Chapter 91: Looting the Vault
The Asgard vault was located in the deepest part of the Heavenly Palace.
Two massive bronze doors, which would require a dozen men to wrap their arms around, swung inward.
Thor stood straight as a ramrod, like a diligent security guard greeting guests, and opened the door for his boss.
Lin An strode in swaggeringly.
Pietro followed behind, carrying a camera.
The livestream was still running.
How could he afford to miss out on such massive traffic from unboxing an alien mystery box?
"Family, watch closely." Lin An snapped his fingers at the camera.
"This is the largest smuggling hub in Norse mythology."
The interior of the vault was resplendent with gold and jade.
Cold-colored magic flames burned on both sides.
The air was filled with a stale, metallic smell.
Each exhibit was protected by an independent light shield.
Lin An stopped in front of a blue square box exuding cold air.
The treasure of the Frost Giant, the casket of ancient winters.
The system panel had already been brought up.
[High-order energy body detected: casket of ancient winters]
[Do you wish to spend Popularity Points for a 1:1 visual replica? Note: The replica only possesses the physical appearance and a minimal energy emission, with no actual function. Cost: 500,000 Popularity Points.]
Buy!
Lin An didn't even hesitate.
This move was what you'd call dimension-reduction zero-dollar shopping.
With his back to Thor and the camera, he found a tricky angle and covered the display stand with one hand.
A flash of white light.
The real casket of ancient winters was now resting quietly in his system storage.
What remained in its place was a high-end knockoff that didn't even have a QR code sticker on it.
Aside from emitting a little cold air, this fake was too slow to even chill a Coke.
Continuing forward.
Not far away, a crimson skull crown with two sharp horns sat on a pedestal.
The fire seed of Surtur's Twilight Sword.
If this thing were thrown into the Eternal Flame, it could burn Asgard into glass shards instantly.
"This horned helmet design is way too wild. Does Lokiwear this to go clubbing?"
Lin An pointed at the crown, spouting insults wildly.
"The taste is terrible."
"If this design were put in the Yiwu small commodity market on Earth, you could wholesale three for ten bucks."
He didn't stop talking, nor did his hands stay idle.
[Replica generating... 500,000 Popularity Points deducted. Swap complete.]
The genuine article was banked, and the fake remained.
The entire process was smooth as silk.
It was so fast that even Odin, who was staring fixedly at the crystal ball with his single eye in the surveillance room, didn't notice anything amiss.
All the old God King saw was Lin An pausing in front of each artifact as if merely browsing.
He was cursing and swearing, at most tapping the protective shield twice with his finger, never crossing the line by even half a step.
How could that old geezer understand what a system cheat was?
Thor followed behind, kindly offering a science lesson: "Mentor, that is the Fire Giant's crown. It is extremely dangerous. You must not touch it..."
Lin An waved his hand, brushed him off, and walked straight to the deepest part of the vault.
Standing there was a golden right-hand glove.
Six fake gems with a very strong plastic texture were embedded on it.
Infinity Gauntlet.
Asgard's famous vanity project.
Lin An stared at the glove and almost laughed out loud.
Odin usually acted all high and mighty, yet behind closed doors, he actually kept a counterfeit Infinity Gauntlet in the vault to save face.
Was he hoping that if the purple potato guy attacked one day, he could scare him off with this thing?
"Who designed this crappy glove? Thanos's Happy Set?"
Lin An mocked it wildly to the livestream.
"Family, look at this. The diamond-setting craftsmanship is rougher than the nine-point-nine-free-shipping stuff from a street stall."
"Did the Heavenly Palace fail to pay protection money to the family planning committee, which is why they ended up with such a freakish thing?"
The comments scrolled by rapidly.
"LMAO, Homelander won't even spare aliens from his roast!"
"Diamonds on the glove, does it increase attack speed when worn?"
Although this was a fake, Lin An upheld the fine tradition of "a thief never leaves empty-handed."
He casually spent 10,000 Popularity Points to perform a second swap on this glove.
A fake on top of a fake.
Just consider it a souvenir for Odin.
Walking and touching all the way.
The Tablet of Life and Time, the Eye of Warlock, the fire seed of the Eternal Flame...
As long as it had some energy fluctuation, it was completely replaced by Lin An with high-quality system replicas.
With a reserve of over ten million Popularity Points, covering these replication costs was merely a drop in the bucket.
Reaching the end of the vault, Lin An stopped.
He turned around, spread his hands to the camera, and sighed.
"To be honest, I'm disappointed."
"I thought the alien nouveau riche would have some rare treasures at home."
"Turns out it's all flashy, useless junk."
Lin An casually picked up a dusty short sword from a nearby shelf.
This sword didn't even have a name; it was just a standard-issue weapon of the Heavenly Palace.
"I'll just take this crappy sword as compensation for emotional distress; I'm afraid of dirtying my hands if I take anything else."
Lin An weighed the short sword and tossed it into Pietro's arms.
"Take it, use it to cut steak when we get back."
Thor watched from the side, his eyes heating up.
The mentor is too great!
He could have chosen a peerless artifact, yet to save face for Asgard, he chose the most inconspicuous ordinary short sword!
What high moral character!
Even Odin, seeing this scene, let out a long sigh of relief.
Although this Earthling is infinitely arrogant, he is a man who keeps his word and is not driven by greed.
That short sword was just a relic of a fallen general; it wasn't worth mentioning at all.
Back in the palace.
"Alright, you may go." Odin waved his hand impatiently.
"Your Majesty the God King is straightforward." Lin Anrubbed his fingers together.
"However..."
"Midgard is nominally still your territory. What if someone sends another Destroyer to cause trouble one day? Whose responsibility would that be?"
Lin An opened his hands, spreading them before Odin with justification.
"Sign a Nine Realms authorization document for me, officially transferring the management rights of Earth to Vought International."
"Also, your eldest son Thor has performed well during his internship at our company."
"I plan to sign a 300-year long-term labor contract with him."
"Any objections?"
Odin's eyelid twitched wildly.
But he glanced at Loki, who was half-dead in the pit in the center of the hall.
And then looked at Thor, who, despite being covered in dirt, was energetic and seemed to have truly regained his confidence on the assembly line.
Odin pondered for a moment.
Handing Midgard over to this madman with no bottom line was better than him finding excuses to come to Asgard to stir up trouble every few days.
As for Thor.
Letting him suffer a bit on Earth and see the dangers of human society might not be a bad thing.
"Fine."
Odin grabbed a scroll exuding golden divine power from the void and threw it toward Lin An.
"Asgard formally relinquishes its right to protect Midgard."
"Take your loot and get out of my sight."
Lin An caught the parchment steadily and shoved it into his pocket.
This deal was worth it.
"Let's go, retreat. I feel like I'm running out of oxygen if I stay in this place too long."
Lin An waved his hand.
The Vought demolition team marched back the way they came.
As he stepped out of the vault, Lin An closed the two massive bronze doors behind him.
As the doors closed completely, a super serial theft that would shock the Marvel Universe was perfectly sealed away.
Walking in the corridor, Lin An checked his system storage in his mind.
The Frost Giant's nuclear weapon, the Fire Giant's fuse, the rare treasures accumulated by Asgard over ten thousand years—they all belonged to Lin now.
