Chapter 104: Subpoena
On the other side.
"Boss, this is really scary." T-Bone showed Harry the information he had uncovered.
This information detailed the intricacies of Project Prism.
The forces involved were quite exaggerated. Initially, T-Bone thought this was merely a domestic surveillance plan established by the U.S. government as the leader. However, upon digging deeper, he discovered that this plan involved not only the United States but also the Five Eyes Alliance...
The targets weren't just ordinary people. There were numerous well-known figures on the monitoring target list, including heads of state.
But Harry had only mentioned it to him in passing.
Not only that, the Prism Project promised substantial benefits to participating companies—amounts far beyond T-Bone's imagination. These benefits included not only financial rewards but also channel and policy support.
According to the data he had gathered, had the Battle of New York not occurred, a lawsuit against Osborne would have been filed soon, and U.S. officials would have imposed massive daily fines on Osborne.
Even now, this plan had not been shelved. On the contrary, the capabilities demonstrated by ctOS during the battle had drawn even more attention to the conspiracy against Osborne.
No old force wanted to see Norman become president. If that happened, they might be able to manipulate the presidential election.
But T-Bone had a nagging feeling that a massive organization was lurking behind this plan, and the Prism Project might just be the tip of the iceberg.
He hesitated.
In the original work, he was a tough guy, but now he appeared to be uncertain.
But this was not difficult to understand—after all, T-Bone was no longer a barefoot wanderer. In Chicago, he would only face a few local forces and politicians, but this plan...
Skye stood in the corner, wondering what Harry would do.
This young hacker was not as mature as T-Bone. What she was thinking was: If Osborne doesn't take action, I will.
Harry examined the dense data. The Prism Project in this world was far more powerful than he had previously understood.
But there were still others who shared his objective regarding this matter.
Harry said, "Just do as I instruct."
If Harry's instincts were correct, in this world, the Prism Project might be a part of the Insight Project. Without Osborne's intervention, Snowden or others might have already been eliminated by Hydra during their exposure attempts.
Or perhaps they simply didn't have access to the information.
Under Harry's direction, T-Bone would subtly reveal this information to a few righteous individuals.
Then justice would come.
T-Bone said, "...won't they be silenced?" Most people believed that hackers came and went without leaving a trace, but T-Bone knew that anyone could make a mistake—especially when facing a behemoth like the NSA.
"No, this world is not exclusively inhabited by English speakers."
T-Bone froze.
"...Wouldn't that be considered treason?"
Harry glanced at him. "That depends on which country you're referring to. Considering that we currently have an ultimate enemy—aliens—his actions may be regarded as heroic in the future."
T-Bone thought for a moment and finally pressed the button.
He didn't dwell on it much; he was simply instinctively repulsed by this kind of thing.
A string of bold words appeared on the screen: Lyre Protocol has been initiated—processing complete.
After the program ran, Harry explained a few things to T-Bone and left the company.
Skye suddenly said, "I wonder why this thing is called a lyre? Is it some kind of code?"
T-Bone smiled.
"Instruments invented by Hermes—wouldn't you want to give your gadgets some middle-of-the-road names?"
Under Skye's expectant gaze, T-Bone did not elaborate further.
"Let's put that aside for now. Just gather your things, and we'll go on an errand."
"Go for what?"
"Digging up secrets—do you think I don't know you've been hacking into that SHIELD network?"
Skye froze at this revelation.
.....
More than a month later, Manhattan was completely reopened.
As the last thing Norman did before leaving office, it was quite an impressive feat.
Aside from a few severely damaged headquarters of large companies, the streets and urban areas had been revitalized, with most of the ruins cleared away.
Even those companies that had paid Osborne to handle it opened their doors early.
However, everyone suddenly discovered that some real estate in Manhattan was interconnected. Osborne's robots were working day and night at the construction sites, resembling the construction of some kind of alien fortress.
The Damage Control Bureau continually transported alien debris there, which felt strange to the public.
In front of Stark Tower, the area had been transformed into an open space, with a gigantic victory monument erected there.
Norman was set to deliver his final speech here before leaving office.
"Citizens of New York, today, we gather here on this land, on this ground soaked with the blood of many heroes. Behind me stand the firefighters, police officers, and others who perished in the battle—statues of our city heroes."
"The world is changing rapidly and catching us off guard, but we are honored to have these heroes."
"With all this in mind, please let us observe three minutes of silence for these heroes."
Everyone bowed their heads.
"I believe everyone knows that I stand here today to deliver my final speech in office."
"I apologize that these events transpired during my tenure, but beyond mere apologies, I must express my displeasure here."
"The Security Council launched two nuclear bombs on this city under the guise of world security. This is a clear act of incompetence!"
"As a Security Council, they were ignorant of outer space; when aliens invaded, they failed to send reinforcements. While the city fought fierce battles and was on the brink of victory, they chose to launch nuclear bombs."
"Incompetent, powerless, and cowardly—this is how I assess them!"
"Not to mention the U.S. Military, which played no role in this incident. I am extremely disappointed in them."
"That's why I have decided to run in the next election..."
Nick Fury and Harry were seated in the audience.
"I have to say, the presidential election is wrapping up early," Nick commented.
"Otherwise? Who else is more suited to be president? Ellis? Forget it, he's just a slow-reacting old man." Harry glanced at his watch. "You still have 15 minutes to finish what you want to say. NSA agents are probably at the door looking for me."
"Then you may be in trouble. Some other individuals are also looking for you."
This came as no surprise.
Even though the cube had been taken away by Thor, the whereabouts of the spiritual scepter were still unknown, and Hydra was furious.
There weren't many suspects, but Osborne was the primary suspect.
This actually brought a sense of satisfaction to Harry—after all, Hydra was notorious for its insidious nature, and Harry was the one who had read the script.
Most of the time, others would speculate about which behind-the-scenes force was responsible for the matter, but this time it was Hydra's turn to wonder.
"Two things. They are going to provoke anger in the international community. You may need to prepare yourself mentally."
Nick didn't inquire about the psychic scepter.
Harry asked, "Do you know what conditions they offered?"
Nick nodded. "Not bad; I know a little."
This king of secret agents still had some intel to share. Even though his secrets were mostly exposed, he still provided Harry with useful information.
When it comes to winning allies, one must learn to make an offer; the art of negotiation lies in offering just a bit more than the other party.
"The second thing is that the NSA has not given up on ctOS. They plan to use this as a breakthrough."
"I know this, but evil never prevails over good."
Nick Fury was stunned. Is this something you should say?
But upon reflection, it seemed that Osborne had done nothing wrong.
The two conversed for a while, and Harry grasped the situation.
"Anything else?"
"Yes, Banner told me that you are conducting some kind of advanced scientific research—the Apollo Project is part of the plan."
