Terragrigia is a high-tech city located in the Mediterranean Sea, an artificial floating island established by the United Nations with funds from various countries. It has now become a crucial branch for both the FBC and BSAA. It's not the headquarters because it's the front line in the fight against bioweapons, gathering biochemical experts from around the world to research vaccines to counteract the increasing threat of bioweapons.
"Long time no see." As Daniel Davis disembarked from the plane with the crowd, he immediately saw Rebecca, who had come to welcome him, standing beside Jill.
"If Rebecca hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have believed it was you. Welcome to BSAA." Jill looked genuinely surprised upon seeing Daniel. Despite having heard about Daniel from Rebecca, seeing him in person was astonishing—the little boy from back then had come this far.
"You guys are the ones who deserve admiration. Rebecca has told me all about your work." Over the years, Jill and Chris had been tirelessly fighting on the front lines against bioweapons. In the real world, bioweapons are deadly, and one small mistake can mean death. People like them commanded Daniel's respect.
Compared to them, Daniel's reasons for joining BSAA were less pure.
It had been a year since Daniel's meeting with Stark at the New York mansion. Daniel had spent a year at Empire State University in New York, and thanks to the Op-Op Fruit, he had gained some fame in the fields of medicine and biochemistry.
He was interning at BSAA now, though he had many other choices and didn't need to travel so far. There were plenty of companies in New York willing to accept him for an internship, like Stark Industries or FBC.
Even without an internship, Daniel was already a billionaire and could easily skip this step by revealing his identity.
The new company's progress under Pepper's direction was remarkably smooth, thanks to the strong backing of Stark Industries. Without Stark's support, the new company's rapid development would have been impossible.
In his former life, Daniel might have been content to laze around after becoming wealthy. But in the Marvel Universe, such an attitude was hard to maintain.
Daniel was considered a genius, having graduated from Empire State University in just one year. But upon entering this field, he realized that geniuses were not as rare as he once thought.
Among ordinary people, Daniel was impressive, but among geniuses, he was not exceptional. Under normal circumstances, joining BSAA would have been impossible, but he had connections.
Rebecca.
Rebecca had initially wanted Daniel to join FBC. The outside world wasn't clear about Daniel's abilities, but Rebecca knew very well. They often discussed these topics.
Initially, Daniel sought Rebecca's guidance, but now they could discuss things as equals—a significant improvement.
However, Daniel chose BSAA over FBC. FBC was part of S.H.I.E.L.D., and despite not mentioning HYDRA, it had plenty of experts. Given his current age, Daniel would only be an ordinary researcher there.
More importantly, BSAA offered more opportunities to study viruses, which was Daniel's primary goal. Stealing a virus to study was feasible with his magical abilities, but doing so without understanding bioweapons was too risky.
Moreover, without a proper containment lab, researching the virus would be impossible due to the danger of a potential outbreak.
Daniel, focused on his studies for the past year, hadn't built such a lab, which wasn't something that could be set up casually.
"Let's get you settled in, and we'll have dinner together tonight." Rebecca suggested in the car.
"Sorry, I might not be able to make it. Chris needs support." Jill spoke up before Daniel could respond.
"Is there trouble?" Rebecca asked, looking serious.
"Yes, Chris seems to have found him." Jill didn't specify, but Rebecca's changing expression indicated she knew who Jill meant.
"Be careful." After a long silence, Rebecca finally spoke.
The atmosphere in the car turned serious, leaving Daniel unsure of what to say, so he remained silent.
"See you tonight." After dropping Daniel off at his accommodation, Rebecca drove away with Jill.
"Nice place." The room wasn't large, but it had everything he needed, and Daniel was satisfied.
Even though he was very wealthy now, he hadn't upgraded to a larger, more luxurious house in New York. Living alone, he didn't need much space.
This preference was likely a habit from his previous life.
"Time to finally deal with the virus." Years had passed, and Daniel's strength had gradually increased, but since the Raccoon City incident, he hadn't encountered another virus.
