"Yeah, and those Lickers—if we had a thousand of them, we could sweep through the Middle East."
"Exactly! But I prefer the Tyrant. It's expensive, sure, but its strength is incredible, even rivaling Iron Man."
"And those electromagnetic rifles—they're far superior to our gunpowder-based firearms."
"I want that exoskeleton armor! If I had a Sentinel robot as my partner, I'd take on an entire Middle Eastern brigade by myself."
Listening to the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents making their wish lists, Maria felt a headache coming on.
All these things they were talking about weren't cheap.
The ones they had purchased before were paid for by Tony.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had a considerable budget, but after the recent rebellion, the Security Council had tightened its control over funding approvals.
Getting money as easily as before? Impossible.
*Knock, knock, knock...*
As the agents' requests grew increasingly outlandish, Maria had no choice but to knock on the table to interrupt them.
"Everyone, I understand your enthusiasm for Umbrella's products, but we can't rely on others for everything. Now, let's discuss our operation plan."
Just as Maria was about to continue, Tony raised his hand.
"Sorry to interrupt, but when will I get my money back from three days ago?"
While Tony wasn't short on cash, dropping over two billion dollars all at once was still a bit much—even for him. Especially since the money hadn't been spent on himself but on S.H.I.E.L.D.
Maria looked embarrassed upon hearing Tony's words.
"Uh... I have to wait until after this operation to get reimbursent from the Security Council."
Hearing this, Tony imdiately stood up.
"Then talk to about the Middle East after you get your reimbursent."
He had never been interested in the Middle Eastern situation, and now he had the perfect excuse to stay out of it.
Seeing Tony leave, Banner quickly followed.
Maria reached out as if to stop them, but after opening her mouth, she didn't know what to say.
In the end, she could only watch as the two n disappeared before turning back to the remaining agents.
"Let's continue with the briefing."
..........
Outside the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters...
Tony got into his luxury car, and Banner slid into the passenger seat, "Are you sure you're not joining their operation?"
As the engine roared to life, Tony expressionlessly drove out of the parking garage. His silence was the answer.
A few monts later, Tony's car pulled onto the highway—but instead of heading toward his seaside mansion, he took a different route.
Banner noticed and imdiately asked, "Where are you going?"
"To Umbrella. I need to see Mr. Adam."
"What for?"
"Have you studied the Licker and Tyrant genes?"
"Of course, we analyzed them together. There's nothing unusual—no signs of connections to zombies or insectoids."
"But I suspect there's a genetic code."
"A genetic code?"
"Yes, sothing theoretical—an encrypted gene sequence that doesn't alter the geno itself but rearranges its composition, making it appear completely different."
Banner's expression grew serious.
"You an... Umbrella has developed genetic programming?"
Only genetic programming could explain the existence of such an encrypted genetic sequence.
Tony nodded.
"Why do you think Umbrella would develop genetic programming and encrypt their gene sequences?"
"Obviously, to prevent others from cracking the Licker and Tyrant DNA."
"And what else?"
Banner turned to look at Tony, who was focused on the road.
"To hide sothing..."
"Exactly. More than the Middle Eastern conflict, I want to know what Adam is hiding."
"But even if you go there, what can you do?"
"Simple—I'll buy more products. With my research skills, I'll crack the Licker and Tyrant genos in no ti."
A confident smirk appeared on Tony's face.
And rightfully so—he had been a genius since childhood. There was nothing he couldn't figure out—only things he didn't want to bother with.
..........
anwhile, at the top floor of Umbrella's headquarters...
Adam was eting with another man.
Holding a file in his hand, Adam glanced at the visitor and spoke casually, "Reed Richards. Harvard graduate. What brings you here?"
The young man standing before him—Reed—was still in his early twenties.
Though he was Caucasian, his short black hair and slightly reserved expression made him stand out.
At this point in ti, Reed was not yet the renowned scientist known as Mr. Fantastic.
He was just a fresh graduate chasing his dreams.
After a mont of hesitation, Reed took a deep breath, "Mr. Adam, I saw your 'Young Genius Fund' initiative."
"Yes, I support young minds who dare to think and create. So, what's your dream?"
Adam had invested significant ti and effort into preparing for this eting. The 'Young Genius Fund' was the bait he had thrown to lure Reed in.
"I want to go to space."
"Interesting. I've t many young geniuses, but you're the first one who wants to et God so soon."
Reed panicked and waved his hands.
"No, no! I ant—I want to build rockets and explore outer space."
Adam chuckled.
"Relax, I was just joking.
Your ambition is comndable. The future belongs to the stars and beyond. I assu you're interested in our Starship Company?"
After all, Umbrella's reusable rocket technology was currently the most advanced in the world.
Reed nodded, "Yes, Mr. Adam. But I'm not focused on the rocket-reuse technology."
"Oh? Then what are you interested in?"
"Electromagnetic launch systems."
Hearing this, Adam's expression turned slightly intrigued, "Go on. I'd like to hear your thoughts."
_______________________
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