Chapter 51: The Might of the Genuine Superman
The sonic boom cloud violently tore through the thick cloud layer above the desolate island.
A red and blue figure, carrying destructive kinetic energy, slammed into the very center of the ruins where Magnetoand Hulk were battling.
A violent shockwave erupted from the ground, brutally blowing the Mutants and the remnants of the Thunderbolts, who were locked in combat, over a hundred meters away.
Lin An slowly straightened his body, letting the blinding sunlight above the equator pour down onto him without reservation.
He tilted his head slightly and closed his eyes.
The Silver Age Superman core genes he had just exchanged for fully awakened at this moment.
Those cells, in a state of extreme hunger, acted like countless miniature black holes, frantically devouring the Sun's stellar radiation with terrifying efficiency.
Even with just ten short seconds of bathing in it, that endless, terrifying energy that defied the laws of physics had already filled every part of his body.
At this moment, the rotation speed of the entire Worldseemed to be forced into slow motion in his eyes.
The surging of magma deep underground and the racing heart rate of Hawkeye several kilometers away were all under his control.
Lin An opened his eyes and comfortably twisted his neck.
Compared to the current might that could tear apart stars with a mere gesture, the so-called "invincibility" brought by that bit of first generation compound v from before was simply like a sewer rat getting high on itself.
Cyclops subconsciously pressed against his red quartz visor, his voice trembling: "His energy level… is skyrocketing exponentially, even the surrounding light is distorting!"
Iceman swallowed hard, only feeling that the temperature around him had completely spiraled out of control, suppressed by this aura.
In mid-air, Magneto coldly looked down at this uninvited guest.
"Since you are in such a rush to die, I will grant your wish."
Eric's withered palm suddenly pressed down.
Boom!
All the metal wreckage within a radius of several kilometers was forcibly ripped away in an instant by a terrifying magnetic force.
A metal storm weighing tens of thousands of tons converged in mid-air into a pitch-black steel dragon, roaring as it smashed down towards Lin An's head.
If this had happened ten minutes ago, Lin An would have at least had to use his Heat Vision or retreat to dodge.
But now?
He just stood there casually, not even bothering to lift a hand, staring at Magneto in mid-air with the eyes of someone looking at a dead man, a cruel sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.
Old man, the times have changed.
The steel dragon slammed fiercely into Lin An's chest.
However, the expected scene of flesh and blood flying did not occur.
At a distance of only half an inch from that stars-and-stripes uniform, an invisible yet absolutely unshakable bio-force field forcibly intercepted all the destructive kinetic energy.
Tens of thousands of tons of steel hitting it was like tofu crashing into a diamond.
From the dragon's head to its tail, the massive metal construct shattered layer by layer in mid-air, completely exploding into iron powder that filled the sky.
In the monitoring room, Tony lunged at the screen, gasping as he looked at the scan data: "What the hell! No energy shield, and he shattered tens of thousands of tons of steel just with the force field around his body? This completely violates the laws of physics!"
Magneto's pupils contracted violently.
Just at the moment he attempted to mobilize more magnetic fields.
"Who are you trying to scratch, old man?"
A low and mocking voice sounded right by his ear without any warning.
Magneto turned his head sharply, that face radiating undisguised arrogance was, unbeknownst to him, already inches away.
No afterimages, no sound of breaking the air; Lin An's speed had completely exceeded Eric's neural reaction limits.
Lin An reached out his right hand and locked onto Magneto's throat, hanging this arrogant Mutant emperor in mid-air like he was holding a scrawny little chick.
"Let go!"
Magneto desperately tried to manipulate the magnetic field, attempting to control the trace metal elements inside Lin An's body, only to despairingly discover that the density of the opponent's body was so great it simply defied the laws of physics.
"Don't bother."
Lin An tilted his head, his eyes instantly lighting up with a blinding crimson glare.
Two beams of Heat Vision, hot enough to distort space, blasted without obstruction onto the anti-telepathy helmet Magneto was so proud of.
Sizzle—
The special alloy capable of perfectly resisting Professor X's psychic intrusion didn't even last half a second in front of the genuine Superman's Heat Vision.
Under Lin An's perfect control, the hard helmet turned directly into molten iron, dripping wildly down Magneto's cheeks.
A shrill scream instantly resounded through the sky.
"Your era is over."
Lin An's tone was as calm as if he were reading an expired newspaper.
Then, he violently flung his right hand downward.
Bang!
Magneto, like a heavy shell fired from a cannon, was smashed fiercely into the bedrock deep underground.
The ground within a hundred-meter radius collapsed with a roar, creating a terrifying crater dozens of meters deep.
The supreme leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants didn't even have time to groan before falling into a deep coma on the spot.
The sneer on Mystique Raven's face froze instantly; she took two steps back in disbelief and screamed: "Eric! No… this is impossible! How could he be completely powerless to resist?"
The entire scene was dead silent.
Those Mutants who were screaming wildly a second ago seemed to have their throats gripped tightly by an invisible hand, their mouths wide open but unable to make a sound.
The wealthy people in the VIP viewing gallery were so terrified that their bodies went stiff, not even realizing that the wine glasses in their hands had shattered into pieces.
"Roar—!"
A violent roar broke this suffocating silence.
Hulk had completely gone berserk.
An extreme sense of humiliation, coupled with the terrifying pressure radiating from Lin An, caused the anger level of this green Beast to soar directly to the critical point.
White, high-temperature steam was frantically steaming off the surface of his green skin.
Hulk stamped his foot violently, his massive body like a moving mountain, carrying a fierce momentum that could destroy the World, as he charged and crushed his way toward Lin An.
"Hulk! Smash you!!!"
That green heavy fist, three times larger than a sandbag, carried the purest physical kinetic energy, heading straight for Lin An's face.
If this punch were to land, even a heavy aircraft carrier would be smashed in half on the spot.
In the monitoring room, Tony Stark's face under his mask was as pale as paper, and he roared hoarsely over the communication channel: "Dodge it, you lunatic!"
But Lin An had no intention of dodging at all.
He stared at the rapidly approaching green giant fist, not only did he not take a step back, but he raised his right hand with great interest and slowly spread his five fingers.
He just reached out casually.
