"Motherfucker... that damned Daily Bugle!!"
At S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, Nick Fury, entrusted with the task in a moment of crisis, viciously hung up the phone.
Just now, he had originally planned to threaten John Jameson into voluntarily deleting the related news reports.
But who would have thought that not only had the other man refused his demands,
he had even started trading insults with him in an extremely arrogant and venomous manner.
Nick Fury, who usually considered himself the "king of trash talk,"
had been suppressed throughout the entire exchange.
He had been cursed so thoroughly that he was left utterly battered.
If anyone else had dared to act like that, Nick Fury would probably have long since used underhanded methods to throw them into a black site prison.
But he could do nothing about John Jameson.
Because not only was the man extremely well connected, he also had several friends who were congressmen holding important positions.
So Nick Fury did not dare use his usual underhanded tactics of threats and inducements.
Nor did he dare pull any tricks in secret.
Just as Nick Fury was at his wits' end, his adjutant Maria Hill offered him an excellent way to break the deadlock.
"Sir, since public opinion is difficult to sway right now, why don't we take the opportunity to redirect their attention?"
Nick Fury glanced sideways at her and said impatiently, "Just say it. Don't you know I hate people who speak in riddles the most?!"
Maria Hill was not offended. Instead, she directly displayed a selected clip of Carl fighting Hydra on the large screen.
"Sir, if I'm not mistaken, these six Hydra superhumans should not be mutants,
but people who all used Temporary Compound V, newly developed by Vought Group..."
"Hm?!"
Nick Fury immediately perked up at her words.
After carefully watching the video once, a hint of delight appeared on his dark face. He praised her with slight approval, "Hill, you did well."
"That's right. It is nearly impossible to completely clear the Security Council of responsibility now.
But as long as we can drag out a scapegoat with enough weight, the public's attention will soon be successfully shifted onto them."
"That way, we can resolve the immediate crisis while taking the chance to suppress Vought Group. Killing two birds with one stone!!"
Nick Fury would never miss any opportunity to suppress Vought Group.
"Also, Natasha has obtained the identity information of the superhuman in the video from Sokovia.
His name is Carl Mala. Nineteen years old, born into an ordinary family in Vukovia. He was not previously a superhuman.
Until a little over a week ago, when Hydra agents took him off the streets to participate in some secret human experiment..."
Maria Hill continued, "When he appeared again, he already possessed abilities similar to Energy Projection. Our preliminary estimate is that his powers are connected to Hydra's secret human experiment!"
"It's just that Natasha still cannot get close to Hydra's Summit Base. The security measures inside are extremely tight, and ordinary people simply cannot approach."
"Has Hydra found a way to create superhumans?!"
Nick Fury sharply raised his brows and said in an extremely forceful tone:
"Tell Natasha that no matter what methods she uses, she must find out the exact details of that human experiment as soon as possible."
"If Carl Mala's superhuman abilities truly came from an experiment, then regardless of the cost, S.H.I.E.L.D. must obtain this technology..."
"Something this dangerous is safest only when it is in our hands!!"
"If necessary, I can use the Security Council's influence to pressure Sokovia!"
"As for Carl Mala... send people to find him as quickly as possible. I want to meet him personally."
"His abilities are extremely powerful. It would be such a shame if he cannot be used by me!"
Maria Hill nodded. "Yes, sir."
And so, a "war" intended to deliberately steer public opinion quietly began!
Meanwhile.
Vought Group, completely unaware that it had become the scapegoat,
was organizing a fan meet-and-greet for its star attraction, Homelander, in a second-tier city in the west.
"Hey, my friends, how are you all doing?"
"I'm truly delighted to see everyone!!"
A blond man dressed almost exactly like Superman descended from the sky amid the cheers and worship of the citizens.
"Hey, do me a favor. Tell me, who is the real hero?"
Homelander placed his hands beside his ears and answered his own question. "Is it me? Or those people calling themselves the Avengers?"
"No, neither... the real heroes are all of you!!!"
The citizens beneath the stage immediately erupted into enthusiastic cheers.
As though they really were heroes.
After a pause, Homelander put on a slightly pained expression and continued, "Today, before my official speech begins, there is something I must make clear."
"I, Homelander, absolutely, absolutely cannot tolerate the tragedy of the Battle of New York happening again, nor will I allow this beautiful city to suffer that kind of attack."
"I will not allow those inhuman alien invaders to cross our borders, destroy our wonderful lives, and drag us into the mire of war."
"How should I evaluate the Avengers' pathetic performance during the Battle of New York... a bunch of third-rate heroes?!"
"No. In my eyes, they do not deserve to be called heroes at all. They are more like attendants scratching the backs of those alien invaders."
"Actually, I tried to stop those alien invaders that day, but the authorities ruthlessly refused me!!"
"That's right. Those people in power did not want to work hard to protect their fellow citizens. They only wanted those incompetent Avengers to complete their debut... and because of that, many innocent people lost their lives and homes."
"Just imagine, everyone, if the country relaxed its restrictions through the Superhuman Rental Act and allowed more people to possess Temporary Compound V.
Then when facing those alien invaders, there would be hundreds, even thousands of superhumans stepping forward to hammer those damned alien bugs!!"
The crowd beneath the stage immediately boiled over.
"That's right, we need more superhumans to deal with crises."
"Support the Compound V Legalization Act..."
"Only more superhumans can save America and fight for our freedom!!"
Homelander surveyed the crowd around him as they gradually grew fanatical because of his words, and he felt an indescribable sense of exhilaration and pleasure.
He greatly enjoyed the feeling of being worshipped by the world.
It made him feel like God, a deity who could decide the life and death of these ants!!
But the appearance of the Avengers had seriously threatened his position.
They had also stolen many of his fans, along with opportunities that should have belonged to him to bask in the spotlight.
To the point that Homelander, who had always stood above everyone else, now had to personally come to this remote city to campaign and promote himself.
"Avengers... just wait. Sooner or later, I'll wipe you all out with my own hands!!"
However.
At that moment.
A commotion came from the crowd.
A massive number of news notifications suddenly flooded many people's phones.
There were articles, images, and videos...
And the content of those reports was almost identical.
They were all about Vought Group secretly colluding with Hydra and dispatching superhumans to invade the Kingdom of Sokovia.
Even the Security Council's official media stepped in personally.
They announced that an emergency investigation into Vought Group had been launched.
They also demanded that Vought Group stop producing and researching Temporary Compound V, or face the harshest sanctions in history!!
This move practically confirmed Vought Group's crimes outright.
"Liar!!"
"That's right, Vought Group is no different from those alien invaders..."
"Compound V will only bring endless war."
Under the media's deliberate guidance, the undiscerning public quickly turned its anger toward Homelander and Vought Group.
The more lavishly he had been praised just moments ago, the more viciously he was cursed now!
Homelander, left completely stunned by the barrage of insults, forcibly suppressed the urge to activate his laser eyes and slaughter everyone.
After forcing a stiff smile at the crowd, he brought his legs together, bent them, and kicked off the ground in one fluid motion, shooting into the sky.
He flew toward Vought Group's headquarters.
He wanted to know what exactly had happened.
If no one could give him a reasonable explanation.
Then blood was destined to flow like rivers today!!!
Before you continue