Chapter 26 – Storming the Red Room
Melina reached the Shed and ungagged Alexei.
Alexei rubbed his bruised lips, then lunged at Zhang Xuan, but remembering he couldn't win, settled for a death glare.
Melina shoved the nuisance Alexei aside. "Young Man, since you're Natasha's boyfriend, I urge you both to leave. The Red Room is too big for just you two—and Tony Stark—to handle."
Zhang Xuan sneered. "The hardest part about the Red Room is finding it. Now that you can lead me, destroying it will take minutes."
Melina shook her head, eyes full of dread. "No, you don't understand. You'll be captured. Dreykov's methods are terrifying."
Zhang Xuan grabbed an iron pry-bar. "So what does the Red Room have? Countless girl assassins?"
He folded the steel bar in half. "Or mind-control red mist?"
Melina was stunned by his strength, yet still certain he couldn't beat Dreykov.
"You don't know Dreykov—he's paranoid and careful. You can't outsmart him."
Zhang Xuan lost patience. "Then watch. I'm taking over the Red Room."
Ignoring the terrified Melina, he planned to have her guide them to the Red Room's flying Base when the time came.
Unable to sway him, Melina went to find Natasha, hoping to convince her to run.
If this were the future Natasha who'd known the Avengers, Melina might have considered an attack. Right now Natasha was only a senior S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent freshly free of the Red Room.
Seeing Tony still asleep, Zhang Xuan let him rest a while longer.
He entered Natasha and Wanda's room; perhaps "flooded by memories" described Natasha at that moment.
Facing her former parents again, Natasha could no longer keep up her usual façade; grief showed plain.
"dear, wait a little longer. Soon I'll fix everything, and in a few years we'll have a child."
Zhang Xuan hugged Natasha, then pulled Wanda into the embrace as well.
"Won't forget you. You're both my wings—neither can be missing."
In this trio's World, had time and place allowed, Melinamight have become a grandmother.
After their affectionate moment Wanda asked, "Husband, it's been months—why is my belly still flat? You're not… broken, right?"
Natasha blinked; she'd assumed Wanda was on birth control.
"You're not malfunctioning, are you? We'd better hit the hospital if so."
Zhang Xuan stroked their heads. "With a mighty husband like me? I'm just controlling it, so nothing's happened."
Though they didn't understand how, they relaxed… "Wanda." She stepped forward and cast her magic.
Melina and Alexei soon walked in.
Melina began working her Computer to contact Dreykov.
Tony had hidden a dozen unmanned armors nearby; the Red Room fielded not only Widows but soldiers, and those armors were for them.
Tony hid with the armors, ready to tail the Red Room's Aircraft.
Hours later, deep night: a fully armed team descended from an advanced Warplane and ringed Melina's cottage.
Male Agents entered, searched, and found the three unconscious figures.
"Target located—three down," he reported.
Watching the feed, Dreykov pondered, then ordered, "Bring them all. Send the spare to the Dissection Lab for study."
Dreykov commanded a nearby Widow, "Ready the missiles—we may have guests."
Natasha and Melina were carried aboard; Alexei was dragged by his feet, catching a post on the way.
The jolt woke him, but before he could yelp, two needles stabbed each side of his neck.
Far behind, three armored figures followed at a distance.
An hour later Tony grumbled, "Their plane crawls—my satellites already locked the Red Room's position."
His satellite scanned the sky ahead and found a thick cloud bank; analysis confirmed it concealed the Red RoomBase.
Zhang Xuan reminded, "Tony, Natasha's still on their craft—rescue first, then we strike."
"Fine, but my heavies can move now."
Tony ordered the heavy-fire armors trailing far behind to accelerate.
On the Red Room's Bridge the transport landed; a squad of Widows approached to take Natasha and Melina. Leading them was their familiar face—Yelena.
Yelena's eyes were icy, emotionless, robotic as she carried out Dreykov's order.
She led Natasha and Melina away; male soldiers dragged Alexei elsewhere.
Outside the Red Room.
"Sir, we're missile-locked," Jarvis warned over comms.
"Have Hothead pop Flares and smoke."
A crimson armor surged ahead, spraying rows of decoys toward the Red Room.
Zhang Xuan itched to test his Missile Survivor skill, but to spare Wanda worry decided to experiment alone another day.
The trio dodged the first missile salvo; next came over a dozen Red Room fighters.
Their heavy cannons couldn't pierce the armor but threw off speed and balance.
Soon that ceased to matter.
"Jarvis, send in Bomb-Boy."
An armor streaked forward, then split into separate thrusters that homed on the fighters.
Several jets, clipped by Bomb-Boy's fragments, became debris themselves.
Dreykov had expected tough foes, but not Tony Stark.
"Manual aim—detonate around him."
Dozens of Widows manned retrofitted launchers and fired at Tony.
"Sir, incoming missiles—decoys ineffective."
"Damn, these guys stockpiled more than me."
Tony lost his cool at the swarm homing in from every side.
"Zhang Xuan, pull back—I'll handle this."
Tony forcibly veered Zhang Xuan and Wanda's armors into reverse.
"Jarvis, deploy Lightning Superman."
As Tony finished speaking, two armors flew out, splitting into individual components that formed an electric net between them, blocking the missiles' path.
Most of the missiles were detonated by the current; the rest looped around and locked onto Tony again.
The fragments of the Lightning Superman had already been destroyed by the exploding missiles.
But Red Room's shells wouldn't stop—new missiles launched under the Widows' control, targeting Tony and the armors beside him.
Zhang Xuan and Wanda watched the show from afar; Zhang Xuan even wanted sunflower seeds. No man can resist watching missiles blow things up—or get blown up.
"Oh my God, honey, is that Tony Stark flying out there?"
Zhang Xuan looked where Wanda pointed and saw Tonyblasted away by the explosion, his armor unable to stay level as he plummeted.
"Tony? You still conscious?"
"Yeah—blacked out for two seconds. Do these guys get missiles for free? How many more?!"
Even as Tony spoke, another salvo launched from Red Room, making his eye twitch.
"Jarvis, time for the ace."
"Sir, Laser Fanatic is ready."
"Fire—let them see a genius's toy."
A blood-red armor shot out, heading straight for the missile swarm.
Just before impact, the crimson Laser Fanatic split open along seams, revealing dozens of gun barrels.
Watching through the missile cams, Dreykov wore a sneer.
"Genius inventor? Nothing spec—"
Before he could finish, the guns he mocked fired slender red laser beams dozens of meters long.
The armor spun, lasers whirling ahead, shredding countless missiles in a chain of explosions.
Dreykov slapped the table, face dark. "Reload—fast! They're coming!"
"Zhang Xuan, move up."
With the biggest threat cleared, the armor streaked in, entering Red Room before the next missiles loaded.
"Tony, we'll find Natasha first, then regroup. Seal your armor's air cycle."
"Go on—I'm gonna study this ship; it breaks every law of physics."
The trio ignored the soldiers aiming at them and flew straight toward the beacon.
Bullets and other obstacles were useless—if missiles couldn't crack the iron armors, small arms never would.
Guided by Jarvis, Zhang Xuan blasted through a wall; on the other side, a Widow squad escorted Natasha and Melina.
The Red Room Widows opened fire on the breach at once—uselessly.
"Marissa, take your team and them to General Dreykov; I'll cover."
The big-loli Yelena gave the order and led the rest to stall Zhang Xuan.
"You overrate yourselves—can't even scratch the armor. How will you stall me?"
Wanda finally lost patience; red energy floated out, immobilizing the Widows.
Only Yelena was left arm-wrestling Zhang Xuan—still zero damage.
Zhang Xuan's hand closed on Yelena's pale neck, releasing a jolt that knocked her out.
Hearing the noise, Marissa's four-woman team pressed blades to Natasha and Melina's throats.
A man's voice came from Marissa's body.
"Zhang Xuan? Now I think we can talk."
Dreykov finished; the sharp edge kissed Natasha's pale neck, drawing a bead of blood.
Zhang Xuan couldn't be bothered; he glanced at Wanda. She understood—red energy instantly wrapped the four Widows.
The Widows slowly lowered their daggers and untied Natasha and Melina.