One big and one small, one green and one gold, two fists and palms collided fiercely in mid-air without any fancy tricks.
Boom—!!!
A visible white ring-shaped shockwave exploded from the point where they met, sweeping across the ground.
Ancient trees within a radius of several kilometers were uprooted, and huge rocks were instantly ground into powder by the violent shockwave.
The entire desolate island seemed to have experienced a magnitude-10 earthquake, and the surrounding sea area stirred up monstrous waves dozens of meters high.
Chapter 52: Game Over, The "Life-Overdrawing" Homelander
Inside the monitoring room.
Tony Stark stared blankly at the screen, his brain nearly crashing.
Hughie flopped onto the carpet, clutching his head tightly with both hands, his eyes wide as saucers.
Natasha stood frozen in place, her beautiful eyes filled with horror. Was this his true trump card?
The entire World's online sphere was plunged into unprecedented frenzy and shock because of that unrivaled punch from Lin An.
[Holy sh*t, holy sh*t, holy sh*t!!! What on Earth did I just see?!]
[One punch! He used only one punch to send that invincible green monster flying?!]
[That's a monster that even Magneto couldn't suppress! What level of god is Homelander exactly?!]
[I was wrong! I was actually stupid enough to worry he'd get killed! I was simply using a mortal's pathetic intelligence to speculate about God!]
[Is this the confidence of Vought International? With this kind of invincible power, who else could threaten the safety of Earth?!]
[Homelander! Our only savior!]
On his retina, the system notifications for popularity points were scrolling like a machine gun.
[Ding! Successfully crushed a top-tier villain, shocking global audiences! Popularity points +2,000,000!]
[Ding! Established the image of a physical combat ceiling, triggering mass extreme worship! Popularity points +5,000,000!]
[Current popularity points balance: 9,500,000!]
Listening to the numbers constantly jumping in his mind, Lin An was already overjoyed.
This, goddamn it, is what you call true harvesting!
As long as you display this kind of absolute, suffocating, crushing power, these stupid netizens will willingly worship you as a true god.
But he knew clearly in his heart that this kind of unprecedented traffic spectacle wouldn't happen all the time.
In order to maintain his fan base.
On this desolate island covered in high-definition cameras, he still had to firmly establish his persona as the "tragic savior."
Lin An unhurriedly straightened his slightly wrinkled Stars and Stripes cape, the arrogance and playfulness on his face instantly vanishing completely.
He put on a solemn, compassionate expression, slowly turned around, and swept his gaze over the surrounding Mutants and superpowered individuals who had long since been scared out of their wits.
The X-Men's Iceman, Cyclops, and Storm supported each other; at this moment, the way they looked at Lin An was exactly like looking at an indescribable, terrifying deity.
Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, who were hiding in the distance, also stopped moving, clearly wary of Lin An to the extreme.
"Everyone."
Lin An's voice, transmitted through the Stark Industriesamplification matrix, traveled deep and clear across the entire island, simultaneously broadcast to the whole World.
He walked slowly to the edge of the deep crater Magnetohad smashed, looked down at the unconscious Erik inside, then raised his head, his deep gaze fixed directly on the broadcasting drone in mid-air.
"The threat has been eliminated."
He paused deliberately, his tone revealing a sense of relief and comfort after experiencing tragic tribulations.
"I once promised that Vought International would protect this World from the harm of monsters."
"I have done it, though the process was extremely difficult, though, this was almost at the cost of overdrawing my own life..."
Lin An forced himself to squeeze out a weak, rapid breath, taking the opportunity to lean against a charred broken log in front of him, as if he could collapse at any moment.
"But, as long as I can still stand, no dictator attempting to destroy peace, no manufactured killing machine, shall ever cross my defensive line by even a single step!"
Lin An raised his right hand with difficulty and thumped his chest heavily twice; his eyes, filled with vicissitudes and fortitude, were enough to move billions of people in front of their screens to tears.
Scarlet Witch Wanda stared blankly at that "tottering" golden back, murmuring in a low voice.
"Could it be... is he really protecting us with his life?"
Quicksilver also stopped in his tracks, a flash of confusion and awe flickering in his eyes.
"This game should come to an end."
Lin An hovered in mid-air, his tone filled with compassion, sending these words clearly into the ears of every survivor on the island.
In the riddled rainforest below, the superpowered individuals who had originally been killing each other or huddling together for warmth all froze in unison.
The moment they heard these words, the taut nerves of countless people snapped completely, their legs went weak, and they collapsed directly into the blood-soaked mud filled with severed limbs.
They had survived.
Inside the monitoring room, Hughie slumped onto the carpet like mush, panting heavily.
"God... it's finally over. Looks like we've gained another group of righteous allies."
Butcher, meanwhile, bit down hard on his cigar.
"Don't be stupid, kid. He's just leashed these freaks back up like dogs."
Lin An scanned the area below.
In the ruins, those Mutants who had just been screaming frantically to show their loyalty to Magneto were now as obedient as a nest of quails flooded by a downpour, not even daring to breathe loudly.
He cleared his throat and began to announce the list of those advancing, worth one billion U.S. dollars.
"Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch."
Lin An called the siblings' names first.
The two of them had disregarded danger to save quite a few people during the chaotic battle earlier; their personas were likable, and their combat power was high.
Hmm, it was definitely not because he had taken a liking to Wanda.
By the reef in the distance, the siblings exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with both the relief of having survived a disaster and deep confusion about the future.
Quicksilver let out a long breath and put his arm around his sister's shoulder with a wry smile.
"Looks like I won't have to deliver takeout."
Wanda looked with a complex expression at the divine figure draped in the Stars and Stripes in the sky, murmuring in a low voice: "What... does he actually want us to do?"
"Hulk." Lin An glanced at the cliff in the distance.
Even though that green fatty had been beaten back to his original form and was currently passed out naked in a crevice, he was still the top-tier berserker thug of the Marvel Universe.
Inside the monitoring room, Tony Stark couldn't help but roll his eyes and grumble over the communication channel, "Buddy, are you serious? You intend to sign a green ticking time bomb for Vought International that could tear the building to pieces at any moment?"
Lin An ignored the voice in the communication channel and continued calling names: "Iceman, Angel, Storm, Cyclops."
