Something is amiss

A tall, white security guard blocked Luo Xia's path, clearly having no intention of letting him inside.

"I am a representative from Stark Industries, here for a scheduled meeting with Mr. Norman Osborn. You can check with the front desk," Luo Xia explained.

However, the guard sneered, "Stark Industries would hire a yellow monkey like you? Osborn isn't your filthy Chinatown; disheveled people aren't allowed in here."

Disheveled?

Luo Xia suddenly noticed a problem.

Since returning from Afghanistan, Pepper had prepared a suit for his work, but the rest of his wardrobe consisted of casual clothes he'd bought online. His only suit was currently in the wash, so he was wearing a T-shirt and jeans, which did look a bit out of place.

Yet, it was clear the guard wasn't stopping him for that reason. While the guard spoke to Luo Xia, his eyes kept darting toward another location, his expression visibly tense.

Luo Xia didn't know what he was up to, but since he was the one seeking an audience with Norman Osborn, he decided to exercise some patience and spoke again: "You can verify with the front desk before making a judgment; it's just a short distance behind you."

"Forget it, get lost," the guard roared crudely.

Just as Luo Xia was about to explain things to the guard using "physical" means, he saw a Mercedes-Benz pull up to the entrance of Osborn Tower.

Luo Xia noticed that the moment the car appeared, the guard's entire focus shifted toward it, and the tension on his face became even more pronounced.

The guard's earlier attempt to drive Luo Xia away, beyond simple racial prejudice, seemed more driven by a fear that Luo Xia might cause trouble. As a veteran special forces soldier in his past life who had experienced all manner of infiltration missions, Luo Xia could tell from experience that something significant was about to happen.

Therefore, Luo Xia calmly stepped aside to observe the situation.

A tall Black man stepped out of the Mercedes. Seeing him wearing an earpiece and scanning his surroundings, Luo Xia identified him as a bodyguard—the experienced kind capable of taking a bullet for a VIP.

After confirming the area was clear, the bodyguard opened the rear door and helped a woman and a child out.

Everything seemed normal so far, but Violet suddenly said to Luo Xia, "Commander, we seem to have seen that child before."

Seen him?

While Luo Xia wasn't face-blind, he couldn't recall where he might have had a fleeting encounter with this boy, who looked no older than five.

"Theresa, do you think Daddy will like my gift?" the boy asked after stepping out of the car, holding a green monster mask that looked like he had made it himself.

"Mr. Osborn will definitely love it," the woman, who appeared to be a nanny, replied with a smile.

"But Daddy has to go away for another month," the boy said, sounding dejected.

"It's alright, Harry. Next time Mr. Osborn returns, we'll go to Central Park together," the nanny, Theresa, said.

Hearing this, it finally dawned on Luo Xia. This child was the one he'd met at that World of Warcraft offline event. To think he was actually Norman Osborn's son.

So, this child was Harry Osborn, and he was only five years old. Luo Xia couldn't help but think of another superhero, Peter Parker. A five-year-old Spider-Man—he truly didn't know what kind of expression to make.

Before his thoughts could wander further, Luo Xia suddenly heard a gunshot. It was very faint, likely from a pistol equipped with a silencer.

Then, Luo Xia saw a spray of blood erupt from the temple of the bodyguard standing next to Harry.

The sudden turn of events terrified everyone. Nanny Theresa pulled Harry into her arms and let out a scream. Luo Xia quickly spotted the gunman hiding behind a flower bed and was about to intervene, but someone was faster than him.

The security guard who had been giving Luo Xia a hard time earlier lunged forward with surprising agility, positioning his large frame in front of Theresa and Harry to shield them from the gunman, while shouting, "Get in the car! The car is bulletproof!"

In her panic, Theresa was at a loss, but she instinctively followed the guard's instructions.

Theresa climbed into the car with Harry, while the guard took several hits from the gunman behind the flower bed. However, it appeared he was wearing a bulletproof vest, as no blood was visible.

In that brief delay, the Mercedes had already driven a dozen meters away, nearly clearing the perimeter of Osborn Tower.

Seeing the targets escaping, the gunman stopped firing and fled toward a crowded area.

Passersby scrambled to get out of the way, and the scene descended into chaos.

By the time other Osborn security guards arrived, the gunman had long since vanished.

The sudden attack left one bodyguard dead from a headshot and another guard wounded. Although the gunman had escaped, Harry appeared to be unharmed.

Judging by the outcome, it seemed like a failed assassination attempt. However, after a moment of thought, Luo Xia commanded, "Violet, keep a close watch on that Mercedes and the people inside. Luo Fei, follow them from a distance based on Violet's prompts. Stay out of sight and don't get discovered."

His two subordinates replied in unison, "Understood, Commander."

The engine of the unmanned SUV roared to life. Luo Fei followed the business car from three hundred meters away; with Violet's assistance, there was no risk of losing them.

In the Marvel Universe, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance capabilities were infinitely stronger than what Luo Xia had known of the United States in his past life, reaching the point where they could track almost anyone at any time.

Violet could tap into a portion of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources, so using street cameras to track the vehicle was no problem. This appeared to be a concluded terrorist attack, but Luo Xia felt the situation was far from simple.

The tracking quickly revealed a problem.

If the Mercedes had left Osborn Tower for safety, fearing other hidden gunmen, that would be one thing. But by now, the driver should have received word that the gunman had fled. They should have either reported to the nearest police station, waited for backup, or returned to Osborn Tower.

However, according to Violet's report, the Mercedes was driving in a direction leading away from Osborn Tower. After simulating the route, Luo Xia realized the car seemed to be heading toward Hell's Kitchen, the largest slum in New York.

At the same time, Norman Osborn, the CEO of Osborn Industries, received a call from the kidnappers while on his way to the office.