And inside the S.H.I.E.L.D.. safe house.
Nick Fury and Coulson also saw the video, and their expressions were quite varied.
"OMG Fuck..."
Fury forced out those words through gritted teeth.
"Is this what they call Africa Poverty Alleviation?!"
"He calls this poverty alleviation?! This is ripping people off completely! Not even a bone left!"
Fury was furious.
As the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.., he spends his days hiding from Hydra assassinations in the sewers and is overwhelmed with the task of investigating the mole within the organization.
And what about Luca Stark?
He went on vacation in his private jet and brought back a technologically advanced superpower and a priceless Vibranium mine!
How can the difference between people be so vast?!
"Director..."
Coulson stared wide-eyed at the mountain of Vibranium in the video.
"With Vibranium, the Stark brothers' power will undergo a qualitative leap. Our previous checks and balances plan has become nothing but scrap paper."
"I know!"
Fury slammed his fist on the table and paced back and forth in the safe house in a fit of rage.
"Now I finally understand why he announced the formation of the Justice League so publicly! He's declaring his military might to the world!"
"He forced Wakanda to submit through force, and then used this legitimate business agreement to silence everyone!"
"Politicians can't do anything about him, the military doesn't dare mess with him, and now even S.H.I.E.L.D.... can only watch him grow stronger!"
Fury leaned weakly against the wall, feeling a deep sense of despair.
He knew that from this day forward, the true overlord of the earth had been born.
It is no longer the United States government, no longer S.H.I.E.L.D.., and certainly not Hydra.
It's not the Justice League, but the superhero team.
It's not just high-level forces.
The world was in an uproar after the video was released.
On a giant screen in Times Square New York, footage of Luca and T'Chaka shaking hands was played.
The square was packed with citizens, all of whom were stunned.
"My goodness! Africa actually has such a developed city hidden away? This is like something out of a science fiction movie!"
"Did you see that? Stark Industries has a monopoly on this metal called Vibranium! I heard it's so durable it can't even be destroyed by bombs!"
" Mr. Superman is amazing! He not only protected New York, but also discovered new technological treasures for humanity! He is a hero to all mankind!"
Stark Industries instantly dominated the headlines of major news networks worldwide.
The CNN host shouted excitedly.
"This is a groundbreaking discovery that will change the course of human history! The collaboration between Stark Industries and Wakanda will usher in a new era for Earth's technology!"
The Wall Street Journal went even further, displaying shockingly large headlines on its front page.
[A hundred billion US dollars! Stark Industries' stock price triggered the circuit breaker again within just ten minutes of the video's release! Market capitalization broke all-time records! The Stark brothers have become true gods of wealth on Earth!]
The world's richest people were frantically waving checks, wanting to buy Stark Industries stock, only to find that no one was willing to sell.
Those who had previously harbored prejudice and hostility towards the Stark brothers were not so happy, such as Jameson, the editor of the Daily Bugle.
At that moment, he held in his hand a sample copy of the newspaper that had just been typed out, ready to launch a massive smear campaign against Luca's showmanship in Africa.
After seeing the news, he quickly stuffed the newspaper into the shredder.
"Quick! Rewrite the headline immediately! Make it 'A Beacon of Light for Humanity: The Stark Brothers' Great Discovery'!"
Jameson, sweating profusely, yelled at the editors.
Worldwide opinion has turned in favor of the Justice League and Luca Stark.
A few hours later.
Over the Africa continent.
The cargo hold of the Justice was piled high with the first batch of Vibranium ore mined.
In the cabin's lounge area, members of the Justice League were enjoying a leisurely return journey.
Luca leaned back on the sofa, holding a glass of champagne.
Gwen Stacy sat to his left, enthusiastically scrolling through the news on her tablet.
" Luca, look at these comments. Everyone's praising you as a hero of humanity."
Gwen Stacy looked up, her eyes sparkling with adoration.
"Although... although we forced them to sign those documents, I now think you're right. If Wakanda continues to hide this technology, that would be irresponsible towards humanity."
Wanda, sitting on the right, was not to be outdone.
She picked up a peeled grape and gently fed it to Luca.
