The Incident Escalates

Faced with the Lickers' harassment-and-assassination tactics, the Hydra assassins began to suffer severe physical and mental torment.

Their Hydra leader was no better off. The fighting in the corridors had already left him severely dehydrated.

The only fortunate thing was that the corridors of such a top-tier hotel were not the cramped, tucked-away kind. This allowed both the Lickers and the Hydra assassins to fight at full capacity.

Throughout the hotel, countless ordinary people lay dead on the ground.

Yet the long-awaited rescue never came. That inevitably made people wonder if there was something suspicious behind it. After all, Ivan Vanko had been pulled out of prison by Justin Hammer using Hammer Industries' resources, and the European branch of Hydra was only more capable.

The battered Hydra assassins had been reduced to only their leader, who relied on sheer willpower to keep going.

He slowly used his weapon to blast open Nathan Hawke's hotel room, only to see a man in a long black trench coat standing with his back to him.

The remaining Hydra assassin did not care who was ahead of him and immediately opened fire.

The bullets sped forward. The man's body suddenly seemed to tear apart, and the assassin's heart trembled. His instincts told him that the other man was now behind him.

With a wet rip.

The last Hydra assassin slowly collapsed. Before he died, Wesker noticed that he had left with a smile on his face. Wesker did not care, however, and calmly headed toward his target.

The incident escalated.

"Director."

In Nick Fury's office, Maria Hill held a remote and flipped through intelligence displayed on the multimedia screen.

Nick Fury took a sip of American coffee from a mug with a cat pattern and said, "We'll talk when Coulson gets here."

Beep.

Coulson entered in a neat suit, nodded to Hill, then looked at Nick Fury. He seemed somewhat pleased.

"I'm not late, am I?"

Nick Fury raised his head and gestured for Coulson to find a seat.

After sitting down, Coulson looked at Hill, then at his beloved Director.

"Hawkeye and Natasha are on a mission. It'll just be the three of us for this meeting," Maria told Coulson.

Coulson nodded and immediately switched into work mode.

"First, these two images."

One showed a skull's open snake mouth extending from the center of a red circle. The snake's jaws were vicious and sharp, lined with pointed teeth that gave off an aura of evil and brutality. Its body curled around the red circle, its patterns distinct and its lines smooth. The entire emblem was simple yet unique.

The other was an umbrella-shaped design in red and white. At the top of the umbrella was a circular red pattern symbolizing strength and determination. The body of the umbrella consisted of alternating red and white lines. The red lines outlined the umbrella, while the white lines filled the interior, creating a striking contrast. The entire emblem was simple yet powerful.

"Hydra!" Coulson immediately stood up, facing Nick Fury with endless questions in his eyes.

"Coulson."

Hearing Maria speak, Coulson turned back and apologized. "Sorry, I got too worked up." He sat back down, but the image had stirred the calm within him into an unusual fever.

"Last night, a major mass-death incident occurred at a top hotel in Monaco. These two images were left at the hotel. Based on multiple investigations, it may be that someone wants us to uncover a major conspiracy. Hydra's emblem means they were connected to this incident."

"What about the other image?" Coulson asked.

"Umbrella Corporation. It operates in the pharmaceutical industry in America. According to agents' investigations, before the company was established, there were numerous incidents involving violence, extortion, robbery, and assassination. However, despite the agents' investigation, no key evidence was found."

"Well, that figures," Coulson said with a curl of his lip.

Nick Fury listened quietly, his expression grave. He knew Hydra was an infamous terrorist organization. Its presence meant chaos and danger.

"What is the nature of this incident?" Nick Fury asked, concern for the situation evident in his eyes.

"The preliminary investigation shows that those in the hotel suffered exceptionally brutal violent attacks, resulting in heavy casualties. We're still analyzing the scene and gathering evidence, but it's clear that this was a carefully planned assassination." Maria Hill answered.

"An assassination? Who was there at the time?" Nick Fury frowned.

"Nathan Hawke."

Nick Fury's pupils contracted. He immediately said, "I remember that Stark was sent to the hospital. How are his injuries?"

"He's fine. Natasha already sent me the update. I was planning to tell you after the meeting," Maria said.

"Mm." Nick Fury nodded, signaling for Maria to continue.

