Chapter 51 Ophelia is an Amateur
Armed Forces Command.
At this moment, the command post was already empty, and the armed forces leader was escorted back to the Baseby a Hydra-Shield Agent.
Eros was still staying here.
He sat in the main seat, looking at the figure on the projection screen without saying a word.
Obviously, the other party was the mastermind behind this operation targeting the Hydra-Shield Base.
But this face...
Looking closely, one could find that the transition at the edge of the face was somewhat unnatural, either due to heavy makeup or wearing a human face mask.
In short, they wanted to hide their identity.
But this trick worked on the armed forces leader, but it did not work on Eros.
By just slightly summarizing the intelligence, it was not hard to deduce the answer.
The purpose of attacking the Hydra-Shield Base was for the super soldier serum.
And only a few factions knew that Hydra-Shield was researching the super soldier serum.
Therefore, the person who planned this attack must be among these factions.
Kingpin, his suspicion was relatively small.
For one thing, he was just a gang leader. Although his influence was quite good, it was mainly concentrated in New York, spreading to various places with New York as the Base point.
Leaving New York, the further out, the smaller Kingpin's influence became, and even if he had the guts to attack the Hydra-Shield Base, he could not find the exact location.
With Kingpin's suspicion ruled out, only a few HYDRAheads were left.
Among these heads, only two had the motive and ability.
Daniel Whitehall, Gideon Malick.
Narrowing down the scope, with the influence of the Pierce Family, the other party's identity could be determined very soon.
By then... let the other party witness what a violent little self-will was.
Glancing sideways, Eros was too lazy to talk nonsense with the other party, turned off the screen and turned to leave.
Snap!
Daniel Whitehall fiercely smashed the wine glass filled with champagne onto the projection screen.
"Trash! These black guys are just trash!"
"An armed force of several thousand people was actually sneaked into by one person, and the entire command post was wiped out!"
Whitehall was very angry, and he could not forgive the armed forces leader who messed up his good deed.
If it were him, he definitely would not have his lair found by the enemy and his command post wiped out.
"Amateurs, these black guys are just amateurs!"
...
"Alright, I know. The news was probably leaked from S.H.I.E.L.D., I will have people carefully investigate and catch the mole."
Alexander Pierce hung up the phone, and then glanced at the time on his phone.
It was not yet eleven o'clock.
From the time he called to notify Eros, to Eros resolving the armed forces attacking the Nigeria Base, it took less than half an hour.
"Oh my god!"
Alexander Pierce could not help exclaiming in a low voice.
Could his Pierce Family have produced a true god?
In less than half an hour, rushing from New York to Nigeriamore than 8,000 kilometers away.
Even missiles are not that fast, right?
As for resolving the armed forces in Nigeria.
For a humanoid creature with a flight speed exceeding Mach 20, this was secondary instead.
Thinking of this, Alexander Pierce picked up a framed photo on his desk.
The photo showed three generations of the Pierce Family: Alexander in his middle age, Juliet in her youth, and a young Eros.
Reaching out to gently stroke the blonde woman in the photo, a flash of nostalgia crossed Alexander Pierce's eyes.
If it were now, Juliet should not have been isolated and helpless when she sacrificed herself, right?
Outside the Hydra-Shield Base.
Ophelia was wearing a combat uniform waiting for Eros.
Her rolled-up beautiful hair was covered under her military cap, revealing only a stern and pretty face, full of heroic spirit, giving people an impulse to both revere her and fiercely trample and bully her.
Seeing Eros descend from the sky, the sternness on Ophelia's face melted like ice and snow, revealing a bright smile.
She hurried forward, taking Eros's arm, her heavy conscience squeezed and deformed.
"You're here."
A few days ago when initially practicing flower arranging with Eros, Eros was called away by a phone call.
Ophelia didn't say anything on the lips, but actually felt quite unhappy in her heart.
But now...
This feeling of Eros descending from the sky to save the day shortly after a phone call was simply too great!
The sense of security was maxed out.
Thinking of this, brilliant colors flickered in Ophelia's beautiful eyes, and her body suddenly became inexplicably hot.
It could be summarized by a poem: How can the pool be so clear? For a stream of fresh water comes from the source.
Expressing concern over whether Ophelia was injured, and getting a negative affirmative answer.
Eros then asked about the personnel casualties and equipment damage of the Base.
Personnel casualties were not large, mainly concentrated in the initial missile bombing. After retreating to the internal military Base for defense, there were basically no casualties.
As for equipment, except for those that had already been transported away, the rest were basically completely destroyed.
The loss was conservatively estimated at hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars.
Regarding this, Eros had nothing much to say.
After finding the attacker, he would "discuss" compensation nicely with the other party, believing the other party would give him a satisfactory reply.
The top priority was to check Ophelia's physical condition.
Eros found that Ophelia's state was wrong, and the way she looked at him was very wrong.
To prevent Ophelia from hiding her injuries and not saying anything, Eros carefully checked her body inside and out.
Well, the body was very healthy, and the flowers were blooming brilliantly.
After completing the aftermath work, Ophelia took Eros to find Killmonger.
On the way, she casually talked about the situation at that time, and did not forget to complain about Killmongerbeing eager for quick success and instant benefits, disregarding the overall situation and safety for the sake of making contributions.
"Hmm, you did very well, there is indeed no need to take risks." Eros nodded and praised Ophelia.
But regarding Killmonger's approach, he did not criticize anything either.
He was just a young Agent eager for progress.
Exactly, such a Killmonger could be used by him.
Approaching the room where Killmonger was placed, a low murmur came over.
"Ophelia is an amateur."
Eric Killmonger could not forgive Ophelia, who ruined his dream of turning the tide and getting promoted and getting rich.
Poisoned, he lay on the hospital bed out of his mind, and even turning over was very difficult.
But on the hospital bed, his lips kept murmuring that Ophelia was an amateur.
"Ophelia is an amateur, an amateur, she is... an amateur."
"What is wrong with him?" Looking at Killmonger on the hospital bed, Eros asked.
Ophelia was also somewhat strange: "Logically speaking, my poison would only make him unconscious, it wouldn't affect his brain to turn him into a fool."
"Ophelia is an amateur..."
Looking at Killmonger, who had lost his sanity and still did not forget to murmur that Ophelia was an amateur, Erossmiled faintly.
Unconscious, huh? This was just right and saved trouble.
Eros intended to use Killmonger to plot for Wakanda and the Vibranium beneath Wakanda.
But Killmonger was not an easy character either.
In a sense, he was a great racist warrior, inheriting his father's dying wish, striving unremittingly for the black liberation movement.
Even sparing no effort to harm Wakanda's interests, distributing Wakanda's high-tech weapons for free to oppressed black compatriots all over the World.
Chapter 52: A Young Agent Yearns to Perform Meritorious Service
If Eros were a Black man, he would definitely hold Killmonger in the highest regard.
But unfortunately, he was not a Black man.
Neither in this life nor the last.
If he wanted to make good use of Killmonger, this racist warrior, to plot against Wakanda without suffering a backlash, he had to install a firewall for him.
Fortunately, HYDRA was quite experienced in this regard.
Time flew by in a flash.
When Killmonger woke up again, he had already been transferred to a Hydra-Shield Base in New York.
The Base was filled with Hydra-Shield Agents who had undergone modifications and been injected with the super soldier serum, as well as over a dozen Black experimental subjects who had passed the screening.
Killmonger was depressed for a moment before pulling himself together and beginning training.
Soon, relying on his extraordinary conviction, hard work, and talent, he stood out from the crowd.
Not only did he become the backbone of the dozen or so Black Agent, but even many White Agents looked at him in a new light.
But to Killmonger's regret, this kind of life was not what he wanted.
He wanted to perform meritorious service! Meritorious service! Meritorious service!
That day, after finishing his training, Killmonger received an order from his instructor that the head instructor was waiting for him in the conference room.
Killmonger immediately became excited. Was the opportunity to perform meritorious service that he had longed for finally arriving?
In the conference room, watching Killmonger walk in, Erosnodded.
