Unwarranted Association

As the bridge of communication between the World Security Council and S.H.I.E.L.D., Pierce, the former director, had good relations with both sides. Especially when even the cautious Nick Fury believed a world-class crisis existed, certain formalities could be overlooked.

Nick Fury produced a USB drive-like object and plugged it into the desk. A virtual screen then appeared in the air, and three video clips were played in succession.

The first clip showed a heavily armed team engaging a humanoid bat with an exoskeleton. However, in almost an instant, the soldiers were routed, and ordinary infantry weapons were incapable of inflicting effective damage on the humanoid bat, not even enough to stagger it. The word "tragic" couldn't even begin to describe it.

This video clip showed signs of manual editing, highlighting the ferocity of the humanoid bat. It did not explain how the human army defeated this monster. Then, the second video began.

The second video featured a scientist-like individual discussing the various test data of the Fang Vampire's body. Initially, the information was understandable to a layperson, but once it delved into the cellular level, large chunks of technical jargon emerged.

If Wei Xiuming were present, it wouldn't matter; his expertise far surpassed that of the person in the video.

Nick Fury and Alexander Pierce, however, might not have fared as well. Yet, both men listened with rapt attention, as if they truly understood something. However, it was sufficient to know that the Fang Vampire's physical structure and cells were overwhelmingly superior to humans.

After this video ended, Pierce, who hadn't slept all night and was drowsy from listening to things outside his domain for half a day, pinched the bridge of his nose to clear his head. He then asked, "What does this have to do with vampires?"

The third video clip answered Pierce's question. In it, a person in a hazmat suit with a gas mask covering their face was explaining something. Nick Fury had, at some point, recorded Wei Xiuming's lecture on the Amazon Cells threat theory and even edited it. It was unclear how he managed to do it along the way.

As he listened, Pierce's forehead twitched. It was no wonder; the implications were too direct.

Daniel Whitehall, Red Skull's direct disciple, was senior to Pierce in terms of seniority. By transplanting cells from a female Inhuman with life-force abilities, he had lived from World War II to the present day in a youthful state.

If there was an urgent need to research something that could restore youth and prolong life, and someone connected to the remnants of the Third Reich was involved, he was the most likely candidate.

Then, upon hearing about things like the resurrection of the dead, Pierce's temples throbbed. He deeply suspected that Wei Xiuming already knew about the existence of Hydra lurking within S.H.I.E.L.D. Uploading one's consciousness to a computer was a privilege previously only enjoyed by Arnim Zola.

This Hydra scientist had once served Red Skull, helping him extract energy from the Tesseract and weaponize it. After World War II, Doctor Zola was arrested and imprisoned. In 1972, he was dying of cancer.

However, Zola had not truly died in a sense. He uploaded his consciousness to a supercomputer and placed it in a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. facility in New Jersey, where it remained operational to this day.

As a data entity, Zola masterminded Project Insight, identifying and confirming threats to Hydra's interests, and eliminating them through specific armed forces. Project Insight was now proceeding systematically and orderly, with results expected in about seven years.

Assuming the so-called resurrection technology was indeed effective, Doctor Zola would undoubtedly be its greatest beneficiary.

If Nick Fury hadn't previously told Pierce about an organization called Shuka, causing Pierce to conjure a series of assumptions, Wei Xiuming's presentation today might not have led to so many associations.

The video playback concluded, and Nick Fury intensified his argument: "Vampires can coexist with humans, but they have too many weaknesses and require human strength to be manipulated. Throughout this process, they have been constantly seeking ways to overcome their weaknesses. The vast majority of cosmetic companies selling sunscreen are controlled by vampire forces, and their purpose is self-evident."

"And Amazon Cells can help them overcome weaknesses like sunlight and silver weapons, and they are powerful enough to rival main battle tanks. In such a scenario, the best outcome for humanity would be to become slaves to the Fang Vampires and barely survive."

Sensing his old friend's expression turning grim, Nick Fury added, "Although the problem before us now is vampires and their evolved form, the Fang Vampires, the mastermind behind it all is Doctor Death, who provided the Amazon Cells to the vampires, and the organization named Shuka behind him."

"We cannot show them any mercy! We will hunt them everywhere. If we catch them at the airport, we'll shoot them there; if we catch them in the restroom, we'll drown them in the toilet. We cannot leave a single one alive to rise again."

"I will discuss this matter with the World Security Council. The specific outcome will be communicated to you later." Pierce, with a headache, politely saw Nick Fury out.

His headache wasn't just from Nick Fury's attitude. If Nick Fury discovered Hydra, which bore a striking resemblance to Shuka, there would be no peace. The second issue was the World Security Council. At that moment, a projection screen appeared in the office.

The projection screen was divided into five sections, displaying the bust images of five individuals. These five individuals represented the five permanent members of the World Security Council.

Due to Wei Xiuming's revelations, whether true or false, the five Security Council members who had listened to the entire report had varied expressions. Setting aside the inter-country squabbles, the series of problems caused by vampirism were the primary concern.

The relationship between vampires and humans was like the financial market. Cross-shareholdings between large corporations formed a dense network, a complex web that was quite daunting.

It was impossible to say how many people profited from this network. Not to mention, many companies within different factions of Hydra had close business ties with vampires. If he, Alexander Pierce, wanted to suppress the voices of other factions and become the absolute leader, like his predecessor Red Skull, he could not allow their interests to be harmed.

As time progressed, many high-ranking Hydra officials had strayed from the organization's original purpose. Instead of striving for progress, they sought to control more power for their own enjoyment. Red Skull was a prime example of this negative trend.

However, Red Skull was a man of ambition; he truly sought to conquer the world for the sake of conquering it, not for the sake of indulging in pleasure after taking over.

But the same couldn't be said for other Hydra members, especially the younger generation who grew up in peace, prosperity, and affluence. They were truly a decadent generation.