Two Conditions

Bruce Banner had never given up hope.

He traveled on foot toward his destination. Of the 1,600-kilometer journey, he had covered it in less than seventeen days.

Banner thought of Mr. Blue. He had records of Banner's genetic mutation there as well.

And the only person Banner could trust—Betty Ross—was there too.

Banner slipped into the school, preparing to reunite with his girlfriend.

Ever since he had accidentally hurt his girlfriend and fled that time, he could no longer remember how long it had been since he had last seen Betty's face.

Without any warning, Betty unexpectedly appeared in Banner's sight.

His long-unseen girlfriend was still as graceful and radiant as ever.

Just as he was about to step forward and greet her, he was shocked to discover that she already had a new partner.

At that moment, Banner felt as though his heart had been cut by a knife.

He understood that he no longer had the right to disturb her life. Perhaps silently leaving was the last tenderness he could offer her.

With a broken heart, Banner came to his old friend's pizza shop.

This was his only refuge.

His old friend's unconditional trust and support gave him a long-lost sense of warmth.

Using a delivery as an excuse, Banner slipped onto campus again.

With a box of pizza, he successfully bribed the poorly paid security guard and quietly infiltrated his former laboratory.

Filled with hope, he searched for his experimental data.

"F**k!...!"

But the military had long since destroyed all his files, and Banner found no useful clues.

This left Banner utterly despairing. With no other choice, he could only continue running.

He packed his belongings and prepared to say goodbye to his old friend, only to be unexpectedly discovered by his girlfriend.

But Banner did not dare acknowledge her. Even as Betty's cries echoed through the street, Banner could only hide silently in a corner behind a dumpster, grieving alone.

Walking through the pouring rain, Banner's heart was icy cold. Passing vehicles mistook him for a lunatic and swerved around him.

But then, a car quietly stopped behind him—it was Betty.

Seeing that familiar figure, Betty ignored the rain soaking her body and ran toward Banner.

"Don't go... Don't go..."

The feelings they had suppressed for so long finally found an outlet at that moment, and they held each other tightly.

When Betty learned that Banner was searching for the experimental data from back then, she took him home and handed him an exquisite storage case.

Inside was a USB drive. Betty had secretly backed up all the experimental data onto it.

Like a lifeline, those data gave Banner hope for a cure.

"Maybe you can keep seeking help from the military..."

Betty thought that General Ross was her biological father. For her sake, he should treat Banner well.

But Banner knew General Ross's ambitions all too well:

"No. He only wants to dissect me, then weaponize the mutated cells..."

That was something he could never accept.

"I have another friend..."

Banner thought of Mr. Blue, a friend he had met while on the run.

New York.

Just as General Ross's research team was still agonizing over how to draw even a little blood from Su Ming.

Emil Blonsky sought out General Ross. Ever since the previous plan to capture Banner had failed, Blonsky's interest in Hulk had only grown stronger.

And General Ross had keenly sensed his thirst for power.

So the general decided to tell Blonsky everything about the experiment on Banner:

"Banner's experiment only reached a very preliminary stage. It still can't be applied.

He thought he was researching ways to counter radiation. I never told him the truth.

He was too reckless. He actually conducted human experiments on himself—and caused a disaster.

Or perhaps... he stumbled onto something right?"

Right in front of Blonsky, General Ross shamelessly shifted all the blame onto Banner.

Led by the general, Blonsky entered a sealed warehouse and retrieved a vial of blue serum.

This serum had been replicated based on the serum injected into Captain America during World War II.

Only then did Blonsky realize that General Ross intended to restart the Super Soldier Program from World War II.

"To hell with his ambitions... I just want to become stronger!"

Looking at the blue serum, a dangerous gleam appeared in Blonsky's eyes.

Although General Ross repeatedly warned him that injecting this serum carried enormous risks and that whether it would grant him unknown power was uncertain.

If it failed, the person injected would die.

But Blonsky did not care about any of that. His desire for power had driven him nearly mad.

At last, with the assistance of two doctors, the blue serum was injected into Blonsky's body.

"Oh! God! Please! My God...!~"

Watching the new injection needle, made from the hardest material available, snap the instant it touched Su Ming's arm.

The scientist responsible for collecting Su Ming's blood sample finally broke down...

He could not understand how something any nurse could easily accomplish had become a world-class challenge in his hands.

"It's just drawing blood. What the hell are you people doing?"

General Ross could not understand it either. Something that should have taken just a few minutes had dragged on even after they returned to New York, and this annoying bounty hunter was still lingering in front of him.

Yes, ever since agreeing to General Ross's deal, Su Ming and Alisha had followed the general's research team from Brazil to the United States. They had been treated lavishly with food and drink all along the way, yet not a single drop of blood had been drawn from Su Ming.

The scientist reported to General Ross with a bitter expression about the task that had tormented him for days.

The very first time they tried to draw blood from Su Ming, the needle had snapped.

Even now, after wasting more than a hundred needles and trying dozens of methods, they had been unable to so much as break Su Ming's skin.

Su Ming had actually been very cooperative. As long as it was for drawing blood, he would do whatever they asked.

"To get a blood sample, we can't exactly throw him into an industrial shredder..."

After repeated setbacks, the scientist had even considered extreme measures.

After understanding the situation, General Ross fell into a daze as well.

"No... This... I spent two hundred million! It's been days... and now you're telling me you can't draw his blood?"

The scientist could only helplessly say that they could not get even a drop.

General Ross sucked at his teeth in frustration. He had to admit that, despite his vast experience in struggle and conflict, he seemed to have been stumped this time.

"Could Destiny be some kind of monster...?"

He gradually began considering giving up, because power that could not be replicated was worthless to him.

During the days Su Ming and Alisha were being treated as honored guests by the military, they were in genuinely high spirits.

They ate well, slept well, toured secret U.S. military bases for free, and best of all, they got to watch those people make constipated faces every day because they could do nothing to them.

After casually earning two hundred million with just a few words, Su Ming was also curious what methods the military would use against his not-yet-complete Steel Body.

Over the past few days, Su Ming had cheerfully cooperated with the military research team as they carried out every conceivable attempt to draw a little blood from him.

Without exception, every attempt ended in failure.

"I gave you the chance... You're just useless...!"

With a toothpick between his teeth, Su Ming glanced at the obedient-looking Alisha and thought to himself.

At that moment, General Ross shamelessly approached Su Ming:

"Destiny, my friend. To be honest, I've never encountered anything like this either. But since we can't draw your blood, then our deal..."

Understanding General Ross's unspoken meaning, Su Ming politely replied:

"I can cooperate with you, but returning the money... no!"

General Ross had clearly anticipated Su Ming's attitude and had not held much hope of getting the money back.

If he had two hundred million in hand, he would not return it so easily either.

After the proposal for a refund was rejected, Ross made another suggestion:

"In that case, Mr. Destiny, let this money count as payment for the next commission. Is that acceptable?"

Trying to take advantage of me? Dream on!

General Ross thought bitterly.

After thinking for a moment, Su Ming agreed to General Ross's proposal. After all, the money had come a little too easily.

However...

"Two conditions."

Holding up two fingers, Su Ming looked at General Ross and smiled like a fox.

"Contact Nick Fury immediately and tell him I have completed the military's commission.

Also...

This money can only count as a deposit for the next commission. The exact price will depend on the nature of the mission..."

"Crack..."

General Ross bit off a piece of his newly repaired molar.