Chapter 2818 - Ch: 21-30

Chapter 21: The Figure Above the Sky, Green GoblinScared Off on the Spot

As the words fell.

The entire venue erupted into uncontrollable noise and discussion.

Powerful superheroes teaming up is always a crowd-pleaser, and although Spider-Man does not have the same level of popularity across the U.S. as Homelander.

He has always been very popular in Queens, serving as a model for grassroots heroes.

Gwen looked at the bouquet in her hand, realizing that the honor that should have been hers today seemed to have been inadvertently stolen by Spider-Man.

Harry immediately took out his phone to record; it was a real pity that Peter was not here.

He knew his friend was a huge fan of Spider-Man, and since he liked Homelander, he had to record them together.

Mary Jane, standing beside him, had already realized that Homelander likely would not even glance at her, so her gaze returned to Spider-Man.

Peter had said that Spider-Man mentioned her.

Did this mean that Spider-Man remembered her, just as Homelander remembered Gwen?

She began to grow curious about the face behind Spider-Man's mask.

...

Li Zuguo turned to face the crowd, hundreds of faces looking up at him. He spread his arms, his smile finally switching from "social mode" to "camera mode"—brighter and warmer.

"Kids, sorry, it looks like today's event has to end early. Now..."

The whole venue was in an uproar, not with panic, but with excitement.

"Homelander! Homelander! Homelander!"

Some people were shouting Spider-Man's name, but it was quickly drowned out by the chants for "Homelander."

Gwen watched as Homelander walked to the edge of the stage, his cape unfurling behind him. Spider-Man followed close behind, his pace noticeably faster, struggling to keep up with his rhythm.

Harry's phone camera followed the two of them. Mary Jane stood up, leaning forward over the back of the front-row chairs.

"Spider-Man!"

Peter turned his head slightly, his gaze lingering on Mary Jane for a second.

Mary Jane keenly sensed that split second.

Li Zuguo had already flown out through the skylight, and Peter swung up to the rafters with a web, following him out through the hole.

The cheers in the stadium continued for a full thirty seconds before beginning to fade. The dean rushed onto the stage, attempting to restore order.

The principal stood up in the front row, his expression oscillating between being upset that the event was ruined and being excited about the potential news coverage.

Gwen looked down at the lily in her hand, wondering if she would still have a chance to give it away today.

But watching the busy Vought staff, a glimmer of hope rekindled in her.

"Hi, could you help me pass this flower to Lucien? Please, I can pay you or something else."

Raven glanced at Gwen and ultimately chose to take the bouquet, but whether she would actually deliver it was up to her.

The moment Li Zuguo flew out of the skylight, Natasha's voice came through his earpiece.

"A Military Base in Virginia was attacked three minutes ago. There are two targets: one is The Lizard from last time, and the other is unidentified. He is using a flight glider and carrying explosives."

"The Lizard has demonstrated a camouflage-like invisibility ability."

Connors teamed up with Green Goblin?

But Li Zuguo recalled that Connors was originally a doctor funded by Norman Osborn—that is, Green Goblin's company—so it made sense for them to team up.

But to think that Connors had actually awakened a new ability. Was it because of the temporary compound v?

Filled with speculation, Li Zuguo began to accelerate. The sound barrier exploded behind him, tearing a rift through the clouds.

Peter's web-swinging speed could not keep up with supersonic flight; three seconds later, he was just a red dot in the distance.

...

Virginia.

When Li Zuguo arrived, a wall of the Military Base had collapsed. On the tarmac, there were two Black Hawk helicopters: one was burning, and the other was tilted on the side of the runway with its rotors snapped off.

Soldiers on the ground were evacuating; some were screaming, others were bleeding.

Li Zuguo hovered at an altitude of two hundred meters, locking onto the two targets. The Lizard was below, his 2.8-meter-tall green body tearing open an alloy door. He swept his tail, sending three soldiers who tried to approach flying.

The other was in the sky.

On a green glider stood a humanoid figure wearing purple and green armor. The mask was shaped like a demon, with a mouth stretched wide to the ears, and he was clutching an orange spherical object in his hand.

A pumpkin bomb.

Green Goblin sensed some movement. The eyes behind the mask looked up, suddenly locking onto the figure hovering two hundred meters above.

Li Zuguo didn't move; he just floated there with his arms crossed, his cape snapping loudly in the airflow.

He smiled—the kind of smile he gave to the camera. Although there were no cameras here.

The person on the green glider froze for half a second, then turned and fled. The glider's engine let out a sharp shriek, and he pulled up at a near-vertical angle, retreating at full speed toward the northeast.

The pumpkin bomb was casually tossed down.

Li Zuguo didn't have much interest in Green Goblin, and there were no cameras here anyway. His target from the beginning had been Connors.

He descended vertically.

Dr. Connors, or rather, The Lizard, had just torn the alloy door halfway open. Hearing the wind above him, the reptilian head turned, his slit pupils contracting.

Li Zuguo landed, and the dust on the ground radiated outward from his feet.

The Lizard took a step back, his tail tensing, the scales on his spine standing up. This was his combat stance.

"Dr. Connors, we meet again." Li Zuguo's tone was calm, like he was greeting a neighbor.

The Lizard opened his mouth, revealing three rows of teeth, and let out a low hiss before instantly entering stealth mode and turning to run.

To the naked eye, The Lizard disappeared almost instantly.

However, Li Zuguo's eyes followed the direction of The Lizard's movement the entire time. With his Super Hearing, The Lizard had nowhere to hide.

Of course, he could also see him with his eyes, which meant the ability Connors had awakened was not perfect.

But considering how short the duration of the temporary compound v was, being able to awaken an ability, even a flawed one, was already quite good.

"Dr. Connors, my patience is limited. You wouldn't happen to know where that research drug leaked from, would you?" Li Zuguo blocked his path almost instantly.

Upon hearing this, Connors finally gave up resisting and deactivated his invisibility. But when he reappeared, he wasn't in his Lizard form, but in his original human form.

"How did you find me?"

Li Zuguo asked curiously, "That's not the point you should be asking about. The point is, how did you recover?"

Hearing this, a trace of excitement and fanaticism appeared on Connors' face.

"It was Osborn... No, the vial of serum you gave me contained incredibly powerful genes, and I combined those genes with The Lizard's regenerative genes..."

Connors was incoherent, but Li Zuguo understood. Was this a happy accident?

"Alright, Doctor, are you interested in coming to Vought? Oscorp has already been divested by the Military; they no longer have the funds to support your research, but Vought can."

Connors didn't hesitate at all upon hearing this.

He had originally believed that The Lizard form was the optimal choice for human evolution, until he saw Li Zuguoand realized how wrong he had been.

Soldiers had surrounded them at some point. General Rossstepped forward, shielded by a team of elite special forces.

"No, Homelander, you cannot take Dr. Connors."

This was the first meeting between Li Zuguo and General Ross.

He was curious: what gave this General Ross the right to speak to him in such a commanding tone?

Chapter 22: Li Zuguo, Almost Coaxed Back Into an Embryo

General Ross looked at Li Zuguo as if he were looking at a rare treasure; this was simply the super soldier of his dreams.

Unfortunately, just like Steve, he also seemed to be an unreplicable miracle, but he still wanted to try.

"Homelander, Dr. Connors is a Military doctor, and all of his research funding at Oscorp is sponsored by the Military, so you cannot take Dr. Connors away."

Ross gave a relatively legitimate reason.

In his view, Homelander would agree, and if he didn't, it might even be better.

Homelander looked at Ross expressionlessly and said,

"What if I say no?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the special forces next to Ross all raised their weapons and aimed them at Li Zuguo, while several infrared snipers locked onto him from a distance.

Li Zuguo was amused.

"Perhaps you can fire and see what happens."

Li Zuguo was tougher than Ross had imagined, so he decided to activate his backup plan. He pulled out a cell phone, started recording, and warned at the same time,

"They've all turned on their cameras, and my people in the distance are ready to start a live stream at any moment."

Fuck, he had to admit this old guy was a bit too clever. Li Zuguo felt he shouldn't be this smart.

"You probably didn't come up with this trick, did you? You're not that smart."

Ross fell silent; it indeed wasn't his idea.

Li Zuguo walked a few steps, as if suddenly remembering something.

"Let me guess. Is it a certain black, bald Director?"

Ross remained silent, but Li Zuguo heard his slightly accelerated heartbeat. He had guessed right.

That damn Motherfucker had a severe case of Earth-persecution paranoia, loved to make trouble for himself, and loved to study him!

But Li Zuguo quickly came up with a countermeasure.

"This trick won't work on me, Ross. Besides, Dr. Connors is free. No one can imprison him, not even me."

The moment Ross realized this, he turned his head to look. Connors had already turned invisible and left silently.