Dreykov didn't know what happened, but he knew he'd provoked big trouble—his proud control method had failed.
Without wasting a roar at Zhang Xuan, he fled with his daughter to another hideout.
Taskmaster followed like a bodyguard behind Dreykov.
"Everyone—at any cost, kill the intruders."
That was Dreykov's final order to the Widows before he entered his special escape pod.
Inside the pod, Dreykov triggered Red Room's self-destruct—only to hear not the expected prompt but the familiar snide voice from the news.
"Sir, you seem to have pressed something serious—so, planning to step out?"
Dreykov suddenly heard knocking on his plane; then the hatch opened, revealing an armor with micro-missiles aimed at him and Taskmaster.
Dreykov sighed in resignation, straightened his clothes, elegant as a gentleman.
Without Dreykov's order, Taskmaster silently followed behind.
Iron armors flanked Dreykov left and right, escorting him back to the control room he'd just left.
"Welcome back—now list every crime, every Widowtraining Base on the ground, and your partners' info."
Zhang Xuan, Wanda, and Tony stayed in their armors; against Dreykov's scent-based control Agent, caution came first.
Natasha tossed a notebook; Dreykov caught it gracefully, then tossed it aside.
He walked to the hologram he'd used for years and deftly pulled up the requested files.
"These are all Red Room's data." Dreykov adjusted his glasses. "Looks like I'm old—beaten by a youngster so easily."
Zhang Xuan only smiled, saying nothing—rescues were his forte.
Tony, cocky as ever, recounted how he'd cracked Red Room.
"Your Red Room security beats the U.S. government's, but it's still a tad behind me."
Tony flashed an unfriendly finger-gesture—just a tiny bit.
"Now it's personal. They're eager to face you—hope your bodyguard can handle two furious women."
Tony stepped back; Natasha stepped forward, twirling a police baton.
Taskmaster advanced, locking eyes with Natasha.
Battle erupted instantly while Dreykov sat smiling, boasting to Zhang Xuan and Tony.
"Pretty impressive daughter, right?"
Chapter 27: The Queue at the Interrogation Room and the Little Widows
Zhang Xuan clicked his tongue twice.
Taskmaster was indeed powerful; Natasha had been suppressed the entire time and had already taken several hits from the baton.
Zhang Xuan secretly compared: "Not as thick as my baton, the attack power is too low."
In the end, however, Natasha still couldn't beat Taskmaster; she was kicked in the chest and sent flying backward.
Zhang Xuan caught Natasha with precision and rubbed the kicked area with heartache.
If he hadn't known this Taskmaster was a woman, Zhang Xuan would have wanted to directly use brute force to perform a miracle and crush her skull.
"Wanda, knock her out."
Wanda flicked her hand, throwing out a ball of chaos energy. Taskmaster sidestepped to dodge and prepared to attack Wanda, but that chaos energy flew back and hit Taskmaster in the back.
Taskmaster collapsed onto the ground on the spot.
Dreykov laughed upon seeing this and clapped his hands: "What a powerful method. Is this magic?"
Zhang Xuan gave a brilliant smile: "You'll know once you try it for yourself."
Wanda's hands manipulated chaos energy, wrapping it around Dreykov's entire body.
Dreykov felt the magical energy inside him, "What a truly miraculous ability."
After saying this, Dreykov's expression became numb, and his eyes went hollow.
He turned around and began to write down information that was not in the Red Room's database.
The following time was spent with Natasha and Melinagoing to release the rest of the Widows from their control. With Wanda following them, Zhang Xuan wasn't worried about any danger.
Zhang Xuan, meanwhile, discussed with Tony how to handle the Red Room next. For such a large organization with so many Widows, letting them all go at once would cause chaos.
Zhang Xuan wanted to temporarily maintain the Red Room's status quo; he wanted to use those Widows lurking in various countries around the World to eliminate some dangerous elements.
Although Tony was opposed to it, he immediately agreed once Zhang Xuan said he would notify him if any HYDRAleads were investigated. He was even willing to become his technical support.
Soon, only over a hundred female Widows remained in the Red Room; those soldiers were all defined as accomplices and had their skulls crushed.
When Melina returned to the main control room and saw Dreykov, her delicate body trembled slightly; the fear deep in her heart still existed.
Dreykov stood there expressionless without any movement, yet he still made these Widows afraid.
With a smile on his face, Zhang Xuan kicked Dreykov in the butt. Dreykov fell in front of the Widows.
"He's all yours. I only have one requirement: you can't let him die. There are still many sisters waiting."
The Widows' eyes blazed with fire as they took Dreykovto a specialized interrogation room.
Melina was in the first group to go in, with dozens more people queuing up behind her.
Tony clicked his tongue at the scene: "His charm is quite something, having over a hundred young girls lining up for him."
Zhang Xuan patted Tony on the shoulder: "The cover girls you've slept with probably number more than a hundred, right?"
Tony looked over and also saw many underage little Widows.
Tony curled his lip: "But I wouldn't let underage girls line up to get into my bed."
Speaking of this, Tony felt a bit of a headache. "Zhang Xuan, many of those ground training organizations are in other countries. We need to start moving as soon as possible."
Zhang Xuan: "How many Bases does the Red Roomhave?"
Tony gasped: "16. There are 687 girls still alive, and those who have died..."
Tony couldn't go on. Zhang Xuan came over to check for himself, his eyes turning dangerous.
"Deaths, 2,586. I'm going to the interrogation room."
Tony: "I'm coming too."
Coming out of the interrogation room, Zhang Xuan and Tony felt completely refreshed, having vented the stifled anger in their chests.
"Tony, send the command for them to send all the girls here, then level those Bases. If they're inside a city, I'll go personally."
Tony's hands were busy non-stop, "You might have to run through 12 countries."
Zhang Xuan paused upon hearing this, "Then have them all return with all the data. Kill them like pigs the moment they get off the plane."
That night, no one was in high spirits, so everyone went to rest early.
However, the interrogation room was still overcrowded, with Widows whose numbers were almost up waiting outside.
Zhang Xuan pulled his arms out from between four 'great mountains,' went out to use the bathroom, and walked around the Red Room.
"Yelena, this is your second time in line. Don't be too violent."
Yelena, who was in line, walked up to Zhang Xuan and pressed herself directly against him.
A different Yelena from the movies, a legitimate Russian blonde little girl, incredibly beautiful and quite heavy as well.
Zhang Xuan gave a mock reminder: "I'm your brother-in-law. You're leaning too close."
Yelena gave a cat-like smile: "But brother-in-law, you didn't pull away, did you?"
Zhang Xuan said with a serious face: "I don't turn anyone away."
Yelena reached out and hugged Zhang Xuan, shouting: "Sisters, my brother-in-law doesn't turn anyone away! You all want to heal your missing parts, right?"
Zhang Xuan was surrounded by a large circle of Widows. Before being drowned by the 'basketballs,' he shouted, "No minors allowed!"
This caused many of the little Widows to sigh. They still wanted to go up and'seize the future,' but they were caught by the other older Widows and tossed into the interrogation room.
The little Widows, who were originally disappointed, were delighted; it wasn't too bad after all.
Zhang Xuan was lost in a paradise of happiness.
These Widows didn't have any of that 'rainbow flag' involvement from the movies; they were all top-tier in terms of looks.
Pretty, cute, beautiful, sexy, petite, playful, charming, and radiant.
White, Latino, Asian... a few of them were even like Liliana and Annette.
Zhang Xuan could only say this was paradise. Although none were more beautiful than Wanda, the quantity was more than enough.
"What are you all doing? Everyone, get back!"
With a roar from Melina, the young Widows all retreated. Zhang Xuan, who was in mid-air, fell directly onto Yelena.
Yelena: ٩(›꒪ั0꒪ั‹*)
"Is this how you show your gratitude? You, pull your clothes up."
Melina used a whip to lash the skin of a little hussy. The clothes were pulled up, even pinching the skin.
Zhang Xuan: Take it easy, those are sacred objects for nurturing humanity.
"Zhang Xuan, I have some Red Room matters to discuss with you. Come with me for a moment."
