Settling for Second Best

Shen Fei rested for a while before getting up and going outside for a swim to clear his head.

As for Klaw, he was not at the villa today. He was probably dealing with the aftermath of the previous events.

After all, although Klaw had made his fortune selling Vibranium, it was not as though he simply lived off his past earnings.

He still had some businesses under his control. Otherwise, how could he support his scientific research?

Both of his safe houses had been destroyed, and the cave safe house had been one of Klaw's important research bases.

An explosion like that must have caused devastating losses.

Though most of the data had already been backed up.

Shen Fei climbed out of the pool and was just about to grab a towel.

At that moment, a woman with a graceful figure handed him the towel in her hand.

"Thank you."

Shen Fei replied instinctively. When he looked up, a cascade of red waves filled his vision.

He could not help but examine her. She had the distinctly Eastern European features of a woman, and her eyes seemed to ripple with allure. Seeing Shen Fei looking at her, she smiled and introduced herself. "My name is Natalie Nossman. I'm the secretary the boss arranged for you."

Upon hearing that name, Shen Fei quickly realized who she was.

Klaw, you really are something.

You even managed to send Natasha to me.

Something was off. He should not have been someone S.H.I.E.L.D. was watching.

Why would Natasha be keeping an eye on him?

No, she was probably watching Klaw, not him.

It just so happened that Klaw had intended to find him a secretary, so she had taken the opportunity to get in.

A spotless background...

Of course it was spotless. Every S.H.I.E.L.D. agent had more than ten identities. If they wanted a clean background, they could make one as clean as they pleased.

In an instant, Shen Fei sorted out the whole situation.

"Fine."

Shen Fei did his best not to reveal anything unusual.

After all, Natasha was a professional spy. Even the slightest change in expression could give him away.

"Go prepare breakfast for me. I like Eastern Cuisine."

After drying himself off and getting dressed, Shen Fei spoke.

"Alright. I'll have someone make it right away."

Watching Natasha sway away, Shen Fei finally understood why so many people were infatuated with her.

But Shen Fei felt nothing.

Too ugly.

She was beautiful, certainly, and rather suited to Eastern tastes, but her pores were far too large.

He did not like large pores. They looked uneven and pitted.

And he did not like buses. Though buses had been upgraded many times to provide more passengers with a pleasant experience.

They were comfortable the moment one sat down, but the smell was always strong.

Private cars were different. They might not fit perfectly at first, but they were yours, after all.

As long as you chose carefully, they would not have been driven by too many people.

Shen Fei lay back in his chair and considered what came next. Klaw really was unreliable. His previous secretary had been from Hydra.

And now, the secretary he had hired for him was from S.H.I.E.L.D.

That man controlled so much Vibranium and metal business, yet had no strength of his own. He was nothing but a juicy piece of meat for others to take whenever they pleased.

He had just escaped the wolf's den, only to enter the tiger's lair.

Still, Natasha was quite dedicated as a secretary. At the very least, she provided some benefits while doing her job.

The breakfast was quite pleasing to both the eye and the palate.

Soon, Shen Fei appeared underground. As for Natasha, he had sent her away, though that seemed to suit her just fine. Before leaving, Shen Fei had sent Klaw a message informing him of Natasha's true identity.

Entering the laboratory, he found everyone bustling about. When they saw Shen Fei come in—

"Boss, it's ready."

These people were technicians trained by Klaw. They were fairly loyal, and with their families under Klaw's surveillance, they could still be used for a while.

Shen Fei nodded and looked toward the operating table.

Logan was covered in blood and grime, with several grotesque wounds still healing. Bright red flesh was exposed, making for a terrifying sight.

Looking at Logan's wounds, Shen Fei said, "You really are a treasure.

"With such an ability, no one thought to study you and instead let you wander around in the wilderness."

"If you've got what it takes, kill me!"

Logan glared at Shen Fei, panting heavily. Over the past day, he had woken up and passed out, passed out and woken up.

Ether and Neurotoxin had been pumped into his body relentlessly, sometimes merely because he had shouted a single sentence.

Shen Fei shook his head, his gaze faintly feverish. "Why would I kill you? If I could find your brother,

you would not have to suffer like this. I only want to analyze your ability.

"It's fine. Once I'm done researching it, I should be able to let you go.

"That depends on whether you cooperate."

Shen Fei casually dangled a promise before him. Mainly because he had not yet figured out how to deal with Logan.

Killing Logan was almost impossible.

His Self-healing Ability could keep him alive even beneath a nuclear bomb.

He continuously examined cell samples from various stages, comparing the cells during healing to their normal state. Then he nodded. "All of you, leave."

The changes in the cells were minimal, which meant the key lay in the genes.

After everyone had left, Shen Fei picked up a syringe. Under Logan's furious glare, he drew a tube of blood and placed a drop beneath the electron microscope.

Immediately, a double-helical structure appeared before his eyes.

Two Deoxynucleotide Chains coiled around a common central axis, forming a Double Helix Structure—the DNA within the body.

DNA, also known as Deoxyribonucleic Acid, was an organic compound with a complex molecular structure.

It existed in the cell nucleus as a component of chromosomes.

Its function was to store genetic information.

He kept moving the microscope, and soon its view locked onto an extremely unusual area.

He immediately magnified the image further. At a broader scale, the double-helical DNA revealed an even more complex and advanced structure.

It was originally a Double Helix Structure, but part of this section's genes looked unusual, as if they did not belong, yet fit perfectly at the same time.

This was the origin of the X-Men—the Origin X-Gene.

Shen Fei began studying the gene continuously, trying to see its entire structure clearly. Soon, he rubbed his brow. "This is far too complicated.

"If I don't have Molecular Scissors capable of cutting DNA, I'm afraid it'll be difficult to copy it completely into my body."

Although he had the Spirit of Evolution, which could fully absorb any extraordinary power without conflict.

He needed to research it first before he could transplant it into his body.

Although the X-Gene structure of this Self-Healing Factor was complex.

It was not a problem for Shen Fei.

The key was that he currently lacked a suitable tool to accomplish his goal.

"Gene Infection?"

Shen Fei could only settle for second best and obtain part of the Self-healing Ability first.

He planned to use Logan's Gene Infection to replace part of the genes in his own body.

He had methods to resolve it, but with this approach, it would be difficult to achieve Logan's peak state.

It might even result in only an incomplete version.

And it would require a large number of experiments.

Shen Fei pressed his temples. He had to obtain this Self-healing Ability. Only then would he have the means to protect himself in New York.