Seeing Sharon's workaholic demeanor, Nick squinted and looked at her in confusion.
"What's wrong with you? We sent you in as an undercover agent, not as an employee."
Hearing this, Sharon glanced at Nick as if he were an idiot.
"If I don't work, how will I gain the boss's trust? Without trust, how can I be an undercover agent? Alright, I'm not going to waste time explaining. I need to go upstairs and handle some files."
Nick felt that what she said made sense but still found it odd.
"Wait."
Just as Sharon was about to leave, Nick quickly grabbed her arm.
"What is it?" she asked impatiently.
"I need you to take us to meet your boss."
"No way. If I do that, I'll blow my cover as an undercover agent. Do you know what I've endured this past year to stay hidden?"
"I've been drinking three to four cups of coffee a day, taking supplements, and sleeping less than four hours each night. It's either paperwork or more paperwork."
"I've just been promoted to senior assistant, and I'm so close to becoming a manager, which would give me access to Umbrella's classified files. You can't ruin this mission!"
Maria, standing nearby, couldn't help but interject, "Didn't you say last time that being a senior assistant would give you access to classified files?"
Sharon gave Maria a look that screamed, 'You just don't get it.'
"Senior assistants can only access pricing-related classified files. To access higher-level documents, I need to be a manager."
Nick sighed, clearly seeing Sharon's stubborn attitude. He rubbed his forehead in frustration.
"Your mission is over. I'm giving you a new one: take us to meet your boss."
Sharon felt a wave of indignation wash over her. "You can't do this. I was so close to completing my mission!"
Nick stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Listen, Sharon. Right now, I'm giving you a more critical mission—take us to your boss."
Seeing Nick's serious expression, Sharon reluctantly nodded. "Fine, follow me."
With Sharon, a senior assistant, leading the way, the guards at the entrance didn't stop them. Shortly afterward, the group arrived on the top floor of the Umbrella Corporation building.
As they passed the reception desk, Tony couldn't help but ask, "Where's Luna?"
Every time he'd been to Umbrella before, Luna had been at the reception desk. Her absence piqued his curiosity.
"She's on a business trip out of town. She's been traveling a lot lately," Sharon replied casually.
Soon, they reached the door to the chairman's office.
*Knock, knock...*
"Come in," said a calm voice from inside.
Sharon took a deep breath, steadied herself, and opened the door with her head lowered.
"Boss," she said softly.
Keeping her eyes on the ground, her heart pounded wildly in her chest. She prayed silently that her boss wouldn't discover she was a spy. She needed to stay at Umbrella a bit longer.
"Who are they? What's going on?"
Before Sharon could think of how to introduce them, Tony stepped forward.
"Mr. Adam, it's me, Tony."
As he spoke, Tony removed his disguise—his hat and fake beard—meant to avoid detection.
Adam, seated behind his desk, looked at the group with a faint smile. However, he feigned ignorance and asked:
"Oh, Mr. Stark. What brings you here all of a sudden? Is it about those 100 Lickers from last time? If so, I'm afraid I have to apologize. All 100 Lickers are dead, so there won't be any refunds."
Tony shook his head quickly. "No, no. I'm not here for a refund. I'd like to purchase more of your products."
"Oh? What else do you need?" Adam asked, raising an eyebrow.
Tony was about to speak when Pepper lightly tugged his sleeve, stepping forward to interject.
"What products do you offer, Mr. Adam?"
"Products? We have plenty. It depends on your needs," Adam replied with a calm smile before waving his hand.
"Red Queen, show them the products we have available for sale."
The next moment, a holographic image of the Red Queen—a virtual, childlike avatar—appeared before the group.
"Yes, master," she responded sweetly.
Moments later, the air filled with projections of various products: Lickers, Tyrants, advanced battle armor, sentinels, electromagnetic rifles, and more.
While the Red Queen introduced the products, most of the group's attention wasn't on the items but on the AI itself.
"Is this... an artificial intelligence?" one of them asked.
"I thought JARVIS was the only AI. I didn't expect to see another one," Tony muttered, his expression unreadable.
"Yeah, no wonder Umbrella rose to prominence so quickly in just a few decades."
"The rumors are true. They say Mr. Adam is a genius on par with Stark himself."
Adam simply smiled at their praises but didn't respond, remaining seated calmly. He could tell their flattery was just a ploy to gather information.
As the group struggled to continue the small talk, the Red Queen spoke again, her tone playful. "Well, do any of the products catch your eye? If not, I'm leaving."
Her human-like personality made everyone pause, but it was Tony who looked the most serious.
Even JARVIS, his own AI, lacked such a highly-developed personality. Could this little girl really be the one who disabled JARVIS during his first visit to Umbrella? It seemed likely.
Putting that thought aside, Tony exchanged a glance with Banner.
Banner nodded and spoke up. "We'll take one of each product to test their capabilities."
Their goal wasn't just to purchase; it was to collect genetic samples for further research. They'd long suspected Umbrella had ties to the mutated creatures they'd encountered, but they needed proof.
After completing their purchase, Maria turned to Adam and removed her hood.
"Mr. Adam, I'd like to buy some information."
"What kind of information?" Adam asked, leaning back in his chair.
"Who's behind the traitors in S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Adam gazed out the window, as if lost in thought. "The Cassandra of the Middle Eastern Alliance. Be careful of her."
The group exchanged puzzled glances, unsure why he was suddenly talking about the Middle East.
Adam continued, "Cassandra possesses the ability to control minds and manipulate atomic structures…"
Before he could finish, Maria interrupted impatiently, "What does that have to do with S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Adam turned his gaze back to Maria and said evenly, "The crisis in S.H.I.E.L.D. is your own doing.
You've pushed too hard. Go to the Security Council, and your problems will be resolved. But the Middle Eastern Alliance... that's your real crisis."
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