Killmonger was a warrior to begin with. After a few days of training to master the power of a super soldier proficiently, he could execute missions.
"Agent Killmonger, what did you come to the organization to do?"
Snap!
Killmonger snapped to attention and saluted: "To do what the organization tells me to do, Instructor!"
"Very well, Killmonger, you fucking genius! That's the best answer I've ever heard. Your IQ must be over 160."
"Now, the organization has a daunting mission to hand over to you!"
"Guaranteed to complete the mission!"
"Good!"
Eros handed a file to Killmonger, and spoke only after seeing that he had read most of it:
"Ulysses Klaw, a Vibranium smuggler, is currently in South Korea. Your mission is to investigate the source of his Vibranium and bring him and the Vibranium in his hands back."
"Apart from intelligence, some money, and basic weapons, the organization will not give you any extra support. Do you have the confidence to complete the mission?"
"Guaranteed to complete the mission!" Killmongerrepeated firmly, his eyes resolute.
"Very well, then go down and prepare. You will set out tomorrow, and a special plane will send you to South Korea."
Eros nodded, motioning for Killmonger to go out, a hint of expectation in his eyes.
And Killmonger did not live up to Eros's expectations. He still stood in place, and after hesitating for a moment, he spoke: "Instructor, I think I know where the source of the Vibranium is."
Eros's eyes lit up: "Where?"
"Wakanda!"
This mission had a test buried in it.
Killmonger knew the source of the Vibranium. If he chose to conceal it, it meant the brainwashing was not thorough enough and he needed to be sent back for remolding.
Eros had two requirements for Killmonger's brainwashing.
First, instill a strong desire to perform meritorious service in him.
Killmonger's desire could be broken down into three steps: performing meritorious service to get promoted and get rich, using the power of Hydra-Shield to seize Wakanda, and then relying on Wakanda to rescue Black people.
And HYDRA's brainwashing maximized the first step, kept the second step unchanged, and minimized the ultimate goal of the third step as much as possible.
Second, set keywords; as long as the keywords were called out, Killmonger could be controlled.
The second point was a fallback measure. If not necessary, Eros would not activate it.
Patiently listening to Killmonger popularize the history of Wakanda, Eros still let him go to hunt down Ulysses Klaw first.
Only the follow-up of the mission was slightly changed.
First, Eros would have HYDRA's forces package Killmonger, giving him a persona of having built a force through his own hard work.
After that, it was to find an opportunity to assassinate Wakanda's current king, T'Chaka, creating a power vacuum in Wakanda.
Finally, let Killmonger take Ulysses Klaw, the Vibraniumthief hated by Wakanda, back, and reveal his identity to contend for the throne.
If everything went smoothly, Eros would push Killmongerto the position of King of Wakanda, and then he would control Wakanda through Killmonger.
Watching Killmonger leave the conference room, Eros also left the Base.
The seeds had been sown, and next they could wait for them to bloom and bear fruit.
...
New York, Pierce Manor.
Sunil Bakshi looked at Alexander Pierce, who had a gloomy face and didn't say a word after calling him over, and a wave of unease welled up in his heart.
Finally, after a long while, Alexander spoke:
"Bakshi, I knew you were an idiot, but I didn't expect you to be this stupid. Have you forgotten who gave you everything you have now?"
Bakshi's body gave a start, but he wasn't sure if Alexander was bluffing him or if his secret investigation into Ophelia's Base had really been exposed.
"I don't understand what you're talking about, Minister."
"Very well! Very well!" Alexander was laughed at by the stupidity. He had even sent people to invite the other party over, and the other party was still playing dumb with him.
Alexander called his assistant and ordered coldly: "Sitwell, drag this idiot down, chop him into pieces, and feed him to the dogs."
"Yes, Minister." Sitwell motioned with his eyes, and two Hydra-Shield Agents beside him immediately stepped forward, grabbed Bakshi, and dragged him out.
"Pierce, you can't treat me like this. I am a member of the HYDRA Council."
Sitwell smiled disdainfully and slapped Bakshi hard across the face.
Did the other party really think that since everyone was a member of the HYDRA Council, their statuses were equal?
In their dreams!
Giving you a seat on the Council was to show that Alexander Pierce was not dominating Hydra-Shield alone and to welcome cooperation from other HYDRA factions.
It wasn't really meant for you to bite the hand that feeds you, colluding with others to leak Alexander Pierce's movements.
After Bakshi was dragged down, Alexander asked Sitwellbeside him: "Any news about Daniel Whitehall?"
"We wiped out his headquarters in Austria, but didn't find Whitehall's whereabouts. We don't know if he caught wind of it and fled, or if he went into hiding beforehand."
"Hmm." Alexander nodded; this was within his expectations.
An old slippery fox like Whitehall, who had been active since World War II, was not something an idiot like Bakshicould compare to.
After the operation failed, he immediately went into hiding, giving opponents no chance for equal retaliation.
"Follow the trail and seize Whitehall's assets."
A fierce look flashed through Alexander Pierce's eyes.
"Since the other party wants to hide, then chop off all his tentacles and see how long he can hide."
"Yes, Minister, I'll go make arrangements right away."
...
Snap!
"Damn Pierce!"
Whitehall smashed another cup.
His days during this period had been very difficult. From time to time, he would receive news that certain assets were sniped, capital chains broke, and they went bankrupt and were restructured, only to be acquired at low prices.
And all of this was undoubtedly Alexander Pierce's doing.
"Pierce, since you hit so hard, don't blame me."
A trace of madness flashed in Whitehall's eyes. He was a lone man, but Alexander Pierce was certainly not.
Chapter 53: Life Is Like That, Ups And Downs"
Eros did not participate in the retaliation against Daniel Whitehall, and he handed it over to Alexander Pierce with peace of mind.
Able to climb to his current position, besides having a general father, Alexander Pierce's own abilities were also quite good.
Dealing with a Daniel Whitehall was effortless.
As for Whitehall's counterattack, Eros's side had also prepared defenses and strengthened the security work for several lovers.
Now, Eros was getting a headache over another matter.
"Felicia, you took the wrong one, this is yesterday's newspaper."
"Sorry, Eros."
Felicia stood up, yawning and stretching lazily, her graceful and curvaceous figure under the black dress fully revealed, and she swayed her plump hips as she walked towards the office door.
Finding today's newspaper from the bookshelf at the office door, Felicia turned and walked towards Eros, handing it to Eros.
Eros withdrew his gaze and signaled Felicia to sit down: "What have you been doing at night these past few days, looking so listless."
Looking even more overworked than me.
Felicia sat on Eros's lap and rolled her eyes at him: "It's all your fault."
"My fault?" Eros didn't understand.
"You haven't been to my place these past few days, I couldn't sleep, so…"
Before Felicia finished speaking, Eros had already found the answer on the newspaper.
Last night, the town-store treasure of a jewelry store in Manhattan, New York, the Heart of the Sky, mysteriously disappeared.
Eros compared the photo of the Heart of the Sky on the newspaper with Felicia's chest, and helplessly supported his forehead.
"Felicia, has our family reached the point of lacking money to this extent? We can't even afford jewelry worth millions of U.S. dollars."
Felicia noticed Eros's gaze and puffed out her chest: "You don't understand, I stole this with my own ability, it's different."
Eros flicked Felicia's forehead with his finger, feeling somewhat helpless towards her special hobby.
In fact, he hadn't neglected Felicia; on the contrary, he spent the most time accompanying Felicia.
Felicia was his secretary, and he was at the company whenever he had nothing to do during the day.
As for the night, Eros could only try his best to be fair and impartial.
After all, during this period of time, three older sisters and one younger sister were all in New York.
"Move yourself, I'll read the newspaper for a while."
Felicia gave a soft hum.
Life is like that; if it's not bowing forward and backward, it's ups and downs.
"Did it still happen?" Eros murmured softly.
The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and many major newspaper offices all reported the same news today.
A person-height red mecha appeared on the battlefield in Afghanistan to combat Terrorists.
According to reliable sources, the red mecha first appeared in Los Angeles, suspected to have flown out of Tony Stark's luxury Villa.
