## Chapter 421: Welcome
However, in the eyes of outsiders, Raccoon City is still the location of Tang Group's headquarters on Earth! The headquarters of over a dozen subsidiaries, including Tang Security Company, Tang Energy Company, Tang Mining Company, Tang Aerospace Company, Tang Financial Company, and Tang Angel Investment, are mostly located within the ninety-nine-story building in Raccoon City.
Of course, as one of the top giant unicorn enterprises in the entire Federation and even the entire Earth, Raccoon City's supporting facilities are extremely comprehensive. In addition to various large supermarkets, hospitals, and other basic living necessities, all kinds of luxury goods stores found on New York Fifth Avenue can be found in Raccoon City. Brands like LV and Coach are very common.
Within Raccoon City, there are even showrooms for luxury car brands like Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, and Lamborghini... As for why these luxury goods brands would open stores here, it is naturally because Raccoon City can bring them generous returns.
As everyone knows, Tang Group, this giant unicorn enterprise, not only has industries spanning multiple fields, but its salary and benefits are also among the highest in the entire Federation, and even the entire world.
Not only do employees receive twenty months of salary per year, with salaries nearly two-thirds higher than their peers, but the quarterly bonuses are also ridiculously high.
It can be said that any official employee of Tang Group, as long as they are employed by Tang Group for a few years, can reach the middle-class level in terms of assets, even in the economically developed Federation.
Not to mention Tang Group's occasional internal rewards. Aside from the mysterious rewards that spark outside speculation, the value of the houses and cars Tang Group rewards its employees with each year can rival the market value of a listed company.
The extremely high welfare benefits also mean that every year, graduates flock to join Tang Group. As the headquarters of Tang Group, Raccoon City alone is home to over a hundred thousand family members of internal employees living within the town. Coupled with the supporting commercial facilities and the staff who come here to work, the permanent population of Raccoon City is close to four hundred thousand.
To facilitate the commuting of the staff at the headquarters, a new airport was even built outside Raccoon City. Although this airport, named 'Tang's Airport', sounded as uninspired as many of Tang Group's subsidiaries, its area exceeded that of Newark Liberty International Airport, which is known as the busiest airport in the entire Federation, covering an area of fifteen square kilometers.
Many of Tang Group's subsidiaries have their own private jets here. In addition, this airport is currently the sixth largest international direct flight airport authorized by the Federation. From here, one can fly directly to any country in the entire Western World (provided, of course, that country has an airport and has established diplomatic relations with the Federation!). Raccoon City has now become the largest town near New York, even larger in scale than some smaller cities... The relatives of the people who can settle in Raccoon City have salary and benefits that are at least upper-middle level within Tang Group, with an annual salary of at least eight figures.
For those luxury goods brands, Raccoon City is undoubtedly a treasure trove waiting to be developed. Facts have proven that the thinking and strategy of these luxury goods brands are correct. Although the annual turnover of their branches opened in Raccoon City is not as high as that of neighboring New York City, it far exceeds that of other second and third-tier cities in the Federation.
The taxes brought to New York State by Raccoon City's annual tourism and various consumption and shopping alone are enough to make the Mister Governor wake up laughing every day.
Not to mention that Tang Group is the largest taxpayer in the entire Federation. It is human nature to envy what others have and resent what one lacks. Although Tang Group is gradually turning its gaze towards beyond Earth, its massive size and almost monopolistic energy market and military industry enterprises have inevitably attracted excessive attention throughout the world.
Conspiracy theories have been circulating on the internet for several years, subtly implying that Tang Group is the Behind-the-Scenes Operator of the Federal Government, accusing Tang Group of manipulating elections and state elections behind the scenes, and supporting its agents among high-level government officials.
Although the creators of these conspiracy theories, the Giants who controlled the major media organizations and financial institutions in the Federation, were either eliminated or surrendered later, the rumors did not dissipate. The mysterious Boss Tang behind Tang Group was once described as an existence even more mysterious than the Rothschild family, rumored to be a royal noble of the Li Family Tang Surname from an Eastern ancient country! Because of this, as the headquarters of Tang Group, Raccoon City attracts a large number of tourists who come here every year... Of course, so far, only the Outer District of Raccoon City is open to the public.
A white Audi convertible sports car drove along the wide highway into Raccoon City. Looking at the bustling crowds on both sides of the road and the rows of luxury goods stores that were almost continuous, with their gorgeously decorated store windows, Tony Stark, wearing a grey suit and a red tie in the driver's seat, couldn't help but push down his sunglasses, wondering if he had come to the wrong place. Was this really just a Small Town that had been built for less than ten years?
