Chapter 27: Yinsen
Unnamed Place… Headquarters of the Time Variance Authority (TVA).
The woman who had mysteriously appeared behind Blake just moments ago was now standing in a room resembling a courtroom.
In front of her, sitting in a position akin to a judge's seat, was a young blonde woman in uniform.
"I don't understand. Why was I stopped from arresting the criminal? That person violated the Sacred Timeline, and he's not just a time offender; his presence itself disrupts the Sacred Timeline," the woman in black complained to the blonde woman sitting high above her.
"Hunter-C18, I fully understand your determination to protect the Sacred Timeline, but in this case, the Time-Keepers themselves are paying close attention. Stopping you from arresting that person was their decision," the blonde woman said, her expression calm and indifferent.
"But his actions will cause chaos! The Sacred Timeline must not be desecrated!"
The woman in black was still indignant. She was born to protect the Sacred Timeline, as suggested by their name, 'Sacred.'
"Are you questioning the decisions of the Time-Keepers?"
The blonde woman's voice suddenly grew louder.
"I wouldn't dare!"
At the mention of the Time-Keepers, the woman in black immediately restrained her anger and bowed slightly.
"Good!"
The blonde woman nodded in satisfaction.
"The Time-Keepers are omniscient and omnipotent. Our task is to execute their will. You may go now."
After the woman in black left, the lights in the courtroom gradually dimmed.
In the darkness, a sigh could be heard...
(For those unfamiliar with the Time Variance Authority, you can check out Marvel's new series, Loki. Personally, I think it's more exciting than WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.)
…
Blake was completely unaware of the TVA's actions.
Having been idle for a few days, he visited Tony's house again.
This time, his primary goal was to see JARVIS. He still had 2,000 points left in the system's points mall.
So far, he had accumulated a total of 3,000 points, but he was still a long way from unlocking the second-level mall.
At present, there was nothing he needed to exchange for, except for real-world currency.
However, in this world, that option was useless, though it did mean he no longer had to worry about money in the real world.
But if he wanted to live freely, money alone wasn't enough. He needed to create a business empire.
A business empire with advanced technology.
So, the question arose: which high-end technology is the best?
Without the Wakanda in the picture, Tony is the King!
Thus, Blake thickened his skin and went to Tony's lab.
"Boom!"
As soon as he descended into the basement, he saw Tony spinning in midair.
He flipped upside down and crashed into a protruding wall.
Then, like a poster, he slid down the wall in an inverted position.
Blake dashed forward and grabbed Tony by the ankle, preventing the embarrassing scenario of him landing headfirst.
"You should hire a private acrobatics teacher, Tony. I've saved you again; you better make a note of it!"
"Damn! I should have started with ten percent power. Let me down!"
Two minutes later, Tony held an ice pack to his neck and spoke to Blake in amazement.
"Why do you need an AI butler? No offense, but your apartment isn't even as big as my garage, and it's rented."
"I'm eyeing an apartment in downtown Los Angeles and plan to buy and renovate it. I want to automate all the appliances and create a smart home. It doesn't need to be as advanced as JARVIS, you understand?" Blake replied, rolling his eyes. Tony's words weren't hurtful, but they were highly insulting.
But you couldn't argue with him. Comparing wealth with Tony Stark was like challenging someone else's pocket change with your entire fortune.
"First, buy the apartment and get me the architectural plans. You don't need to worry about the rest. I'll set up a private server and install a smart program for you."
"I'll have Pepper take the company people over to renovate according to my blueprints, but you have to buy the furniture yourself!"
"Tony! I love you! Don't worry, I'll pay you back!"
Blake threw his arm around Tony's shoulder, grinning mischievously.
Tony glanced at Blake with an air of arrogance and brushed off his arm.
"Save your pitiful wealth, you pauper. Anything I pick up from this garage is worth more than your house!"
"Alright, I know you're rich. You are Tony Stark, after all. Since that's the case, why don't you handle the furniture for me too? I think I'm also missing a car, and I see in your garage..."
"Get lost! JARVIS, revoke this guy's access. I don't want to see him again."
As they joked back and forth, a news report on the constantly playing television caught Tony's attention.
"Yesterday, a small town called Komira was ravaged by terrorists. A group calling themselves the Ten Rings carried out the attack..."
With the reporter's voice in the background, the TV showed images of the town's ruins. Bodies of civilians, including women and children, lay by the roadside. In some shots, the Stark Industries logo on the terrorists' weapons was glaringly visible. Particularly noticeable was a bald man who looked like a leader, commanding the terrorists amidst the devastation.
"Him?"
"That guy is still alive?"
Tony and Blake spoke almost simultaneously.
They had both seen the bald man walk to the cave entrance, and Tony had personally pressed the detonator. They didn't expect the bald man to have such luck and survive.
"Damn it! Yinsen!" Tony suddenly stood up and shouted.
"I just remembered hearing about that town. It's Yinsen's hometown. For God's sake, JARVIS, contact Rhodes!"
"Tony, intelligence agencies can get this information faster!"
Blake knew what Tony wanted to do. After the last incident, Tony had considered offering Yinsen a job in the U.S. But Yinsen insisted on returning to his hometown to treat the people there. Tony had also promised to build a large hospital for them.
But now, terrorists had found their way to Yinsen's home.
Blake dialed Black Widow's number. Yinsen had interacted with everyone, and although not as closely as Tony did in the cave, he was still considered a comrade who had faced gunfire together.
Black Widow's efficiency was impressive. She called back with results in less than twenty minutes.
"Tony, I'm sorry. Yinsen is gone."
"Survivors from the town said they captured Yinsen and burned him alive in his house." Blake hung up the phone, speaking sadly.
"What about his family?"
Tony's eyes were fixed on the bald man on the TV.
"They were all in the house. None of them escaped."
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