Vought Future Academy, 12th basement level.
A circular, secret meeting room.
The walls are made of a smooth, white composite material.
There are no lights on the ceiling; light emanates evenly from within the material, making the entire space so bright that there are no Shadow.
The air undergoes multiple filtration processes, making it nearly sterile.
Adrien Veidt stood in the center of the room.
He was nominally the dean of the academy, but today, he was more like a high priest who had found a god.
"Gentlemen, welcome to the first phase of the workshop on reconstructing ideas."
Adrien's voice carried a passionate quality born of inspiration.
To his left is Dr. Phineas Dr. Horton, head of the General Administration of Scientific Research.
On the other side, Hannibal Lecter of the Strategic Operations Department sat gracefully.
A projection appeared at the end of the conference table, forming the silhouette of the Professor Pyg.
He wore a crude pig-face mask, and the background was a dark Hydra laboratory.
I gave up on Utopia.
Veidt got straight to the point; there was no regret in his tone, only a sense of relief at discovering a greater truth.
"My boss made me realize that the end is death, and what we're pursuing shouldn't be a static paradise, but a world that needs us forever."
He pulled up a dynamic diagram of galaxy evolution.
"Our goal is a dynamic equilibrium, Vought will become gravity itself, reinforcing our presence and necessity as the center of the universe by periodically and controllably creating small crises—planetary impacts."
Dr. Horton exclaimed excitedly, "I understand! I completely understand! Crisis customization! We can produce crises!"
"I analyzed the original genetic blueprint of our Homelander, and after secondary optimization, we can mass-produce Superman with specific defects based on this."
"For example, a powerful but mentally immature Ravagers, or an arsonist who can control the weather but is extremely emotionally unstable. This group will be far more powerful than the Superman we've produced before!"
Horton's speech quickened, and a sickly flush appeared on his face.
"We can concoct disasters of different flavors, like mixing cocktails! A B-grade urban riot, or an A-grade regional ecological crisis! We'll custom-produce them all, and then Vought's heroes will step in to solve them! It's a perfect supply and demand loop!"
After he finished speaking, he looked expectantly at the other people present, waiting for their approval.
"Vulgar."
Hannibal Lecter picked up his water glass and shook it.
" Dr. Horton, your idea is like a Butcher showing off his ability to chop a pig into different shapes. It's too bloody and utterly devoid of aesthetic appeal."
"Oh? What are your thoughts?"
"A crisis should not be a violent explosion or a war."
"It should be a meticulously choreographed opera. The audience should experience fear, despair, and sorrow, and ultimately find redemption and purification in the magnificent chorus commemorating the hero's arrival."
Hannibal looked at Adrien.
"What we need is not a physical crisis, but a psychological one—a crisis of faith that has collapsed and been rebuilt."
Hannibal raised a finger.
"We can choose a country—a stable, prosperous country with confidence in the future. Then, through a series of invisible, precise psychological interventions, we can dissect the surface of their social consciousness like a minimally invasive surgery."
"We fabricate unexplained child abductions, but never leave a body, only symbolic items. We spread rumors of an undetectable 'psychological virus,' making people suspicious of their neighbors, colleagues, and even family members."
"We let their stock market crash repeatedly without warning, destroying their belief in wealth."
"What will happen when society as a whole is gripped by an invisible, pervasive panic, when people no longer trust their government, their police, and their science?"
Hannibal paused for a moment and looked around at everyone.
They will pray.
He provided the answer himself.
"They will pray for the arrival of a savior. Then, Vought's hero will appear like a miracle and vanquish the demons we have created."
"This is a surgical procedure on the collective spirit; that's what art is."
The conference room was silent.
Adrien understood.
This is the essence of "dynamic equilibrium".
Just then, the Professor Pyg's hoarse voice, tinged with electronic music, rang out.
"A great opera needs a grand theme. A successful surgery needs a theory that convinces the patient."
The Professor Pyg's projection tilted forward slightly.
"We can construct a completely new sociological theory, which I call the Hero Original Sin Theory."
The Professor Pyg's voice carried a scholarly fervor.
"This theory will argue that any Metahuman escapes Vought's supervision and management system harbors an uncontrollable destructive tendency deep within their genes. Their power itself is a kind of original sin."
"We will publish a series of studies through top universities and think tanks worldwide, using the most rigorous papers and the most complex data models to prove this point."
"I will use Hydra to bribe renowned sociologists and historians, getting them to interpret historical disasters from various angles and attribute them to 'out-of-control individual power.'"
"Mr. Hans Landa's public relations department is responsible for translating these academic theories into easily understandable headlines, documentaries, and internet memes. We will implant the concept of 'wild heroes equal time bombs' into everyone's subconscious like a virus."
Valentin concluded, "When this ideology becomes a social consensus, Vought will no longer be a commercial corporation, but the sole purifier and pardoner of human civilization. Any hero who rebels against Vought will be seen by the public as a pathogen that must be eradicated."
Four top minds from different fields, guided by Lynn Morris's philosophy of " the Eternity game," perfectly piece together their individual eccentric geniuses.
Adrien Veidt was in charge of setting up the stage.
Phineas Horton was in charge of making the props.
Hannibal Lecter was responsible for writing the screenplay and directing.
Lazlo Valentin was responsible for defining the "justice" of this play.
"A perfect plan."
Adrien expressed his sincere admiration.
He had envisioned a world dominated by Vought, oscillating between fear and hope, thereby gaining Eternity momentum.
"So,"
Hannibal's voice rang out.
"Which patient should we choose for the premiere of this opera?"
Dr. Horton subconsciously thought of those military superpowers.
Adrien, on the other hand, is considering regions that are economically developed but have fragile social structures.
Hannibal, however, offered his own ideas.
"The best patient is neither the strongest nor the most vulnerable. It is the one who is most confident in themselves and believes they will never get sick."
His gaze pierced through the walls of the conference room, looking towards a distant place.
Latveria.