Tony Gets Carried Away

At night, at the Malibu villa, Tony Stark raised his glass to Wang Bert and said, "Bert, congratulations on successfully acquiring Osborn Corporation!"

"And congratulations on making a fortune!"

Wang Bert raised his glass in return. Tony took a sip of wine and smiled. "We really did make quite a bit. I'll have Little Pepper transfer the profits I promised you through other channels. By the way, Bert, Osborn Corporation's stock doesn't seem to have risen at all?"

"It can't rise. Your company crushed their Energy Department, and their Weapons Department had all its contracts terminated by the Department of Defense. If their biotech division hadn't achieved something, Osborn Corporation's stock price would be even lower!"

Wang Bert shook his head. Tony said smugly, "Looks like Stark Industries is just too capable."

"Tony!"

Little Pepper called out, then turned to Wang Bert. "Bert, I have a win-win proposal. I wonder if you'd be interested?"

"Let's hear it!"

"Stark Industries can acquire Osborn Corporation's Energy Department at a high price!"

Little Pepper said crisply, "If you agree, we can open up part of Stark Industries' weapons distribution channels to you."

"It really would be a win-win, but no thanks!"

Wang Bert shook his head and said frankly, "I have a way to solve Osborn Corporation's problems. In a few months, its stock price will recover!"

Tony did not believe him. "Really? You have skills like mine?"

Wang Bert turned to Yinsen and asked, "Yinsen, when you worked with Tony, did you ever want to punch him?"

"I did. Not that often, maybe just over a hundred times!"

Yinsen smiled. "Working with him was genuinely torture!"

Tony said dramatically, "Yinsen, you've broken my heart. I thought we were good friends!"

Yinsen shrugged. "That's why I never punched you!"

Wang Bert smiled and said, "Solving Osborn Corporation's problems isn't difficult. We just need to develop a Miniature Arc Reactor and Iron Man Armor."

"Not difficult at all. You should be able to manage it in ten years!"

Tony swirled his wineglass. "Or maybe twenty? You're better than Hammer Industries. They'll need at least thirty!"

Mercury sneered from the side. Arrogant Tony Stark could never have imagined that Osborn Corporation already possessed a Miniature Arc Reactor, and the armor would soon be finished as well!

"Is that how you answered the Department of Defense?"

Wang Bert said, "I heard they've been pressuring you to hand over the armor. They even used business tactics, like cutting off some military contracts with Stark Industries!"

"They can forget it. The armor is part of me. I won't give it to anyone!"

Tony snorted. He said proudly, "The military will come back begging me. No one can replace Stark Industries' products!"

Wang Bert gestured toward Little Pepper. "Pepper, you've had it rough, taking care of such a little brat!"

"Who are you calling a little brat?"

Tony got angry, but Little Pepper smiled. "It's fine. I've been taking care of him for over a decade. I'm used to it!"

"A little brat wouldn't pay your salary!"

Tony grumbled, then gave Little Pepper a look. She took Mercury and Yinsen to the backyard to prepare the materials, leaving only Wang Bert and Tony in the hall!

"Aunt Carter already told me everything. I really didn't expect Hydra to still exist."

Tony put down his glass and said, "A few days ago, I hacked into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database, but I didn't find any clues. Bert, can you tell me everything you know?"

"You hacked into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database?"

Wang Bert frowned. "Tony, when did you become so reckless?"

"Reckless? I don't think so. They couldn't find out anyway! I, Tony Stark, am the best at everything!"

"You're not reckless. You're getting carried away! It seems the praise from all those countries and media outlets for Iron Man has completely gone to your head!"

Wang Bert snorted. Tony had always been arrogant, but at least he had known where to draw the line. Now, he had no limits at all. Later on, he would even claim that world peace depended on him!

"Praise? They're just telling the truth. I, Tony Stark, am the greatest genius in the world!"

Tony said arrogantly. He had said such things before, but back then it had only been bragging. Now, he genuinely believed it!

Wang Bert sneered. "If you're so amazing, why can't you even solve your Palladium Poisoning?"

"You know about that? Looks like you secretly studied the Arc Reactor!"

Tony froze for a moment, then said indifferently, "It's nothing. I'll develop a replacement element soon enough!"

Wang Bert finally understood why Tony kept using the Iron Man Armor even though he knew it would poison him. Early on, he believed he could develop a replacement element, so he went all out. Later, after discovering that no element could replace palladium, the poisoning had already become severe. He simply decided to go down swinging and kept going wild!