Nick's single eye scrutinized Harry.
"There are twelve main gods on Mount Olympus, yet he only mentioned one god. Where are the other eleven? Who is Zeus?"
Harry shrugged. "Well, the name of the project is just a whim. In simple terms, Project Zeus aims to upgrade the global power grid and promote sustainable clean energy worldwide."
"I can't tell you're still an internationalist. I thought it would be someone else."
Harry looked at Nick strangely. "Of course not; Apollo is just a project name. This is scientific research, not an armed uprising."
Nick stared at Harry for a long time, the expression on his face clearly saying, "I'll keep an eye on you."
"One last thing, you need to watch your father. It's best if he always wears that equipment."
Harry smiled and said nothing.
Everyone thinks the Osborns, like Iron Man, rely on high-tech equipment, but they don't realize that each of them can punch Captain America and kick the Winter Soldier.
Nick left on time, and the NSA agents arrived promptly.
"Mr. Wolfe, is it you again?" Harry spoke first. "I mean, you're welcome here."
"Yes, it's me again. This is the prosecutor from federal court."
Wolff briefly introduced this passerby. As expected, he was there to deliver a summons.
Or to collect fines.
"Mr. Osborne, you have been charged with multiple counts of illegally using information technology to obtain citizens' information and are ordered to appear in court next Tuesday."
---
Chapter 105: Innocent
This is a losing case, and Osborne's defense at trial no longer matters.
At the end of the first trial, Harry did not make much defense in court because he knew that it would be in vain and the other party would not be able to end the trial in the first trial.
There is always a process of renegotiation.
The imposition of a sky-high fine on Grady-Fruhl at this point in time has generated considerable discussion.
Public opinion was divided, and the decisive issue of whether Osborne violated privacy rights was hidden.
Opponents believe that ctOS has proven its value in the Battle of New York. Supporters believe that citizen privacy must be protected at all times, which determines whether they are a free America. The so-called life is precious, and the price of freedom is higher.
Most of the opponents are from New York, and most of the supporters are from other states and even other countries.
Interestingly, there are also voices from Osborne's enemies among the opponents. When discussing the value of ctOS, they tacitly admit that Osborne has violated citizens' privacy...
Mass surveillance and the centralization of urban infrastructure are still sensitive -- even if aliens blow up Manhattan.
The blame was deliberately directed at Norman, with other candidates occasionally making veiled jokes about it on television.
However, Norman blocked them all with nuclear bombs.
During the recess, Wolfe approached Harry again.
"So, Mr. Osborne, what's your answer?"
Perhaps because this rescheduled trial involves more and more forces, the senior agent is now more confident.
You know, this kind of character used to have to speak politely to Harry.
In short, those people only have one condition: hand over ctOS or withdraw from the market.
Harry said nothing and kept looking at the watch on his hand.
"Sir, I think you should focus on the matter in front of you." Wolfe winked and asked his assistant to see if there was any mystery in the watch.
The assistant shook his head, it was just an ordinary watch - if it was anything special, it might be very expensive.
"Sir, what are you waiting for..."
"Waiting for get off work, it's 04:30. Sorry, but the company should get off work now."
Harry left the interview room without saying a word, without giving Wolfe any face.
Wolfe looked gloomy.
"Does he still think he has a chance of winning? He..."
Before Wolfe could speak, his assistant covered his mouth: Leader, you don't want to die. The boss just wants to teach Osborne a lesson, but it doesn't mean they won't cooperate in the future!
What if Osborne nods this time and asks to be dealt with later?
A sullen Wolfe turned on his phone.
The next second, the information on the Internet made him break out in a cold sweat...
"A former CIA employee, Edward Snowden, revealed a massive surveillance program known as Project Prism!"
"This former employee claimed that the Five Eyes Alliance designed a very large-scale surveillance program in which many technology companies participated!"
"According to this employee's revelations, the NSA has access to a large amount of personal chat logs, stored data, voice communications, and file transfer data."
"Everyone is in the prism!"
.....
Americans are furious.
Within a few days, angry crowds gathered at the gates of Washington.
"We need freedom! You have no right to monitor us!"
"Resist the tyranny of Washington, the world belongs to the people!"
The crowd was so entertained that Snowden almost died.
In order to do this, he fled to HK a few days in advance.
But before breaking the news, a group of agents found him first. The moment they kicked the door open, his heart dropped.
Just when he was about to die, another group of men in black wearing masks came to the door. These men in black were obviously more powerful in combat. Even though they did not take out any weapons, they easily killed these heavily armed gun-toting agents.
Snowden asked: "Who are you?"
Several people looked at each other and then said: "American spirit, kid, bring your things."
"What? What should I do? My family still..."
Before he could finish speaking, the man in black put him into a sack. There was a turbulence. When he took the sack away, he found that he was already sitting on the plane...
In front of him was a recorded text.
"Welcome aboard this flight to Russia - this is the only country willing to provide you with political asylum. Do what you have to do!"
"Rising tide."
Snowden looked solemn. It turned out that his fellow liberals had come to help him.
You must do this beautifully!
With the help of Russia and the rising tide hackers hidden around the world, he did a really beautiful job, and his videos were spread all over the world.
"...I would say this plan is nothing short of tyranny in the name of security."
"Information surveillance can indeed make our country safer, but it is clear that this program needs to be run in the sun, and the current U.S. officials are not a trustworthy supervisor."
"Finally, what surprises me the most is that the ctOS system, which has been the most discussed recently, was not involved in this plan at all. For this reason, the NSA planned a conspiracy against Grady Fluor Company. These are all evidence."
"They forged 343 false identities such as Malz Toby, Alec Morgan, and Raphael Wendell to prove that ctOS stole their personal information, and at the same time bribed 34 New Yorkers such as Bennett Bapp. Citizens who were in debt after the attacks in New York, the FBI stepped in and offered them a contract... Below is the list and details."
The timing of this list is so coincidental that it happens to be the day of the second trial. The procedure is no longer important. The problem now is that all the evidence they want to bring out has been reported by the Prism Project, and there is no time to find anyone to modify it. Testimonials and Evidence.
Outside the courthouse, there were already crowds of angry American citizens. The leader was wearing an exoskeleton and holding an oversized sign that read:
"Osborne is not guilty! NSA is guilty!"
There was silence in the courtroom.
Harry looked at the officials sitting here with a half-smile. In fact, the battlefield of this trial was not here, but outside the court.
If nothing like this had happened, today would have been the day to announce the penalty.
The judge announced the opening of the trial five minutes ago, but no one knew what to say.
A big company and capital will also have enemies. In fact, capital groups are like hungry sharks wandering in the sea. They will bite wherever there is the smell of blood.
Osborne is not weak, but he has many enemies, which is why this ridiculous trial happened.