Not only did I take them, but I also left you a room full of Yiwu small commodities.
Surprised?
Asgard Square.
Loki was still lying at the bottom of the pit like a dead dog, and no one dared to help him up.
Tony Stark was floating in mid-air, wearing his armor.
He was fiddling with a high-dimensional energy crystal he had just dug out of the floor. Seeing Lin An come out, he immediately went up to him.
"You only took a crappy sword?"
Tony examined the dusty short sword through his faceplate, his tone full of disdain.
"This doesn't look like your style of stripping everything bare. I thought you would have demolished their load-bearing walls."
Lin An put the livestream drone back into his pocket and cut the signal.
He leaned into Tony's ear and lowered his voice.
"Load-bearing walls are nothing."
"I emptied their entire foundation."
Tony froze for two seconds.
He looked at Lin An's smile—the typical capitalist one that eats everything without spitting out the bones—and realized what happened.
This bastard must have looted the vault using some underhanded means!
"You are such a piece of work..." Tony couldn't help but curse.
Lin An grabbed the metal armor on Tony's shoulder.
"What are you making such a fuss about? Earthlings coming to an alien planet to stock up is called promoting interstellar trade surplus."
Lin An patted his chest armor.
"I'll give you two glowing stones to study when we get back."
Turning his head to look at Thor, who was still kneeling on the ground kowtowing toward the Heavenly Palace.
"Thor! Stop bowing!"
"The company has plenty of notices waiting for you."
"You have to go clean sewers in Brooklyn at six tomorrow morning. Don't you dare be late!"
Thor scrambled up, holding Mjolnir, and stood straight.
"Received! Guarantee to complete the mission!"
The beam of light from the Bifrost Bridge descended with a roar.
It engulfed this group of Earth bandits returning with a full load.
The Heavenly Palace returned to silence.
Half an hour later, Odin, draped in a robe, walked down the steps with a staggering gait.
He arrived in front of the vault door.
The old God King needed to personally confirm whether those artifacts that could truly shake the foundation of the Nine Realms were safe and sound.
Pushing open the bronze doors, everything remained untouched.
The casket of ancient winters emitted a faint cold air, and Surtur's crown lay quietly in its place.
Odin was completely relieved.
"In the end, he is just a short-sighted mortal, not to be feared."
Chapter 92: Taking Over Earth's Defense, Sorcerer Ancient One
New York, above Manhattan.
A seven-colored beam of light violently split the clouds, striking straight into the center of Times Square like divine punishment.
As the light faded, Lin An stepped out from the teleportation destination with a leisurely gait.
Behind him stood the Dragon Team.
The alien demolition squad had returned fully loaded.
However, what awaited them was not the expected security cordon.
The entire Broadway street, Seventh Avenue, and even the windows of all the surrounding skyscrapers were packed with heads.
The black sea of people was boundless, so dense that not even a needle could be inserted.
The crowd was dead silent for half a second, then erupted into screams and cheers that threatened to overturn the heavens.
"Homelander!"
"Long live Vought!"
A blonde girl roared as she broke through the barricade, throwing herself at Lin An regardless of everything, only to be grabbed by the quick-witted Quicksilver beside her.
The girl simply let her knees go weak and knelt on the ground, clutching the edge of Lin An's national flag cape tightly, sobbing loudly.
This was no longer celebrity worship; it was the most devout pilgrimage.
Lin An looked down at the tear- and snot-stained hands, but he did not dodge; instead, he bent down and gently ruffled the girl's hair.
"It's okay now." His voice clearly spread across the entire venue. "Earth is safe, I promise."
The moment he finished speaking, the frenzy of the crowd was completely detonated.
Countless camera flashes converged into a blinding daylight, and the popularity points on the system panel jumped frantically at an unprecedented speed.
Satisfying, it was truly too satisfying.
At this moment, he was no longer just some superpowered being; on this Planet, he was the only true god.
Tony curled his lip under his mask: "This guy... is a natural charlatan; it's a waste if he doesn't start a religion."
Steve straightened his shield and said in a deep voice: "The people just need hope, Tony. Although... I don't agree with this method."
Lin An ignored his teammate's muttering and turned to kick Thor, who was still burying his head in eating a burger.
"Eat, eat, eat, that's all you know! Hold your hammer higher, smile for your benefactors!"
Thor quickly swallowed the meat patty in his mouth, held Mjolnir high, and squeezed out a silly, overflowing smile at the camera.
At the same moment Manhattan fell into revelry, at S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick Fury sat behind his desk with a face as dark as water, with a stack of documents that had just been faxed through a special channel placed in front of him.
Nine Realms Peace and Mutual Trust Treaty and Midgard Defense Outsourcing Agreement".
At the signature line was Odin's golden brand containing divine power, and the eye-catching red and blue logo of Vought International.
Fury's single eye stared fixedly at those papers, and the hand holding the documents trembled uncontrollably.
This document had not gone through the United Nations, had not gone through the World Security Council, and even the White House was completely unaware.
Lin An had actually directly represented the entire Earthand contracted out global planetary defense to the company he started himself!
What was this?
In the eyes of this group of perverts, were official agencies not even as good as trash collectors?
"Director." Agent Hill pushed the door open, her expression looking exceptionally ugly.
"The President's cabinet has just issued an emergency directive, announcing the end of the crisis, while requiring us to evaluate Vought International's overreach to see if we can reclaim the previously granted authority..."
Seeing that document, Agent Hill's pupils shrank suddenly.
"He... he had the God King Odin sign him a... Earth custody contract? Is this legally valid?"
"Reclaim, my ass!" Fury slammed the stack of papers onto the desk, his body slumping heavily backward, and his whole person sank into the back of the chair.
He had completely given up; let whoever wants to manage it, manage it.
The guy took a few Mutants and was able to attack the palace of alien gods and still blackmail them into a legal permit to take over Earth without a scratch.
What did S.H.I.E.L.D. have?
Are they going to use their heads to fight them?
"Let those idiots at the White House talk to Homelanderthemselves."
...
On the TV screen, it happened to switch to the live broadcast signal of Times Square.
Lin An took the microphone handed to him by Madelyn.
"I know many people are watching, such as those politicians in Washington who only know how to sit in offices drinking coffee and calculating budgets."
"The crisis in Asgard has been resolved. As for how it was resolved, you can go watch the replay yourselves, no need to thank me."
The mockery in his tone became increasingly sharp. "Some guys who fancy themselves as guardians of Earth keep guarding against us Vought as if we were thieves every day."
"Old guys, can your vision be a bit broader? Don't always stare at the rats in the gutter, lift your heads and look at the sea of stars!"
"In the Universe, there are monsters everywhere that want to chew up Earth as a snack! Relying on your scrap metal? That iron shell in the small town yesterday could have shot all of you to pieces!"
As he spoke, Lin An casually threw a confiscated blue alien energy residue in front of the camera, and the glass tube shattered upon hitting the ground, with the faint blue light spilling out in all directions.
"From today on, Earth's defense work is officially fully taken over by Vought International. Whoever has an opinion, let him come to Vought Tower to talk to me in person!"
The public went completely crazy.
"Earth is safe!"
"Even gods have to behave in front of Homelander!"
"So the World is so dangerous, it's a good thing we have Homelander! The Guardian God!!"
...
Vought Tower top floor, President's office.