Although these troubled youths lacked practical combat experience, their abilities were quite useful. The key was that their appearances were outstanding; with proper packaging, they would definitely be high-quality idols.
In the ruins, Iceman excitedly high-fived Angel, his mind already fantasizing about a simple and unpretentious billionaire life.
"Awesome! Don't have to die, and I get to take home a bonus!"
Cyclops, however, interrupted.
"Don't celebrate too early; Vought International is no charity."
"Starlight, Kimiko." Lin An's voice continued to ring out.
The way Starlight glowed was perfect for being a super idol to attract fans.
As for Kimiko, who was treated as a "wild cat," she was just there to make up the numbers.
Although her combat power was mediocre, bringing her back to give to his genius scientist Frenchie as a bodyguard and little pet was also a good choice.
After calling out eight names in a row, Lin An's gaze suddenly shifted and landed on an extremely hidden crevice a few hundred meters away.
"And, Hawkeye."
Hawkeye, who was trembling in the crevice, was just preparing to tell the Director that he had tried his best.
Upon hearing this, he jerked his head up, his mud-covered face filled with an expression of having seen a ghost.
WTF?
Me?
Chapter 53: Recruiting the Crowd, the Imprisoned Magneto
New York, press conference hall on the top floor of Vought Tower.
The sound of camera shutters was as dense as thunder before a rainstorm.
Hundreds of flashbulbs merged into a sea of blazing white fire, almost blinding the eyes of ordinary people.
Lin An stood behind the podium, hands resting on the edge.
The Stars and Stripes cape on him was as clean as new, and the expression on his face was crafted with extreme precision.
Three parts exhaustion, three parts sorrow. Plus four parts of unyielding determination for the sake of all humanity.
"This tragedy should never have happened. If the Militaryhadn't developed that out-of-control green monster, and if certain extremist Mutants hadn't attempted to establish some ridiculous nation."
Lin An spoke into dozens of microphones, his voice low and magnetic.
He paused for a moment, a hint of sorrow perfectly revealing itself in the depths of his eyes.
"But fortunately, thanks to the efforts of Vought International, peace has been preserved."
"And today, I want to fulfill my promise: to award the honor and rewards that belong to those heroes who stood up in desperate times and protected the innocent!"
The camera turned to the contestants beside Homelander.
Starlight, Iceman Bobby, Quicksilver, and the others each held a massive check worth 100 million U.S. dollars in their hands.
These young people, inexperienced in the ways of the World, were clearly a bit uneasy facing such a grand spectacle.
Lin An watched their naive behavior and chuckled inwardly.
Did they really think this money was easy to take? The wool comes from the sheep; once you sign the indentured contract, your bodies and your superpowers will all have to work for me to pay off the debt.
The reporters below pounded their keyboards loudly, their long lenses and cameras locked onto this warm and touching scene.
Not a single person raised any sharp questions about the legality of the Battle Royale.
Obviously, before the press conference began, Madelynpersonally led the public relations department to stuff an impressively thick, anonymous envelope into the pocket of every media editor-in-chief present.
Coupled with Lin An's current sky-high global fan Base, anyone who dared to dissent at this moment would have their car smashed by fanatical die-hard fans the moment they stepped outside.
Since they were paid to do a job, the hymns of praise naturally had to be sung loudly.
Half an hour later.
On the top floor of Vought Tower, in the luxurious conference room in front of the panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows.
Lin An pulled off his tie, tossed it onto the sofa, walked over to the liquor cabinet, poured a glass of bourbon whiskey, and added two ice cubes.
The glass made a crisp clinking sound. Nine people stood in the room.
That green giant Bruce Banner, who had been beaten back to his original form, was currently still soaking in a high-intensity hibernation pod in the underground laboratory.
"Alright, the show outside is over; now it's time for internal communication." Lin An turned around, leaning against the bar counter, swirling his glass.
"You've received your bonuses; now, I'm offering you a full-time job."
Cyclops Scott adjusted his ruby-quartz visor, staring at him vigilantly.
"What exactly does Vought International want?" Cyclops's voice was tight.
"I don't believe that a group with such massive capital and Military power is really just doing charity."
"You are certainly free not to believe it." Lin An took a sip of his drink and smiled indifferently.
"But I ask you, how many superpowered individuals fight in dark alleys every day? How many innocent people are affected by inexplicable energy waves? Can the government control you? Can those wastes in the Militarycontrol you?"
Lin An pointed to the night view of New York outside the window.
"My goal is simple. Gather those who possess power and put them under the sun. To ensure that the forces of justice don't fight alone, we unite to maintain World peace."
"Vought provides funds, provides equipment, and provides the most professional public relations team. You only need to catch a few bad guys and then smile in front of the cameras."
Iceman Bobby swallowed, his eyes clearly lighting up.
He had long since had enough of the days of hiding and being treated like a freak.
If he could live like a big celebrity, who would want to stay in school and be a troubled youth who couldn't see the light of day?
"That sounds, like it might not be bad?" Iceman muttered softly.
"Bobby!" Cyclops glared at him, then turned to look at Lin An.
"We can't make the decision on this; we need to go back to school and discuss it with the headmaster."
"As you wish." Lin An shrugged. His gaze swept over the remaining people.
"I'll join." Starlight Annie was the first to raise her hand.
She had originally come with dreams of being a Superhero, and now that this opportunity was in front of her, she had no reason to refuse.
Beside her, the Asian girl Kimiko, wearing a ragged jacket, didn't speak; she just silently walked to Starlight's side.
On that meat-grinder of an island, she only trusted this glowing girl.
"I agree too." Hawkeye rubbed his hands, revealing a money-grubbing, mercenary smile.
"I didn't manage to snag a million-dollar blind box, but the salary for this full-time job should be decent, right?"
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The direct order given to him by Director Nick Fury was to infiltrate Vought International; now he didn't have to rack his brain for excuses—going undercover while getting paid was simply perfect.
Lin An smiled, seeing through it but not exposing him.
Finally, only the siblings, Quicksilver Pietro and Scarlet Witch Wanda, remained.
Pietro slammed that 100 million U.S. dollar check onto the table, his eyes full of hostility.