Eros shook his head; he was not optimistic about Tony's approach.
When he went to Afghanistan to save Tony, he also struck Terrorists once, and had not taken action since.
The root cause of the turmoil in Afghanistan was not the Terrorists, but the lack of a stable regime.
Then, why was the Afghan regime unstable?
Look at the U.S. military Base in Afghanistan, the answer is so hard to guess.
However, since Tony officially started taking action, Obadiah should not be able to sit still anymore.
Just wonder how the situation will develop this time.
This time, there were no people from the Ten Rings Gangto hand over the mark i wreckage to Obadiah.
Obadiah couldn't let the engineers of Stark Industriesimitate and build the Iron Monger based on the mark iwreckage.
And Tony also received Eros's reminder, so he should have a few more points of defense against Obadiah.
"Felicia, has the equity structure of Stark Industrieschanged recently?"
"I need to check the data," Felicia replied.
Eros handed the tablet to her.
This kind of life where you have a secretary handle things when there's work and keep you company when there isn't was really quite nice.
"No." Felicia checked the data for a while and replied.
Hmm, it seems neither Tony nor Obadiah had made a move yet, but it should be soon.
...
Los Angeles.
Tony continued to research his mark iii in the Villa.
Don't look at how majestic he was in the newspaper, wiping out a whole terrorist squad by himself.
But few people knew that when he was flying back in the battle armor, he encountered Rhodes's F-22 fighter jet squad, and then got beaten up.
Of course, this also had to do with Tony not fighting back.
But Tony wouldn't think that way.
In the Underground Room of the Villa, Jarvis worked overtime to improve the mark iii, while Tony came to the living room, eating burgers while watching TV.
He wasn't an artificial intelligence; he needed to eat.
Just at this moment.
Obadiah quietly approached Tony from behind and raised the infrasonic paralyzer in his hand.
Press!
"Hum—!"
An infrasonic wave sounded in Tony's ear.
"Still remember this thing?" Obadiah smiled and poked his head out from behind Tony, placing the infrasonic device in front of Tony.
"It's a pity the government didn't approve production. Actually, temporary paralyzing weapons can be used in many places."
"To be honest, Tony, when I ordered your assassination, I was worried that what I was killing was a chicken that lays golden eggs."
"At that time, look, you survived, this is all fate."
"Destined for you to lay this last golden egg."
Obadiah smiled and aimed the instrument in his hand at the Arc Reactor on Tony's chest.
However, a hand grabbed his hand.
Obadiah looked up and only then discovered that Tonyhadn't been paralyzed as he expected.
"Obadiah, I've never dared to believe it, it turns out it really was you."
Tony looked at the extremely shocked Obadiah, feeling heartbroken himself.
Yesterday, after going to Afghanistan to combat Terroristsand making it onto the newspaper, he used the contact information Eros gave him to contact the mastermind behind bribing the Ten Rings Gang to assassinate him.
Using Iron Man's first-generation prototype as bait, he fished out Obadiah.
Well, although Eros's hint was very obvious, Tony still chose to verify it himself once more.
And the answer to this verification…
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
"Those Terrorists don't even know my true identity, how could you know?"
"If you want people not to know, you shouldn't have done it in the first place."
Tony spoke with his mouth, but in his heart he recalled Eros's reminder.
If nobody had reminded him, he truly wouldn't have thought that the person who wanted to kill him would actually be his second most trusted uncle.
Tony snatched the infrasonic weapon from Obadiah's hand, leaned close to Obadiah's ear, and pressed it lightly.
Obadiah, who had just taken off his headphones, was instantly paralyzed.
"I hate others using weapons I developed to deal with me."
...
Early the next morning, after waking up and checking her phone, Felicia let out a sudden cry of exclamation:
"Eros, how did you know the equity structure of Stark Industries would change?"
Chapter 54 Felicia: Believe It Or Not, I'll Bite You
"Want to know? I won't tell you." Eros rubbed Felicia's head, teasing her on purpose.
With her curiosity unsatisfied, Felicia bared her teeth and threatened, "Believe it or not, I'll bite you?"
"I don't believe it."
"Hiss~"
"You're really biting?"
Watching Felicia bite down on him, Eros drew a sharp breath.
She really was a wildcat.
"Fine, I'll tell you..."
Unable to bear the bite anymore, Eros shared some of the things between Tony and Obadiah with Felicia to satisfy the black cat's curiosity.
Before Eros could finish speaking, his phone rang.
"Ophelia, what is it?"
Ophelia?
Hearing that name, Felicia's ears perked up.
Although they had never met, Felicia held quite a bit of resentment toward Ophelia.
The two had crossed paths from afar a few times, and she had suffered quite a few losses each time.
The first time, Ophelia used the excuse that there was a problem with the super soldier serum to call Eros away.
The second time, she took the initiative to retaliate by having Eros call Ophelia, but she didn't expect Ophelia to pull a ruthless move on her, making her suffer quite a bit.
Fortunately, sweetness followed the bitterness.
Thinking of this, Felicia bit down even harder.
Ophelia knew that Eros had a few other lovers, but the only one who would pull such a stunt was that shameless wildcat.
Originally, she just wanted to inform Eros of this unexpected situation, but now she had no choice but to trick Eros into coming over.
"There is a problem with the super soldier serum project, I need you to come over?"
"What problem?"
"Someone leaked the fact that we are conducting large-scale human experiments in West Africa. The media is paying close attention to this matter right now, and I'm worried that if they keep investigating, it will lead back to us."
Ophelia said in a muffled voice.
The super soldier serum formula was her key to rising into the upper echelons of HYDRA. Now that the experiment had clearly succeeded, all sorts of accidents kept happening.
This put Ophelia in a rather foul mood.
Eros: "Alright, I understand, I'll be right over."
Felicia loosened her bite and said with some worry, "Did the super soldier serum run into problems again? It won't affect my dad, right?"
"Rest assured, it won't affect Uncle John." Eros chuckled softly and reached out to rub her head.
"Alright, don't worry. Have you forgotten? Like I said, no matter when it is, I will always silently support you behind your back."
Even with urgent matters to attend to, Eros still kept his promise and silently supported Felicia.
An hour later.
Eros hurried away, heading to Ophelia's research institute.
"Where was the news leaked from?" Eros found Opheliaand asked.
"The ones who published the news are the Rising Tide."
Rising Tide, a hacker organization composed of white liberals.
They believed that official institutions hiding secrets violated the public's right to know and freedom, so they used hacking methods to expose the truths and secrets hidden by official institutions.
Most of these were scandals and dark deeds.
Before Rising Tide brought trouble to his doorstep, Eroswould only want to say well done.
Those pedophiles, cannibals, and orgy-throwers deserved to be thoroughly exposed.
But...
For Rising Tide to stir up trouble right on his doorstep made him very unhappy.
His human experiments this time had all the proper paperwork; besides the test subjects being a bit dark-skinned, what was so dark about it?
There was one thing Eros found quite puzzling.
Rising Tide was mainly active in the North American region. How did things from that backwater place in West Africa get onto their radar?
"I suspect the news was leaked to Rising Tide by Daniel Whitehall's side," Ophelia said.
Although there was no evidence, none was needed.
She had been operating in West Africa for so long without a hitch until the experiment succeeded.
Ever since the last HYDRA Council meeting where the news of the experiment's success was announced, all sorts of situations had been popping up frequently.
"I have no idea what that old geezer Whitehall is thinking."
Eros complained inwardly, also feeling that this was Whitehall's doing.
Speaking of which, Alexander Pierce had shown kindness to Whitehall.
After World War II ended, Whitehall was captured by a team led by Carter and locked up in a secret prison.
He was locked up there for almost forty years.
It wasn't until Alexander Pierce joined HYDRA and climbed to the position of Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. that he secretly rescued Whitehall.
For a long time after that, the cooperation between both sides was very pleasant.
Whitehall, Strucker, and others exerted efforts in the field of scientific research, developing numerous black technologies for HYDRA.
Alexander Pierce and the Mark family exerted efforts in the military and political fields, continuously expanding HYDRA's influence.
