"You?" Hope looked at him with some surprise.
In the eyes of the World, Homelander was a symbol of power, a God Among Men.
No one had ever heard of him having any achievements in the field of scientific research.
"The technology for the Enlarging and Shrinking Lamp was actually a product jointly developed by Daniel and me."
Homelander spoke without changing his expression.
"I know the physical model of this technology like the back of my hand. If I personally participate in the experiment, I can guarantee that the research and development progress will be accelerated by at least 300%."
Hearing this, Hope's eyes lit up. Having one of the original creators of this technology join would be like sending charcoal in a blizzard.
"That's great!" she said excitedly. "I very much welcome you to join our technical advisory team!"
"Hope, you may have misunderstood my meaning."
Homelander raised his hand, stopping Hope's excitement.
"I'm not here to be a consultant who gives suggestions from the sidelines, but to lead this experiment together with you."
"This means... you need to disclose the complete formula of the Pym Particles to me."
"Disclose the complete formula?" Hope's smile froze on her face, and she completely calmed down.
The Pym Particles were her father's life's work, an absolute secret he would rather take to his grave than disclose.
Her father ultimately chose to hand the formula over to her out of a father's compromise for his daughter, and also because of the urgency to save his wife.
It did not mean she could reveal the formula to others at will.
"This... this can't be done." Hope avoided Homelander's gaze and declined tactfully, "The formula is very complex, and... it is extremely dangerous. I cannot show it to anyone. I swore an oath when my father gave it to me."
"I know what you're worried about, Hope. The Pym Particles are your father's life's work, and you're afraid this technology will be misused."
Homelander did not get angry because of Hope's refusal; instead, he slowed down his speech to ensure Hope could hear every word clearly.
"But if I only participate as a consultant, it won't be of any substantial help to the experiment."
"Did you know? Before Daniel met you, he was a scientific freak who wasn't interested in anything but research. It was you who turned him into a living human being and taught him how to love."
"He talks to me about you whenever he gets the chance; he has even planned out your future. In his heart, you have long been his wife."
At the moment he said those words, Homelander silently activated Arsonist of Hearts.
"Today, I stand here as Daniel's family... so, you are the same, Hope. You are also my family."
"Now, your husband, my brother, is suffering in an unknown World, facing death at any moment."
"To save a family member, do we not even have this little bit of trust?"
Invisible waves of charm, accompanied by Homelander's words, washed over Hope layer by layer.
Hope's eyes glazed over slightly for a moment.
The warnings about her father in her mind were quickly diluted, while Daniel's smiling face was infinitely magnified in her heart.
At this moment, she suddenly recalled what Daniel had once said to her:
"Homelander is a truly good person, a good person who is willing to give everything for his friends and for the weak."
"You can trust him one hundred percent."
Yes.
Daniel trusted him; he was Daniel's best friend.
He was a God Among Men who had saved the World many times.
Even if she gave him the Pym Particles, what of it?
He possessed invincible power; he had no need to use this technology to destroy the World.
In this World, who was more trustworthy than him?
Hope's tense nerves slowly relaxed, and the hesitation in her eyes had already dissipated.
"You're right."
Hope took a deep breath and looked at Homelander with a firm gaze.
"For Daniel, we must do this."
Prompt! Gained special popularity value +15,000! (From Hope van Dyne)
Homelander showed a sincere smile of satisfaction.
"Thank you for your trust, Hope."
"We will definitely bring him back."
...
For the next three weeks, Homelander took off his iconic skin-tight suit and put on a white lab coat.
He threw himself wholeheartedly into the research and development work with Hope.
Relying on the top-tier theoretical knowledge instilled by the system and the computational support provided by Skynet, Homelander displayed amazing scientific research capabilities in the laboratory.
"Lower the proton collision frequency of node three by 0.4 percent."
"The decay of Pym Particles in this range will produce a reverse wave; we need to use the magnetic field of the Gulliver Tunnel to cancel it out."
Homelander gave instructions with ease.
"Frequency synchronized." Hope raised the back of her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead, her eyes filled with undisguised amazement.
"You are even smarter than Daniel described, Mr. Homelander. If you weren't a superhero, you could definitely win a dozen Nobel Prizes."
"Daniel always likes to exaggerate," Homelander smiled modestly. "I just spent more of my spare time thinking about the nature of the Universe. For me, whether using fists or knowledge, there is no essential difference; they are both my ways of protecting this World."
Hope stared at Homelander, her perception of Homelander refreshed once again.
This man not only possessed absolute power and supreme wisdom but even had such a humble character.
Prompt! Gained special popularity value +5,000! (From Hope van Dyne)
Listening to the system prompt, Homelander's expression remained unchanged, but he was extremely pleased in his heart.
As the last superconducting cable was connected, the ring-shaped instrument in the center of the laboratory emitted a low hum.
A deep blue light lit up on the inner side of the metal ring.
The light grew brighter and brighter, finally forming a smooth mirror surface in the center of the ring that rippled like water.
The entrance to the Quantum Tunnel had stabilized.
All the indicator lights on the console turned green, representing safety.
"Energy output stable, Quantum Field anchored successfully, Pym Particle concentration has reached perfect balance."
Hope stared at the screen, her voice becoming uncontrollably excited. "We did it..."
"Yes, Hope. We've completed it." Homelander smiled gently, like a reliable older brother.
"Thank you, Homelander! Thank you for everything you've done for Daniel." Hope thanked Homelander repeatedly, tears of excitement welling in her eyes.
"You did not fail his trust. You are the greatest person I have ever met!"
"I said, Hope. We are family, and family members don't need to say thank you."
In Hope's eyes, Homelander was an impeccable close friend, a hero who would risk everything for his family.
Prompt! Gained special popularity value +10,000! (From Hope van Dyne)
"I have to notify my father immediately." Hope wiped the tears from her face and immediately took out her phone. "He has waited too long for this moment."