Alexander Pierce and Gideon Malick were both leaders of HYDRA. Pierce led Hydra-S.H.I.E.L.D., while the Malick family, to which Gideon Malick belonged, was another branch. The former aimed to rule the world; the latter always followed the ancient tenet of welcoming back the supreme leader of HYDRA, "Hive."
However, as branches of the same HYDRA, Hydra-S.H.I.E.L.D. agreed that after they achieved their goal of ruling the world, this authority would be gifted to "Hive" as a return gift. For this reason, there was no conflict between the two factions; instead, they helped each other and got along well.
Whether it was HYDRA or Fury, while they were busy preparing, Hong Fei had already finished researching the newly acquired skill cards.
Earth-Shattering Strike, from Hulk, smashes the ground to cause area damage. The more energy output, the larger the damage range. Its practicality remains to be verified, but the special effects are truly explosive!
Phantom Illusion, from Loki, can create up to six clones simultaneously. These clones look identical to the real person, and Hong Fei can control their speech and actions at will. The amount of energy output determines the duration of the clones. However, the fatal flaw is that these clones cannot be touched; they are exposed upon contact. Overall, it is considered a support-type skill.
Beguile, from Loki. The effect of this skill itself is hard to call outstanding, but when combined... Deceive Time and Crowd, Affable Smile, plus Beguile. Releasing three skills simultaneously, just thinking about it is exciting. I'll try it out on Tony later.
Since the Leviathan is huge and Hong Fei already has three skill cards of this type, there is no need to try it again.
......
On this day, it happened to be the day of Steve's trial. Hong Fei had no interest in listening to those people talk nonsense, so he went outside, put on his nano armor, and flew straight up toward Sokovia.
A few hours later, arriving above Sokovia, Hong Fei lowered his altitude through the clouds.
He saw that on his land, the rolling mountain terrain that once surrounded the castle had completely disappeared. Except for the highland where the castle itself was located, the surrounding terrain gradually descended and turned into a flat plain. With the castle as the center, the bare land had now become grass, flower beds, or woods, radiating outwards, though they had not yet covered all areas.
Beside the lake on one side of the castle, several small wooden villas had already been built. More housing was still under construction, and the roads planned between the houses were marked very clearly.
The castle on the high ground, though it still looked archaic and had a sense of age, did not look dilapidated at all. It was like the brightest pearl adorning this area.
Summary: Initial results achieved. It would be even better if a white dragon suddenly leaped out of the lake at this moment.
Hong Fei did not land directly at the castle but suddenly changed direction and headed straight for the sky above the castle. Landing on the Sky Base, before Hong Fei had fully retracted his nano armor, Ivan ran out first.
The beard on his face once again covered most of his face. As his messy beard moved, he heard him ask anxiously: "Boss, where is the stuff?"
"Don't be anxious, I'll give it to you now."
As he spoke, Hong Fei turned and aimed his hands at the vast sky. Injecting energy, the skill card shone brightly. Suddenly, a massive giant beast gradually appeared from head to tail.
Before long, a Chitauri Leviathan full of metallic texture floated in the air. It opened its eyes, blue light flashed in its pupils, and its body swayed slightly in the air. Behind Hong Fei, the giant beast swam diagonally downwards, taking the initiative to nudge its head onto Hong Fei's palm. Gently rubbing, his palm felt cold.
Hong Fei withdrew his hand, turned around, and asked: "How is it, are you satisfied?"
"Satisfied! Very satisfied! I couldn't be more satisfied!" Ivan's eyes shone with intensity, looking exactly like a starving person who suddenly found a feast of color, fragrance, and taste in front of him.
Hong Fei added: "You have already seen its power in the Battle of New York. It is not a pure life form or a warship, but a perfect combination of both. Although the combat power of the Chitauri is really not very good, their technological level is indeed not to be underestimated. Moreover, this is a path of combining life and machinery that has basically not been developed on Earth. I think you know what this means."
Ivan stared fixedly at the Leviathan and nodded heavily: "I understand. Don't worry, Boss, I will definitely separate the Chitauri technology. The value of those technologies is worth more than trillions."
Unexpectedly, Hong Fei shook his head: "Wrong! Money is no longer important to us because we can get endless money in various ways at any time. Tell me, would you still act for money while wearing armor now?"
Ivan shook his head.
Hong Fei: "That's it. Our pursuit has moved beyond the initial financial freedom and monetary satisfaction. Speaking of making money, is this Sky Base not valuable? Is the quinjet not valuable? Or is the armor you designed for them not valuable? Now, whether it is me, you, or all of you, what everyone should want is a higher level of self-actualization. So, what is your goal for self-actualization?"
Hearing this question, Ivan thought for a moment, then quickly replied: "Design stronger armor equipment and surpass Tony Stark!"