Melina's gentle tone was completely unlike the lioness from just now. Her gentle tone made the other Widows feel like Melina wanted to keep the best for herself.
"What's with those looks? I'm going to talk to Zhang Xuan about the sisters at the other Bases. Do you want to listen too?"
Zhang Xuan and Melina left, and Yelena on the ground quietly followed.
Seeing Yelena follow, the other Widows felt there was no need to worry as much. Melina surely wouldn't bring Yelena along, right? Even if she wasn't biological, she still called her Mom.
This group of Widows started queuing outside the interrogation room again, looking at the few little Widows inside who had gone completely wild with looks of envy. Clearly, they had arrived first.
In a corner no one noticed, Liliana and Annette used their racial advantages to lurk. When no one was paying attention, they quietly left.
Melina led Zhang Xuan through the main control room. Seeing no one following, they exited from the other side.
Zhang Xuan followed behind Melina without thinking much, just assuming Melina really had something to discuss with him.
It wasn't until Melina opened a room and then closed the door after he entered that Zhang Xuan realized he had underestimated the situation.
Melina entered the room and took off her black tactical suit. Underneath was a simple dress. Coupled with that face so similar to Yor, her mature sexy body, and her shy, fidgety expression, Zhang Xuan was smitten.
Zhang Xuan's inner thoughts: This is 40? This is what a 40-year-old Russian woman looks like?
Before Zhang Xuan could speak, Melina directly tackled him onto the bed, asking with hope in her eyes:
"Zhang Xuan, Natasha said you can heal physical injuries. Is that true?"
Zhang Xuan could have dodged Melina's pounce, but why would he?
"It can be repaired, but it might take a year or two."
Melina blushed with some embarrassment: "Then, could you help me have a child of my own when the time comes?"
Zhang Xuan looked directly into Melina's eyes: "I guarantee I can heal all of you, but again, it will take some time."
Hearing this, Melina no longer hesitated, "Today I'll first pay the reward for myself and Yelena."
Melina pressed her lips down, and Zhang Xuan did not refuse.
With a 'Bang!', the door was violently pulled open from the outside, and an angry voice rang out.
"Who asked you to pay the reward for me? I can do it myself."
The two were startled and separated. Melina said angrily to Yelena: "He's your brother-in-law. You can't steal a man from your sister."
Yelena's face flushed with anger: "And he's your son-in-law! You're Natasha's mother!"
Melina said without hesitation: "She's adopted."
Ignoring everything, Yelena closed the door and entered the room.
Outside the door, Liliana and Annette saw the door close and pressed their ears against it to eavesdrop and listen to the gossip.
"I don't care, I don't need you to help me pay. I can do it myself."
Next was Melina's scolding voice: "Yelena, I command you, get out."
Yelena retorted stubbornly: "I won't! And I also—"
Melina's panicked voice rang out: "Yelena, I'm your mother, you have to listen to me!"
Yelena sneered: "What am I going to do? You should ask what he's going to do!"
Zhang Xuan, being pointed at by Yelena:
(๐¯͒ٹ¯͒)و I want them all!
Zhang Xuan grabbed with both hands; both hands were very firm.
Liliana and Annette heard the sounds inside the room.
Liliana: "We'll wait until it's almost time and then burst in to catch them in the act."
Annette nodded: "No one will come near here, shall we...?"
Liliana shyly: "We... we can."
...In the morning, Natasha couldn't find Zhang Xuananywhere and started checking the surveillance, searching room by room in the section where Zhang Xuanand Melina had disappeared.
Wanda showed no anxiety upon learning Zhang Xuanhad disappeared; she was still leisurely drinking juice.
Wanda's inner thoughts: Should I snip it? If I snip it, he won't go out to mess around with other women anymore, right?
Zhang Xuan, pressed down by a flesh-colored quilt, suddenly woke up and looked toward the door, happening to lock eyes with the entering Natasha.
Natasha: (ノへ￣,)
Closing the door, Natasha looked at the awakened Melinaand Yelena and gave a greeting.
"dear mother and favorite sister, what do you think of my man? Has he passed your test?"
Melina: (づ﹏ど) "He's... he's alright. His conditions are good."
Yelena: ( ๑ŏ ﹏ ก̀๑ ) "Sister, it's all Mom's fault, waaaa..."
Melina: ∠(꒪mouth꒪*) "You ate quite a lot last night, and now you're starting to curse the cook?"
Liliana and Annette: (´◔ ～ ◔`)◔‸◔ิ｡)
They didn't dare speak. Last night, after waiting until the third hour, they couldn't help themselves and finally entered.
What followed was a memory combining pleasure and pain, and then it was morning.
The two who had gotten a great bargain didn't dare speak and even buried their heads under the covers.
After a bit of a scuffle between Yelena and Melina, Natasha pulled Zhang Xuan directly out of the room.
Liliana and Annette under the covers lost their favorite 'cat treat.'
Seeing Natasha leave, Yelena and Melina also breathed a sigh of relief and stopped their acting and arguing.
The four of them huddled together and fell asleep. They had only slept for 2 hours from 10 PM last night until 8 AM now.
Zhang Xuan wanted to cover up, but he couldn't, so he simply stopped hiding, considering it dream material for everyone in the Red Room.
Natasha pulled out a pair of his boxers from somewhere and gave them to him.
Zhang Xuan: (￢ ̫￢〃) "dear, where did these come from? You don't carry my boxers with you, do you? Just so you can smell them when you miss me..."
Natasha threw a fake punch, startling Zhang Xuan into bending over and jumping back.
Natasha: (ರ～ರꐦ) "What are you thinking? These are the ones you left in my travel bag last time."
Arriving at the main control room, Zhang Xuan saw Wanda with a smile on her face. For some reason, he felt uneasy. Even though Wanda had a full smile, Zhang Xuanjust felt a chill in his lower body, as if he might lose something at any moment.
Natasha didn't tell Wanda about her mother, sister, or the two 'quilt spirits' either.
"Hubby, can we discuss something?" Wanda said with a face full of gentleness, her tone sounding like she was consulting Zhang Xuan.
Zhang Xuan nodded, "Wifey, what is it? As long as I can do it, you can ask for anything. But my principles cannot be touched."
Wanda squinted and smiled, "Don't worry, hubby. After you do what I say, you'll be able to serve the Party and the people even better."
Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he asked: "Quick, tell me, what is it?"
Wanda spoke her request with a face of pure innocence:
"Hubby, let's snip the cat treat."
At this moment, Wanda's words echoed continuously in Zhang Xuan's mind.
"Snip the cat treat... the treat... snip it... it..."
He heard it, but he couldn't comprehend the meaning of these words.
Zhang Xuan scratched his head in confusion: "Wifey, can you say that again? I didn't understand what you said."
Wanda still had a smile on her face, and there were even sunlight and flowers sparkling around her.
But seeing this scene, Zhang Xuan felt incredibly cold all over, without a single ray of sunlight.
"Wifey, you can't be like this. We don't have children yet, we can't be so hasty."
Wanda spoke another shocking sentence: "It's okay hubby, in a bit I'll take the residues from Yelena, Melina, Liliana, and Annette and freeze them. I can go directly for IVF."
In the scene full of Wanda's smiling face, Wandaproduced a knife from nowhere and aimed it at Zhang Xuan to stab him.
Natasha pushed Zhang Xuan away and hugged Wanda.
"Quick, do something! Wanda is possessed, perform an exorcism quickly!"
Zhang Xuan transformed into an exorcist, carrying Wandaand Natasha on his back, and returned to the previous room to perform the exorcism ritual.
As everyone knows, exorcism is certainly easier the more people there are.
Chapter 28: New Year
Time flew by, and it was already the Spring Festival of 2009.
Zhang Xuan, Wanda, Natasha, Mei, Helen Zhao, Yelena, and Melina were at home preparing New Year decorations.
Wanda ran up to Zhang Xuan holding a large 'Fu' character and asked, "Hubby, how exactly do I stick this 'Fu'? I saw in videos that many people stick it upside down."
Zhang Xuan took the 'Fu' character and gestured at their small front door. "The main door should have the large 'Fu' character stuck upright to welcome blessings. Inside the house, you stick them upside down so that 'blessings have arrived' at home."