Capital and the United States all need people to consume and work. The purpose of this trial is to use court judgments to gradually control public opinion, but it is a pity that foreign forces have overturned their calculations.
"Do you have anything else to say?" Harry asked. "The evidence you presented last time was obviously not enough to convict my company."
The evidence released in the first trial was even more intimidating, which is why Wolfe came to Harry again during the adjournment.
But they couldn't use those evidences in the second trial. They really wanted to give themselves a slap in the face: why not just announce the verdict, at least they could make money.
All the fabricated evidence was wiped out by Snowden. Of course, they can continue to point the finger at others, but public opinion is not that easy to coordinate.
The NSA suspected that Osborne had tampered with the leaks, but they had no evidence or even a hint.
The current situation became a blessing for Osborne, and their rhythm was disrupted.
The judge looked at the two parties under the trial bench. As one of the three powers, he could rebel when he should, and he could not lose the arch of justice.
The gavel sounded.
"Insufficient evidence, the defendant is not guilty!"
--------------
Chapter 106: Hollow Man
Harry stood by the window, gazing down at Manhattan.
A group of young men dressed in homemade camouflage gear were skateboarding, resembling a mockery of Osborne's private security team.
On the ground not far away, a large placard read: *We need flying skateboards!*
"Are they role-playing?" Hurley approached Harry, holding a tablet.
"It seems that way. I'm considering showcasing some prototypes in the science and technology exhibition hall."
"Are you serious? Weapons designed to fight aliens? You want civilians to try them out?"
"Of course, the toned-down versions."
It was, of course, impossible for these aircraft to bear weapons. A fully equipped Green Goblin aircraft was undeniably a killing machine.
However, launching civilian aircraft faced numerous challenges—such as traffic control.
Although Harry had some ideas, predicting the societal impact of any new technology was notoriously difficult. This issue would have to wait until Norman took the stage.
"Forget it. Let's not dwell on this. We need to start preparing for the general election."
The bipartisan meeting was about to begin. Norman wasn't affiliated with either political party, so he could move directly to the next stage.
That included advertising campaigns, campaign speeches, meetings with voters, press conferences, public debates, and the like.
Thanks to the nuclear bomb, Norman's approval ratings were absurdly high, allowing Harry to think about the next steps with the assumption that Norman would definitely become president.
First and foremost, the NSA, CIA, and FBI all faced significant problems that needed addressing.
If the goal was global unification, the actions of the NSA and CIA were utterly outrageous.
---
Frank had been researching matters related to Kandahar since taking leave. He wanted to uncover who wanted to kill him and his family.
Although his wife and children were alive, he still lacked an official identity and remained entrenched in a life of crime. Even his daughter was unaware of his true situation.
Once he uncovered all the facts, they would reclaim their identities.
Revenge still loomed ahead.
It all started with a videotape.
In the video, the Cerberus team captured a local police officer and interrogated him.
The police officer had traced clues to several local drug transactions but was apprehended by the orange agent commanding the Cerberus team. Cerberus had tied him up for days, subjecting him to a plethora of interrogation techniques. Ultimately, they killed the young man.
Except for Garner, the other Cerberus team members had grown accustomed to obedience. Even if they sensed something was amiss, they suppressed their inner turmoil.
Garner had recorded the video. Not only that, he sent it out, hoping someone would learn of the events that transpired.
It turned out that someone did know, but that person's reach was extensive.
Now Frank needed to locate this comrade who might have the answers.
Since returning to the U.S., Garner had been living in a suburban forest. This was where Frank had arranged to meet him.
This young man was a believer and had been troubled by the situation since returning home, well aware that someone would come after him.
The area was quite desolate, and Frank walked for what felt like an eternity before spotting the cabin in the woods.
Additionally, there were numerous old-fashioned mechanical traps surrounding the location.
"A devout believer and a crusader."
Frank recalled their past. He and Garner had met in the Cerberus team, where the young man had jokingly referred to them as Crusaders.
"Garner! Are you there?"
After calling out, Frank shouted toward the cabin.
"Garner? It's me! Frank!"
He called out a few more times but received no response.
Frank cautiously opened his coat to show he was unarmed.
He then slowly approached the cabin, needing to get closer to ascertain who—or what—was inside.
After circling the cabin, it appeared there was genuinely no one inside. However, judging by the condition of the interior, someone had definitely lived there; he must have come to the right place.
Just as Frank confirmed the cabin was empty and was about to turn back, a sharp arrow suddenly flew through the air!
*Snap!*
Frank caught the arrow with ease.
A large, overweight man emerged, bow drawn and looking quite alert.
The hefty man was clad in camouflage; no wonder he had been hard to spot.
Frank slowly raised his hands and dropped the arrow he had caught.
"Garner, look at me. It's Frank. We're brothers, remember?"
"I had nothing to do with this. You recorded it, and they think I'm responsible, which led to my family's deaths."
"I'm just trying to understand what's happening behind the scenes."
Frank slowly knelt down, placing his head in his hands to signal that he meant no harm.
Garner obviously still couldn't trust Frank and had no intention of lowering his bow.
Frank continued speaking, hoping his brother would believe him.
"Garner, listen. We know you feel guilty, scared, and angry, and you don't know who to trust. But we feel the same way; we're on the same side." Frank rose slowly.
"I'm walking over now. I'm unarmed. How about we hug it out? It's been a long time since we last met..."
Before Frank could finish his sentence, Garner shouted, "Stop!"
The atmosphere grew tense in an instant.
"The way you said that sounded so off, Frank. Nice to see you again, bro."
After saying this, Garner relaxed his bowstring and slowly lowered his hood.
Frank exhaled a long sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry for shooting at you, bro, but I didn't know who to trust. And about your family, I'm really sorry."
Garner lowered his bow, and the two shared a brief embrace.
Frank asked, "Same here, bro. I just want a name. Do you know his name? The Orange Agent?"
"No." Garner shook his head.
Frank pressed on: "Then why did you record that video? What do you know?"
Garner's expression stiffened, and his eyes wandered, as if recalling a painful memory.
"There was a kid at the base, very young, about 19 years old. My knife was missing, and he lent me his."
"... Later, when the kid was killed, I thought about going to the morgue to return the knife to him—the knife is a sacred item."
"Then I saw—saw what they did to the kid. They disemboweled him and stuffed drugs inside him—"
"Like he was just a bag of medicine."
Garner's words silenced Frank. The Orange agents had used the deceased soldiers as hollow men to transport drugs, but weren't these soldiers hollow men even in life?
Especially Frank, who only realized this truth after losing his entire family—the war had turned him into a hollow man who obeyed without question. His family meant everything to him, not those glimmering medals.
