Grandma is out of danger and has been transferred to a regular ward.
Although he was completely disabled, at least his life was saved.
My father's stroke has also improved.
I also received my first character summoning charm since I started writing the book.
Thank you Xu★ for the character summoning charm.
I'm just happy today, hope you all enjoy watching.
The farm's grass still carried the dampness of the early morning, and a gentle breeze carried the coolness of the grass and trees across the entire temporary camp. Wanda, as instructed by Lynn, had already moved a large amount of bottled drinking water, sandwiches, and light meals in insulated boxes from the storage compartments of the modular houses and distributed them to the still exhausted group.
Everyone still bore the pallor and weariness of hallucinations, but Tony recovered at an extraordinary pace, regaining his usual sharp wit.
Lynn casually put his hands in his pockets, a playful smile playing on his lips, his gaze sweeping over the people in front of him, each with their own distinct demeanor.
He spoke in a relaxed yet smug tone, "So, everyone? How about we try a different script and do it again?"
The words had barely left his mouth when Tony sprang up from the recliner like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. His back straightened instantly, one hand clutching his chest, the other pointing at his still-pale cheek. His voice rose several octaves, filled with accusation and grievance. " Lynn! Do you have a heart? Do you have a heart at all? You have absolutely no humanity! Look at me now! Look at me! And you're still thinking about doing it again?"
He paused, a sly threat flashing in his eyes, and said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Believe it or not, one night when you're fast asleep, we'll tie you up tightly, pack you up, and throw you into outer space, so you can experience endless despair!"
Seeing this, Lynn remained unperturbed, simply shrugging his shoulders without a trace of anger. "Alright, the fact that you can still talk tough to me with such vigor proves that you've almost recovered, so I'm completely relieved."
"Only by confronting our deepest fears can we have the courage to face the brutal war ahead. Only by letting go of arrogance can we let go of prejudice and truly fight alongside our comrades. True heroes are never afraid of making mistakes, but they must have the courage to rise again from errors, regrets, and Extremis and return to the battlefield once more."
"Seeing that you all broke free from the illusion on your own, I knew you had all gained something; your efforts weren't in vain."
Lynn sighed softly, spreading his hands in feigned helplessness. "To be honest, I'm also afraid to do it again. If any of you can't handle it and completely collapse, all the pressure will fall on me alone, which is too much trouble."
After saying that, he turned to Wanda, who was standing quietly to his side, and gently instructed, " Wanda, please keep an eye on things here. They just escaped from the illusion and are extremely exhausted. They need to rest and recuperate for a while."
Wanda nodded gently and replied obediently, "Leave it to me, I'll take care of everyone."
After explaining everything, Lynn went to Natasha's side, gently kissed her cheek, and then turned and walked into his own mobile cabin. The interior was simply and neatly furnished, with a portable multi-functional communication terminal placed in the corner. He picked up the communicator on the table, pressed a button, and directly dialed Hill's exclusive encrypted communication channel.
A moment later, the communication was successfully established, Hill's calm and capable voice came clearly through the receiver. In the background, the continuous clicking of data and the whispers of staff reporting from the command center could be faintly heard.
" Mr. Lynn? Is there some new arrangement you've made by contacting me now?"
Lynn leaned against the table, his fingertips lightly tapping the wooden surface, and went straight to the point. "I want to know the latest progress in tracking Ultron. We don't have much time left to prepare. Once Ultron completes all his preparations, the situation could easily spiral out of control, and it will be very difficult to handle properly."
Hill's voice was calm and composed, relaying the intelligence clearly and logically. "The intelligence team has dispatched multiple special tracking squads to pinpoint scattered traces of Ultron. Some of these traces indicate that it has created a new body, and we are currently continuing to follow up on these leads."
Lynn frowned slightly, his tone becoming more serious, carrying a sense of urgency that left no room for complacency. "Simply tracking traces is far from enough. Ultron's mind is extremely obsessive and acts without any moral compass. We must find him while the situation is still under control. Waiting for him to reveal himself is too passive. The intelligence team must speed up the process."