Working together with one heart, everyone managed to develop HYDRA from near extinction after World War IIinto the behemoth whose tentacles spread across the World today.
And precisely because of their pleasant cooperation, Bakshi, that lackey of Whitehall, was able to climb to a high position within S.H.I.E.L.D.
What a pity.
People who can share sweetness might not necessarily be able to share bitterness, and people who can share bitterness might not necessarily be able to share sweetness.
After HYDRA grew larger, various internal fights emerged.
"Let's hold a council meeting. If we continue to let Whitehall mess around like this, it will only lead to premature exposure." Eros rubbed his brow and said.
It wasn't that HYDRA couldn't be exposed, but it depended on the timing.
The timing he idealized should be in 2012, after Thanos's advance force, the Chitauri army, attacked New York.
When disaster struck, people would yearn for a savior to appear.
With massive external pressure, the resistance encountered in unifying global forces would be much smaller.
In the dim room, several projections appeared one after another.
The HYDRA meeting was convened.
The atmosphere this time was noticeably much more oppressive than last time.
Gideon Markley and Baron Strucker's gazes drifted back and forth between Whitehall's side and Alexander Pierce's side from time to time.
During this period, they had both heard about the conflict between Whitehall and Alexander Pierce.
It was just that the result disappointed them greatly.
Whitehall just couldn't take a hit at all.
However... why was the one calling the meeting Ophelia, and not Whitehall, who was being beaten down and whose influence had severely shrunk?
Before Gideon Markley and Baron Strucker could remain puzzled for too long, Ophelia revealed the answer to the two of them.
"During this period, someone, for personal selfish gain, attacked council members and leaked council members' secrets to the outside World."
"This has seriously damaged the organization's interests."
Ophelia looked at Whitehall and took the initiative to launch an attack:
"Councilman Daniel Whitehall, what do you have to say in your defense regarding the leaking of the super soldier serum experiment news to Rising Tide?"
"I have nothing to say to a wet-behind-the-ears girl like you." Whitehall smiled disdainfully.
"The victor is king and the loser is bandit; let's settle this with real actions."
Whitehall didn't notice that upon hearing his words, which were practically an admission of guilt, the expressions of the others changed slightly.
Chapter 55: Skye, Do You Know Who You're Working For?
Daniel Whitehall, an old relic from World War II, wouldn't understand.
The way HYDRA operates today is no longer the same as it was in World War II.
HYDRA during World War II could operate out in the open, openly supporting Hitler.
Now, HYDRA needs to stay hidden in the shadows, influencing and controlling the World from behind the scenes.
Although HYDRA's power is vast, once exposed, even it couldn't withstand the combined suppression of governments around the World.
And Whitehall's actions undoubtedly broke the rules.
If you want to steal the super soldier serum formula, fine.
If you can pull it off, good for you.
If you fail, don't complain when the other side retaliates—accept your losses.
Either way, the spoils stay within the circle.
Now, you failed to steal the meat and want to flip the table—what is the meaning of this?
The neutral parties—Gideon Malick, Baron Strucker, and Dr. Zola—began looking at Whitehall with unfriendly gazes.
Observing secretly, Alexander immediately seized on this shift and acted decisively:
"I propose stripping Whitehall of all his positions within the organization."
"Seconded," Senator Stern was the first to concur, as usual.
"Seconded," Ophelia followed immediately after.
"Seconded."
"Seconded."
Gideon Malick took a deep look at Whitehall, shook his head, and said, "Seconded."
"You all!"
Whitehall turned green with rage. Dropping a final sentence, he cut off the projection: "You are not real HYDRA!"
"Dr. Zola, please help keep an eye on the online public opinion. Of course, I will also arrange for people to suppress the trending topics on my end."
"No problem, Alexander."
"Also, Whitehall's coordinates..."
Dr. Zola readily agreed to help monitor the public opinion online, but when faced with Alexander's request for Whitehall's coordinates...
...Dr. Zola shook his head and said calmly, "Daniel has always been on guard against me. I don't know where he's hiding either."
"Alright. If he shows up, please let me know, Dr. Zola." Alexander nodded thoughtfully.
"I don't know."
What a handy answer.
...
The elites of the World had surprisingly consistent methods for controlling public narrative, which was...
"Inside This Toxic Marriage"
— People Magazine
Heard: "I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out... I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse."
— The Washington Post
"Shocking Twist! The Real Abuser Exposed: Heard Pooped in Depp's Bed!"
— New York Daily News
A divorce scandal involving an A-list Hollywood couple was naturally far more attention-grabbing than a pharmaceutical company conducting human trials in West Africa.
Not to mention sensational elements like domestic abuse, dramatic plot twists, and pooping in bed.
After more than half a month, hardly any media mentioned the large-scale human experiments in West Africa that had caused the deaths of many local Black people.
But while the media had forgotten, Rising Tide had not.
Inside a van, a young girl sat before a computer, reviewing files sent by an informant.
The person in charge of the human experiment project in West Africa was named Ophelia Sarkissian, and the financial backer behind her was the boss of Vought International...
"Eros Pierce?"
Looking at the handsome man in the dossier, the girl frowned.
He looked decent enough on the outside, but unfortunately, he was a ruthless capitalist who treated human life like trash.
No, I have to expose him!
The girl clacked away at her keyboard, organizing the files to submit them to various news agencies.
However...
"Poor network signal, send failed?" The girl's expression changed.
She was a veteran hacker; she wouldn't make such an amateur mistake.
She looked up and saw that the van was surrounded by several burly men in black suits.
"Miss Skye, please come with us."
...
"He actually tried to move against me. It seems Whitehallis getting desperate lately."
Looking at the files his subordinates brought up—the ones Whitehall leaked to Skye—Eros frowned slightly.
Whitehall's actions wouldn't have any real impact on him, of course, but it was thoroughly disgusting.
Eros didn't want to be exposed to the public so soon; it wasn't time yet.
The Battle of New York would be the ideal time for his grand debut.
He wanted to descend as a savior, riding the momentum of repelling alien invaders and turning the tide to integrate this little planet.
Snapping back to reality, Eros looked at Skye in front of him and smiled.
The girl before him was about eighteen. Though plainly dressed, her youthful, collagen-rich face more than compensated for it.
And by the looks of it, she had a strong sense of justice and plenty of heart.
"Skye, a member of Rising Tide, a hacker, former name Mary Sue Poots. Spent her childhood bouncing between foster homes."
Closing the dossier, Eros looked at Skye and asked, "Am I right?"
"You're right, sir." Skye squeezed out a smile. Standing under another's roof, she had no choice but to bow her head.
"Sir, I don't know why you brought me here. I think there might be a tiny little misunderstanding between us."
As she spoke, Skye pinched her thumb and index finger together in a gesture that would send South Korean men into a rage.
"Whether there's a misunderstanding isn't for you to decide unilaterally, Miss."
Eros shook his head and exaggerated deliberately:
"Do you know how much money Rising Tide's leak cost me? To settle this matter, I spent at least a million in PR fees."
"So tell me, girl, how do you plan to compensate me?"
Skye's eyes darted around, and she smiled apologetically, "Actually, I just joined Rising Tide. I'm only a peripheral member."
"A peripheral member?" Eros looked at Skye with a half-smile. "Then why were these files sent directly to your computer?"
Skye fell silent for a moment before playing dumb: "I don't know either."
Over a million dollars—she couldn't afford that even if she sold herself.
Looking at Skye, Eros recalled her background.
Skye was Chinese-American, her father Calvin Johnson, her mother the Inhuman Jiaying. During World War II, Jiaying was captured by Whitehall for experimentation, awakening her Inhuman abilities upon contact with the obelisk.
When Skye was still an infant, her mother Jiaying was captured again by Whitehall after his release from prison.
Originally, Whitehall had only captured Jiaying to continue his experiments, but unexpectedly, forty years passed without Jiaying's appearance changing at all.
Thus, after studying her, Whitehall discovered Jiaying's Inhuman abilities:
super healing, extended lifespan, and absorbing the life force of others.
