Chapter 77 - Harvest & Follow-up
General Ross's face changed dramatically when he heard these questions. He wondered why they knew so much, with such details.
Realizing he was done for, General Ross spat out blood and collapsed.
The journalists were startled at first, but then they frantically took photos of the fallen General Ross, showing no intention of helping him. Sensationalism was more important them, even if he was a General of the nation.
Amidst the crowd, Betty didn't notice the situation there. She rushed to Dr. Banner's side and anxiously asked, "Bruce, how are you feeling now?"
Dr. Banner sighed and said with bitterness, "Betty, it seems like I can't change back."
Betty was shocked. Could they still get married like this?
...
In the Rebirth Hell, Demon Lord/King Andrew felt quite pleased. He had collected tens of thousands of souls, making his endeavors worthwhile. Moreover, just like before, another new world had merged into this one, confirming his previous speculations that world fusion was related to significant events.
"Could it be some kind of fate's original force, a degree of fate deviation or something?"
Andrew stroked his chin, then walked outside the palace. A man with a large head stood at the door, looking at everything in Hell with excitement and a thirst for knowledge.
Andrew looked at Dr. Sterns, The Leader, and asked, "Aren't you sad at all?"
"Why should I be sad? I feel great right now."
Turning around, The Leader said, "I was so foolish before, pursuing those dirty fame and gains. There's only one thing worth pursuing in this world, and that's knowledge."
The Leader thanked Andrew gratefully, "Demon Lord/King, thank you for bringing me to Hell. It's filled with countless fascinating new knowledge. I want to study it thoroughly."
"Knowledge?" Andrew was surprised. The Leader not only had a giant head but also a changed personality. He asked, "After the mutation, did you gain any special abilities?"
"I have the power to control others' minds, but their wills must be relatively weak," The Leader said. "Furthermore, my intelligence has increased several times compared to before. That's my biggest gain. Demon Lord/King, I can research anything you want."
"Great, then study how to cure diseases, especially the incurable ones," Andrew said.
Excitedly, The Leader replied, "No problem. I'll not only cure all human diseases but also make them immortal, evolving into a new form of life."
"Immortality for humans? Are you trying to bankrupt me?" Andrew quipped. He sternly added, "You're not allowed to research that."
The Leader looked disappointed but then said, "It's okay. There's plenty of things worth studying here. This place isn't Hell; it's my paradise."
"You can take your time to research, and I'll build you a laboratory. The more you discover, the more rewards I'll give you."
Andrew nodded; he knew The Leader's abilities would undoubtedly bring him a multitude of souls.
Souls were something Andrew would never find too many of.
...
The battle on Broadway quickly spread throughout the country and even the whole world. People were furious, continuously condemning the military. Some even protested outside the White House.
President Ellis immediately stated that he had no knowledge of the military's research on abomination. He assured the people that a thorough investigation would take place.
General Ross would undoubtedly face a military tribunal, but he wouldn't face any significant consequences or imprisonment. He would be temporarily shelved. The military needed a hardliner, and in the future, they might even support General Ross to become Secretary of State to counter the rising powerful superheroes.
Putting those aside, after negotiations, Blonsky eventually fell into the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D., but the military took away the other four abomination corpses.
As for the Hulk's blood in the lab, a small portion was taken by the men in black, while the rest was completely destroyed. S.H.I.E.L.D. and the military made sure not to waste a single drop.
Additionally, Natasha failed to catch the man in black and he escaped. Nick Fury was very concerned about this and dispatched a large number of agents to apprehend the man in black, Metal Arm Man, Obadiah, and Ivan.
Of course, we all know that Nick Fury wouldn't be able to catch these people.
After several days of trying, Dr. Banner confirmed that he couldn't change back to his original form, which left him feeling very frustrated. Eventually, persuaded by S.H.I.E.L.D., he joined the Avengers and became the new Avenger. S.H.I.E.L.D. would help Dr. Banner deal with the military and also set up a lab to aid his recovery.
Betty didn't leave Dr. Banner, but their wedding plans were indefinitely postponed.
Norman Osborn barely gained fame after this battle, and people knew there was another superhero. The Daily Bugle's editor-in-chief, J. Jonah Jameson, even gave him the nickname "Green Goblin."
However, Norman's reputation was not good. On one hand, his appearance was too ugly and old, and on the other hand, people were dissatisfied with his reckless attacks.
Coupled with the almost failed human enhancement serum, Osborn Industries' stock price not only failed to rise but dropped again. Norman was in a tight spot, putting out fires in the boardroom every day.
The board had the power to remove Norman; in America, it was always the capital that had the final say.
In this disaster, besides the civilians and General Ross, there was another unlucky person - Justin Hammer. He was arrested for harboring fugitives, illegally manufacturing weapons, and endangering national security. Waiting for him would be a long prison sentence.
Justin Hammer felt innocent about this. It was the military's doing, okay? Moreover, those two assholes caused all the trouble, and I didn't know anything.
No matter what Hammer shouted, it couldn't change his unfortunate fate. Andrew took advantage of Hammer Industries' plummeting stock price and announced the acquisition of Hammer Industries.
Andrew didn't intend to change careers and become an arms dealer. He just wanted Hammer Industries' production lines, which were useful for Rebirth Hell.
After the successful acquisition, Andrew would split Hammer Industries and auction off its assets. At the same time, he would secretly transfer the production lines. According to estimates, Andrew wouldn't just avoid losses but would make a profit from this deal, as there were quite a few valuable things in Hammer Industries.
...
On this day, Pepper returned to the Malibu mansion and saw Tony operating a hologram projection. She said with annoyance, "Tony, I've already bought the space station toy you wanted. But I have to say Susan is amazing; it cost us more than we expected."
"It's okay. The Rebirth Corporation's space station includes artificial gravity technology and aerospace technology. It's worth spending more money," Tony replied, swiping the hologram aside. He continued, "Moreover, Dr. Reed's experiment is significant. If successful, it can cure hundreds of human diseases."
Pepper asked, "I don't understand. It's just an experiment, why do we need to buy the space station? Wouldn't it be more cost-effective to rent it once?"