Chapter 61: New Era
Zhang Xuan fed several Widows a lot of medicinal liquid to help them recover as quickly as possible.
He went to Genos and Might Guy's rooms; he was going to send the two of them where they were needed.
Genos and Might Guy were arranged by Zhang Xuan to go to Europe to carry out the work of unification there.
An ordinary Europe had actually split into more than forty countries; this was simply an inversion of the natural order. From now on, Europe would have only one name: New Era.
Two days later, Zhang Xuan lay in bed, listening to Genos's report.
"Master, we have arrived in the Madam's hometown, Sokovia. However, the local people don't seem very welcoming. I would like to ask if we should take coercive measures?"
Before Zhang Xuan could answer, Wanda, who was riding him, took the phone and said:
"Genos, don't worry about me, you just need to be faster..." Wanda pinched Zhang Xuan, who was blowing on her neck. Moving the phone away from her mouth, she looked at Zhang Xuan with a dangerous gaze.
"I didn't tell you to be faster; behave yourself right now."
Zhang Xuan raised his hands with fingers spread, giving a sheepish smile.
"Genos, you can use some means... Ugh..." Changing positions, Zhang Xuan was now tickling the sensitive skin on the soles of Wanda's feet.
Wanda used Chaos Magic on her hand and twisted Zhang Xuan's skin 360 degrees.
"As long as... as long as you can end the chaos in Sokoviaas quickly as possible."
Wanda quickly ended the call. She wanted to properly teach a lesson to the two petite Widows who had been ordered by Zhang Xuan to attack her.
Using Chaos Magic, she suspended the two of them in the air and stuffed caterpillar-shaped gummy bears into their mouths, thoroughly disgusting them.
Finally, she took out a secret weapon and tied them together, waiting to deal with them later.
Now, she was going to pin Zhang Xuan to the ground and give him a good lesson.
However, things didn't go as planned. An hour later, Wanda was defeated, and Zhang Xuan left nonchalantly, leaving only a resentful Wanda walking toward the two suspended Widows with two guns.
The two petite Widows: "Wu... wuwu... wuwu... (Master, you can't abandon us! We were so obedient, yet this is our end? Help! Yamete—)"
Wanda gave the two of them a harsh lashing before leaving in satisfaction.
She was going to check the research progress of the miraculous drug that could make the fat on her belly disappear without exercise or dieting.
After the researchers spoke seriously with Wanda, she left the laboratory happily.
"Although I don't understand why we're ignoring facts and the law of conservation of energy, there seems to be a lot of progress."
Seeing Zhang Xuan leave, the researcher called him.
"Boss, the Madam has left."
Zhang Xuan: "Good. Don't tell her the truth; I'm afraid she won't be able to take it."
After spending so much time together, Wanda had gradually gone from 110 to 115, but it mostly went to certain places. Zhang Xuan was very satisfied; only a mere pound of meat had gone to her belly.
So he absolutely could not let this kind of slight chubbiness disappear. Zhang Xuan stroked Three-Section Staff Lily's small head, wondering how to accelerate time—shatter time—so Lily would grow up quickly.
Although Lily had said she could do it now, Zhang Xuansaid she must be fully grown, or else a great terror would descend.
Lily blushed and lay on Zhang Xuan's lap, accepting his feeding and stroking like a well-behaved kitten... Zhang Xuan petted Lily while reading the latest intelligence from S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Agent Hill noticed that Nick Fury's disappearance isn't right."
"A force named New Era has appeared in Europe."
"The UN Security Council issued an order for S.H.I.E.L.D.to intervene in the unrest of various countries."
"The misdeeds of the cleared trash have been fully broadcast; currently, there is significant unrest in countries all over the World."
"The weapon supply for the street rioters in European countries is in place and can lead to large-scale unrest at any time."
Zhang Xuan patted Lily's head and told her to leave first.
Lily wiped the overflowing drool from the corner of her mouth and went to her room to sleep.
Zhang Xuan handled each matter in turn.
He would personally go to Hill's side. He spoke to S.H.I.E.L.D. about the European situation, providing help secretly and hinting to Sitwell that it was his own force.
The UN matter didn't matter; the people from S.H.I.E.L.D.would be sent all over the World to keep busy.
After the scandals of those wealthy Europeans were exposed, Zhang Xuan prepared to use the S.H.I.E.L.D.moles hidden in European countries to take over those factories.
If any other "fish that escaped the net" tried to fight for inheritance rights, Zhang Xuan also said they could be eliminated, not caring about others' opinions.
He didn't plan to distribute the European weapons yet; he would wait until more things were exposed before doing so, turning all of Europe into a Middle East.
Zhang Xuan called Ethan to ask about the situation.
The result was very smooth, but there were quite a few dried corpses appearing, and many people were very panicked.
Zhang Xuan told Ethan not to worry and instructed him to read the Little Red Book more.
Ethan: "Don't worry, I learned a lot while studying abroad. It's just that the speed of taking over territory is too fast, and sometimes the supply can't keep up."
Zhang Xuan said directly: "When you encounter troublemakers, shoot them immediately. They will only be more obedient under heavy pressure."
Ethan: "I still want to be a bit gentler, but I won't be soft-hearted when I encounter problems."
Zhang Xuan suddenly remembered: "How is the De-religionization we discussed earlier going?"
Hearing Zhang Xuan mention this, Ethan hesitated: "I'm wondering if this plan should be delayed? There are too many believers here now; proposing it all at once might cause widespread opposition."
Zhang Xuan said casually: "Solve it yourself, but if the final result isn't good, Mosquito Girl will take the stage."
Ethan scratched his scalp and replied: "I understand, I'll do my best."
Having finished with the affairs in Europe and the Middle East, Zhang Xuan began to check the situation in the U.S. and Israel.
Seeing the reports of those wealthy people constantly returning by plane, Zhang Xuan sneered in his heart.
"Come back, all of you come back. Once you're back, it'll be convenient for me to carry out a centralized annihilation."
"Jie jie jie jie—"
Lily lay at the door of the room, peeking at Zhang Xuanlaughing like that, and vowed never to let drool get on Zhang Xuan again; she could only swallow it herself.
Now, back to Hill's side.
Yesterday, Hill discovered that many things in her Director's office had been swapped.
Combined with the fact that she hadn't been able to contact the Director for several days, she now felt that something must have happened to him. However, investigating the surveillance revealed that the video footage had completely disappeared.
She glanced at several people managing the monitoring room and then left.
She knew she wouldn't be able to find anything more, so she prepared to use her authority to replace these people.
Otherwise, with the monitoring room occupied by undercover Agents, everything they did would be under the control of others.
Although it would alert the enemy, the Director was already missing; who cared about alerting them now?
Chapter 62: Hill Under House Arrest
At this moment, Sitwell received a call from the surveillance room personnel.
"I understand. Stay where you are, and don't move. I'll handle it."
Sitwell hung up and dialed Zhang Xuan.
"Commander, Agent Hill has already begun investigating the matter of the black slave. Should we dispose of her secretly?"
Zhang Xuan: "Follow my lead on this. Leave a few clues for her to find so she can track down where Nick Fury is being held."
"Understood."
Sitwell began making the arrangements.
Two days later, Hill followed the lead from the surveillance room to a forest 200 kilometers away from New York.
Hill landed the quinjet, activated stealth mode, and followed on foot deep into the forest.
Looking at the path clearly worn into the ground, Hillfollowed cautiously.
She hadn't brought anyone along for this mission; even the quinjet was from a safe house secretly hidden by Nick Fury that only the two of them knew about.
Ten minutes later, Hill watched the footage sent back by her drone.
Ten minutes after the Agent from the surveillance room entered the building, an Agent she recognized walked out. She remembered him; he was from the Logistics Department.
"It seems S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't very safe after all."
After avoiding the man, Hill prepared to enter the cabin in the woods to see exactly what they were hiding there.
Hill snuck in quietly. While the Agent was deliberately relaxing and drinking tea, she fired a tranquilizer dart, and he collapsed instantly.
Seeing this through the surveillance, Zhang Xuan asked Crossbones:
"Don't you guys have something like that?"
Crossbones lowered his head in shame. "Commander, we in HYDRA strictly follow the laws of nature. Anesthetics usually take at least five seconds to spread through the body."
