After bringing Hulk back to the villa, Tony injected him with a powerful sedative. It was one of his predecessor's little inventions, capable of putting someone to sleep for a month.
To make sure the guy caused no trouble, Tony then placed him in the Nutrient Chamber to maintain his bodily functions.
Once all that was done, another problem surfaced in Tony's mind.
Who should I get to replicate this guy's genes?
He certainly couldn't do it himself. Even his predecessor couldn't have managed it; that simply hadn't been his specialty.
He could also ask Mr. Blue from the movie to help, but the man worked under General Ross. Contacting him would practically be the same as exposing himself.
He wasn't ready to clash with the United States military so soon, so he had to abandon that option.
There were plenty of other brilliant scientists, but he had no way to find most of them. After ruling out one candidate after another, Tony quickly settled on a target: Reed Richards.
He was an even more brilliant scientist than Tony's predecessor, well versed in mechanics, engineering, artificial intelligence, alien biology, physics, heredity, genetics, and countless other disciplines.
He applied for countless patents every year, and every invention stood at the cutting edge of contemporary technology.
Besides that, he had another identity: the future superhero, Mister Fantastic.
With his abilities, he would certainly be able to replicate enough of Hulk's genes for Tony.
Of course, Tony had chosen him not only because he was sufficiently capable, but also because he was the easiest to get under his thumb right now.
He was unquestionably a genius, and every genius had a pursuit of his own. His was to unravel the secrets of human genetics.
But human genetics was so vast that even a god might not be able to understand it completely. With his research making no progress, the government had kept slashing his funding without restraint.
According to Tony's memories, the man was currently looking everywhere for investors in his project. Unfortunately, none of the major financial groups thought it had any prospects.
After all, this was a field that offered no visible hope of success.
Capital cared only about profit. Reed might have been a genius, but if he couldn't make them money, they couldn't care less how brilliant he was.
As it happened, Tony lacked plenty of things, but money wasn't one of them. Reed was undoubtedly a suitable target.
Better yet, once Reed mutated, Tony could recruit him straight into the Dark Alliance. Why pass up a deal that killed two birds with one stone?
With his target decided, Tony immediately spoke.
"JARVIS, contact Reed Richards for me."
"Certainly, sir. Connecting now."
Meanwhile, in an office somewhere, Reed sat in a chair, looking utterly exhausted.
His research had hit a bottleneck for one simple reason: he had run out of money.
Research into human genetics was a bottomless money pit. Although he had sold plenty of patents and earned a considerable sum, it was still a drop in the bucket compared with what his research required.
He had barely slept properly for almost a month while trying to secure investments, but unfortunately, his efforts had yielded little.
Not a single company or financial group was willing to invest in him.
Do I really have to give up?
Reed asked himself that question, but with the reluctance welling up inside him, how could he possibly quit?
Just as frustration consumed him, the phone on his desk suddenly rang again.
Ring, ring.
The ringing echoed through the office, but Reed acted as though he hadn't heard it. He didn't even glance at the phone.
He had mortgaged his home to fund his research, and lately, the bank's collection calls had come one after another. He had developed a dread of ringing phones and didn't want to answer at all.
This call, however, was unusually persistent. The phone rang without interruption for ten whole minutes, as though it would keep going until he picked up.
Left with no choice, Reed answered, already bracing himself for another demand for payment.
But the debt collector he had expected never spoke. Instead, he heard a rather exasperated voice.
"Mr. Richards, are you so busy that you don't even have time to answer the phone?" Tony asked in disbelief.
If Reed had waited any longer, Tony might have started cursing. What was wrong with this guy? A benefactor came knocking, and instead of treating him properly, he had the nerve to ignore his calls. If Reed weren't a genius...
He would definitely have made him experience just how ruthless capital could be.
"Who is this?" Reed asked in confusion.
"I'd like to invest in your research. Do you have time to discuss it?"
Reed froze the moment he heard that. To his ears, Tony's words sounded like heavenly music.
Heaven knew how much effort he had spent trying to secure investments lately. He had thought all hope was lost, only for things to suddenly take a turn for the better.
For a moment, even Reed's voice began to tremble.
"May I ask who you are, sir?"
Although he was delighted, Reed knew that the investment he needed was no small sum. An ordinary person simply wouldn't have the means.
"Tony Stark."
As Tony gave his name, Reed burst into silent, wild laughter.
Although he was absorbed in his research, he had still heard of Tony: the largest arms dealer in the United States, with one of New York's leading financial groups.
The name Tony Stark was practically synonymous with wealth.
Reed immediately nodded over and over. "I have time, I have time. Mr. Stark, just name the place, and I'll head over right now."
His tone was urgent, as though he feared Tony might get away.
Tony didn't stand on ceremony. He gave Reed his address and hung up.
Half an hour later, Reed appeared at the entrance to Tony's seaside villa in Freedom City, dressed in a suit.
Before he could knock, the villa's front door opened, and JARVIS's voice immediately rang out.
"Welcome, Mr. Richards. Mr. Stark is waiting for you on the balcony. Please proceed straight ahead."
Reed showed no surprise at JARVIS's instructions. He had an artificial intelligence of his own, so there was nothing to be astonished about.
Perhaps that was standard equipment for leading scientists: an artificial intelligence for each of them.
On the balcony, Tony lounged in a recliner in casual clothes, basking in the sun. A bottle of Romanée-Conti stood on the table.
Sunshine, sea, and a gentle breeze-everything felt wonderfully comfortable.
When Reed arrived, Tony casually pointed to the seat beside him. "Have a seat. Let's have a drink first and take our time talking."
"Of course. Thank you for inviting me."
Reed answered with a smile, then sat down beside Tony.
Now, he no longer seemed as impatient as he had on the phone. Instead, he appeared calm and composed.
The two gazed out at the sea, sipped their wine, and sized each other up. Both were leading scientists in the United States and widely renowned geniuses, yet this was their first meeting.
One was carefree and unrestrained, the other refined and courteous. There was something of a meeting between kings about it.
Soon, their wineglasses were empty, and they finally turned to business.
"May I ask how much you intend to invest, Mr. Stark?"
Reed set down his glass as he asked, a trace of eagerness in his eyes.
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