With Aldrich Killian, Su Ye only needed to provide the motivation and the idea. The rest was up to him to execute.
As for the lab, although Su Ye wasn't keen on listening to Barton's ramblings, he still cared about the conditions of the Widow and Dr. Connors after their Extremis Virus injections.
Both had received the permanent medical version of the Extremis Virus.
In theory, it could repair all physical damage in one go, including severed limbs, removed organs, and hidden injuries.
It was a one-time use with lifelong benefits, with no risk of relapse.
The injections were soon completed, and as Dr. Connors had promised, the Extremis Virus worked without side effects, fully restoring their bodies.
Stepping off the examination table and looking at his regenerated left arm, Dr. Connors was so overwhelmed he burst into tears.
After decades, he could finally cut his own nails, shift gears, and use both hands to run his model trains while sharing a meal with his secretary.
These were things he had only dreamed of doing.
"Thank you, Mr. Su. Thank you—truly, thank you!"
As they left the lab, Dr. Connors clutched Su Ye's hand, too emotional to form a complete sentence for a long time.
After trembling for a while, Dr. Connors finally composed himself.
"Mr. Su, Boss Su, Big Boss Su, from now on, I'm your man. Any project your lab needs me for, just say the word."
"These fully functional hands are your gift, and I'll spend the rest of my life proving they were worth it!"
'Ding! Acquired blue-tier researcher [Curt Connors], loyalty level MAX (subject to verification) …'
Su Ye mentally filled in a system notification for himself, his face glowing with a gentle smile.
"Dr. Connors, you're too kind. You're Gwen's mentor and my teacher as well. Our bio-lab will rely on you in the future."
"Also, the research on lizard genetics has already consumed so much time, effort, and funding. Let's not let it go to waste—I'd still like to see some results."
Creating a fully functional lizard gene might be a stretch, but the incomplete version from the movie should be doable, right?
In the movie, after Oscorp pulled its funding, Dr. Connors was forced to inject himself with an incomplete lizard serum, tragically transforming into a lizard. This led him to a grand vision.
He wanted to disperse the lizard gene throughout the city via a mist device. If everyone became a lizard, his condition wouldn't seem so abnormal.
As we all know, this grand plan was foiled by the second Spider-Man, who also lost his girlfriend's father in the process.
Now, Su Ye could actually help Dr. Connors achieve this unfulfilled dream.
Wait, Dr. Connors no longer has such a dream?
No, he will.
Even if he doesn't, someone else will.
For example, the Joker!
That's right—the Joker, again.
This chaos-loving lunatic would do whatever it took to get his hands on the lizard gene and spread it around.
Now, which city would be the best place for the spread?
When it comes to viruses, Raccoon City is, of course, the most famous.
Raccoon City's real-world counterpart is, what, Toronto? That's in Canada, not the U.S.
But that doesn't matter—Canada and the U.S. are practically inseparable, culturally and geographically bound as loyal allies.
So, they're basically the same.
Meanwhile, Su Ye's mind was racing like a runaway train, plotting the lizard gene's distribution plan.
Beside him, the Widow suddenly walked over.
"Thank you, Uncle Su!"
Logic told the Widow that she should be reserved, polite, and as composed as possible.
But in this moment, after regaining what she had lost and becoming whole again, she couldn't care about any of that.
"Thank you for making me whole again."
The Widow threw her arms around Su Ye, her tears soaking his shirt.
Who says female agents can't have feelings, emotions, or break down in tears?
Su Ye froze, his hands hovering awkwardly in the air, unsure where to place them.
He really wanted to shout, "Ref, that's a foul!"
Su Ye had been standing his ground, feet firmly planted, with no forward motion when the offensive player crashed into him—an obvious case of charging.
Unfortunately, Referee Gwen conveniently ignored it, not only refraining from calling the foul but even giving Su Ye an encouraging look.
Gwen had already learned from Barton about the Widow's experiences in the Red Room. As a fellow woman, she felt a deep empathy and fully understood what the Widow was going through.
"Every woman, every woman who yearns for love and a complete family, deserves to be treated kindly."
"Ye might not be able to give Natasha these things, but he can at least offer her an encouraging hug."
"Natasha, you've got this!"
This was Gwen's most sincere thought.
Seeing this, Su Ye stopped hesitating and gently placed his hands on the Widow's shoulders, giving her a light pat.