He struggled to formulate an expression. He always knew his actions were questionable, but stuffing drugs into the stomachs of soldiers and slaughtering civilians without remorse...
He should have recognized all of this clearly. He was not a soldier of great distinction but merely a failure.
Just as the two were about to continue their conversation, the sound of a helicopter whirred overhead.
Garner stopped, turned to retrieve his bow, and asked, "Are they yours?"
"No," Frank replied, his mood darkening. "But they're barking up the wrong tree."
Garner was taken aback. Was this brother truly so reckless? By the sounds of it, there were several armed helicopters approaching!
Not far away, the Green Goblin aircraft soared through the sky.
---
Chapter 107: Clues Gather Together
Just when Frank was about to go on a killing spree, Hurley made a phone call.
"Mr. Castle, the satellite has seen the situation there. Try to use non-lethal weapons to avoid conflicts. Another team of NSA agents has already rushed over."
"…received."
People from the CIA are not fools. Hurley didn't believe they would dare to use such a small number of people to surround Frank.
Even if ordinary people didn't know the names of Osborne's private security guards during the Battle of New York, the CIA should be able to guess some of them.
If Frank were allowed to kill on the spot, who knows what trouble would arise?
After that day, the Green Goblin aircraft and individual armor were also favored by Congress, but based on the lessons of the past, it was unlikely they would use any hearings this time to ask Osborne to hand over these technologies.
She also knew what Frank was investigating. Harry would not care too much about many things after they were arranged, but as an assistant, she had to follow up on everything.
Under normal circumstances, her position was to assist Harry. She wouldn't say anything about matters that Harry didn't care about, but she would try her best to find out what Harry asked her to do.
She personally confirmed some situations with the NSA and newspapers that had received relevant revelations and found that Frank was not the only one investigating the Kandahar matter.
Videos of civilians being interrogated were exposed to reporters by an anonymous individual called Chip.
An NSA agent named Dina Madani had been paying attention to this matter. This agent even went to Kandahar; at that time, she was investigating a drug transaction case. The drugs were shipped from the mainland and then to foreign countries.
Unfortunately, she was transferred back to US not long after.
On the other hand, New York NSA Special Agent Chief Wolfe had repeatedly asked Dina to stop investigating the matter. He thought this was nonsense—a video of unknown origin couldn't explain anything and might even be synthetic.
But since Frank confirmed that this was true, it meant that Dina and Wolfe couldn't see eye to eye at all.
Coincidentally, Wolfe also repeatedly made demands on Osborne as a representative.
So Hurley gave Miss Madani a little reminder and helped her get in touch with the newspaper.
There was still one person involved in the whole incident—the anonymous exposer Chip. This exposer was well hidden, but ctOS had covered the whole of New York, and he couldn't hide.
ctOS had marked a large number of places where he might be hiding, and now they were waiting for news from the security department.
After a while, the news came back.
"Ms. Rachel, we found a guy who may be Chip. He set up an information work center here, and our people have started hacking."
"Very well, bring him back."
Elsewhere, Skye looked at the countdown on her computer, then at T-Bone.
These countdowns were programmed by Chip. Once the time was up, all secrets would be distributed to the Internet. He designed this program so that he would not die quietly.
"You said you wanted me to hack this thing? I thought we were going to investigate that SHIELD agency…"
T-Bone spread his hands. "That's what happens next. Let's start from here. The countdown is almost over. Can you do it?"
These networks were much darker than SHIELD's. He had to first see how much this little girl could handle.
.....
On the other side, before the armed helicopter had time to fire, its tail was broken off by several missiles from the Green Goblin aircraft, and all the tens of millions of armed helicopters were destroyed.
There were no bunkers here, and being covered by gunship fire was truly challenging. Fortunately, they also had air support.
The helicopter crashed, and the Green Goblin aircraft fired wildly at the remaining soldiers—live ammunition had been replaced by stun guns to prevent this situation.
The battle ended quickly, and it was not difficult for the Green Goblin's aircraft, which could even fight aliens, to take out these guys.
Moreover, Agent Orange seemed to have been ready to sacrifice these soldiers.
When Madani and her team arrived, all these soldiers were laid out in rows on the ground by Frank, like a corpse collection stage on the battlefield.
"What happened…" Madani was shocked.
"Don't worry, they are still alive. They just received an electric shock and are temporarily in shock." Frank stepped forward and said, "Frank Castle, I heard that you have been trying to find me."
"I've been wanting to find you, Dina Madani." Dina still didn't understand what was happening here, "How did you do it? 40 fully armed soldiers?"
Frank didn't answer her.
These soldiers transferred by the CIA were far from being fully armed. Due to the special nature of the operation, they were unable to transfer equipment such as power armor.
These soldiers could have been called heavily armed a few years ago, but now, they were really nothing.
"Let's find a place to talk about what's going on."
"…Can."
The group arrived at Osborne Tower.
Now the "Chip" David Lieberman, who first leaked the information, the survivors of the Cerberus team, the newspaper editor who received the Chip revelations, and the NSA agents responsible for investigating drug smuggling were all gathered together.
David Lieberman was still unconscious when he was tied up, still wearing tattered pajamas. When he opened his eyes, he was startled.
"Frank Castle? Garner Henderson? Dina Madani? Damn, is this all over? Where is this?"
"Osborne Building. One of our employees seems to have been involved in something. The purpose of gathering everyone here today is to resolve this matter."
Hurley briefly explained the situation and then walked towards the door.
"The remaining time is left to you. I hope you can cooperate well and solve the problem as soon as possible. Mr. Castle is an excellent employee, and we hope he can return to work as soon as possible."
"Also, everyone, your families are now protected by Osborne. Mr. Chip, your encryption program has been…"
After closing the door of the conference room, the remaining people looked at each other, not knowing where to start.
Finally, it was Dina Madani who spoke first.
"Then let me go first. My name is Dina Madani. A few years ago, I was videotaped while I was in Afghanistan. I'm sure everyone here knows what it is."
As soon as she finished speaking, the holographic equipment in the conference room suddenly lit up and played the video of the Cerberus team interrogating civilians.
Everyone was startled by the device that suddenly lit up.
Although there are aliens in this world, it seemed that everyone here's understanding of technology had not kept up with the times.
"There is an artificial intelligence in the conference room. It is quite naughty. It usually appears during meetings in the company. Please ignore it." Hurley's voice rang.
The holographic image flashed and formed a string of text: I am still learning; please give me your advice.
This "artificial intelligence" was Lenin.
"Okay… let's continue."
The video continued to play. The young man was hung in the middle of the soldiers, wailing in pain. He begged these people to let him go. He had a family, and he was just an ordinary police officer.
Someone soon became suspicious because of his words, but Agent Orange ordered the young man to be killed, so Frank took action.
