Chapter 126: Closing
Tony returns to the house to find his MK42, and it looks like the kidnappers are playing with his armor like a ball.
"It doesn't look very strong. So what is this armor used for?" Rhodes helped pick up the armor.
"...There's a positioning deployment program on it that would ideally allow me to put this thing on anywhere in the world," Tony said as he removed the parts on the arm.
"It doesn't look like it's doing well."
In fact, the overall performance of the armor is pretty good. In the original story, Tony was attacked at home, so the MK42 was just a prototype, and the software had not yet been installed.
Now he was wearing a complete MK42 and was sneak attacked in someone else's hometown. The armor was basically fully functional, but the opponent was outnumbered.
If I have to say it, this armor is indeed a bit loose, probably because there is a problem with the connection between the parts.
Looking at the broken armor, Tony's breathing became slower—
"Hey, what are you doing?" Rhodes said. "We still have a bomb to deal with. Are you telling me that you, like me, need a complete set of armor to be effective?"
Tony came back to his senses, took a long breath, and his expression was a little stiff.
Rhodes was also confused. "Are you okay, Tony? You are the smartest person here. Cheer up! Don't you like to invent gadgets? Now is the time to use those things!"
Tony shook his head and said, "I know, I just... forget it. Give me that helmet."
Rhodes put the helmet in front of Tony. "Very good. Would you mind telling me the principle? I can also learn from it."
"Okay." Tony glanced at Rhodes. "I need the helmet's scanning module to determine the type and structure of the detonator... Okay."
Taking off the mask, Tony separated a part from it and put it on his head.
"It's well hidden. It's an electronic time-delay bomb on the surface, but it's actually a mechanical time-delay chemical ignition inside. Both detonators can detonate the explosives. Your bomb disposal unit's choice is correct. If you dismantle it rashly, the bomb will directly detonate."
"Ross? I need you to go to these locations to destroy the mechanical structure of the detonator. This is an old-fashioned design..."
With that, Tony removed a device from the armored arm.
"Then I use this thing here to control the crystal oscillator, and then do this, and then do this... so you don't cause an explosion when you destroy the mechanism."
"Do you understand?"
Rhodes nodded and said in Tony's doubtful eyes:
"I understand, really. Just use your scanner to scan, then remove it here and there, and then remove the timer."
Tony nodded mechanically. "That's about right—I'll upgrade the War Machine's bomb disposal software for you after I get back."
The bomb was easily deactivated, and Trevor and these guys of unknown origin were imprisoned by Ross.
As for who they are, they can be anyone. It depends on what their boss behind the scenes does. If they are willing to compromise, Norman can still leave some fig leaf for them.
After searching the building high and low, Ross found a woman here: Maya Hanson.
This woman was the developer of the Extremis virus. When she was found, she was tied up in a secret room. After finding her, Ross immediately covered her with a large sack.
Seeing these people being put into armored vehicles, Tony suddenly asked:
"By the way, how's AIM doing?"
"Their database exploded. Nothing is left, but most of the people have been arrested," Ross said.
"Has the military started operating in the mainland now?"
Ross smiled. "Normally not, but these are classified operations. You saw those super soldiers, didn't you?"
Strictly speaking, this behavior is not in compliance with procedures, and other departments may protest in a few days.
However, illegal procedures are common in many things. Whether you will be criticized depends on who you are and what the result is.
Not much data on the Extremis virus was saved, but they now have living samples, and they are stable living samples.
And Maya Hanson.
.....
"A total of 72 citizens were unfortunately killed, and 459 citizens were injured in the entire attack."
"The situation at the scene was extremely tragic. It is reported that a bomb with a very high yield was detonated that day, but it was thrown high into the sky by an armored monster that looked very much like the Hulk, preventing the tragedy from happening."
"How on earth did he do it? Send these heavily armed soldiers into the country, into the audience for the next president's speech, and even drop a bomb?"
"According to reliable information, the person involved has been arrested. Let us look forward to the day when the truth comes out."
The scene has long been in ruins. Although the nitrate bomb did not explode on the ground, the heavy firepower was not covered. The scene looked like a battlefield abroad.
"We're going to make them pay," Norman said, putting his hands on the table.
"We will," Harry said. "We've got all the witnesses. The little man who played the Mandarin has got them all. Killian and his super soldiers are in jail, and there are a few more that showed up out of nowhere. Armed soldiers are coming."
It's no surprise that Trevor was the first to be recruited, and the rest would soon succumb to General Ross's torture.
Although the law expressly prohibits torture to extract confessions, except for Terrorist elements, all those involved will now be classified as Terrorist elements.
What's more, they found not only witnesses, but also various physical evidence, such as the equipment, scenes, firearms they used to shoot, etc.
Many forces are involved, starting with Roxon Oil Company.