Back then, he didn't understand the virus's structure, but now he did.
The more he learned about viruses, the more terrifying they seemed. With the Op-Op Fruit, destroying the world wasn't hard. Humanity harbored many deadly viruses like Anthrax and Ebola, which were as lethal as the T-Virus.
There were numerous research institutes in the US studying these viruses.
Fortunately, these viruses were hard to acquire. Otherwise, news headlines would feature bioweapons instead of suicide bombers.
Daniel decided not to misuse the Op-Op Fruit's abilities, only using them to enhance his own strength. He wouldn't use it to achieve global human evolution—that should be left to natural selection.
During his year at Empire State University, Daniel met many scientists who claimed to work for humanity's benefit, but most were seeking fame and glory.
Individual heroism was rampant among American scientists, who believed they were the smartest and could change the world, despite others being deemed fools.
Even Tony Stark wasn't exempt from this, and his sharp tongue was tolerated only because he was a Stark; otherwise, he would have been beaten long ago.
Lost in thought, Daniel opened his secure case, took out a small box, and placed it on the side. The box expanded to the size of the case, revealing an assortment of drinks inside.
Taking out a few bottles, Daniel shrank the box back down and put it back in the case.
Like most capital companies, Daniel hadn't showcased his best product in the partnership with Stark. His finest creation was now in his hand—a drink that enhanced physical fitness and relieved mental fatigue. He synthesized it using rare herbs and the Op-Op Fruit.
Using rare materials like ginseng and fo-ti, Daniel created something extraordinary. Unfortunately, ancient, long-aged herbs were rare, or he could have made it even better.
"It's time." Seeing it was time for his dinner with Rebecca, Daniel grabbed a bottle of wine and headed to the restaurant.
The wine was a gift from Stark, a rare vintage worth tens of thousands. After Daniel's enhancements with the Op-Op Fruit, it would fetch an even higher price.
The wine's superior taste is due to the microorganisms involved in the aging process. While others might struggle with these microorganisms, the Op-Op Fruit could handle them.
With more knowledge, the applications of the Op-Op Fruit had broadened beyond medicine to include wine, beverages, and even food production.
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Read Ahead
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"It's truly a marvel of solar power." Driving through the streets of Terragrigia, Daniel Davis couldn't help but be amazed at the numerous solar panels around him. Terragrigia Island is the world's only city fully powered by solar energy. Above the city, a solar matrix satellite constantly operates in sync, ensuring an uninterrupted power supply regardless of the weather.
Many scientists celebrated the birth of this technology as a significant leap forward in harnessing solar energy.
Energy has always been a global issue. Controlling energy means controlling the future—this isn't just a saying. Even in a world filled with advanced energy technologies, oil remains crucial for all countries.
Oil's importance extends beyond fuel refining. Even if future energy can be extracted from wind, sun, or various elements, oil's significance will not diminish greatly.
Daniel knew this because the pharmaceutical industry also relies on oil.
"With S.H.I.E.L.D. overseeing the FBC, there shouldn't be any surprises, right?" To most people, the solar matrix satellite was just an energy source. However, Daniel knew it was also a weapon.
"The Hydra's Insight plan was merely a poor imitation." Daniel was sure that if the solar matrix satellite hadn't been so slow to activate as a weapon, the Insight plan wouldn't have involved Helicarriers but solar matrices.
Looking up at the sky, Daniel felt a mix of emotions. Hydra, despite its secrecy and strict internal rules, was led by short-sighted individuals.
Even if the Insight plan succeeded, it wouldn't last long. Where there is oppression, there will be resistance. The Insight plan was merely a strict form of governance, reminiscent of ancient Chinese laws. Like the harsh penalties of Shang Yang, the Qin Dynasty eventually collapsed.
A balance between strictness and leniency is essential for governance. A perpetually tense situation will eventually snap.