The noisy press conference finally ended. As soon as the door closed, Tony showed his true colors and couldn't wait to approach Lin An.
"Hurry, hurry, the centrifuge in my lab has been preheating for three hours!" Tony rubbed his hands, his eyes glowing.
"That Eternal Flame! Give it to me, I guarantee I can create a new energy source a hundred times more powerful than the Ark Reactor!"
Lin An rolled his eyes in disgust, fished out the sword embryo of the Eternal Flame from the system space, and slapped it on the coffee table.
"Use it sparingly, don't collapse my building." Lin Anpointed to the sword again.
"Also, take the remains of the Destroyer to test the composition, and see if you can upgrade the external armor for your piece-of-junk cans."
Tony was like he had found a treasure, directly using the mechanical arm of his armor to pick up the items, and rushed to the underground private laboratory without looking back.
Madelyn watched Tony's impatient appearance, and her awe of Lin An deepened by another layer.
She walked in with red-bottomed high heels, placed a stack of thick letters of intent on the desk, her collar slightly open, and her smile shrewd and charming.
"Boss, good news. The White House has completely compromised, and the Military has revoked the seven conventional defense tenders originally given to Hammer Industries overnight, all changed to directed procurement for Stark Industries."
"In addition, Congress has just passed a special approval, allowing the Dragon Team to establish supernatural event rapid response Bases globally, with funds borne by us."
Lin An leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
This was the benefit brought by absolute violence.
When your fist is hard enough to crush alien gods with one hand, those politicians who play with power.
Will take the initiative to put the dog leash on their own necks, and then respectfully hand the other end into your hands.
Earth defense was completely monopolized by him.
"Take it all. Replace all the people in those Bases with our own trained superpowered employees."
Lin An commanded indifferently, "The Military wants to use our shell to stir up trouble? Dream on. Completely sideline them."
"Yes, Boss." A fanatical light flashed in Madelyn's eyes, "I will make those politicians understand who the true Master of Earth is from now on."
Madelyn tactfully retreated and closed the door on her way out.
Only Lin An was left in the room.
He let out a long breath, opened his eyes, and called up the system panel that only he could see.
The number in the popularity points column had soared to a crazy level.
The fanatical worship of billions of people globally, plus that phenomenal live broadcast across the entire network from Asgard, had forcibly piled the value over the 50 million mark.
Satisfying!
With a thought, Lin An adjusted the casket of ancient winters and several artifacts he had "restocked" from Odin's treasury, placing them on the large mahogany desk.
A thick layer of white frost instantly condensed on the desktop.
However, just as he was about to accept his spoils, the surrounding air began to distort without warning.
The coffee cup on the desk split into two, then into four, and finally turned into countless shadows.
The night view of Manhattan outside the window looked like a shattered mirror, forcibly folded into a colorful kaleidoscope.
Lin An, however, remained motionless.
A mocking arc curled at the corner of Lin An's mouth, and he secretly thought: It's finally here, the biggest charlatan in the Marvel Universe, the godmother who specializes in checking family registrations.
"Sorcerer Ancient One, there's no need to show off such small magic tricks in front of me."
As soon as the words fell, countless sparks burst out in the void directly in front of him, and an orange portal opened out of thin air, with the edges making a sizzling sound.
Dressed in a simple yellow monk's robe, with a shiny bald head.
The Sorcerer Ancient One stepped out of the portal and stood quietly in front of Lin An's desk.
"Homelander. Or rather, Lin An."
The Ancient One spoke, her tone as steady as a ten-thousand-year-old ancient well, without the slightest ripple.
His identity was instantly exposed, but Lin An was not surprised.
This old nun held the Time Stone in her hand; seeing through the soul of a transmigrator was just basic operation.
He leisurely picked up the coffee cup covered in frost on the table and took a slow sip of the ice chips.
"Something with me? If you want an autograph, go queue up at the public relations department downstairs. My appearance fee now is calculated by the minute."
The Ancient One shook her head, her expression serious.
"You don't belong to this Universe. Your soul and this body have produced an extremely dangerous fusion, and your every move is tearing the originally established timeline to pieces."
She raised her hand, and her fingertips gently traced in mid-air.
A shimmering golden timeline appeared out of thin air, but at this moment, this line was covered with messy black forks.
"The destiny trajectory of the entire Earth is sliding toward a completely unknown ending because of your existence."
The Ancient One lowered her hand, her gaze like a torch, staring straight into Lin An's eyes.
"What is your purpose, exactly?"
Chapter 93: The Helpless Ancient One, The Spendthrift Tony
Lin An leaned back in his leather executive chair, feet sprawled carelessly across the mahogany desk.
"My purpose?" He let out a scoff through his nose.
"To make money, harvest traffic, make the company bigger and stronger, and then casually slaughter all those meddlesome people who look at me with disdain. Is that clear enough?"
Ancient One looked at him calmly. Those eyes seemed to pierce through the ages.
"Your arrogance is regrettable. Your power is great, but in this vast Universe, variables that do not follow the rules will eventually be erased by the rules."
Ancient One raised her hand, and a brilliant orange magiccircle lit up in her palm.
With a boom, the entire office flipped over. Gravity inverted, and the walls disintegrated. Space was instantly sliced into countless irregular geometric shapes.
Mirror Dimension.
"Here, the worldly power and followers you pride yourself on cannot help you."
Ancient One stood on the inverted ceiling, hands behind her back, "You need to learn reverence."
Lin An sat in the flipped chair, still holding that cup of iced coffee.
Not a drop of liquid spilled from the cup.
He sighed.
He pulled up the system panel in his mind; the [magicImmunity (Absolute Effect Version)] that cost him fifty million was flashing with golden light.
"Reverence your ass."
Lin An stood up abruptly.
Crack.
Lin An threw a punch into the air. There were no flashy energy fluctuations, only the ultimate, pure physical violence.
Accompanied by the piercing sound of shattering glass, the indestructible Mirror Dimension was smashed open like a cheap plastic greenhouse, leaving a gaping hole.
The real night wind of Manhattan poured in through the hole, scattering the files all over the desk.
A rare flash of astonishment crossed Ancient One's eyes.
"Impossible." She watched as Lin An strolled out, stepping on the magical cracks as if walking in a courtyard.
"Pure physical power cannot break the rules of the Mirror Dimension."
"Rules are made by people. Now, on this patch of Earth, I have the final say."
Lin An walked up to Ancient One, looking down at the biggest witch in the Marvel Universe.
"Mage, I have put up with you cultists for a long time."
Lin An reached out without hesitation and poked the plain monk's robe on Ancient One's shoulder with his index finger.
"You call yourself the Guardian of Earth? What exactly have you guarded?"
"Loki led people to smash up a small town in a Gundam, and you were drinking tea in the Himalayas."
"Gangs run rampant in New York, HYDRA breeds like cancer cells inside S.H.I.E.L.D., turning Earth into a mess, and you are still staring at that broken rock of yours, watching some bullshit timeline."
Lin An's voice suddenly rose, vibrating the remaining fragments of the mirror, making them buzz.
"You call this guarding? You are just occupying the latrine without taking a dump!"
Ancient One frowned slightly. "The duty of Kamar-Taj is to defend against the invasion of dimensional demons. Worldly wars and changes are karma that humanity must experience."