"We're not doing it. We'll take the money and leave." Pietro shielded Wanda behind him.
"We loathe capitalists, especially shareholders of Stark Industries. The weapons you manufactured blew up our home and killed our parents. I will never risk my life for Vought International!"
Wanda clenched her dress, her fingertips faintly glowing with dangerous red light.
She looked at Lin An, her eyes filled with deep wariness and caution. Although this man had saved them, that didn't change the fact that he was a partner of Stark.
"I guessed you would say that."
Lin An put down his glass, walked unhurriedly to the desk, picked up a top-secret file folder, and tossed it directly onto Pietro's chest. "Open it and see."
Pietro frowned and opened the file, and Wanda leaned in too. The more they read, the uglier their expressions became.
"This is the internal smuggling ledger and transaction records of Stark Industries."
Lin An said, hands in his pockets, his tone flat, "Tony Starkis just a playboy who only knows how to chase women and tinker with inventions; he doesn't care at all how the company operates."
"One of the primary culprits who was actually behind selling weapons to Terrorists and blowing up your hometown was his partner, Obadiah Stane."
The siblings stared intently at those transaction records stamped with the Stark Industries seal, their hands shaking.
"If you take the money and leave now, what can you do? Go seek revenge on Obadiah? Sorry, Obadiah has already been dealt with by Tony in the name of justice."
The conference room was quiet for a few seconds. The siblings looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion.
"Are you feeling lost about the future?" Lin An leaned closer to Pietro, lowering his voice.
"It's precisely because this World has so many dangerous elements that it needs your unreasonable power even more. Don't you hate these scumbags who profit from war?"
"Vought International has obtained special authorization from The Pentagon for the legal right to strike against criminals. You can carry a legal license and openly uproot the Bases of those Terrorists."
Lin An reached out a finger and tapped gently on Wanda's pretty, tense face.
"By the way, if you think Vought is an evil capitalist empire, then you should stay even more, shouldn't you? You can act as representatives of justice and supervise me personally."
"If I do something bad, you can use your magic to turn me into a teddy bear at any time."
The red glow in Wanda's eyes gradually faded, and she bit her lip, staring into Lin An's eyes, trying to find a trace of a lie.
But Lin An's gaze was terrifyingly open, even carrying a hint of sincerity that was hard to refuse.
In reality, Lin An was laughing so hard inside he was cramping.
Supervise me? Once you move into Vought's luxury apartments, get used to having fans screaming when you go out, having endless money in your accounts, and living a life where you are pampered by the PR team every day.
You'll even forget your own last names. This is the corruption of capital.
"Pietro." Wanda turned to look at her brother, her voice a bit hoarse.
Pietro gripped the document tightly, remained silent for a full minute, and finally let out a harsh breath.
"We'll join." Pietro looked back at Lin An. "If you lie to us, we will tear this building down."
"Warm welcome." Lin An opened his arms, smiling brilliantly. Done. This batch of leeks was harvested perfectly.
Three hundred meters beneath Vought Tower, in the Abyss-level special detention zone.
The elevator doors slid open to the sides, and Lin Anwalked out, surrounded by a group of fully armed security personnel.
The environment here could be described as oppressive to the extreme.
The corridor walls were made of polymers, the floor was special reinforced ceramic, and even the firearms in the hands of the security personnel were made entirely of plastic and carbon fiber.
In the entire third underground level, you couldn't find a single metal screw. This was prepared specifically for one person.
Lin An walked to the transparent isolation room at the end of the corridor.
There was no bed in the isolation room, only a plastic chair bolted to the floor.
Magneto Erik Lehnsherr was sitting on that chair.
His dark red cape had long since been stripped away, replaced by a set of gray prison garb.
His gray hair was messy, and there was still a bruise on his face from Lin An's punch.
But his posture as he sat there was still like an emperor patrolling his territory, his back straight as a rod.
Hearing footsteps, Erik slowly raised his head. Separated by that half-meter-thick blast-proof glass, the two monsters, one old and one young, stared at each other silently.
"This kind of plastic shell cannot contain the emperor of Mutants."
Erik's voice was as hoarse as if it had been rubbed against sandpaper. His eyes remained unruly and defiant, even though he couldn't muster a shred of magnetic force at this moment.
"I admit, this is a bit shabby for you." Lin An casually pulled over a chair, sat down through the glass, and crossed his legs.
"But you'll have to get used to it. I've come today to ask only one question."
Lin An put away his smile, his eyes turning cold and dangerous.
"Submit to me and work for Vought International. Or, rot away slowly in this plastic coffin without a single speck of metal."
Magneto suddenly laughed. The laughter rolled out from his deep throat, filled with heavy mockery.
"Submit? Submit to a bastard who treats his own kind like playthings in a gladiator arena?"
Erik stood up abruptly, pressed his hands against the blast-proof glass, and stared intensely at Lin An.
"I, Erik Lehnsherr, would rather turn into a skeleton in this grave than ever bow my head to a hypocritical tyrant like you!"
The air was silent for two seconds. Lin An curled his lip, looking bored.
"Fine, you old stubborn fool, suit yourself. I, for one, have the utmost respect for the elderly." Lin An stood up and straightened the creases in his cape.
He really hadn't expected a few words to make this Mutantleader, who had spent his whole life struggling, bow his head. Taming a hawk takes time, and there was plenty of it.
"Enjoy your retirement, Erik."
Chapter 54: The New Employee Dr. Banner, A Brand New Team
The incandescent lights in the medical room were blindingly bright.
Bruce Banner sat up abruptly from the medical pod.
He instinctively tore off the six monitoring electrodes on his chest.
A sharp alarm from the instruments instantly filled the entire room.
Before he could turn his head to look for an escape route, a steaming cup of black coffee slid across the alloy tabletop.
It stopped steadily at the edge of the bed.
Lin An sat with his legs crossed, sinking into that iron stool that had absolutely no medical aesthetic.
He was still flipping through a thick stack of medical examination data in his hands.
"Heart rate has spiked to 180, Dr. Banner. Take it easy."
Lin An tossed the medical report onto the table casually. "I didn't prepare XXXXL-sized underwear for you here."