Crossbones looked indignantly at the Agent who had fallen instantly after being hit and muttered a few curses at Nick Fury:
"What a black-hearted fellow. To think he kept such a trick up his sleeve; even Officer Pierce didn't know about this."
Zhang Xuan turned back to the monitors. In the footage, Hill was searching for something inside, but she hadn't found any useful information.
Just as she was beginning to feel disappointed, she heard the crisp sound of metal clashing from the clearing behind the house.
Hill drew her pistol and cautiously moved forward to investigate.
"Oh, shit."
Then, she saw Nick Fury lying at the bottom of what looked like a cesspit opening.
She lowered her hands weakly, choosing to temporarily resign herself to fate.
There was no way only one person would be guarding the place where Nick Fury was held; there were bound to be many others hidden nearby.
A group of HYDRA Agents emerged from the ground, aiming their guns at Hill.
"Agent Hill, please put these on yourself. Don't make things difficult for us."
Sitwell stepped out from the woods and tossed a pair of handcuffs to Hill.
Hill picked up the handcuffs and put them on. As she did, she asked, "Sitwell, what made you betray S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Sitwell gave a mocking smile and said, "I was never a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. to begin with, so how could there be a betrayal?"
"This way, please. You know how it is, so don't make it harder on yourself than it needs to be."
Hill sensibly walked ahead and boarded their ship.
Seeing that most of the Agents were withdrawing, Hillfrowned. "Are you really that confident? Leaving only two people to guard Nick Fury?"
Sitwell adjusted his glasses and smiled faintly. "Our Commander said that as long as we ensure the Directordoesn't die, it's fine. Besides, we have many operations underway; I might even get scolded by the Commanderfor leaving two behind."
"Who is this 'Commander' you're talking about?" Hillasked. She was very curious about the person Sitwellreferred to as "Commander."
"The Commander is our new Leader. He's only been in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. for a few days, and he's already thrown the World into chaos."
Sitwell didn't hide anything. He was taking Hill to see Zhang Xuan anyway, and she would find out soon enough, so there was no harm in telling her.
"So, how long do you plan to keep Nick Fury locked up? For life?" Hill tried to fish for more information, but Sitwell only shook his head.
"I don't know. The Commander just said to keep him locked up for now, with no other instructions." Sitwellshook his head.
"However, the Commander also said that if anyone comes to rescue him, we don't need to bother; we can just leave. I don't understand it myself, but the Commander certainly has his reasons."
Hill fell into silence after hearing that.
She was thinking, pondering the reasons behind all this. But she couldn't think of anyone who could have started plotting against S.H.I.E.L.D. before Sitwell even joined.
Ten minutes later, Hill felt the aircraft begin its descent. She had expected it to be some unknown Base or something similar.
When the quinjet's hatch opened, she saw someone she hadn't seen in a long time.
"Zhang Xuan?!"
Hill cried out in surprise, all sorts of strange thoughts flashing through her mind.
Zhang Xuan looked at Sitwell and said, "Take off her handcuffs."
Without hesitation, Sitwell ordered his subordinate to unlock Hill's handcuffs.
Sure enough, as soon as the subordinate unlocked the handcuffs, Hill punched him square in the nose.
Zhang Xuan beckoned to Hill. "Come down. Let me tell you how everything happened."
Hill shot a fierce glare at the bald man and his subordinate.
Sitwell didn't mind and returned an apologetic smile.
Hill stood beside Zhang Xuan, watching the quinjetdepart. Once it was quiet, she asked him:
"Zhang Xuan, I need an explanation."
Zhang Xuan tried to put an arm around Hill's shoulder, but she dodged him.
Zhang Xuan didn't give up and stepped to the left, but Hill dodged again.
After three attempts, Zhang Xuan forced his arm around Hill's shoulder and patted it, walking forward like they were old pals.
"Is this enough? Just talk already." Hill sighed, urging Zhang Xuan to speak.
Zhang Xuan began his long-winded explanation. "It all started when I gave that antisocial sociopath with trust issues a piece of my mind..."
Zhang Xuan spoke for ten minutes, and Hill listened patiently until she understood the whole story.
"So your goal is to achieve World peace, and that's why you've taken control of S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Zhang Xuan nodded, confirming her summary.
"You could put it that way, but more accurately, it's to make Earth a better place."
Speechless, Hill leaned back and covered her forehead.
"Nick Fury's attack made me realize that the internal problems of S.H.I.E.L.D. were more serious than we imagined. But hearing this from you... it's just insane. We actually built S.H.I.E.L.D. inside HYDRA. This is truly..."
"Ironic?" Zhang Xuan suggested.
Hill shook her head. "It's laughable. Just how many enemies did we secretly eliminate for HYDRA? How much profit did we gain for them?"
Zhang Xuan stood up and said, "Take some time to digest all of this. I need a capable assistant. Once you've figured it out, you can leave."
Zhang Xuan closed the door to Hill's room. He didn't like persuading people; he was only good at conquering women in bed.
Chapter 63: Annihilating the Invaders
The next day, before Hill could knock, the gatehouse called.
Zhang Xuan slid Wanda aside, scooped up Helen Zhao, lifted Mei off the floor, and headed to the hall to answer the phone.
"Master, people are at the gate again, saying they've come to arrest you. Their attitude is very aggressive, and the gate is wired with a lot of C4."
Senju Tobirama's cool voice came through the line.
Zhang Xuan: "Tell the Widows to pull back right now—get everyone into the shelter. I'll be there soon."
"Understood."
The call ended; Tobirama relayed the order to the Widows and the whole Base sprang into motion.
Inside the house the three women began dressing. Helen Zhao and Mei stepped up to kiss Zhang Xuan.
"Stay safe," they told him, then left with the Widowwho'd come to escort them to the safe zone.
Wanda was now very strong; to avoid the worry she'd felt last time, she would stay with Zhang Xuan.
"You keep your shield up the whole time—got it?"
Zhang Xuan reminded her.
Wanda nodded obediently. "You too."
Zhang Xuan carried Wanda to the gate, fetched a chair from the guard booth, and sat her down.
He'd gone a bit wild last night; Wanda's legs were probably jelly.
Zhang Xuan leapt onto the high wall to survey the scene outside.
The three-lane road was packed with green armored vehicles. Spotting him on the wall, hundreds of soldiers aimed cannons and rifles his way.
Unfazed, Zhang Xuan even took out his phone for a snapshot.
"Zhang Xuan, surrender General Ross and the rest of the weapons immediately, or this compound will cease to exist."
In front of the convoy a white-bearded middle-aged man shouted up at him, voice trembling with rage as he eyed the armor-piercing holes in the gate.
Zhang Xuan chuckled.
"You've got two choices: one, drop your weapons and go home; two, stay here—permanently."
"Zhang Xuan, this is your last chance. Don't even think of resisting; today's force and missiles are enough to flatten your Base."
Zhang Xuan yelled, "Tobirama—do it."
The middle-aged general roared back, "Open fire!"
War erupted in an instant. The moment Zhang Xuan gave the order he turned into the Red Hulk, jumped down, and shielded Wanda in his arms, letting the depleted armor-piercing rounds slam into the north wall.
After all, he was the Hulk; spent AP rounds couldn't hurt him, especially with Wanda using Chaos Magic to sap even more of their energy.
The bullets that finally reached him simply ricocheted away; he only had to endure this one volley—they wouldn't get a chance to reload.
"Detonate the charges!" the lead general ordered.
Hearing that, Zhang Xuan cursed, vaulted skyward with Wanda, and cleared the C4-laden gate—he'd forgotten about it.
"Earth Release: Great Rock Slab!" ×10
Tobirama's voice rang out; ten-meter-thick rock walls shot up on both sides of the road, flanking the hundred-meter-long column.
The middle-aged general and his men gulped as the towering slabs rose beside them.
Before they could react, the slabs began to tilt inward.
"R-run!"
"There's an exit up front—move!"
"No time—under the tank!"
The quick-witted were already sprinting before the shouting started—only a few dozen at the front made it.
Those near the tanks scrambled underneath.
The tank bellies soon overflowed with men; others dove beneath different vehicles.
Some stunned stragglers never moved and were buried under the crashing stone.
The whole sequence took barely five seconds. A handful near the far exit escaped—Zhang Xuan had left that gap on purpose; the rest were simply out of luck.
