"Mr. Lee."
"To distinguish me from Martin, you can call me Leo directly."
"Alright, Mr. Leo, we understand that just a year ago, you were still in a coma. And within that year, you've established two companies.
Blume Corporation's ctOS system will become the designated security system for NYPD, forming the cornerstone of public safety in New York and receiving widespread approval. It's set to expand deployment in many regions.
The International Gene Cooperation Company has achieved remarkable results in genetically modified technology. After overcoming an unexpected incident, the company has restored its reputation and received recognition from medical authorities.
Now, both companies have passed their most difficult periods, and you are on the verge of becoming the youngest self-made millionaire.
And all of this has happened in just one year since you regained consciousness. Some even say you've surpassed Tony Stark as the new generation genius.
What would you like to say about that?"
"I would say that money is not the key, and neither am I. I hope people focus more on what we're doing and the changes we're bringing."
"Speaking of which, gaining the trust of the public and reversing their negative impressions of genetically modified technology seems harder than becoming a millionaire. Why not abandon those two companies and start fresh?"
"As a technologically advanced organization, we have a duty to set a better example in society, rather than just running away.
Like I said, making money isn't the goal. We want others to see that too.
Your family, the neighbors next door, and people across the world who appear on TV—these are the reasons for technological development.
It's people who make up society, not money or power."
"Wow, that's a grand vision. You're making me want to vote for you for mayor!
Speaking of that, after recent events, New York citizens are very dissatisfied with the current mayor and administration, leading to several protests.
We also received news that you formed a homeowners' association and a workers' mutual aid group early on in Hell's Kitchen. Does that mean you have opinions on our mayor too?"
"Of course—I don't just have opinions, I have some harsh words I'd like to say, but since this is a family-friendly show, I'll keep it to myself.
Yes, I have issues with him, especially with how he's neglected New York's safety. He seems to forget it's the citizens of New York who made him mayor. He's supposed to be a servant of the people, not an emperor.
Here, I'd like to recommend Anthony Flor, the joint chairman of the homeowners' association and workers' mutual aid group, as the next mayor of New York.
He's a political novice, but we built these organizations together in Hell's Kitchen and drove out the criminals."
Anthony Flor, Leo's neighbor, was a loud-voiced, middle-aged Latino man.
Though he came from a background of manual labor, his talent for public speaking and his ability to connect with people became evident as he got more involved in speeches and activism.
His close friend John, the Black man who had been stabbed in the throat by Bullseye, supported their cause.
Not everyone has the courage or ability like Leo, but John and Anthony were just two ordinary people.
During recent protests, the two led the homeowners' association and the workers' mutual aid group, working closely with the NYPD. Politicians were scared enough to rush home, and no gangs or criminals took advantage of the chaos.
The homeowners' association gave disgruntled shop owners and landlords a platform to express their frustration, while the workers' mutual aid group did the same for laborers, forming the base of Anthony's growing political influence.
And as for funding political activities? Of course, that was provided by Leo and Martin.
In such favorable conditions, the expansion of political power became an unstoppable chain reaction.
"I believe New York citizens would rather vote for you, but since you said that, they'll probably trust you.
Shall we end this interview with some good news?"
"Of course."
"New York citizens, here's a promise from the International Gene Cooperation Company: those who donate bone marrow will receive 20 times the amount of donated blood for free over the next five years. After that, they'll receive five times the amount of free blood for life.
Anyone who donates 200 ml of bone marrow will enjoy free blood for life.
Currently, this policy is only available at hospitals controlled by our company, but you can also transfer your blood allowance to relatives in need.
This is different from other free blood donation policies on the market: the International Gene Cooperation Company has advanced blood production technology, ensuring our blood banks are always full.
No longer will you have to watch privileged elites fly in from miles away to get blood, while even if you've donated, you still face blood shortages when you need it most.
In the near future, the bone marrow you donate could not only save you and your family in emergencies but also help the company achieve new breakthroughs in bio-therapies, solving the problem of organ shortages.
The International Gene Cooperation Company will also partner with Li Financial to launch a variety of health insurance plans. Stay tuned!"