Li Zuguo slowly rose into the air. Ross was somewhat exasperated, but he didn't order his men to fire; he wasn't angry enough to lose his mind.

He left with his men without saying a word.

After returning to the research Base at Culver University, he immediately forced Banner to start the gamma experiment.

Feeling aggrieved, Ross even wanted to take out that vial of "genetic serum" for testing. The fact that Connors had turned into The Lizard and even awakened an invisibility ability proved that the serum indeed worked, but it was too unstable and far too rare.

He was waiting for several top biological gene doctors in the Military to neutralize, study, and test the unstable components of this serum and its manufacturing process as much as possible.

This was to achieve mass replication.

What Ross wanted was never just a few super soldiers or heroes; he wanted mass-produced super soldiers.

With a second option, the first option was no longer as important.

Under General Ross's pressure, Banner had no choice but to directly start the first round of the gamma experiment.

But during the experiment, he discovered that this radiation was even more unstable than he had thought.

...

On the way.

Before Spider-Man could even reach the battlefield, the matter had already ended. Connors had been recruited by Li Zuguo because he had researched the combination of Compound V, and the Green Goblin had fled in just a few minutes.

When Peter found out, he was completely dumbfounded, while also feeling glad that he hadn't acted on impulse.

Otherwise, if he had been double-teamed by the invisible Lizard and the Green Goblin, he might have ended up in a very miserable state.

"Mr. Homelander, that newly appeared Green Goblin..."

"Osborn. If you want to investigate, go ahead and investigate." Homelander couldn't be bothered with a minor Green Goblin right now.

Peter, however, took it to heart and planned to sneak into Oscorp to investigate.

New York.

Vought International.

Under Li Zuguo's arrangement, James temporarily set up a crude laboratory for Connors.

Connors didn't mind. In any case, as long as he could bring his experimental data over in a few days, it wouldn't even matter if it was built in a sewer.

Of course, the most important thing was still the compound.

Li Zuguo still had one bottle of temporary compound v left in his hand, while the other two bottles had been sponsored out through various channels.

After all, this stuff was useless to him, so he might as well give it to others to study and see if they could produce any surprises.

Now it seemed there was, and Connors was that little surprise.

"Dr., I only have this last bottle left. I hope the direction of your research this time will be spider genes."

Li Zuguo took out the last remaining bottle of temporary compound v. He didn't plan to use his current superhero points for the lucky draw anymore.

He was only ten thousand superhero points away from that original version.

Connors made no secret of his fanaticism for that bottle of compound. As a doctor of biology and genetics, nothing could attract his attention more than this little thing.

"No problem, sir. If you want to create another Spider-Man, it would be best to give me a bit of his hair or a drop of blood. That way, the experiment might be more successful."

Hearing this, Li Zuguo did not deny it, but merely proposed a new suggestion.

"There are over a dozen genetically modified spiders in the laboratory at Columbia University. They might be more suitable."

Connors' eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"I understand."

Li Zuguo said nothing, but Connors understood. With his current invisibility ability, stealing a few spiders would be as easy as pie.

To demonstrate his scientific research capability and value, he decided to compare them and steal the strongest, most venomous one to bring back for research.

And so, the matter was settled.

Li Zuguo returned to his office and turned on the television. Today's hot news topic was still the Military.

"The Military Base was attacked, and the special forces were utterly defenseless. Perhaps in individual and small-team combat, the Military has become a thing of the past, and superheroes are now the mainstream..."

The TV station was as bold as ever.

Li Zuguo's ears twitched, and he turned to look at the door. Raven, with her hands behind her back, was sneakily opening the door.

"Raven, what are you doing?"

There was not much expression on Li Zuguo's face. If Raven did anything detrimental to him, he would still show no mercy.

Raven was startled. Her movements had been very light, and she hadn't expected to be discovered so quickly.

"Um, Lucien, I bought a bouquet of flowers on the way. I thought your speech today was wonderful, and it would be such a shame if no one gave you flowers."

Raven took out the bouquet of lilies that Gwen had asked her to hand over from behind her back, holding them in both hands as she offered them.

Li Zuguo was taken aback. Only after scanning them to ensure there were no wiretaps in the flowers did a hint of a smile appear on his face.

"Raven, you did very well. I must praise you."

Raven felt absolutely no shame in stealing the credit for Gwen's flowers. In her mind, whatever she got her hands on belonged to her.

Li Zuguo took the flowers, sniffed their fragrance, and then said,

"I like these flowers. I can grant you one small request. Tell me, Raven, what do you want?"

Raven pretended to think for a moment before saying excitedly,

"Lucien, you know, so many female fans out there think you are handsomer than Captain America and stronger than Iron Man. They are obsessed with your power and good looks, and I am no exception—I'm your super fan."

"If possible, could I give you a hug? I think all the other fans would die of envy."

Li Zuguo couldn't even suppress the corners of his mouth. He was truly coaxed into happiness, and under the guise of being a fan, Mystique's move was absolutely flawless.

Li Zuguo opened his arms with a brilliant smile.

"Of course, no problem! Raven, you are my true fan!"

Chapter 23: Can't Be Low-Key, A Superhero Entrance, Mystique's Greed

The super fan got to hug her idol as she wished.

Raven leaned against Li Zuguo's chest, feeling that powerful, indestructible strength and warmth.

So that was how it felt for that woman named Gwen Stacy that day...

Li Zuguo's experience was equally pleasant. Although it was just Mystique's transformation and not her true form, the ample softness pressing against his chest was indeed very comfortable.

The only difference was that Li Zuguo wasn't as attached or greedy as Raven.

Raven reluctantly let go, her hand slowly sliding down from Li Zuguo's waist.

"Lucien, I've already figured out how to brag to my friends about this."

"Knock, knock."

A knock sounded at the door, and Natasha pushed it open, looking at the two of them with an amused expression.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

The smile on Raven's face vanished.

"When did you get here?"

"Just now." In fact, Natasha had arrived when Ravenstarted praising Li Zuguo. She had expected Li Zuguo to fall for this kind of thing, but she hadn't expected him to fall for it so hard.

It seems she would need to add another item to her observation log besides drinking milk.

Li Zuguo interrupted the two.

"Alright, Natasha, is there something you need?"

Ignoring Raven's gaze, Natasha reported.

"Tomorrow, Tony Stark invites you to the Monaco Grand Prix. I wanted to remind you not to forget."

Li Zuguo put his hands on his hips and nodded.

"Of course. If there's any other situation, remember to report to me at any time."

"Very well, sir."

Natasha left to continue her own duties, not bothering to tangle with Raven in the office.

The two had different core responsibilities. After returning from Tony, Li Zuguo had divided their work.

Natasha spent most of her time working at Vought, while Raven served as the accompanying secretary.

Mystique's abilities could handle many PR crises, making her better suited as an accompanying secretary.

In case Li Zuguo lost control and accidentally killed "someone," having Mystique around meant she could impersonate them perfectly.

Just as Raven was feeling happy, an annoying voice appeared in her mind again.

"Raven, Raven, you must answer me."

"Other Mutants are already trying to get close to Homelander. If you continue to refuse communication, you're just giving them an opportunity. At the very least, I have no ill intentions toward Homelander."

Raven originally didn't want to pay attention, but hearing the last few sentences made her hesitate. She looked at Lucien's back, not wanting anyone to hurt him.

"Which Mutants?"

Charles breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's the Hellfire Club. They have already started infiltrating New York."

Hearing about the Hellfire Club, Raven's expression turned serious.

"But isn't the Black King dead?"

Although Sebastian Shaw was a Level 4 Mutant, he could convert energy attacks into power and inject them into others. Raven wasn't sure if Homelander's internal body was as powerful as his exterior.

But what she worried about most was the White Queen, Emma Frost, and the Mastermind, Jason Wyngarde.

The White Queen was the most powerful mind controller in the Hellfire Club, and she was also an Omega-level telepath, with abilities comparable to Professor X.

Besides powerful mental attacks and memory reading, her signature ability included turning her entire body into diamond.

Mastermind, on the other hand, didn't directly control thoughts but wove extremely realistic illusions.

If the two combined forces, plus the other Mutants in the club, Raven was very worried that Lucien might accidentally fall into their trap.

Charles recalled that day.

"No, he didn't die. He just faked his death to escape. You all thought he was dead, but he wasn't. All these years, he has been plotting an even greater conspiracy."

Raven replied coldly.

"He won't succeed. More and more Superhumans are emerging. Mutant rule over the World is already a thing of the past."

Charles didn't understand.

"What do you mean by Superhuman?"

"You'll know eventually, Professor. I will pass on your thoughts to Homelander, but whether he is willing to meet you or not, I don't know."

Raven was just passing on a message; she had no intention of helping Charles.