Hong Fei asked without hesitation: "Then what will you do after you truly surpass Tony Stark? Will you still devote yourself to designing and manufacturing armor?"
Ivan paused again, frowning, his beard trembling. After a while, he said: "I will. This is where my interest lies."
Hearing this, Hong Fei laughed and gently pressed his shoulder: "Combining interest and work often unleashes amazing potential. Since you will always do this, you might as well try to put aside the interference for now and devote yourself fully. After all, surpassing Tony Stark is just one step on your path to self-actualization. Don't let short-term goals affect your true ideals."
Having said that, Hong Fei jumped off the base, leaving Ivan in deep thought.
Can Ivan surpass Tony Stark? Hong Fei didn't know, but he felt it was indeed very difficult. After all, he is a person cursed by knowledge, which sounds extremely powerful. But he didn't want Ivan to always be overshadowed by others. Everyone should walk their own true path, whether it be Ivan or Hong Fei himself. Hopefully, the next time he returns, he can see a sharp-edged Gundam standing in the center of Blackwater Town.
......
Returning to the castle, Hong Fei went to visit Dr. Helen Cho first. She was in the laboratory as usual, and upon seeing Hong Fei, she smiled, put down her work, and ran out. Dr. Helen Cho pulled his hand directly into the lab, her face radiant as she introduced the progress of the Regeneration Cradle project to him.
"The data sent back by Mr. Samuel is very useful. I have also read the data on that biological research project. It is indeed a very genius idea. It is a pity that current technology cannot break through the barrier; otherwise, Extremis should be a project with more prominent and significant effects than the Regeneration Cradle."
Hong Fei didn't understand these things, so he just nodded slightly.
Dr. Helen Cho added: "Its regenerative effect is very significant. The Regeneration Cradle can learn from it very well. And because the Regeneration Cradle does not rely entirely on the body's own self-healing, the supply of nutritional energy will not cause a greater burden on the human body, nor will it bring terrible side effects to the human body."
"As long as it's useful. Ivan has a Leviathan here—the same kind of biological warship that appeared during the Battle of New York. You should've seen it. If you're interested, you can go take a look anytime. I'll also have Ivan share all the research data with you."
Dr. Helen Cho turned back with a bright smile. "That would be wonderful! I've always been fascinated by how biology and machinery can integrate so seamlessly."
Hong Fei reached out and gently ruffled her hair. Her cheeks flushed as she slowly wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek against his chest. In the warmth of the embrace, Hong Fei whispered, "Don't push yourself too hard. The Regeneration Cradle isn't urgent right now."
"I know," she murmured. Then, pulling back slightly, she looked up at him with concern. "You weren't hurt, were you?"
Hong Fei shook his head. "Not at all."
"But I saw you fall from the sky..."
"Acting. Just part of the show."
"Are you sure you're not hurt?"
"Well," he teased, "if you don't believe me, why don't you give me a thorough physical examination later?"
Dr. Helen Cho laughed softly and playfully punched his chest.
......
Over two weeks later, Steve called Hong Fei, and from the moment he started talking, he couldn't stop venting. The lawsuit, with Steve and others as plaintiffs, had been thrust into the public eye from the very first hearing. Citing the case's unique nature, the government had expedited the process, and it concluded with lightning speed.
As Steve's complaints poured out, Hong Fei opened a webpage. At the bottom of the lengthy judgment list, the Supreme Court ruled that the charges against the defendant were unsubstantiated. In other words, Steve had lost.
To placate the overwhelming public outcry, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the military quickly released two official statements. Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., formally resigned, and General Ross was stripped of his position. Both men were effectively dismissed.
The defendant was ordered to pay a colossal fine amounting to billions. These fines would be funneled into the federal government's newly established "Disaster Control Department," specifically created for the aftermath of the Battle of New York, to aid in reconstruction efforts across the area.
S.H.I.E.L.D. introduced an unfamiliar figure—someone Hong Fei had never heard of—claiming that the decision to launch the nuclear missile had been his alone. This individual would face trial in a military court.
As Hong Fei scanned the judgments, he could almost picture Steve's face, red with uncontrollable fury. The entire ruling conspicuously avoided assigning responsibility for the war's origins. Since Hong Fei had never expected much from them in the first place, the results left him unfazed. His goal had already been achieved.
"Alright, Steve, don't let it get to you. Isn't this the outcome we anticipated? Why don't you take a break? I can arrange a flight for you to Britain."
"That... alright, then. Thank you."
"Don't mention it. It's nothing."
After hanging up, Hong Fei instructed Number Three in New York to arrange Steve's itinerary, then contacted Big Head.
"Are you ready?"
"Everything's set."