In fact, even in the original story, they were still greedy. The accountant of Roxon Company who was executed on TV in the movie was not dead. Of course, he should be dead now. After all, if he was found, Roxon would not be able to escape. It's related.
Not just this accountant; Roxon bribed a large number of officials, police officers, and politicians for this assassination operation. There were too many, mainly in Texas.
After this incident, a large number of people died at the hands of gangsters, and it was difficult to trace anything—even the gangsters who took action died a lot.
Then there is the AIM company that was pushed to the forefront. Basically, all of them were caught in one fell swoop. The evidence was conclusive. Investors avoided the officials like they encountered the plague. Now this organization is dead.
Hydra went into hiding again—in fact, very few people who could be found knew that they were working for Hydra, and they were experts at segmented management.
If we just investigate like this, Roxon Company will not be able to convict judicially due to insufficient evidence; as for Hydra, no one will think of them at all.
But they left the most deadly clue:
Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, has been captured.
---
Chapter 127: Acquisition of AIM
[The desperate extremis soldier has been scanned, mission progress +10]
[Quest Chain: Bloodline]
[Task progress: Treat 5000 patients with different genetic diseases and record the causes: 2103/5000
Collect 50 human genes with positive traits: 21/50]
Harry captured a total of 17 desperate soldiers. This technologically modified gene can indeed be counted as mission progress, but he did not include all 17.
"You want to steal my technology, Osborne, but you can never steal it," Killian spat, still speaking harshly in prison.
Harry smiled, "It's true that you can't steal it. I can develop better ones."
Besides, you didn't develop this technology yourself.
Harry glanced at Dr. Maya Hansen, who was sitting next to him. Following the clues, this woman would also end up in jail.
"Dr. Hansen, I heard that Tony helped you perfect your core formula when he was drunk. Is that true?"
Dr. Hansen nodded helplessly. She had already explained all the details—even her one-night stand with Tony.
"Look, Mr. Killian, I want to remind you that while you may be attracted to things Stark makes casually, Osborn will not be. Why do you think I would hold you in high regard?"
Killian's face twisted in anger, as if he had eaten something foul.
If Harry had gone deeper—like mentioning their one-night stand on the rooftop that day—he would probably go insane.
But even so, Dr. Hansen had contributed significantly to the initial research and subsequent development. It wouldn't be fair to say that "Tony's casually written formula created the Extremis virus."
"Osborne, if you come in here, I will tear you into pieces as quickly as I can," Killian growled.
Harry smiled, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction.
If the Winter Soldier hadn't joined the fight, Norman would have detonated the small explosive barrel on the spot.
So Harry opened the door under Dr. Hansen's shocked gaze.
"So I came in." Harry spread his arms slightly. "You won't be convinced until I beat you up, right?"
Harry suddenly wanted to test his strength.
After compound enhancement, Harry's strength was at least about 20 tons. The strength of the Extremis Soldier was likely at the level of an ordinary enhanced individual, and his physical strength wasn't particularly high.
The force of the Mark 42 was about 5 tons. In the original story, Killian punched Tony's armor, fracturing his arm.
The original aim of the research on the Extremis virus was recovery and regeneration. Compared with the Green Goblin enhancer and Spartan biomodification surgery, Vibranium bones this was not considered an enhancement for combat at all.
Killian didn't care why Harry truly entered and charged at him. As a result, he was kicked against the wall, the immense impact stunning Killian.
What's happening here? Killian's body began to glow red—a sign that the Extremis virus was beginning to repair his body.
"Look, this is called a super soldier. What does that mean to you?" Harry said, bowing slightly towards Dr. Hansen. "I don't mean to insult your research results, but this technology is indeed not developed for military purposes. Isn't it?"
Dr. Hansen nodded.
Regarding the performance of the Desperate Soldier, if he didn't self-destruct, he couldn't even defeat a more powerful Asgardian warrior. The people on Earth simply didn't understand.
"Forget it, you should stay in prison." Harry shook his head, unable to contain his disappointment. This guy was not a special talent at all.
After closing the glass door, Killian inside was helpless and furious. However, he was soon injected with cobra venom from the automatic turret on the wall and lay on the ground.
Harry turned to Dr. Hansen. "As for you, Dr. Hansen, I can offer you an agreement to continue researching Extremis under me, allowing you to move around freely while serving your sentence."
"...With a tracker?"
Harry nodded. "It's just a tracker. If you choose not to leave the city where ctOS is installed—there are almost 24 state capitals with that system—you don't even have to wear it."
"Of course, we won't care who you have a one-night stand with; it's just an insurance measure."
Hansen's eyes narrowed. "I'm not the kind of casual person."
Harry shrugged, casually dismissing her remark. As for her, it really had nothing to do with him.
"What if I don't agree?" Dr. Hansen challenged.
