDRA would give him a surprise.
A quick glance at recent news revealed that Tokyo had been far from peaceful lately...
Every night, there were frequent reports of vicious attacks by large animals. Despite the police mobilizing extensive resources to investigate, they had yet to provide the public with a satisfactory explanation.
Especially as the number of victims continued to rise, the police commissioner had issued a curfew banning nighttime outings in an attempt to keep the casualty count within a manageable range.
Considering Yashida Pharmaceuticals' role in the original timeline and HYDRA's penchant for causing trouble, Sean couldn't help but entertain a bold idea...
"Resident Evil? Or Tokyo Ghoul?" the young man wondered...
Logically speaking, as the founder of Umbrella, shouldn't he be the one using viruses to create bioweapons and trigger a zombie apocalypse?
However, it seemed HYDRA was hell-bent on stealing the spotlight in that area...
As the plane navigated through the turbulent clouds, Sean tapped his fingers on the table.
Before facing cosmic overlords and alien armies, a little appetizer wouldn't hurt...
....
The plane landed at the airport under the cover of night...
A red-haired woman carrying a sheathed katana and a tall ragged man boarded the waiting car.
The man sat in the back seat, unshaven and dressed in tattered clothes, resembling a wild man from the deep mountains.
The driver, dressed in a black suit with a stern expression, couldn't help but glance at him several times until the red-haired woman shot him a sharp look, reminding him of his impropriety.
According to Japanese etiquette, if the driver hadn't been behind the wheel, he would have likely bowed at a ninety-degree angle and knelt on the ground, begging the red-haired woman for forgiveness with a panicked heart...
This wasn't an exaggeration... As described in 'The Chrysanthemum and the Sword', Japanese society emphasizes hierarchical order, using different levels of honorifics, daily bows, and even kneeling.
The workplace is filled with astonishing rules and regulations, with each level and position strictly defined... overstepping would inevitably lead to punishment.
The man, however, didn't care about the driver's odd looks. He leaned back in his seat, the car window reflecting the dazzling neon lights. It seemed like he hadn't been in contact with the outside world for a long time, leaving him momentarily dazed...
"Don't let the surface glamour deceive you. Japan is currently in its darkest period…" The red-haired woman spoke in a peculiar tone, as if prophesying something or offering a kind reminder.
She continued, "Many believe that once Yashida-sama passes, shadows will descend."
The man looked at the massive billboards they passed, advertising Yashida Pharmaceuticals. It was said they were developing a new drug to slow the aging process of human cells, and it was currently in clinical trials.
"You think he's a god?" the man asked in a flat tone.
"No, we believe he's a mortal, but one with extraordinary achievements. After World War II, it was Yashida-sama who helped rebuild this nation, and his family's enterprise became Japan's number one giant." The red-haired woman's eyes were filled with fervor, but the man remained noncommittal.
In his long life, he had never believed in any gods... at least, none had ever appeared to him.
The Japanese luxury car drove into a spacious courtyard, the official residence of the Yashida family.
Everywhere were security personnel in suits, openly carrying firearms without a hint of concealment...
"Quite a lot of bodyguards," the man remarked.
Perhaps due to the beast-like instincts within him, he sensed a heavy, oppressive atmosphere. He couldn't help but recall the red-haired woman's words... that Japan was in its darkest period…
"Attacks, kidnappings, assassinations... these are constant threats here. The mob and criminals are growing stronger, while the government's control is weakening." The red-haired woman's expression was grave.
The nation was teetering on the edge of danger, and the terrifying creatures lurking in the shadows were rising.
At some point, Tokyo had begun to circulate urban legends of nighttime horrors... Stories of man-eating monsters spread like wildfire online...
Those who ventured out at night would be dragged into dark alleys or shadowy corners, only to be found the next morning as mutilated, incomplete corpses.
At first, the government could suppress the spread of rumors, but as the number of victims grew and such incidents became more frequent, panic quickly spread.
Even with the police mobilizing extensive resources, it was difficult to contain...
"Every citizen in Tokyo knows not to go out at night," the red-haired woman said, casting a warning glance at the man undergoing a full-body search to ensure he wasn't carrying weapons...