The news of the formation of S.H.I.E.L.D.. did not occupy even a corner of the public newspapers.
It was like a ghost born in the Shadow of the war.
"Boss, based on personnel transfer and budget approval documents stolen from the Pentagon, the Strategic Homeland Defense, Attack, and Logistics Agency was officially established three days ago."
Motoko Kusanagi's voice rang out.
Howard Stark, Peggy Carter, and Chester Phillips were co-founders.
"They launched a secret talent acquisition program called Paperclip."
A familiar name.
"Arnim Zola was assigned to S.H.I.E.L.D..'s secret research facility in New Jersey under the guise of a postwar science advisor."
Motoko Kusanagi added.
"He took away a group of former Hydra scientists, a total of 112 people."
Hydra never died.
It simply changed its skin and cut off its rotting head.
Then it deeply embedded its poisonous roots within the organization that aimed to eliminate it.
A backdoor listing.
Zola is using their bodies to complete a perfect reincarnation for Hydra.
Lynn's fingers tapped lightly on the table.
Howard and Peggy, they are excellent soldiers and geniuses.
But they don't understand politics.
They don't understand human nature at all.
They believed that the war would end through courage and sacrifice.
Let them be.
Lynn waved.
"An internally rotten organization is easier to control. Find a way to get Professor Pyg to contact Zola. I need to know the frequency of Hydra's every breath."
"OK."
"Now, let's talk about something more important."
Post-war New York is recovering at an astonishing pace.
People need entertainment, they need pacifiers, they need to forget the trauma of war.
What they need most is a spiritual totem.
" Motoko, acquire several Hollywood film studios that are on the verge of bankruptcy, as well as a national broadcasting network."
"I want Vought to control the voice of the future."
"Clear."
"Guns can win wars, but they cannot win peace."
Lynn looked out the window, her voice distant.
"Stories are what win peace."
"Whoever can tell a story, whoever can make everyone believe their story, is the true king of this era."
I want to make several movies.
"A movie about war and superheroes."
He took out a stack of manuscript paper and a fountain pen from the drawer; they were several scripts he had written by hand in recent days.
Stars and Stripes: Soldier Boy ' Glory
Burning Freedom: Rise of the Human Torch
Captain America: The First Avengers.
Motoko Kusanagi took the script and began scanning it quickly.
"Battle reports are just pieces of paper for generals to read. Movies, on the other hand, are the Bible for people all over the world."
Lynn wants to use film to reshape a "correct" collective memory for people all over the world.
"I see."
Motoko Kusanagi nodded.
"The publicity department will launch a pre-launch campaign. What do you think of the slogan 'Heroes Behind the Heroes'?"
"Very good."
The efficiency of Motoko Kusanagi is terrifying.
In just one week.
Three Hollywood film companies that were on the verge of bankruptcy during the war, but possessed complete production and distribution channels.
ABC Radio and Television Network covers 40% of households nationwide.
It was quietly acquired by Vought International through a series of complex offshore company operations.
The prototype of a media empire was thus completed.
Lynn was not interested in the process.
He only cares about the result.
When the project officially launched and shook all of Hollywood, Lynn's attention had already shifted to something else.
Heroes cannot live only in movies.
A private island in the South Pacific, secretly purchased by Vought International.
This place is picturesque and secluded from the world.
The Soldier Boy was lying shirtless on the beach, enjoying a sunbath.
Several blonde women in bikinis nearby were solicitously offering him chilled cocktails.
The smoke of war has long since dissipated from his sight.
The tranquility was shattered by a helicopter.
A Vought executive in a black suit, escorted by several heavily armed security personnel, approached him carrying a silver briefcase.
" Mr. Morris asked me to pass on a message to you."
The executive opened his briefcase, inside was a carton of the latest Marlboro cigarettes.
He said that wars in peacetime require a different approach.
The Soldier Boy raised an eyebrow and sat up from the beach chair.
He took the cigarette, pulled one out, and the blonde woman next to him lit it for him.
He was very familiar with these things.
Two weeks later.
An advertising billboard stands in the most prominent position in Times Square, New York.
On the billboard, Soldier Boy wears a dark green uniform, his face showing the weariness and vicissitudes of war, but his eyes are still sharp.
He leaned against the wreckage of a military jeep, a Marlboro cigarette dangling from his mouth.
Mars flickers against the dim background.
At his feet was a striking advertising slogan:
"A real man smokes a real cigarette." -- The Soldier Boy's choice.
The advertisement immediately went viral across the United States upon its release.
Countless veterans and factory workers regard Marlboro as a symbol of toughness.
They imitated the Soldier Boy's posture.
Light the same cigarette in a bar, or on the street.
It's as if this way we can share in some of the glory of that God of War.
Marlboro's sales increased fivefold in one month.
In Lynn's office.
Motoko Kusanagi is reporting on the results of another project.
"Boss, the first season of V-Style, Vought clothing brand endorsed by Human Torch, has seen overnight queues of shoppers at all its offline stores for the ' Flame ' collection."
The well-produced television commercial was playing on the screen.
In the advertisement, the Human Torch is no longer the war weapon that burns everything in its path.
He walked through the city streets on a rainy night, wearing a well-tailored black trench coat.
During his journey, Human Torch's clothes will ignite with a gentle yet bright Flame to dispel the darkness and illuminate his surroundings.
The Flame went out, but the clothes were completely unharmed.
The advertisement ends with a close-up of his flawless face.
His orange-red pupils held a divine compassion.
The advertising slogan then emerged:
"V-Style, ignite your inner fire."
This advertisement resonated with young people who are fashion-conscious and crave individuality.
They are no longer satisfied with their parents' jackets and work pants.
They wanted to be cooler.
More avant-garde.
Something closer to "God".
And Vought gave them that opportunity.
"Very good."
Lynn looked at the astonishing financial statement, her smile growing wider.
The Soldier Boy represents tradition, strength, and masculinity.
The victims are the vast blue-collar workers and conservatives.
Human Torch represents fashion, the future, and divinity.
It targets trendy young people and the elite class.
Two "products" and two tracks precisely cover the entire consumer market.
That was his plan.
In times of war, they are weapons.
In peacetime, they are money-printing machines.