"If that's the case, it's a lose-lose situation where I have to watch a talented scientist spend most of her life officially locked up in prison. I hope you don't think I'm playing with power. In some other countries, your actions are punishable by death."
From Lord Complacency's appearance until the attack, hundreds of people died, and Maya Hansen was technically indirectly responsible.
However, the world has always been particularly tolerant of certain individuals, and one of them is accomplished scientists.
Stable terminal viruses can be considered invaluable in the medical field, and their healing abilities are widely applied.
Maya Hansen was about to say something more when Harry continued, "If you want to ask me for any requests that are not military-related, forget it. I will not make any promises to you, but I will definitely not engage in terrorist attacks."
Dr. Hansen was at a loss for words. She really wanted to argue against that.
But even so, there was little to contemplate. There was no comparison between spending a lifetime in prison and being free now, with the opportunity to continue realizing her dream.
"...I agree to your terms."
"Very good." Harry waved his hand, signaling the jailer to open the door.
At that moment, Killian, lying on the ground like a puddle of mud, laughed maniacally for some reason.
"Hansen! Do you think he's different from me? We are all the same! Osborn, Stark, we are all..."
Cobra venom has a very effective inhibitory effect on the Centipede Serum Warriors that will appear later, but the Extremis virus is more potent. Killian remained conscious and able to speak, but his limbs felt weak.
Harry glanced at Killian, who was laughing and twitching on the ground like a maniac, then turned to Dr. Hansen. "Is there something wrong with this guy's brain?"
"...I don't know, but normal people wouldn't carry out terrorist attacks, I guess? By the way, am I going to work for Osborn?"
"No, you are going to AIM to continue your work."
"What?" Dr. Hansen was momentarily stunned.
"I bought AIM."
"What?"
Harry left behind the image of a wealthy man, and Killian's ugly laughter stopped as if he were being strangled.
After the incident, nearly all AIM investors withdrew their capital, making the acquisition of the institution relatively inexpensive.
In addition to the Extremis Virus, AIM also possesses advanced technology in computing science, but the organization's composition is somewhat complex. Initially, it was a research organization used by Hydra to study disruptive technologies, but later, due to some political differences, they parted ways.
Yet in Killian's hands, they accidentally came together again in order to study the Extremis virus.
What Harry wanted was for Dr. Hansen to start working there first, then send Osborn's watchdog Aiden Pierce over to gradually clean up the organization from within.
After all, reorganizing a team is still quite challenging.
The news headlines exploded the next day.
"Osborn Company security protected the President during the Super terror attack and captured the Mandarin!"
However, the media and the public had no idea that the Mandarin, who terrified them, was just a façade, with a long and smelly chain of interests behind him.
Soon the facts would reveal to the unfortunate American people: Do you think they are foreign forces? In reality, they are all domestic forces.
---
Chapter 140: Butler A
AIM M.O.D.O.K. does not appear in the movie, but in the comics, the project succeeded in creating a supervillain of the same name.
In this world, this plan is still just an idea, maybe it will be scripted one day in the future... or it will be restarted by a certain villain investing money.
But now, Harry had perfected it.
In the comics, they used a human as a blueprint to transform the villain M.O.D.O.K., but here, Harry does not need a conscious container, so he can choose tissue cloning to get the brain of a super AI.
"I plan to use my own cells, modify them, and make tissue clones, but the project hasn't started yet."
After hearing this, Tony asked, "You are quite dedicated to science, so why haven't you started yet?"
"I said, I don't like doing research secretly without telling my partners." Harry waved his hand.
In fact, it was because the technology was not yet mature. Harry still had a systematic task about genetic engineering that he had not yet completed. He planned to see the rewards of this task before starting the actual operation.
"And before that, I have to deepen my understanding of some things, first of all, this thing."
Harry took out a tube of reagent.
"Extremis Virus, Tony. I've seen the formula you wrote for Maya Hansen. There's something wrong with your algorithm, but only you two can correct it."
The formula Tony left to Maya Hansen was like the beginning of a mountain of problematic code. Harry could see there was something wrong, but he couldn't change the mountain of issues.
"I'm going to bring in your one-night stand now, is that okay?"
"Wait a minute..." Before Tony could finish his words, Harry brought Dr. Hansen in, "Okay, it's okay. Hello, Maya, how are you doing?"
"Not good, your 13-year-old son is now clamoring for his father-" Dr. Hansen smiled teasingly, "It was just a joke, so we just start working through the screen?"
Tony waved his hand: "...Normally I wouldn't refuse an invitation to collaborate personally, but I have an official girlfriend now, so - I will call you when I get back."
"Okay, I get it. Let's start with the telomere algorithm."
In addition to the Extremis virus, Harry also had something on hand that could be used in this plan.