Because she had been completely convinced by Lucien's theory of Superhumans. Compared to various Mutantfactions, she wanted to join The Seven even more.

...

Friday.

Monaco circuit.

Because of Iron Man, the crowd was packed with fans who came to watch the spectacle, as well as people who truly loved racing.

Tony had already brought people to the circuit in advance. The racing team he sponsored was originally meant to pay tribute to his father.

Howard, busy with work, rarely had time to spend with Tony and often treated him with harsh, suppressive education.

But deep down, Tony still deeply admired his father. That was why he didn't just sponsor the team, but also hid from Pepper to participate in the race himself.

With Homelander's reminder, he had already found an element from his father's belongings that could replace palladium.

But a few days ago, a certain black egg-head found him, brought his father's relics, and revealed the secret that Howard was once one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D.

To be honest, he didn't really want to join either the Avengers or The Seven.

The reality was that he had to make a choice.

Tony put on his racing suit, looked around, and then looked up at the sky.

"Star-Spangled Boy isn't here yet. Looks like he's going to be late."

At this moment, a burst of intense BGM sounded throughout the Monaco circuit, followed by the host's voice.

"Let us welcome the special guest of this race. He is a good friend of Iron Man, who came specially to cheer him on. Let us welcome..."

"Homelander!"

The moment the music reached its climax, a figure slammed down from the sky. Homelander stood in the center of the circuit, hands on his hips, kneeling on one knee before slowly standing up.

"Hahaha, Fuck You! This is what a superhero entrance should look like!"

"Oh my god! It's Homelander! It's really Homelander!"

"Bro, did he just slam down from the sky like that?"

"Homelander! Homelander!"

"I've watched many of his videos, but seeing him in person is a completely different story. He's even more handsome than I imagined."

"That's right, this is the style a superhero should have!"

"He's looking this way! He's looking this way!!!"

Some people at the scene hadn't even reacted yet.

[Popularity +10 +30 +33...]

[Fans +2 +2 +4...]

Li Zuguo had already extended one hand to greet the people around him, while the other hand signaled for everyone to go even crazier.

"Hello everyone!"

"Please give more support to my friend Iron Man. I love your cheers!"

To be honest again, Tony was already used to Homelander's personality—he liked big spectacles, standing in the center, hoping that people would cheer for him at every moment.

Low-key?

Not even a little bit.

However, because of Homelander's arrival, Pepper also discovered that Tony was participating in the race himself, which made her very angry, but she was stopped by the staff.

Tony stubbornly climbed into the race car.

After waving a few times, Li Zuguo went to the VIP seat and sat down. Behind him, many spectators picked up their phones to film, and some even called his name, hoping Li Zuguo would turn back to look at them.

But this behavior was quickly stopped by security personnel.

The race was about to start.

But not everyone knew about Homelander's arrival, for example, a certain unlucky guy, Ivan.

...

PS: There is an easter egg chapter later with a video of Homelander making an appearance. Remember to scroll to the end and keep reading. Finally, thank you to the big bosses for the monthly tickets, tips, recommendation tickets, and for following along.

Video easter egg is under review~

And you, my readers, you are the real heroes!

Chapter 24: Accept a Court Trial? Right Now, the Most Urgent Thing Is to Film Li Zuguo's Solo Hollywood Blockbuster

The Monaco racetrack.

The sunlight was excessively bright.

The Monte Carlo Circuit wound along the coastline, the grandstands packed with people. The roar of engines drifted from the track as race cars cut through the corners one after another.

Li Zuguo sat in the front row of the VIP grandstand, flanked by Vought International's PR team, who were busy coordinating camera cut timings with the broadcasters.

None of this required Li Zuguo's concern.

He only needed to sit there, occasionally smiling at the camera and shaking hands with the nearby celebrities.

On the track, Tony Stark's race car was number 11.

It was a mystery how he had secured a spot; the FIA rulebook clearly stated that non-licensed drivers could not participate in official Grand Prix races.

But when Stark's face showed up, the rules seemed to automatically get out of the way.

Even more ridiculous was that he was actually running in third place.

Several professional drivers were stuck behind him. The commentator's voice was practically cracking, half analyzing technical maneuvers and half questioning the fairness of the race.

The spectators in the stands, however, were absolutely thrilled, holding up a sea of phones.

Li Zuguo was willing to bet there was definitely some dirty secret behind it; Stark couldn't possibly be this good.

Midway through the race, a screech of brakes echoed from the track.

Tony's car had just cleared the tunnel turn and was entering the harbor bend at high speed, but he wasn't the source of the screeching.

The source was in the middle of the track.

A man stood right in the center of the track as race cars roared past him on both sides.

He didn't budge. The wind whipped his coat open, revealing coils wrapped around his chest and two long metal whips dragging on the ground in his hands. Electric arcs crackled from the tips of the whips, scorching two charred black streaks onto the track.

Screams erupted from the stands.

The man was bald, his face covered in tattoos, and a crude arc reactor on his chest glowed with a blue-white light. It was crude, homemade gear, but the electric arcs dancing on those two whips were enough to slice through any known civilian metal.

Ivan Vanko. Howard Stark's old debt, now being collected from his son.

A race car hurtled directly toward him on the track, and Ivan lashed his whip.

The metal whip swept across, cleanly slicing off the car's nose cone. The vehicle spun out of control and flipped, rolling three and a half times on the track before slamming into the guardrail. Debris flew everywhere as smoke poured from the cockpit.

The crowd in the stands didn't panic; instead, they all looked in the direction of one person, with the bolder ones already pulling out their phones.

Seeing this, Homelander slowly hovered into the air.

The crowd in the stands began chanting Homelander's name in unison.

"Homelander! Homelander!"

"Homelander, kill him!"

"No, I think he should be handed over to the Court for trial! This is dictatorship!"

"Fuck off! You self-righteous prick in front, say one more word and I'll shove my balls in your mouth!"

A red and blue figure soared from the stands, and Li Zuguolanded in front of Ivan in an instant.

Tony, noticing the situation ahead, slammed on his brakes early. When he saw the reactor on the man's chest, his surprise far outweighed his anger.

Ivan's whip froze mid-air, the electric arcs reflecting on his face. He stared at the red and blue figure that had suddenly appeared before him, his pupils dilating.

"Li Zuguo, what are you doing here?!"

Li Zuguo smiled.

"Buddy, I'm here to watch the race. Didn't you hear the crowd's cheers?"

Ivan took a step back and pulled his whips back. He dared to cause trouble for Tony, but he was absolutely no match for this caped bastard in front of him.

"This is none of your business! This is a grudge between me and the Stark family!"

"What does that have to do with me? You're interrupting my race-watching!"

Li Zuguo took a step forward.

Ivan took a step back.

"Then... should I come back tomorrow?"

Li Zuguo glanced at the cameras everywhere.

"Are you kidding me? You're a criminal. Alright, talk time is over."

Further down the track.

The car's cockpit popped open, and Tony climbed out. Covered in sweat, he shouted at Happy, who was rushing over.

A silver briefcase was thrown over.

Seeing there was no room for negotiation, Ivan lashed out with his whip mercilessly.

Two electric arcs slashed toward Li Zuguo's neck and waist simultaneously. He reached out and caught the whip on the left.

The electric arc exploded at his fingertips, a blue-white light surging up his arm before dissipating at his shoulder.

The other whip struck his waist, leaving not even a scorch mark on the fabric.

Ivan was completely dumbfounded. This was impossible!

The phone cameras of the entire audience and the cameras of the broadcast helicopter focused on Li Zuguo's figure at the same time.

Behind him, the sound of clanking metal echoed as Stark's armor began fitting together piece by piece.

Li Zuguo gripped the whip and yanked it back.

Ivan was dragged forward three meters, his knees scraping against the track as he slid right in front of Li Zuguo.

Li Zuguo stepped on Ivan's reactor, put his hands on his hips, and smiled.

"Alright, everything's fine, everyone! Just a minor interlude. I hope this criminal didn't ruin your day."

"I feel like this is even more shocking than a Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster!"

"Homelander, look over here and smile! I'm going to post this video on YouTube, it'll definitely get over ten million views..."

"Of course not! Homelander, I'm your fan from now on!"

[Popularity Points +103, +206...]

[Fans +35, +67...]

Everyone in the stands stood up and cheered.

Li Zuguo adjusted his posture to look better on camera.

After Tony arrived, accelerating with his thrusters, his faceplate popped open. He stared at Ivan under Homelander's boot and said,

"Wait, Homelander, don't kill him yet. I mean... can you hand him over to me?"

"Of course, Tony. We're friends."

Since Stark Industries' channels and resources were now fully open to Vought, Li Zuguo readily agreed to hand over such a minor villain.