"Don't use karma as a fig leaf." Lin An interrupted her directly, his eyes cold, "Don't think I don't know your tricks. Watch the disaster happen, wait until enough people die, and then come out to clean up the mess just to highlight the greatness of you otherworldly experts? Bullshit."
Lin An turned around and pointed at the brightly lit New York City outside the window.
"From the day I took over Vought International, the worldly rules have changed."
"If aliens dare to come, I will whip their belts. If gods dare to descend to Earth, I will make them scoop manure in the sewers. As for those supervillains who want to cause trouble, my Disciplinary Committee will break their limbs and throw them into prison to work on sewing machines."
"I don't care about the Multiverse, nor do I care if the timeline is twisted into a pretzel."
"I only know that whoever dares to smash my plate and stop me from making money and gaining popularity, I will scatter his ashes along with him!"
Lin An turned his head abruptly, his gaze as sharp as a knife. "Including you. And that Dormammu behind you who lends you power. Understand?"
Hearing the three words "Dormammu," Ancient One's unchanging expression finally changed.
The Eye of Agamotto hanging on her chest suddenly opened, and the green Time Stone bloomed with blinding light.
Ancient One tried to observe the future of the man in front of her.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
Ancient One closed her eyes.
She saw nothing.
The timeline was completely severed at this man, and the future presented a chaotic blank slate.
He was like a black hole that appeared out of thin air, devouring all predetermined fate.
But she saw one thing clearly. The original desperate timeline leading to the purple Titan snapping his fingers and half of the Universe's life perishing had disappeared. In its place was a wild path, absurd and crazy, yet full of strange vitality.
"You are a tyrant. Your conduct is even more shameless than those dimensional demons." Ancient One put away her magic, and the Eye of Agamotto closed again.
"Thanks for the compliment. I am a qualified capitalist." Lin An sat back in his chair and crossed his legs again.
Ancient One turned around, her hands drawing a sparking portal in the air.
"The barrier of the Multiverse is thinning. Your unscrupulousness has already attracted the attention of those beings in the abyss. Those things cannot be easily erased by physical power."
Ancient One turned her head and gave Lin An a deep look.
"I hope that, as you say, you are fighting for the peace of Earth, rather than bringing a deeper hell to this Universe."
"Go away and don't look back. Remember to close the door on your way out; my air conditioning is escaping."
Lin An waved his hand as if shooing away a fly.
Ancient One's portal completely extinguished.
The sense of spatial dislocation in the office, which had been forcibly folded and unfolded, finally slowly dissipated.
Lin An let out a long breath.
Dealing with these old cultists is so fucking tiring.
However, the old nun's remark about "the attention of those beings in the abyss" did make him slightly more alert.
The beings in the abyss?
Of Dormammu's level?
Interesting.
Anyway, if you have too many debts, you don't worry about them, and if you have too many lice, they don't itch.
Once I gather the Silver Superman template, whatever abyss demon it is, I will crush one if one comes, and make a pair if two come.
Lin An picked up the azure cube with great interest—the casket of ancient winters.
It felt ice-cold to the touch, as if holding a piece of black ice that had not melted for ten thousand years.
"How about letting Black Widow and the others hold this in their mouths? Hehe..."
He threw the casket aside and picked up the crimson crown with hideous sharp horns.
The seed of Surtur's Twilight Sword.
This thing's energy fluctuations were even more violent than the casket of ancient winters; holding it in his hand was like clutching a miniature star that could explode at any moment.
"This design would definitely be the endgame gear in a game." Lin An marveled, "I just don't know if wearing it will cause psoriasis."
There were also the Eye of Warlock, the Tablet of Life... a pile of things whose names he couldn't recall, but whose energy reactions were all more outrageous than the last.
Rich, I'm rich.
This trip to Asgard for supplies was even more profitable than robbing the Federal Reserve vault.
Bang!
Madelyn rushed in, her voice trembling.
"Boss! It, it's not good!"
"Mr. Stark... he is in the underground laboratory... if you don't stop him, the Vought building is going to be blown up!!"
Lin An was playing with the crown; upon hearing this, his hand shook, and he almost dropped the thing on the floor.
"Fuck!"
He sprang up from the chair, his face turning black.
"Tony, that spendthrift!"
Chapter 94 Anti-Homelander Armor
Vought Tower, third basement level, Level A laboratory.
Harsh alarms blared, and red warning lights flashed frantically.
In the center of the laboratory, a heavily modified Arc Reactor was overloading wildly.
Countless tiny golden arcs of electricity darted about uncontrollably, burning holes into the surrounding walls.
At the core of the reactor, a small spark of the Eternal Flame was expanding at a visible rate; that destructive energy originating from the Universe was about to burst through the reactor's restraints and blast everything within a ten-kilometer radius back to atomic states.
"Damn it! Damn it! The energy containment field is at 300% overload! Jarvis! Increase the coolant injection rate for me!"
Tony Stark, wearing a grease-stained undershirt, was working frantically at the console, sweat soaking his hair, making him look like a miner who had just crawled out of a coal mine.
"Sir, the cooling system has reached its limit, and the reactor core temperature is still rising exponentially. According to calculations, in thirty seconds, we will be treated to a... beautiful mushroom-shaped firework."
Jarvis's voice remained calm, but the content made one's scalp tingle.
"Shut up!"
Tony's eyes were bloodshot; he knew he had messed up.
He had only wanted to test if he could use the energy of the Eternal Flame to drive a brand-new super reactor with power a hundred times greater than before.
Theoretically, it was feasible, but he had underestimated the wild nature of the Asgard god-level energy.
This wasn't energy at all; it was practically a cosmic Beastlocked in a cage!
Just as Tony was preparing to initiate the final "abandon ship" procedure to sink the entire laboratory into the Earth's core, the alloy door of the laboratory was torn open from the outside with a loud "boom."
Lin An walked in with a dark face, strolling in as if he were taking a leisurely walk.
"Tony Stark."
Lin An's voice was not loud, but it clearly cut through the harsh alarm sounds.
"Do you think the insurance for this building of mine was bought too cheaply?"
Seeing Lin An, Tony was stunned for a moment, then, as if grabbing a straw, roared: "Stop talking nonsense! Think of a way! This thing is going to explode!"
Lin An glanced at the "large bomb" about to explode and curled his lips impatiently.
"Move aside, don't block the way."
He pushed Tony to the side and walked straight toward the wildly screaming Arc Reactor.
"Hey! What are you doing! The energy radiation there can vaporize you instantly!" Tony screamed.
Lin An ignored him completely.
In Tony's horrified gaze, Lin An extended his right hand and, bare-handed, thrust it directly into the most violent cluster of golden light at the reactor's core!
"Sizzle—!"
High-dimensional energy capable of destroying a city instantly, like a ferocious Beast that had found an outlet, crawled wildly up his arm, attempting to swallow him.
However, when this energy hit Lin An's skin, it couldn't even burn off a single hair.
Lin An's five fingers precisely pinched the spark of the Eternal Flame that was expanding crazily.
Using a power beyond imagination, he forcibly imprisoned it in the palm of his hand.
The violent energy thrashed left and right, but could not break free in the slightest.
"Steady... for me!"
Lin An let out a low shout, and his palm exerted sudden force.
