The true Mandarin and the Ten Rings were nipped in the bud before they could even step onto the world stage...
Their emergence barely caused a ripple, and ordinary people would never connect the explosion in Chinatown to the prison riot.
As for whether Tony would continue investigating, that was no longer within Sean's consideration. He had casually dealt with the true mastermind of the Ten Rings, sparing Iron Man future troubles, and then immersed himself in Umbrella's work.
After a long period of accumulating strength, Umbrella had now made a qualitative leap forward. Its scale and influence had expanded significantly, profitability had risen steadily, and the world-class research team Sean had once promised Dr. Connors had become a reality.
The original spire-like main building had undergone multiple expansions. Towering skyscrapers resembling unfurled sails now flanked it, connected by a straight corridor, giving the impression of clustered mountain peaks from afar.
These served as research facilities for bio-modification and genetic engineering, led by Dr. Connors and Maya Hansen respectively.
Researchers had been continuously joining, some of whom might be S.H.I.E.L.D. spies or HYDRA moles.
However, under the confidentiality measures enforced by the Red Queen, all malicious intentions were thwarted...
Ordinary researchers and scholars had no access to core projects, while even high-level management operated under strict information compartmentalization. With an outwardly relaxed but internally tight approach, the "nails" planted within Umbrella were rendered useless.
Instead, at regular intervals, Emil Blonsky, the head of security, would find some pretext to eliminate a batch of people.
Some were recruited, some quietly left, and some simply vanished forever. Such trivial matters didn't require the attention of the young boss.
When Sean founded Umbrella, he had chosen three primary directions for this emerging research institution; biology, energy, and precision manufacturing.
Currently, they had already achieved major breakthroughs in the biological field, undoubtedly leading the world in genetic pharmaceuticals and bio-modification.
Energy and precision manufacturing had also made remarkable progress, especially the energy weapons developed by the Vanko father and son duo, which had already been applied to cutting-edge technologies.
As a result, the military had placed large orders and signed a classified agreement with the Department of Defense to share advanced energy application technologies. Ivan Vanko was hired as General Ross's scientific advisor, and granted unrestricted access to the Pentagon, allowing the Vanko family to reclaim its former glory.
Internal development continued unabated, as did external expansion. Umbrella constantly acquired new technologies and products through mergers and acquisitions in North America, Europe, and other regions, broadening its market reach.
It also undertook commissions from government departments and non-profit organizations to resettle large numbers of mutants, promoting community-building and fostering a positive living environment.
To this end, Sean had purchased a 20 000-acre plot of land in Westchester for $30 million as a future settlement site. The local government had gladly approved the purchase. Bureaucrats were never ones to reject an economic boon.
Additionally, Umbrella's Umbrella Rapid Response Team had formally established a security company and signed a joint defense agreement with the NYPD, assuming security and perimeter control duties during major incidents, thanks largely to Gwen's father.
Since his promotion, Commissioner George Stacy had been losing sleep over New York's public safety.
The endless parade of superheroes and supervillains was beyond the capabilities of ordinary police. But Umbrella's mutant-led security system was rumored to be capable of even resisting Asgardians. With Umbrella safeguarding New York, perhaps public complaints would decrease.
Thus, Umbrella grew rapidly, transforming from a stumbling infant into a robust entity capable of weathering storms. It followed a clear trajectory, advancing step by step toward its ultimate goal...
"Rome wasn't built in a day. Take it slow." Sean leaned back in the lounge area, sipping strong coffee, when he spotted Gwen Stacy striding past in her white lab coat.
He raised a hand to greet her, but she merely snorted and walked away as if she hadn't seen him.
The young man was baffled. Had he been so busy with work lately that he'd neglected the usually sweet-tempered Miss Stacy?
After returning from Asgard and his battle with Thanos, he had spent about three months in Sokovia mastering the Mind Stone, followed by dealing with the Ten Rings and Killian.
Now that he thought about it, it had been a long time since he'd properly enjoyed some couple time...
"Do you really not know what you did?" Maya Hansen shot him a glare as she passed by, "Next time you give gifts, remember to buy extras."
Watching the swaying figure of Dr. Hansen retreat, Sean suddenly remembered something. He pulled out his phone and checked Betty's Twitter.
Sure enough, there was a photo of a gemstone ring with the caption: "Thank you to my dearest." An unmistakable public display of affection.
The worst part? Betty had even tagged him. The flood of congratulatory comments below gave him a headache.
To make matters worse, those two idle troublemakers, Tony Stark and Harry Osborn, had both reposted it with suggestive emojis, practically saying, "Don't forget to send me an invitation to the wedding."
No wonder Gwen was ignoring him.
If Jean were still on Earth, she might already be on her way with a knife. Though the Phoenix host wasn't usually bothered by such things, when women got serious, their intensity was beyond imagination.
Sean rubbed his temples. A few days ago, he'd happened to have dinner with Betty. Coincidentally, he had just obtained the Ten Rings from the Mandarin.
After studying them, he'd extracted some advanced technologies (energy conversion, matter manipulation) similar to the mystical arts of Kamar-Taj.
Since he had no use for them, he remodeled one into a gift for Betty, both to please her and because the ring itself had multiple functions, including tracking and psychic imprinting.
He originally planned to give one to each of his close companions as a token of their bond. But Betty had preemptively flaunted hers, essentially throwing down the gauntlet to the others.
Thus, maintaining a harem wasn't for everyone. One misstep, and you'd find yourself in a battlefield of love.
Sean sighed helplessly and took another sip of coffee. Maybe tonight, he could gather everyone for a heart-to-heart talk to clear up unnecessary misunderstandings.
"Busy saving the world while also preventing domestic fires… I'm carrying burdens no man my age should bear," he mused.