S.H.I.E.L.D. Comes Knocking

Based on Jarvis's analysis, Tony finally chose a building in the heart of New York City, which he estimated to be the Stark Tower from the original story.

After all, based on the movie footage, the building had to stand out from the crowd, be in a prime location, and not be far from the sea, so the range of options was already small. In the end, when the original owner was willing to sell, Tony quickly locked onto his target.

The next step is to wait for Ross's investment to come in so that he can make the purchase. After all, unlike the original story, Tony himself did not switch to the energy industry to make huge profits. Instead, he spent a lot of money to buy back shares and invest in Umbrella, so he doesn't have much money available.

Thinking about it this way, the Ross people aren't so bad after all; they're like a pillow delivered when you're sleepy. For that reason, I'll just talk to his assistant and not go looking for his daughter to collect stamps with.

The private meeting with Catherine was a great success. Thanks to Tony’s tireless efforts, Wesker successfully obtained Ross’s bottom line price. As a result, he quickly finalized the cooperation with Ross’s negotiation team. After all, Ross had been exposed and was demanding the highest price he could get.

Wesker is riding high lately. With Ross's funds arriving, Wesker has expanded his construction team tenfold. Who says capitalism doesn't have large-scale construction? With funds in place, the engineers are ready.

In less than a month, the entire Marbury area was fenced off and turned into private property, with the buildings on the ground already taking shape.

The main focus now is on underground engineering. Tony couldn't resist the temptation and oversaw the construction of an underground laboratory, which he named Hive. Hopefully, there won't be a biohazard outbreak.

Ross's technical staff were also dispatched, and Tony didn't hold back, directly assigning them to the T-virus research department and making all the data available.

As mentioned earlier, Ross's technical staff were quite skilled. They immediately accelerated the project's progress upon joining and brought a large amount of human experimental data, which only shows how wealthy the Americans are.

"The first-generation T-virus enhanced serum is ready for mass production. General Ross has requested an order for one hundred doses of the Phase I enhancement agent. Should we halt several lab projects and allow them to begin production?" Wesker asked Tony for instructions.

"Stop. Get production going as quickly as possible. After all, this is the first order, so it's better to deliver quickly. Besides, we need Ross to build up the reputation. Future orders can proceed normally, with production taking its time." After giving the instructions, Tony asked:

"Have you thoroughly researched the technology data for the Super Soldier Serum? Is it ready for production?"

Wesker immediately reported, "The technical data you brought back is very comprehensive. The lab has already started producing serum, and we expect to have finished products soon for human trials to ensure effectiveness. Moreover, the lab's research on the enhancement principle has revealed that it can complement T-virus enhancement."

"What do you mean?"

Tony really didn't expect that these two could team up, collaborating with the T-virus?

Wesker didn't doubt Tony's intelligence because of Tony's question; after all, the name of genius was too resounding. He simply reported faithfully to his superior:

"The Super Soldier Serum can enhance the body's own genes, strengthen various organs, and push the body beyond its limits. The T-virus, on the other hand, modifies the human body to enhance it."

Tony wasn't very good at his job, but he had a strong ability to make connections. Hearing this, he roughly understood and followed Wesker's words, saying:

"So, one approach is to replace the car's parts with higher-quality ones to increase speed, while the other is to install more parts that weren't originally car components, like rocket launchers, to launch it into space?"

Wesker paused for a moment, taken aback by Tony's analogy, then said obsequiously, "Boss, your analogy is very apt! That's exactly what I mean. So the T-virus and the Super Soldier Serum can complement each other, allowing us to create even more powerful monsters. Not only can they enhance the T1 enhancement effect, but they can also, to some extent, suppress the genetic collapse of the T0 Tyrant, raising the Tyrant's potential."

After undergoing dual enhancements, Wesker felt that he could no longer be described as a super soldier; he was just one transformation away from meeting human standards.

"Very good. After the super soldier serum has stabilized through human trials, give me the finished product and technical data, and I will make some improvements. Then, I will hand over the improved serum to the laboratory for research."

Wesker didn't think much of it. As he said before, Tony's genius name was too famous. Now, if someone said he wasn't, no one would believe it.

Tony wasn't trying to show off his genius, nor did he have the ability to improve it. He just wanted to use it himself first, let the Overlord Core optimize the serum modification, and then extract blood samples for them to study. In this way, the resulting serum would be Tony's version, which would be considered to have Tony's genetic imprint and mark.

"Okay, boss, is there anything else you need?" Wesker asked finally.

Tony was about to say no when Jarvis's voice suddenly rang out.

"Warning: Someone has hacked into Umbrella's internal network and altered visitor appointment registrations."

Then the screen in front of Tony showed the surveillance footage of the gate, where a car was parked and the gatekeeper was checking visitor registrations on a tablet.

As the car window rolled down, the surveillance camera zoomed in, revealing the person sitting inside: Coulson, an old friend, and Rumlow, the future Crossbones, also known as Hydra.

"What is S.H.I.E.L.D. up to?" Tony muttered in confusion. If they want to come in, they can just come in. There's no need to sneak in. Even if they do sneak in, they could at least introduce a couple of unfamiliar faces. Do they really have no one else? Are they just using Coulson like crazy? Aren't American public officials protected by labor laws?

Wesker, however, seemed to know something, and upon hearing Tony's words, immediately explained:

"They probably can't get in; they can't even make an appointment."

"What do you mean? You're not letting them in? They're officials, after all."

Upon hearing Tony's words, Wesker couldn't help but laugh and said, "They did make an appointment to come in last month, but you were in New York at the time, so we didn't get to see you. But this month is different. After General Ross took over, he sent some people to join the security department, and then these official visits were handed over to them to handle."

Tony could roughly guess how to handle it.

Access? Sorry, not accepted.

Official departments? Please contact my superior.

Who is my superior? Sorry, that's confidential.

It seems there are many benefits to having Ross as a shareholder. At the very least, these messy departments can be ignored, and if there are any complaints, they can be directed to the military.

I don't know if it will work for the tax authorities, but I doubt it will, since the tax authorities are the strongest force in the United States.

By the way, we could consider selling the enhancement serum to them. They'll need to tax superheroes in the future, especially Old Deng, who's been owing taxes for decades.

"Should I call security and have them kicked out?" Wesker asked, looking at the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on the screen.

"No need. Since you're here, let's meet. But tell Eric to keep a close eye on security and not let any random people into the experimental area."

Coulson probably wouldn't steal anything, but Rumlow, whom he brought along, might be. Besides, Blackie isn't exactly a good person either; he might have arranged for someone else in the back seat for Coulson to bring in and do something else.