He wasn't destroying it; he was "forging" it with pure power!
Under his immense compressive force, the violent golden flame was forcibly suppressed and tamed.
Eventually, it condensed from a miniature Sun about to explode at any moment into a perfect energy core.
With the stabilization of the energy core, the alarms throughout the laboratory ceased abruptly.
All the out-of-control arcs disappeared into thin air.
The World was quiet.
Lin An let go, and the brand-new "Eternal Reactor" floated quietly in mid-air, emitting a stable and powerful hum.
In the laboratory, only the heavy breathing of Tony Starkremained.
He stared blankly at the core, then looked at Lin An's unscathed hand, completely stunned.
Pure physical strength... forcibly "rubbing" an out-of-control energy singularity into a perfect sustainable energy source?
This is... even less scientific than crushing it!
However, before he could recover from the shock, a feeling of extreme fanaticism completely took over.
"Success... we succeeded!" Tony didn't have any lingering fear, but jumped up like a child, rushed to Lin An in excitement, pointed at the blue core, and spat while talking, "Did you see that! A perfect energy closed loop! An inexhaustible energy source! This is the future of humanity!"
"Future my ass," Lin An patted his hands in disgust, as if just dusting off some dirt, "Next time you play this kind of heart-stopping game, remember to buy insurance in advance."
Tony was knocked aside, but didn't care at all, instead puffing out his chest with an arrogant look.
"Insurance? I'll give you a new World!"
He snapped his fingers, and a huge mechanical arm rose from the side; on the tray was a brand-new, menacing red and gold armor.
In the center of the armor's chest was a shuttle-shaped hole.
Under Tony's fanatical gaze, the mechanical arm carefully took the blue Eternal Reactor and precisely embedded it into the hole in the armor's chest.
With a "click" sound.
"Hum—!"
A deep blue light shone from the reactor, instantly flowing along the energy patterns of the entire armor, lighting up every joint and crevice.
The white light in the armor's eyes flashed and then stabilized; the entire suit seemed to come alive, exuding a heart-palpitating, surging power.
Tony opened his arms, as if showing off his greatest masterpiece, and introduced it smugly:
"I call it the 'Anti-Homelander Armor'! It's crafted from Destroyer shell material mixed with Vibranium. Now, it has an Eternal heart!"
He walked to the armor, tapped the chest plate that flashed with the metallic luster of Uru, and turned back to raise an eyebrow at Lin An:
"I've calculated its defense; it can at least withstand thirty of your punches! As for its output... do you want to try whether your fists are harder, or my 'Eternal Heart' energy is more sufficient?"
Lin An sneered at this.
Thirty punches?
This guy really dares to think.
"Sure." Lin An crossed his arms leisurely, "Then put it on, let's practice."
Half an hour later, at the explosion-proof training ground on the top floor of Vought Tower.
Tony had already put on his imposing "Anti-HomelanderArmor" and slowly ascended into mid-air. The energy cannon on the chest and the impact cannons in the palms lit up simultaneously, and the powerful energy fluctuations caused the air to begin to distort slightly.
"Are you ready? I'm serious this time; the power is more than a hundred times greater than before!" Tony warned in a muffled voice from under the face mask.
On the ground, Lin An couldn't even be bothered to take a fighting stance; he even fished a cigar out of his pocket, lit it slowly, and took a puff.
"Come on." He picked his nose, "I'll give you three minutes. If you knock off one hair of mine, I'll call you Daddy."
"You!"
Tony was so angry he almost had a cerebral hemorrhage on the spot.
This is naked humiliation!
"You asked for this!"
With a roar, Tony fired at full power!
The chest's Cyclops impact beam, the cluster cannons in both palms, the micro-missiles popped out from the shoulders... all weapons poured out at the same time, converging into a destructive torrent of steel, instantly swallowing the location where Lin An was standing!
"Boom—!!!"
The terrifying explosion kicked up a huge mushroom cloud, the entire training ground shook violently, and even the specially made explosion-proof glass was covered in spiderweb-like cracks.
Smoke filled the air, dust flew everywhere.
Tony hovered in mid-air, panting heavily, staring fixedly at the center of the explosion.
This blow consumed 30% of the armor's energy; even a town could be razed to the ground.
However, as the smoke gradually dissipated.
A figure was still standing in the same place, motionless.
Lin An exhaled a perfect smoke ring.
Forget about losing a hair, even his clothes didn't wrinkle.
"Is that it?"
"I gave you a chance, but you're useless."
Tony: "..."
"Your tech tree is pointed like a scrap collector." Lin Anmocked.
"Downgrade the Destroyer technology for me, make a mass-produced version, equip every person in my company's security department with one, and I'll be merciful and not charge you for the upgrade of this armor."
Chapter 95: Nick's Complete Breakdown
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick Fury's single eye stared fixedly at the red-headed document that had just been issued on his desk.
"Supreme Directive on Fully Cooperating with Vought International in Taking Over Global Defense Operations."
It was signed with the White House seal, and attached to it were the earnest "suggestions" from several bigwigs of the World Security Council.
Suggestions? This is fucking rubbing S.H.I.E.L.D.'s face into the dirt!
They took a few superpowered individuals, started a live stream, attacked the alien Divine Realm, and even forced the God King Odin to sign a "Midgard Trusteeship Agreement" that could be described as a humiliation to the nation.
And what about S.H.I.E.L.D.?
S.H.I.E.L.D. was still foolishly picking up scrap metal in New Mexico, unable to even withstand a single shot from that alien Gundam called the Destroyer, and was treated as scrap metal by others.
The gap was so huge it was despair-inducing.
This job, it couldn't be done anymore.
This was the only thought left in Fury's mind.
Fight against a monster that could physically withstand energy cannons and knead out-of-control nuclear fusion like dough? What would he fight with? Throwing the lives of Agents to fill the gap?
He picked up the internal communicator on the table, his voice hoarse and weary.
"Hill, notify Natasha Romanoff, the mission is over, withdraw immediately."
"Director?" Hill on the other end of the communicator was somewhat puzzled.
"I said, withdraw." Fury emphasized the tone, then hung up the communication directly.
He leaned back heavily, his entire body sinking into the back of the chair.
Screw this, whoever wants to be this shitty Director can be it, I'm done.
...
Meanwhile, Manhattan, Park Avenue penthouse.
In the luxurious apartment, the lighting was soft. Natashawas wearing a French maid outfit cut extremely close to the body, the skirt hem reaching a dangerous length, revealing long legs wrapped in black silk stockings.
She was kneeling obediently on the carpet, her slender fingers applying just the right amount of pressure, gently massaging the calves of Lin An, who was reclining on the sofa.
This life... actually didn't seem bad.
This absurd thought flashed through Natasha's mind.
No endless missions, no scheming and plotting; all she had to do every day was please the man before her, who was moody yet powerful enough to make one tremble.
Compared to being a pawn in S.H.I.E.L.D. that could be sacrificed at any moment, this feeling of being absolutely controlled actually gave her a sick sense of security.
Buzz... Buzz...
An extremely slight vibration came from the inside of her thigh.
Natasha's body stiffened suddenly.
Damn it!
She had been living too comfortably these past few days and had forgotten that she was still carrying S.H.I.E.L.D.'s emergency communicator. Moreover, to prevent Lin Anfrom discovering it, she had kept the receiver hidden in the lace trim of her thigh-high stockings.