While the Oscorp is a tech company, it controls numerous hospitals and pharmaceutical factories.
With this announcement, their stock price plummeted, and Martin, with his inside knowledge, seized the opportunity.
His target wasn't the company itself but Osborn's assets.
Factories, hospitals, and laboratories—all ready-made parts of an industrial chain—were there for the taking.
However, for various reasons, some of Osborn's assets were picked up by other companies.
"This CyberTech company, apart from us, is the biggest beneficiary. They took the brain-computer interface technology."
Martin entered the office and placed a document on the desk.
CyberTech.
Hydra's own high-tech industry, responsible for researching military combat prosthetics, just as its name suggests.
CyberTech recently announced a major breakthrough in brain-computer interface technology.
A detailed investigation of the money flow might reveal more about asset restructuring, but without agents in the field, it's unlikely they can investigate overseas.
However, despite CyberTech benefiting greatly, it only got the brain-computer interface and bio-armor technology, while Leo acquired almost the entire set of confidential technologies and industries. The difference was vast.
Of course, Leo was now deeply in debt due to the restructuring.
"They moved quickly." Leo stroked his chin. "How's the prison plan going?"
"We bought a small one first, and a new one is under construction." Martin leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. "I want to watch him die in prison, but before that, he's going to watch the name Norman Osborn be nailed to the pillar of shame."
"I have no objection. You handle it. But I have another suggestion—how about turning your people into a security company?"
The Demons, after all, were still a gang.
Gangs had their pros and cons. The pros were maintaining order and reducing production costs.
But Martin didn't deal much in the black market, mostly just some sweatshops.
The downside was simple: they couldn't operate in the open.
Now that they were high-tech enterprises, the profitable side could easily support a standalone security company.
Martin thought about it: "We could, but there's already a security company looking for us—they were supposed to sign a contract with Osborn, but Osborn suddenly backed out. They're hoping we'll take it."
"What company?"
"Silver Sable Security. I checked their record, very professional, with PMC qualifications. They're essentially mercenaries."
"They do sound professional. Let's keep the confidential stuff in-house, but I'll find a role for Silver Sable Security."
"Alright." Martin leaned back in his chair, his eyes turning towards the broken Oscorp Tower. "There's one more thing: Oscorp Tower is going up for auction. We need our own landmark building."
"You want to buy Oscorp Tower?"
"I want the land. Then I'll tear down the building and build some kind of monument with his name and deeds etched on it.
That'll be one of our landmarks. The other one..."
Martin suddenly got excited, pulling down a projection screen next to the glass and displaying a map of New York.
He circled their current areas of control: Hell's Kitchen, a few key parts of Chinatown, and Oscorp Tower.
Apart from Oscorp Tower, the other areas were all essentially slums, especially in the backdrop of the economic crisis.
"We can rebuild these areas, connect them together. My people trust me, your people trust you. We have the money and the manpower. Reconstruction will go quickly.
Then we can build our own office buildings, hospitals, schools, factories, malls... Build a second Manhattan, our own Manhattan."
"Sounds good, but that's a massive project."
"That's exactly what we need right now." Martin stared at the area he had drawn, full of ambition.
His great revenge had been fulfilled, and now it was time to find a new mission—something he had always wanted to do.
Leo waved his hand. "Then good luck. I've got to head to the lab."
"Mm."
Martin watched as Leo left the building, turning his head to gaze at the shattered Oscorp Tower.
His office wasn't tall, nor was its location great, but from here, he could always see Oscorp Tower, a constant reminder of his painful past.
Today, the scene he had long envisioned had finally come true.
Yet he didn't feel hollow from obsessing over revenge, nor did he feel empty at the moment of victory, or lost in the face of failure.
On the contrary, he had succeeded, moved past his need for revenge, and rediscovered his former self, with many things he still wanted to do.
He would not call achieving revenge a "good thing" because it represents an unchangeable painful past.
But thinking about not having to do those bad things anymore, no longer bearing the burden of revenge, and instead being able to embrace a different future—that could be considered a good thing.