"Agent Romanoff… uh, Natasha, there's no need for this. I only brought back the virus samples. It's Dr. Connors and Gwen who developed the full version."
"So, if you're giving thanks, it should be to them as well."
Su Ye offered a few comforting words, but Natasha only hugged him tighter.
At that moment, Su Ye could almost hear Durant's signature scream.
Speaking of Durant, Su Ye actually had excellent basketball skills himself.
In a different setting, Su Ye wouldn't mind showing off his impressive basketball skills.
For instance, in a one-on-one drive to the basket, using speed and technique to break through tight defenses.
In this area, Su Ye was very confident. Anyone who had played or scrimmaged against him couldn't help but be thoroughly impressed.
After a game, whether on offense or defense, almost no one could match him one-on-one.
Unfortunately, his opponents never worked together to double-team or trap him, which could have been their only chance.
It was a shame, really.
Otherwise, Su Ye would've shown them that basketball could indeed be a one-man game.
Forget one-on-five—he'd take on one versus nine if all his teammates were replaced by opponents, and he still wouldn't back down.
But with Gwen standing right there, Natasha might be fine clinging to him and crying in public, but Su Ye couldn't let it go on forever—it didn't look great.
Natasha knew Gwen was Su Ye's official girlfriend, and it wouldn't be appropriate to overstep in front of her, so she reluctantly loosened her grip.
But the fully restored Natasha was no longer the same Black Widow. She finally had the confidence and courage to pursue the happiness she desired.
And Su Ye was the happiness she currently wanted—the only one she aimed to capture.
However, stealing someone's partner required finesse, a gradual approach—like boiling a frog slowly. Ideally, Gwen wouldn't even realize what was happening until the very end.
In Natasha's eyes, she might not even need to push Gwen aside entirely.
Having been part of the Great Wall Guardians for some time, Natasha's years of professional training, combined with her keen attention to Su Ye, had long revealed to her that he was far from ordinary.
For one, Sharon Carter was definitely not just an ordinary secretary.
Natasha was almost 100% certain of this.
Only Gwen, the girl who thought herself clever but was actually naïve and inexperienced, remained blissfully unaware.
But that worked in Natasha's favor, providing her with a perfect opportunity to slip in unnoticed.
When it came to covert infiltration, Natasha believed she could outperform Sharon.
And compared to Sharon, though Natasha's legs were slightly shorter, she had other "assets."
Men are all the same—they naturally struggle to resist a good "view."
When Natasha collided with Su Ye earlier, she had sensed a hint of his attraction toward her.
That was enough for her.
After letting go of Su Ye, Natasha turned and hugged Gwen tightly.
"Thank you, Gwen. Thank you! You have no idea what this means to me—truly, thank you!"
Gwen immediately returned the hug warmly.
"Sister Natasha, you don't need to say more—I understand, I really do."
As she spoke, tears welled up in Gwen's eyes, clearly moved by Natasha's experiences. She even called her "sister" from the bottom of her heart.
Upon hearing this, Natasha wasted no time in seizing the opportunity.
She gently loosened her grip on Gwen's shoulders and looked her in the eyes.
"What did you just call me?"
Gwen blinked, "Sister. If you don't like it, I won't…"
"No! I love it!"
Natasha hugged Gwen tightly again, tears streaming down her face like a river.
"I came from the Red Room. I've never had a family or friends, but I've always wished for a little sister. Thank you for saving me and calling me sister. Thank you!"
From a distance, Su Ye, who had seen the Black Widow movie, knew Natasha's backstory.
She had no real family, but she did have a fabricated one, including a sister figure, Yelena, whom she treated like her own sibling.
So in this moment, while her tears and words contained genuine emotion, most of it was probably an act.
That's what being a spy is about. Gwen helped you, and you're still acting—how is that fair?
Gwen, however, found it perfectly fine and hugged Natasha back.
"If you're willing, from now on, you'll be my sister, and I'll be your family. I've been an older sister for years, and I've always wanted to have one myself."
Watching the two of them embracing and crying their hearts out, Su Ye figured it was best for him to quietly leave.
Too much melodrama could cause physical discomfort.
Just then, his phone rang. It was Sharon calling.
"Boss, I've gotten some intel from the White Queen. You should come and hear it."