It's the serum he made from Dr. Stern blood. He didn't know what the principle of this thing was, but judging from Samuel Stern's performance, it also had the effect of strengthening the brain, though it was not very stable.
So he took out a tube of serum to Dr. Banner.
"Dr. Banner, does this look familiar?"
Banner squinted his eyes and took the serum. He then clearly remembered that this thing was the serum copied by Samuel Stern!
"Where did you find this thing?" Holding the serum, he finally remembered Samuel Stern, "Is he here with you?"
Harry shook his head.
The original plot of the movie was that Samuel bumped into the Black Widow who happened to be wandering nearby in an alley, then attacked her, and was finally captured and sent to S.H.I.E.L.D. prison (Movie Universe Comics).
But now he is a dead man, because at that time Harry did not have the confidence in the leader.
"You saw the news, he is dead. But I have his research information."
"So... you also want to study gamma serum? I have made my attitude clear. This thing should not be discovered, so--"
Harry interrupted Banner: "Don't refuse immediately, Dr. Banner. Even if you don't join, I will study this thing myself, but you must know more about this technology than me.
So are you going to join this study to keep yourself informed, or are you going to let me do it privately on my own?"
Banner still insisted on his opinion: "This is too dangerous and is not something we should study!"
However, Harry thought his statement was just nonsense - in the original story, he secretly set up Ultron with Tony.
"What research is not dangerous? Atomic energy, AI, aerospace; precisely because they are dangerous, that's why we have to be ahead, right?
And doctor, this research is completely legal and reasonable. You can't stop me from studying this thing.
So do you want to join?"
Just like when Tony invited Banner to study Ultron in the original novel, Banner nodded silently after hearing this - he joined because he couldn't reason with him.
Harry smiled: "It's your mentality that makes you eat."
After the next research target was deployed, Tony suddenly asked a question:
"So this AI should have a name, right? Just call him--"
Seeing the change in Tony's mouth shape, Harry shook his head suddenly: "It's not Ultron. It's a bad name."
Ultron is not a good guy in any story, and he doesn't even have the possibility of repenting.
Putting aside fatalism, what if the wall of the multiverse is opened in the future and it and other Ultrons break in?
"Friday then? Edith?"
Harry shook his head repeatedly. Since Jarvis's death, none of Tony's AIs had been reliable.
"I think it would be better to give him a simple name, such as 'Butler A'."
Banner took out the hand that was touching his chin and commented: "I think it's okay, it's simple and easy to understand, but since it is an intellectual life form, I think it needs a human-like name. How about Emily?"
Harry agreed: "Absolutely, then that's it. The naming ceremony is over."
Tony looked at the two people depressedly: Couldn't it be that he chose the name himself? He also wanted to say "Karen."
While the research here was about to continue, Dr. Otto called from the other side:
"Harry! I succeeded! The magnetic fluid generator is now running stably!"
.....
While the small research team formed by Harry was conducting research, Norman was not idle either.
It can be said that the USA has experienced many disasters in recent years. New York, which was originally a financial center, has almost lost its status.
This impact is multifaceted, and the entire USA has fallen into a downturn.
What to do if you fall into a downturn? History has given Norman a textbook demonstration--
Relief--revival--reform.
Although this crisis was exacerbated by external factors, the same old tactics can still be used.
In terms of relief, with the help of ctOS, every expenditure, purchase, loan, behavior, and other data of people will be recorded, and then the crime probability and rescue level will be obtained through Bellweiser's calculations.
This makes the relief more precise, and every dollar invested can be accurately distributed to the people in need. Compared with spreading water on a large area, the efficiency is higher.
Then came industrial renaissance, infrastructure overhaul, and financial reform.
Industrial renaissance is easy to understand. It is to avoid overproduction caused by blind competition through macro-control. This can also be accurately deployed through ctOS. All the data is displayed in front of Norman. He only needs to use his intelligence to make decisions.
In terms of infrastructure overhaul, with Osborne's mechanical help, the USA with a population of 300 million can easily build a real super infrastructure network that connects the entire country.
But before that can happen, education reforms are needed to upgrade traditional workers into engineers who can operate construction robots for building.
Finally, in terms of finance, excessive currency issuance is a credit issue. In the past, the USA established the foundation of their financial empire through various advantages.
Now, Norman happens to have a card in his hand that he can play - technology.
Norman nodded to the establishment of the United Nations Development Agency for Outer Space Resources in exchange for Osborne's monopoly on space resources. This was for Osborne's benefit, but he still had one card left to play.
That is controllable cold nuclear fusion.
---
Chapter 141: Electricity Currency System
Ever since Dr. Otto overcame the problem of controllable nuclear fusion, he has always wanted to revolutionize the way electricity is generated, moving beyond simply "heating hot water."