With a slight nudge of his foot, Ivan slid right in front of Tony.

Tony hadn't expected Li Zuguo to hand him over so easily, so he habitually started bantering again.

"Thanks. When your live-action movie comes out, I'll buy out theaters across America. I bet the box office will definitely top one billion."

"Oh, that's just a draft script currently in planning. Where did you get that news?"

"Guessed it. After all, you're narcissistic enough to release a solo comic book, and the sales were surprisingly good. Maybe I should release an Iron Man comic too?"

After the two chatted for a bit, Li Zuguo received two pieces of bad news in his earpiece.

The Military side had caused another major incident. General Ross had contacted Vought, hoping Homelandercould help him capture someone.

Secondly, the White House and the Court wanted Homelander to stop his current illegal activities and voluntarily go to Court to stand trial.

Of course, as long as Homelander was willing to go and promised to abide by the law, all his previous actions could be pardoned.

After delivering the news, Natasha was very curious about what choice Li Zuguo would make.

Li Zuguo was almost laughed out loud. Accepting a trial in a U.S. Court? Did they really think he was Superman?

It seemed he had been too easygoing in the past.

As for Ross's business, it had nothing to do with him—plain and simple.

"Alright, Natasha, I got it. But the most urgent thing for you right now is to find me a few more Hollywood screenwriters and kick off the script for my solo blockbuster."

"I'll be right back."

With that, Li Zuguo unilaterally hung up, waved to the crowd and Tony, and then crouched slightly. With his legs together and hands crossed over his head, he triggered a sonic boom and instantly soared into the sky.

Someone in the crowd praised.

"Wow, that flying pose is so cool!"

"Oh God, pigeon-toed takeoff. Well, he really is different from Superman. I'll definitely remember Homelander."

Chapter 25: Homelander's Tragic Childhood, Feeling for Homelander, Solo Movie

Vought International.

In the office.

Li Zuguo stood in front of the desk with his hands behind his back, listening to the reports and opinions of his two chief secretaries.

Natasha's opinion was that it would be best to talk to the people from the White House and the Court, otherwise it would be very troublesome for Vought to carry out its work.

Raven looked at the Court summons and said directly,

"We don't need to pay attention to any Court at all. Luciendid nothing wrong. He saved so many people, yet he still has to face a legal trial. What kind of bullshit is this?"

"We should just go and kill everyone who supports the trial."

Clearly, Raven was a radical, so radical that even Li Zuguofelt she was going a bit too far.

"Raven, calm down. There's no need to kill anyone yet. It would damage my public image. We can think of a better way."

He had a better way to dismantle Congress and even the White House from the inside, but he needed an opportunity.

After calming down, Raven said,

"Lucien is right. I should find someone else to do it instead of killing them myself."

Li Zuguo felt like he had spoken in vain, but to be honest, he actually quite liked this personality.

"Alright, Natasha, let's ignore this matter for now and skip it. Tell me the other news."

Natasha nodded and pulled out a second document.

"General Ross created a monster in an experiment that could pose a threat to the entire city. He wants you to help the Military capture it—alive."

Li Zuguo asked in return,

"And the benefits?"

Even Natasha was speechless and said, "He will support your innocence and the establishment of The Seven."

This attempt to get something for nothing was too obvious; no wonder Li Zuguo would refuse.

Without even raising his head, Homelander said,

"Next."

Natasha said,

"Several screenwriters from Hollywood have already arrived at Vought."

Homelander immediately stood up and said,

"Don't worry about anything else. Let's finalize the script first, and then spend the money to put together a production crew. Money is not an issue; I want the very best."

"Understood, boss!"

...

Vought International, third-floor conference room.

Five people sat on both sides of the long table, four men and one woman, ranging in age from thirty-five to sixty. Two had won Emmy Awards, and the remaining two had applied voluntarily.

Li Zuguo pushed the door open and walked in, with Ravenand Natasha following closely behind. The five screenwriters stood up in unison.

They were all somewhat curious about this superhero whom they had previously only seen on the news.

Li Zuguo walked to the head of the long table and stood with his hands behind his back.

"Alright, everyone, you may sit. You should all know that I want to make a movie, a movie about me. You are all the best in the industry, so I'd like to hear your thoughts first."

The oldest, Michael Lang, spoke first. He had won an Emmy, and his silver-gray hair was meticulously combed.

"Mr. Homelander, my concept is a classic hero origin narrative. It starts from your first public appearance to the Kansas rescue. A three-act structure: Act One establishes the character, Act Two creates the crisis, and Act Three..."

After listening to a few sentences, Homelander rejected it mercilessly.

"Too cliché."

Michael's smile stiffened for a moment, but he quickly recovered.

"Of course, this is just a framework."

The female screenwriter next to him took over.

"My direction is different. I believe we should focus on your relationship with the public—a hero who is needed by the people and who also needs the people, a two-way emotional bond..."

Li Zuguo shook his head.

"No."

The female screenwriter, Katherine, shut her mouth.

The remaining three screenwriters looked at each other. They had prepared for a whole day, yet two of them were rejected in thirty seconds.

Li Zuguo paced a few steps in front of the long table, and everyone's eyes followed him.

These Hollywood veterans were highly skilled at writing heroes, villains, three-act structures, and character arcs, but they didn't know how to write "Li Zuguo."

Because they didn't know what the audience really wanted, nor did they understand what Homelanderwanted.

"Childhood."

Homelander stopped pacing, faced the five screenwriters, and voiced his desired concept.

"The movie starts from childhood."

Michael asked curiously,

"What kind of childhood?"

As long as there was a direction, it would be easy; they only feared having to play guessing games.

Li Zuguo thought of the childhood of Li Zuguo from The Boys, as well as a part of his own childhood.

"A tragic one. A little boy, locked in a laboratory since birth, with no name, only a number. Every day, his blood is drawn, tests are run, and he is given various injections. He doesn't know what the outside World looks like, doesn't know what a birthday is, or what a hug is."

"Occasionally, a staff member smiles at him and brings him a piece of candy. He hides that candy under his pillow, reluctant to eat it. The next day, the candy is confiscated because it doesn't meet the experimental dietary standards..."

"He once asked a researcher, 'Can I go out and see the outside?' The person said yes and promised to take him next week. He waited for a month, but that researcher never showed up again. Only later did he find out the researcher had been transferred, and before leaving, the man hadn't even remembered making that promise."

Li Zuguo pulled out a chair and sat down, folding his hands on the table.

"All love is fake. Everyone who is nice to him does so because of a mission, a salary, or performance indicators. He isn't stupid; he gradually learns to tell the difference. But he still smiles, because he realizes that as long as he smiles, others will treat him slightly better, even if that too is fake."

Hearing this story, Katherine felt a pang of sympathy in her eyes.

"Mr. Homelander, is this story a script you wrote, or is it your personal experience..."

Homelander didn't answer the question. He just silently turned around, leaving them with the sight of his lonely back.

At this moment, everyone took it as a silent confirmation.

Raven had thought her own childhood was tragic enough, but hearing Lucien's experience, she suddenly felt hers was nothing in comparison.

She felt more and more heartbroken for Lucien.

He must have been in so much pain back then, when even his only sliver of love was fake.

If she had been with Lucien when they were kids, she would have done everything in her power to protect him.

Natasha was also touched. After all, her own past was equally tragic, but she wasn't as emotional as Raven.

With Li Zuguo's opening, the screenwriters quickly used this story as a foundation, fleshing it out with details and substance.

"Even though Homelander went through a tragic childhood, he didn't become a monster. The day he walked out of the laboratory, the first thing he did wasn't to destroy that place. Instead, he flew up into the sky, because he had always wanted to know what color the sky was."

Katherine added, "Originally, Homelander should have grown up in a family that loved him, not in a laboratory with Doctors."

Screenwriter John: "Because he is too strong and has no weaknesses, they needed to raise him from childhood to be someone who lacks love and has low self-esteem."

Michael added, "On one hand, they wanted to torture Homelander into a love-deprived madman, and on the other hand, they wanted him to become a true hero..."

Katherine: "Underneath that powerful exterior hides a childhood loneliness that can never be healed..."

The more polished the script became, the more Mystique's heart ached for Li Zuguo.

[superhero points +20,000 (from Mystique)]

[superhero points +5,000 (from Natasha)]

The initial script gradually came together and was practically perfect.

Judging by the script alone, it was absolutely different from current Hollywood blockbusters. It wasn't about individual heroism, and it incorporated the concept of The Seven.

But there was absolutely only one true protagonist of the movie.

The script was titled: Homelander: Birth

Chapter 26: Thunderous Language System, The Li ZuguoEmbrace, Super Hero Prize Pool, Store Update.

An unexpected surprise.

