Figure It Out Yourselves

The next morning.

The rainstorm that had lasted all night stopped, and the skies over New York cleared, but public opinion across America raged even harder than last night's storm.

Countless people had barely opened their eyes before finding their phones bombarded with notifications.

[Soldier Boy appears in New York]

[Homelander battles Soldier Boy]

[Vought's secret experimental facility attacked]

[Vought International concealed the truth for years]

[Tens of billions wiped off Vought International's market value]

Almost all the top ten trending searches involved Vought, and discussion of Homelander and Soldier Boy remained intense.

Notably, footage of Homelander and Soldier Boy fighting in the street had been banned across the internet.

In an unremarkable New York café, two office workers held their phones.

"My God, wasn't Soldier Boy dead?"

"I'm more worried about Vought's stock."

"Don't you think it's strange? Why did Vought lie about Soldier Boy?"

"I'm more worried about Vought's stock."

The other man lost his patience. "Stocks, stocks! That's all you care about!"

His companion stared blankly. "I sold my house yesterday and put everything into Vought stock..."

Similar conversations were taking place throughout the city.

At a television station.

The anchor wore a solemn expression.

"As of now, Vought International continues to refuse to publicly address the reason behind the attack on its experimental facility."

"According to an anonymous source, the incident was connected to unrest involving superhumans."

The broadcast switched to a financial channel.

The large screen was a sea of green as Vought International's share price continued to fall.

Even the anchor's voice sounded a little dry. She had bought shares too.

"Vought International shares have fallen another nine percent. Some institutional shareholders are demanding an emergency meeting."

All of America was discussing Vought, while Vought itself was on the verge of losing its mind.

At that moment, in Vought Tower.

People filled both sides of an enormous table in the conference room reserved for company affairs.

They rarely appeared together. These people were representatives sent by financial institutions holding Vought shares, along with Vought's senior executives.

Normally, they never showed their faces, but today, every one of them had come.

"Vought International owes us an explanation," a gray-haired representative of an institutional shareholder began.

"Why is Soldier Boy alive?"

"What is this secret research facility?"

"Edgar, what have you been doing?"

Three questions in succession, each one voicing what everyone present was thinking.

Every gaze settled on the head of the table. Edgar remained composed. "Those questions aren't important."

"Not important?!" Someone slapped the table. "The company's market value is evaporating!"

Someone else said, "The Department of Defense has already begun putting pressure on Vought. Even the White House is watching this."

Another institutional shareholder's representative spoke coldly. "There is only one question that matters: can Vought handle this incident?"

The conference room fell quiet again.

Everyone fell silent, because that was the real issue. If Vought imploded, their financial institutions would be the first to face the consequences.

Just then, the conference room door opened, and a pale-faced secretary entered.

Everyone turned their attention to her.

"Gentlemen." The secretary swallowed. "Madelyn is here."

Everyone visibly relaxed. At least it wasn't Soldier Boy and Homelander.

Seconds later, Madelyn entered the conference room in high heels. She had barely slept the night before, and she could not hide her exhaustion.

"How are things?" someone asked immediately.

Madelyn was silent for a few seconds. "Fairly good. Homelander has already gone to deal with the attack on the research facility."

"That's good." Someone let out a long breath. These people were still being kept in the dark.

Madelyn said nothing. She knew Homelander had indeed gone to deal with it, except what he had dealt with was the research staff.

Worst of all, those two were still nowhere to be found.

"Now that Soldier Boy has appeared publicly, he will certainly come to Vought," Edgar said.

A deathly silence settled over the conference room. Someone unconsciously clenched their fists. These were all immensely powerful people.

But none of them felt safe facing Soldier Boy. He was an absolute bastard.

Suddenly, a commotion came from outside, and the secretary stumbled back in.

Her face was even paler than before. "Soldier Boy and Homelander are here."

The conference room instantly became so quiet that not even breathing could be heard.

Out in the corridor, the elevator doors slowly opened. Homelander emerged first, his flag cape trailing behind him.

He seemed to be in a good mood today.

Many staff members spotted him from a distance and greeted him with smiles, and Homelander responded to each of them.

Beside Homelander, Soldier Boy walked with his hands in his pockets, looking around. "Fuck, this place is a lot better than it used to be."

Homelander gave a light cough. "You can move in here too. Edgar has already agreed to let you join the Seven."

Last night, Homelander had wanted to invite Soldier Boy to Vought Tower, but Soldier Boy had insisted on returning to his hotel for a bath.

So Homelander had had no choice but to part ways with Soldier Boy first.

He had not returned to Vought Tower either, partly because he felt like avoiding it, and partly because he felt so good that he had flown alone through the sky all night.