Bruce Banner's muscles instantly tensed up. His gaze was fixed firmly on this blonde man.
Memories of the deserted island in the Pacific Oceanflooded back like a tide.
That terrifying monster who had pressed Hulk into the mud with one hand and crushed his bones was now comfortably swaying while holding a cup of hot milk.
"Where is this? What exactly are you after?" Bruce Banner's voice was dry, as if his throat were clogged with sandpaper.
Lin An rolled his eyes. These incredibly brilliant minds all suffered from paranoid delusions.
"Vought Tower, underground medical center. As for what I'm after..." Lin An tapped his cup against the tabletop, making a crisp clinking sound. "Does finding a highly skilled laborer who can actually do the work count?"
Bruce Banner shrank back into the corner of the bed warily.
When General Ross had tried to trick him back in the day, the pitch was similar.
"If you want to use Hulk to fight wars, or draw my blood to mass-produce super soldiers."
Bruce Banner gritted his back teeth, and a heart-stopping fluorescent green color uncontrollably emerged on the back of his hands.
"Kill me now while you have the chance."
The green light flickered; that was the signal that the Beastwas about to be unleashed.
Lin An didn't move.
He just leaned forward, his azure blue eyes staring at Bruce Banner.
It was this plain, unremarkable look that forcefully suppressed the green light on the back of Bruce Banner's hands.
"Do you really think I'm short on hired muscle?" Lin Ancurled his lips mockingly.
Bruce Banner held his head in despair, his fingers digging forcefully into his messy hair.
"Then why did you go to such great lengths to fish me out? To give me psychological counseling?"
"Why not?" Lin An stood up and paced to the one-way mirror.
"You hate the brainless green monster inside your body. He caused you to become a globally wanted criminal, and he's made it so you can't even get a good night's sleep."
Lin An looked at his reflection in the glass.
"You want to get rid of him, but those idiots in the Militarytreat him like a treasure. You guys just can't see eye to eye."
Bruce Banner raised his head abruptly.
These words pierced right through his heart.
Fleeing across half the Earth, hiding in slums to learn yoga to control his emotions—what was it all for? Wasn't it just to get rid of this damn curse!
The fish had taken the bait.
Lin An turned around, his expression restrained, putting on a rare look of seriousness.
To trick high-level intellectuals, you have to show some "heart-to-heart" sincerity.
"Do you think this outrageous power of mine just fell from the sky?" Lin An pointed to his own chest.
Before Bruce Banner could respond, Lin An continued on his own, his tone filled with a chilling calmness.
"Cold iron beds. Tubes connected to high-voltage electricity. A fixed dose of purple potion injected directly into the spinal cord every day."
Lin An's gaze passed over Bruce Banner, staring at the pale white ceiling. "Loss of control? I understand what that means better than you do."
"When you realize that if you use even a little bit of strength, the Nurse taking care of you will turn into a puddle of meat, that feeling is absolutely fucked up."
Lin An scoffed. "You're afraid of hurting others, so in the end, you can only bottle up all your emotions, until you turn into a madman yourself."
Half-truths and lies.
The original body had indeed been tortured like this, but the current Lin An was very clear-headed.
Killing was purely due to conflicts of interest.
For the tragic doctor, these words had the destructive power of a nuclear bomb.
The defensiveness in Bruce Banner's eyes finally showed a crack.
He looked at Lin An, and for the first time, developed the illusion of sharing a common plight.
"They... performed genetic modification on you?" The scientist's desire for inquiry was awakened.
"Something called Compound V." Lin An sat back down, clasping his fingers together.
"It can forcibly modify the human genetic sequence. But those idiots in research only pursue destructive power; they don't care at all if the host suffers brainstem damage."
Lin An looked directly into Bruce Banner's eyes and threw out his ultimate bargaining chip.
"I'm improving this stuff. Frenchie, who works under me, has a very active mind and dares to think and act. But he's an amateur, lacking support from orthodox theory."
"You need me?"
"You won't find many biophysicists in all of America with a better brain than yours."
Lin An painted a big, beautiful picture. "I will provide you with the World's top laboratory and unlimited funding. You help me reconstruct the molecular formula. In return, you can use all the research results to deal with that neighbor inside your body."
Bruce Banner's breathing became rapid.
No Military pointing guns at his head to draw blood, but instead providing top-tier equipment to let him heal himself!
But he was still hesitant.
Years of life on the run had made him like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring.
"What if I lose control again?" Bruce Banner gripped the bedsheets tightly with both hands.
"As long as he is stimulated, he will come out. By then, this building will be torn into ruins by him. Can you afford that?"
Lin An couldn't help it and laughed out loud. The laughter echoed in the empty medical room, arrogant to the extreme.
"Buddy, do you have some misunderstanding about your own destructive power?"
Lin An strode in front of Bruce Banner, looking down at him from a height.
"If I can squash that green monster once, I can squash him a hundred times. In this building, if he really dares to poke his head out, I will make him regret growing that green flesh."
Lin An reached out and patted Bruce Banner's shoulder, with enough force to make the steel bed frame emit an unbearable creaking sound.
"Vought Tower is the only place on this Earth where you can go crazy without restraint. Because I'm watching."
Rough, overbearing.
Yet, it was precisely this absolute, violent suppression that gave Bruce Banner an unprecedented sense of security.
The medical room was deadly silent for a full minute.
Eventually, this genius scientist who held seven doctoral degrees nodded heavily.
"I need the most advanced centrifuge, and an independent gamma-ray shielding system. No one is allowed to interfere with my research."
Bruce Banner instantly switched into work mode.
"Madelyn will handle everything. Welcome to the ranks of workers, Dr. Banner."
Lin An turned and walked out the door.
Three days later.
New York, Vought Tower top-floor conference room.
Cyclops Scott pressed his lips tightly together.
Through his red quartz visor, he stared at Lin An, who was sitting in the boss's chair.
Behind the chair was an entire floor-to-ceiling window, with the bustling view of New York spread out before them.
"The Headmaster has woken up." Scott's voice was dry, his eyes showing seriousness.
"He has agreed to your conditions. But Professor Charleshopes you can remember your promise."
"This team is for maintaining World peace. It is absolutely not a private army for Vought International to go around plundering!"