Although the ultra-supercritical water vapor power generation technology that has incorporated the wisdom of the past is very mature, Dr. Otto's magnetic fluid power generation concept holds more promise.
Magnetic fluid power generation can significantly reduce the size and maintenance requirements of fusion power stations, marking the advent of next-era power generation technology and being more suitable for fusion power stations.
When Dr. Otto saw Dr. Selvig's iridium stabilizer design, his immediate thought was to improve it and realize magnetic fluid power generation.
As for space warping... it currently seems difficult to achieve without that mysterious little cube.
If nuclear fusion, a high-quality electricity source, is discovered in some countries, it will likely be promoted immediately, except in the USA.
Especially in the USA of this world—Roxxon has never been broken up by antitrust laws.
Thus, Osborne has only built two fusion power plants in the past few years. But now, the situation has changed. No matter how powerful Roxxon is, it cannot be greater than the president of the USA, so they need to support politicians and even drop bombs to prevent Norman from taking office. But they failed.
"So, my proposal still stands—we can jointly enjoy this technology." Norman smiled kindly at the heads of state.
In the past, the US dollar was linked to gold and oil, but these two things are no longer working. Gold can even be mined from space, and the value of the oil monopoly has been halved by nuclear fusion.
Then, low-cost electricity produced by controllable nuclear fusion, representing a technological monopoly, naturally qualifies to be linked to currency.
Although Osborne has not gone to the moon to collect helium-3 for various reasons, no one doubts that Osborne and the USA have this capability.
On the other hand, controllable nuclear fusion technology is Osborne's technology, not American technology. From a propaganda perspective, there is still room for maneuver.
Norman's willingness to talk to them before the upheaval was a testament to his sincerity.
Development and hegemony are usually tied together in human history, but they may not necessarily be.
You can become a hegemon by developing faster than others, but becoming a hegemon is more than just development. You can also inhibit the development of your opponents.
Across the screen, Norman could feel the doubts of these leaders—when did the USA become so generous?
First, they agreed to take them to outer space for mining, and now they kindly suggested establishing an electric currency system. Please be careful—
Although after this move, they are still the overlords, this gentle approach has already given them face.
So, the two sides shook hands and made peace. How can war be better than peaceful development?
Then, Norman's move surprised them even more. He brought in the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
"Then I propose that the United Nations Development Program take the lead in launching a plan to allow the world to enjoy this clean and cheap energy."
"As for the code name of the plan, I think 'Zeus' is good. I like names from mythology."
Then, news that shocked the world emerged. Countries gathered together to upgrade global power and energy under the leadership of the United Nations Development Program.
What's even more shocking is that this alliance was initiated by the USA!
A few days later, Matt was invited to Harry's house as a guest, and the three of them were all laughing.
Norman began to build his electricity currency system, Harry became the largest construction contractor, and Matt—Matt was just happy to see such good things happen.
"Cheers!"
The cups of the three people touched together. In fact, there was still a vice president missing as the representative of the Senate.
However, the new vice president has not been elected yet.
"Is this the first time you've come to my house, Mr. Chief Justice?" Norman joked.
Matt replied, "It's the first time, but I would rather go to the Osborne mansion that has a history of decades."
Harry patted Matt on the shoulder, "You can't speak, Matt Murdock. The Osborne mansion was destroyed in the New York war!"
After a few words, Matt said, "Guess what happened these past few days."
Harry shrugged, "How do I know? If I could guess everything, wouldn't I become a god?"
"Someone from the prosecutor's office has proposed launching an antitrust investigation against Osborne. They believe that Osborne's monopoly in the energy field has constituted a trust, monopolizing the entire industry line through power supply."
"Haha, that's really interesting." Harry said, "We also have a rival from Stark Industries. Is this person crazy because he wants to be famous?"
Matt smiled, "You guessed more accurately than I did. I thought he accepted Roxxon's sponsorship, but I checked and found out that he really just wanted to be famous."
Norman also laughed—Osborne may have brushed against the monopoly, but if he didn't nod his head, who would have the power to investigate Osborne?
After a brief silence, Norman said, "But Roxxon has indeed formed a monopoly, and all oil-related industries are under their control."
Matt also nodded, "Yes, after my investigation, this undoubtedly meets the monopoly standard, but in the past few years, they have controlled the past official and even the past president, so no one has had this idea."
Why was this judgment made? Matt read in detail about the explosion and oil dumping incident in New Orleans, and many things didn't make sense.
The only explanation is that Roxxon took care of everything from behind.
"Then why don't we investigate them?" Norman said, "They even dared to assassinate the president!"
So the few of them decided on their next move towards Roxxon while eating.
With the push of the Chief Justice and the President, they will launch an investigation into Roxxon. As for Congress, of course, they can only follow the investigation.
