The moment K appeared, the outcome of the battle outside was already decided.
Not to mention anything else—just Widow's Gundam alone was enough to annihilate Ultron's army of Iron Soldiers.
What kind of Gundam did Widow have? It was the Strike Freedom, Su Ye's favorite!
The Strike Freedom, equipped with its powerful DRAGOON System, could create its own barrage in the air, transforming the space around it into the domain of death.
Within the DRAGOON System's range, let alone Iron Soldiers, even a fly or a mosquito had no chance of escaping.
The DRAGOON System had more than a dozen floating cannons, creating an airtight killing zone.
And with Widow piloting the Gundam, she became a pure killing machine—within several hundred meters, no enemy could last a single round against her.
Yet, despite being a massive steel construct seemingly reliant on computers and networks, this behemoth was immune to Ultron's infiltration and control.
Inside the lab, Ultron was seething with rage.
Meanwhile, Su Ye had been surrounded by a group of insecure girl group members, who didn't even dare to touch him forcefully, afraid that one careless bump would cause a burst of blood.
After all, his strength attributes were overwhelmingly powerful, and his body was as hard as iron. These girl group members were just ordinary people—if he wasn't careful, even a slight touch could result in lost limbs.
It'd be a bloody mess—definitely not a pretty scene.
Ultron was getting desperate. In the lab, he had no way to get past Su Ye's interference and seize Helen Cho's Regeneration Cradle.
Even though it had already built a Vibranium body and brought it over, all it needed to do was insert it into the Regeneration Cradle and upload its consciousness. However, this final step seemed as insurmountable as a vast chasm.
The army of Iron Soldiers outside should have been its greatest asset, a means to threaten the destruction of this city—or even the entire country. As a Guardian of the Great Wall, Su Ye should have yielded under such pressure.
That was Ultron's initial plan, and at first, everything seemed to be progressing according to its expectations.
But from the very start, it had made one crucial miscalculation.
The destruction of this place meant nothing to Su Ye, so the so-called threat never actually existed.
Moreover, the members of the Women's League outside were ridiculously strong.
Compared to Gwen, Mai Shiranui, Sharon Carter, and the Widow, the truly terrifying weapon was actually the young and seemingly innocent Wanda.
Her Chaos Magic unleashed massive AOE (Area of Effect) attacks—causing the Iron Soldiers in the sky to drop like broken kites or falling dumplings.
Thankfully, Wanda was still in her "juvenile phase" and had yet to reach her peak power. Otherwise, a mere glance from her could have turned all the Iron Soldiers against Ultron.
Chaos Magic—truly terrifying!
Inside the lab, Su Ye looked at Ultron with an expression that was half-smile, half-mocking.
"So, what do you plan to do now, Chuangzi?"
"Chuangzi?" Upon hearing this nickname, Ultron was visibly stunned. Its Guardian Processor Unit frantically ran calculations for a few seconds before deciphering the meaning behind this new moniker.
"This… this isn't an insult, is it?"
Ultron blankly responded, while Su Ye shrugged. "I don't think it is. In fact, you could even see it as a form of endearment. After all, you came from my super H-lab's experiment. Strictly speaking, that makes me your guardian."
"..."
Ultron finally understood. "Guardian? You're my guardian? You must be joking!"
"What joke?"
Su Ye shook his head. "You were created by Tony and Banner. You can call Tony 'Dad' and Banner 'Mom,' but at the same time, you can also call me 'Grandpa.' I don't mind!"
Men are all childish when it comes to messing with names. If they get a chance to take advantage, they will. If there's no chance, they'll create one.
So, with just these words, Su Ye had essentially become Tony's "father."
Can you imagine the guy who once said, "I am Iron Man!"—the man who opened the doors to the Marvel Cinematic Universe but also half-closed them—calling you "Dad"?
Su Ye could picture it, and if Tony really dared to call him "Dad" with his scruffy face, Su Ye might just kick him on the spot.