Those who got out watched the scene, legs turning to jelly.
Then the same voice sounded again.
"Earth Release: Ground Fissure!" ×10
The earth split into a hundred-meter chasm, sending everyone on the road to an underground grave.
"No!"
"Help!"
"Mama, save me!"
"I don't want to die!"
Tobirama ignored the cries and slammed the fissure shut.
"G-general, I think I saw vehicle wreckage down there—maybe General Ross's group from last time."
The middle-aged general snapped, "I can see that—shut up."
Electricity flashed for a second; the survivors convulsed as current coursed through them and collapsed.
Crack!
Thunder rolled in late, a breeze carrying the stench of burnt flesh.
Five helicopters had been locked on; dozens of Gatling barrels poured rounds, downing all but one that had lagged back with mechanical trouble.
"Master, should we chase it?" Tobirama asked, appearing beside him as the lone chopper fled.
Zhang Xuan reverted to normal, still cradling Wanda.
"No need. Nine die, one lives—they're the lucky one."
Tobirama was about to admire the remark when Zhang Xuan's next line shut him up.
"I'm going back for some shorts; take the cleanup crew and tidy the place—I've got guests coming."
Back in his room Zhang Xuan rang Pierce.
"Grand Marshal, what are your orders?"
Pierce had saved Zhang Xuan's number the moment he got it, though they'd never met.
"I scrapped a few hundred soldiers today. Work your Military contacts so they don't bother me again any time soon."
Pierce hesitated. "Grand Marshal, we only have one voice inside the Military; I can't guarantee they'll listen."
Zhang Xuan was surprised. "Aren't you guys everywhere? Only one person in the whole Military I can talk to?"
Pierce gave a bitter laugh. "You overrate us, Marshal. We can infiltrate small fry like S.H.I.E.L.D., but the Military is run by the big clans—hardly any room for outsiders."
That single asset took us forty-plus years and mountains of money to place."
Zhang Xuan shrugged. "Fine. Let me know if they want war or talk; if they won't parley, Sebastian can stretch his legs."
Pierce replied, "Marshal, we might turn this to our advantage—get them to supply us with weapons."
Zhang Xuan yawned. "Discuss it with Sebastian. But if they plan to hit my park, inform me at once."
"Understood." Pierce set the phone down and began plotting how to save face for the Military without troubling the Grand Marshal.
Losing two generals was no longer the main issue—generals could be replaced, but face, once lost, was gone for good.
He needed a way to let the Military reclaim its prestige without dragging his marshal into the mess.
Chapter 64: Nuclear Blast! Half a Year Later
Three days later, Zhang Xuan received a message from Pierce.
"My Lord, we failed. According to the meeting results, a saturated missile strike will be carried out on the park at midnight tonight."
Hearing this, Zhang Xuan replied nonchalantly, "Fine, I understand."
Zhang Xuan immediately ordered the Widow to take everyone and the research facilities away.
No one hesitated; everyone left the place.
Although there was a lot of expensive laboratory equipment in the park, it was all small change.
Dr. Connors wanted to ask some questions, but Zhang Xuan pulled him aside and whispered to him.
Upon learning it was a missile carpet-bombing, Connors completely reversed his previous stance of refusing to leave even if it meant death.
"Boss, can I leave first?"
Zhang Xuan:... At night, Zhang Xuan sat on the roof of the park, watching dozens of various missiles flying towards him, and pressed the button in his hand.
The missiles landed in the park, each bringing a massive shockwave. Dozens of shockwaves sent Zhang Xuanflying all over the place.
Soon, peace returned to the park. Zhang Xuan, having experienced being a Missile Survivor within the ruins, patted the dust off his clothes.
"My clothes are barely dirty. Even after being blown away so many times, I'm still fine."
Zhang Xuan jumped onto a building that hadn't been completely destroyed and looked around, searching for the 'big mushroom' that the Japanese lived so well with.
Suddenly, in the dark of night, the Sun took a shift.
An indescribable point of light instantly expanded, swallowing his entire field of vision. The pure brightness made anyone who saw it unable to open their eyes; the light illuminated the sky, and the entire New York State lit up.
Time seemed to freeze, maintaining absolute silence for about a minute; the World's mute button had been pressed.
Then, Zhang Xuan heard an extremely high-pitched, sharp explosion, accompanied by a light breeze of level four or five.
That night, the entire New York State saw their ancestors at a certain Military Base in New York.
A few minutes later, the temporary Sun left in a hurry, and the moon returned to the sky.
The darkness around the crescent moon seemed to have been swept away.
"Waku waku, nuclear bombs are truly fierce."
"I really want another one."
Zhang Xuan suppressed the urge to detonate more big fireworks, took out the nuclear bomb controller, and locked all the nuclear bombs in the World—the kind that could not be detonated no matter what.
"What wild ambition; the number of nuclear bombs isn't even negative two."
Zhang Xuan held back the thought of detonating them, after all, there were many Chinese people who hadn't evacuated.
(When I visited relatives in the Northeast, I learned about many uncles and aunts who go to Japan and Korea to work; they really suffer to earn money, and half the people in some towns live off working in Japan and Korea.)
There was no rush for now; this big firecracker was his warning to the U.S. Locking the nuclear bombs was a contribution to World peace.
Zhang Xuan waited on the spot for the people from the Red Room to pick him up.
Ten minutes later, the Red Room personnel reached his location, picked him up, and headed to the Red Room.
Zhang Xuan didn't care about the consequences of the nuclear blast; he just called Pierce and instructed, "Proceed according to plan."
Zhang Xuan was in the Red Room watching the news, with Wanda sitting in his lap, also watching the news.
On the news, the Military spokesperson simply described last night's nuclear explosion as a nuclear test and explained that there were no casualties; the destroyed Military Base was abandoned, and they had already moved to a new Base.
The public's concern about this matter was actually not high; except for a few unlucky ones nearby, there were no casualties.
Correct, no casualties.
Without records of these soldiers or social security records, how do you prove these people existed? Just based on your photos with him and your children?
In the Black House in Washington, the current U.S. President hung up the phone tiredly. A twenty-year-old secretary, hidden from the President's view by the chair, began massaging his weary body.
"Mia, if it weren't for you, I might die of exhaustion."
The President pressed the obstruction against his face and took an epic breath into his lungs.
"My Lord President is too kind. I'm just a weak woman; all I can do is help you relax your body."
"You work so hard for the country every day, I even think we should have a few more secretaries to help you relax."
The old President shook his head and refused: "You are the best. I couldn't handle any more."
"Oh, you're so naughty~"
...When the nuclear bomb exploded, the Presidents of all countries in the World were just as busy as he was, though it was daytime in their regions, so they weren't as sleepy.
While everyone outwardly believed the U.S. explanation, no country was foolish enough to truly believe it; all troops were mobilizing, preparing for a war that could happen at any time.
Even among the uninformed masses in Europe and the U.S., many people began digging their own underground shelters.
Many city dwellers packed up and moved back to the mountains. For a time, the whole World was in a state of panic... Half a year later, the park Zhang Xuan established in Russia was finally completed.
At the same time, Helen Zhao's cradle of life was also finished.
However, its functions weren't powerful enough yet and couldn't compare to the Healing Serum successfully researched by Dr. Connors.
The primary function of the cradle of life was to treat injuries, while the Healing Serum's function was limb regeneration.
But the effect on treating the uterus was still a bit lacking.
At this time, Zhang Xuan quietly woke up in some unknown dormitory and checked the system.
[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, Lightning Attraction Technique, Rapid Regeneration, Invisibility, Fire Control, Telekinesis, Energy Absorption]
[Physique: Medicine Spirit Kidney Body]
[Weapons: tactical goggles (Lock-on Version), Infinite Ammo Desert Eagle, Imitation Ten Rings, one jericho missile, spider suit, High-Pressure Water Cannon]
[Items: holy blessing potion, nanomolecular repair agent, mjolnir authorization card, pumpkin bomb production line, nuclear weapon controller, memory reader, Electromagnetic Catapult Cannon]
[Followers: Sexy Prisoner, Sebastian, Senju Tobirama, Mosquito Girl, Might Guy, Genos, Three-Section Staff Lily]
Strength: 245
Speed: 145
Spirit: 123
[Hundred Refinements to God: 96/100]
Zhang Xuan's focus was mainly on Hundred Refinements to God. Because he had to frequently dual-cultivate with Wanda and others, even within the Red Room, he only had over 90 confidantes after half a year.