After bidding Dr. Connors and Barton a quick farewell, Su Ye left the lab.
As the leader of the Great Wall Guardians, Su Ye had a mountain of responsibilities daily, which everyone understood. Gwen simply waved him off from a distance without saying much.
Once outside, Su Ye quickly made his way to the White Queen's interrogation room.
When Su Ye entered the room, only Sharon was there—the White Queen was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's that woman?"
Su Ye scanned the room and asked.
Sharon was still wearing her standard S.H.I.E.L.D. jumpsuit, the same style Maria Hill wore in The Avengers—instant charm boost.
Still reeling from Natasha's earlier hug, Su Ye found his gaze lingering on Sharon for a moment longer than necessary.
Seeing Su Ye enter, Sharon stood up with a serious expression.
"Boss, I've locked up the White Queen. I've uncovered a significant issue and need to report it to you personally and immediately."
"But before that, you should check the security of this interrogation room. This matter is highly confidential—it must remain between us."
Sharon had never spoken to Su Ye this seriously before. Clearly, the issue was far graver than he had anticipated.
At that moment, Su Ye set aside his emotions and prepared himself for whatever was coming.
Activating both his telepathy and magnetic field manipulation, Su Ye swiftly sealed the interrogation room, ensuring both mental and physical isolation.
"Alright, what did you find?"
Su Ye asked in a low voice.
He had seen the X-Men movies and remembered the plotlines from both timelines clearly.
The White Queen's storyline was limited to First Class, and by Days of Future Past, she was simply listed as deceased in the records.
Apparently, it was due to scheduling conflicts with the actress?
Su Ye wasn't entirely sure, but judging by the First Class post-credits scene where Magneto specifically broke her out of prison to recruit her, it seemed her role was intended to be more significant initially.
So, what hidden secrets could the White Queen possibly have? Something about the Black King, perhaps?
The Black King had lived for centuries, with yachts and submarines—luxuries of the wealthy. Could he have hidden a treasure somewhere along the Grand Line?
Or was it something about the White Queen's own mysterious background?
Looking at Sharon's serious expression, Su Ye couldn't help but speculate wildly.
Finally, Sharon glanced around one last time before leaning in close and whispering into Su Ye's ear.
"I've… regained my purity."
"What?"
Su Ye's brain momentarily short-circuited. Wasn't this supposed to be about the White Queen's secrets? What did she mean by regaining her purity?
Sharon's face flushed slightly.
"I meant I've regained my condition—like 'situation,' not the 'pure' kind of purity."
A single word's difference, yet worlds apart in meaning.
Su Ye instantly felt as if a lightning bolt had shot down his spine, delivering a critical hit to his lower back.
"This… is from the Extremis Virus?"
After a brief moment of numbness, Su Ye quickly pieced together the core of the issue.
The Extremis Virus could heal injuries, even regrowing severed limbs and removed organs.
So, did the so-called "indescribable barrier" count as an organ?
According to encyclopedias, it's an evolutionary mechanism in human females to protect against infections and serve as a barrier to test a suitor's ability.
Those who couldn't break through were deemed unworthy of leaving descendants.
However, in sociology, this barrier had been imbued with various symbolic meanings, becoming a fixation and aspiration for many.
In ancient times, lacking this "barrier" could lead to scorn from one's in-laws or even being cast out of the household.
In the modern age of advanced medicine, it's said that it can be surgically restored?
Su Ye hadn't looked into it before, but he immediately realized the Extremis Virus had yet another potential selling point.
A single dose of the Extremis Virus could not only heal bodily injuries but also save a tidy sum on surgical fees, granting many the chance to "experience" something they never had before.
Could this be considered a noble act of helping others fulfill their dreams?
Opposite him, Sharon nodded. "Yes, it's the Extremis Virus. And since I used the experimental version, the restoration effect isn't a one-time thing."
"Yikes!"
Hearing this, Su Ye sharply inhaled.
He'd only ever thought of the experimental Extremis Virus as a means to create super soldiers—fearless in battle, able to regenerate fully from even the most grievous injuries, so long as a skeleton remained.
He hadn't considered that it could also repeatedly restore someone's "purity."
Thankfully, Su Ye was a principled man with no particular fixation on the matter. He merely wished to discuss it with Sharon from a purely academic perspective.
For instance, would the restored barrier function identically to the original?
