Ye Mo closed the tablet and placed it on the table. The screen was still lit, and the progress bar for firewall v3 was at 97%, indicating that the coordinate file sent by the quantum physicist had finished downloading. He didn't look at it a second time.
He stood up and stretched his shoulders. He hadn't slept all night, and his neck was a little stiff, but his mind was clear. He knew that what was on the blueprints should now become reality.
The sound of an engine came from outside, growing louder as it approached. A black SUV drove through a mountain tunnel and stopped in front of the base entrance. The door opened, and Tony stepped out, carrying two coffee cups, his coat draped over his arm and his tie loose.
"You didn't really stay here all night, did you?" Tony approached, handing him a glass. "Double sugar, just like you said."
Ye Mo took the drink and took a sip. It was hot and a little bitter, but also refreshing. "I didn't wait for you. This place was built on its own, and someone has to inspect it."
Tony laughed, "Inspection? You really think you're the project manager?"
As he spoke, he raised his hand and slapped the wall. The metal made a dull echo. "Sounds pretty sturdy. But don't blame me for not warning you, the worst thing about these underground facilities is someone blocking the ventilation openings, and then everything's gone."
Ye Mo didn't reply, but turned and walked towards the main gate. He placed his palm on the identification area, and with a beep, the heavy alloy door slowly rose. The lights inside automatically turned on, revealing a straight corridor with enclosed compartments on both sides, leading to an even larger control door at the end.
"Where's the energy core?" Tony asked as they walked.
" Vibranium Resonance array plus a gamma recovery device, dual-system parallel power supply," Ye Mo said. "The output is stable, it has passed load testing, and it should last for ten years without any problems."
"Ten years?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "You've even made retirement plans?"
"I just don't want the power to suddenly go out one day and everyone to be trapped in the elevator."
They reached the entrance to the energy zone. Through the glass wall, they could see a massive ring-shaped device in operation, with a faint blue light pulsating at its center. Tony leaned closer to examine it for a few seconds, then nodded. "More powerful than I expected. Where did you get so many Vibranium fragments?"
"I found them," Ye Mo said. "Some were given to me by the enemy, and some I stole."
Tony snorted, "Remember to get an invoice next time, so I can get reimbursed."
Just then, footsteps sounded from the other side of the corridor. Emma Frost walked in, wearing a tactical long coat and carrying a small data packet on her shoulder. She didn't greet anyone, but went straight to the central control console and placed her palm on it.
The screen lit up, displaying a series of waveforms scrolling rapidly. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, her brows furrowing slightly.
" The Mental Barrier is clear." She opened her eyes. "No residual signals, no traces of remote scanning. Safe at present."
"Currently?" Tony repeated the word, "So it's uncertain what will happen in the future?"
"Any covert facility, once it starts operating, generates a flow of information," Emma Frost said. "Once someone tracks these signals, they can locate this place."
"Then don't let it send signals," Ye Mo said. "All internal communications will use offline links, and external communications will go through jump node, changing the path every seventy-two hours."
"Sounds like a fugitive's manual," Tony said.
"We are," Ye Mo looked at him, "Who says heroes can't hide?"
Tony stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly laughed out loud, "Fine, you're right. Anyway, when I was building the Mark I, nobody gave me a license either."
The three entered the main control room together. Three large screens on the wall started up simultaneously: the left screen displayed the list of Mutants Response Group, the right screen showed the data stream of the Wisdom Response Team, and the middle screen showed a real-time layout map of the entire base.
"The eleventh-layer Gene Spiral Tower mapping region has been activated," the system notification sounded. "Spatial energy is stable; module partitioning complete."
Ye Mo walked to the main console and brought up the scientific research module interface. Vibranium frequency analysis, gamma spectrum classification, neural signal simulation and deduction... all functions were running, and the data was automatically archived.
"It's not just a hideout," he said. "It's the reactor, the brain, the place where we can turn 'accidental heroes' into 'systemic forces'."
Tony was silent for a moment, then walked over to him and tapped the energy core icon on the screen. "If Hydra targets this thing, do you think you can protect it?"
"Not necessarily," Ye Mo said, "But I can blow it up."
"Well done," Tony nodded. "At least it leaves no future problems."
Emma Frost didn't speak, but she placed her hand on the edge of the console, a faint glint of light flashing between her fingertips. That was the sign that her permissions binding was complete.
"Where is the training ground?" she asked.
"The third basement level," Ye Mo said, "Is empty, waiting for the first group to use it."
They walked together toward the observation deck. As the elevator descended, Tony suddenly said, "Shouldn't we hire some robot repairmen next? I don't see anyone here who can even change the oil."
"We're already in contact," Ye Mo said. "There's a former Stark Industries repair technician who specializes in armor joints; he was recently released from prison."
"Released from prison?" Tony was taken aback. "You recruit a criminal?"
"He was imprisoned for refusing to modify the combat system's killing program," Ye Mo said. "I think that kind of person is reliable."
Tony opened his mouth, but in the end only said, "Fine, whatever."
They stood on the corridor, looking down at the training field below. The field was spacious, with the ground covered with shock-absorbing material, and there were target positions and obstacle simulators all around, but it was empty at the moment.
"It's eerily quiet," Tony said.
"They'll come," Ye Mo said, "One after another."
"Hopefully they're not a bunch of troublemakers," Tony muttered.
Just then, a slight vibration came from the ceiling. Ye Mo looked up and saw the embedded quantum signal receiver light up. It was an upgraded component sent by the scientists last night, which had just completed its self-test.
"It's online," he said.
Tony glanced at his watch. "I have to go. JARVIS has two more AI defense protocols to send you; deliver them within three days."
"Don't be late," Ye Mo said.
"When have I ever been late?" Tony turned to leave, then stopped halfway. "Oh, and you can keep that SUV by the door. Fill it up with gas. Don't total it, or I won't pay for it."
The door closed, and the footsteps faded into the distance.
Emma Frost stood still. She looked at the control panel and tapped the screen lightly with her finger.
"I'm going to start deploying a long-term early warning network," she said. "It needs to operate continuously for 48 hours a day."
"You can use the meditation room," Ye Mo said. "It's shielded from interference."
She nodded, turned and left, her steps steady.
Ye Mo remained alone in the control room. He walked to the terminal and opened a new document titled "Command for All Personnel to Access".
The cursor is blinking on the screen.
He hasn't typed anything in yet.
The room was quiet, save for the low hum of the equipment. His fingers hovered above the keyboard, not touching it.
The quantum signal receiver lit up again, a blue dot flashing as if responding to some kind of remote connection.
He blinked.
My finger finally pressed the first key.