Even the Hydra members hiding inside can't change this—after all, it's Norman and Matt who are in charge now.
"Then this matter has been decided happily. Roxxon will definitely not take it easy. I will draw some people from the Thunderbolts to be your bodyguards." Harry suggested.
There was something strange about Matt's expression—he didn't feel like he needed protection.
But in Harry's opinion, no matter how strong Daredevil is, dozens of guns can beat him into a sieve. Let alone Frank, just a few of Frank's good brothers can beat him into a sieve.
Speaking of Frank, I wonder how he and Billy Russell are doing now.
.....
Frank and Billy are drinking now.
It's just that the atmosphere is not good. Billy Russell looks very haggard—without the help of William Rollins, plus being stabbed by Rollins, if Harry hadn't promised to let Frank handle it by himself first, he would have been in jail.
Just minutes before, he had confessed that they knew they were plotting to kill Frank's family, and it was he who revealed Frank's location before the attack.
Frank didn't know what to say. If his family hadn't survived, he might have picked up the bottle in his hand and smashed this thing with a human face and a beast's heart into pieces.
"Frank, you know what, you're such a bastard, and now I have nothing." Billy lay drunk on the table. He had nothing.
He betrayed his brothers and used the dirty money to start a company. In the end, the career he gained was just a mirror image.
Hearing this, Frank was heartbroken—he knew that this guy was no longer the brother who walked through the hail of bullets with him.
He didn't want to say another word to this guy.
Alcohol paralyzed Billy's nerves. He seemed to see Frank leaving, holding his family while leaving, and said to little Frank, "Your Uncle Billy has died on the battlefield."
An image of them eating together at an amusement park flashed through his mind, and Billy smiled abstractly.
"Why didn't you die with them, Frank? Like now!"
Frank slapped his feet: he wanted to rush back and smash this guy's head, but he wanted his former brother to enjoy the emptiness and pain of having nothing in prison.
Little Frank on the side asked, "Is Uncle Billy coming back? Is that him? It sounds a lot like him."
Frank shook his head, "Uncle Billy didn't come back because I recognized the wrong person. Do you still want to ride the merry-go-round?"
When they heard the carousel, the two children jumped up and ran.
His wife saw all this, and they looked at each other without saying anything.
Chapter 142 Corporate Culture Exchange
"After running 20km long distance without power equipment, use a submachine gun to shoot a 50cm target at 10m with one magazine. The hit rate needs to be 90%..."
"When shooting at a 50m target while moving at a speed of 100km/h, the hit rate will be at least 95%..."
"What kind of training method is this?"
Nick Fury frowned while watching the training video being demonstrated. "Is this still a human being?"
Harry Osborn, sitting opposite him, took a sip of tea easily. "This standard is just for joining the team. If Frank Castle were to test it, he could easily achieve a 140% hit rate at 100km/h, and that would be with a moving target."
"Frank is only lightly strengthened now, and this is not his limit."
"Times are changing, Agent Fury," Harry added.
Fury replied, "Oh, really? There are six Avengers, and your Thunderbolts team only has three people. Do you have some people hidden?"
Harry waved his hand dismissively. "Come on, for such a low-level cliché, you might as well ask directly. The Thunderbolts are an official organization; you can read the official announcement."
The current members of the Thunderbolts include "The Punisher" Frank Castle, "RoboCop" Alex Murphy, and "The Abomination" Emil Blonsky. However, the name Abomination was too scary, so the name "Sergeant Blonsky" was used externally.
On the surface, there aren't many Thunderbolts, but both Frank and Alex have their own teams: Frank's Osborn security and Alex's semi-cyborgs. However, Alex is just a guest appearance, and his presence mainly represents civil forces, making this organization appear more people-friendly.
"What did your boss say?" Harry asked.
"I told him that Hydra was back, and he told me that they might have been involved in the assassination of the President, so I'm sitting here now," Fury said while spreading his hands.
"So now Pierce is planning to put the blame on himself," Harry mused. "But having said that, S.H.I.E.L.D. is Hydra, so there's nothing wrong with doing this. When necessary, they can go out and act in the name of 'anti-Hydra'."
"Isn't that great? It just so happens that I can support you with some manpower - definitely not the Hydra kind."
Harry clapped his hands, and T-Bone appeared in the restaurant with Skye. Skye seemed a little overwhelmed. She didn't know why T-Bone brought her here.
"This little girl's name is Skye - why are you standing there in a daze? This is the big shot from S.H.I.E.L.D. that you've been dreaming about - 'King of Agents' Nick Fury."
Hearing Harry's words, Skye and Fury both showed expressions of disbelief.
Sending Skye to S.H.I.E.L.D. for "further study" was also out of the intention of friendly exchanges. She had not stopped analyzing S.H.I.E.L.D. files in the past few years. In fact, her actions had achieved some success.