Upon discovering Jiaying's life-extending ability, Whitehallharbored sinister intentions; he transplanted Jiaying's organs into himself to regain his youth.
If not for Jiaying's tenacious life force, Whitehall would have become Skye's mother's killer.
Of course, it wasn't much different now.
Eros flashed a mischievous smile. If Skye found out she was working for her enemy, her expression would surely be a sight to behold.
"Skye, do you know who you're working for?"
Chapter 56: Girl, how are you so good at this?
Skye shook her head, still looking well-behaved and harmless: "I don't know."
If someone didn't know her well, they might really be fooled by her appearance and think she was truly an innocent little white flower.
"You know nothing, yet you're busy working for the person behind the scenes. You think you're executing justice, but in reality, you're just a sharp blade used by another powerful figure to eliminate rivals."
Seeing Skye's face turn a bit pale opposite him, hesitating to speak, looking like she wanted to argue but was worried he would get angry and hurt her.
Eros smiled and took a sip of wild dog milk.
"I know you're not convinced. Maybe you want to say that even if you become a tool for another powerful figure to eliminate rivals, at least you've exposed the dark side of this World, defending the public's right to know and justice."
"Isn't it?" This time, Skye couldn't help but retort.
Pretending to be weak was just Skye's way of protecting herself.
A girl who had wandered through various foster homes since childhood and managed to safely reach adulthood couldn't possibly be a truly weak white lotus.
Skye never lacked the courage to fight back.
"Before Rising Tide targeted me, I thought so too."
Skye originally thought her defense would be refuted, or that he would even get angry and verbally abuse or beat her, but none of that happened.
The other party first nodded in agreement, then looked at her with a face full of pity.
This look made Skye feel irritated and furious.
"Young Skye, do you know who you are working for, and who you are attacking for them?"
Hearing this question again, Skye answered impatiently: "I said, I don't know, and I don't care."
"You are attacking an organization directly under the United Nations that secretly maintains World security, all for an extreme Nazi."
Yes, that's right.
Daniel Whitehall is a Nazi, and the Hydra-Shield is ostensibly directly under the World Security Council.
"Words are cheap. How do I know if what you're saying is true?"
"Have you ever heard of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division?"
"What is this Strategic Homeland whatever Division?"
Seeing Skye's blank expression, Eros finally remembered that Rising Tide only targeted S.H.I.E.L.D. after the Battle of New York in 2012.
Right now, while Rising Tide isn't completely clueless about S.H.I.E.L.D., they only have a vague sense at most that a mysterious organization is handling mysterious events.
Therefore, Eros had to explain it to Skye once more.
"Speaking of which, Skye, you actually have quite a history with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Whitehall."
When Skye was still a baby, her mother, in order to protect her from being taken away by Whitehall, handed Skyeover to S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Steel Egg.
Later, to protect Skye, Steel Egg completely erased her traces and sent her to an orphanage.
Over the years, although Skye wandered through various foster homes, S.H.I.E.L.D. always had someone watching over and protecting her.
"I have a history with S.H.I.E.L.D. and that Nazi? What does that mean?"
Skye's expression was complex, filled with disbelief yet also a trace of hope that it was true.
Like many children in orphanages, Skye desperately wanted to know who her parents were and why they had abandoned her.
Her joining Rising Tide was also largely to investigate her own background.
"I've already told you a lot. There's no free lunch in this World. If you want to know more, you have to offer some bargaining chips, right?"
Skye was desperate to know the truth of her origin, but Eros didn't want to tell her so easily.
Seeing Skye look at him with a face full of shame and anger, Eros was a bit baffled.
He wanted Skye to reverse-trace Whitehall and find his location as an exchange.
This request wasn't unreasonable, was it?
It wasn't until he saw Skye slowly walk over to him and squat down that Eros finally understood what was going on.
Girl, how are you so good at this?
...
An hour later.
With her hair disheveled, her face flushed pink, and her eyes misty, Skye leaned against Eros's chest and said in a hoarse voice:
"Are you satisfied now? Can you tell me the answer?"
Although she didn't like Eros, sleeping with him was indeed a pleasurable thing. Even though she could use her own fingers, it was ultimately incomparable.
"You haven't completed my request yet, and you want the answer so soon?" Eros shook his head.
"You..." Skye was furious and bit down hard on Eros's shoulder.
She wanted to bite this bastard to death, who pulled up his pants and refused to acknowledge his promise.
However, there was nothing more Skye could do.
"Look at you, getting impatient again without waiting for me to finish."
Eros rubbed Skye's cheek, gesturing for her to let go so she wouldn't break her teeth.
"As long as you help me reverse-trace Whitehall's location, I will tell you about his connection to you, as well as your connection to S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Huh?"
Skye was utterly dumbfounded. Once she realized what was happening, she buried her head in Eros's shoulder and bit him hard again.
Aren't you Quake? Why aren't you using shockwaves, but playing with Fire instead?
Facing the arsonist Skye, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Erosimmediately went on the attack, catching her and giving her a harsh lesson with his "stick."
...
There was no shortage of expert hackers within the Hydra-Shield.
But the Marvel Universe is a World where magic and technology coexist, and many things are somewhat metaphysical.
For example, the problem of controlled nuclear fusion, which had troubled the World for decades, was hand-crafted by Tony Stark in a cave in less than three months.
Skye, of course, couldn't compare to Tony Stark, but in terms of hacking skills, she was still among the best in the World.
And one of the World's top hackers, paired with the top-tier equipment Eros provided her...
...reverse-tracing an old geezer whose mindset was still stuck in the 1950s would be as easy as taking candy from a baby.
Looking at Skye, who was sweating profusely in front of the computer, a suspicion arose in Eros's mind.
The fact that they hadn't been able to trace Daniel Whitehall's location for so long might not be because his concealment techniques were so superb.
Someone was secretly helping Whitehall!
There was a mole in the house!
"Take your time. If you need anything, just tell Felicia, and she will help you resolve it."
After comforting Skye, Eros left the Vought International Building alone.
...
New Jersey, an abandoned S.H.I.E.L.D. Base.
Eros descended from the sky.
This was the place where Steve Rogers trained back in the day, and also the birthplace of S.H.I.E.L.D.
At the same time, this was also the place where Earth's first digital life, Arnim Zola, uploaded his consciousness.
Easily breaking through the door, Eros took the elevator down to the underground hangar.
Ring, ring, ring.
Just as he stepped out of the elevator, Eros's phone rang and automatically connected.
"You shouldn't have come here, child."
"And you shouldn't have secretly helped Whitehall hide his tracks, Dr. Zola."
Chapter 57: This Base is Safe!
It wasn't that there were no hackers who could shake off Skye's reverse tracking, but those who could completely outclass her and leave her completely helpless were extremely rare.
Among them, Dr. Zola was highly suspect.
But would he admit it?
"I don't know what you're talking about, child."
Dr. Zola's reaction was not beyond Eros's expectations, but since he had come to find Dr. Zola, he naturally wouldn't leave empty-handed.
Eros raised his phone and panned it around the underground computer room.
He did this deliberately to let Dr. Zola see the situation in the underground computer room through the phone's camera.
"1972, such a distant era. Back then, Tony Stark was still babbling, and the information age had only just begun."
"Dr. Zola, you are a genius."
"At the very beginning of the information age, you were able to upload your consciousness to a computer and become the World's first digital life form."
"But sometimes, even geniuses lose to time."
"Nearly forty years have passed from 1972 to the present. Tony Stark has also grown from a babbling infant into the World-renowned genius scientist he is today."
At this point, Eros paused, bringing up the core of the topic.
"At the same time, the second artificial intelligence, Jarvis, was born at the hands of Tony Stark."
Although he couldn't see Dr. Zola's expression, Erosbelieved it must not be very pleasant right now.
And indeed, it was just as Eros expected.
In 1972, after learning he had cancer, Dr. Zola uploaded his consciousness into a computer.
At that time, the information age was just starting, the internet had not yet risen, and Dr. Zola's days were quite dull and tedious.
So he focused on his career, allowing HYDRA to rise from the ashes and grow strong right under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s nose.