He was far weaker than those 'many children, many blessings' friends; he could only be called a small witch compared to a great one.
Tonight, Wanda was supposed to go to Sokovia to check on the new Sokovia, so he had already found his target for Hundred Refinements to God for tonight.
Facing an invitation from four people at once, Zhang Xuanhad already planned the items needed for the banquet party.
"Wife, stay safe."
Wanda gave Zhang Xuan a punch in annoyance, "You stay and handle the debts you owe before I come back."
Zhang Xuan saw Wanda off, and looking at the various beauties behind him, he felt a bit of a headache. He could only shout in his heart:
System, you've really caused me a lot of trouble.
Chapter 65: Meeting Hulk
After a long day's work, Zhang Xuan stopped swinging his hoe and began to tally the day's labor.
"Plowed 37 mu today; remaining task: 4 mu."
In the far outskirts of Russia, he had the girls from the Red Room plant crops in the surrounding area, constantly letting them feel that food is hard-earned to reduce waste.
It also helped them expend their excess stamina.
The other exhausted Widows were cheering for Zhang Xuan as he plowed; hearing the melodious cheers of the women, Zhang Xuan worked even harder.
"Work hard, work hard."
Seeing them cheer for him, he wanted to complete the Hundred Refinements to God quest and see exactly what was waiting for him.
Zhang Xuan: (ง✧⌂✧)ง
"Ora ora ora—"
"Watch my Raging Bull Charge."
"Watch my Wild Bull Disco."
"Watch my Bullish Spirit Soar."
"Watch my Big-Horned Cow."
For the four mu of land, Zhang Xuan used four different moves to exert his strength.
Since gaining Telekinesis Manipulation, Zhang Xuan's plowing speed had increased significantly, and he could even change into various postures to plow.
After finishing the exhausting work of turning over 41 mu of soil, Zhang Xuan went to check his Hundred Refinements to God status.
[Hundred Refinements to God: 100/100]
[Hundred Refinements to God complete, Old Farmer Evolved!]
Zhang Xuan: ∑(°mouth°๑)!!
[Ahem, slip of the tongue.]
[Medicine Spirit Kidney Body evolution—Nine Yang Kidney Body]
After the system spoke, Zhang Xuan felt his whole body burning up, as if he had a massive fire within him.
"System, is this the feeling of evolution?"
[No, this is the feeling of being about to explode. Quickly, go and vent that power.]
Zhang Xuan: (≖︿≖)
Helpless, Zhang Xuan could only go back over the horizontally plowed land and plow it vertically once more.
In the end, it still wasn't enough, so he plowed an additional 9 mu.
Seeing him go back and plow the land again in sync, the others had no choice but to cooperate with the plowing.
However, they all slacked off, just striking poses and loafing around, knowing Zhang Xuan would naturally come over to help them turn the soil... The power in his body finally dissipated mostly, and Zhang Xuan opened his panel to check.
[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, Lightning Attraction Technique, Rapid Regeneration, Invisibility, Fire Control, Telekinesis, Energy Absorption]
[Constitution: Medicine Spirit Kidney Body]
[Weapons: tactical goggles (Aimbot Version), Infinite Ammo Desert Eagle, Imitation Ten Rings, one jericho missile, spider suit, High-Pressure Water Cannon]
[Items: holy blessing potion, nanomolecular repair agent, mjolnir authorization card, pumpkin bomb production line, nuclear weapon controller, memory reader, Electromagnetic Catapult Cannon]
[Followers: Sexy Prisoner, Sebastian, Mosquito Girl, Might Guy, Genos, Three-Section Staff Lily]
Strength: 245
Speed: 145
Spirit: 123
[thousands of gullies and ravines: 123/1000]
But Zhang Xuan still felt like he had endless strength, like a pile driver that couldn't stop without being unplugged.
Finally, Natasha found a task for him, and only then did he stop his urge to continue.
"What? You're saying the big green guy has appeared again?"
"That's right, in a small town on the outskirts of Yekaterinburg. It seems quite a few people were injured."
Natasha sat in Zhang Xuan's lap, looking at the tablet in her hand and explaining the details of the Hulk incident.
Zhang Xuan said, "That big guy needs to be dealt with as soon as possible, so let me out."
...Two hours later, Zhang Xuan appeared on the outskirts of Yekaterinaburg and saw Hulk sitting in a wooden shed.
"Why hasn't he changed back yet?"
Natasha explained while holding the tablet, "He's been like this for several days. We discovered him through the only internet-connected camera in the village. Hmm... he hasn't attacked the villagers; on the contrary, he's protecting them."
Zhang Xuan ordered, "Mm-hmm, land outside the village. I'll go meet this big guy."
Pulling out the aircraft key, Zhang Xuan got off the plane and walked toward the village carrying a huge apple.
The people in the village all looked strangely at Zhang Xuan's unfamiliar face, but the village belle Cui Hua had eyes full of infatuation.
"Wow, I really want to marry him. Such a manly man."
Xiao Shuai, feeling jealous, disparaged Zhang Xuan, "He looks like a weakling. His muscles aren't nearly as big as mine."
Cui Hua glanced at Xiao Shuai and said disdainfully, "Tch, last time you were streaking, the whole village saw your tiny scrap of meat. You scrawny dog."
Xiao Shuai said excitedly, "I wasn't streaking! I was drugged by Little Fatty!"
Cui Hua caught the key issue and asked with a frown, "What do you mean by 'drug'?"
Xiao Shuai left guiltily; he didn't dare say that Little Fattywanted to use it on Da Mei, but he ended up drinking it.
Seeing this, Cui Hua kept the matter in mind, but now she was going to follow Zhang Xuan all the way.
She thought that even if she couldn't have Zhang Xuanfor life, she had to have him for one passionate night. Just once wouldn't be bad.
Zhang Xuan didn't bother with the following Cui Hua; he didn't mind having a passionate one-night stand with the infatuated Cui Hua.
If Cui Hua was willing to go with him, that would be even better—he could introduce her to more sisters.
Looking at Cui Hua's proportions, she was already an adult.
Zhang Xuan gave Cui Hua a slight smile, and she followed closely behind him.
Ever since gaining the Nine Yang Sacred Body, his attraction to women had become terrifyingly strong.
However, when Cui Hua reached the three-meter-high small house where Hulk lived, she clearly hesitated.
Zhang Xuan walked up to Cui Hua and hugged her, her two large "headlights" pressing tightly against his chest.
Zhang Xuan leaned down, wanting to take a look: "Wait for me here, and later I'll take you to heaven."
Cui Hua didn't have the brainpower to consider if there was anything wrong with Zhang Xuan's words; she just kept nodding, her legs going weak as she leaned against a nearby wooden post.
In the video, Natasha looked speechlessly at Zhang Xuan's trick of flirting with this Danei Cui Hua; it was incredibly low-level, yet this Danei Cui Hua actually fell for it.
Zhang Xuan walked to Hulk's house and knocked on the door.
Soon, the door was slowly opened.
Zhang Xuan stretched out his hand holding the apple to the door; two thick fingers pinched the large apple, and it disappeared after Hulk chewed it a few times.
"Hulk, you're much easier to get along with than Banner."
The originally calm Hulk suddenly roared in anger, "Hulk! Not! Banner!"
Zhang Xuan covered his ears and waved his hand, saying, "I know, I know. Hulk is Hulk. I prefer being with you."
Hearing this, Hulk bent over and walked out of the warehouse door, saying to Zhang Xuan with a smile, "Friend. No, Banner."
Zhang Xuan wanted to reach out and shake hands with Hulk, but he quickly gave up on that idea, fearing he'd be slammed.
"Hulk, I want to fight you."
"Hulk, no fight you. You, will die."
Zhang Xuan didn't expect that Hulk actually understood the concept of death and would refuse him because he might die.
Chapter 66: The Big Sister from Online Dating Became an Arrogant Mesugaki
Zhang Xuan smiled confidently, "That's true. Come with me; the things here probably aren't enough for you to eat."
Hulk shook his head in refusal after hearing this, "Hulknot go. Hulk, likes, here."