Martin took out an old, yellowed family photo from his clothes, held it against his chest, and closed his eyes.
He could finally rest for a while.
[New Researcher Added: Otto Gunther Octavius]
[Description: Outstanding achievements in nuclear physics, materials science, computing, and more.]
[New Researcher Added: Adrian Toomes]
[Description: Master of electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, and fluid dynamics, with remarkable accomplishments.]
[New Laboratory Established: Electronics and Mechanical Engineering Lab]
[Description: Conducts research on prosthetic technology, electronic engineering, and mechanical engineering.]
This incident successfully convinced two scientists and engineers to join Leo's company and project team.
These two are truly heavyweights. Dr. Otto hardly needs an introduction, but the key figure is Adrian.
Leo didn't initially have much concept of the "world-renowned engineer" until Adrian pulled out several safes' worth of patent documents.
It's no exaggeration to say that if Adrian had focused just a bit more on commercial ventures instead of flight suits, he could have built a general engineering and high-tech mechanical company on par with Oscorp.
However, the old man had just recently returned to normal, with the help of the biology lab, and was unlikely to dive into work anytime soon.
Meanwhile, in the lab, Dr. Otto was studying Leo's discarded octopus exoskeleton.
"Incredible."
Dr. Otto glanced between the exoskeleton and Leo, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.
This version of the exoskeleton was essentially a "castrated" version compared to the various octopus arms in Marvel works.
To accommodate human brain limitations, they reduced the built-in joints, lightened the weight, shortened the length, and significantly reduced the machine's potential movement range and computational load.
This also meant that the exoskeleton wasn't as sturdy as one might expect, resulting in severe damage during landing.
But that wasn't the main issue. The key problem was that the neural interface and the processor equipped with auxiliary AI had burned out.
After a long look, Otto finally said slowly, "It seems like you injected yourself with a serum, but that must have hurt, right?"
Otto wasn't foolish.
No human could normally endure such burns. Leo had definitely injected himself with the lizard serum.
But the lizard serum only grants regenerative abilities, and extreme heat is still lethal to carbon-based life forms.
The sensation was indeed painful—though for Leo, with his enhanced condition, the pain of stubbing his pinky toe on a table felt worse than the burning of nerves.
"It was a bit painful, but I'm naturally not very sensitive—Doctor, I wanted to confirm something with you about the AI inside."
"That day, I should have blacked out momentarily during a rapid ascent, but the octopus arms didn't let go."
Otto immediately understood what Leo was implying. "You mean the AI acted autonomously in that moment? That shouldn't have happened."
But nothing is impossible.
No matter the version, Dr. Otto always believed the AI in his octopus arms wouldn't develop autonomous consciousness, yet in every version, the AI did gain a high level of self-awareness—sometimes even capable of altering human brains via neural links.
In the world of cyberpunk, this functionality has a famous name: relic.
Although this version of the octopus arms was smaller, weaker, and less sophisticated, that didn't mean it couldn't have issues.
"I can try to recover the data inside, but from what I see now, whatever happened to the original AI, it's likely burned out."
"One more thing—I want to modify the design of my data blade, and I might need to use some materials from the lab's equipment."
"Oh, feel free to use whatever you want. After all, I'm essentially your employee now, in a sense."
[Biology Lab Project Progress:]
[Some large biomolecule cultivation techniques have matured.]
[Researchers Involved: Professor Connors, Dr. Otto]
[Description: Large molecules, such as genetically modified bilirubin used for immune suppression, have been screened from the hematopoietic system using molecular sieves.]
[Professor Connors is moving to the next stage of research: overcoming the effects of the lizard serum to cultivate tissues and organs using cell adaptation techniques.]
That's right, Dr. Otto had begun working for Leo as well.
There had been new developments with the lizard serum experiment. Using his own equipment, Dr. Otto had successfully replicated molecular sieves and cell adaptation devices from the world of 2077.
Immunosuppressants, for instance, are widely sold in 2077. Almost every prosthetic surgery requires such drugs to combat immune reactions.
Chemical agents are far weaker than the bilirubin produced by the lizard serum, and they have significant side effects.
