A vision for the base, plans for the future

Ye Mo's left palm was still burning hot. The Vibranium fragment with the groove was like a piece of charcoal just taken out of the furnace, its red color dazzling.

He didn't move or call for anyone. Emma Frost was asleep against the steel beam, her breathing steady, with his sweatshirt still covering her feet. He knew he couldn't disturb her now.

But he couldn't wait any longer.

He took out his phone and swiped to open the encrypted channel. The signal connected quickly, and Tony's face appeared on the screen, reclining on the sofa, holding a wine glass, with the night view of the Pacific Ocean in the background.

"Have you received any feedback?" Tony asked immediately. "Or are you just trying to fool me with another fabricated 'system notification'?"

Ye Mo ignored his teasing. He raised his left hand in front of the camera, making sure the reddish Vibranium fragment was facing the camera directly.

"It's not the system," he said. "They found the marker, which is like leaving us coordinates."

Tony sat up straight.

Ye Mo continued, "We've fought so many battles, and it's always the enemy who strikes first, and then we rescue people. We only put out fires after they explode, and we only help people up after they fall. I'm thinking—could we try a different approach?"

"Get to the point." Tony frowned.

"Build a base," Ye Mo said steadily. "Not one of those giant metal tanks flying in the sky like S.H.I.E.L.D.., nor a research and development center with Stark Industries ' name on it. It's a place nobody knows about, a place where people can hide and where you can make your move."

Tony stared at him for a few seconds, then put down his glass. "What are you going to use to build this? Crowdfund it by selling hoodies?"

"I have people," Ye Mo said. "Emma Frost is willing to stay, and Banner is considering it too. Scott and Natasha have both said that some things can't always be done by temporarily putting together people. We need a place where these people don't have to hide anymore, and don't have to run away anymore."

Tony didn't say anything, got up and walked to the workbench. He typed a few keys, and a global topographic map popped up.

"I know seven places," he said. "One of them is 300 meters below the Greenland ice sheet. The heat source is buried under the ice cap, so satellites can't detect it, and even Quake have difficulty locating it."

Ye Mo nodded. "It's well-hidden."

"More than just concealment." Tony pulled up a structural simulation diagram. "A three-level underground design: the surface level is disguised as an abandoned research station to block the view; the middle level serves as living quarters and training grounds; the bottom level is the core command post, equipped with independent power sources and emergency exits."

How do we solve the energy problem?

"A hybrid power supply," Tony explained, pointing to the diagram. "Geothermal as the primary source, Vibranium Resonance as backup. Since your fragment can generate heat, it means it can also be used as an energy node. As long as we find more materials with the same frequency, we can form a network."

Ye Mo thought for a moment, "What about defense? Technology alone isn't enough. Last time Thaddeus Ross was able to sneak in because no one detected it beforehand."

"So you need to add a Perception Network." Tony looked at him. "You can absorb fragments of Mutants abilities, right? Integrate those sensory abilities and make them into an early warning system. I'll add AI monitoring on my end, with two lines of communication. Whoever gets close, the system will sound the alarm first."

"Okay," Ye Mo said, "But I have a principle—no forced detention, no brainwashing training. Those who come must come voluntarily, and those who leave cannot be stopped."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Are you afraid of turning this into the Hellfire Club?"

"I'm not afraid they'll turn bad," Ye Mo said. "I'm afraid we'll become like them."

Tony was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "Do you know how many times you just said 'we'? Before, it was always 'I have to live' and 'I don't want to get involved'."

Ye Mo didn't laugh. He knew Tony was right.

He used to just want to survive. He'd run around in a hoodie, hiding whenever he could, just getting by. The system was his best excuse; every time something went wrong, he'd say, "The system told me to do this," when he really just didn't want to take responsibility.

But things are different now.

He glanced back at Emma Frost. She was still asleep, but her fingers twitched slightly, as if she had grasped something in her dream.

"Some people, once found, shouldn't be lost again," he said. "I want them to have a place where they can stand up and catch their breath, instead of constantly running away."

Tony looked at him, and his expression changed. It was no longer teasing or testing, but serious.

"You've changed," he said.

"I've always been like this," Ye Mo said with a slight smile, "Except that before I only wanted to build a small house, now I want to build a whole building."

Tony laughed, then became serious. "I'll provide the money. I'll bring in the tech team. But you have to promise me one thing—this place needs a name."

Ye Mo looked towards the horizon beyond the screen. Dawn was approaching; a crack appeared in the clouds, revealing a hint of gray-white.