Zhang Xuan didn't plan to interfere too much with Hulk, so he said, "Alright, you stay here. I'll find two friends to take care of you."
Zhang Xuan remembered seeing two young men chatting and laughing with Hulk while watching the surveillance footage, and he thought about hiring those two to look after Hulk.
"I'm leaving for now. I'll come see you with food later."
Hulk waved his hand and said, "Hulk want eat, meat."
"No problem."
Zhang Xuan walked to Cui Hua's side and picked her up in a princess carry. He walked in the direction she pointed; she lived alone, so they could go straight there.
Seeing this, Natasha said to the two Widows flying the plane, "You two go over there as well. Looking at your faces, you aren't the types to stay out of trouble anyway. Go on."
Zhang Xuan arrived at Cui Hua's house and saw the other two Widows coming over. He took out his walkie-talkie and said:
"Thanks, dear. Could you help me order two spaceships full of food for Hulk as well?"
Natasha pouted and replied, "You flirtatious guy, just don't forget about me."
"Cui Hua's bed is very large; they need guidance from an Elder like you."
As Zhang Xuan finished speaking, he led the three newcomers toward Cui Hua's home.
Early the next morning, as the sky was just beginning to brighten, the Village Chief's hesitant knocking sounded outside the door.
The wooden door opened with a "creak," leaving a small gap. Zhang Xuan and Cui Hua both poked their heads out from the crack. Both faces showed a hint of fatigue, and their hair was somewhat messy.
"Village Chief, what's wrong?" Zhang Xuan asked, rubbing his eyes.
The Village Chief's old face turned red. His gaze lingered for a moment on Cui Hua's slightly swollen lips before he awkwardly looked away and cleared his throat to speak:
"Well... Cui Hua, Auntie Wang and Uncle Li from next door came to find me. They said you guys... uh, were making quite a bit of noise. They're getting old and are light sleepers; they didn't get much shut-eye all night..."
Cui Hua's face instantly flushed all the way to her ears. Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes, and her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz:
"I'm so sorry... um, we... we'll be more careful."
As soon as she finished speaking, she jabbed her elbow backward, hitting Zhang Xuan right in the chest. With a "woof," Zhang Xuan was pushed back inside. Cui Huahurriedly bowed to the Village Chief and slammed the door shut with a "bang."
Outside the door, the Village Chief looked at the still-trembling wooden door and shook his head helplessly, though a hint of a smile couldn't help but creep onto his lips.
The Village Chief looked at the two of them, shook his head, and prepared to take the two elderly neighbors to stay at his house for a few nights.
"Click."
The door opened, and Zhang Xuan's hand reached out, clutching a handful of green banknotes.
"Village Chief, sorry. This is an apology gift. I'm very busy right now."
Cui Hua explained to the Village Chief in Russian, and then her small hand closed the door.
Only several thousand dollars were left on the ground.
The Village Chief picked them up with a smile, intending to go back and split them fifty-fifty with the old couple.
No, wait—he would give it all to them.
Once the door closed, Cui Hua felt as if all her strength had been drained. She slumped backward, but fortunately, Zhang Xuan's sturdy arms caught her waist just in time.
"See, wasn't I right?" Zhang Xuan leaned in mischievously toward her red ear, his warm breath brushing against it. "Is it more exciting this way?"
Cui Hua was so annoyed that she jabbed her elbow backward repeatedly, but it felt like hitting a steel plate. Instead, she jarred her own arm until it was numb, and her legs went soft, causing her to slide down.
Zhang Xuan chuckled softly, firmly grasping the "steering wheel" at her waist, timely controlling this "sports car" that was about to go off the tracks.
Afterward, Zhang Xuan stepped down from the "driver's seat." His gaze swept over the other brand-new and shiny "sports cars" in the garage, and he began to calculate whether he should form a racing team.
At this time, Natasha, who had rested in the quinjet for the night, happened to see this scene through the porthole. She watched so intently that she didn't even notice a silver thread of saliva escaping the corner of her mouth. She casually threw on a coat, jumped down from the jet, and directly joined this "parking lot carnival."
Zhang Xuan naturally turned no one away, and the "Russia Development Project" continued to push forward in full swing.
[Thousands of Ravines and Valleys: 126/1000]
Just as the battle was at its peak, an emergency communication from Mosquito Girl suddenly came in. Zhang Xuan clicked the message, took one look, and quickly carried his four female companions onto the jet one by one, not even bothering to clean up the mess in the room and garage behind him.
The Village Chief was overjoyed. Looking at the hundred thousand dollars left behind, he prepared to carry out a major renovation of the village.
He also planned to build a new, taller warehouse for Hulk.
"This big chubby boy is simply our village's lucky star. Xiao Shuai, Little Fatty, from now on, Hulk's meals are up to you two. Remember to balance meat and vegetables."
Little Fatty was holding Xiao Mei, but when she saw her mother, Da Mei, embracing the Village Chief, she asked angrily:
"Mom, what are you doing? Why are you hugging him?"
Little Fatty then gently patted Xiao Mei's shoulder from behind, trying to comfort her. "Xiao Mei, they are truly in love. We should probably give them our blessing."
Xiao Mei turned around and gave Little Fatty a hard punch.
"What nonsense are you talking about? He's your father, and she's my mother. If they get married, what about us?"
Even facing Xiao Mei, the Village Chief continued to hold Da Mei, who wanted to check on Little Fatty's injury, and said sincerely:
"Xiao Mei, maybe we don't have to register the marriage."
Hearing this, Xiao Mei looked at Da Mei with resentment. Da Mei still wanted to pull Xiao Mei back, but the Village Chief stopped her.
The Village Chief kicked Little Fatty, frustrated that he wasn't doing more. "What are you standing there for? Go after her! If you can't talk sense into Xiao Mei, there's no need for you to come back tonight."
Little Fatty rubbed his cheek and chased after her, but before he had run very far, he heard his father, the Village Chief, shouting to him from behind:
"If you talk sense into Xiao Mei tonight, don't come back either! I want to spend some quality time alone with Da Mei."
Little Fatty threw up his hands and said "Why?", but the Village Chief ignored him entirely and pulled Da Mei back home.
Da Mei shyly tapped the Village Chief and nestled in his arms, but her eyes occasionally drifted toward Xiao Shuaiand then toward Cui Hua's room, as if reminiscing about the her in her memories.
However, she quickly made up her mind. Since she couldn't land the handsome guy, and Xiao Shuai was poor and a weakling, she might as well pursue her own love.
Zhang Xuan didn't care about Xiao Shuai's feelings. Instead, he looked at Mosquito Girl's message on his phone, his heart burning with anticipation.
Under Zhang Xuan's treatment, Cui Hua had also regained her vitality.
A few hours later, traveling at supersonic speeds, they reached the Base Mosquito Girl had established in the Middle East.
Zhang Xuan stood below, looking at the dozens of young girls wearing ragged clothes because of the hot weather. He compared them to the text and photos Mosquito Girlhad sent on his phone, looking back and forth.
Finally, Zhang Xuan was certain that he had been fooled by a catfishing photo. He pointed a small finger.
"Wang Chao, you..."
Finally, after half a year, the limbs evolved from absorbing hundreds of thousands of people were put to use.
The two giant blood storage bags also experienced special... slapping care tonight.
Zhang Xuan first put down Mosquito Girl and looked down at these obedient little brats and tiny tots in front of him, feeling his head throb.
Every single one of them had been specially kept by Mosquito Girl, and they were indeed very cute. But every time Zhang Xuan thought about the hot photos he had seen, only to find these lolis behind them, he felt a sense of guilt.
Who could understand the... thrill of a big sister from online dating turning into an arrogant mesugaki?
FBI! Don't move!
Helpless, Zhang Xuan could only take these lolis to the Red Room.
Chapter 67: Evolved Mosquito Girl, Hard Blood Storage Bag
By the time the Red Room's plane arrived, it was already night.
Natasha took Cui Hua back to the Red Room. Zhang Xuan stayed behind, intending to teach Mosquito Girl a good lesson; she was being far too arrogant.
Natasha looked at the busy Zhang Xuan, rolled her eyes, and took her new sisters and the photo-scam girls home.