Chapter 55: Founding the Dragon Team, Igniting the Chinese Internet
Lin An toyed with a custom-made gold fountain pen between his fingertips.
Hearing this, he almost laughed out loud on the spot.
That old bald-headed Charles was truly a shrewd operator. Two days ago, he had tried to forcefully provoke Hulk, only to be backlashed by pure rage, resulting in a cerebral hemorrhage, and nearly died on the leather sofa in the VIP viewing deck.
He had only just pulled the tubes out of the ICU, and upon seeing the currently booming reputation of Vought International, he immediately caved in.
And trying to pressure people with World peace?
If I wanted to loot, wouldn't it be better to just go raid the Federal Reserve's vault?
What do I need you bunch of small-fry who can't even solve your own basic needs for?
Snap.
The gold fountain pen was tossed onto the desktop, emitting a crisp sound.
"Of course, Scott." Lin An crossed his hands and rested his chin on them, his gaze so sincere he could run for the U.S. Person of the Year award.
"Peace has always been my lifelong pursuit. The term 'Mutant' is too heavy, carrying the government's prejudice and humanity's fear.
From today on, you are no longer Mutants; you are heroes."
Lin An leaned forward, his sense of oppression surging forth like a landslide: "You will see my sincerity very soon."
Scott tightened his jaw, unable to refute even half a word, and could only nod stiffly.
Half an hour later, in the preparation area backstage at the press conference.
Lin An pushed open the door to the dressing room.
Standing inside the room was a row of superpowered individuals with varying expressions.
Those few students from the X-Men were clearly not yet accustomed to the extremely flashy commercial packaging of Vought International.
Iceman Bobby was tugging at his blue and white combat suit, feeling completely awkward.
The fabric clung tightly to his skin, revealing every contour of his abdominal muscles.
Quicksilver and Wanda were even more dismissive of those red and silver, metallic-reflective bodysuits.
But forced by the terrifying aftermath of someone punching Hulk to pieces, the two siblings could only obediently act as clothes hangers.
As for Starlight Annie.
She was clutching her new white and gold uniform tightly.
The neckline was so deep it practically reached her navel, and the miniskirt offered absolutely no sense of security.
The young girl's face was flushed red, and she was desperately trying to shrink into the corner.
Lin An's eyes lit up.
The joy of a capitalist is custom-tailoring.
The behind-the-scenes PR team truly understood what the audience in the lower-tier markets wanted to see most.
He strode forward with his long legs.
Starlight was so scared she looked like a startled rabbit, her back pressed directly against the cold wall.
"Annie, don't be nervous." Lin An's voice was gentle, just like a caring older brother looking out for his subordinates.
He reached out and placed his hand on Starlight's shoulder, acting completely natural.
His fingers slid down the taut fabric, adjusting her crooked neckline outward for her.
His fingertips grazed that patch of fair collarbone, the temperature scorching.
Starlight shuddered violently.
A strange, tingling sensation shot straight up her spine to the top of her head.
She didn't dare look up into Lin An's eyes at all, her breathing was in a complete mess, and her cheeks were red enough to bleed.
"You are one of the team's visual centerpieces; you need to let the whole World see your radiance, understand?" Lin An smiled and patted her shoulder.
"There's no need to hide your beauty; that is also a kind of power."
He whistled a lewd tune in his heart.
Hughie, sorry about that.
You can't have both career and love.
This glowing wife is mine now.
On the leather sofa a few steps away, Scarlet WitchWanda watched coldly from the sidelines.
This man was too bizarre.
Three days ago, he had smashed the magnetic field-controlling Magneto into the ground like a dead dog.
With one punch, he had broken the bones of a living nuclear bomb. That cruel gaze, like looking at an insect, still haunted Wanda's nightmares.
Now, however, he could act like a seasoned ladies' man, flirting with a young girl with a face full of smiles.
Beneath this mask of compassion, was he hiding a god or a demon?
Wanda clenched her fingers, red light flickering at her fingertips.
Fear spread through her bone marrow, but a fatal curiosity was also growing like poison ivy.
"Time is up, young men and women." Lin An clapped his hands, instantly switching to the tone of an overbearing leader, "Prepare to welcome your era."
New York, Times Square.
Tens of thousands of fanatic fans had surrounded the square, and the surrounding traffic was completely paralyzed.
Dozens of holographic broadcast drones, specially supplied by Stark Industries, hovered in mid-air, syncing the footage globally in real-time.
A red and blue figure descended from high altitude.
Lin An hovered above the giant stage, the tsunami-like cheers nearly shattering the glass curtain walls of Manhattan.
He landed in front of the microphone and took a deep sniff of the air, which was filled with fame, fortune, and fanaticism.
"Thank you, everyone." Lin An closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his eyes were filled with deep sorrow.
"The Battle of the Deserted Island made me deeply reflect on the Superhero system. Those innocent casualties were all reminding me. The old structure of The Seven is not enough to cope with this new World filled with monsters!"
Lin An suddenly looked up, erupting with a fanatical, decisive aura.
"To unite superhumans! To erase the discriminatory label of 'Mutant'! I announce that Vought International has added a brand new, direct-report supernatural strategic assault team, which is officially established today!"
Boom!
The holographic screen over a hundred meters high behind him lit up instantly.
Everyone was wearing a uniform, and accompanied by an intensely oppressive BGM, they appeared on the screen like gods descending.
"This team is the hardest shield and the sharpest sword on Earth! As long as they are here, no villain will ever be able to run wild on this Planet!"
Lin An spread his arms, stared straight at the sky, and roared at the top of his lungs:
"I bestow upon this team a brand new, immortal name—"
"Dragon Team!"
Lin An laughed wildly in his heart.
F*** the Avengers! F*** the X-Men!
I've transmigrated here, if I don't start a Dragon Team, how could I face the web novels I've read? This is a man's romance!
When these two words dropped, the local U.S. fans were clearly confused.
Dragon? A fire-breathing big lizard? Sounds like a Western dragon villain?
But that doesn't matter. What Homelander says is the truth, and the name Homelander chooses is the coolest!
"Dragon Team! Dragon Team! Dragon Team!"