Frank and Garner's breathing quickened significantly, and this change was noticed by everyone present.
"It seems this is not fiction."
"Actually, not only you have received this video, but the newspaper has also received it." A middle-aged man wearing glasses said. "A man named Chip sent us this tape, but the newspaper thinks…"
The middle-aged man's name was Mitchell Ellison, the editor of the newspaper.
Halfway through the man's words, his eyes drifted towards Madani.
"The newspaper believes this incident should not have been reported, and there was insufficient evidence. We have received a number of… alerts."
It meant to be afraid. This kind of thing seemed to be the kind of matter where the water was very deep.
Everyone fell silent, and David decided to speak: "And I am that Chip. After I sent the video to the newspaper and the NSA, I was silenced by the agents led by the NSA. It is your immediate boss, Carson Wolfe."
David pointed at Dina.
After hearing this, Dina looked at Ellison: "Did this person also 'remind' you?"
Ellison nodded silently.
"Okay…" Dina leaned back in her chair, "I'm starting to understand something."
Although she looked calm on the surface, Dina's mind was already stirred up by this information.
-------
Chapter 108: For the Image of America
"So based on the current situation, the Cerberus Team is engaged in completely secretive or dubious activities."
Frank nodded at Dina's statement.
"And the source of funding for these operations was the drug trade—that's where Zubair was found before he was captured by you."
Dina wrote down her deductions on paper.
Zubair was a local policeman, the unfortunate victim, and Dina worked with him to track down the local drug trade.
Then there was Garner, who realized something was off and documented their actions regarding Zubair.
"The men who guarded the morgue were Colonels Schoonover and Bennett—they must have known."
"And then there's the head of operations, Agent Orange."
Dina jotted down the names of the three individuals on her notepad and circled them.
"So who is this Agent Orange? Who has the authority to pull elite soldiers from the Marine Corps for these assignments?"
Upon hearing this, Frank laughed, "I must say there are quite a few high-ranking individuals with the power to do that."
David then added, "But according to your description, the information you've obtained is extremely valuable. It's the kind of information that could earn a CIA agent multiple medals and accolades, propelling them to the top."
"I've been pursuing this for over a year, and I've narrowed down several potential targets."
After saying this, he waved his hand toward the holographic image, but no one knew what he meant.
"...artificial intelligence? Didn't Osborne acquire my data..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the holographic image shifted and displayed David's data.
"...We continue; I have narrowed the target down as much as possible; there are still 34 CIA agents to identify."
As the images flashed by, Garner and Frank quickly recognized their immediate superior.
That was William Rawlings, who had thinning hair and was blind in one eye.
Frank stood up on the spot, pointed at the man in the image, and exclaimed, "That's the guy!"
Everyone exchanged glances, as it seemed they had found their target.
David clicked on the target's information: "William Rollins, a CIA field agent. He has been awarded numerous medals for providing significant high-value intelligence during the war. He was promoted to deputy director a few days ago... that is the CIA's second-in-command."
It was just that the target was a bit too significant.
On the other side, Hurley was broadcasting the entire conference room situation in the office, and there was an audience beside her.
CIA Director Marianne.
The director was not very calm at that moment—she was aware of the situation, but not fully cognizant.
She believed that to protect American values and the national image, the CIA must operate in secrecy, and these tasks were dubious.
However, she also felt that Rollins's actions overseas had crossed a line...
Hurley sensed that the director's limits were quite flexible. He was the kind of leader who appeared spotless but had issues with his subordinates.
In any case, as unpalatable as it was, it was exploitable for Osborne.
Now that Osborne had gathered all the evidence and witnesses together, it was only a matter of time before this issue came to light, so the director would definitely seek to resolve this matter swiftly.
So Marianne stated, "This is a very serious accusation. It will have significant diplomatic repercussions and damage the image of the United States..."
Hurley interrupted what Marianne was about to say.
She was not here to discuss the image of America. She served Osborne, not the United States.
"Look, Director Marianne, I also believe this issue will have a huge impact on the image of the United States, so I reported it to you immediately."
"I also hope this matter can be resolved through a relatively amicable solution."
"So can we continue discussing how to address this situation?"
Marianne remained silent.
She had conveyed this to others countless times. For instance, not long ago, a local official's son committed a crime. They agreed to help save the boy, but the local official had to assist them in return.
She just didn't expect that a company would manage to catch them now... But if this situation escalated, it would be difficult for her, the director, to extricate herself from it.
However, on the other hand, as everyone knew, the CIA was not officially affiliated with any agency in the United States. It nominally only provided the basis for the president's decision-making.
The results of the upcoming U.S. election were already foreseeable. On the poll list, a name that did not belong to any party—Norman Osborne—dominated the list.
Finally, Marianne nodded.
"Very well, sir, we also hope that the United States can maintain a good national image." Hurley clicked on the console, "Then I will now connect to the NSA Director, Mr. Lafite."
"Wait a minute, why are you still connecting to the NSA?"
While preparing for the next topic, Hurley replied without looking up, "Carson Wolfe, he is a senior agent of the NSA. Mr. Lafite also needs to be informed about this."
As for why the two were being brought together—wasn't that what cliques did?
.....
After the meeting at Osborne, Marianne immediately sought out William Rawlings.
"So what have you been doing overseas? You dispatched an entire team to clean up your mess, and now these people can't even be found? And those helicopters—they're all gone?"
Marianne glared at William Rawlings, furious.
As mentioned earlier, the CIA director did not approve of this.
William Rollins was being unreasonable, and now this issue was about to explode in his face, making him very anxious.
He then emotionally addressed Marianne:
"I can only do what I must! Otherwise, where do you think that information came from? Was it sent by the enemy?"
"For the security, image, and integrity of this country, and for others to sleep soundly at night, some people must operate in the shadows to protect this country!"
"You have worked in the CIA for 30 years. You understand this better than I do! Director Marianne!"
Rollins grew more passionate as he spoke, causing Marianne to fall silent.
"Now we still have a chance; we can still silence Frank Castle, Garner Henderson—there are only a few people left!"
He was like a cornered mad dog, trying to drag Marianne into the fray.
But unfortunately for him, Osborne had already colluded with her.
"Silence? Frank Castle is currently with Osborne. Tell me how you plan to eliminate Osborne's employees in New York?"
Rollins seemed to have contemplated this for a long time. He said, "There's another member of the Cerberus team. He has a good rapport with Frank. I can use him."
Not only that, Osborne had many enemies. Frank was Osborne's key security asset, and many people were monitoring him.
Even if one couldn't find an opportunity to eliminate him, the bodyguard's whereabouts were an invaluable resource for various schemes.
Marianne glanced at Rollins: "Who is it? Why would he listen to you?"
"He took my money, and he's aware of the plan for silence. He is aligned with us."