"It's called an ' Anchor '," he said.

"Why?"

"Because no matter how strong the wind, the boat can't break its rope," Ye Mo said. "Some people are like anchors for others."

Tony didn't ask any more questions. He directly opened the internal system, created a new project folder, and entered the code name: ANCHOR.

"The first batch of funds will arrive in three hours," he said. "I'll have JARVIS initiate the site selection assessment process and give you three alternative plans within 24 hours."

"Where are the personnel?" Ye Mo asked.

"You decide," Tony said, "But I suggest you pull in a few reliable people first. Emma Frost, Banner, Natasha —those who already trust you—to establish a foundation. We can gradually screen the others."

Ye Mo nodded.

He knew this couldn't be rushed. The base wasn't a fortress, but a lifeline. He had to bring back those scattered outside, one by one.

"There's one more thing," he said, "I'd like to incorporate a capability-sharing mechanism."

"What's the meaning?"

"My system can absorb fragments of power," Ye Mo said, "But if I'm the only one using it, its strength is limited. I want to try to unlock some of its power modules so that others can also use them temporarily."

Tony squinted. "You mean, give ordinary people the opportunity to use Mutants abilities?"

"It's not something to be used casually." Ye Mo shook his head. "We need to set permissions, match the patient's physique, and have a cooldown protection. But if a large-scale crisis occurs someday, every extra person who can help means one less life."

Tony stared at him for a long time, then suddenly said, "Are you really planning to carry this yourself?"

"It wasn't just me carrying it," Ye Mo said. "We carried it together. I was just the first one to set up the scaffolding."

Tony laughed. This time, his laugh lasted even longer.

"Okay," he said. "I'll pave the way for you—money, technology, people. But remember—once this place is built, you can forget about hiding behind a hoodie. Everyone's looking up at you; you have to be able to stand on your own two feet."

"I know," Ye Mo said. "I'm not afraid of not being able to stand, I'm just afraid of not having anyone to stand with me."

The two continued discussing the details. The location had to avoid geologically active zones, the training area had to be able to simulate various combat environments, and the communication system had to support cross-dimensional signal reception. Tony suggested installing an emergency teleportation array, while Ye Mo insisted on retaining the manual power-off switch to prevent remote hijacking.

Midway through the conversation, Tony suddenly asked, "Have you ever thought about what would happen if the enemy came knocking on our door one day and we couldn't defend the base?"

"Then let's blow it up," Ye Mo said. "The self-destruct program has three layers of passwords, which are jointly managed by you, Emma Frost, and me. As long as one of us survives, we can restart it."

"Pretty ruthless." Tony nodded. "I like it."

They talked until dawn. Sunlight shone into the ruins, falling on the Vibranium fragment, and the red gradually faded, returning to its original dark gray.

Ye Mo put it in his pocket.

The phone call was still going on. Tony had already begun secretly arranging for the engineering team to be mobilized, and the first batch of supplies would depart within twelve hours.

"What are you planning to do next?" Tony asked.

"Find someone," Ye Mo said. "Talk to Emma Frost first, then go find Banner. The base isn't an empty shell; it needs people to fill it."

"Does she know you're going to talk to her about this?" Tony pointed to Emma Frost was still resting in the corner of the screen.

"I don't know yet," Ye Mo said, "But she'll agree."

How can you be so sure?

Ye Mo looked at her without saying a word.

He knew she wouldn't leave. Not because she had nowhere else to go, but because she had finally found a place where someone saw her as a person, not just her abilities.

He walked over to her and gently patted her on the shoulder.

Emma Frost opened her eyes and her first words were, "Is there a signal?"

"Yes," Ye Mo said, "But we're not going to chase them anymore. We're going to build a place so they can come to us."

She sat up, her hair a little messy, but her eyes were clear.

"It sounds like crazy," she said, "But I think it can work."

Ye Mo smiled.

He turned back to his phone screen. "Did you hear that?"

"I heard you," Tony said. "Welcome to Anchor Project, Ms. White Queen."

Emma Frost didn't respond to the teasing. She just looked at Ye Mo and asked, "When do we start?"

"Now," Ye Mo said, "Let's pull up the list of potential locations first, and then look at them one by one."

Tony projected the map back onto the screen. Three highlighted areas were flashing, located in Greenland, the Siberia permafrost zone, and a submarine volcano in the Pacific Ocean, respectively.

Ye Mo picked up his pen and circled the first one.

His fingers had just touched the ground when the Vibranium fragment in his pocket suddenly felt hot again.