Tens of thousands of people realized what was happening, screaming at the top of their lungs, the sound wave overturning the night sky.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, the Chinese internet was completely exploding. The servers of major forums crashed across the board within ten seconds.
[WTF, WTF!! What did I just hear?!]
[Dragon Team! He actually named it Dragon Team! I knew this blonde hunk was a pro-Chinese at heart!]
[This is real cultural export! The motherland that Homelander has in his heart is China!!]
[No wonder he beat Magneto into the ground; he's definitely the Dragon King Hall Master who returned from cultivation! The strongest undercover agent on Earth!]
[Dragon Team marches, nothing grows!]
[Ding! Subverted the old system, causing fanatical worship from global netizens! Popularity + 500k!]
[Ding! Detected extreme shock and cultural fanaticism from netizens in the China region, triggered special event critical hit! Popularity + 1 million!]
[Current popularity balance is skyrocketing...]
1 million! Just the resonance of this one meme in the China region directly smashed out a 1 million critical hit!
Lin An clenched his back teeth hard to keep himself from laughing out loud in front of hundreds of millions of people.
The lovely Eastern netizens are the highest-quality leeks. Whatever Magneto, whatever Hulk—in the face of cross-dimensional trolling, they are all trash!
On the edge of the stage, the few people who had just signed their indentured contracts looked at each other.
"Dragon Team?" Iceman lowered his voice, his face full of question marks, "Isn't this name too 'chuunibyou'? It sounds like a low-budget B-movie."
"Shut up, smile." Cyclops pressed hard on his glasses, his facial muscles stiff, "Even if he called it the S*** Team, the crowd down there would still buy it."
Starlight stood on the far edge, her fingers unconsciously twisting her neckline.
The tsunami-like cheers from below caused her unease to be gradually swallowed by excitement.
The poison of being worshipped and being needed instantly pierced through her defenses.
Chapter 56: The Joy of a Capitalist, Controlling the Two Women
Swish. Swish. Swish.
The custom Montblanc fountain pen scratched harshly against the paper.
Stark Industries copyright infringement lawsuits, Dragon Team reality show sponsorship quotes, supplementary materials for The Pentagon's protest letters...
When signing the 102nd document.
Crack!
Lin An exerted force on his wrist, and the solid gold nib pierced straight through the bulletproof glass tabletop.
Cracks spiderwebbed instantly.
The pen, worth thousands of dollars, snapped in two and rolled onto the Persian rug.
"Damn it."
Lin An leaned back into the wide leather chair, pulling his tie loose.
It had been three days since the press conference.
He had regressed from a living god who could punch the Hulk into oblivion to a signing machine on a Wall Streetassembly line.
When he first took the chairman's seat at Vought International, the power to control the global pulse was intoxicating.
But after the high, now it only brought him irritation.
This wasn't right.
"I traveled here to be a Superman who does whatever he wants; my precious time shouldn't be wasted on this meaningless work!"
The [Silver Superman Core Gene], redeemed with ten million popularity points, had been in his account for days, but he hadn't found a complete block of time to properly charge under the Sun.
"Madelyn." Lin An pressed the internal intercom button.
In less than a minute.
Madelyn pushed the door open, stepping in on her signature red-bottomed heels, carrying a thick stack of budget approval forms.
"Boss, this is the Public Relations Department's second-half—"
"Stop." Lin An raised a hand to interrupt.
He stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the gray Manhattan building complex.
"For deals under 100 million, or PR crises without superhuman casualties, don't bother me. You and those professional managers with eight-figure salaries can handle it yourselves; Vought doesn't keep repeaters."
Madelyn's breath hitched, and she hugged the folder tighter, nodding repeatedly.
"Go arrange the itinerary." Lin An turned around. "I'm going to Hawaii."
In his past life, as a broke corporate slave, he had heard people brag about how debauched the beaches of Hawaiiwere.
Now, holding the World's strongest force and the deepest capital, improving his strength while enjoying life—that, goddammit, was true happiness!
But going alone was missing something.
Look for Natasha?
The image of the red-headed Agent flashed through his mind.
Forget it, he had been too rough with her recently; that woman was still walking with shaky legs. Give the S.H.I.E.L.D. ace spy a break.
He needed a change of pace.
The bright and naive Annie, and the thorny Eastern European wildcat, Wanda.
Ice and Fire, those two were not bad.
Who to choose...
Choose? Screw that, I, Homelander, want them all!
"Find a reason for Starlight and the Scarlet Witch to accompany me on a business trip to Hawaii." Lin Antapped his fingers on the desk, issuing the order.
Madelyn looked up, her pupils dilating.
A flash of extreme astonishment crossed her shrewd eyes, but half a second later, it was masked by a perfect professional smile.
She understood this man's subtext too well.
Madelyn let out a long sigh of relief in her heart.
The boss had finally figured it out! The previous Homelander was full of perverted Oedipal complexes, but now? He had finally started engaging in workplace unspoken rules!
Thank God, he was finally acting like a normal capitalist!
"The PR department happens to need to film a 'Dragon Team: Summer Special Project'."
Madelyn made it up on the spot without blushing or skipping a beat.
"With you leading the team and guiding it personally, it can both boost the Dragon Team's approachable image and showcase the harmony within Vought. It's perfectly reasonable."
What a talent.
Lin An looked at Madelyn, the corners of his mouth curving into a satisfied arc.
It was a good thing he spared her life; this top-tier worker was too convenient to use.
"Beautiful." Lin An walked up to her. "Go to the legal department and go through the procedures; transfer 0.02% of the group's shares to your name. Work hard."
Boom!
It felt like a bomb had gone off in Madelyn's brain.
0.02%!
It sounded insignificant, but in Vought International, which had completely monopolized the global superhuman industry and had a market value that reached the skies, this 0.02% was a terrifying dividend of at least tens of millions of dollars a year!
With one sentence, she had crossed class lines, transforming from a high-level employee to true capital.
"Boss... I..." Madelyn was trembling all over, her eyes instantly bloodshot.
"Go do your work." Lin An waved his hand.
A capitalist's leash must be made of pure gold to hold tight.
...
The next day at noon.
The breeze from the Pacific Ocean carried the salty scent of seawater.