She instinctively wanted to press it off, but a hand reached over faster, gently hooking her chin.
Lin An didn't know when he had opened his eyes and was looking at her with a half-smile, his gaze seemingly able to see through all the secrets in the depths of her soul.
"What's wrong, any secret messages?"
His voice carried a hint of playfulness.
"No, nothing, Boss..." Natasha's eyes were flustered, trying to play dumb to get by.
"Is that so?" Lin An smiled, his smile full of malice, "Then should I call you Natasha, or... Black Widow?"
Four words, like a thunderbolt, exploded in Natasha's mind!
He really knew everything!
"Alright, stop pretending." Lin An released her chin, his fingers tracing down the curve of her smooth thigh, precisely pinching out the small, still-vibrating communicator from that circle of sexy lace.
Under Natasha's complex gaze of shame, anger, fear, and a hint of relief, Lin An casually pressed the answer button and placed the communicator to his lips.
"Hello, hello, hello? Black Egghead?"
On the other end of the phone, Nick Fury, who was just about to issue the withdrawal order, had his voice come to an abrupt stop.
The entire command center was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Lin An lazily changed his posture, gently rubbing his toes against the base of Natasha's thigh, enjoying her mortified expression, and continued into the communicator.
"What is it that you're looking for my little maid for? She's busy giving me a massage right now."
"You..."
Fury's single eye was instantly bloodshot.
He heard it, he heard the suppressed, tearful panting belonging to Natasha coming from Lin An's side.
His most proud ace Agent, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Black Widow, had not only been turned, but was also being treated as a plaything by the other party!
And he, this S.H.I.E.L.D. Director, like a fool, knew nothing about this, and was still counting on her to bring back some key intelligence!
A supreme humiliation!
"You knew all along?!" Fury's voice sounded like it was squeezed out from between his teeth.
"Otherwise?" Lin An sneered.
"You wouldn't really think that sending a woman over to seduce me would be enough to pry out my trump cards, would you? Egghead, what era is this, and you're still playing these old-fashioned spy games? Your ideological awareness is worse than a Hollywood screenwriter."
"By the way, that Agent of yours called Hawkeye has been doing quite well in our group recently too."
Hawkeye, who was flirting with a pretty female subordinate, suddenly sneezed.
Who is talking about me?
Whatever.
That S.H.I.E.L.D. communication device was locked alone in the drawer.
Beep, beep, beep——
Listening to the communication device on Hawkeye's end that couldn't be connected.
Snap!
Fury slammed the communicator onto the ground, shattering it into pieces.
His chest heaved violently, his whole face as black as the bottom of a pot.
He had been played!
Completely and utterly played like a monkey!
Even his last hope—Hawkeye Barton, the nail he had placed inside Vought International with such high expectations, had also fucking rotted away long ago!
Anger, unprecedented anger, burned away his last shred of reason.
Since he couldn't beat him by reasoning, by rules, or by strength...
Fury stood up abruptly, recalling a piece of "irrelevant" intelligence that Natasha had sent back earlier.
Homelander was extremely concerned about his and the group's public image, showing a near-paranoid zero tolerance for any negative news.
Although he didn't understand why a monster capable of tearing gods apart with his bare hands would care about the opinions of mortals, but, that didn't matter!
As long as it could make Homelander unhappy, he would do it!
"Connect me to all media channels!" Fury roared at the Agent at the door, "Activate the'Scorched Earth' plan! Get all the dirt we have on Vought, on Dragon Team, on Homelander, and leak it all out! Everything!"
"But Director, many of the materials have no evidence..."
"If there isn't any, then Photoshop it! Make it up!" Fury had gone completely crazy.
"Say that Homelander is sleeping with his female subordinates! That he slaughtered the former Vought board of Directors! Photoshop photos of Starlight, Scarlet Witch, and The Deep onto his bed! Describe those Mutants as monsters that could go out of control at any moment! I want the whole World to see what kind of trash the 'God' they worship really is!"
"Uh, did something strange get mixed in there?"
"Shut up! Do it!"
Three hours later.
The Internet, exploded.
Countless sensational headlines, accompanied by "stolen" photos from various tricky angles that were hard to distinguish between true and false, swept through all social media globally like a virus.
#Shocking Scandal! Homelander's private life is chaotic, sleeping with subordinates, having affairs with many heroes (not just female)!
#Former Vought International President mysteriously disappeared, suspected to have been silenced!
#Revealing the dark history of Dragon Team members: Murderers, arsonists, gang thugs... Is this our Guardian?
#Expert analysis: Homelander may have serious mental issues, humanity's future is worrying!
The overwhelming negative information, like a long-planned public opinion tsunami, instantly pushed Lin Anand Vought International to the forefront.
On the sofa, Lin An looked at the push notifications constantly popping up on his phone screen, and the smile on his face slowly disappeared.
Chapter 96: Manipulating Public Opinion? I'll Just Flip The Table Myself.
Chapter 54: Smearing Me? I'll Just Flip The Table Myself!
"Hahaha! Hahaha! I can't, I really can't!"
Tony Stark slumped into the leather sofa with zero dignity, laughing so hard he was rocking back and forth, barely able to hold the holographic tablet in his hand.
There was a blurry paparazzi photo on the screen.
In the photo, Lin An was wearing his signature stars-and-stripes suit, arms draped over The Deep on the beach.
Their eyes were practically brimming with affection.
[The Secret Romance Between Homelander and the Guardian of the Ocean!]
"Guardian of the Ocean? Hahahaha!" Tony wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes and used his finger to zoom in on the picture.
"Buddy, look at this lighting and shadow processing. The pixels are so blurry even my grandma's Nokia would look better. But seriously, your taste is a bit too broad, isn't it? You don't even spare species with fish gills. How come I never noticed you were so open-minded before?"
Tony slapped his thigh, laughing until he gasped for air: "This PR crisis is incredible. Do you want me to lend you a few lawyers from Stark Industries? The kind that specialize in divorce cases."
Lin An leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a glass of bourbon, his face devoid of any emotion.
He glanced at Tony, swiped his fingertip in the void, pulled up another news page, and shoved it right under the nose of the Iron Man.
"Laugh. Go ahead." Lin An lifted his chin.
Tony looked closely.
It was a small piece of gossip tucked in the margins, marked with bold red text that was particularly eye-catching.
[Playboy Myth Shattered? A Cover Girl Reveals: Homelander's Good Brother, Mr. Stark, is Actually a Five-Second Man!]
Below that, it even included a paparazzi photo of Tonyentering a certain clinic, complete with convincing details.
The laughter stopped abruptly.
Tony's entire face flushed red, and the veins on his forehead bulged.
"This is fucking slander!" Tony smashed the tablet to pieces.
"Which newspaper published this? I'm going to buy it! Make the editor sweep the streets! No, make him go to the Middle East to dig for oil! I clearly lasted half an hour that night; that woman just took the money and is biting back!"
Lin An rolled his eyes, too lazy to deal with this broken man.
A public opinion Storm targeting him was intensifying globally.
S.H.I.E.L.D. was truly desperate this time. Nick Fury spared no effort in using official power, having several government agency accounts with blue-check verification retweet some of the seemingly "neutral and objective" analytical articles.