Yelena came out holding a China Unicom logo in each hand. "Daddy~ where should these two be hung?"
Zhang Xuan lightly flicked the forehead of the playful Yelena. "Anywhere is fine; our family doesn't have too many taboos."
Yelena ran back inside to hang up some Chinese knots.
Helen Zhao brought the written couplets to Zhang Xuan, handing him the first line and Wanda the horizontal scroll.
Zhang Xuan teased, "Why didn't you use white paper?"
"Hmph~~ stop talking about it." Helen Zhao stomped her feet shyly and gave Zhang Xuan a light punch. "You're mean, just mocking me for being uncultured."
Helen Zhao ran off, and Zhang Xuan was greeted by Natasha and Melina.
During this period, Melina had been getting younger and younger. Every single wrinkle at the corners of her eyes had vanished. Standing with Natasha, she looked just like Natasha's older sister.
Zhang Xuan felt that his 'nourishment' must be quite effective; the Steel Kidney Body seemed to have a beautifying effect.
"Hubby, our car is ready. Are we going to Chinatownlater?" Melina didn't hold back at all in front of Natasha. Last night, Natasha had snatched her reward, which was a sacred object far more precious than any Chinese cosmetics.
Because of this, Melina had been calling Zhang Xuan'hubby' in front of Natasha all day today. She really didn't know when she'd stop being beaten to the punch; not having a storage pocket on her person was quite troublesome.
"We'll head out as soon as we finish sticking the couplets. Mei, Peter, come help stick the Spring Festival couplets."
Like a master of balancing a harem, Zhang Xuan called over Mei, and also brought along Peter, who had been wanting to experience sticking couplets.
"Peter, spread the paste evenly, don't stick it crookedly."
"Okay, Uncle Zhang Xuan."
Little Peter was very happy to hear the news that Zhang Xuan and Mei had gotten together. His transition from calling him 'Brother Zhang Xuan' to 'Uncle Zhang Xuan' was very natural.
The three of them finished sticking the couplets. Zhang Xuan then took the paste to Natasha. Neither spoke; their eye contact said everything, and the smiles on their faces were proof of their happiness.
Finally, Zhang Xuan lifted Peter up so the little boy could stick the final horizontal banner.
"Finished, harem harmony. Let's go to Chinatown to set off firecrackers."
...Arriving at Chinatown, Zhang Xuan adjusted his pants and got out of the back of the car. He reached into his pocket and, as he pulled his hand out, he inconspicuously dropped a handful of pop-its under little Peter's car door.
Stepping out, little Peter stepped on the pop-its and was startled into jumping around, eventually falling to the ground. However, since he was wearing a down jacket, the fall didn't hurt much.
Seeing the pop-its on the ground, Peter shed tears of humiliation. He had been badly spooked last night by pop-its Zhang Xuan had placed on his bed, and now he had fallen for the same trick again.
While everyone was laughing, a white policeman walked over.
"Sorry sir, I have to confiscate your pop-its. This isn't a designated firework area yet."
Zhang Xuan hadn't expected this, so he handed over all the pop-its in his pocket, saying:
"You can put them under your son's floor mats or mattress."
The white policeman gave a knowing smile and tucked the pop-its into his pocket.
The group found the bustling street market in Chinatownvery novel. It was their first time experiencing it; they had heard it was lively but had never visited before.
They bought a wide variety of things. Little Peter was also conscripted, his hands and body draped with items Mei had bought, along with a bag of snacks Yelena had sneakily hung behind him.
Currently, Peter looked like a walking shopping cart.
As Zhang Xuan passed a hot pot restaurant, he spotted an acquaintance.
Zhang Xuan tapped on the glass and waved to Gweninside.
Hearing the tap on the glass behind her, Gwen looked back and also broke into a smile.
She had quite a bit of contact with Zhang Xuan recently. She often trained with them, so she was very familiar with the people around him.
At first, she thought he was just an ordinary scumbag, but after getting to know him, she realized that'scumbag' or even 'Aquaman' wasn't enough to describe him. He was practically an old-World lord with so many wives.
Seeing that Gwen knew Zhang Xuan, Gwen's family also waved enthusiastically.
Once Zhang Xuan left, Gwen's mother began to nag her as if desperate to marry her off.
"Gwen, you're not a child anymore. I think that young man just now looked quite nice. When are you going to bring him home for us to see?"
Gwen's father, George, immediately looked displeased upon hearing this.
"Gwen is only 18; it's way too early for her to find a boyfriend."
Gwen's mother rolled her eyes at her husband. "George, I bet you'll still be saying that when Gwen is 30. Can't you care more about Brandy? He already has two girlfriends and has lost his first kiss. You were my first kiss, first love, and first night—I'm starting to suspect you were lying to me."
Gwen looked helplessly at her 'bickering' parents, having grown used to it. However, she was very dissatisfied with her younger brother Brandy; at such a young age, he already showed the potential of a scumbag, destined to be a big scumbag just like Zhang Xuan.
Indignantly, she stuffed meat into her mouth. She wanted to eat back her shrunken body; she wanted to feed her 'rabbits' back to their original state.
"Now mine are the smallest. I used to be just like them. I need to make up for it."
...After putting the items back in the car, little Peter was finally liberated and quickly ran toward a group of children setting off firecrackers.
"Zhang Xuan, go keep an eye on Peter. We're going to buy a few more things."
Mei directly released Zhang Xuan from the endless shopping. Zhang Xuan followed behind Peter without looking back. However, he returned after only a few steps. The other girls were momentarily happy, thinking Zhang Xuan had come back to accompany them.
Instead, they saw Zhang Xuan take a box out of the car trunk. As he passed Mei, he gave her a light peck on the lips before quickly running off again.
Mei raised her eyebrows happily at the other girls. "I told you, I understand the thoughts of boys very well."
The others were convinced. Just as Mei had said before, Zhang Xuan was still a 'child' at heart.
Yelena looked enviously at the children playing with fireworks and crackers. But as an Agent, she had to remain cool and aloof; how could she like such childish toys?
Seeing Yelena's expression, Melina gave her a nudge. "If you like it, go play. We're going shopping."
The group abandoned Yelena to go on their shopping spree.
Though 'isolated,' Yelena was very happy and went skipping off to find Zhang Xuan.
"Hubby, give me some of your firecrackers. I want to set off the biggest and thickest one; you have to save it for me."
...In the evening, Zhang Xuan and the others went to Tony's Stark Tower. They wanted to see the most beautiful fireworks from the best vantage point.
Tony had sponsored this year's firework show. He had even spent three days communicating and researching with a Chinese firework team just to create the most beautiful display.
Zhang Xuan also offered a suggestion: "I know of a firework that looks like a waterfall."
The old firework master pushed up his glasses and smiled. "Are you talking about the'short-circuit' firework from over in Japan?"
Zhang Xuan: "Exactly. I want to make a massive firework waterfall."
Tony was puzzled. "What short-circuit firework? Is there a video?"
Zhang Xuan pulled up a video for Tony. Tony became even more confused when he saw the title.
"Japanese neon power line short circuit? Why are you showing me this?" Then, upon seeing the content, Tonyreacted: (*ﾟﾛﾟ)! "Holy shit, they're geniuses. Even I didn't think of doing it this way at first."
..."Ladies, please enjoy the firework show I've created by blending Chinese mythological stories."
Tony's figure appeared on advertising screens all over New York. He had rented out all the ads in Manhattan to live-stream his firework show.
"Now we can start the countdown. You'd better get your cameras out quickly to record this feast of fireworks."
The New Year's bells rang, and the firework masters ignited the display.
The fireworks soared into the sky. The ultra-long short-circuit firework waterfall Tony built was powered and stabilized by two armors flying in the air.
The waterfall poured down a rain of golden sparks. Fireworks launched from the ground exploded against the waterfall's curtain, and a dragon egg pattern appeared, lingering in the air for a while before vanishing.
The following fireworks depicted the dragon egg hatching, followed by the growth of a dragon, released through a dozen or so fireworks.
After that was a firework show of a phoenix egg hatching and the phoenix growing up.