It wasn't until 1995, when the internet moved from scientific research to the public, that Dr. Zola's good days finally arrived.
All kinds of games, TV shows, movies, and commercial secrets dazzled him.
Back then, the internet was Dr. Zola's back garden, and he was the sole Master of this emerging garden.
But the good times did not last.
Tony Stark cobbled together the second artificial intelligence, Jarvis.
In terms of algorithms, Dr. Zola had also been constantly learning and was confident he was not inferior to Tony Stark.
But on the hardware level...
His 1972 computers were far inferior to Jarvis.
Furthermore, Tony Stark had built a supercomputer for Jarvis to increase Jarvis's computing power.
With that, Dr. Zola's good days came to an end. He could no longer play wantonly in his back garden.
A new Master had arrived in his back garden.
"What exactly are you trying to say, Eros?"
"Dr. Zola, I believe you played an indispensable role in HYDRA's growth in the past. But in this new era, HYDRA's development has encountered new difficulties."
Eros smiled slightly and threw out a carrot:
"I plan to invest one billion dollars to build a World-class supercomputer to provide you with computing power support."
If Dr. Zola wanted to fully exert his abilities, he could not do without hardware support.
Of course, he could hack into other supercomputers and borrow their computing power.
But the World is material.
Every calculation by a supercomputer consumes electricity.
Small-scale calculations are fine, as they fall within the normal range of fluctuations.
But if a large amount of data needs to be processed and a massive amount of computing power is called upon, it will cause abnormal power usage, revealing a flaw.
Therefore, Eros's words struck right at Dr. Zola's pain point.
As for why people like Alexander Pierce and Gideon Malick hadn't noticed this...
Although they were younger than Whitehall, they were still old fogies.
Those who didn't grow up in the internet era are naturally not as sensitive to these things.
Of course, it was also possible that they were guarding against Dr. Zola on a daily basis, only providing him with massive computing power support when necessary.
Dr. Zola projected a simple, honest smiling face on the phone screen: "Good child, I will do my best to help you track down Whitehall's whereabouts."
"Dr. Zola, I have no selfish motives. Everything is for the development of the organization. It was Whitehall who betrayed the organization."
"Hail HYDRA!"
"Hail HYDRA!"
Eros also revealed a smile.
The deal was considered done.
...
Leaving the underground hangar, Eros noticed two missed calls on his phone.
One was from Felicia, and the other was also from Felicia.
He called back.
"Is something the matter, Felicia?"
"News came from Kingpin. Last night, he discovered that the Russian brothers had smuggled in a batch of heavy weapons. Both the Russian brothers and the buyer have been detained by him."
"Tell Kingpin he did a good job. Have our people take over and investigate the buyer's identity."
After falling out with Whitehall, to prevent any assassination attempts from him, Eros set up certain defenses in New York.
This included having Kingpin keep an eye on the underworld's arms trade.
Although Kingpin's power was far inferior to HYDRA's, in New York, he was the local Kingpin.
...
Two days later, in the early morning.
After finishing his exercise, Eros pushed away Skye, who was clinging to him, and got up to wash.
Failing to reverse-track Whitehall, Skye had actually gotten some devious ideas and tried to seduce him.
Was he that kind of person?
"I've already found Whitehall's location. The condition for this time is void. The next time I need to use your help, I'll tell you what the condition is."
Dodging the flying clothes by sidestepping, Eros left the Villa.
Well, this was where he had settled Skye. Although they were just friends with benefits right now, they might develop into lovers in the future, and having no fixed place to live certainly wouldn't do.
In the Long Island area, Eros had bought a cluster of Villas, and they would just go to waste if left empty anyway.
Leaving the Villa, Eros drove to the Hydra-Shield Base, took a combat squad, and boarded a quinjet straight to Whitehall's hiding place.
Eros suspected that Dr. Zola had known where Whitehallwas all along.
It was just that since he had just said he didn't know earlier, he was too embarrassed to change his tune immediately, so he deliberately delayed it for a few days.
Siberia.
Inside the HYDRA Base.
Whitehall was savoring his red wine, preparing to go to sleep.
His mental journey over the past few days had been very complex.
He had wanted to continue throwing mud at the industries under Alexander Pierce's name.
But failed.
He had wanted to capture Alexander Pierce's only relative to force him to stop.
But as soon as the person entered New York, they were discovered and captured.
Whitehall somewhat doubted if he was unable to keep up with the times, and whether there was no longer a place for him in HYDRA.
As a fellow HYDRA leader, he had absolutely no ability to resist in the face of Alexander Pierce.
At least there was one piece of good news: he would outlive Alexander Pierce.
After transplanting the organs of the Inhuman Jiaying, he had not only regained his youth, but his life force was also incomparably robust.
He could completely drag things out until Alexander Piercedied, and then make a comeback.
Taking a delightfully satisfying sip of red wine, Whitehallput down his glass and walked toward the bed.
His Base was in a Far East region like Siberia; Alexander Pierce would never be able to find it in his entire life.
This Base is safe!
Chapter 58: Whitehall: In Conscious Dreams, Returning to My Old Courtyard, Looking Upon Him Once More Through the Mottled Years
"I didn't expect Whitehall to hide in such a remote place."
Looking down at the wilderness below, Grant Wardcouldn't help but complain.
As he spoke, Grant Ward glanced at his superior beside him, feeling a bit dazed.
It wasn't until he was recently chosen to be injected with the super soldier serum that he learned his mysteriously backed superior was actually HYDRA too!
Didn't that mean HYDRA's power was even greater than he had imagined?
Sure enough, joining HYDRA was the right choice.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent?
Just a dispatched temp.
Not even a dog would take that job!
Eros wasn't privy to Grant Ward's inner journey; he merely thought the man was useful and gave him a boost.
Eros looked at the quinjet's control console, cross-referencing the coordinates sent by Dr. Zola until the two sets of numbers aligned.
"Land. The coordinates are right here. Prepare for action."
The quinjet touched down, and Eros and his team stepped out.
On the surface, the area appeared to be an unremarkable coniferous forest, devoid of any human footprints.
But...
Even without X-ray vision, Eros could spot the lookouts hidden in the forest with his super vision and super hearing.
Bang!
Gunfire erupted, the natural stillness shattered by the roar of artillery.
Two HYDRA factions began slaughtering each other in this deserted wilderness.
One side consisted of the subordinates of the veteran HYDRA leader, Daniel Whitehall.
The other side was made up of Hydra-Shield Agents injected with the super soldier serum.
Both sides had comparable equipment and similar local numbers.
Therefore...
A completely one-sided massacre began.
With senses enhanced by the super soldier serum, the hidden sentries Whitehall stationed outside the Base were like video game bots in the eyes of Grant Ward and his team.
Their concealment was full of flaws, their aim and reaction times sluggish.
Eros barely had to lift a finger before Grant Ward led the team unstoppably toward the entrance of Whitehall's Base.
The reason he barely acted—rather than not acting at all—was that Eros also had to protect Ophelia.
Ophelia had come along as well.
Ophelia harbored a deep grudge against Whitehall.
After all, the catalyst for the war between Pierce and Whitehall was her successful refinement of the super soldier serum and her ascent into HYDRA's core circle.
This time, she was truly stepping over Whitehall to rise in rank.
Inside the Base, Whitehall was sleeping soundly.
A subordinate suddenly barged in and woke him up.
"Boss, the Base is under attack! We can barely hold out—we have to evacuate now!"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Whitehall waved his hand, full of disbelief.
"My Base is so well hidden. How could it be exposed?"
As he spoke, Whitehall suddenly felt the World before him blur. He yawned, sat up in bed, and found everything in the Base peaceful and intact.
"So that was just a dream. I knew it—this Base is so well concealed, how could it be found?" Muttering to himself, Whitehall went back to sleep.
In conscious dreams, returning to my old courtyard, looking upon him once more through the mottled years.
Whitehall was dreaming again.
In the dream, he saw his youthful idol, HYDRA's leader, Red Skull Johann Schmidt.