Originally, most people dismissed these as clickbait gossip and laughed it off.
But the official involvement slowly tilted the scales.
Many people who were already skeptical of the monopoly held by Vought International began to waver.
"Even the officials retweeted it, could it be true?"
"I told you, how could there be such a perfect person? Turns out he's so messy in private..."
"Butchering the board of directors... My god, isn't this just a tyrant?"
"Hilarious, everyone. Homelander is gay? Doesn't that mean I have a chance..."
For a time, those haters and keyboard warriors lurking in the depths of the internet, who were jealous of Lin An, surfaced like sharks smelling blood, frantically leading the narrative and attacking him wildly.
Of course, Lin An's billions of fanatical fans were still the core Base.
"Support Homelander! No matter what he's like, he is the god who saved the Earth!"
"Same old trick! If you want to condemn someone, you can always find an excuse! It must be the politicians who are jealous of Vought!"
"I don't care! Even if Homelander is a tyrant, I love him! At least he's actually getting things done! What does this matter compared to World peace?!"
The global internet was completely divided into two factions, arguing incessantly.
Vought Tower, top-floor conference room.
Madelyn placed the latest public opinion report in front of Lin An, her expression grave.
"Boss, although the core Base hasn't wavered, our comprehensive global approval rating has dropped from a peak of 90% to 80%, and it's still slowly declining."
Lin An flipped through the report expressionlessly, saying nothing.
He checked the system; his popularity points had dropped from the 5,000 mark to 4,000.
Damn it!
In the conference room, the core members of the Dragon Team were all present, heads bowed, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Everyone knew that no matter how cynical this boss was usually, he had an almost pathological obsession with his popularity and public image.
Now, someone had slapped a bucket of shit directly on his head.
Lin An's gaze slowly swept across the room, finally landing on The Deep.
The Deep jumped, almost wetting himself on the spot, his head shaking like a rattle-drum.
"Boss! It really has nothing to do with me! I swear! That was photoshopped!" He said with a mournful face.
"My KPI completion rate has been 120% lately! I've been cleaning up ocean trash every day, filming stress-relief videos of removing barnacles from marine life! The likes are super high! If you don't believe me, ask Secretary Hughie!"
Hughie nodded silently, pulling up the data on his tablet.
"Reporting to the Boss, according to the disciplinary committee's supervision records, except for Iceman Bobbyand Quicksilver Pietro, who caused some... hook-up incidents at the recent female fan signing event, everyone else has been very well-behaved."
Bobby and Pietro immediately broke into a cold sweat, burying their heads even lower.
"Hook-up incidents are nothing."
Lin An snorted coldly, not pursuing the matter.
Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"Boss, the PR department suggests we hold a press conference immediately to refute these rumors point by point..." An executive suggested cautiously.
"Refute?" Lin An laughed, his laughter full of icy mockery.
"The more you refute, the more those haters will think you're guilty. If you explain you didn't kill anyone, they'll say you destroyed the evidence; if you explain you didn't use your influence for sex, they'll say you used money to silence them. Reasoning with these people is the most stupid behavior in itself."
He stood up slowly, pressing both hands on the table, looking down at everyone.
"Did you forget who I am?"
"I am Homelander!"
"Smearing me?"
"I'll just flip the table!"
Boom!!!
With a loud bang, the multi-ton conference table was smashed into flying metal fragments by his palm!
Everyone in the conference room was scared out of their wits by this sudden outburst.
Flip the table?
What is he going to do? Make an enemy of the whole World? Is he going to rebel?
The Deep was the first to react, his survival instinct exploding, and he immediately shouted at the top of his lungs:
"The Boss is the most awesome! Attack the Trident building! Count me in!"
The others cast angry glares at this boot-licking sycophant, then scrambled to pledge their loyalty.
"That's right! Whoever dares to smear the Boss, we'll kill them!" Cyclops Scott guaranteed, patting his chest.
"Boss, give the order!" Storm's eyes flashed with electricity.
Butcher was even more direct, licking his lips and revealing a bloodthirsty smile: "Perfect, my Heat Vision hasn't been used in a long time."
The entire conference room, which had been oppressive before, instantly became murderous.
...
Inside the S.H.I.E.L.D. supreme command center, Nick Furyheld a cup of coffee, his one eye staring intently at the data jumping on the large monitoring screen.
Number of petitioners joint-boycotting Vought International: 7 million, and still climbing.
Fury laughed out loud for the first time in forever.
So what if you're immensely strong? So what if you can withstand a nuclear bomb?
As long as you're still living in human society, you have to follow human rules.
This "social death" tactic is the ultimate weapon S.H.I.E.L.D. uses to deal with those unruly superhumans.
Once your reputation is ruined, let's see how your Dragon Team can still represent justice!
He turned his head to look at the black youth trembling in the corner of the sofa.
A-Train.
Fury had spent a tremendous amount of effort to arrange a fake death and used his highest authority to fish him out, using him as the core star witness for this public opinion war.
Without the internal Vought materials he provided, this smear campaign wouldn't have been so lethal.
"Well done." Fury walked over and patted A-Train on the shoulder. "The inside information you provided nailed the sturdiest nail into Homelander's coffin."
A-Train was not happy at all; instead, he swallowed hard, his eyes bloodshot with fear.
His mind was filled with the scattered limbs and broken arms on the conference room floor, and the indifferent gaze of that devil wrapped in the national flag.
"Where's the money?" A-Train stood up and grabbed Fury's sleeve.
"The ten million in bearer bonds we agreed on! And the private jet! I want to leave the United States now! Go to South America, Africa, anywhere! Just don't let him find me!"
He knew exactly what kind of person that pervert was.
That monster has no bottom line.
Fury snorted coldly and brushed A-Train's hand away.
"Look at how pathetic you are."
Fury walked with his hands behind his back to the bulletproof glass window, overlooking the heavily guarded military Base below, his tone arrogant.
"Don't worry. This is S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters."
"Homelander is probably overwhelmed right now. No matter how arrogant he is, he would never dare to openly attack the headquarters of a national security agency at this juncture. That would be equivalent to confirming the news and turning against all of humanity!"
As soon as Fury finished speaking.
Bang—!!
The bulletproof glass in front of him cracked with a loud noise.
Chapter 97: Exposing HYDRA-S.H.I.E.L.D.
Outside the building, a gale poured into the command center, sending files flying everywhere.
Lin An hovered in mid-air, with an entire phalanx of Vought International superhumans behind him.
He didn't even glance at the dumbfounded Agents in the command center, instead directly releasing the cross-dimensional quantum live-streaming drone.
The global internet had originally been in a chaotic mess due to the scandalous rumors surrounding Homelander, with hundreds of millions of onlookers still typing moral judgments on their keyboards.
The next second.
The high-definition lens zoomed in directly on Lin An's arrogant face.
"Hey everyone."
Lin An waved at the camera.
"I heard the internet is quite lively today. S.H.I.E.L.D. spent a lot of taxpayer money buying negative trending topics about me all over the web. Since they insist on saying Vought International is stealing S.H.I.E.L.D.'s job and that I'm a lawless tyrant, I'd be doing a disservice to all that massive advertising budget if I didn't come and crash the party."