Li Zuguo had not expected that just filming a movie would bring such an unexpected surprise. It seemed Raven really believed it all; one could tell from the Super Hero Points.

It was the largest amount ever.

Even someone as rational as Black Widow gave five thousand, which proved that this story was viable.

A powerful person, a lonely heart—this was very reasonable.

[Character: Homelander]

[Title: Homelander]

[Abilities: Super Strength, Super Flight, Heat Vision, Super Hearing, X-Ray Vision, Super Durability, Super Intelligence (Field can only cover himself)]

[Popularity Points: 11434942]

[Super Hero Popularity Points: 115000]

[Fans: 1546485]

[Popularity Level: Blue Planet · North America · Household Name]

Li Zuguo looked at the Super Hero Prize Pool and, without hesitation, directly exchanged for the first-generation compound.

[Super Hero Points - 100000]

[Exchanged for First-Generation Compound x1]

With 15,000 Super Hero Points remaining, Li Zuguo did not inject it immediately; the commotion would be too great, and it was inappropriate here.

Perhaps when he reached his limit, it would look very shocking. After all, a hero who is defeated by an enemy and then rises again is more beloved by the people!

On both sides of the long table, only the scratching sound of the screenwriters' pens remained.

The script was initially perfected, but this was far from enough. To truly perfect a script, one still needed script formatting, scene outlines, storyboard drafts...

The current script was, at best, just an outline.

This would take some time.

This movie would make every audience member in the World his psychological ally—a worshiper, or perhaps a protector.

When people feel they are protecting something, they will not allow anyone to harm it.

Including Congress, the Court, and every line on those subpoenas.

Li Zuguo finished stating all his requirements, and the rest had to be left to professional filmmakers.

But the movie had to pass his review.

Li Zuguo didn't want to produce a masterpiece like a certain fortress, dumping a huge pile of trash on the global audience.

As for political correctness, he could tell that to his Heat Vision.

After everyone left, Li Zuguo sat down and turned on the conference room television.

It started with breaking news.

The host reported: "An unidentified giant creature has appeared in Harlem. The Military has failed to contain it, and General Ross is urgently requesting reinforcements..."

Hulk had emerged.

Li Zuguo felt that having power alone was not enough; he also needed some technique. Heroes also needed aesthetics and elegance.

It would be best if it could reach a level that was visually pleasing yet practical, so that fans and popularity could be maximized.

He couldn't just swing his fists blindly at villains; that would be too undignified.

He had previously learned some fighting techniques, but this was far from enough.

It was definitely too late to learn at this stage.

Li Zuguo could only check if there was anything suitable in the system.

He clicked into the Primary Super Hero Prize Pool; the items inside were all strange, originating from various Universes.

1: Wayne Enterprises Standard Batarang (DC): Crafted from Vibranium, can cut through ordinary metal, features magnetic retrieval.

2: Standard Energon Crystal (Transformers): Can recharge any mechanical device, increasing battery life by 3 times.

3: S.H.I.E.L.D. Standard Stun Baton (Marvel): Releases 300,000 volts of high-voltage electricity, can instantly subdue ordinary humans.

4: Flash Anti-Impact Goggles (DC): Completely protects against bright light, wind, sand, and bullet fragments, automatically adjusts vision.

5: Wolverine's Cigar (X-Men): Once lit, it can dispel all low-level mental control, lasting for 10 minutes.

6: temporary compound v (The Boys): Injection grants random super powers for 24 hours, but causes vomiting, black liquid from ears, violent loss of control, and death by brain tumor after 3 uses.

7: Kaiju Bone Fragment (Pacific Rim): Hardness far exceeds steel, can be used to make blades.

...

The primary prize pool refreshed about once a month, and most of the items were strange and basically useless to Li Zuguo.

In comparison, the Super Hero Store was much more stable, also refreshing about once a month. Items he wanted to buy could be locked in with Super Hero Points, but they would occupy a fixed refresh slot.

Last time it was the first-generation compound; this time there were a few more items.

1: Multiverse Random Travel Ticket: Randomly travel to a certain Universe.

2: Perfect Compound V: Eliminates all weaknesses of the compound, super regeneration.

3: Perfect Fighting Technique (Earth): You are the best fighter on this Planet.

Note: 5,000 for a one-time experience.

Li Zuguo glanced at the prices; each of these three items was terrifyingly expensive.

The cheapest, Perfect Fighting Technique, cost 100,000 Super Hero Points, but it was limited to the strongest on Earth. Did this mean there was a Universe behind it?

But this likely referred to the Marvel Earth, which was full of hidden talent.

In that light, 100,000 Super Hero Points was acceptable.

But 5,000 for a one-time experience was a bit of a rip-off.

As for the Multiverse Random Travel Ticket and the Perfect Compound V, those seemed completely unaffordable for him at this stage.

Of course, he had no plans to go to other Universes; he hadn't even cleared Earth yet.

What if he randomly traveled to something like the MarvelZombie Universe or the DC Dark Multiverse? Wouldn't he be doomed?

Although the probability was very small, it wasn't zero.

After counting his gains, Li Zuguo was in a pretty good mood. Facing Raven, who had been hesitating outside the door for a long time, he said directly.

"Raven, you seem to have been hesitating outside the door for a long time. Is something the matter?"

Raven walked in, her face initially hesitant, but after seeing the empty hall with only Lucien sitting alone and forlorn in his seat, she closed the door behind her.

As if she had made up her mind, she walked toward him.

Li Zuguo stood up, anticipating several possibilities in his mind: betrayal, asking for a hug, comforting him... The possibility of betrayal was very small.

After all, she had just provided him with 20,000 Super Hero Points, so it must be to comfort him?

"Raven, I am stronger than you imagine, but I don't need you for the time being..."

"Lucien..."

Mystique Raven pressed up against him, her arms softly hooking around Li Zuguo's neck, pressing his face into her bosom.

That expanse of white softness rapidly magnified before Li Zuguo's eyes; it was soft and carried a hint of sweet, musky fragrance.

Raven performed a Li Zuguo Embrace Kill, stroking his hair with her fingers, saying with heartache.

"Lucien, I know about your past. You are not just a product of experiments, a tool. You will never be alone again."

"I will always be with you..."

When Li Zuguo regained his sight, his eyes had become clear. Looking at the maternal glow in Raven's eyes, he couldn't help but speak.

"Raven, are you fucking treating me like a son?"

Li Zuguo's language system was too thunderous, leaving even Raven stunned. Realizing what he said, she quickly shook her head to explain.

"NO... Lucien, I just feel sorry for you. I am your super fan, but you have to know that fans always have fantasies about their idols."

Li Zuguo could barely accept this explanation, but he hoped Raven wouldn't act on her own next time.

Raven obediently admitted her mistake; Secretary Ravenmight not dare to do it again, but Mystique Raven would be bolder.

She really wanted to stand before Lucien in her true identity and appearance, rather than borrowing someone else's face.

But she really wasn't sure if Lucien would be disgusted when he saw her true self...

Chapter 27: Black King and White Queen, the MutantRecruitment, I Will Surpass God

Sunday.

This was not an ordinary Sunday, but a sunny Sunday.

All kinds of jaw-dropping news emerged endlessly across the U.S.

Among them, the most widely circulated video on the internet was undoubtedly about Hulk, and there were still videos spreading.

The location was at Culver University.

In the video.

On the campus, the Military's Humvee convoy, helicopters, and special forces were besieging a big green monster, resulting in a total rout.

Reports said that monster was fleeing, causing panic among residents across the U.S.

Spider-Man was also a hot topic of discussion, with even more exclusive news from the Daily Bugle.

Staff members discussing things could be seen everywhere in Vought's hall.

It seemed people were gradually getting used to Hero and supervillains occupying the news headlines.

The TV screen in the lobby switched.

A reporter from another channel stood in front of a cordoned-off block, with three police cars and an armored personnel carrier parked behind.

The subtitle read: "Mutant Attack Incident, Nearby Public Schools Temporarily Closed".

...

Below these were ordinary news.

Daily shootings, racial discrimination, gender assumptions, environmental protection... fierce bandits of the U.S. robbing banks.

By comparison, Li Zuguo was living a rather peaceful life, occasionally cracking down on criminals and accepting interviews from reporters.

Having just finished cooperating with a reporter's interview today, Li Zuguo abruptly accelerated his speed and headed to the next location.

In just a few seconds, he crossed several streets and came to a pitch-black alley sandwiched between residential buildings.

Dammit, why not go outside instead of hiding in here!

He needed more camera time and audience, not this dark alley where only tramps lived!

However, adhering to the thought of "since I'm already here"... or rather, he sensed something was slightly amiss.

In the alley.

A burly man was about to commit robbery and rape against a young girl, when Homelander slowly descended from the sky with his signature smile.