"Mr. Schmidt!" Whitehall saluted the Red Skull excitedly.
He then began venting to the Red Skull about how today's HYDRA wasn't HYDRA at all, devoid of the brilliance and glory of their era, daring only to cause trouble in the shadows.
"Mr. Schmidt, I believe you deserve immense credit for HYDRA's past glory."
"To restore HYDRA's glory is our inescapable duty!"
Whitehall passionately explained his plan to revitalize HYDRA to the Red Skull.
Speaking with growing fervor, Whitehall glanced toward the Red Skull.
He noticed the Red Skull's face shifting until it transformed into the likeness of a woman he despised.
Whitehall shook his head vigorously before the Red Skullbefore him shifted back to the familiar appearance.
So, he continued telling the Red Skull about his plans, what stage they were currently in, what preparations had been made, and which forces were involved.
Finally, after a long time, Whitehall finished explaining his plans.
Parched, he instinctively picked up the wine glass beside him and took a sip.
The wine moistened his mouth and flowed down his esophagus into his stomach, the sensation remarkably vivid.
Vivid...
Smash!
The glass slipped from Whitehall's hand. He snapped his head up to look again at the great leader before him, the "Red Skull."
The other party's face flickered back and forth between the Red Skull and Ophelia before finally settling on the Red Skull's likeness.
"I didn't expect you to be so loyal to the organization. What a pity your loyalty was misplaced."
The "Red Skull's" voice sounded, both strange and familiar in Whitehall's ears.
Whitehall stared at the Red Skull before him, stumbled back several paces, and slapped his own head frantically.
"You can't do this to me! I'm a member of the HYDRA Council!"
"I bled for the organization! I performed meritorious deeds for the organization!"
"Just give me a quick death!"
Watching Whitehall before her, who had finally realized he was hypnotized and now looked half-crazed...
Ophelia looked at Eros, signaling him to make the decision.
"Did he confess everything?" Eros asked.
"Everything. With this intelligence, I can take over his forces almost entirely intact."
Eros pondered. That meant Whitehall had virtually no value left.
No, there was still one thing.
The organs in his body had been transplanted from Skye's mother; it was just unknown which ones had been transplanted.
"Freeze him for now."
Ophelia gave Eros a surprised look, not understanding why, but nodded nonetheless.
The surprise raid on Whitehall's Base came to a close.
In fact, the moment Dr. Zola stopped masking Whitehall's tracks and proactively leaked his location, Whitehall's fate was already sealed.
What followed was an overwhelming breach of Whitehall's Base and Whitehall's capture alive.
Then, to smoothly absorb Whitehall's forces and avoid internal attrition, Whitehall was treated to a hypnosis session.
Then again, HYDRA's hypnosis technique was truly creepy.
Watching Ophelia complete the hypnosis on Whitehallfirsthand, Eros even began to question the reality of this World.
After all...
To dispel his doubts, Eros invited Ophelia out for a walk.
As for cleaning up the battlefield, that could be left to Grant Ward.
In New York, it was probably around noon, but in Siberia, it was late at night.
The primeval forest in the dead of night held a distinctive ambiance.
First came the faint sound of venomous snakes flicking their tongues, followed by the unending chorus of insects and birds.
Long held captive in a cage, now returned to nature.
Eros was quite satisfied with this trip to the Siberian forest.
Ophelia was equally content.
Chapter 59: Eros, You Are a Good Person
In the days that followed.
Ophelia and Grant Ward, armed with the information extracted from Whitehall under hypnosis, began seizing Whitehall's assets.
Most of it would be handed over to Ophelia, allowing her to solidify her foundation and rapidly expand her power.
Except for one special item: the obelisk.
The obelisk, a product of ancient Kree genetic experiments, contained the terrigen crystals capable of awakening the Inhumans.
If ordinary people touched the obelisk, they would carbonize and die.
When touched by someone carrying the Inhuman gene, it wouldn't immediately activate to release the Terrigen Mist, but would only emit a golden light.
The obelisk had to be brought to a Kree Temple to be activated and release the Terrigen Crystal mist inside.
In "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.", Skye touched the obelisk inside the Kree Temple, awakening her superpower to control vibrations.
"You're saying Whitehall is my enemy? That he almost killed my mother and caused me to be separated from my parents?"
"And all these years, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been secretly protecting me?"
Several days had passed since the raid on Whitehall's Base.
Over the past few days, Skye had been coming to the Vought International Building every day to interrogate Eros relentlessly, to the point where the big cat Felicia was getting annoyed and wanted to give her a scratch.
Of course, Felicia didn't do that. If she did, Skye would have been sent to meet Mephisto.
So, every time Skye left, Felicia would urge Eros to take a shower and then mimic Skye by playfully interrogating Eros.
Helpless, Eros could only let out a long sigh and hand Skyethe S.H.I.E.L.D. files regarding her origin.
"That's right," Eros nodded.
Skye looked at the information in the documents. It matched her experiences over the years perfectly, and even things she had long forgotten were recorded in detail.
"So my name is Daisy Johnson? My parents didn't abandon me; they were just forced into it."
Skye muttered to herself for a moment, then looked up at Eros.
"Do you know where my father and mother are?"
Meeting Skye's expectant gaze, Eros shook his head.
"I don't know."
"To defeat Whitehall and reclaim your mother's organs, your father, Calvin, has spent these years researching and using physical enhancement formulas."
"Although the imperfect formula gave him strength, it also triggered his violent tendencies. He is wanted by the FBI for involvement in multiple violent incidents and has no fixed residence."
"Your mother, Jiaying, is in a hidden Inhuman settlement called Afterlife at the foot of the Himalayas."
"However, I wouldn't recommend looking for her. As far as I know, your father has been searching for you all these years, but your mother..."
To be honest, Eros didn't have much of an impression of Skye's father; when he watched the show, his attention was mostly on the beautiful women.
All this information was from the S.H.I.E.L.D. database.
In contrast, there was very little information about Skye's mother in the S.H.I.E.L.D. database. Eros only knew the general location of Afterlife thanks to the memories of his past life.
Overwhelmed by the truth of her origin, Skye broke down. She left the Vought International Building in a daze and returned to her Villa alone.
For the next few days, Skye stayed inside the Villa, never taking a step outside.
If the housekeeper hadn't been delivering meals to her daily—and she was still eating—Eros would have thought something had happened to her.
This made Felicia feel incredibly guilty. She had seen Skyeleave Eros's office in a daze that day, and Skye hadn't returned since.
She assumed it was her fault that Eros had lost his temper with Skye.
So that night, Felicia transformed into a black cat, intending to chat with Skye in her feline form and offer some comfort.
However...
"This is definitely the place."
Felicia, in her black cat form, nimbly scaled the wall and entered the Villa through the second-floor balcony.
She wandered around the Villa, only to find all the lights turned off and no sound of breathing inside.
Felicia's nose twitched, and she followed the scent to a room.
This room was also empty.
Felicia turned on the light and found a letter on the nightstand.
"Eros, by the time you read this letter, I will no longer be in America."
Opening the letter, the very first line was a heavy blow.
Felicia felt a pang in her chest, her guilt deepening. She felt terrible, thinking she had actually driven the girl to leave America.
It wasn't until she read further that Felicia's anxious heart finally settled.
"I always thought I was an unwanted orphan, that my entire life was defined by abandonment. None of my foster families wanted me to stay, and they were all indifferent to me."
"Only now do I know that someone has been secretly protecting me all along, and that my father has been searching for me."
"I'm not homeless; I've had a home all along."
"Eros, you are a good person, but now, I must leave."
"To go and find my home."
At the end of the letter, there was a hand-drawn smiley face.
"^_<"
Felicia quietly placed the letter back where it was, let out a long sigh, and left.
She felt like such an awful person for targeting a girl who had been separated from her parents since childhood.
Not long after Felicia left, Eros also came to Skye's room.
He had just received notification of Skye's international flight!
The reason Eros arrived later than Felicia was that he had been busy handling another matter.
Hells Kitchen.
Ever since Eros had found his previous safehouse, Kingpinhad moved to a new one.