Especially when he saw the Iron Soldiers wearing green reflective vests on the roadside, seemingly directing traffic, Tony Stark felt his head wasn't working properly! These things reminded him of his old acquaintance named Ivan Vanko, whom he had sent to Hell. So, Iron Soldiers could be used like this? Directing traffic? But it had to be said that facing these two-meter-tall, cold and expressionless metal robots, even though they didn't have weapons in their hands, the Federation Persons who usually liked to draw guns and start fighting at the slightest disagreement seemed to have gotten rid of their road rage problem, obediently following their command through the congested sections of the road.
"Excuse me, Mr., the area ahead is restricted. Please return the way you came!"
After Tony Stark drove his sports car through five or six intersections, at a traffic light Intersection, an Iron Soldier, with blue reverse thrust flames spraying from its feet, blocked his car. An emotionless voice came from the loudspeaker.
"We are here to visit Mr. Tang, we have an appointment!"
Tony Stark finished speaking and glanced sideways at Star-Lord sitting in the front passenger seat. Star-Lord, whose face was slightly bruised, raised his Right Hand high. In his Palm, he was holding a jade tablet.
The Iron Soldier's head turned slightly. Tony Stark keenly noticed a flash of red light in its eyes.
"Welcome home, Mr. Quill!"
The Iron Soldier's voice switched to a gentle mode, much like a gentle old Butler. After greeting Star-Lord, it soared into the sky and disappeared before the two of them.
"Huh? This?" Star-Lord put away the jade pendant in his hand. Facing Tony Stark's scrutinizing gaze, he hesitated to speak, but soon he gave up and said, "Alright, yes, I'm the Undercover Agent. Didn't you already realize that? And you even beat me up. What else do you want now? I'm telling you, this isn't your Universe. Do you believe me? If I yell, hundreds or thousands of Iron Soldiers will pop out and beat you so badly your Mother won't recognize you!"
Tony Stark looked deeply at Star-Lord. Star-Lord felt a trace of guilt in his eyes from being stared at. Although he was an Undercover Agent sent by Boss Tang, he had been adventuring with the Avengers for so long, fighting side-by-side in many Parallel Universes and experiencing so much danger. It would be false to say he hadn't developed any feelings. But, sorry, I'm an Undercover Agent!
"What about the Star-Lord from our Universe? Did you kill him?" Tony Stark asked in a low voice.
"No, no, he just took a nap in this Universe. I'll tell the Boss, and you can take him away now!" Star-Lord heard Tony Stark's words and quickly waved his hand in denial.
Tony Stark continued to question, "So what exactly does this Tang want to do? What is the purpose of your Boss's elaborate plan?"
Star-Lord shook his head and said, "I'm just a security employee of East Galaxy Company, a subsidiary of Tang Group. How would I know the Big Boss's thoughts! If you want to know, you can ask him yourself. I've already made an appointment with the Big Boss for you!"
"East Galaxy Company?" Tony Stark noted the information Star-Lord revealed. This would be relevant to his upcoming conversation with that mysterious Boss. At this moment, the traffic light at the Intersection turned from red to green. Tony Stark floored the accelerator, and the sports car crossed the dividing line between the Outer District roads, arriving in the Inner District of Raccoon City under the envious and murmuring gazes of the onlookers behind them.
Unlike the bustling crowds in the Outer District, the Inner District of Raccoon City was filled with scattered vegetation and flower beds along both sides of the roads, and even winding streams flowed alongside the roads. Hidden among the trees were typical Federation villas... Through the shade of the trees, Tony Stark could see children playing in the villa yards, Elders watering flowers, and young men and women swimming in the swimming pool. It was a very strange feeling. Despite being in the center of a prosperous Small Town, it was a quiet, pastoral style. Even the cars on the roads were few, and the few cars that were there didn't drive fast.
On both sides of the roads, there were more passersby riding mountain bikes or running and exercising in sportswear. It was clear that the pace of life here was very slow. Everyone's face was filled with happy smiles.
In this environment, even Tony Stark, who had been pressing the accelerator with rage in his heart, couldn't help but release the accelerator, and the sports car's speed also slowed down.
"Why are you doing this? Where is your justice?" He turned to look at Star-Lord in the front passenger seat and asked, somewhat angry at his lack of integrity.
Although Tony had gradually noticed Star-Lord's problem while exploring Parallel Universes, facing this Comrade-in-arms and companion who had fought alongside him, he was always unwilling to believe that this person was actually an Undercover Agent sent by someone else. But the facts were right before his eyes! The person in front of him was not the Star-Lord he knew. Ironically, this imposter had spent more time with them than the real Star-Lord.