"Based on the bureau's intelligence experts' assessment, we have reason to suspect that someone intended to use Hydra—or the remnants of Hydra—to kill Nathan Hawke. Umbrella Corporation, which had absolutely no prior connection with Nathan Hawke, was the one that protected him."

Nick Fury began to ponder Maria's report. As for the suspicion that Nathan Hawke was colluding with Umbrella Corporation, suspicion alone was enough.

"Tell me the basis for that." Though Nick Fury already had an idea in mind, he still intended for Maria to continue.

"That would be this." Maria switched the display to a photograph of several superheroes together.

"Translucent, Super V, and Electro. Three superpowered individuals—or superheroes. We have ample reason to suspect that their existence is the work of Umbrella Corporation."

At that point, Coulson interjected, "I remember hearing that Nathan Hawke had been assassinated. So in Monaco, remnants of Hydra or something similar tried to assassinate Nathan Hawke, then seize control of Hawke Group and secretly change everything?"

Nick Fury quickly said, "No, no. Who is Umbrella Corporation's leader? I'm more inclined to believe Nathan Hawke is merely a figure pushed to the forefront. Perhaps they even planned to kill Nathan Hawke and have someone disguise themselves as him."

A chill immediately ran down Coulson's back, because he thought of the Skrulls. He then looked at the Director, who noticed his gaze but ignored it.

Maria's expression darkened slightly upon hearing this.

"According to an agent who once infiltrated Umbrella Corporation, its leader is a man named Wesker."

"Wesker," Coulson murmured the name.

Nick Fury slapped the desk and said sternly, "Coulson, go to Umbrella Corporation and meet their chairman. Maria, have Melin use the title of a safety and fire department supervisor to visit Hawke Group."

"Yes." x2

Umbrella Corporation Headquarters.

After glancing at the security guards by the entrance, Coulson walked inside. The first thing he saw was a spacious, modern lobby. Tall marble columns supported the ceiling, giving the place an air of solemnity and stability.

The reception desk stood in the center of the lobby, built around an enormous glass countertop that allowed people to see activity within the building through the glass. Exquisite plants and high-end decorations sat atop it, lending the place a luxurious yet professional feel.

Behind the reception area was a spacious waiting lounge equipped with comfortable sofas and coffee tables for visitors to rest and wait. Umbrella Corporation's emblem hung on the wall, displaying its authority and strength.

The reception staff wore neat professional attire and greeted visitors with warm, professional smiles. They skillfully handled all kinds of matters, including receiving visitors, issuing passes, and providing information.

"Hello, sir. Is there anything I can help you with?" the receptionist asked Coulson with a smile as he approached.

Coulson presented an ID and a written document. "Hello, I'm Coulson from XXX. Is your company's chairman, Wesker, available?"

The receptionist froze for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry. Please let me make a call first."

Coulson nodded and smiled. "Of course. Go ahead."

The receptionist called someone on the other end, explained the situation, and said, "Someone will come escort you upstairs shortly. Sir, you may rest in our waiting area first."

"Alright, thank you. I won't disturb your work any longer." Coulson nodded in thanks before heading to the waiting area.

About twenty minutes later.

A man in security attire came to Coulson's side. "Are you Mr. Coulson?"

"Yes, hello." Coulson stood up.

"I'm the company's head of security. I'll take you upstairs now, but may I ask whether you are carrying any weapons?" the security chief asked Coulson.

"No problem. Please hold onto this for me." Coulson took out the pistol concealed in his clothes and handed it over.

The security chief took out a white plastic bag and stored it away. Then he said, "When you come back down, you can retrieve it from the security department claim desk at the front desk." With that, he led Coulson through the employee passage after clocking in, heading straight for Wesker's office.

"Sir, the secretary will take you the rest of the way."

After leading Coulson to Wesker's office floor and seeing the waiting secretary, the security chief spoke.

"Alright, thank you." Coulson smiled, while also sensing how strict Umbrella Corporation's procedures were for outsiders.

On the way here, Coulson had already spotted quite a few hidden cameras, patrolling security personnel, riot-control equipment, safety hazard eliminators, and more...

He also compared Umbrella Corporation with Hawke Group.

That only made him look forward even more to meeting Wesker.

Beep!

The secretary smiled at Coulson. "Please go in, sir. The chairman is waiting for you inside."