Thunderbolt Ross

Emil Blonsky suffered the first major defeat of his career.

As a colonel in the Royal Marines, he had a distinguished record, a ruthless nature, and extensive experience as a soldier.

Ever since Blonsky had been recruited by United States General Thaddeus Ross to join the operation to hunt down Bruce Banner, his mind had never been at peace.

He recalled what had happened to the pursuit team he led in Brazil:

High-dose tranquilizer rounds could not even pierce that monster's skin. When they switched to live ammunition and kept firing,

not only did they fail to hurt it in the slightest, but they also lost a team member to its counterattack.

Blonsky threw a high-explosive grenade, landing it precisely at the monster's feet.

He had thought this would finally injure the creature...

But after the explosion, the target everyone thought had been taken out came charging straight at them, pushing a massive beverage tank weighing dozens of tons like a runaway wild horse.

Two team members were instantly crushed into twisted heaps beneath the enormous metal tank...

Even Blonsky, who had seen plenty of death, could not help but sigh at the sight. "That's brutal!"

The giant tank continued barreling toward Blonsky. He could only throw himself aside with all his strength, barely avoiding it.

The two enormous beverage tanks crashed together with a thunderous boom.

Drinks splashed everywhere, soaking Colonel Emil from head to toe.

The sickly sweet fruity smell of soda filled Blonsky's nostrils, but it could not ease the frustration in his heart.

Blonsky had thought this mission would be nothing more than a simple hunting game. Now, it seemed that they had become the prey instead.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He kept firing at the monster, and then he saw something he would never forget for the rest of his life:

It was a face consumed by utter rage, its dark green pupils chilling him to the bone.

While he stood there in a daze, Hulk directly lifted a forklift and hurled it at him.

Blonsky could not believe his eyes—a huge forklift had been thrown at him like a ball!!

But the howling wind stirred up by the flying forklift made Blonsky dare not remain where he was.

Once again, he ran for his life with every ounce of strength he had—barely dodging the forklift's attack.

Blonsky had escaped the fate of becoming a pile of mush once again.

Hulk did not continue the pursuit. Instead, he smashed through the wall and ran out, leaving behind only a furious roar that echoed through the entire forest...

Colonel Emil Blonsky, exhausted from merely running for his life, realized that he had finally escaped danger.

He paused where he was to catch his breath, suppressing his rage over the failed mission.

"Damn it, Ross hid the intelligence..."

He decided to confront the general and demand an explanation.

Walking behind the adjutant, Su Ming recalled the general he was about to meet—Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross.

He was an important figure in the Marvel world.

Ross had led the revival of the Super Soldier Program, attempting to replicate Captain America's World War II serum in order to build a super-powered army.

He had recruited Banner to participate in gamma radiation research, but an accident during the experiment had caused Banner to mutate.

Ross had always believed Banner was military property, and that Banner's blood was key material for creating biological weapons.

He had spared no expense in launching a worldwide manhunt. He was a politician willing to do anything to achieve his goals.

They finally arrived at a temporary command post. Seeing the busy soldiers barely daring to breathe in General Ross's presence, Su Ming snorted softly.

"Cheh. Power."

Then he looked at Ross:

His facial features were hard and sharp, with high cheekbones and a clearly defined jaw that highlighted the resolve and coldness unique to a soldier.

His eyes were sharp as a hawk's, often carrying scrutiny and suspicion, as though he were constantly weighing an opponent's worth and threat.

His brows were habitually furrowed, leaving deep lines between them. His complexion was dark and weathered, while his sparse gray-white hair was meticulously combed.

He had a broad, powerful build. Though age had left him slightly stooped, he still maintained the upright stance of a soldier.

The old bastard still looks pretty energetic.

The adjutant quietly reported a few things beside General Ross. At last, the vigorous old general turned his gaze toward Su Ming, frowning as though he found him somewhat distasteful.

But when the adjutant mentioned that Su Ming had effortlessly moved several tons of steel, the old general's eyes flickered, and his gaze gained a hint of curiosity.

After the adjutant left, General Ross glanced at the slender Alisha, a flash of admiration appearing in his eyes, before looking Su Ming up and down.

"You're the bounty hunter Fury mentioned... What was your name again?"

General Ross's authoritative voice rang out, and the command post instantly became even quieter, as though everyone feared interrupting the general's conversation.

"Destiny."

Looking at the strikingly composed Eastern face before him, General Ross remembered that he too had once been a tough and handsome young man. He snorted coldly.

"Why didn't you make a move when you found the target? You weren't like this in Nick Fury's description."

General Ross braced both hands on the table and stared intently at Su Ming. His commanding presence was in full force, and the command post fell utterly silent.

Su Ming had briefly dealt with people in positions of power before, such as when delivering food to them.

They all had the same flaw: they thought too highly of themselves and looked down on everyone else—in simpler terms, they loved putting on airs.

But he was no longer some downtrodden working stiff. Even though General Ross's presence had already intimidated Alisha beside him, Su Ming's calm expression did not change in the slightest.

"General, there's no rush. Let's talk about the price first."

He spoke lightly.

General Ross looked as though he had heard something amusing, a trace of disdain appearing on his face.

He actually dared to talk business with me directly?

Who did he think he was?

Who did he think I was?

But remembering the adjutant's report, Ross knew the man before him seemed skilled enough to be fearless, and the adjutant would not dare lie to him.

Rather than respond, he simply rose from his seat and looked down at Su Ming.

"Prove it to me!"

He would never waste any time on trash.

Su Ming knew the old man would not act without seeing proof, but why should he put on a demonstration for him?

That would be a different price. Was a recommendation from S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury not enough to prove his worth?

Just then, the disheveled Emil Blonsky strode into the command post, accompanied by a demand.

"General, you never told me Banner had a monster like that with him! I need an explanation."

Blonsky was still deeply resentful over the mission's failure. His heart was filled with anger and confusion, and he placed all the blame on General Ross for withholding intelligence.

Agitated, Blonsky completely ignored the fact that General Ross seemed to have two guests before him...

In his view, if the general had not deliberately concealed the information, his comrades would not have died for nothing.

"If Banner knows what that monster is, I'll catch him. I'll make him tell me exactly who that monster is..."

"That was Banner..."

General Ross ignored Su Ming and Alisha. In his eyes, Colonel Blonsky was more important. He was the spearhead in Ross's hand, someone worthy of an explanation.

Blonsky's expression froze.

He had originally believed that mysterious power came from one of Banner's accomplices, but the general's explanation left him utterly stunned.

Blonsky lowered his head and looked at the new automatic rifle in his hands, thinking about how the weapon he had relied on to dominate battlefields for years had been completely useless this time.

He raised his arm, intending to throw the rifle to the ground and vent the intense resentment in his heart.

"What use are you anymore?... Hm?"

But as the rifle fell through the air, it stopped—it was Su Ming.

Su Ming steadily caught the weapon Blonsky had been about to smash to the ground in anger.

"Sir, throwing trash around isn't a very good habit."

With that, he squeezed the rifle a few times in his hand, then accurately tossed it into a trash can several meters away.

The automatic rifle, made from composite steel, was like a discarded sheet of paper in Su Ming's hand. In just a few movements, he crumpled it into a ball the size of a coffee cup.

Only when it landed in the trash can with a loud clang did everyone present realize that it had once been a gun.

"What the fk!!?**"