Tony Stark was now somewhat unable to distinguish between the two, who was real and who was fake! "What are you referring to? Are you saying I leaked the coordinates of those Parallel Universes to the Company?" Star-Lord sighed, "Sorry, Tony, I'm an Undercover Agent. This is my mission!"
"As for the justice you mentioned, I don't feel I have wronged you. I only leaked the coordinates of those Parallel Universes, but I haven't done anything that violates justice!"
"You leaked the coordinates of these Parallel Universes to your mysterious Boss. Do you know how big a calamity that will cause? Do you know how many people will die!?" Tony Stark deliberately lowered his voice, almost roaring at Star-Lord, "Your Boss is very likely an Evil God. You should know how many casualties were caused by the calamity in Gotham City!?"
"But, even if my Boss is the Evil God who initiated the blood sacrifice, didn't he save Gotham City? Didn't he save the World after Superman died!" Star-Lord looked at Tony Stark and countered. "Mr. Stark, I've read DC Comics. I don't think there's anything wrong with helping Earth defeat Darkseid's invasion?!"
Tony Stark stared directly at Star-Lord, while Star-Lord stared back without flinching. Their gazes clashed across a pair of sunglasses.
Facing the self-righteous Star-Lord, Tony Stark's eyes behind his sunglasses began to flicker. Although Star-Lord had infiltrated their Universe as an Undercover Agent, as Star-Lord said, he had not posed any threat to them. Instead, he had used those miraculous magic items to save them more than once. Ironically, it was precisely because of these magic items and the situation that occurred in the DC Universe that he became suspicious of Star-Lord.
And the man who instructed Star-Lord, the man behind him, indeed, as Star-Lord said, had never harmed them from beginning to end. He even provided them with batch after batch of Pym Particles, helping them save their own Universe.
However, what were his intentions for wanting the coordinates of those Parallel Universes? Recalling the Evil God sacrifice that happened in Gotham City in the DC Universe, Tony Stark always felt a sense of crisis in his heart. He suspected that there must be a huge conspiracy hidden behind everything that man named Tang Song was doing.
This was also the reason he came to Raccoon City to see Tang Song. On the surface, he was seeking help to eliminate Thanos from a Parallel Universe. In reality, his true purpose was to ascertain Tang Song's true intentions.
If he was truly plotting a shocking conspiracy that would affect multiple Universes, he would stop him even if it cost him his life. At the very least, he would destroy the method for creating Quantum Tunnels that this suspected Evil God held. Otherwise, it would be a catastrophe affecting countless Parallel Universes. In the face of this Crisis, even Thanos, who destroyed half the Universe, could only take a backseat.
What Star-Lord didn't know was that after Tony Stark took him into the Quantum Tunnel, the Quantum Tunnel in that Universe was not only on standby with the Avengers, but they had also invited several old acquaintances from the Justice League of the DC Universe. In the plan formulated by Tony Stark himself, if he did not return by the agreed time, it would mean he had died. The Avengers and the Justice League would then take over his will and travel through the Quantum Tunnel again to this Universe to stop this shocking catastrophe.
Disagreed, unable to see eye to eye, seeing that he couldn't persuade Star-Lord, Tony Stark turned his head back and continued driving. From high altitude, the Inner District of Raccoon City was shaped like a giant Bagua Diagram or Yin Yang Diagram. The center point of every road converged on the Artificial Lake in the center of the Small Town, which covered an area of tens of hectares.
So, by driving straight along the roads, there was no worry of getting lost. Soon, Tony Stark drove his sports car to the Lakeside. The Lake Surface was vast and misty. Rows of weeping willows were planted along the Lakeside. Their jade-like branches hung down, some even dipping into the water, attracting small silver fish to feed.
A breeze blew, and on the Lake Surface, pot-lid sized lotus leaves swayed in the wind, revealing bowl-sized lotus flowers hidden among them. Tony Stark could even smell the fragrance of lotus flowers in the wind. Of course, compared to the scenery in the lake, what attracted Tony Stark's attention more was the white jade-like long bridge spanning the Lake Surface, and the white man with silver hair standing at the Bridgehead, wearing a tuxedo.
Tony Stark opened the sports car door and walked directly towards the long bridge without waiting for Star-Lord to get out.
"Welcome to Raccoon City, Mr. Stark! It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Lane, I'm the Butler of this Manor. The Boss is waiting for you, please follow me!"
Lane saw Tony Stark walking towards him, stepped forward a couple of steps to greet him, extended his hand wearing white gloves to shake his hand, and greeted him politely and warmly.
Tony Stark, in his grey suit...
(end of chapter)