"I don't have an unfilial son like you!"
Setting aside the naming issue, the real question now was whether Su Ye should let Helen Cho use the Regeneration Cradle to help Ultron upload its consciousness into a body, turning it into a true mechanical lifeform.
If that happened, Vision would never exist, and Wanda wouldn't have to go through the original storyline's painful cycle—losing her parents first, then her husband, and finally her two children.
In the end, she wouldn't have to suffer an emotional breakdown and escape into a fabricated multiverse for comfort, turning someone else's sequel into her own solo movie.
On that note, the "Wanda Goes Looking for Her Kids" arc—her black-and-red corrupted witch design was truly unappealing. Ugly and aged.
Elizabeth Olsen might be a bit older now, but her looks were still top-tier. Her civilian outfit in that parallel universe was really nice.
Vision was definitely not going to appear anymore—Su Ye had already absorbed his abilities.
Now the question was—what should be done with Ultron? Should Su Ye completely destroy its consciousness?
Tony's idea of creating Ultron was actually a good one, and Su Ye had supported it at the time. After all, the AI butler J.A.R.V.I.S. was something many people envied.
Ultron was basically J.A.R.V.I.S. Plus—an upgraded version that could do everything J.A.R.V.I.S. could, but with a Vibranium body capable of far more.
Losing such a perfect robotic butler would be a real waste.
Thinking of this, Su Ye shot Helen Cho a glance.
"Get the machine ready—help out Mr. Ao here!"
Ultron wanted to complain again. First, he was "Chuangzi," and now he was "Mr. Ao"? What kind of naming scheme was this? He didn't even have the surname "Ao"!
But Su Ye's actions left Ultron confused.
"What do you mean? You're not going to stop me? Do you even know what I'm about to do? Do you realize the consequences this will have on the world? You'll regret this!"
Su Ye shook his head. "Whether I regret it or not isn't important. What matters is that you need to hurry up—otherwise, you'll be the one regretting it!"
With that, Su Ye let himself be surrounded by the girl group members and moved to the lab's lounge area, settling into a life resembling that of an emperor who had stopped attending court meetings.
Meanwhile, still somewhat skeptical, Ultron approached Helen Cho's equipment and ordered his Iron Soldiers to bring in the pre-prepared Vibranium body.
Throughout the entire process, Su Ye showed no concern. Instead, he casually chatted with the girl group members about singing and dancing, making the scene look more like a fan meet-and-greet than a high-stakes operation.
This made the entire atmosphere in the lab completely relaxed, without a hint of tension.
Ultron nearly blurted out a complaint.
"Come on! There's a battle raging outside, and I'm here assembling my new Vibranium body, preparing for world destruction! I'm the big villain! The antagonist you humans created! I'm about to wipe out civilization and erase your kind from existence!"
"So, can't you at least pretend to be a little nervous? Show some respect for my performance! I've worked really hard on this!"
However, fearing that Su Ye might change his mind and stop him from using the Regeneration Cradle, Ultron swallowed his complaints and kept silent.
As Ultron internally ranted, the battle outside had turned into complete chaos.
Regardless of how negotiations were going between Ultron and Su Ye, the Iron Soldiers outside were still carrying out their mission to destroy the city, while the Women's League was doing its best to stop them.
Both sides engaged in an unprecedented battle within the city. The spectacle was even more intense than the Battle of New York. In less than half an hour, more than half of the city was already in ruins.
Despite this, the city's residents had nothing to say about it.
The heroes were saving the world, saving the city. Without them, this city would have been destroyed long ago. Those who were being saved had no place to complain—only to express gratitude and admiration.
You couldn't expect the heroes to shed blood for them and then shed tears as well!
As fear and gratitude filled the hearts of the citizens, the battle in the city raged on. Meanwhile, in the lab, Ultron's new body and the Regeneration Cradle were fully prepared.
"Data upload initiated!"