Finally, a dozen fireworks went off simultaneously, forming the image of 'The Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Prosperity'.
As the first chime of the New Year pierced the night, echoing in every corner of the city, it instantly ignited the expectations and passion in people's hearts.
The firework masters were already in position. With a synchronized command, their igniters precisely touched the fuses.
Thousands of colors bloomed across the ink-blue sky, but the most eye-catching was the ultra-long short-circuit firework waterfall Tony had created.
Two silver armors steadily output energy, providing a continuous power source for the waterfall fireworks while precisely adjusting their positions to firmly fix this dreamlike firework waterfall in the night sky.
In the next second, thousands of golden streams of flame poured down from the heights like the Milky Way hanging upside down or scattered crushed gold. The fine sparks fell with a rustle, tracing gentle arcs in the night sky as if weaving a radiant golden veil for New York, bathing the entire sky in warmth.
Just as people were intoxicated by this golden dream, fireworks from the ground suddenly shot up and exploded against the backdrop of the waterfall.
Countless points of light converged cleverly, and a lifelike dragon egg pattern appeared. The markings on the shell were clearly visible, as if it would hatch at any moment.
Then, the firework show reached its climax.
The scene of the dragon egg hatching was precisely enacted by dozens of fireworks. The cracking shell and the emerging dragon horns were all vivid in every detail.
Subsequently, the dragon's growth process unfolded across the sky. From a tender hatchling to a vigorous divine dragon, it sometimes spiraled upward and sometimes dove down. Its scales shimmered with a metallic luster under the fireworks, and its claws seemed capable of stirring the clouds. Every moment was filled with power and majesty.
As the dragon's chapter concluded, the legend of the phoenix quietly began. From a delicate phoenix egg lying dormant to the hatching chick flapping its wings, and finally to the fully fledged phoenix soaring high, the light and shadow of the fireworks perfectly showcased the phoenix's beauty and grace.
The fiery red wings were like burning flames, and the tail feathers trailed a brilliant glow. It circled the night sky, letting out silent cries as if to shower the World with auspiciousness and good luck. Every scene was breathtakingly beautiful.
Finally, with a series of rapid and enthusiastic booms, a dozen fireworks soared together, blooming with the most brilliant light at their peak.
The divine dragon and the phoenix faced each other in the sky, the dragon's majesty complementing the phoenix's beauty. Surrounded by auspicious clouds, they formed a stunning and soul-stirring painting of 'The Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Prosperity'.
Just when everyone thought the show was over, the silent night sky was lit up by one more firework.
A charming little ox figure appeared, its round body wrapped in a fluffy golden halo, full of spirit and cuteness.
The little ox's front hooves steadily held a string of bright red fireworks spelling out 'Gong Xi Fa Cai' (Wishing you prosperity).
"Ladies, tonight's firework show is over. Though brief, it cost me over 10 million. Now, let's thank our firework team. The camera goes to tonight's heroes."
The people at the launch site hadn't expected to show their faces and waved at the drones one after another.
Then the drone passed the rooftop where Zhang Xuanwas and took a shot of him. Zhang Xuan raised his glass to the camera.
Most people in the live stream didn't react much, but some sharp-eyed capitalists noticed that the man was on the top floor of Stark Tower and sent people to investigate Zhang Xuan's background.
As the firework show ended, all the spectators were shocked, even as far away as China across the ocean.
After the show, Zhang Xuan thought Tony might have some advertisements or something, but Tony was just Tony. 20 million was just for aesthetics and the beauty of explosions, without a trace of capitalistic intent.
Wait, what? Tony turned this firework show into VR, and buying specific VR goggles allows for an immersive viewing experience?
Zhang Xuan and the girls said goodbye to Tony. Even Wanda didn't give Tony a dirty look, she just didn't look at him.
Zhang Xuan went down with Tony, who showed him his latest research.
"This is the improved spider suit. After completely mastering that spider suit technology, I added Vibraniumand made some refinements. You can take it back to show that Tony. The things I make are definitely better than others."
Zhang Xuan was speechless. "Traveling to a parallel World isn't that easy. I won't be able to take it back for a while. Can you modify this to fit a female figure?"
Tony was slightly stunned and pointed at Zhang Xuan. "What did you just say? Parallel World? It's not the future?"
Zhang Xuan scratched his head. "Did I say before that it was something I got from the future?"
Tony grabbed Zhang Xuan's shoulder. "Brother, maybe we can go to that parallel World where I'm already an old man. I have total faith in myself; the future me will definitely have researched even more advanced armor."
Zhang Xuan removed Tony's hand. "Tony, getting that spider suit was an accident. I don't currently have the ability to go to other parallel Worlds. If I did, I wouldn't even need you to ask; I'd go on my own."
Tony was a bit disappointed after hearing that, but it was okay—at least there was a chance to see the parallel World version of himself.
Chapter 29: The Kingdom of Women
Zhang Xuan bid farewell to Tony and returned home. After comforting Wanda and Helen Zhao for a while, Mei also came over.
Zhang Xuan stayed busy until early morning, then took Melina, Natasha, and Yelena to the Red Room's Base.
After flying for several hours, Zhang Xuan fell asleep from exhaustion. Yelena and a Widow who were flying the plane almost joined the 'battlefield' upon hearing the 'tractor-like' snoring. Unfortunately, the two of them were locked in the cockpit because flying required two people for safety.
It wasn't until the next day, when the plane landed at the Red Room's new Base, that the night of arduous flight finally came to an end.
Zhang Xuan carried Melina and Natasha on his shoulders to the main control room, leaving Yelena and the two weak-legged Widows who had been locked in the cockpit behind.
Along the way, Zhang Xuan's act of carrying the two leaders attracted the gazes of many young Widows.
"What are you all looking at? The boss's bed isn't for you little girls to climb into yet. You'd better grow some more meat first; I'm afraid you'd poke the boss while giving him a back rub."
"Now, prepare for a ten-kilometer cross-country run with a 20kg load. This week's entertainment toys are canceled, and weekend pocket money is revoked."
Although the young girls were dissatisfied, they dared not speak out, only cursing in their hearts:
"Old women, I will definitely get the boss before you do. How dare you mock us for having no meat? We've all undergone genetic editing; we'll drive big Gs like you—no, we'll drive even bigger big Ks."
They were all Widow candidates who had survived since the age of twelve or thirteen and had already been forced to undergo hysterectomies.
Inside the newly established lounge within the main control room, Zhang Xuan set the two women down and began his own work.
Zhang Xuan first went to the construction site where a hole was being dug into the mountain. It was the male accomplices captured earlier who were doing the work, supervised by a dozen Widows.
After all, excavating the mountain for construction couldn't rely solely on a few hundred female Widows. These hundreds of private armed forces loyal to Dreykovwere lured to the Red Room in squads and'slaughtered' by Zhang Xuan using fake messages after Dreykov had handed over all the information.
Then they were kept here for labor reform. With the mechanical assistance provided by Tony, their work efficiency was quite high. In one month, a four-story building had been constructed.
Zhang Xuan gave some superficial guidance, and after understanding the construction progress, he returned to the main control room.
Zhang Xuan looked at Liliana and Annette in the main control room with a slight frown, noticing several additional Japanese lockers. His face was full of a bitter smile he couldn't suppress.
"You girls are really making things hard for me."
After Zhang Xuan's strength value broke 100, he had tried going five days without closing his eyes. Finally, having had enough of playing games, he chose to sleep.
He had more energy than he knew what to do with. Just like that, a day passed into night. Zhang Xuan felt no weakness in his legs or soreness in his waist. He picked up Asou Miyuri, who was sleeping soundly on top of him, then gently pushed away the sisters Yuki Sanjo and Maki Sanjo who were hugging him from both sides, stepped over Teacher Ayana Kakinokizaka, and crossed over student Risa Takeba once more.
When Zhang Xuan reached the door, Liliana and Annettewere leaning against it, blocking the way out. Zhang Xuan pointed his fingers like swords, and both Liliana and Annette slumped weakly to either side of the door. Zhang Xuan safely escaped the devil's den.
Zhang Xuan checked the time and saw it was already midnight. With nowhere else to go, he just found a random room to rest in.