Skye is very capable, but now she is at best an ordinary person with good hacking skills and has little value.
In this world, the origin of Hydra is not very high - it was created to save the hive. However, this purpose turned into some mysterious belief due to the erosion of time and the misinterpretation of later generations.
In the original work, Skye's destiny is to end their ridiculous mission.
"Haven't you been hacking their database? Now that their director is here, why are you shy?" Harry stood up and patted Skye on the shoulder, motioning for her to sit down and talk. "Something like a 'centipede', the director himself may not even know about it."
Hearing Harry's words, Fury's expression was a little exciting at first, but after hearing Harry's words, he immediately realized something.
For example, he really doesn't know what this "centipede" is - maybe this girl really has the ability he needs?
And Fury only needs to go back and investigate Skye's life experience, and he will find that this girl is a protection target of S.H.I.E.L.D.
As for Skye, she was completely at a loss. It turned out that what she was doing was always under Osborne's surveillance...
T-Bone saw Skye's expression and said, "You don't really think you can fool me with your little tricks, do you? I thought you would have some feelings in your heart after you have been here with me for so long..."
Halfway through speaking, T-Bone clasped his hands on his chest - what he wanted to express was that he knew what she was thinking.
Just kidding, the hacking skills of these watchdogs are simply supernatural level, and it is impossible for normal people to reach this level.
"Wait a minute! You're not going to hand over your employees just like that, are you? Mr. Osborn?" Skye rushed over. She didn't really trust the S.H.I.E.L.D. guy.
"I will. Just like some employees will go to university through Osborne's recommendation channels after work. I am now fighting for this opportunity for you - maybe this can be called corporate culture exchange or something." Harry patted lightly on Skye's shoulder. "Besides, aren't you looking for something in S.H.I.E.L.D.? Why don't you talk to their director directly? Maybe you can reach some deals or something."
"I..."
"That's a good offer, Osborn," Fury interrupted Skye, who was indeed interested.
It just so happened that he was planning to give Coulson some power to organize his own team.
This was not only to compensate him for using the Tahiti Plan on Coulson to resurrect him, but also to provide insurance for S.H.I.E.L.D.
"So what do you want, little girl?" Fury said to Skye.
"I want to sneak into S.H.I.E.L.D., hack into your database, and then expose the dirty things you have hidden," Skye smiled stubbornly as she wanted to look more like a ruthless character.
Fury looked at Skye with interest, touched his chin and said, "Interesting, then I will arrest you on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D. now..."
Halfway through, Fury glanced at Harry guiltily - after Norman came to power, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been banned from conducting private law enforcement in the United States.
But Harry was going to send Fury the director candidate this time, so naturally he wouldn't say much.
Looking at Skye whose eyes were turning rapidly and who was quickly thinking about how to run away, Harry smiled and said: "Ms. Skye, I am very happy to see that you have developed a sense of belonging to Osborn.
But Osborne is a business, and I never claim that my business is a big family. You work for me, and I give you what you want in return.
Osborne is not your home, and you still need to continue to find your place, you know what I mean?"
Skye fell silent upon hearing these words.
She went through many foster homes, but none lasted long, and she always received a negative response when she tried to integrate into her new home.
Although her life in Osborne could not be called warm, she felt good about learning skills from T-Bone every day, doing some work, and earning money to buy something.
At least it was much better than the days when she was wandering around. The salary Osborne gave her was enough for her to have her own room and experience the life that ordinary people should have.
For Harry, it would be a good idea to let Skye go to S.H.I.E.L.D. to learn something, and then make arrangement for her after S.H.I.E.L.D. is disbanded.
Looking at Skye who fell into silence, T-Bone suddenly said: "But... if you are still interested in Internet technology in the future, my project team is still short of manpower. After all, I am somewhat your mentor, right?"
Fury's one eye looked around among the people. "I didn't expect you to be quite clear-cut between public and private matters. I heard that in some foreign places it is very popular for employees to regard the company as their home."
"Haha, interesting joke," Harry stood up and planned to rush to the next public event, "If you don't mind, I have one more speech. Goodbye, you two."
Chapter 143: The New Era Project
"Oscorp will not tell you that Oscorp is your home. In fact, Oscorp is mine."
Harry's blunt words made the students in the audience laugh.
However, these students had a very special identity—they were not college students but mostly adults whose families had experienced hardships during the economic crisis. Their past occupations might have been construction workers, assembly line workers, carpenters, or similar jobs.
Osborn's automation technology is already quite advanced, and these traditional types of work will soon be obsolete. However, given their vast numbers, if these people are not properly handled, it could cause significant social unrest.
"I like to tell the truth. But it's also true that you get paid enough at Osborn to have a happy family."
"And to put it bluntly, the United States and the Earth are your homes. Osborn provides you with tools and opportunities, but building and transforming your own home is something you should do with your own hands."