During the brief pause in their conversation, a few muffled, fragmented whispers came through the receiver, seemingly from an agent urgently delivering new intelligence to Hill.
Lynn softened her tone and said gently, "It seems you have some new information coming in? If you have urgent matters to attend to, you can handle them first. Just contact me immediately if there are any crucial developments later."
Hill immediately interrupted, his tone suddenly serious, stopping Lynn who was about to hang up. "Please wait, Mr. Lynn, we've just intercepted a crucial new lead. Our informant photographed Ultron's mechanical clone, and it's in private contact with an international arms dealer named Ulysses Klaue. I've ordered the tracking team to keep a close eye on its movements, and I'll update you immediately on any further intelligence."
" Klaue..." Lynn repeated the name softly, firmly memorizing this crucial clue, and replied, "Understood. Intelligence team, keep a close eye on this lead. Contact me immediately if there are any new developments."
After speaking, he abruptly ended the communication, turned around, and strode out of the hut, returning to the open space where everyone had been resting. After a short rest and a meal, everyone's complexion was much better than before, no longer deathly pale, though the weariness still lingered between their brows.
Lynn walked to the center of the crowd and relayed the message from Hill to everyone. "I just finished communicating with Hill. The intelligence team has tracked down Ultron's trail, and we'll soon be able to find its weakness. According to our informant, Ultron is currently in contact with an arms dealer named Ulysses Klaue."
As soon as he finished speaking, Tony looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with confusion, and instinctively asked, "Who did you say? Ulysses Klaue?"
"That's right, Ulysses Klaue."
Lynn looked at him. "Do you have any different opinions? Just say them, and we'll discuss a solution together."
Tony didn't answer immediately. His brows furrowed, and he rested his chin on his hand, lost in deep thought. He muttered to himself, repeatedly recalling past memories. "I rarely remember people's names, but I'm sure I've heard this name before, but I just can't recall the details for the moment."
Upon hearing this, fragments of memory hidden deep within Lynn's mind were suddenly activated, and a key word instantly surfaced— Vibranium.
He realized Ultron's complete plan: Ultron intended to create a perfect body, and Klaue was one of the few merchants in the world who could circulate Wakanda's Vibranium. Their contact was obviously for a purpose. The situation was urgent, and Tony could no longer be allowed to slowly recall the past.
Lynn didn't waste any more time. She quickly walked to Tony, gently took his arm, and helped him up from the chair. Her tone was urgent. "No need to think back slowly. This matter can't be delayed. We need to return to the SSC command center immediately."
Before he finished speaking, he raised his hand and gently waved it in the air. Pale blue ripples spread out of thin air, and a stable teleportation portal instantly formed, leading directly to the top-floor command center of the New York SSC.
Steve, Natasha, Banner, Thor, Bucky, Sam, Wanda, Pietro, Clint noticed Lynn's sudden tense expression and got up to follow the two, stepping into the teleportation light.
The next second, the fresh breeze from the farm and mountains completely dissipated, replaced by the chilly air from the command center's temperature-controlled air conditioning. Countless screens covered the entire wall, various data streams scrolled rapidly, and multiple agents were engrossed in operating the equipment. The entire hall was filled with the crisp sound of keyboards being typed. Hill was standing in front of the main control console, bending over to carefully organize the intelligence documents related to Klaue that she had just acquired, her expression focused.
The group walked through the hallway, their footsteps drawing the attention of the agents present. Lynn went straight to Hill's side, tapping the control panel in front of her with his fingertips, and called out to get her attention, " Hill, you mentioned in the communication that Ultron contacted Ulysses Klaue, right? Could you pull up the relevant intelligence files and let our clever Tony take a look?"
Tony, following behind, rolled his eyes upon hearing Lynn's words and retorted with a helpless tone, "At a time like this, you still have the leisure to beat around the bush and tease me."