Zhang Xuan's movements didn't stop as he attacked Mosquito Girl, questioning her:
"Is this how you repay your Master? You actually learned how to Photoshop, turning a bunch of brats into voluptuous beauties to trick me. Do you know how long I've been looking forward to this?"
Mosquito Girl placed her Blood Storage Bag in front of her to block Zhang Xuan's attack. This was something she had specifically evolved to deal with him.
"Since Master wanted someone to spar with, aren't I doing just that? Haven't you also failed to take me down yet?"
Zhang Xuan took all comers. Since she used her Blood Storage Bag against him, he wouldn't be polite. Since she could suck blood, he would let it flow—he'd see how much she could take and stuff her to death.
"Ora ora ora—"
"Watch my light-speed rapid fire."
Zhang Xuan used all his strength to attack Mosquito Girl, but her Blood Storage Bag was indeed specially evolved. It seemed capable of storing dozens of pounds of blood, gradually expanding.
Despite letting so much blood flow, he just couldn't break it.
Mosquito Girl giggled as she dodged Zhang Xuan's attacks. Occasionally, she took a few hits, but the powerful defense of the Blood Storage Bag neutralized them.
"Master is truly weak, only able to go this far."
Hearing Mosquito Girl's mockery, Zhang Xuan's anger flared up, and he activated the active skill of the Nine Yang Divine Body.
"Feel the Sun's wrath!"
Zhang Xuan closed in and grabbed Mosquito Girl's forearms. Instantly, she felt a scorching heat on them, causing pain without actually injuring her.
This slight pain actually made her even more excited.
"Master is truly impressive to have such a trick. I'll have to get serious too."
"Watch my..."
...Zhang Xuan and Mosquito Girl messed around for two days and two nights. It must be said, Mosquito Girl was truly strong.
Zhang Xuan rubbed his slightly aching lower back and said, "If Mosquito Girl is already this strong, what level of character would Psykos-Orochi be? She wouldn't suck me dry over several days and nights, would she?"
Zhang Xuan cast aside these thoughts that couldn't be tested for now and pulled the exhausted Mosquito Girl to the bathroom.
A Widow, hearing their fight end, finally came in to disturb Zhang Xuan.
She brought along her sisters who were here, fearing that the work report wouldn't be very peaceful.
As expected, it was three hours later by the time Zhang Xuan finished listening to her report.
[thousands of gullies and ravines: 130/1000]
Zhang Xuan took out his tablet and recorded all the enemies on it. Those who could be killed were killed, and those who were useful were kept.
Ethan, who was preparing for a meeting, heard a notification on his tablet and checked it.
As he expected, all members of the Middle East Huang Family involved in evil deeds were marked with an 'X' by Zhang Xuan.
Ethan took out his phone and modified the content of the upcoming meeting.
He crossed out 'Capture royal family members' and wrote 'Leave none alive.'
After a long meeting, Ethan saw Zhang Xuan for the first time in a while.
Zhang Xuan walked into Ethan's office looking relaxed. Ethan dismissed the standby secretary.
"It's fine, he is our behind-the-scenes supporter."
The secretary-cum-bodyguard then left, standing by at the door.
"It's been a long time. You've aged quite a bit."
Zhang Xuan sat down and noticed that the black hair around Ethan's balding crown had turned much whiter.
Ethan shook his head happily: "It's alright. At least my hometown has much more order now. Although more people died, it's a good thing at least. I'm quite happy."
"As long as you're happy. Some sacrifices are necessary; only those who survive have the right to be sad."
Ethan smiled without saying a word.
Zhang Xuan continued, "Since these people are hindering development, there's no need to keep them. You don't have to worry about their backlash at all, because they won't have the chance."
Ethan nodded: "You're right. They didn't have a chance to fight back. They didn't even know what happened before they died. Mosquito Girl is indeed too strong."
Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement: "Indeed, she is too strong."
Ethan:... Zhang Xuan looked at the area on the map and the many small red dots, then asked:
"Haven't these Terrorists gathered in large numbers yet? They're all potential threats."
Ethan felt a headache coming on upon hearing this.
"No, they've been operating in small guerrilla squads of dozens. It's hard to strike them effectively. We can only rely on Mosquito Girl to wipe them all out."
Zhang Xuan said, "Find some of the most heinous criminals. In a while, I'm going to send them to Europe. It's a bit too peaceful over there; it needs some external stimulation."
Ethan nodded, "Alright, I'll select some well-behaved ones from the slave camps. We can't let the truly evil ones go there to enjoy themselves; my hometown relies on them for construction."
"Tell me if you need any weapons on your end."
Ethan hesitated for a moment and asked, "How's things with Tony?"
Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly, "After Tony found out about me playing with 'firecrackers' last time, he hasn't spoken to me for months."
Hearing 'big firecrackers', Ethan also frowned slightly: "You did go a bit too far. That time, everyone in a military Base probably met God—likely thousands of people."
Zhang Xuan was indifferent to the matter and replied somewhat proudly, "I won't attack unless attacked, but if someone attacks me, I'll set off a nuke."
Ethan sighed but didn't say much. He had seen the park reduced to ruins; if news hadn't been received, many people in the park would have likely died too.
"Stop sighing. I heard Tony developed something that can manage deserts. Tell me what it is."
Ethan shook his head: "I'm not sure either. He said I'd know when the time comes."
"He loves surprises. I hope the surprise he gives Pepperisn't strawberries, the only thing she's allergic to."
Ethan smiled knowingly; that was indeed something Tonywould do.
Zhang Xuan left the area. He was going to the HYDRABase in Southeast Asia; there were many things waiting for him to... see.
How could they wait for him to handle them? By the time he got there, those scammers would have long since fled... Arriving at the HYDRA Base in Southeast Asia, Zhang Xuan opened the hatch and felt as if he were surrounded by water vapor. Damp!
Fortunately, after entering the HYDRA underground Base, that feeling improved significantly.
"Where is Crossbones?"
Zhang Xuan didn't see the person in charge here, Crossbones, so he asked.
"Commander, Leader Crossbones went on a mission and encountered some accidents, so he's returning a bit late."
A soldier lowered his head and reported to Zhang Xuan.
Chapter 68 – A New Skill for the Ordinary Man
Zhang Xuan strolled around the Base; the place looked pretty good.
He then entered the Combat Lab and caught sight of a drone-bombing run in progress.
Feeling it wasn't exciting enough, Zhang Xuan took the controls and piloted the drone himself.
Finally, he left beneath the admiring stares of the entire squad.
Drone: I should've just rusted away in the factory.
Next, Zhang Xuan walked into a room that had been specially converted into an orphanage; inside, scores of children were drilling.
Those who failed the test weren't killed on the spot, but they still got a taste of the little whip.
After that, Zhang Xuan went to the War-Monitoring Room to check the latest battlefield feed.
"Is that Dadong over there?"
On the monitor he spotted several dozen soldiers in police uniforms standing guard; their familiar aura told him they were fellow townsfolk.
"Yes, sir."
Zhang Xuan frowned. "Why are they on the border? They were told not to go there."
"Marshal, our men are blocking the gate to keep the prey on that side from setting up camp on the frontier—fighting would get messy if they did."
"Smart thinking, but stay careful. These barbarian prey are crazy; they'll even strike right on the border."
"Rest easy, Marshal. We've deployed within three kilometres; beyond that, drones do a ten-kilometre sweep with no blind spots."
Zhang Xuan patted the soldier's shoulder. "Well done."
"Any live combat footage?"
"Yes, sir. One moment." The soldier quickly pulled up the feed.
On-screen, squads of bullet-vested Filipino monkeysopened fire from every direction, assaulting an outpost.
After heavy casualties they finally seized it thirty minutes later; the defenders were squatting with hands on heads when a helicopter flew past and dropped a supply crate.
The vest-wearing monkeys organised a team to collect the new armour; the old vests were handed to the captives.
Ten minutes later a dozen helos hovered overhead and ordered:
"Everyone grab the ladder."
The old-timers climbed onto the ropes and clipped their vest safety locks to the rungs.
The rookies copied them and hung on.
"All units depart; target coordinates sent."
The command room issued the order and the waypoint.
"Roger." The chopper pilots replied.
Soon the helicopters lifted off, each rope dangling twenty-odd men; roughly three hundred Filipino monkeyswere heading to the next outpost.