"Jie jie jie~ The boss actually delivered himself to our door! You're staying right here!"
"Oh my~ Boss, really, entering a girls' dormitory just like that. Let Big Sister teach you the etiquette of apologizing."
"I've grabbed the future, none of you are allowed to snatch it! Eh?~ Alisa, you're so cunning~"
The silent Alisa only had a thirst for hope for the future in her eyes.
Zhang Xuan regretted it deeply. He had clearly looked at the door plate before coming in; it was supposed to be an empty room.
Natasha, dereliction of duty. I'll punish you when I get back.
At six in the morning, Zhang Xuan fell asleep on a dry bed. The Russian girl named Alisa lay in his covers, clutching her beloved Master as she slept.
At noon, receiving a call from Tony, Zhang Xuan finally got up and walked out to answer it.
"Great Inventor, what's the problem?"
Tony's tone was low, his voice dry and raspy: "Did you find that genius scientist who's much better than me? Or the thing you said could save my life?"
Zhang Xuan thought of something and asked, "Is your palladium poisoning starting to get serious?"
Tony's tone was one of 'as expected': "You really knew about my poisoning. Then can you tell me how the 'me' from that Universe survived?"
Zhang Xuan joked, "How are you so sure the 'you' in that World was also blown up by a bomb?"
Tony laughed out loud: "I wasn't sure before, but now I am. Hahaha."
Zhang Xuan: "In a couple of days. I might be a bit busy these few days. You won't die yet; get some good sleep."
Tony: "Thanks."
Tony was not only thanking Zhang Xuan for intervening with Wanda and letting him live, but also for this matter.
In the afternoon, Zhang Xuan called a meeting of all the Widows.
Looking at the over 1,000 beauties of all kinds below the stage, Zhang Xuan really wanted to start a harem, but he still needed to follow the plot, so he could only visit occasionally.
"Present today are the 1,865 survivors. Even the eleven or twelve-year-old little Widows here possess basic judgment; otherwise, you wouldn't have survived until now."
"First, let us observe a minute of silence for those children who suffered and for your friends."
Everyone's spirits were low as they bowed their heads in memory of their fallen companions.
"Time's up. Now I will talk about the arrangements following this. First is the matter of whether you stay or leave."
Upon hearing this, many Widows' palms broke into a sweat. They began to panic, fearing they would be kicked out of the Red Room.
Some had a look of hope for the future in their eyes, wanting to leave this place and return to the cities where they had once performed undercover missions. This group consisted of women over 20 who had already been on missions.
"First, those who want to leave should go to the main control room with their real names later to collect a one-time compensation of 1 million US dollars. However, after leaving, you are not allowed to reveal any information about the Red Room. I will not provide free treatment for the damage to your bodies, because your injuries were not caused by me. On the contrary, I am your savior."
"Everyone should have already given Dreykov a piece of their mind, right? So your grudge has been settled. After you leave, you will have no connection to the Red Room. This will be my Red Room from now on; everything here belongs to those who strive for the red cause."
"Now let's talk about the benefits for those who choose to stay. First, basic room and board, independent double dormitories—many sisters have already seen the construction site over there—and then salary. A Base of 10,000 dollars, with extra rewards during missions."
"You little sprouts, don't get excited. These are the benefits for Agents aged 19 and over. You still have to receive a lot of education. If you want to leave, you must be at least 17."
The eleven and twelve-year-old girls who were just rejoicing: ૮₍ •᎔•₎ა, ( ˃ ⤙ ˂ )
"However, dating is prohibited during your tenure. I don't want my Agents to harm my interests because of emotions. If you meet someone you like, you can submit a report to give up your mission."
"If I find that you've ruined my plans because of some man, your man, your man's man, and your man's entire family will disappear. Including you who made the mistake; you will be dropped on a specially prepared deserted island for wilderness survival, and no one will be able to save you."
"Next, I will talk about the rules and regulations for those who stay..."
"Next, I will talk about the study plans for the little sprouts..."
"Next, let's welcome Instructor Melina to speak. Applause."
The Widows, who had been standing for an hour, clapped with numb expressions.
Melina: "I'll just say a few words; I won't take up too much of your time."
The still-naive Widows looked as if they had seen a savior.
(◕ᴗ◕✿)
(✧◡✧)
(✪ω✪)
An hour later, the young Widows could barely stand. Zhang Xuan sat on the stage happily watching the little Widows whose legs were trembling; it was quite amusing.
"So leaders like seeing students' legs aching and shaking. It really is fun."
Zhang Xuan pressed a switch, and Melina also stopped talking, letting out a cry like a bunny girl.
"Ah, dame (no)."
The entire venue fell silent, and their listless expressions turned into various comical ones.
( ิ ▿ ิ｡）
(˵ಡ ̫ಡ˵)
(´≖◞ ̫◟≖)
So why would there be a bunny girl in the Red Room?
Zhang Xuan took the microphone, "That's all for today. Everyone, rest today."
Zhang Xuan ended Melina's ten-year plan for the future Red Room. She glared at Zhang Xuan with eyes full of fire.
"Tonight, I'm going to the riverbank."
Zhang Xuan was puzzled, "What are you going to the riverbank for?"
Melina: (̿▀ ̿Ĺ̯̿̿▀ ̿)̄ "To grind an iron pestle by the river."
Zhang Xuan: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)☛
"Oho, I accept your challenge. Do you think I, an HBR400, am afraid of you? If I lose, I'll call you 'Mom'; if you lose, you'll call me 'Dad'."
...Zhang Xuan pushed Melina aside. Being called 'Dad' at such a young age made him furious.
He went to the main control room to check the statistics with Natasha, who was currently tallying those who wanted to leave.
"This many people? I thought my speech would keep quite a few. I still need to learn speaking techniques from that failed art student."
Zhang Xuan looked at the list of 452 Widows who wanted to leave and couldn't help but feel for his wallet. That was all his money.
Natasha leaned on Zhang Xuan like a kitten, "Most of these people are also candidates who, after observation during this period, are not suitable to stay in the Red Room. If they want to leave, let them go."
"450 million. That's enough to buy a lot of black bread."
Natasha slapped Zhang Xuan for his dark joke, "It's okay. Many Widows said they don't need compensation; they have plenty of funds in their external accounts, all given by targets during past missions."
"I'll leave things here to you. I need to go back; there's a problem with our support team that I need to fix."
Natasha: "Aren't you staying one more night? There are still many people who want to thank the great hero."
Zhang Xuan declined the suggestion. Although he liked beautiful women, this was a bit too many.
"This Kingdom of Women suits me well, but I still have an unfinished mission. They are all my feathers, and you... are my wings."
Natasha smiled sweetly. For this gaming shut-in to say such words was quite a struggle for him.
Zhang Xuan: A bunch of nonsense she doesn't understand as a buildup, plus his feelings for her at the end. Personally tested and effective, I recommend everyone try it. You say it failed? Oh, your wife isn't Wanda or Natasha, well, nothing can be done then.
At night, in the huge white training room, Zhang Xuanknocked down Natasha, Melina, Yelena, Asou Miyuri, Liliana, Annette, Yuki Sanjo, Maki Sanjo, Ayana Kakinokizaka, student Risa Takeba, Alisa, Aisa Makabe, Kasumi Haruno, and Mizuki Suzumori.
Some were knocked down onto fitness equipment, some were hung on gymnastic rings, and some wanted to leave through the window but were pinned against it.
There were also two who wanted to escape on bicycles; Zhang Xuan just took the bicycles apart.
Finally, those lying on the ground were the ones who had resigned themselves to their fate, beaten until they were blowing bubbles. Zhang Xuan was ruthless enough that basically no one could walk out of the training room.
He wiped their smiling faces and let them close their eyes that couldn't rest in peace.
Zhang Xuan left a dozen bottles of safflower oil and departed. Natasha was carried on Zhang Xuan's back, hugging him tightly. She looked helplessly at the poor, helpless girls about to be poisoned by the dozen bottles of safflower oil, only able to silently endure the pain all over their bodies after training in the middle of the night.
"Husband, couldn't you let them adapt to cooling oil first? Going straight to high-difficulty safflower oil is too cruel."