Ultron sat alone beside the Regeneration Cradle, a data cable connected to the back of his head. His towering form was imposing, yet his posture exuded a hint of melancholy.
"Hahaha! So, you guys were lip-syncing during your performances?"
"Of course! We have to dance and sing at the same time. As long as we can match our lip movements to the song and avoid obvious mistakes while keeping our choreography in sync, that's already tough enough!"
"Besides, lip-syncing actually gives fans the best experience! They get to enjoy our beautiful dances and hear perfect vocals. That way, they get double the enjoyment! If we were singing live and went off-key or cracked a note, wouldn't that ruin the mood?"
"Exactly! Fans pay to see us, so we have to make sure they get their money's worth!"
"What you're saying actually makes a lot of sense… I feel like I can't even argue against it!"
"Of course! That's how the industry works. We're not professional singers—we're idols. Lip-syncing is actually a sign of respect for the fans!"
"So, after dancing, when you guys look exhausted and out of breath… is that just acting too? You make it seem like you're really tired so fans will feel bad for you, but in reality, with all your training, it's not even that hard for you, right?"
"Well… yeah, more or less. We do get tired on stage, but not as much as we make it seem. If we breathe heavier, it makes fans worry about us, and at the same time, it prevents our teammates from accusing us of slacking off. So why not?"
"That actually makes sense. Talking to you guys, I'm realizing the idol and girl group industry is deeper than I thought!"
"Of course! It's not just deep—it's vast!"
"Vast? How do you mean?"
"This isn't something that can be explained—it has to be experienced. Uncle Su, would you like to experience it firsthand?"
"Oh? Can I?"
"As long as you're okay with it, we have no problem with that!"
…..
In the distance, Ultron, as a mechanical lifeform, wasn't supposed to have emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness. But at this moment, it was utterly furious.
"What's the meaning of this? What the hell is going on?!"
"You people respect your fans so much—can't you at least show me a little respect?!"
"I'm the villain here! At least look at me once in a while while you're talking, just so I know you're keeping an eye on me!"
"Completely ignoring me while casually chatting—do you know how badly that hurts my self-esteem?!"
Unfortunately, even if it voiced its complaints, no one would care. So, it could only swallow its frustration and focus on accelerating the data upload. The faster it finished, the sooner it could escape from this humiliating situation where no one was taking it seriously.
Meanwhile, Helen Cho had already left Ultron's side and joined the girl group members, returning to Su Ye.
Su Ye had followed her back, while the girl group members arrived afterward. The first two "enlightenment" opportunities had already been snatched up by two Dragon Nation girl group members. If there was another chance, Helen Cho was determined to be the third.
Although she was a tech expert, after witnessing Tony Stark's immense power and experiencing Ultron's attacks firsthand, Helen Cho had developed a desire for strength as well.
Only by obtaining power strong enough to protect herself could she continue her research without fear and safeguard her findings.
That's why scientists shouldn't just remain as passive intellectuals. Being like Tony Stark—both a researcher and a capable fighter—was the ideal way for a scientist to operate.
Helen Cho placed her hopes of becoming stronger entirely on Su Ye.
That red crystal that granted enlightenment—if she could receive one dose of it, she too could become a superhero like Song Xixi and Liu Xiaoyun, capable of soaring through the skies and dashing across the land.
Unfortunately, throughout the entire conversation, Su Ye was only focused on discussing the girl group members' performances and training routines. He didn't mention anything about "enlightenment" at all.
It got to the point where Helen Cho couldn't even find an opportunity to interject.
Meanwhile, as Su Ye was busy discussing with the girl group, on the other side, Ultron's consciousness finally completed its upload into the Regeneration Cradle. The large, pitiful-looking Gundam-like robot sitting in the corner, its two innocent-looking big eyes glowing, slowly began to dim.
Inside the Regeneration Cradle, a humanoid robot, with a body that didn't look much different from a human wearing a tight combat suit, slowly sat up.
"It's done… so this is what a new body feels like?"