"Fear not, Madam, you are safe, and this damn rapist will receive the punishment he deserves."

As soon as the burly man heard the voice and saw Li Zuguo, he was scared almost to the point of peeing.

"Fuck, it's that pervert who likes to wear tight clothes!"

Holding a knife, he rushed forward swiftly and took the young girl hostage, with the tip of the knife pressed against her neck.

"Shit, don't come over or I'll kill this bitch!"

Li Zuguo kept a smile and continued approaching step by step.

"You're negotiating with me, but you need to figure out one thing first: the chips in your hands have nothing to do with me."

The burly man retreated step by step, saying in panic:

"Fuck... Do you believe I'll actually do it?"

Li Zuguo stopped. The burly man thought the threat had taken effect, but the next second, Li Zuguo suddenly burst into laughter.

"Whether you do it or not is a matter between you and her, and it has nothing to do with me, but if you do it in front of me..."

One second Li Zuguo was still smiling, and the next second he retracted his smile, looking expressionless at the burly man as his eyes turned crimson.

Seeing this, the burly man directly dropped the knife, scuttled and crawled away in the opposite direction, shouting for help while incoherently stammering.

Li Zuguo didn't chase after him, but instead looked at the young girl.

The panic on the young girl's face disappeared, and she simply said a sentence:

"I can't control his mind, but I can read his psychological age, which is like..."

The next second, red smoke emerged out of thin air in the alley. Three figures appeared in the smoke; the one in the middle wore a well-fitted custom suit, and the one on the right was a man with long hair.

The most terrifying one was on the left, whose entire body was covered in fire-colored skin, with pointed ears, fangs, and red eyes just like a demon.

As for that young girl, in Li Zuguo's eyes, she had been a cold and glamorous blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty from beginning to end, rather than Asian.

Li Zuguo's tone remained relaxed.

"It looks like this is a conspired setup to lure me out. Tell me, what do you guys want?"

Black King stepped forward. Although his appearance remained young, his voice carried the vicissitudes of an old man.

"Homelander, you don't need to go out of your way to please humans. You are the elite among Mutants. You were born dazzling and should be the ruler of humans, or even the leader of Mutants!"

Li Zuguo was almost sick of hearing this stale World-domination routine.

What was this old guy talking about, ruling Earth? Those were fucking his popularity granaries!

Seeing Homelander, Black King thought his words had touched Li Zuguo's soul, because White Queen told him that the psychological age of the Mutant before him was not mature.

He even thought he was Superman, learning from Superman in comic books to save people everywhere and accept media interviews.

"Listen, kid, I know you like standing in the spotlight, but the White House and Congress will never agree, just like how they wanted to kill all Mutants back then."

"Join our Hellfire Club. We are kindred spirits, we will help you, and you will be the most dazzling Mutant in the World!"

A Level 5 Mutant at minimum, or perhaps even an Omega-level Mutant, was worth Black King treating him like coaxing a child.

Hellfire Club?

The most dazzling Mutant in the World? Isn't that still a Mutant.

Li Zuguo's tone remained flippant.

"The big green guy on the news a few days ago seemed more like a Mutant than me. Why don't you guys go recruit him?"

"That is not a Mutant, just a mindless monster."

White Queen said coldly, as if they had already tried, but failed.

Hearing this, Li Zuguo changed his tune.

"Since humans hate Mutants, how do you make them accept the leadership of Mutants?"

Black King stated his plan without hesitation, which was still the old routine of destroying the World, and the survivors would be assimilated into Mutants.

Many people knew about Black King's plan, and it had even failed once during World War II, so it didn't matter even if he spoke it out.

Li Zuguo stretched out a finger and shook it.

"Where there is rule, there is resistance. Look at how few Mutants are following you around; compared to ruling, becoming the spiritual leader of humanity is the most correct choice."

Red Devil suddenly said:

"God?"

Li Zuguo crossed his arms, his body slowly floating upwards.

"Guess what, and I will surpass God!"

As soon as these words came out, Black King and the others all thought Li Zuguo was crazy. Surpass God and become humanity's spiritual leader?

This difficulty wasn't as practical as destroying Earth, and did you really think you were Superman?!

Even Superman couldn't become the leader of humanity!

Black King took a deep breath and changed his phrasing.

"This World is more complex than you imagine. There are Outer Gods, alien invasions, Hell... Only by working together can Mutants protect Earth."

Li Zuguo was not shaken: "I know."

White Queen read a kind of confidence from Li Zuguo's thoughts, an incomparably strong confidence.

Li Zuguo was already exposed to the sunlight. In the eyes of Black King and the others, he was now so dazzling that they could only see a shadow and a cape fluttering slowly.

"But you are wrong about one thing: I am not a Mutant, I am Homelander!"

After saying that, Li Zuguo soared into the sky and disappeared into the clouds.

Li Zuguo had no intention of starting a war with Black King; their battle shouldn't be placed in this dark and sunless alley.

Instead, it should be under the gaze of everyone.

A Hero needed the foil of villains to appear dazzling and needed, so that he could reap fans and popularity points.

Black King was obviously a villain who liked to stir up trouble.

Of course, there was another big reason for him leaving.

Natasha was asking for help; if he didn't go back, Vought might get torn apart by someone.

...

Ding: Detected that readers said the strongest people in the Marvel Universe are all on Earth, with perfect combat, and being the strongest on Earth is too overpowered and unreasonable, so it has been changed to Advanced.

Chapter 28: The Rampaging Hulk, Nick Fury's Rage

New York

Brooklyn Avenue

An M1A2 main battle tank was flipped over in the middle of the road, its turret twisted at an unnatural angle and its chassis facing the sky.

An Apache helicopter hovered at an altitude of four hundred meters, its chain gun continuously pouring fire downward, striking the Hulk's back.

"All units fall back! Fall back and establish the third line of defense!" the Commander roared over the channel.

The first two lines hadn't even lasted three minutes.

That thing was temporarily designated as "Hulk" in the Military's internal communications.

Reading Taiwanese novels is incredibly smooth.

It was currently crossing Clinton Avenue, rampaging all the way south.

The Hulk's shoulder brushed against a six-story apartment building by the roadside, scraping away a third of the entire outer wall. Bricks, rebar, and concrete debris poured down, crashing onto the sidewalk and kicking up a massive cloud of dust.

Along the way, there were people who weren't afraid of death holding up their phones to record, constantly uploading videos to major social media sites.

The comment sections had already exploded.

"Can Spider-Man beat this monster?"

"Holy shit, he's heading towards Manhattan!"

"Where is the Military??? Where is the National Guard???"

"The National Guard's tanks were just smashed into scrap metal by him, scroll up and watch the video."

"Where is Homelander???"

The third line of defense held for just over two minutes.

Four Hummers were parked across the middle of the road, and the M2 heavy machine guns on their roofs opened fire simultaneously. The bullets formed a dense stream of fire, striking the target's chest and abdomen, the impact causing the Hulk to pause his steps.

This only made him angrier. With a brutal charge, he sent all four Hummers flying.

Under the immense force, the vehicles slid over a dozen meters, crashing into the storefront of a Citibank branch on the roadside.

"Damn it! Fall back across the entire line! Fall back!"

Vought's helicopter captured the full view from high above.

A green figure was moving south across Brooklyn's grid-like streets, leaving behind a jagged path of destruction: collapsed buildings, burning vehicles, and snapped power lines.

The upper floors of Vought Tower.

Natasha reported the distance and location in real-time.

"Sir, Vought Tower is in the target's path of movement. Estimated arrival is within one minute."

"Sir?" Natasha asked again.

The sound of rushing wind continued for a few seconds before Li Zuguo's voice sounded.

"Don't worry, Natasha, I'm faster than him!"

...

S.H.I.E.L.D.

Nick Fury's face darkened as he watched the rampaging Hulk, and he couldn't help but spit out a rapid stream of curses.

"Can anyone tell me which zoo this green gorilla escaped from? Where is the Captain?"

"The Captain is currently on a mission."

"Get me Tony Stark!"

"Tony Stark is currently dealing with his own affairs. He asked me to tell the Director that there's no need to worry with Homelander in New York."

"Motherfucker!"

Nick Fury was furious. He actually didn't have a single suitable card to play in his hand. No...

He still had one card left. It was the pager left behind by Carol, his ultimate trump card.

But now was absolutely not the time to use it. That was meant for saving the World, not for dealing with the green-skinned monster in front of him.

The monster in the video was very strong, and was even growing stronger with its anger, but that show-off bastard should be able to handle it.

Unknowingly, in Nick Fury's eyes, Homelander had already become one of the most powerful existences on Earth, capable of resolving most dangers and disasters.

However, his personality was even more arrogant than Tony's, and he never followed orders.