"Everything Luca does is for the good of the world. Those who don't understand are simply those who lack Luca's perspective."
Wanda's voice was soft and sweet, and her eyes held a hint of longing as she looked at Luca.
Seeing the two girls fawning over Luca, Pietro, sitting opposite him, was consumed by jealousy.
But he had no choice but to helplessly take a bite of the sandwich in his hand, mentally ranting and raving.
"Damn capitalists! Damn brainwashing masters! They were clearly just robbing people, yet they managed to make it sound so noble and righteous!"
"What's most infuriating is that Wanda actually believed it! This idiotic sister of hers is completely hopeless!"
Just then...
The holographic projection in the cabin suddenly lit up, and JARVIS's gentle voice broke the relaxed atmosphere.
"Sir, I apologize for disturbing your rest. The Wide-Area Supernatural Phenomena Detector has just issued an alarm."
Upon hearing this, everyone stopped what they were doing.
Peter immediately put down his juice and stood up nervously.
"What's happened now, Mr. JARVIS? Have new alien monsters invaded New York?"
"That's not the case, Mr. Parker."
JARVIS projected a high-resolution satellite image into the air.
"The detector detected a data fluctuation of extremely high energy level that is not of Earth near a small town in New Mexico, United States."
A huge meteorite crater appeared on the screen.
In the center of the crater lies a simple, ancient-looking short-handled warhammer.
"Based on satellite imagery and energy analysis, the hammer fell from the sky."
JARVIS zooms in on the image.
"Good news! With the Wakanda technology upgrade, I can do even more now."
"The bad news is that, although the upgrade allows me to directly analyze the material of this item, preliminary analysis shows that the hammer's material is not on the known elements of the periodic table."
"Furthermore, strong aftershocks of lightning energy lingered around the hammer. The nearby town experienced minor electromagnetic interference due to this energy fluctuation."
Upon seeing the hammer, Pietro curled his lip in disdain.
"Just a broken hammer? This deserves the highest level of alert? JARVIS, shouldn't your system be upgraded?"
No, Pietro.
Peter stared intently at the data on the screen, his expression turning serious.
"This is definitely not an ordinary hammer. Look at the crater it created upon impact; it's over fifty meters in diameter. Yet the hammer itself is completely intact."
"This means its density is astonishingly high. And, it can carry lightning energy as it falls from outer space... This is beyond the scope of her physics explanation."
Hearing the discussion, Luca paused slightly in the hand holding his wine glass.
His gaze was fixed on the hammer on the screen, and he chuckled lightly, making a sarcastic remark.
"What is this? Mjolnir? Or Mjolnir?"
"It can't be Thor descending to Earth, can it? Besides me, are there any other real gods in this world? Haha!"
Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.
Luca's comment only made things worse; everyone agreed that the hammer resembled Thor's hammer from Northern Europe mythology.
And it even carries lightning energy? Isn't that Thor's signature move?
But this was just a joke; no one would believe that Thor had descended to Earth.
After all, that's just a myth; how could a myth possibly be true?
" Mr. Luca, do we need to change course immediately and head to New Mexico for our investigation?" Peter asked eagerly.
I just got a new battle suit recently, and I'm worried I haven't had enough real combat experience.
"No rush, kid."
Luca tilted his head back and downed the champagne in his glass in one gulp.
"Since the hammer fell in the desert, it's fine. It doesn't have legs, it can't run away."
Then, Luca stood up, patted Peter on the shoulder, and spoke in a relaxed and casual tone.
"This Africa Poverty Alleviation has been a resounding success, bringing back so much Vibranium. Our top priority is to get back to New York and throw a celebratory banquet."
"We'll have to take a good look at these new toys when Tony gets back."
"Moreover, some people should pay the price."
Luca walked to the bar and poured himself a glass of strong liquor.
"As for this hammer... we'll take a look at it in New Mexico after we've rested enough and have some time."
"If the owner of this hammer really is the so-called Thor..."
Luca's eyes suddenly flashed with a blinding red and blue light, sending a chill down everyone's spine.
"Then I'll show him who the real god is on Earth."