Zhang Xuan smiled triumphantly: "You don't understand. Wanda awakened her magic because of safflower oil, so I plan to try it on everyone. Besides, didn't you not stop me?"
Natasha's weak little hand gave Zhang Xuan's waist a twist. Even with his powerful physique, Zhang Xuan still grimaced, then proceeded to give her individual physical training.
Zhang Xuan lay down and checked in, then viewed his data after a long time.
[Check-in successful, Agility +1]
[Daily Check-in System]
[Host: Zhang Xuan]
[Skills: Killing Intent Perception, Transform into Red Hulk, Eye of Wisdom, Missile Survivor, Martial Arts Proficiency, Master-level Hamburger Making, Bio-electric Adsorption, Hardening, Mental Barrier]
[Physique: Steel Kidney Body (IYKYK)]
[Weapons: Tactical Goggles (Lock-on Version), Infinite Ammo Desert Eagle, Imitation Ten Rings, one jericho missile, spider suit]
[Items: holy blessing potion, nanomolecular repair agent, Summoning Card *2]
[Props: None]
Strength: 125
Speed: 58
Spirit: 76
Zhang Xuan had tested his strength; lifting a steel coil with his bare hands was child's play, and he hadn't tested anything higher because there was no need.
Based on what he knew, there were few people in the cinematic Universe with strength greater than his.
The result of his speed test was 158 kilometers per hour, which is about 43 meters per second. Combined with his physique, it was enough to ram an elephant to death.
He and Wanda had tested mental power. When his spirit was at 50 points, Wanda could still make Zhang Xuan fall unconscious. After reaching 70 points, Wanda could only cause a slight influence on him.
Zhang Xuan noticed he had two more skills and two more items, and quickly checked the system messages.
[Killed Dreykov, obtained skill: Mental Barrier, obtained one Summoning Card.]
[Successfully helped Flash get on the right path, obtained skill: Hardening, obtained one Summoning Card.]
Zhang Xuan looked at the time and knew what was going on. These were all messages that popped up while he was training with them.
At that time, he was controlled by his 'little head' and ignored the system messages.
"System, why didn't I get a Summoning Card when Obadiah Stane died?"
[Obadiah Stane did not put on the Iron Monger, so he didn't count as a villain yet, at most an internal struggle with Tony.]
Zhang Xuan understood, "It seems I can't resolve those villains prematurely."
Mental Barrier: Can construct a mental defense shield to stabilize the mind, preventing easy manipulation.
Hardening: After use, the whole body hardens. Hardness depends on the user's stamina; the higher the hardness, the faster the stamina consumption.
Zhang Xuan whistled happily, giving a thumbs up to the skills he had acquired. In the future, he wouldn't have to fear Wanda hypnotizing him and making him call her 'Mom' anymore.
However, the lethality of this whistle was a bit high, directly startling the shivering red-haired kitten in his arms.
Zhang Xuan wanted to experiment with the Hardening skill.
Chapter 30: Storming S.H.I.E.L.D.
California.
Zhang Xuan parked the plane directly in the courtyard of Tony's California home; that was the advantage of a VTOL aircraft. Natasha, however, did not get off.
"Tony, your godfather is here. Aren't you going to come out and welcome me?"
Clang!
A massive suit of armor blocked Zhang Xuan's path and beckoned him with a finger.
The armor wasn't like the Hulkbuster; it was a tall suit a size larger than normal armor, visually estimated to be 2.5 meters in height.
Zhang Xuan's mouth curled into a sneer. He jumped high and clashed fists with the armor.
Unsurprisingly...
Zhang Xuan was sent flying. He flew so far that Tonycouldn't even see him from inside the Villa.
Jarvis's drone conducted a long-focus search in the direction Zhang Xuan had flown and found him 300 meters out at sea.
Zhang Xuan wiped the seawater off his face. Although he couldn't swim, strength could create miracles. He mimicked a freestyle stroke and began paddling.
The counter-force generated by his immense strength paddling the water allowed Zhang Xuan to swim back to shore in just a few strokes.
Inside the Villa, Tony saw Zhang Xuan crash directly into the rocks on the shore because his swimming speed was too fast.
"Oh my God, is this guy going to die in the ocean?"
Tony quickly sent out a submersible he had built to rescue him.
The submersible, controlled by Jarvis, went into a freefall from the cliff when it was suddenly smashed to pieces. On the drone's footage, Tony only saw an object suddenly leap from the sea into mid-air and collide with his submarine.
The submarine was smashed to bits, and the object fell back into the sea. This time Tony saw it clearly; it was exactly what he guessed—Zhang Xuan.
"Jarvis, analyze Zhang Xuan's speed just now. This guy is a total monster."
Tony took two sips of coffee to calm his nerves.
"Sir, Mr. Zhang Xuan's ascent speed just now was approximately 300 kilometers per hour, or 82 meters per second."
Tony took another sip of coffee and said flatly, "Freak."
Below the cliff.
Zhang Xuan looked at the unknown machinery he had smashed to pieces and didn't bother with it, exerting force to jump again.
This time he succeeded, jumping directly onto the glass of Tony's bedroom. He thrust his hands into the glass with force and hung there.
"Sir, Mr. Zhang Xuan is outside your bedroom. We might need to help him."
Tony was stunned. "Is Zhang Xuan really that fast? And what is he doing at my bedroom?"
"Sir, here is the video."
When Tony saw it, he immediately swore, "Holy shit, my giant observation window!"
Tony hurried to his bedroom, but by the time he arrived, a piece of glass was already missing from his giant ocean-view room.
Zhang Xuan was already standing in his bedroom. Glass shards were scattered all over the floor, and there was a large hole over a meter wide in the glass.
Seeing Tony arrive, Zhang Xuan praised the glass, "The quality of your glass is really good. Normal glass would have shattered completely, but for this, I could only cut a big hole to get in."
Tony tilted his head back and covered his eyes, hoping what he saw was a hallucination.
Opening his eyes again, it was still the same scene of ruin.
"Jarvis, have Pepper contact a construction crew to come over. We need to replace the window."
"Yes, sir. The video has already been sent to Miss Pepper."
Tony wanted to take Zhang Xuan to the lab, but Zhang Xuan expressed that he wanted to go to the lawn to settle things with the big guy.
It just so happened that Tony wanted to vent his frustration and prepared to personally pilot the big guy for actual combat.
Zhang Xuan took off his shirt, revealing a body with muscles that weren't particularly prominent.
Seeing Zhang Xuan's body, Tony frowned and asked, "How do you train? You barely have any muscle, yet your strength is so great?"
Zhang Xuan replied, "Natural talent. You'd better use your maximum power."
Tony laughed loudly, his tone mocking, "If you want to go for another swim in the ocean, then we should change positions."
Zhang Xuan: (ꐦ°᷄︿°᷅) "I'm going to tear this big guy of yours apart."
After Zhang Xuan finished speaking, he exerted force with his feet. The power erupted, causing him to slide directly across the turf. Zhang Xuan lost his balance, veered off course, and crashed into the wall behind Tony.
Tony: (눈‸눈)
Before the dust by the wall could settle, Zhang Xuan flew out from within it and slammed into the tall armor.
Jarvis controlled the armor's arm to block one of Zhang Xuan's punches.
Zhang Xuan: (ꐦஇbeneficialஇꐦ) Going completely berserk!
A minute later, Tony, who was remotely controlling from the Underground Room, lost his connection with the armor.
Zhang Xuan felt completely refreshed looking at the tall robot he had dismantled into parts.
Zhang Xuan felt that since he was so unlucky today, tomorrow's sign-in would definitely yield something good. He was already thinking about who he should sign in on.
Entering Tony's lab, Zhang Xuan saw a wall full of armor, from Mark 1 all the way to Mark 33.
"What number was the one I just dismantled?" Zhang Xuan asked, curious since there were no missing suits here.
"That was one I just finished; it should have been Mark34. But since you dismantled it, the display slot for Mark34 won't be needed anymore."
"Come, let me see your wound."
After Zhang Xuan spoke, he went to lift Tony's shirt. Tonytried to resist, but Zhang Xuan simply ripped the shirt apart down the middle.