Yet, Homelander was indeed second only to Captain Marvel, who roamed the Universe, in his heart. In a way, wasn't this a form of love-turned-hate?

What he couldn't have, he wanted to destroy, just like how he suppressed the Mutants.

...

Vought Tower.

The streets outside had already been cordoned off by the police for six intersections, but the barricades were packed with people, all of whom were fanatical, die-hard fans of Homelander.

Soon, everyone could hear it.

The sound and dull vibrations coming from the south.

The ground was trembling, and the mugs in the Starbucksdisplay window were moving on their own, crowding toward the edge of the display shelf one by one.

The moment the Hulk appeared at the end of Broadway, the surrounding sounds fell completely silent in an instant.

He was much larger than he appeared on television.

His grayish-green skin was stained with dust and scorch Marks, his eyes a turbid dark green in the sunlight, and every exhale sent white mist curling from the corners of his mouth.

His path of advancement happened to lead straight toward the main entrance of Vought Tower.

The floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall on the first floor of the building emitted a faint hum under his footsteps.

There were still people in the lobby who hadn't finished evacuating.

A security guard crouched behind the front desk clutching a walkie-talkie. Peeking half his head out from the edge of the desk, he saw the thing's foot land dozens of meters away from the entrance.

The tiles of the entire sidewalk were crushed to pieces.

The Hulk was about to charge inside.

A scorching beam of light struck the Hulk's right shoulder from directly above, pushing his entire body sideways by nearly five meters on the final step of his charge.

Veering away from the main entrance, he crashed headfirst into the empty Citibank building next door.

Half of the building's outer wall collapsed, and rubble and dust rushed into the street, flipping the two nearest police cars.

Dust and fog filled the entire street.

People tilted their phone cameras up toward the sky.

Homelander slowly descended, a lingering trace of dark red light still in his eyes, slowly fading away.

People began to cheer.

Everyone believed that this time, Homelander would also easily deal with this green-skinned monster rampaging through the streets of New York.

In reality, only Li Zuguo knew it wasn't easy. His Heat Vision was, at best, a tickle to the Hulk.

A concrete slab flipped over and crashed onto the street, shattering all intact floor tiles within a three-meter radius.

The Hulk stood up from the ruins, his right shoulder scorched with a black Mark from the Heat Vision, his green eyes locking onto the figure slowly descending in mid-air.

Li Zuguo landed and stared at the Hulk from half a street away. In terms of raw strength alone, he was no match for the angry Hulk.

His other advantages wouldn't decide the outcome either.

However, this was the perfect opportunity to experience the combination of stats and technique.

Natasha and Raven observed the situation from the upper floors of Vought Tower.

Raven had already contacted Charles in her mind. If Lucienlost, she would take action even if it meant exposing her identity.

Atop a nearby high-rise building.

Red Devil teleported up with the Black King, the White Queen, and others, watching the show.

Red Devil commented:

"This green-skinned monster looks like he could go toe-to-toe with Red Tank."

The Black King smiled and said, "No, he's even stronger. Anger makes him stronger. Too bad he has no brain. Our God seems to have run into a bit of trouble this time."

The White Queen didn't comment, but in her perception, Homelander still possessed intense confidence.

One had to know that the green-skinned monster in front of them had already surpassed the level of a Tier 4 Mutantbased on the power of anger alone, and was still continuously growing stronger.

Yet, Homelander still had this confidence.

This made her very curious as to where the source of this confidence came from.

Chapter 29: Super Popularity Mode, Entering Phase Two, Hulk Smashes! Hulk Flees!

In the center of the battlefield.

Li Zuguo decisively used the Advanced Combat Techniques Trial Card he had purchased earlier.

As the information flooded his brain, his control over his body and the maximization of his power made him feel that his combat ability had increased more than tenfold at this moment.

The combat techniques he had learned before now seemed like child's play in comparison.

In other words...

He now felt terrifyingly strong.

Of course, Li Zuguo also understood one truth: technique was secondary; one's own power and stats were what mattered most.

So, he prepared to test the Super Popularity Mode; with over ten million popularity points, he could easily afford it.

[Super Popularity Mode activated]

[Popularity Points -100,000...]

The moment Super Popularity Mode was activated, his popularity burned, and Li Zuguo found himself growing stronger in all aspects—strength, speed, reflexes...

He had almost reached a whole new realm.

Endless power surged from within his body, giving Li Zuguo the illusion that he could shatter the Planet with a single punch.

A layer of burning popularity enveloped his body, sending out visible ripples. Complete with its own special effects, he looked as if he had entered Phase Two.

The charm of raw stats was indeed incomparable to mere technique.

Li Zuguo's figure instantly vanished from his spot, triggering a sonic boom.

Time is popularity points!

The Hulk, standing still, couldn't react in time and could only swing a punch out of instinct. The moment Li Zuguoclosed in, he tilted his head, letting the wind of the punch brush past his left ear.

His left fist drove into the Hulk's ribs, the knuckles twisting as they dug in, transferring power from his hips to the peak of his fist.

Before the Hulk could even react to the pain, Li Zuguo had already raised his right elbow, slamming the tip of it down onto the Hulk's lowered nape.

His head was smashed toward the ground, and Li Zuguo's knee rose to meet it, striking him square in the face.

The Hulk's head was knocked back, his nose bridge caving in as dark green blood spurted from his nostrils, his entire body tilting backward.

Li Zuguo didn't give him a chance to fall. He grabbed the Hulk's right wrist with his left hand, yanked him back, and simultaneously smashed his right fist into the monster's jaw.

The jaw swung to the left, and a left fist immediately followed up on the right cheek. Before the right cheek could even swell, an elbow strike had already landed on his temple.

Three punches and an elbow—every single strike hit the Hulk's most vulnerable spots, the combo flowing seamlessly.

To the naked eye of most spectators, they could only see the afterimages of Li Zuguo's punches and the Hulk being beaten like a punching bag.

The Hulk's head was dizzy, his legs began to wobble, and his entire body started to sway.

Li Zuguo released the Hulk's wrist, took a half-step back, pushed off the ground with his right leg, and delivered a side kick to the inside of the Hulk's knee.

No matter how large a knee joint grew, its structure remained the same.

The Hulk's left leg buckled. The moment he dropped to one knee, he roared and swung a sweeping punch. The punch carried intense wind pressure, kicking up gravel from the ground and sending it flying in all directions.

Li Zuguo crouched down half a frame, letting the sweep pass over his head. His hair was whipped up by the wind pressure and then settled back down.

As he stood up, his right fist drove upward, striking the Hulk right under the chin.

With an uppercut, the Hulk's entire body was lifted from his kneeling position into the air, leaving the ground and flying nearly three meters high.

Li Zuguo leaped into the air, grabbed the Hulk's ankle with his right hand, spun his body, and used the centrifugal force to slam the Hulk into the ground.

Boom!

A crater exploded in the middle of the street.

The Hulk lay prone in the crater, his back deeply embedded in the ground.

Li Zuguo landed at the edge of the crater, raised his right foot, and brought it down precisely onto the back of the Hulk's head, pressing his face into the gravel.

The entire sequence of movements was smooth and fluid, highly spectacular to watch.

The Hulk in the crater dug his fingers into the rubble and pushed up his upper body. His face was covered in dark green blood; his defense had been completely breached.

Li Zuguo stepped back to the edge of the crater.

The Hulk was enraged. He opened his mouth and let out a furious roar, the sound waves kicking up the debris in the crater.

Li Zuguo's cape fluttered loudly in the sound waves as he looked down at the Hulk in the crater.

Back when he relied on brute strength to crush others, he hadn't thought much of combat techniques.

Now he realized what kind of concept power paired with technique truly was. Of course, this was within limits; beyond those limits, no matter how perfect the technique, it would be useless.

The Hulk charged.

Barely needing to think, Li Zuguo's body reacted automatically to dodge the punch. With the fingers of his right hand pressed together, he delivered a hand-chop to the Hulk's Adam's apple.

A muffled gasp came from the Hulk's throat, cutting off his roar.

He clutched his throat and took a step back.

Li Zuguo followed up, striking the liver with his left fist, the spleen with his right, and slamming his left elbow into the intersection of the collarbones. The Hulk's collarbone let out a sharp crack.

The Hulk retreated as Li Zuguo pursued, taking a punch with every step back. The Hulk's arms instinctively began to shield his head and body.

Li Zuguo delivered a final, full-power right straight punch. His fist slammed into the Hulk's crossed arms. The impact surged through the arms and into his body, pushing the Hulk back and carving a groove over twenty meters long into the ground before he finally crashed into an overturned fire truck, bending it into a V-shape.

The Hulk leaned against the deformed fire truck, his chest heaving violently.