Mary pretended to think for a moment, then nodded.
"Execute the plan well and flawlessly. Also, once this matter is resolved..."
Halfway through her sentence, she intended to suggest that he should leave as soon as this issue was settled, but she realized that this remark was entirely unnecessary.
After this incident concluded, he would likely be incarcerated for the rest of his life.
Turning around and getting into the car, Marianne chose not to say another word.
----------------
Chapter 109: Asteroid Mining
"Marianne has promised us that she will deal with Rollins when the time is right."
"Very good. Remember to set fire to their family afterward. That's a lot of places."
After receiving the news from Hurley, Harry knew that the Rollins family was going to be in trouble.
The Rollins family had connections to the deployment of soldiers. William Rollins was just an ordinary field agent when he was out in the field. How could he have the power and the face to deploy an elite Marine Corps?
He has no power, but Rollins does. This family has influence throughout the political arena. They used this method to pave the way for William Rollins. It is clear that the Rollins family is already familiar with this set of family political tactics.
By taking advantage of this situation to eliminate most of the Rollins family, the vacant position can be given to Norman to maneuver freely.
With money, vitality enhancers, and various political tools, once Norman comes to power, his influence will be unprecedentedly powerful.
Harry inquired about another matter: "What happened to the mine I mentioned buying in Tanzania?"
"It's not looking too optimistic. Quinn International has a monopoly on most of the minerals there. The authorities have released the mining rights for a mine named Daisy Mine, but Quinn International is also interested in it."
Harry stroked his chin: If he remembered correctly, the Quinn Group mined this resource somewhere in Africa, and if nothing else, it was probably this mine.
It will cost a lot of money to compete with them for minerals, and Quinn International is backed by Hydra.
If they can acquire it, it doesn't matter how much they spend, but the problem is that they probably won't be able to secure it. Not to mention whether they can defeat the forces behind Hydra; Ian Quinn has been naturalized in Malta for some time, and the Maltese officials would be inclined to sell the mine to him.
"Okay, let's raise the price symbolically. It's best to delay this matter for a longer time. Another thing, how is the acquisition of Exploration Aerospace Company progressing?"
"Everything is going well."
Very good, it is not gentlemanly to not retaliate. After two years of absence, Osborne bought the company back.
In addition to seeking revenge, acquiring them is also to prepare for the expansion into the aviation field. These engines are suitable for use in civil aircraft. Relying on nuclear fusion energy, Osborne can promote pure electric aircraft to the market.
After hanging up the phone, Harry looked at the test site. What he was going to study today was asteroid mining technology.
The engineering ship has already utilized the scanning data of a near-Earth asteroid. This asteroid has an astronomical albedo of 0.277, is a dense asteroid, and has a flight speed of 19 km/s.
The closest distance to the Earth is 197 million kilometers, which is equivalent to 5 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon. A round trip takes one and a half months.
Some may ask that if he is so interested in studying asteroid mining, why not go to the Moon to dig soil and upgrade the nuclear fusion technology first?
But what others don't know is that Harry is aware that anything can be found on Marvel's Moon. It's not that he doesn't want to go up there right away; he still needs some additional preparations.
Speaking of this asteroid, it is about 1170 meters in diameter and very dense. It is a rocky asteroid, mainly composed of silicates of iron, magnesium, and other metal elements.
From the scanning data, it is clear that choosing this asteroid for the first trial mining was correct. The asteroid is also rich in precious metal elements such as gold, silver, and platinum.
Now Harry is determining how to mine this asteroid.
"After the engineering ship arrives at the asteroid, it will attach itself for work, and the construction robot will complete autonomous construction according to preset instructions."
"A fully automatic excavation and smelting integrated system will be built to extract the metal elements inside and then package them, with the engineering ship responsible for transporting them away."
Harry turned on the holographic projection.
As expected, the equipment will drill into the asteroid and then bore into the surface until it reaches the designated location. The collector replaces the drill bit and mines resources from the interior of the asteroid autonomously, then transports them to the smelting furnace on top.
After this process, the metal elements will be separated and packaged, then transported by engineering ships.
If all goes well, each engineering ship can retrieve metal worth $50 billion—this is just the minimum expectation. The asteroid is likely to contain a considerable weight of metal californium, which is extremely valuable.
If such a thing exists in the asteroid, Osborn would make a significant impact this time.
As a stable neutron source, it is small in terms of price. This substance plays a crucial role in scientific research, and Dr. Otto will appreciate it.
And these are just "regular" things. This universe has its own unique material science. It would be even more profitable if they could acquire some alien materials.
"There are two main methods used in rock-breaking excavation: one is laser rock-breaking, and the other is plasma."
Phillip raised his hand: "I can understand the testing technology, but are the parameters of these two rock-breaking methods too high? I mean..."
Harry smiled and interrupted Phillip: "Alien technology."
Phillip slightly opened his mouth and nodded silently.
This mining operation will focus more on testing technology, and both technologies will be tried.
The technology used in the laser equipment and plasma cannons were modified from Chitauri equipment, and this work was completed by Vulture and his team of tinkerers.
Testing mining efficiency is essentially testing weapon efficiency. If all goes well, Frank and the others will have new equipment to use soon.
"The entire device is controlled by artificial intelligence developed by Grady-Fruhl."
"Do you have any other questions?"
An astronaut raised his hand.
"Besides docking with the asteroid, what do we need to do on it? Doesn't it seem like we have nothing to do?"
Harry smiled: "If everything is normal, which it should be, you just need to wait—it is best to learn the mining technology and the structure of the smelting equipment. If there are any abnormalities, follow the instructions of the ground command center."
"Okay, I understand."
In fact, as computing technology develops and this set of work processes is industrialized, engineering ships can even operate entirely on programs.
It is much more convenient to install artificial intelligence or something on them than to send people to operate them.
Harry clapped his hands: "Very good, let's start working. The modification of the work spaceship and the rewriting of the construction robot program have been completed."
Three engineering ships are obviously not enough. With the resources recovered this time, Harry will expand the team of deep space engineers.
Everyone quickly left the conference room and went to their respective tasks.
Today he has another person to meet—Vincent Kapoor, an official from NASA.
This supervisor is a Black man, wearing glasses and a suit. He is a rare highly educated talent among their group.
"I'm glad you agreed to talk to me, Mr. Osborne."
"This is what I should say. I enjoy exploring and discovering. Mr. Kapoor, your organization is exactly the kind I admire."
The two exchanged pleasantries and shook hands.
"Then let's get down to business, Mr. Osborne. I think you know why we came to you."
"Of course, for the Mars mission, you will need Osborne's propulsion technology."
Kapoor nodded.
Harry will definitely be going to Mars, perhaps even before the Moon.