Nick Fury hadn't yet recovered from the shock in front of the shattered floor-to-ceiling window when the piercing internal alarm shattered the building's silence.
In the security corridor below, The Deep rolled his eyes, terrified that Butcher and his band of lunatics would steal the spotlight on this job and ruin his KPI.
He let out a strange cry and directly communicated with a mutated sea monster in the Potomac River, causing it to crawl out from the sewer. Its thick tentacles surged up, slamming head-first into the half-meter-thick special alloy blast door.
The blast door was ripped open by brute force.
The dozen armed guards waiting on the other side didn't even have time to scream before they, along with the door fragments, were sent flying to the end of the corridor and smashed into the wall.
Following behind, Quicksilver, Cyclops, and Storm each revealed their weapons.
Butcher chewed his gum, his eyes glowing with a violent red light, looking just like a starving wolf entering a buffet.
Lin An landed steadily in the center, walking forward over the wreckage.
This group of lackeys had managed to turn a raid into the spectacle of a gang collecting protection money.
At the other end of the corridor, the S.H.I.E.L.D. rapid response strike team had already set up a defensive line.
An array of heavy firepower, with dark gun barrels aimed squarely at Lin An's head.
Leading them was Crossbones, Brock Rumlow.
Rumlow held his assault rifle, his palms sweating, but he put on a righteous face: "Homelander! This is an open armed attack on the highest federal security agency! You've crossed the line! Surrender your weapons now and accept the judgment of procedural justice. Don't push this to a point of no return!"
From the ceiling speakers came the sound of Nick Furygritting his teeth.
"Homelander, you're just acting out of shame and anger! Hundreds of millions of people online are watching! Your bandit-like behavior right now only proves that the online leaks are true! What, did your ugly secrets get exposed, and now you plan to kill everyone to silence them, trampling S.H.I.E.L.D. to cover up your dirt?"
The live stream chat was scrolling frantically, with hateful comments calling Lin An lawless flying everywhere.
Steve Rogers stood at Lin An's side, wearing that brand-new Stars and Stripes uniform, feeling like a thousand-pound lead plate was pressing against his chest.
He looked at the Agents in S.H.I.E.L.D. uniforms opposite him, then at his murderous new colleagues beside him, feeling a painful tug on his nerves.
On one side was the righteous organization he once swore to defend to the death; on the other was his current boss, whom he had just signed a contract with.
"Boss..." Steve's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice dry and cracking, "Is this really appropriate? Attacking a state institution with force... This will trigger an all-out war. Perhaps we can go through the judicial process and find the source of the rumors..."
Lin An tilted his head, glanced at Steve, and scoffed.
Go through the judicial process? Talk about the law with a bunch of Nazis obsessed with World domination?
You must be out of your mind.
He ignored Fury's incessant chatter from the speakers and couldn't be bothered to address the "national security" label that Rumlow was trying to pin on him.
Lin An raised his hand, pointing at Rumlow at the front of the defensive line.
"Captain, do you really think that this place called S.H.I.E.L.D. is filled with good people?"
Lin An took a step forward, looking directly into Rumlow's eyes, his tone casual: "Hail HYDRA, Rumlow?"
When those words were tossed out, the muscles at the corner of Rumlow's eyes twitched violently, and his heart pounded wildly.
But he bit the bullet and raised his voice to quibble: "What kind of nonsense are you spouting?! Don't try to use such absurd excuses to cover up your atrocities! Prepare to fire!"
Fury, in the speakers, laughed in anger: "Homelander, you've truly gone insane! Labeling my strike team as HYDRA? Is this the pathetic trick your PR team came up with?"
Lin An couldn't be bothered to waste another word, and blinding red light suddenly ignited deep within his eyes.
Two beams of scarlet Heat Vision swept out like plasma swords!
The penetrating power was controlled by Lin An to the extreme.
The red light swept across the chests of Rumlow and the dozen strike team members behind him, and a pungent smell of burning flesh rose into the air.
The special bulletproof vests and polymer uniforms instantly vaporized under the super-high temperature, leaving only their bare chests and shoulders.
The cross-dimensional quantum lens zoomed in directly on the skin of these Agents.
Billions of viewers across the web, Steve, Tony Stark, and Nick Fury behind the surveillance screen, saw clearly what was branded onto that flesh.
A giant black skull, with several tangled octopus tentacles extending from the bottom.
HYDRA.
It wasn't just Rumlow; almost every single one of the special forces soldiers behind him, whom Fury regarded as his most elite and loyal, had this bone-stripping totem branded on their chests or forearms.
The air seemed to have been sucked dry.
There was only the slight humming sound of the drone.
Tony Stark, wearing his red and gold armor, floated under the ceiling. His mask popped open, and he let out a very loud whistle: "Wow. Director Fury, is getting tattoos of this retro World War II villain totem the new trend for S.H.I.E.L.D. employee team-building? This taste is worse than the old posters in my Underground Room."
The live stream chat paused for a full three seconds, followed by a tsunami-like explosion.
The Storm of public opinion did a complete 180-degree turn on the spot.
The netizens who were condemning Homelander for his chaotic private life just a minute ago were all dumbfounded.
The dirt splashed onto Vought International didn't even need to be wiped off; it simply evaporated.
Who would believe negative news released by an organization whose lair was occupied by HYDRA?
S.H.I.E.L.D.?
This is freaking HYDRA-S.H.I.E.L.D.!
Steve Rogers felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
He stared fixedly at that all-too-familiar skull and tentacle tattoo, his whole body turning cold.
He had been frozen under the North Pole ice for decades, thinking his sacrifice had bought a peace without Nazis.
Yet, upon opening his eyes, he saw that the empire he had fought tooth and nail to secure, and the organization he swore to protect with his life, had long since become a hotbed for his arch-enemies to revel in.
"Is this what you claimed... to protect humanity?"
Steve muttered, his fingers gripping the edge of his Vibranium shield tightly.
His faith shattered into pieces at this moment.
The top floor of the building.
Nick Fury, as if his spine had been ripped out, collapsed with a thud into his metal swivel chair.
His only remaining eye was about to pop out of its socket as he stared fixedly at the dense HYDRA brands on the screen.
Rumlow was his most trusted strike team leader.
The funding for that rapid response unit was something he had personally approved, despite the pressure from the Security Council.
What was even more desperate was yet to come.
In the mere two minutes since the live broadcast had been cut, the internal communication channels of the Triskelion had completely exploded.
Intense gunfire was already echoing from the floors below. A large number of executives, usually seen in suits, were running frantically toward the underground garage and the helipad with encrypted hard drives, and S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents were drawing guns on their own colleagues.
Eighty percent.
The entire S.H.I.E.L.D. from top to bottom had been infiltrated by HYDRA by a full eighty percent!
He, the self-proclaimed King of Spies who controlled global intelligence, had been acting as the chief steward for HYDRA all this time.
Lin An looked up and made a gun gesture at the surveillance camera in the corner of the corridor.
"Black Nick, surprised? Excited?" Lin An's malicious laughter spread throughout the building via the loudspeakers.
"You used a few photos so photoshopped you couldn't even see the pixels to smear me, so today I'm being merciful and cleaning house for you for free. Now, in front of the whole World, tell me loudly, which one of us is actually the cancer of humanity?"
Fury opened his mouth, but not a sound could come out of his throat.