His green eyes stared at the approaching man, reflecting not anger, but retreat.

Even though his strength was clearly greater, he simply couldn't win. Every attack brought pain.

These words shouldn't have existed in the Hulk's dictionary, but at this moment, they were written deep within those green eyes.

The Hulk was now completely sober. He struggled to crawl up, glanced at Li Zuguo, then turned around and bolted in the opposite direction. Every step left a half-meter-deep footprint in the ground, and a sedan blocking his path was sent flying three stories high by his knee.

This time, he headed out of the city.

Li Zuguo didn't give chase, because he couldn't kill the Hulk right now. His technique was sufficient, but his stats and popularity points were not.

There was no need.

The crowd outside the cordon was stunned at first.

Then, cheers flooded the entire street.

Standing in the middle of the wrecked street, Li Zuguodeactivated Super Popularity Mode. It hadn't even been a minute.

But the popularity points consumed were terrifying, burning through nearly half of his total.

The cheers of the onlookers grew louder, rhythmically turning into the chant of a single word over and over.

He turned to face the crowd, the corners of his mouth curling up into that smile familiar to all the American people.

The spotlight of a news helicopter beamed down, "coincidentally" landing right on him.

[Fans +976 +1,087 +1,358...]

[Popularity Points +1,769 +2,346 +3,795...]

One could imagine that once today's videos and news were broadcast, the burned popularity points would be mostly recovered, and he would even gain a bunch of fanatical fans.

Meanwhile, the Mutants who watched the entire event, along with everyone in S.H.I.E.L.D., fell into silence.

Aside from the initial clash of fists, the imagined evenly matched battle didn't occur at all; it was a completely one-sided beating.

Homelander had even shown a terrifying Phase Two.

...

PS: The reference video of Thanos + Power Stoneschooling the Hulk is at the end. Tips and thanks are placed in the Author's Thoughts.

If you guys like it, I'll keep putting easter eggs in the future. If not, I'll put fewer. Finally, the synopsis has been updated to add a blackened version of Homelander; I forgot to add it last time.

Chapter 30: Homelander, Are You Still a Virgin? The Concept of The Seven, Personal Movie Plan, All of America in an Uproar

S.H.I.E.L.D.

Although Nick Fury had anticipated this, in his imagination, the two should have been evenly matched, definitely not a one-sided crushing defeat like this.

After all, the strength previously displayed by Hulk was extremely terrifying, outperforming even Homelander in terms of performance.

Of course, he had almost never seen Homelander go all out; this was deduced from past combat data.

But such ultra-high combat skills had never been demonstrated before.

Nick found that he had fallen into a misconception.

Because past opponents were hardly worth Homelandergoing all out.

If only Homelander could have cooperated a little bit, instead of turning around to film a commercial when faced with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s recruitment, Nick Fury wouldn't have been this angry.

...

The top floor.

The several Mutants of the Hell Club who watched the entire battle felt a kind of fear in their hearts, not a fear of power, but of what Homelander displayed.

Because their abilities originated from various...

Black King's ability was to absorb and release energy attacks, and he could use the absorbed energy to retain his youth forever.

But Homelander's power was already able to kill him at the very moment he began to absorb it.

He had an upper limit, otherwise he wouldn't just be a Level 4 Mutant.

Even if White Queen diamondized, the hardness of diamond might not withstand a single punch from Homelander.

Red Devil could teleport, but he might not be able to react in time.

Pure strength wasn't that terrifying, but what Homelanderdisplayed was not just strength, but also flight and a speed close to teleportation.

Most Mutants were likely to be killed before they could even react.

But when it came to being the most furious and suffering the greatest losses, it had to be General Ross.

Not only did he conduct human experiments to create a monster, but he also ran to New York to cause destruction, and the military's entire combat plan failed completely, just like tickling Hulk.

The only harvest might be Hulk's blood.

If anyone paid attention, they would find that the green blood on the ground had quietly disappeared.

The disaster was over.

Li Zuguo did not leave immediately; all the reporters who smelled the scent of headlines rushed over here at the first moment, and of course, ranking first was always the reporter from Vought.

This made the other reporters who were originally ranked at the front somewhat resentful, but they were helpless—who told Vought and Homelander to be family.

After Li Zuguo answered a few questions,

someone in the crowd suddenly shouted loudly,

"Homelander, why didn't you arrive at the first moment? You just had to appear when Vought International was threatened!"

At a glance, this was a fake fan, and the surrounding die-hard fans of Homelander wanted to hit someone.

Li Zuguo was expressionless on the inside, but facing the camera, his smile remained kindly and affectionate.

"Of course not. When I just learned about this matter, I was fighting crime in other places, and after receiving the news, I rushed back immediately."

"I am sorry for not coming to your side at the first moment. This matter made me realize that relying on myself alone might make it difficult to cope with multiple crimes, and perhaps I should find a few teammates."

As soon as these words were spoken, not only the fans were in an uproar, but even the reporters were excited; this was an absolute blockbuster news!

"Homelander, does this mean you plan to form a Super Hero Alliance!"

"Mr. Homelander, if you want to find teammates, what kind of teammates do you want to find?"

"How about Spider-Man? I think he's very cool!"

"Will Iron Man join?"

"What is your impression of Mutants?"

"Please reveal a little bit of news!"

"Are you planning to form The Seven like in the Homelander comics?"

...

People's enthusiasm exceeded Li Zuguo's imagination, and he smiled and picked a few questions he wanted to answer.

"Everyone calm down. Currently this is still just an idea. My requirement for teammates is that I hope they are as brave as me."

"Tony hasn't been asked yet. As for Spider-Man, I've talked to him, but he doesn't want to join temporarily; however, cooperation is still possible in the future."

"My impression of Mutants is that it might be good if they can use their abilities to fight crime, as long as they have a golden, brave heart like me."

Vought's reporter suddenly asked another question.

"I heard that you plan to make an autobiographical movie. Can you reveal a little news?"

Li Zuguo put his hands on his hips.

"Of course, sweetheart, there is such a plan, but the script is still being refined. The movie is adapted from some of my personal experiences, and everyone can look forward to it."

As his voice fell, everyone sincerely offered applause to express their anticipation.

But ever since this topic, the subsequent topics were all derailed.

"Hollywood singer Avril said she likes you very much and even wrote a song for you. What do you think?"

"Jack Chan intends to invite you to film a Kung Fu Hustle, will you agree?"

"Rumor has it that a music company wants to sign you and tailor-make an album for you. Is the rumor true?"

"Homelander, do you have someone you like... Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Homelander, are you still a virgin?"

Li Zuguo was stunned for a moment. What the Hell? What the fuck is all this?

"These are all hype, just listen to them. Now the question-and-answer time is over, I have to work, everyone!"

After saying this, Li Zuguo walked straight into Vought Tower.

All the staff members came out to welcome him.

Natasha's eyes revealed surprise and a smile.

"Sir, your performance today was more Superman than Superman!"

She thought Homelander only knew brute force and wild swinging punches, but today's battle told her that Homelander's combat skills were even above hers, a top-tier Agent.

Li Zuguo gave Natasha a thumbs-up.

"Good praise, but I don't really like the title Superman."

Natasha was also very sensible and immediately changed her tune.

"Okay, Mr. Homelander."

Raven was holding documents aside silently without speaking, and Li Zuguo only noticed her after greeting everyone else.

However, the lobby had too many eyes and ears, and Li Zuguo only asked after arriving at the office.

"You seem to have something on your mind, Raven."

"No, sir, I was just a little worried about you just now."

Li Zuguo said with certainty,

"No, Raven, your heart rate tells me you do."

Raven hesitated for a moment and said,

"The Mutant Academy wants to invite you over for a visit. The Dean of the academy, Charles, has always been committed to making Mutants and humans live in peace."

"Listen, Raven, do you still remember what I said? Superhumans are born leaders and saviors. Just refuse, don't have any psychological burden, now you just need to continue working."

Li Zuguo had no intention of contacting Professor X; the two's philosophies and personalities were completely incompatible.

The most important thing now was to launch the concept of The Seven or that he needed teammates.

Raven breathed a sigh of relief; she was afraid that Lucienwould agree to Charles and get hoodwinked by then. Her current philosophy completely followed this man.

Soon, today's interview with Homelander was reported out.

The citizens who saw the headline the next day were all in an uproar.

The speed of dissemination this time was even more violent than before, and it triggered widespread discussion.

In the past, it was always fighting criminals, fighting criminals, and the audience was already bored.

But this time Homelander not only proposed finding a few teammates and the idea of making a movie based on personal experience,

but also some groundless scandals.

Although it was just fabricated by those audacious media outlets, it didn't prevent some viewers from liking to see this kind of thing.

Of course, it didn't exclude certain people flying into a rage after seeing the news.