In sweltering Southeast Asia, the ladder-borne breeze gave them a rare bit of coolness.
"Rat-tat-tat—"
Gunfire erupted as the ladder riders started their usual revenge, shooting up at the men above them.
But they were quickly silenced.
"Two, that was your bird; his rounds hit my windshield."
Pilot Two: "Request confirmation."
Another pilot answered: "Confirmed, Two. You may release the ladder."
"Roger."
The Captain and co-pilot of helo Two exchanged glances and pressed the button marked with a lightning bolt.
At once the monkeys on Two's ladder let go—except for one still hanging on.
"Two, you've still got one. Let's bet how long he lasts—I say three shocks."
Ten chimed in: "I say he drops next zap."
…Everyone called their number; finally the co-pilot of Two hit the lightning button again.
"Pathetic—couldn't even hold on; he just fell."
"Haha, pay up when we're back."
Winners grinned; nobody mourned—the bet was only a hundred U.S. dollars.
They were all happy. The guy who fell? He was a monkey, not a human.
Zhang Xuan silently pulled out a hundred U.S. dollars and handed it to the duty controller.
"Thanks, Marshal."
"Work hard and the Marshal will find you plenty of wives."
"Much obliged, Marshal; I prefer them young."
"Mm, you'll get grown-up young ones."
…Zhang Xuan had someone find him a bunk; when he opened his eyes again it was dusk.
He stepped outside, watched the busy, orderly soldiers, felt pleased, and decided to go interrogate the Four Great Families in the cells.
An hour later Zhang Xuan flicked blood off his trousers and walked out of the interrogation room.
"Damn, got blood all over me. Remember: don't kill them in anger next time—squeeze every last drop of value out of them first."
"Yes, sir. We'll follow the Marshal's teaching."
"Send the minors for brainwashing, then put them into training."
Pointing to the other side he added, "Those ones go straight to the mines—can't kill them all, somebody has to work."
That evening Crossbones finally returned.
Zhang Xuan greeted him with a barrage of criticism.
"You're a Commander—why were you on the front line? You think you're Captain America's shield, bullet-proof?"
Crossbones was stubborn. "Marshal, I don't want to be a Commander—I want to fight on the front line."
Zhang Xuan was speechless; the man wanted to throw his life away instead of keeping his rank.
"Fine, I'll assign a new Commander; you can be his deputy."
"Thank you, Marshal." The demoted Crossbones snapped a crisp forty-five-degree salute.
Zhang Xuan relaxed for two more days, recycled a batch of demons, and prepared to leave.
[Thousand Gullies: 163/1000]
[Check-in successful—Skill gained: Plant Evolution]
[Plant Evolution: lets plants evolve in any direction you choose, depending on how much stamina you spend.]
On the last day before leaving the HYDRA Base, Zhang Xuan's check-in finally yielded a decent skill.
On the plane he stared at the decorative plant, unscrewed its pot, and activated Plant Evolution.
The jasmine on board began to swell; the originally palm-sized bloom grew as big as Zhang Xuan's head.
He tried to keep using the skill, but nothing happened.
So he studied the jasmine closely.
After a long look he figured it out: the soil in the pot had run out of nutrients for further growth.
The once-black earth had turned white; without nutrients the plant couldn't evolve further.
But there was no other soil on the plane; for now it would have to do.
A little over an hour later Zhang Xuan landed in Yinxi and took a deep breath.
"That's the smell—damp and musty."
He hurried into the Yinxi Base; the clammy air was unbearable.
Inside the Base, a stranger came up to greet him.
Chapter 69: The U.S. Army ATM
"Welcome, Great General. I am Gordon, the Commanderof Indhy Base. Please follow me; I will give you a tour of the Base."
Zhang Xuan: "No need for such formalities next time. I just came to see how the people of Indhy are doing, to see if the casualties have reached three million yet."
Gordon lowered his head in shame: "I am deeply sorry. We have been incompetent. Facing the Indhy army, we are indeed a bit overwhelmed; currently, we are only causing unrest in some remote areas."
"So, how many casualties are there?"
Gordon lowered his head again: "The chaos we created has only resulted in a mere 20,000 deaths."
Zhang Xuan sighed, "You should indeed be ashamed. How many casualties do our people have?"
Gordon: "We had 22 accidental deaths and 3 mission-related deaths."
Zhang Xuan nodded upon hearing this. "That's cautious enough. Keep up the hard work. This kind of prolonged unrest is also good; over time, more trouble will naturally arise."
"How is the assassination plan going?"
This time, Gordon could finally answer firmly.
"Great General, I changed the assassination plan to an arrest plan. Now, they have to perform 14 hours of physical labor every day."
"Now that you are here, you can decide the life or death of these pieces of trash."
"As for the women who were kept, they have all undergone strict training. They are ready, and you can put them to use at any time."
"Furthermore, not a single one of the relevant beneficiaries was missed."
Zhang Xuan couldn't help but look at Gordon in a new light. Being able to capture everyone alive with only three deaths was quite a feat.
"Well done. Now take me to see what kind of labor they are doing every day."
Zhang Xuan held a jasmine flower in his hand as Gordonled the way; the two walked forward together.
"Great General, we've arrived."
Soon, Zhang Xuan saw over a hundred men building simple houses, with guards stationed around them.
"Not bad. Take me to see the women."
Gordon let out a chuckle and gleefully led Zhang Xuan to the venue he had specially prepared.
The next half month was Zhang Xuan's continuous brainwashing time. During this period, Zhang Xuanbrainwashed 75 sinful beneficiaries to make them serve him.
[thousands of gullies and ravines: 238/1000]
Zhang Xuan's brainwashing was simple: pure repetitive input and output. Over time, their spirits would become weak.
Finally, Zhang Xuan used the mental power application method he had comprehended from the Mental Barrier.
By applying slight stimulation to their brains and inputting simple commands, the basic brainwashing was complete.
Within half a month, Zhang Xuan'saw blood' five times a day. This exhausted him, and he almost became anemic.
During this time, Gordon's methods against Indhy became much more aggressive, though they were still small-scale and had not yet escalated into a major conflict.
After the 15 days ended, Zhang Xuan saw the slow progress and decided to take action.
"Find the largest military Base in Indhy and send me there."
"Great General, you don't need to do this. Just give me a little more time, and I can do it too."
Gordon tried to dissuade him, but Zhang Xuan refused.
"I said I'll handle it. My hands are itching for some action anyway."
Soon, his subordinates sent detailed information about the Indhy military Bases in this region.
"Great General, Chief, the defenses of the military Bases here are very tight. Moreover, they are protected by high-tech missiles from the U.S. Army, so it's difficult for us to break through."
A soldier from the intelligence department explained the details and weaponry of these military Bases to the two of them.
Zhang Xuan looked closely and then made a decision.
"Here. You guys lurk quietly and find a chance to take this spot out."
Right in front of the two of them, Zhang Xuan directly took out a jericho missile that was almost gathering dust.
Gordon and the soldier were so shocked they were speechless. This ability to make a missile appear out of thin air completely shattered their worldview.
"Great General, are you a magician?" Gordon asked, stroking the jericho missile.
Zhang Xuan put on a stern face. "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask. If you perform well, you'll be able to do such trivial things in the future."
Both were extremely excited, hoping to possess the Great General's methods. In the future, they could take many food delivery orders at once and make it much easier.
Zhang Xuan pointed to a Base relatively close to them and said:
"Find someone to take me there and prepare to support me from the perimeter."
Gordon listened to Zhang Xuan's words in disbelief and asked, "Great General, you're going alone?"
Zhang Xuan put away his tablet and said confidently, "It's time for you to witness my power. I haven't fought in a long time; it's time to show you what true strength is."
Gordon had indeed never seen Zhang Xuan's true strength, but he knew many things—for instance, the strength of Chief Sebas and Officer Sexy Prisoner. Ordinary guns and artillery shells were completely useless against them.
Gordon was now also looking forward to the shock Zhang Xuan would bring him... Zhang Xuan saw the distant military Base through the plane's window, ordered the hatch to be opened, and jumped out directly without carrying anything.
Gordon stood at the spot where Zhang Xuan had just jumped, holding a parachute.
Even as an experienced HYDRA branch leader, he was somewhat at a loss.
Returning to the command room inside the plane, he launched over a dozen small drones to follow and film Zhang Xuan.