Soldier Boy rolled his eyes. "A pussy like you has no vision. I'll talk to them myself."

The two continued forward, and every employee automatically cleared a path. Homelander wore the expression of a king inspecting his domain.

Soon, they reached the conference room for company affairs, its heavy doors right before them.

Homelander suddenly felt a little nervous, because Edgar and Madelyn were sitting behind those doors.

He automatically classified the other executives and shareholders as dogs by the roadside.

A large hand clapped his shoulder. "Chest out. Don't act like some little sissy going to meet his crush."

Homelander's mouth twitched. "Can you fucking stop insulting me? I'm Homelander."

Soldier Boy ignored him and reached out to push the doors open.

Boom!

The conference room doors, worth tens of thousands of dollars, slammed into the walls. Everyone inside jolted.

Two figures stood in the doorway, sunlight shining in from behind them.

Their shadows stretched to the middle of the conference table. Soldier Boy swept his gaze across the room before finally fixing it on Edgar's face.

He gave a dangerous smile. "You slippery old bastard. I'm back."

The corner of Edgar's eye twitched. "Welcome, Soldier Boy."

"We have unanimously agreed to let you join the Seven."

Soldier Boy smiled. "You sold me to Russia, and that's all the compensation I get?"

The conference room erupted as people whispered to one another.

Edgar paused. "Vought will give you five percent of its profits."

Soldier Boy laughed in anger. The old bastard was still holding something back, offering nothing but junk nobody wanted.

"Listen carefully. I want full control of the Seven, and my decisions will carry the highest authority." Soldier Boy cleared his throat.

Everyone was shocked by his outrageous demand. Vought, after all, was a company that managed superhumans.

The Seven were the elite selected from over two hundred superhumans across the company, its undisputed star attraction.

By controlling that star attraction, Soldier Boy would undoubtedly hold Vought by the throat.

Madelyn looked the worst, because all of that authority belonged to her.

But he was not finished. Soldier Boy continued, "I also want ten percent of Vought's shares."

That sent the room into a complete uproar.

"No. Vought isn't a playground for you superheroes," one executive objected first.

"You don't understand business at all," someone said harshly.

How could they willingly accept him taking a cut of their interests right off the bat?

"I agree," Edgar broke the deadlock.

Was he insane?

That was what everyone was thinking. Ten percent of the shares!

A board member jumped in. "You've been out of touch with the world for forty years. Vought isn't a military camp."

His words drew a chorus of agreement.

The first face to darken was not Soldier Boy's, but Homelander's.

A sensitive nerve had been struck. Wasn't Vought the reason Soldier Boy had been frozen for forty years? Most importantly, it had indirectly caused him to only have a father now.

With his hands behind his back, Homelander stared at the board member who had spoken. His super vision pierced the suit pocket and revealed the name on the business card inside.

Then he smiled darkly, a plan forming.

Soldier Boy was already grinning. He strolled over, placed his hand on the solid-wood conference table, and gave a light squeeze. Wood chips flew.

Five finger marks appeared in the conference table.

"Fuck. You. Bitch."

Profanity had actually been uttered in a place like this. The threat in Soldier Boy's eyes spoke for itself.

The agitated shareholders quieted down. They realized how different Soldier Boy was.

If the other superhumans were puppets controlled by the rules, then Soldier Boy was someone who stepped outside those rules.

He not only stepped outside the rules, but overturned the gaming table and spat in every player's face.

Edgar's voice rang out again. "Transferring the shares to you requires legal procedures. It will take at least three months."

He was still stalling.

"What?" Soldier Boy grabbed a cup of Coke and hurled it hard at the floor.

"I want to see the share transfer agreement within a week. Figure it out yourselves."

Better to put pressure on others than wear yourself down.

"Love you, you slippery old bastard. See you tomorrow." Soldier Boy raised his eyebrows, completely ignored everyone else, lit a cigarette, and motioned for Homelander to follow.

Homelander looked utterly dumbstruck. Ten percent of the shares-enough to participate in Vought's major decisions.

He realized that despite working himself to the bone for Vought for decades, he was still nothing more than a product in Vought's eyes.

Yet the moment Soldier Boy appeared, he took something from Vought that Homelander had never even touched in all those decades.

So superheroes could live like this?!

At the same time, Homelander felt a little displeased and jealous.

"Hey, keep up. Take me to meet the Seven." Soldier Boy's voice interrupted Homelander's thoughts.

Homelander jogged after him. The sight of Soldier Boy's tall, broad back instantly made that trace of displeasure and jealousy vanish from his heart.