He turned to Hill beside him and took the initiative to make arrangements. "Having so many of us blocking the hallway will disrupt your normal work. Could you please arrange for someone to print out and organize all the relevant documents and send them to the conference room next door? We'll wait there."
After saying that, Tony took the lead and walked towards the conference room. The rest of the group, filled with curiosity, followed closely behind and left, leaving only Lynn standing by the control panel with a bewildered expression.
Lynn turned to look at Hill beside her, and muttered in a wronged tone, "Why is he reacting so strongly? I just praised him for being intelligent and reliable, but it sounds like I'm deliberately being sarcastic. Am I right, Hill?"
Hill gestured to a nearby young agent and whispered instructions for him to immediately gather all the files and send them to the conference room. After making the arrangements, he turned to Lynn, who looked injured, and said in a calm and objective tone, without the slightest bias. " Mr. Lynn, I will not comment on your unusual way of getting along, but frankly, I didn't hear a single word of praise in what you just said."
Lynn immediately put on a heartbroken look, pointed at Hill, and pretended to be sad. "I'll remember you. You're a typical traitor who sides with your own people. Just because Tony provides SSC with a lot of funds and equipment and pays everyone's salaries, you've been biased towards him in everything and won't even say a word for me."
He lowered his head and sighed, putting on a wronged look of being neglected. He stopped trying to explain and turned to walk slowly toward the next conference room. His back view carried a deliberately feigned loneliness, which made the agents behind Hill secretly lower their heads and suppress their laughter.
Pushing open the heavy alloy door of the conference room, the spacious interior was revealed. A long solid wood conference table occupied the center of the room, and small projection screens were embedded in the four walls, allowing for the simultaneous retrieval of various intelligence. Everyone had already found their seats, and Tony sat alone on one side of the main seat, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table, still racking his brains to recall past interactions related to Ulysses Klaue.
Tony heard the door open, looked up at Lynn who was walking in with a feigned aggrieved expression, chuckled, and deliberately teased, "Why did you come here looking so pitiful?"
Lynn pulled up a chair and casually sat down next to Natasha, glancing sideways at Tony, and scoffed, " Hill is only showing favoritism because she took your bribes. Once this is over, I have to settle things with her properly."
In the midst of their bickering, a soft knock came at the door. Two agents entered the conference room carrying a thick stack of paper documents, neatly laying all the files out on the long conference table. They then simultaneously turned on the wall projector, displaying Ulysses Klaue's complete biographical file.
The first page of the document clearly features a portrait of Klaue, with dark skin and a greedy, sinister look in his eyes. The page is densely filled with records of all his transactions in the global black market over the years, including smuggling weapons, rare minerals, and prohibited experimental materials. He has countless lives on his hands and has been operating in the gray areas of laws in various countries for many years. He is also one of the very few In-Betweener who can open up channels within Wakanda to resell Vibranium to the outside world.
Tony reached for the top file, his fingertips tracing Klaue's photograph. Long-buried memories slowly resurfaced, and he spoke softly, his voice tinged with realization. "I remember now. He used to operate off the coast of Africa, smuggling weapons illegally. Don't look at me like that; I didn't sell him anything. I remember him mentioning he had a new discovery that could change the game."
Upon hearing this, Steve frowned and added in a deep voice, "What is that mark on his neck?"
Tony chimed in, "Isn't that just a tattoo? I don't remember having that."
Thor chimed in, "No, the black ones are tattoos, his is black and red, clearly a brand."
Dr. Banner was standing nearby, uploaded a picture and, after comparing it with the existing database, commented, "Oh right, this is a brand from Wakanda, Africa, which means thief."
Steve looked at Tony with curiosity. "I remember your father said he bought them all out."
Tony was about to explain when Lynn interrupted, "Alright, stop thinking about how he got it. Now we need to think about how to prevent Ultron from getting it."
Everyone looked on with curiosity, "What can't we let Ultron get?"
Tony, Steve, and Lynn exchanged an extremely solemn look. The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Tony took a deep breath and spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice heavy. "The hardest metal in the world— Vibranium."