Alexander Pierce was an idiot, and even Gideon Malick, who claimed to be the true Hydra, wasn't much better. Instead of bringing Hive back to rule the world, Malick should have focused on destroying Hive and developing the planet. If he had, Malick might have created a thriving world by now. Even if the planet was barren, it was still a planet.
If Daniel had the means to kill Hive, he would have already taken Malick's black stone and opened a portal to that world. For Kamar-Taj's sorcerers, opening portals is a simple task.
Daniel had developed a five-year plan and a ten-year strategy for future growth, based on significant events he remembered. Whether he could benefit from these situations depended on the circumstances.
He couldn't leave Earth yet, or he might have gone to Knowhere to obtain an ancient Celestial's DNA.
"Sherry, long time no see." In the agreed restaurant, Daniel saw two unexpected individuals—Sherry Birkin, now a striking young woman, and Natasha Romanoff, the famed Black Widow.
Daniel learned that Sherry was Natasha's trainee, learning to be an agent under her guidance.
"Is Sherry becoming an Avenger?" Daniel mused upon hearing Sherry's introduction.
Considering Sherry's G-virus-enhanced body, granting her rapid regeneration and superior physical capabilities, and with Natasha's training, Sherry was indeed a valuable asset for Fury.
"Perhaps the next Captain America will be a woman." Daniel thought whimsically.
"This is a rare gem. What a lucky day!" Natasha explained the value of the wine Daniel had brought, impressing Rebecca and Sherry.
An agent, especially a top female agent, needs not only beauty but extensive knowledge. Beauty is crucial because most men drop their guard around beautiful women.
"Is it expensive?" Sherry asked, surprised by Natasha's explanation.
"It's not just expensive. Some people can't buy it even if they have money. This is a wine from Château Lafite Rothschild, which few have heard of." Natasha replied.
Château Lafite Rothschild is a premier grand cru, surpassing even the world-famous Lafite.
"It was a gift from Stark Industries. We have some business dealings." Daniel's collaboration with Stark Industries wasn't a secret, so he had already informed Rebecca and Sherry about it.
"That playboy isn't a good influence. Don't follow his lead." Sherry clearly didn't like Stark, which was understandable. Before becoming Iron Man, Stark had a reputation as a playboy.
"I don't have the resources, and I've barely met him." Stark was too busy with his exploits to bother with Daniel, who was just a young adult in Stark's eyes.
The conversation shifted to their experiences in Raccoon City.
"This wine..." After taking a sip of the Château Lafite Rothschild, Natasha's eyes flashed with surprise.
She discreetly checked the bottle and excused herself to the restroom. There, she spat some wine into a container.
Natasha's suspicion was simple—she had tasted this wine before, but this bottle was distinctly different. An ordinary person might not notice, but as a top agent, Natasha had to investigate, especially given Daniel's connection with Stark.
"Fury is good. He's already made Sherry loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D." Natasha's absence allowed Sherry to express her pride in being an agent for S.H.I.E.L.D., revealing how much she valued her role.
Sherry was a kind person, especially after learning her parents were partly responsible for the Raccoon City incident. She wanted to atone for their actions by working for S.H.I.E.L.D., which allowed her to fulfill this wish.
Daniel couldn't say much about it and just hoped Rebecca and Sherry would stay safe.
When Natasha returned, the conversation flowed smoothly. Daniel respected her greatly, not just for her skills but for her ultimate sacrifice to obtain the Soul Stone.
"He seems interested in you." After dinner, as they parted ways, Natasha commented to Sherry in the car.
"Don't say that. We're just friends. He cares about me, that's all." Sherry replied.
"Just friends? In this line of work, it's hard to find someone to truly care about." Natasha sighed.
The agent profession had the highest divorce rate due to its dangers and long separations.
"Alright, let's get some rest."
"Check what's in this." After dropping Sherry off, Natasha went to a research lab on the island and handed the wine sample to a researcher.
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Read Ahead
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