"That's why Osborn has opened this kind of school. After simple training, you will use a new generation of engineering robots to complete the heavy labor work for you."
The establishment of these new era technical schools was approved and promoted by President Norman Osborn, and the process was very efficient.
In reality, these robots can complete engineering construction without human operation, but due to practical constraints, Harry can only promote a simplified version of the engineering robot first.
In a sense, cutting-edge technology is now sustaining these people in a difficult position, and this is the solution proposed by Norman.
Harry believes there is no problem with this approach. These people, as the grassroots of society, feed the upper class, and it is obviously unrealistic to abandon them now. It is safer to help them through this transition period with the advanced technological feedback from the upper class.
In fact, Osborn's almost fully automated building construction in New York initially made many people uneasy. Until the completion of Osborn's Fortress, there were even unemployed people who took to the streets to protest.
So Norman took action, and through negotiation and compromise, it finally evolved into what it is now.
Some people are still on the sidelines, but the first batch of engineers will soon enjoy the benefits, and others will naturally follow.
"In the next few years, officials plan to build an infrastructure network with a coverage rate of more than 98% across the United States, including transportation roads and information transmission projects."
"But the population of this country is only about 300 million. How will we complete this task? It will be left to you engineers."
"You are the Hephaestus of the new era—the pioneer craftsmen, everyone."
As soon as he said this, someone below made a joke in Greek-flavored English: "Then my wife should be so happy!"
In mythology, the god kings Zeus and Hera arranged the marriage between Hephaestus and the goddess of love, Aphrodite. However, not many people here knew about these mythological allusions, so he could only sit back in frustration.
"I don't think so. My wife will definitely complain to death," someone else said.
There is some truth in this person's statement—many places where major infrastructure projects are being built are in remote areas, and such projects can take many months, which is obviously not good for families.
But technology changes life. Harry continued: "I understand your concerns—working in municipal administration, but now having to go to remote areas to build infrastructure. Isn't this a downgrade in life?"
"First of all—I'm not lying to you; it's the truth. But with the help of these engineering robots, you no longer have to work in person for a long time, and theoretically, the construction period will be reduced exponentially. And you can all have your own room in the construction area—about 110 square meters, and you can bring your family with you."
Everyone looked at each other, and Harry smiled as he continued to describe the ideal construction situation.
Due to construction robots, there is no need to crowd a large number of laborers on a construction site, and only a team of 30 people can be responsible for a small project.
Because the required labor is reduced, the space planned for the accommodation area has also become more spacious. Using modular and automated construction methods, the residential area can easily build a small community that supports 30 families.
As for the land issue, this is a national project supervised by the president, and they can get a lot of space to build housing—as a subsidy for infrastructure projects.
Another man in ragged clothes raised his hand—he was almost out of a house to live in due to unemployment, and this move was definitely a good thing for his family.
But there's another problem: "But my daughter is still in high school."
"Well, the president has also thought about that. Your team will have a teacher with a high school teaching certificate who will be responsible for your children's education."
"And there will be many courses open to you on Osborn's network, which you can choose freely."
"If you are interested, you can even find Dr. Otto's electromagnetics course—sometimes he will use this platform to broadcast live, but not everyone can understand it."
The gap between the upper and lower limits of middle school education in the United States is relatively large, but Harry has given them enough choices.
Osborn Online Academy has been gradually promoted. In addition to heavyweight professors like Dr. Otto and Dr. Connors, they will also find some other famous professors to teach from time to time.
Of course, you still need to apply for college on your own, but because of Osborn and Stark's connections with many well-known universities, the authority of the online college is also endorsed.
In short, the environment where these construction teams are located is equivalent to a relatively remote community, with no other differences.
With the expansion of infrastructure projects, transportation will become more developed, and the network will get better. Even in the next stage, when neural connection technology matures, they can even complete immersive learning while lying on a chair.
The resources accumulated by "mega cities" will be dispersed, and the functions they undertake will be reduced. They will be replaced by the development of many small villages. When the population is evenly dispersed to every corner of the country, they will find how vast the space for survival is.
When the next generation grows up and there are enough engineers, Norman is already planning to let these old people retire early—the practice of relying on people to perform basic labor needs to be "eradicated" to improve development efficiency.
These workers always felt a little unreal when looking at Harry's introduction—it seemed too good.
"...With such good conditions, why don't you make money?" someone asked.
Harry smiled: "Of course."
But money is not just "money"; it should represent many things: material resources, financial resources, human resources, etc.
And Harry has always been more than just thinking about making simple "money." What Osborn wants to monopolize is their future, a future with unlimited possibilities.
No one is proud of a monopoly monkey or an unenlightened slave. If he is, it only means that he is not very clear-headed.