But developing Mars, Harry thinks, is an excellent opportunity—
An opportunity to promote global unity.
After thinking for a moment, Harry raised his head and said, "Mr. Kapoor, to be honest, I have been studying the design of a spacecraft for the Mars project."
Harry waved his hands, and a huge spaceship appeared in the center of the conference room.
Kapoor was so shocked that he couldn't speak. He looked at Harry as if to say: I'm here to discuss aerospace, not film production!
How could such a large spaceship take off from the Earth?
Even Osborne's handy engineering ship is far smaller than this vessel.
"The development of Mars should be a matter for the entire Earth—think about those inhumans. This ship is called a colony ship and can carry a large number of people and resources. It is initially estimated that it can carry 30-40 people, which is enough for them to utilize supplies for a year. After landing, the hull can be used as a permanent command center, including planting areas, scientific research areas, and living areas..."
"As for what you're worried about—this ship, I plan to complete the assembly in space."
---
Chapter 110: Satellite Network
"You mean... joint development?"
Kapoor was dubious.
Who doesn't know who gets the space resources? Joint development has always been nonsense. If joint development could truly happen, it would be a foolish space race.
"Develop together." Harry nodded.
"NASA takes the lead, and space agencies from various countries contribute manpower and technology to jointly develop Mars. Isn't this quite an ideal thing?"
Kapoor thought for a moment and said, "...Wait a minute, I also hope that all countries can jointly develop, but this is simply fantasy. Giving up our advantages to develop alongside others. By then, other countries will have updated their technology and will be in power." The Party shall not be..."
Halfway through, Kapoor stopped, and Harry looked at him with a smile.
Well said, keep going.
"Next year, the person who will be in power will be a nonpartisan president," Kapoor murmured.
Harry is not a serious American; to be precise, he is an "internationalist."
The unification of the world can create more value than division—after all, Osborne did not make his fortune by selling weapons.
"Besides, we all know that we are not the only intelligent life in this vast universe, so why are we still obsessed with killing each other?"
Harry spread his hands.
"But how are you going to face the offensive from other parties? Four years is a short time..."
Norman is a nonpartisan president, and his administrative strategies can ignore the ideals of the two major parties and the interests of the groups they represent, but this does not mean that the other two parties will not criticize him for this.
But as long as the days keep getting better, no problem is a problem. The United States is already in the worst period in history, and no matter how it goes, it will always be upward.
Harry interrupted, "Wait a minute, I thought you were here to discuss aerospace issues. So what do you think?"
Kapoor stood up and walked back and forth in the conference room, stopping from time to time to take a closer look at the "colonial ship." Idealism and another doctrine kept fighting in his heart.
But it is obvious that Mr. Kapoor has more idealism.
Kapoor stopped and said slowly, "...There is no doubt that if everyone can really put aside their differences and come together, Mars will be just a small stumbling block on the road to human spaceflight."
That's right.
"Then, I think you know how to communicate with your director when you go back."
"I'll have to think about that."
After seeing Kapoor off, Harry sat in the conference room and turned his chair.
The construction of the space station has been completed—he still has one system task to complete. In theory, he only needs to fly up and complete the task.
But this matter can be slowed down. The general election will start in three months, and there is one more thing that will happen during this period.
That is the attack on the United States by the fake Mandarin.
The attack was actually planned by AIM's Killian, all to kill the president and demonstrate his virus.
The development of the Extremis virus actually has something to do with Hydra. This may be why Killian wants to kill the president.
According to the original plot, the final attack was scheduled for Christmas Eve, when the general election should have just ended and Norman would be taking the oath of office in January next year.
The original work may be because President Ellis was re-elected, and Killian's goal was clear: Ellis, but now it is obvious that he has encountered a replacement.
Harry could indeed accuse Killian in advance and catch him before he committed a crime.
But this incident is also an excellent opportunity to promote Osborne products. It is best to be one step ahead and stop the attack.
Cruel as it may be, the attack could still be used as a political weapon.
The Vice President is involved in this matter, and there is even a video of AIM conducting desperate virus testing within the congressional network. Once Norman comes to power, this matter can also be used as a weapon for him to unplug Hydra or some hostile forces.
You can even pull out the tongues of disobedient people, or at worst, label them as a Kb-attacker.
This thing is really... cruel, Harry smiled to himself.
The next day, a bomb attack occurred in Tennessee.
Only Harry, who had read the script, knew that the attack was related to AIM's Extremis virus.
But he has to pretend to be someone who knows nothing.
After expressing condolences to local victims and people, Harry recommended ctOS to the governor and local officials.
The governor and local officials decided to adopt the ctOS defense system based on popular will and Osborne's sales pitch.
After all, this is something to protect against Inhumans.
Within a few days, officials announced the introduction of ctOS across the state.
"I am very happy that Tennessee has welcomed ctOS, a city optimization system with outstanding achievements."
"Not only that, but the state will be connected to completely clean fusion energy—which I know a lot of people have been asking us to do."
Harry, Max, the local governor, and several mayors stood together and took a group photo.
Max is now a serious star engineer, and he has gained a lot of confidence. I heard that he has even found a girlfriend.
As for Electro? Probably can't be seen.
Electric power will be pulled from Illinois, and new technologies will be used for ultra-high voltage long-distance transmission. Max likes to study this very much and has been forgetting to eat and sleep.
What a nice guy; Harry just loves this type of hardworking employee.
While thinking about it, Harry considered giving him a bodyguard or something. Max's job was still very important.
A reporter asked, "Mr. Osborne, we all know that ctOS only works well in cities, but Rose Hill, which was attacked this time, is just a small village. Will it be effective?"
Harry turned on the holographic bracelet: "This is a good question, but in fact, the new version of ctOS can achieve very good monitoring effects in rural areas—through satellites. This is the case in New York State."
The bracelet displays a map of New York State.
"In cities, there will be many public facilities for ctOS to deploy, but not in the countryside. The new version of ctOS is connected to the Osborne Group's latest satellite network, 'Hermes Flying Shoes,' which means there are not so many facilities to deploy. The outskirts of the area can also be protected by ctOS."
"Hermes Flying Shoes? Are they those satellites that Osborne just put in the sky?"
Harry nodded: "Speaking of which, I haven't officially introduced these satellites to you. They have quite a few functions—communication, positioning, weather observation, etc."
"In fact, I plan to launch more satellites for network communications so that network signals can be covered all over the world."
The reporter continued to ask, "Global coverage network? How many satellites will this require?"
"As for this problem, a friend of mine thinks that more than 50 satellites may be needed. However, it is obvious that such a large number of satellites will cause a lot of problems, so I am still making technical upgrades to try to reduce this number."
The reporter quickly wrote: Osborne wants to launch 50 satellites into low-Earth orbit!