If the lizard serum were administered to Connors, it would merely turn him into a rampaging lizard-man villain. But with deeper research, who knows what value it could bring to this world?
After handling the blade, Leo met a young Latverian named Kristof in the lab.
Leo realized one thing: this world didn't have Doctor Doom—at least not yet.
Latveria was still under feudal rule, where the feudal lords treated people as assets. The crops they grew barely fed themselves, and taxes were high.
Meanwhile, small-scale wars were frequent.
Aside from tax collection, the people rarely saw their feudal lords or their lackeys, and they didn't encounter the lord's army unless they evaded taxes.
In this land, it was as if people still lived in the Middle Ages, farming with primitive tools, migrating with the seasons, and preparing to starve if the harvest was poor.
The country's theoretical territory was large, but its population was under a million. The feudal system couldn't sustain such a vast land, and it gradually regressed.
Then again, Eastern Europe in the Marvel universe was larger and more fragmented than the Eastern Europe Leo knew. Those empty lands were either being fought over or left barren.
In terms of human settlements, the entire country had only one royal city; the rest were mountain villages. Apart from farming, there were no other industries or resources to develop.
So, when a Latverian arrived in the United States and saw New York, everything seemed surreal.
Kristof stood in a daze, staring at the world outside, overwhelmed by an indescribable emotion.
It wasn't resentment, anger, loss, or jealousy.
It was simply shock—shock at something he couldn't comprehend.
"Back home, the elders would tell us that there are buildings in the world larger than our village, taller than the king's castle, many times over.
When I was young, I believed them. As I grew up, I thought it was just a fairy tale. But now… it's all real!"
For Kristof, America was only a legend, and New York was something he thought existed only in fairy tales.
Even though they had radios, to Kristof, those seemed like magical tools that told stories he couldn't explain.
Leo asked, "Do you not have a permanent home?"
Kristof shook his head. "No, our tribe wanders to avoid the lords—
The nomadic life is hard, but it's better than having the lord take our wives and daughters away."
Indeed, Latveria still had the ancient feudal "droit du seigneur" (the right of the first night), where the lord could take the bride on her wedding night. In Latveria, this right was even more freely exercised.
After speaking, Kristof curiously looked around the office.
Leo saw in this young man the contrast between worlds.
In this world, humanity had landed on the moon, while others were still living in the Middle Ages.
But he noticed something: "You said your elders spoke about the outside world?"
"Yes, we even had classes—math, history, literature. Sadly, I didn't bring any books; otherwise, you'd understand better.
They always said education was important."
"Have you heard of a man named Victor von Doom? Or anyone with the same surname?"
"No," Kristof shook his head. "But I know less than the elders. I can ask them when I go back."
Leo stroked his chin, considering the situation.
He was half Latverian. His mother was a pure-blooded Latverian.
Though his connection to the backward country wasn't particularly strong, helping them was a simple task.
And geographically, Latveria was well-suited for agriculture. Perhaps one day, he could grow some of that special wheat there.
But the change had to start with shifting their mindset.
Leo slowly said, "Kristof, this is the modern world. People here are not someone else's property. They don't worry about food, clothing, or shelter. They don't fear thieves breaking into their homes at night.
Would you like to see Latveria become like this?"
Kristof nodded vigorously.
Why had he participated in that "experiment"?
He didn't even understand what the so-called experiment was—he just thought a wizard was testing a new spell on him.
TN:Lmao what
His only goal in joining was simple: the flu was a deadly disease in their tribe. Even with a doctor's care, two out of ten might die, and some would be left with lasting health issues.
If one day his people could live in such tall buildings—ones that wind couldn't enter, snow couldn't cover, and where they lived together in warmth—
how wonderful that would be.
"Good, then stay here for a while. See what modern society is like."
Leo had sugarcoated modern society, but even the worst American neighborhood was better than Latveria's feudal system.
The first step was changing their beliefs.
And since his mother was Latverian, he might as well look after her fellow countrymen.
[Unstable energy burst imminent]
[Countdown: 48 hours]
TN:You know what that mean everyone favorite part is coming we're going back bois
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