Soon, the lens captured Zhang Xuan's figure.
After jumping, Zhang Xuan continued to fall rapidly, diving diagonally toward the Indhy military Base.
This military Base was an independent Indhy Base; he couldn't possibly attack the U.S. Base.
The U.S. Base was their logistical supply line; how could they launch a large-scale attack on it?
The soldiers on both sides would occasionally fire a few shots at cover or launch a few shells toward the Base's perimeter just to make a show of force.
That way, they could ask the lords sitting in Congress for money.
Recently, the price of water cups purchased by the U.S. Army had risen from $1,000 to $2,000. Bullets had also significantly increased in price due to the war.
A bullet that originally cost $1 rose to $2 after the price hike. After being specially ordered and manufactured by HYDRA's Commissioner Smith, the price rose to $5. Finally, when transported to the battlefield, the price had reached $10.
Finally, after these bullets were entered into the U.S. Army's inventory, they would be sealed away.
At that point, everyone from HYDRA would go through the back door of the warehouse and transport the bullets to HYDRA's Indhy Base.
It should also be mentioned that the bullet manufacturer was also a HYDRA factory.
In the end, a perfect closed loop was formed, and a Worldwhere only Congress was harmed was achieved.
As Zhang Xuan fell to a certain height, he used Telekinesis to support himself, stopping two meters above the ground.
Everyone from HYDRA on the plane was stunned, looking at Zhang Xuan as he landed gently in disbelief.
"Wayne, come here and let me slap you."
Wayne shook his head and moved away from Gordon: "Officer, I don't think that's necessary, is it?"
Gordon's face turned cold as he scolded, "Come here, or I'll dock your salary for this month."
Chapter 70: Carpet Bombing with Pumpkin Bombs
Finally, the big guy, Wayne, lifted his buttocks and leaned in toward Gordon, only to be slapped hard.
"Oh, as expected, your butt feels the best. It's you again tonight."
Wayne's face flushed red, and he pretended to be calm as he watched Zhang Xuan slaughtering everyone in the video.
He thought to himself: This is the kind of real man I like; he's so strong.
Inside the Inxi Military Base, Zhang Xuan landed slowly and began to survey the surrounding military weaponry.
"They're all ancient relics."
Inside the Base, the patrolmen were stunned to see Zhang Xuan landing. Then, they all chambered their rounds and aimed their guns at him.
Those surrounding Zhang Xuan were speaking a language he couldn't understand.
Zhang Xuan didn't bother listening and directly took action.
Three steel marbles controlled by Telekinesis pierced through the heads of those present.
Over a dozen soldiers, looking like black monkeys, fell to the ground, but they had reported the situation to their superiors before dying.
Seeing their soldiers fall via surveillance, the Inxi people began mobilizing troops to launch an attack on Zhang Xuan.
However, the minute it took them to mobilize was enough for Zhang Xuan to do many things.
Zhang Xuan formed a hand seal and released the Lightning Attraction Technique.
Ten seconds later, the Lightning Attraction Techniqueactivated. This was the largest-scale Lightning Attraction Technique Zhang Xuan had ever used, and dark clouds gathered over the Inxi Military Base.
Yet, outside the military Base, the sky remained a clear blue.
Boom! Bolts of lightning struck down from the dark clouds. Many hit the core power facilities of the military Base. Instantly, sparks flew everywhere inside the Base, and alarms blared loudly.
Emergency lights flickered on in many buildings.
Zhang Xuan could already hear the rumbling and creaking of tank treads crushing the ground, but he didn't care much.
Within a dozen seconds, countless bolts of lightning streaked down like silver snakes, leaving few buildings in the entire military Base intact.
Even the tanks, known for having the most stable mechanical structures, ground to a halt.
Because while the tanks weren't afraid of electricity, the people inside them were a different story.
The troops rushing over hadn't even had a chance to fire when they were struck by lightning while moving. Their legs kicked once, and they fell to the ground, "sleeping" forever.
Several bolts of lightning also struck Zhang Xuan, but he absorbed them. This Energy Absorption was an ability he had obtained from Electro.
Currently, Electro had been assigned by him to work within the power grid controlled by HYDRA.
Every day, he worked on the construction and maintenance of the power grid, and he could even use the grid to find people who, like him, needed help.
After thirty seconds, the thunderclouds dissipated, and sunlight shone on the Base again, only to be blocked by high-altitude rain clouds, plunging it into darkness once more.
At this moment, the Commander regained his confidence and began directing soldiers to head out and besiege Zhang Xuan.
Zhang Xuan quietly watched the soldiers gathering around him, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender.
Soon, people crowded within ten meters of Zhang Xuan. Behind the crowd were tanks and other large vehicles, their cannons aimed directly at him.
The corners of Zhang Xuan's mouth curled up slightly, a hint of playfulness flashing in his eyes.
Seeing him with hands raised but wearing a mocking smile, the Commander was fuming with rage.
"@%@#...#&"
Zhang Xuan couldn't understand and had no interest in understanding. Feeling that the mobs had gathered enough, he was ready to start his performance.
Zhang Xuan raised both hands high, mimicking the feeling of transforming into a Super Saiyan, and released his stored electrical energy.
Instantly, countless tree-like bolts of lightning erupted from Zhang Xuan's body. The soldiers surrounding him were all overloaded by the powerful current, their brains short-circuiting on the spot.
The tank drivers further away watched this scene in horror. A gunner operated a tank to attack, firing a shell from the barrel, then hurriedly ordered a retreat.
However, Zhang Xuan's figure blurred, and he disappeared from the spot, reappearing on top of a tank. He stomped down, instantly deforming the tank's hatch, and the driver inside perished instantly.
Seeing this, the other tanks turned their cannons to aim at Zhang Xuan.
However, Zhang Xuan leaped back and forth between the tanks, and the movement speed of the cannons couldn't keep up with him.
Zhang Xuan kept jumping from tank to tank, each heavy stomp disabling a tank.
But there are always moments of oversight, and sure enough, one tank caught an opportunity.
Boom!
A shell accurately predicted Zhang Xuan's next position and blasted him away.
The few remaining functional tanks saw this and quickly adjusted their cannons, aiming at Zhang Xuan, who had been slammed into a corner.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Three loud bangs rang out, followed by a series of deafening explosions! With the continuous bombardment of these three shells, dust flew, and smoke filled the air.
The billowing smoke completely blocked everyone's vision, making it impossible for them to see what was happening ahead.
And just when they thought it was all over and they had escaped a disaster...
There were two more Booms!
The hatch of one tank was forced open, and Zhang Xuanstuffed a grenade inside.
The second sound came from that grenade.
Zhang Xuan used Telekinesis again to tear open the hatches of the other tanks and tossed grenades inside.
The Commander in the underground Base turned pale at the sight of this carnage and turned to flee.
But before leaving, he didn't forget to issue an order: "Everyone, prepare for battle."
Meanwhile, he planned to use this opportunity to escape through a secret passage.
Meanwhile, the Inxi high command turned pale as they watched this terrifying scene via a U.S. Military satellite. They had never seen such terrifying power; it was as if a natural disaster had descended.
Zhang Xuan looked at the surrounding battlefield; there was no one left standing. Everyone who could run had already fled.
However, some brave souls remained.
A young sniper was currently aiming at Zhang Xuan. As Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings, the sniper pulled the trigger, firing a shot he was confident in.
However, through his sniper scope, the spot the bullet should have hit was suddenly replaced by a fist.
His mind doubted his eyes; he seemed to see the bullet being caught barehanded by that man, but his reason told him it was impossible.
How could anyone catch a bullet with their bare hands?
Impossible, I must be seeing things... Before the young sniper could finish his thought, he lost the ability to think entirely.
If the footage were slowed down, he would have seen a bullet with fingerprints on it returning along its original path, piercing through his sniper scope and him along with it.
Zhang Xuan used Telekinesis to make himself fly, taking out Pumpkin Bombs from the pumpkin bomb production line within the system.
He began bombing the Base below; everywhere he passed was left barren.
The Pumpkin Bombs in Zhang Xuan's space were now too numerous to count; upon sensing them, he realized he had used less than one percent of the total amount.
Based on the bombs thrown today, he estimated there were twenty thousand Pumpkin Bombs in his space.