If it was a protective organ or tissue, would repeated destruction and restoration lead to its reinforcement?
Additionally, would the body's pain threshold during its "breaking" process decrease with repeated occurrences?
These were serious academic inquiries. If the results were ever made public, they could potentially cause societal upheaval.
Thus, Sharon's request to secure the interrogation room in advance was entirely justified.
This ensured complete confidentiality for their discussion.
One day and night passed.
By morning, Su Ye left the interrogation room while Sharon stayed behind to clean up, document their discussion and experimental data, and most importantly, rest.
Even with a body enhanced by the Extremis Virus, Sharon still experienced some physical and mental fatigue.
Meanwhile, with some downtime, Su Ye began planning his trip to Mount Myōboku.
With the system's help, he learned ninjutsu and sage arts quickly, but he still needed proper guidance—it wasn't something he could master through sheer imagination.
Thus, the journey to Mount Myōboku was imperative.
However, he planned to leave behind several clones to assist the Great Wall Guardians under the guise of low-ranking operatives.
While Su Ye was preparing for his trip, a new organization began to emerge in Los Angeles.
TechFaith, formally known as the Advanced Technology Divine Church, with the slogan "Technology Changes the Future."
This cult worshiped the God of Technology, a deity purportedly existing in the future.
Deities like Odin, who was actually an ancient alien mistaken for a god by primitive humans, continued to be revered through myths.
Many others were purely fictional, created by human imagination.
If others could fabricate gods rooted in the past like the Almighty or Allah, TechFaith could just as easily create a God of Technology for the future.
The future is uncertain—does that mean the God of Technology doesn't exist?
No. From the perspective of the God of Technology, time was merely a coordinate axis. He could alter it at will, appearing at any point along the timeline.
You might think the God of Technology exists only in the future, but in truth, he could exist at any point in time.
He merely symbolizes the future and the eventual end of the universe.
Entities bound to a single point in time—whether black holes or quantum realms—were mere trivialities in his eyes.
See? This seamlessly ties technology and religion together.
It's a classic Hollywood trick: using an unproven hypothesis as a basis to explain an even more fantastical narrative.
Though Hollywood was gone, its tradition of weaving such persuasive tales lived on.
I've presented it so grandly—you can accept aliens, you can accept the quantum realm, but dare you not accept the God of Technology?
If you can't wrap your head around time axes or quantum space, then maybe your IQ is the problem!
Join early, reap the benefits early! Join now and enjoy a seven-day free trial of our technological elixir, Future Water. Refer someone and get an extra day's supply for free. What are you waiting for? Join now!
Everyone around us has joined! We're all moving toward the future together. You young people wouldn't want to miss out on this vision, would you?
In his past life, Su Ye had known people who fell victim to Ponzi schemes run by financial scammers.
Those scammers, while despicable, had honed sales pitches worth studying by any marketing professional.
Starting with the elderly, they'd pull in family members, spreading like wildfire through villages and towns, quickly building a massive sales network.
Then they'd just sit back and wait for the money to roll in.
This exact method was perfect for Aldrich Killian to use in establishing TechFaith's initial market presence.
Once the first batch of followers was secured, the network would grow exponentially like a snowball, requiring minimal effort to sustain.
And that's exactly what happened.
The so-called Future Water, a technological miracle offered by TechFaith, was actually the single-use medical version of the Extremis Virus. Despite its cheesy name, its effects were genuinely remarkable.
For those with physical impairments, it could repair their bodies.
For those already healthy, it could make them even more perfect.
Taller stature, stronger muscles, more attractive faces, smoother skin, and broader chests—it could enhance all these traits.
In short, with Future Water, anyone could transform into their ideal version of themselves.
Thus, with the dual promotion of its doctrine and Future Water, TechFaith spread at an astonishingly rapid pace.
It felt like even the infamous Virus-19 hadn't spread this quickly.
Within just a few days, countless individuals left disabled by the Joker's bombings were able to regain their physical health.
Ordinary people who had been bullied or ostracized due to their appearance or physique also regained their confidence.
Even many nightclubs began offering "Barrier-Breaking Journeys" as a service.
Some of Su Ye's earlier notions were now becoming reality through Aldrich Killian and TechFaith's actions across Los Angeles.
And all of this was initially free.
Joining TechFaith granted a free one-week supply of Future Water, with an additional day for each new recruit—no limit.
