Dealing with infected lab mice was simple. You killed them, burned the bodies, and buried the ashes. That was the standard protocol, clean and efficient, with no complications afterward. However, when the subject of the experiment was a human being, things inevitably became more complicated.
As Tony had pointed out earlier, every human experiment carried the possibility of creating something far stronger than expected. If that happened, it wouldn't be as simple as destroying the subject in the name of "humane disposal." Even if Chu He personally didn't care much about such concerns, the world wasn't exactly short of criminals who could be considered disposable. Still, Tony Stark definitely wouldn't agree to treating people that way.
Originally, Chu He had intended to use himself as the experimental subject. With his transcendent regeneration ability combined with reality overwriting, plus the safety net of his backup puppet body, he could essentially allow himself to die without real consequences. Even catastrophic failure wouldn't truly end him.
But Deadpool's sudden appearance had given Chu He a far more practical option.
"Tony, you don't need to worry about the test subject," Chu He said calmly while patting Deadpool on the shoulder. "Let me introduce him again. This is Wade. His ability is… well, let's just say his ability is being an immortal. Which makes him the perfect candidate for human experimentation."
"Human experimentation?" Deadpool froze, clutching his chest dramatically. "Boss, you can't treat me like this. Do you have any idea why I'm such a hideous mess today? Human experiments! That's exactly what turned me into the walking nightmare you see before you!"
He looked as though he were about to launch into a tragic monologue about his painful past.
"Five hundred thousand dollars per experiment," Chu He said flatly.
Deadpool's entire expression changed instantly.
"Deal!" he shouted without hesitation, his voice suddenly full of enthusiasm. "Let's start right now! Where's the operating table? Should I tie myself down first, or do you guys prefer to do the honors?"
Tony stared at Deadpool for a moment, his face filled with disbelief and mild despair. After a long pause, he turned toward Chu He and spoke carefully.
"Not dead… right?" Tony asked uncertainly. "Chu, are you absolutely sure about that? If I separated his head from his body, would he still survive?"
"You can test it if you want," Chu He replied with a smile. "As long as you're paying, I'm confident Wade will happily cooperate."
"Absolutely!" Deadpool chimed in immediately. "For one hundred thousand—no, make it three hundred thousand—you can chop my head off and play soccer with it. How about we try that first?"
Tony rubbed his temples as if a migraine were forming.
"Let's… not," he muttered after a moment of consideration.
Deadpool clutched his chest again in exaggerated agony. "Nooo! You're Tony Stark, the billionaire genius playboy philanthropist! And you're worried about a little spending money?"
Tony's face twitched slightly at the remark. He turned to Chu He again with a look that suggested deep concern.
"Chu," he said slowly, "is this guy's brain… functioning normally?"
"Not even remotely," Chu He answered without hesitation.
Tony exhaled quietly before continuing in a more serious tone.
"I'm not convinced he's a good candidate for human experimentation," Tony said. "If his original ability combines with the enhancement from the serum, the result could be extremely powerful. And considering his… unusual mental wiring, if something goes wrong he could create an enormous mess."
Chu He simply smiled.
"Relax, Tony. Wade's mind works a little differently, sure, but he's still fundamentally a good person. He just talks too much nonsense," Chu He explained calmly. "Besides, even if something does go wrong, it won't have anything to do with our universe."
Tony blinked in confusion.
"Our universe?" he repeated. "Wait… what does that mean? Don't tell me he's actually from another universe!"
Over the past few years, Tony had already seen more impossible things than he'd ever expected in his lifetime. After the Battle of New York, he had finally accepted that aliens were real. But now the idea of parallel universes was apparently joining the list.
"Yes," Chu He replied casually. "His universe is a complete disaster. Compared to the chaos over there, even a serum-enhanced Wade wouldn't be anything special."
That explanation seemed to ease Tony's concerns slightly. After thinking about it for a moment, he finally nodded.
"Alright. I'll accept him as the experimental subject," Tony said. Then he sighed and shook his head with a faint smile. "But seriously, ever since I met you, my understanding of the world has been shattered again and again. At this point, I probably wouldn't even be surprised if you told me one day that I'm just a character in a comic book."
Chu He was momentarily speechless.
At the same time, however, a mischievous thought crept into his mind. If Tony already suspected something like that, perhaps one day Chu He really should tell him the truth just to see whether Tony would remain as calm as he claimed.
Tony called over Deadpool, who was still theatrically mourning the loss of imaginary money, and began preparing the experimental serum.
While the preparations were underway, Chu He walked over to another man waiting nearby.
Scott Lang stood nervously in the room, looking completely out of place among the advanced equipment and powerful figures surrounding him.
"Sir… did you want to see me?" Scott asked cautiously.
Chu He had managed to bring him out of prison temporarily, which meant the man clearly had tremendous influence. Scott didn't dare offend someone like that. After spending a year behind bars already, the last thing he wanted was to accidentally extend his sentence.
"Yes," Chu He said with a friendly smile. "I read your prison file. Honestly, I have to say… it was impressive."
Scott looked embarrassed.
His former employer had been running a massive fraud operation, cheating customers out of several million dollars. After discovering the scheme, Scott exposed it and was immediately fired. In a fit of righteous anger, he hacked into the company's security system, redistributed the stolen money back to the victims, and then drove the company owner's Bentley straight into a swimming pool.
It had been a satisfying act of justice, but it was still illegal.
Scott had been arrested soon afterward. Fortunately, because his actions had effectively returned the stolen money, the court sentenced him to only three years in prison.
Hearing Chu He praise the incident made Scott smile awkwardly, though the smile carried a hint of bitterness.
"If I could choose again," Scott admitted quietly, "I probably wouldn't do it."
"How has prison been after a year?" Chu He asked.
Scott sighed heavily.
"Not great," he said.
That was an understatement. It had been miserable. He hadn't seen his daughter in a year, his wife was currently pursuing a divorce, and he still had two more years left on his sentence. Even after his eventual release, finding employment would be nearly impossible with a criminal record hanging over him—even though he was an extremely talented electronics expert.
"I can erase the remaining two years of your sentence," Chu He said calmly. "I can also turn your criminal record into a classified FBI operation. Of course, that won't come free."
Scott's eyes widened immediately.
"What do you need me to do?" he asked eagerly.
The offer sounded like salvation itself. If Chu He truly had the power to do what he claimed, Scott could see his daughter again. His marriage might still be saved. And he wouldn't have to spend the rest of his life worrying about being unemployable.
"It's very simple," Chu He replied. "I need you to live and eat with someone. Talk to him, keep an eye on him, and make sure he doesn't wander off. Don't worry—he doesn't have any strange hobbies. He just talks a lot of nonsense."
"That's it?" Scott asked, clearly uncertain.
The task sounded far too easy. Based on the environment around him, Scott had originally assumed he might be asked to assist with some sort of dangerous experiment.
"That's it," Chu He confirmed. "But if he escapes, you go back to prison. During the job, you're free to contact the outside world whenever you want, and I'll pay you a salary. Do we have a deal?"
Scott could hardly believe it.
He nodded rapidly, excitement written all over his face.
"Deal. I agree."
Just then, Tony walked over with an eager expression.
"Chu," he said, "Wade's enhancement is complete. Come take a look."
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