The street drama came and went quickly. Umbrella Corporation's efficiency ensured almost no disturbance as Pete and the others were escorted into the vehicle.
Once the matter settled, Matthew finally took a good look at this future Iron Man. 'Hmm... putting everything else aside, in reality, he seemed even more arrogant than in the movies.'
It was hard to imagine that such a person would later become someone who sacrificed himself to save the world.
"Matthew Lawrence."
"Tony Stark."
The two smiled, nodded, and shook hands. Tony glanced at the 'escort vehicle' driving towards the end of the street.
He asked, half-jokingly, "Lawrence, you just said you'd send them to the company as drug volunteers. Was that a joke or serious?"
"Of course, it was a joke to scare him. Don't you think it was amusing to see his panicked expression?" Matthew's lips curved into a smile.
"Besides, we live in a society governed by law, and Umbrella Corporation is a legitimate, publicly listed company. Naturally, we can't do anything illegal or disorderly."
"Right, Eleanor?"
"Indeed," Eleanor chimed in.
Tony watched the two of them play off each other, shrugging indifferently. A noncommittal expression settled on his face.
He wouldn't believe Matthew's so-called 'rule of law.' After all, if this world truly operated smoothly according to the law, they wouldn't have encountered these issues today.
"Mr. Lawrence, we have other matters to attend to. Since this business has concluded successfully, we'll be taking our leave."
With the matter resolved, Tony intended to turn and depart. Just as he turned, Matthew suddenly called out to him from behind.
"Mr. Stark, I'm very grateful for your help this time, but I don't like owing favors."
As he spoke, Matthew pulled out a pure black metal card from his pocket and handed it to Tony.
"This is my personal business card. It has an encrypted chip built in. If you break it, it will transmit a satellite signal for positioning, and we'll dispatch people to rescue and protect you immediately."
"If you encounter any trouble in the future, this might be able to help you."
Hearing the words, Tony looked at the black card offered to him, pondering for a moment. He then said to Happy, "Happy, hold onto this for me."
"Apologies, Tony isn't used to people handing him things directly," Happy explained.
Matthew said indifferently, "It's fine."
After entrusting the card to Happy, Tony and his companion didn't linger and drove away. Watching their retreating figures, Eleanor suddenly spoke.
"Sir, what kind of person do you think Tony Stark is?"
"That's a question I think anyone you grab off the street could answer."
"So you also think he's a self-centered playboy?"
"No," Matthew shook his head. "He is indeed a playboy, but he's also a genius."
"A genius capable of changing the world..."
......Night.
After a tryst with another woman, Tony Stark was now sitting in his living room, dressed in pajamas. Under the cool-toned lighting, he was toying with the black business card in his hand.
The card had no text or phone number, looking entirely like an ordinary metal card.
"Jarvis."
"Sir, I'm here."
"Check the chip inside this card."
"Understood..." With that, Jarvis fell silent.
Thirty seconds later, the silent Jarvis finally responded again: "Sir, the chip inside the card is nothing special. It's merely an encrypted tracking chip."
"Its function is to transmit a positioning signal to satellites after being deliberately destroyed, in order to pinpoint its location."
After hearing Jarvis's explanation, Tony examined the card again for a moment, muttering, 'So it really is just a tracking chip... I overthought it.'
He put the card away. Tony no longer focused on the matter and instead headed back to the bedroom to seek out his 'tender haven.'
Of course, not everyone's nightlife was like Tony Stark's. At this moment, Matthew was sitting in his office, his gaze constantly sweeping across a virtual screen.
His facial muscles twitched.
[T-Virus Serum: Upon injection, it can strengthen and reorganize the host's DNA, granting them astonishing Stamina and vitality. They can remain active for a period even with severely damaged vital organs, but will lose intelligence and develop a series of defects. Note: System Points can be spent to optimize the T-Virus Serum.]
[Zombification: Can be optimized for 80 points.]
[Hypersomnia: Can be optimized for 40 points.]
[High Lethality: Can be optimized for 80 points.]
[Low Intelligence: Can be optimized for 100 points.]
[High Infectivity: Can be optimized for 80 points.]
Matthew felt a headache coming on as he looked at the series of flaws displayed on the [System] screen. It seemed that even after working all afternoon, it wasn't enough to optimize half of the T-Virus's defects...
It looked like he needed to find another way, a more suitable path to earning [System Points].
Suddenly, as if something occurred to him, he looked at Eleanor standing nearby. "Ross."
"Sir, I'm here," Eleanor responded softly.
"Where are those people from this afternoon being held?"
"Are you referring to the Maggia gang?" Eleanor frowned slightly, clearly disgusted by them. "They are currently being held on the [fifteenth] underground floor of the company."
"Take me to them."
"Yes, sir."
......Umbrella Building, [Fifteenth] Underground Floor.
This level was specifically designed for detaining and transferring target individuals and key figures, though it wasn't frequently used. Today, however, it found its true purpose...
Pete, locked in his cell, now had a bruised and swollen face. His originally gloomy and gaunt face had been beaten into a pig's head.
Of course, the others who came with him weren't in any better shape; they all looked the same. The Maggia gang members were currently imprisoned in separate cells, stripped naked, and even had their heads shaved.
Their arrogance from the street this afternoon was gone. They were all huddled in corners, like little wives who had been wronged.
In the empty floor, apart from the guard at the far end, there were only a few of them left. Under the dim yellow light, Pete, huddled in the corner, couldn't understand.
'Why had the soft persimmon he used to bully just days ago now transformed into an executive at Umbrella Corporation?'
'And most importantly, he was in charge of the Security Department! If it had been any other department, they wouldn't be in such a sorry state today...'
Just as he was pondering how to escape, the crisp 'ding' of the elevator at the far end immediately caught his attention. Following that, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure appeared before his eyes.
"Ma... Matthew?!"
The pain radiating from his joints made Pete nervously swallow. "What? Surprised to see me?"
Outside the cell door, Matthew wore a chilling smile, making Pete feel a shiver run down his spine. If he hadn't already retreated to the corner, he probably would have stumbled back another three meters.