Wang Bert shook his head. "You can't keep going like this. If Hydra discovers you, you'll be in danger!"

Tony said disdainfully, "I'll be in danger? I'm Iron Man! It would be even better if they found me. I could lure them out and deal with them!"

"You think they'd be stupid enough to fight you head-on? If they want to make a move against you, it'll definitely be when you aren't wearing your armor!"

Wang Bert sneered. "And they might go after Pepper!"

Tony had no response, but he refused to back down and stubbornly said, "They won't find me!"

"I have nothing more to say to you as you are now!"

Wang Bert shook his head and turned to leave.

"Wait, tell me what happened!"

Tony hurried forward and grabbed Wang Bert's shoulder to stop him, but a surge of force suddenly erupted. Tony was sent flying and crashed to the floor!

Wang Bert turned around and said coldly, "Tony Stark, you're less handsome than me, less charismatic than me, less wealthy than me, and less powerful than me. That piece of junk armor of yours? I could dismantle it in three seconds. I'm not the one acting arrogant, so what gives you the right to be?"

Tony was so furious he nearly spat blood. Just as he was about to retort, Little Pepper rushed out after hearing the commotion and cried out, "Tony!"

"Pepper, excuse me. Mercury, we're leaving!"

Wang Bert could not be bothered to stay any longer. He turned and left, with Mercury hurrying after him. As she passed Tony, she snorted disdainfully. Compared to the Blood God, what did Tony have to be arrogant about? Tony shouted furiously at Wang Bert's retreating back, "Bert Wang, this isn't over!"

Wang Bert could not be bothered with Tony. He took Mercury and sped away in the sports car like a bolt of lightning!

Little Pepper and Yinsen helped Tony to his feet. Little Pepper asked in confusion, "Tony, why do you always want to one-up Bert?"

Tony snorted. "When have I ever wanted to one-up him? I've always been above him. He's just a high school graduate!"

Bert Wang, one of the richest people in America—education: high school!

"If you didn't, why did you investigate him so thoroughly? And haven't you noticed that you're always especially arrogant and overbearing around him?"

Little Pepper sighed. "Do you know what you look like whenever you see Bert? A rooster getting ready to fight!"

"Little Pepper, that analogy is too much. You should have said an eagle preparing for battle. No, wait, when was I preparing for battle?"

Tony said unhappily, "Little Pepper, arrange meetings with several traditional energy companies tomorrow. I'm going to make sure Osborn Corporation's Energy Department has no business left at all."

"And you say you weren't preparing for battle?"

Little Pepper was speechless, and Yinsen shook his head as well. It was only natural that Tony wanted to one-up Bert. The proud Tony had suffered setback after setback in front of Bert. He had been outdone in every way!

Inside the sports car, Mercury asked Wang Bert, "Blood God, do we need to do anything?"

"No. He's just gotten carried away."

Wang Bert shook his head. "Send Peter Parker an internship invitation in my name. Have him intern at the Cross-Species Engineering Department! Consider it a perk from me. If he performs well, I can pay for his college tuition."

"Even sparring partners get benefits this good?"

Mercury was a little speechless. "Understood."

Although she did not know whether Dr. Connors truly needed Spider-Man to complete the Lizard Serum, bringing Spider-Man over could not hurt. As for whether Peter and Gwen would spark something, that would depend on fate! After thinking for a moment, Wang Bert said, "Right, I've looked over the assistant candidates you gave me. That Lilith seems promising. Have her start work tomorrow!"

Mercury asked in surprise, "Blood God, if I may ask, why did you choose her?"

Wang Bert smiled. "Anyone daring to call herself Lilith must be extraordinary."

"Then she's the one!"

Mercury smiled, though she secretly complained to herself. Isn't it because she has the best figure and prettiest face among the candidates?

In a mysterious underground laboratory somewhere in Hell's Kitchen, New York, Kingpin listened as a bald doctor who looked utterly deranged explained, "The formula you gave me is the original formula for the Human Enhancement Potion."

Kingpin asked, "Original formula? What does that mean?"

"It means the formula was never improved. Osborn Corporation's Human Enhancement Potion has already reduced its side effects to twenty percent!"

The Bald Doctor said, "But with your formula, there's not only a fifty percent chance of side effects after taking it, there's also a ten percent chance of total failure, turning the subject into a mindless lunatic."