"In short, Osborne's satellites can assist ctOS to ensure your safety even in small areas. When you choose Osborne, you choose safety."
"Finally, don't forget to vote for Norman Osborne."
After canvassing a wave of votes, Harry ended the press conference.
The attacks are happening all over the states. With a little publicity, they will soon be rushing to deploy ctOS.
After all, other people's crime rates are ridiculously low, and if you have gun battles every day on your territory, or even self-destruction attacks, then this governor and mayor will not be able to survive.
---
Chapter 111: The Mandarin Attacks
Data, data, data.
Osborn's research projects span the globe. As Harry sat in front of the computer, various types of data unfolded before him.
Gene therapy, neural implants, prosthetic limb mechanical feedback data, individual soldier armor ergonomics...
In particular, neural implants had begun to be studied in the brain, and the data were quite complex.
With so much information, Harry believed that the secret of the organism's genetic control system lay within the data.
However, relying solely on the human brain to model and analyze this information was impossible.
Lenin's thinking speed was certainly not slow, but it couldn't grasp the meaning behind the data. After extensive training, Harry finally concluded that it was unreasonable to expect it to model the data like Jarvis.
As if sensing Harry's thoughts, Lenin slipped out of the wire and laid out rows of patterns, clearly unconvinced.
Watching high-voltage currents break through the air to form words and patterns was quite unsettling, even if it resembled an emoticon.
"...Everyone has their strengths; you don't actually have to prove that you can understand our way of expression..."
Harry held his forehead, stating that expression and data research were fundamentally different.
Lenin returned to the wire. The scent of low-concentration ozone was somewhat pleasant, but it was not good for the body.
Influenced by Tony Stark, T-Bone Grady, Dr. Otto, Dr. Banner, and many others, Harry was finally ready to begin developing his own artificial intelligence.
Unlike Jarvis, who could do almost anything, Harry's goal for his AI was mainly to assist him in processing this data.
That being said, Jarvis had always functioned as a natural language interface from the start.
Moreover, even if Harry's artificial intelligence was not as capable as Jarvis, Lenin, as an electric life form, could help bridge this gap. Perhaps the two could even trigger some unique interactions?
For this artificial intelligence, Harry required it to automatically model and process common algorithms such as optimization evolutionary algorithms, genetic algorithms, genetic programming, swarm intelligence, and ant colony optimization as needed.
These algorithms are frequently utilized in biological research, inspired by biology itself.
This artificial intelligence was fundamentally created based on deep learning. Harry learned from Tony the "black magic" to prevent the training model from becoming too complex and leading to overfitting, while also resolving the concerns of Occam's razor. Now, the more complex the model accepted, the faster the learning rate.
After spending several weeks in the research room, Harry completed version 1.0 of his own artificial intelligence.
"Okay...now it's time to come up with a name."
Harry tapped the table—due to Lenin's physical defense, this artificial intelligence's information attack and defense capabilities were average.
It's better to call it "an undefended intelligent system," or "Ois" for short. If someone tries to hack into Harry's database after seeing this name, they would surely question their life choices.
"Let's call it Oyce. Oyce, pull up the data of the mechanical prosthesis and build a human body model. I want to optimize the individual armor first."
The data collected from these prosthetic limbs provides the most comprehensive ergonomic insights. Based on this, the individual armor created by Harry might not be as powerful as the Mark armor, but it must be the most widely applicable.
After all, the Mark armor is custom-made.
"Okay, sir." Oyce's voice was a mechanically synthesized male tone, sounding very cold.
The next second, the model built by Oyce surprised Harry. Many parameters were obviously incorrect, and the holographic projection was misaligned.
Errors were expected. Harry sipped his tea and contemplated how to correct these discrepancies.
"...Alright, let's adjust it bit by bit—first, I need your voice to sound a bit nicer."
After a few more weeks, Harry and Oyce finally reached an understanding.
"Osborne Individual Armor 2.0 has been archived, and the research data has been classified and stored."
Harry looked at these operation logs and generated data, and suddenly realized that these data could generate a tailor-made personal AI for each set of armor to assist the user in combat.
Harry stroked his chin and said, "Create another file: Autogenic Evolution Combat AI."
This AI would be stored separately on a small chip. It could continuously learn the soldiers' fighting habits and techniques, operate the aircraft in cooperation with the soldiers, and become the most loyal "observer" for the soldiers.
Harry ultimately prioritized designing a new suit for himself. This armor would carry Oyce to record combat habits and provide Harry with advice on his lacking fighting skills.
Although Harry doubted there would be many instances where he would need to charge into battle, preparation was still necessary.
After completing all of this, Harry lay back on the sofa, feeling content.
The process of invention and creation was addictive, and this pleasure was the highest form of happiness for most individuals.
"Create another file and name it... Armored Behemoth."
"File creation completed. Sir, you have worked continuously for more than 410 hours. It is recommended that you take a break."
Harry was momentarily stunned. 410 hours was a little over 17 days. After multiple enhancements, he truly didn't feel fatigued.
It was just that he did look a bit haggard now.
"Then let's rest for a while." He rubbed his brow and sat on the sofa.
Turning on the TV, Harry witnessed the iconic event that marked the beginning of the KB attack.
"39 hours ago, Ali Salem Air Force Base was attacked by unknown militants, resulting in the explosion that destroyed most of the facilities on the base."
"No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the military is paying close attention to the situation."
With the general election approaching, this clever little Killian certainly knew how to choose the right moment.
Upon reflection, since Iron Man debuted, K-attacks had never ceased in the United States.
This was also a positive development. More than a dozen states had signed contracts with Osborn. The installation of ctOS was progressing swiftly, while the grid's advancement was significantly slower.
To promote this type of infrastructure development, official action or cooperation was still necessary.
Two days later, the Mandarin hijacked American radio stations, just as the plot dictated. Under his extremely oppressive statement, the Pentagon immediately fell into a state of panic.
What did they do after they panicked?
It was quite amusing; they gave the war machine a new livery.
However, there was no Osborn in the movie. Changing the paint of the war machine was not an option, but in this world, it was different.
The state governments promptly purchased several more batches of power armor, allowing Harry to make a fortune.
Not only that, the civilian exoskeletons sold by Osborn were flying off the shelves, with many middle-class families equipping themselves with these exoskeletons.
Everyone felt secure.
Soon, Harry would launch a new, lower-priced version. In addition to optimizing some interactive experiences, the new version of the exoskeleton would also incorporate all the functions a mobile phone could offer.
Once exoskeletons became a necessity in people's lives, connecting to ctOS...
On the other hand, General Ross had also agreed to launch the "Mechanical Soldier Transformation Plan" that Norman had previously mentioned, but he expressed a desire to first see the project's potential.
And Harry had already prepared for this.
---