For a considerable period, Los Angeles became the city with the highest happiness index in the U.S.
There were no disabled people, no unattractive men or women, and even no "secondhand" individuals.
Everyone was like a dragon; everyone had broken barriers.
The entire city seemed like a paradise, enjoying a blissful existence previously thought possible only in heaven.
That was until, a few weeks later, the first batch of TechFaith recruits exhausted their free supply of Future Water, and chaos finally broke out.
TechFaith wasn't a charity, and Future Water wasn't some bottled river water that could be sold without processing.
Running TechFaith required funds, and producing Future Water wasn't cheap either.
Thus, subsequent supplies of Future Water came at a cost.
The price wasn't exorbitant—just $99.90 for a day's dose.
This wasn't a random figure; in Iron Man Ultimate, the corrupted Tony Stark sold Extremis 3.0 at the same rate.
At $99.90 a day, it added up to less than $3,000 a month—a manageable expense for a city like Los Angeles with its relatively high wages.
However, after getting used to the free supply of Future Water, people naturally felt some resentment when they were suddenly asked to pay.
Moreover, many of the users were from the lower rungs of society, like gang members, who lacked stable incomes.
While they were more than willing to recruit others into TechFaith, coughing up $99.90 a day was beyond their means.
But what could they do when they lacked the spending power yet still craved a high-quality life?
Soon enough, a clown-faced Joker came along to offer them a solution.
"Broke? No problem. Either you take over the factory making Future Water and use it like tap water, or you find rich folks and take their money."
The gang members did try the first option, gathering large numbers and arming themselves.
But TechFaith's headquarters had defenses rivaling the Great Wall Guardians—guards who wouldn't die no matter how many times they were shot. The gangs couldn't break through.
So they resorted to the second option: robbing wealthy individuals!
It was the quickest way to get money.
Once the floodgates of robbery opened, chaos engulfed Los Angeles.
Countless broke gangsters, even homeless people and the jobless, joined the fray, looting shops, seizing goods, and stealing cash until everything was cleaned out.
Not all of them were after Future Water; many simply relished the thrill of looting.
After all, if everyone else was looting, why not join in?
The phenomenon of "zero-dollar shopping" became increasingly frequent across Los Angeles, escalating rapidly and even beginning to spread to other cities.
In theory, the Great Wall Guardians, stationed nearby, were the perfect candidates to intervene and restore order.
However, it wasn't clear whether recent explosions had made the U.S. doubt the Guardians' sincerity or if Alexander Pierce sensed the Guardians' counter-infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D., leading to heightened caution.
In any case, while Los Angeles descended into chaos, the Great Wall Guardians stationed at Malibu Beach had nothing to do.
They were so idle that they started planning a group trip to Asgard.
The idea of a trip was proposed and extended by Thor.
During his time on Earth, he had grown quite close with the Great Wall Guardians.
For now, Earth seemed relatively peaceful—on the surface, at least. Minor incidents involving Aldrich Killian and TechFaith didn't warrant the intervention of superheroes.
Coincidentally, news had come from Odin's side.
Previously, due to Loki's actions, Asgard's Bifrost Bridge was destroyed, causing chaos and unrest across the Nine Realms.
As Asgard's future king, Thor needed to return and lead its armies to restore order in the Nine Realms.
"If you're not busy, why not join me? I enjoy fighting alongside all of you, and I'm sure you feel the same."
Thor extended the invitation with a goofy grin.
"Besides, Asgard won't let your efforts go unrewarded. We'll provide compensation, and you'll get a free tour of the palace, plus a chance to experience the cultures of the Nine Realms."
"But most importantly, we'll get to fight side by side again, as comrades. That's what truly matters, isn't it?"
After Thor finished, the group was intrigued, though not necessarily for the sake of camaraderie.
Some were drawn by the promise of payment, others by the chance to tour Asgard, explore the Nine Realms' cultures, or simply out of curiosity about Asgardian technology.
In no time, a team of over a dozen "Great Wall Expeditionary Force" members was assembled.
Nearly the entire Great Wall Guardians roster was on board, including a fully recovered Natasha, the still-human Barton, and even Bruce Banner, who hadn't transformed in a long time.
With Earth seemingly "safe" for the time being, they decided to take advantage and head out on their adventure.