Kingpin's expression darkened. "Looks like that guy held something back!"

"It was my mistake. I let him escape."

Wesley apologized, then said, "But didn't he provide two formulas?"

"The other one is worse. It isn't finished at all and is still stuck at the final step!"

The Bald Doctor said, "However, this formula has immense potential. Once completed, it will be a revolutionary breakthrough!"

"Then complete it! And find a way to improve the Human Enhancement Potion too."

Kingpin said, "It won't be easy."

The Bald Doctor said, "The first requires a huge amount of money, measured in hundreds of millions. The second does not require much money, but it does require a large number of test subjects to gather data!"

"Hundreds of millions?"

Kingpin frowned. He had money, but even more places to spend it—money laundering, bribing officials, and so on. He truly could not come up with several hundred million at once!

"Produce the Human Enhancement Potion and sell it on the black market!"

After thinking for a moment, Kingpin said, "That way, we can obtain both funding and a huge amount of experimental data!"

"Kingpin, your heart is truly black. I like it!"

The Bald Doctor laughed madly. "Science requires sacrifice. Those humanitarian rules are nothing more than obstacles to scientific progress!"

Kingpin and the Bald Doctor's decision caused New York's future crime rate to soar, and completely ushered in the era of Super Heroes and supervillains!

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, September arrived. The weather was scorching today, but even hotter than the weather was the stench of crime! Ding-ding-ding! A bank alarm blared in Queens. Several pedestrians at the entrance fled into the distance while cursing loudly. "Again? How many bank robberies has this been this month?"

Soon, five muscular figures rushed out of the bank carrying bags. Just as they were about to get into a car, several strands of webbing descended from above and snatched away their bags.

Spider-Man clung to the wall and said, "Guys, robbing banks is wrong. I suggest you turn yourselves in immediately!"

"Spider-Man, we aren't afraid of you anymore!"

One of the five, a muscular tattooed man, violently tore off his shirt, revealing a body full of muscles. Then, he yanked a signpost out of the concrete and hurled it at Spider-Man with all his strength! "Enhanced Humans again! Do you know the potion you injected has serious side effects?"

Spider-Man nimbly dodged the signpost, then raised his hand and fired a web at the tattooed man!

Before the web could reach the tattooed man, it was knocked away by something another muscular man threw at it. On closer inspection, it was actually a car door.

"Another Enhanced Human!"

Spider-Man cried out. To his frustration, the remaining three muscular men all tore off their shirts as well. Clearly, they were all Enhanced Humans! Spider-Man complained, "Where are all these Enhanced Humans coming from? And why do you all have to rip off your shirts? It's not like you transform!"

"Spider-Man, give us back our money!"

One Enhanced Human pushed off with both feet and fiercely lunged toward Spider-Man on the wall. Spider-Man quickly climbed higher, while the unlucky Enhanced Human slammed into the wall with a bang, shattering several bricks.

"Dude, that won't work. This is my territory."

Spider-Man was his usual chatterbox, but just then, two Enhanced Humans lifted a nearby car together and hurled it at him!

"Foul! Foul!"

Spider-Man shouted as he fled. He dodged the car, but it continued flying toward two pedestrians. Spider-Man was shocked and was about to use his webbing to pull it back when a dazzling bolt of electricity flashed, flinging the car aside.

"Electro is here!"

The crowd erupted in cheers. Amid their cries, a bolt of electricity shot over from the distance, transforming in midair into Max, Electro, dressed in a blue uniform! Compared to before, Max was clearly much more cheerful. He even greeted the surrounding citizens brightly, drawing another wave of cheers.

Spider-Man greeted him, "Friend, you're here!"

"I'm not your friend. You can't even remember my name!"

Max snorted in dissatisfaction, then raised his hand and fired a bolt of electricity at the tattooed Enhanced Human below. The Enhanced Human was blasted away on the spot, his chest scorched black! "It's Electro! Run!"

The remaining four Enhanced Humans' expressions changed drastically as they hurriedly turned to flee. Just then, two Gliders flew over, and the citizens began cheering again. "The Hell Sisters are here too."

"With us here, you won't get away!"

Standing on the Glider to the left was Hellcat, the Super Hero dressed in a yellow uniform and wearing a cat-faced mask. She gave a sharp cry and pulled the trigger of her stun gun. A specially made electric round struck one Enhanced Human squarely in the chest, and he immediately collapsed, convulsing all over.