Ivan died so suddenly it was almost anticlimactic.
Tony and Rhodey hadn't even reacted before he was already down.
"Talk about perfect timing."
Du Mu walked over from a distance, shaking his head with a sigh.
He couldn't understand what it was with people who wore steel armor.
Steel armor had such strong defenses, yet they all seemed to love opening their helmets to talk.
He'd just followed the map marker to the scene and happened to see Ivan with his head exposed, delivering his lines.
Who could resist that?
Du Mu drew his gun without hesitation and fired.
And that was how the scene had unfolded.
Poor Ivan. A Super Villain of his stature had gotten less screen time than the Iron Soldiers he'd built.
His cause of death? Not wearing a helmet!
Tony and Rhodey's mouths twitched as they looked at Ivan's corpse.
They silently vowed that from now on, whenever they wore their armor, they wouldn't take off their helmets under any circumstances!
As Du Mu walked over to Ivan, the system's voice rang out at just the right moment.
[You have successfully defeated BOSS "Whiplash" Ivan Vanko!]
[Calculating damage rewards...]
[Rewards: 10,000 experience points, 5 free attribute points, equipment "Whiplash Armor," skill "Silent Step," item "Ladder of Free Access," item "Ever-burning Torch," item "Emo Wig"]
[Equipment: Whiplash Armor (The steel armor built by Ivan Vanko, equipped with two powerful energy whips. Its weakness is that it has no helmet, making its wearer vulnerable to ambushes by certain old foxes. Note: The built-in self-destruct system has been removed. Please use it with confidence.)]
[Skill: Silent Step (When activated, your movements make no sound.)]
[Item: Ladder (Carry this ladder to enter any location without being stopped.)]
[Item: Ever-burning Torch (A pixel-style torch with a flame that will never go out.)]
[Item: Emo Wig (When worn, you'll see half as many enemies, greatly increasing your courage.)]
The next second, the Whiplash Armor suddenly vanished from Ivan's body.
Du Mu stared, speechless.
Well, well. So that was what they meant by looting the scene?
Seeing Tony and Rhodey look his way, Du Mu immediately explained, "Don't look at me. I didn't do it."
"Sure. If you say so."
Tony chuckled, now even more certain that Du Mu had stolen his Reactor last time.
As an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., you basically never got a day off.
Whenever you had a moment to yourself, some slave driver would show up to crack the whip and put you to work.
Though this particular slave driver was Black.
Du Mu was watching a Batman movie at home when Nick Fury called him.
"Agent Du Mu, I need you to go undercover at the Osborn Group and investigate the secret experiment Norman Osborn is conducting with the military."
[Mission: Investigate the Osborn Group]
[Objective: Go undercover at the Osborn Group and investigate the secret experiment its chairman, Norman Osborn, is conducting with the military.]
[Reward: +1,000 experience points, +20 S.H.I.E.L.D. reputation, 1 random item]
Du Mu asked curiously, "Why not send Black Widow? Isn't she better at undercover work?"
Nick Fury explained, "I've assigned Agent Romanoff to another mission. Besides, Norman Osborn is an old man, and he's not like Tony Stark... Anyway, this job is yours."
Du Mu got it.
Norman Osborn was old and frail, so he'd be immune to Natasha's charms. He wouldn't be as easy to get close to as Tony.
The Osborn Group was the largest biotech company in America, with a market capitalization of hundreds of billions of dollars.
Of course, biotechnology was only its main business. The Osborn Group had also achieved great success in military manufacturing, energy, industry, and many other fields.
Across all of America, only Tony's Stark Industries could rival it.
Du Mu drove to the Osborn Building.
He had to admit, Nick Fury's car was really nice, especially the air conditioning. It was incredibly comfortable!
That black egg sure knew how to enjoy himself!
Du Mu grumbled to himself and walked into the Osborn Building.
Following the receptionist's directions, Du Mu made his way to the Osborn Group's recruitment office.
"Is this your résumé?"
The Osborn Group recruiter looked over Du Mu's credentials, his face full of shock.
"Du Mu, male, outstanding graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, specializes in the study of human genetic diseases and the development of gene therapy vectors. Also skilled in hand-to-hand combat, firearms, stealth, and assassination... Uh, are you sure you're applying to be a researcher?"
The recruiter was stunned.
Were you applying to be a researcher or a combat specialist!?
"Yes."
Du Mu nodded.
When it came to résumés, the more impressive, the better. Besides, the information had been fabricated by S.H.I.E.L.D., and there was no way they could find out.
Just as he'd expected, after verifying the credentials, the recruiter found that they were all real.
The recruiter exclaimed, "Wow, your résumé is incredible! I'm surprised we've never heard of you before."
Du Mu said, "It's normal that you haven't. I've always kept a low profile."
"Congratulations. You've been hired by the Osborn Group."
The recruiter didn't think much of it and hired Du Mu on the spot, starting him out as an assistant.
But Du Mu wasn't about to accept that. "I won't be an assistant. I need my own lab to continue my research project."
"What project?"
Du Mu pulled a bottle of red liquid from his pocket. It was the Life Potion he'd once given Blade to drink.
"This is what I've been working on: the Life Potion. One sip wakes you up, two sips banish fatigue, and three sips grant eternal life... Uh, I can't do that, but it can cure most diseases."
The recruiter eyed him suspiciously as he listened to the pitch, which sounded like a fake medicine ad. "Are you sure it's really that miraculous?"
"Of course. If you don't hire me, I'll go to Stark Industries next door. Tony Stark and his little mustache would be happy to take me in."
At that, the recruiter grew serious. "Just a moment. I need to consult my superior."
As he spoke, he immediately picked up the phone and called his superior.
Before long, an older man in a suit walked into the room.
"Mr. Osborn?"
The recruiter was stunned. How had he summoned the boss himself?
Norman ignored him and stared fixedly at Du Mu and the Life Potion in his hand.
"You're saying this can cure most diseases?"
[NPC: Norman Osborn]
[Code Name: Green Goblin]
[Likeability: 0]
[Evaluation: Marvel's Goblin, Spider-Man's archenemy, one of Peter's uncles]
[Status: Suffering from a hereditary disease; he doesn't have much time left.]
"That's right!"
Looking at Norman's information, Du Mu cheerfully added, "Even if it can't cure terminal illnesses, it can effectively relieve symptoms of conditions like hereditary diseases and restore patients to good health. If they keep taking it, they can stay free from pain."
Hearing this, Norman seemed to see hope, but he kept his composure.
"Can I send this bottle for testing?"
"Of course."