Hawaii, Vought's exclusive private beach.
Lin An was wearing flashy floral beach shorts, lying brazenly outside the shade of the umbrella.
The scorching Sun near the equator, with no cover, hit his skin the moment he stepped out.
Refreshing!
Lin An let out a low sigh of comfort.
The Kryptonian gene had completely come alive.
A sponge that had been dried up for millions of years was thrown into the ocean.
Every cell was frantically devouring the nuclear fusion radiation emitted by the star.
Bone density was skyrocketing, muscle fibers were restructuring, and his auditory and visual senses were extending infinitely into non-human dimensions.
The panel of the defective Homelander was slowly being covered by the power of the pure Silver Superman.
Lin An bit the straw of his iced coconut drink, his gaze sweeping across the white beach.
A dozen meters ahead.
Starlight Annie had changed into a pure white one-piece bikini.
Her curvy figure was displayed vividly, her blonde hair scattered by the sea breeze.
She clearly still hadn't adapted to this kind of explicit camera work; her fair skin was flushed crimson, and her hands were awkwardly pulling at the fabric at the top of her thighs.
It made the photographers nearby swallow hard.
On the other side.
Wanda was sitting under a Sun umbrella, holding iced water.
A wine-red two-piece swimsuit outlined the wild lines she had forged from years of wandering and fighting.
Cold and deadly.
But she was radiating an extremely dangerous low pressure, with an attitude of "I'll gouge out the eyes of whoever dares to look at me."
Lin An adjusted his sunglasses.
Starlight's personality was easy to handle; a girl lacking love only needed a bit of romance and some "chicken soup for the soul" to be controlled.
But Wanda was a hedgehog lacking security; pulling her thorns hard would only result in blood all over his hands.
He had to set a trap; he had to make her reveal her soft belly herself.
What was her pain point?
Parents. The missiles of Stark Industries. Unplaceable hatred.
Lin An rose from the beach chair, picked up a glass of Long Island Iced Tea, and walked straight toward the Sunumbrella.
Sensing Lin An approaching, Wanda's body instantly tensed.
Deadly red light faintly glimmered at her fingertips.
Lin An stopped a meter away from her and handed her the Long Island Iced Tea.
"Relax, I'm not here to check on you." Lin An's voice was perfectly covered by the sound of the waves. "I just saw you staring at the sea and thought you might need some alcohol."
Wanda didn't take it, her eyes as cold as ice: "I don't drink."
"Is that so?" Lin An withdrew his hand without any embarrassment and took a sip himself. "I thought Sokovians needed high-concentration vodka to suppress the psychological trauma left by that Stark dud missile back then."
Hum!
Wanda's eyes froze instantly.
The red light at her fingertips erupted suddenly, and the surrounding air made a dangerous, distorting sound.
"How do you know?" Wanda stared at Lin An, each word squeezed through her teeth.
"That's not all."
Lin An leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice, his deep gaze piercing the bottom of Wanda's eyes.
"Do you want that top-secret client list? About the real murderer who bought that missile and destroyed your home."
Lin An gently swirled his glass, the ice cubes clinking against the wall of the glass with a crisp sound.
"That is a 'gift' I specifically intercepted for you from Obadiah's top-secret files."
Wanda's pupils constricted violently, and scarlet Chaos Magic instantly climbed onto the whites of her eyes.
"Don't be impatient, little wildcat. Tomorrow night at ten, come to my room."
Lin An couldn't be bothered to drag it out with her; he turned and left after speaking, leaving Wanda stunned in place.
...
The sunset glow dyed the private beach in Hawaii an ambiguous orange-red.
The director shouted the final "Cut," and the PR department's photography team quickly packed up their equipment and evacuated, very perceptively leaving this beach to their boss.
Starlight Annie stood barefoot in the shallows, shivering from the sea breeze.
She crossed her hands helplessly in front of her, clutching the revealing pure white bikini.
All afternoon, she had been following the photographer's requests to strike various alluring poses.
This huge discrepancy and sense of shame made it hard for her to speak.
An oversized white shirt with a reassuringly warm body heat fell onto her shoulders, which were covered in goosebumps.
"It's really too much; they made you look so cheap." A deep voice sounded in her ear.
Starlight shuddered all over and turned her head abruptly.
It was too close, so close that she could see the sunset in Lin An's blue eyes.
He didn't know when he had walked up behind her, and was currently, extremely gently, helping her pull the collar of the shirt together.
"Boss... I..." Starlight's voice was like a mosquito's hum, and her cheeks turned deep red instantly.
"Call me John. It's off-duty hours now; there are no bosses or employees."
Lin An whistled loudly in his heart.
Dealing with this kind of little girl who had been forced to enter beauty pageants by a control-freak mother since childhood, and who was extremely lacking in love and eager for affirmation, was simpler than crushing an ant.
Just a little timely rescue, plus a little condescending pity, and she would throw herself at him like a moth to a flame.
"Do you know why I chose you to join the Dragon Team, Annie?" Lin An reached out and tucked her golden hair, which had been messed up by the sea breeze, behind her ear.
His fingertips brushed against her hot earlobe intentionally or unintentionally.
Starlight held her breath, staring at him blankly: "Because... because my image is suitable for being an idol?"
"That's a reason only a capitalist like Madelyn, whose head is full of stocks, would consider."
Lin An lowered his head slightly, his eyes so sincere they seemed like they could drip water.
"I chose you because on that deserted island full of monsters, even when you were trembling with fear, there was still light in your eyes."
"This World is too dirty, Annie. I need someone to be with me to light it up."
Too cheesy.
This line would be rejected even if used in a third-rate Hollywood romance movie.
But at this moment, under the beautiful sunset of Hawaii, spoken from the mouth of a man who was as powerful as a god, yet so "gentle and understanding of her."
This was a kill shot.
The tears in Starlight's eyes finally couldn't be held back, and they fell.
For so many years, no one had ever looked past her superpowers and figure to affirm her heart.
"John..." She choked, like a lost lamb looking for a safe harbor, and stepped forward unconsciously.
Lin An took the opportunity to open his arms, pulling this soft, hot body into his embrace.
Then he lowered his head directly, his lips pressing precisely onto those trembling red lips.