"It looks quite nice. Those tattooed kids would probably really like these black lines."
Tony wasn't in high spirits; he hadn't slept for several days because of this.
"Hurry up and tell me your solution. How exactly did the parallel World version of me do it?"
Zhang Xuan didn't say it directly but instead brought up the bet they once made.
"Remember that bet I made about finding a scientist better than you?"
Tony nodded. He now had the feeling he was being played by Zhang Xuan.
Zhang Xuan grinned. "Now I will introduce you to the great scientist I mentioned."
"Key member of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D., one of the creators of Captain America, the one who forged Captain America's indestructible shield, founder of Stark Industries, husband of Maria Stark, and the creator of Tony Stark—HowardStark!"
When Tony heard about forging Captain America's shield, he still thought it was his father's partner. Only 10% of him thought Zhang Xuan was talking about his father.
Until Maria Stark, his mother's name, appeared. He even thought for a split second that his old man had been cuckolded.
But when Zhang Xuan said his father's name, he was certain Zhang Xuan was talking about his father.
He gave himself a slap as an apology to his mother.
"Are you sure you're talking about my father? HowardStark? I've seen all his inventions. There's nothing novel; I've already surpassed him."
Zhang Xuan was speechless. "Have you seen your father at his peak?"
Tony: "No, but I've seen the news and heard from Obie—though Obie is gone now."
Zhang Xuan: "Do you know about your father's anti-gravity device?"
Tony frowned. "He failed. That's why cars still run on wheels today."
Zhang Xuan wagged his index finger. "No, your father succeeded, but all the information was suppressed. Your father died very suddenly, and all his research was taken by the people at S.H.I.E.L.D., including things he left for you."
Tony was in disbelief and stood up abruptly. "They even took the mementos my father left for me? And then those bastards wanted me to be their consultant. I'm going to buy a hundred-year-old whip. Next time that black slave shows up at my house, I'll whip him to death."
Tony didn't feel much about his father successfully researching anti-gravity, but he was extremely disgusted by S.H.I.E.L.D. hiding his father's mementos.
"I'm going to S.H.I.E.L.D. to take back my father's things."
Zhang Xuan pressed the standing Tony back down. "Let me finish first, then I'll go with you."
Tony waited for Zhang Xuan to speak, but Zhang Xuandidn't say a word for a long time.
"Are you going to say it or not? If not, I'm going to S.H.I.E.L.D. to settle the score."
Zhang Xuan actually wanted to speak, but it seemed he had already said everything. All that was left was to get Tony's father's mementos.
Zhang Xuan: (ꐦಠmouthಠ)ノ "What are you still sitting there for? Let's go get your father's things. Are you his son or am I?"
As Zhang Xuan spoke, he walked over to the armor, ready to pilot one.
Tony: (๐·•᷄～•᷅)? "Psycho."
Natasha rubbed her eyes, which she could barely keep open, and walked toward the room Tony had prepared for Zhang Xuan in the house.
On the way, she saw Zhang Xuan and Tony flying away.
"Big boys who never grow up, just love to play."
...An hour later, Tony and Zhang Xuan landed on the roof of the Triskelion in New York.
Tony scanned the building directly and found the Black Egg's office.
"Director, Tony Stark is here," a subordinate reported anxiously.
Nick Fury was dissatisfied upon hearing this. "If he's here, he's here. Bring him to see me."
"Director, he's already gone up. Be careful."
"This is our headquarters. What should I be careful of... What the f—!"
Before Nick Fury could finish his sentence, the glass behind him shattered, and Tony flew in through the window.
"Tony Stark, have you lost your mind? This is S.H.I.E.L.D., under the mandate of the UN Security Council. This is a provocation to the United Nations."
Nick Fury scrambled up from the floor and shouted at Tony, who was wearing his armor.
Tony wasn't going to take that. He went straight to asking about the things his father had left him.
Nick Fury narrowed his single eye and sat back in his chair. "I don't know what you're talking about. If you want your father's things, you can go check the old warehouse at your family home."
Seeing Nick Fury refuse to admit it, Tony shook his head. "You forced my hand."
Tony's palm repulsor aimed at Nick Fury. Nick Fury was still betting that Tony wouldn't dare do anything to him, but Tony, having been influenced by Zhang Xuan, had a bit more ruthlessness than in the original story.
Nick Fury was sent flying back, crashing into the glass door of his office.
"Tony, you can use more force. This guy's physical condition is much stronger than yours; he's been injected with a low-grade Super Soldier Serum."
Hearing this, Tony gradually let loose, greeting Nick Furywith iron fists.
The Agents outside pounded desperately on the door. It was unclear if the glass was exceptionally sturdy or if the HYDRA Agents wanted to see more of the Director's misery, but the glass just wouldn't break.
Until Agent Hill arrived and used her clearance to open the door. All the Agents aimed their powerless handguns at Tony and Zhang Xuan.
Zhang Xuan spoke using an altered voice, "Agent Hill, if you don't want your Director to fall and turn into a meat patty, you'd better hand over all of Howard Stark's mementos."
Hill looked at the semi-conscious Nick Fury and received no answer.
Hill gestured to the Agents behind her, telling them to prepare weapons capable of subduing these two iron men.
Seeing that Nick Fury wouldn't talk even if it killed him, Tony shook his head.
Zhang Xuan: "Let me try. You hold them off for me."
Zhang Xuan grabbed Nick Fury and flew from the window to the roof, tossing him onto the rooftop.
He leaned close to his ear and whispered, "You wouldn't want the matter of the Skrulls to be known by others, would you?"
The originally dazed Nick Fury widened his single eye and stared straight at the person in the armor.
"Hand over all of Tony's father's mementos, or I will announce your identity as these green Goblins to the World. Then you will become enemies of the entire Earth. I will also broadcast your location to the entire Universe. I think the Kree would be very willing to come to Earth to capture some Goblins."
Nick Fury's voice changed, his face darkening like water. "Who exactly are you, and why do you know these things?"
Zhang Xuan shook his head and pointed to the sky. "I'm the one asking you now. I don't care if you're Talos or Nick Fury, or someone else. If you don't want that Baseexposed, you'd better do as I say. I only want HowardStark's legacy."
Nick Fury stood up and brushed the dust off himself. "Transaction complete. The items will appear at Tony Stark's home tomorrow."
"I hope so. Also, don't build the Base underground. If it explodes, everyone dies." Zhang Xuan finished and flew away.
"Hey, aren't you responsible for taking me down?" Seeing Zhang Xuan and Tony Stark fly away without any intention of helping him.
"Motherfucker."
Nick Fury cursed softly and began climbing down the rebar ladder.
"Motherfucker!"
Nick Fury's roar echoed from the roof. The Agents below noticed and hurried to the roof to check.
They saw Nick Fury holding a ladder made of rebar that should have been in the concrete wall, with other scattered rebar ladders by his feet, and one was even piercing his thigh... "Are you sure he'll return all my father's things tomorrow? I think it's more reliable if we go take them ourselves." Tony completely distrusted the guy who stole his father's technology.
"Actually, it might not have been this guy who stole them. Back then, he was probably an Agent similar to Natasha. The Director was likely his old superior."
Captain Marvel was born in 1989, and in 1995, she met Nick Fury when he was still an Agent.
Tony asked, "Who was his old superior?"
Zhang Xuan: "Alexander Pierce, currently the Secretary of the World Security Council."
Tony began checking Pierce's data. "I need to look into him properly."
Zhang Xuan spoke up, "If you find anything, let me know first. I'm happy to earn some extra cash. By the way, Tony, how many of those sticky-fingered members of your company have you sent in? If you can't do it, I'll step in. I'd love for my stock share to grow a bit more."
Tony said dismissively, "What use is their tiny bit of stock? It's not even as much as the shares Obie left behind. Hasn't your dividend arrived yet? It should be over a billion, right? With your suggestions, I've come up with quite a few gadgets lately."
Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up, thinking of the high-performance graphics card he had asked Tony to help develop. "The high-performance computer I mentioned, have you developed it? Jarvis and I have already made quite a few games; I'm just waiting for you to help me complete the items on the list."