He had not only replaced all his security personnel but also set up several decoy safehouses to mislead anyone searching for him.
Now, except for his confidant James, no one knew his true hiding spot.
Even Homelander couldn't possibly find him again!
At that thought, Kingpin took a pleasant sip of his red wine.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Hello, Mr. Fisk, are you in there?"
The bitter wine burned his throat as his heart sank.
Kingpin turned to look at the screen beside him. In the surveillance footage, Eros, as if sensing his gaze, flashed a wicked smile at the camera.
Eros grinned at the camera, showing his teeth to express friendliness.
He hadn't come to cause trouble for Kingpin this time.
The last time Whitehall had tried to transport arms to attack him, Kingpin's men had intercepted them.
Although Whitehall's attack posed no threat to him, good work deserved to be rewarded.
Since Kingpin had accomplished the task he was given, Eros didn't mind giving him a sweet taste of reward.
Soon, the door opened from the inside, and Kingpinwelcomed Eros in with a face full of smiles.
"Mr. Homelander, may I ask what brings you here this time? Did I do something wrong with the matter last time?"
"No, you did very well, Fisk."
Eros patted Kingpin on the shoulder and said with a straight face, "In view of your excellent performance last time, the organization has decided to reward you."
With that, Eros took out three vials of super soldier serum.
"The super soldier serum. This is your reward from the organization."
Looking at the super soldier serum in Eros's hand, Kingpin's expression turned a bit strange.
Chapter 60: Before I Came, the Theater Had No Plans to Perform "chicago" at All
Looking at Kingpin's expression, Eros guessed what he was thinking.
He felt dissatisfied, thinking that Eros was using his own things to reward him.
"This is the improved super soldier serum. The success rate is over 80%. The formula you originally had only had a 3% success rate."
"Three percent? Impossible!" Kingpin's eyes widened, completely disbelieving the data. "That wild... Felicia was clearly a success."
Kingpin's reaction was within Eros's expectations.
Just like him, Eros had initially thought there was nothing wrong with the formula in John Hardesty's hands.
Looking at Kingpin, Eros sighed and guided him patiently, "Let me ask you a question. Who did you get the formula from?"
"The Cat, John Hardesty." Although he didn't understand why Eros was asking when he already knew the answer, Kingpin still replied.
"What is the relationship between Black Cat, Felicia Hardy, and The Cat, John Hardesty?" Eros asked again.
This time, Kingpin realized.
Black Cat and The Cat are father and daughter, and their genetic similarity is extremely high.
It was only natural that the super soldier serum formula that succeeded on The Cat would also succeed on Black Cat.
But a formula that succeeded on Black Cat might not necessarily succeed on someone else.
"It was my oversight."
Understanding what was going on, the expression on Kingpin's face softened considerably.
At the same time, he was cursing his researcher, Landon, in his heart.
It was normal for him, a mob boss, not to understand these things.
But Landon, a researcher, didn't understand either.
Seeing Kingpin accept the super soldier serum with satisfaction, Eros patted his shoulder again and said earnestly:
"Fisk, the organization sees your contributions and won't let your efforts go to waste."
"You must trust the organization. The organization taking away the super soldier serum formula is for your own good."
"Hail HYDRA!"
"Hail HYDRA!"
Kingpin's lips twitched, and he forced himself to swallow his embarrassment and shout the slogan along with Eros.
Once Eros left, Kingpin's face instantly fell.
Damn it, his highly concealed safehouse had been found again!
...
Returning to Skye's Villa.
After reading Skye's letter, Eros shook his head.
Skye's flight information showed she was heading to China, probably to look for her mother, Jiaying.
Setting aside whether Skye could find Afterlife and Jiaying, even if she did, the outcome would probably not satisfy her.
After experiencing Whitehall's brutal vivisection, Jiaying's psyche had become extremely twisted.
The saying "a pitiful person must have something to be hated for" is somewhat biased, but it applied perfectly to Jiaying.
She not only hated Whitehall, but even extended this hatred to ordinary people.
However, perhaps only in this way could she, with a clear conscience, prolong her own life by draining the life force of ordinary people.
Putting away Skye's letter, Eros left the Villa.
After Skye left, there wasn't much of a change in Eros's pace of life.
During the day, he went to work at the Vought International Building, handling the business of three subsidiaries: Vought Medical, Vought Armaments, and Vought Cloud.
Vought Armaments was Vought International's weapons manufacturing department.
The main researchers included Ivan Vanko and some scientific research personnel under Whitehall's command.
Currently, progress was smooth. In about half a year to a year, the Ivan Vanko version of the Arc Reactor and mech suit would complete development.
This development speed... Eros could only say it was very Marvel.
Vought Cloud was Vought International's supercomputer.
This was the supercomputer Eros had promised to build for Dr. Zola.
In exchange, Dr. Zola had given Eros Whitehall's coordinates and would help Eros complete some tasks unrelated to HYDRA's business.
...
Manhattan.
Broadway.
A performance of the musical "chicago" came to an end.
Amidst the audience's applause, Mary Jane smiled as she and the other female lead led the cast to take their bows.
After more than two months of hard work, Mary Jane had not only established a firm foothold on Broadway but had also become the female lead of the musical "chicago."
This was her first time starring as the lead.
Judging by the audience's reaction, the effect was very good.
The curtain call ended.
Mary Jane went back to the dressing room to remove her makeup. Suddenly, she froze, her gaze landing on Eros, who was leaning against the dressing room door with a flower in his mouth.
Her pupils dilated, and the corners of her mouth curved up into a crescent moon.
Under the astonished gazes of everyone, Mary Jane jogged all the way and threw herself into Eros's arms.
"What are you doing here?"
Eros rubbed Mary Jane's head, "It's your first time starring as the lead, of course I had to come and support you."
"I knew it. For me to be able to play the lead so quickly, you must have helped me behind the scenes." Saying this, Mary Jane stood on her tiptoes and gave Eros a kiss.
"No way, didn't the theater hold auditions?"
"Your selection as the female lead of 'chicago' was entirely due to your solid dance foundation and outstanding acting skills."
"But before I came, the theater had no plans to perform 'chicago' at all," Mary Jane said softly.
She wasn't stupid.
She had practiced the musical "chicago" many times.
Coincidentally, two months after she arrived at this theater, "chicago" was added to the playbill.
Eros raised an eyebrow, "Just tell me, was the audition process fair, just, and open?"
"Anyway, thank you." Mary Jane hugged Eros, smiling very happily.
Although she had told Eros that she didn't want him to interfere in her career,
but...
Women are often like this.
Even if she says she doesn't want it, if you give it, she still won't refuse and will accept it very happily.
And men are pretty much the same.
The more a woman says she doesn't want it, the more he wants to give it; but if she actively demands it, he won't be happy.
In the final analysis, it comes down to two words: emotional value.
It's the same for both men and women.
And this time, Eros had provided plenty of emotional value. Mary Jane was very satisfied, and she decided to properly "repay" Eros.
Watching Mary Jane leave in Eros's Lamborghini Veneno, the other female lead of "chicago" was filled with envy.
She had performed in the musical "Annie" at the age of eleven, officially received her acting certificate at fourteen, and starred in the musical "42nd Street" for the first time at seventeen.
Her journey along the way could be described as extremely smooth.
But it was never as exaggerated as becoming the lead after only two months in the industry.
Moreover, her career had now hit a bottleneck, and she had no way to break into Hollywood.
Meanwhile, her partner, with the backing of a financial sponsor, might make it to Hollywood before her.
If only she had a financial sponsor too.
Under the moonlight, the Lamborghini Veneno drove along Broadway.
In the car.
"There are only a few days left before school starts. What do you plan to do then?"
Well, the time had already reached the end of August, and the university opening day was coming soon.
Eros and Mary Jane had both been admitted to the same school, Empire State University.
Besides the two of them, Gwen, Harry, and Peter Parkerhad also been admitted to Empire State University.
Mary Jane's original grades were a bit lacking, but Eros had gotten her a letter of recommendation.
With a letter of recommendation, grades were no longer important.