69novels Chapter 105 Who is in charge of the Avengers Project?
Chapter 105 Who is in charge of the Avengers Project?
Chapter 105 Who is in charge of the Avengers Project?
"I'm sorry, I'm useless."
The voice coming from the other end of the phone sounded like someone who had just crawled out from under the covers after being cooped up for a long time.
"I'm just a nerdy guy who loves the internet and technology, what a loser."
Li En sat by the window of the Umbrella laboratory, his back against the window frame, one foot on the chair, and his phone to his ear.
Outside the window, sparks from welding were falling from the construction site, and through the double-pane glass, only a very faint hissing sound could be heard.
He didn't interrupt, just held the phone and listened quietly.
Barron's voice continued.
Last night, Umbrella Corporation's security system was breached.
Without even a probe, they broke through head-on.
The other party bypassed the firewall protocol he had written himself, leaving no trace of triggering alarms on any of the intrusion detection nodes.
He only discovered it when he started browsing the core database.
In less than a minute, the defense system he had painstakingly built was completely dismantled.
Barron pursued the other party's trail throughout the night, switching between three different tracking scripts and identifying several potential source IP addresses.
Then he stared at the screen, his fingers hovering over the keyboard, hesitant to press the confirm key.
Those addresses were so clean that every time he looked at them, he became even more certain of one thing:
The other party is fully capable of making it impossible for him to even touch his tail.
These addresses were most likely intentionally left for him to see.
He couldn't tell if it was a smokescreen or a provocation.
He typed every single line of code for the company's security system himself.
From the very beginning when we didn't even have a dedicated server and could only borrow the police station's computer to run simulations, to later when Li En set up a separate network security room for him behind the school, allowing him to submit his procurement list for all the equipment.
This system is his answer sheet.
Now this answer sheet was torn to pieces in just one minute, and the other party even had time to stomp on the pieces a couple of times.
"Boss." Barron's voice was muffled, as if something was blocking it, and he forced it out of the receiver.
Am I really that useless? You've poured all the best resources into me.
"I ask for whatever I want, and you give it to me without ever asking the price."
"Last month I said I wanted to set up a parallel computing array, and the goods were delivered to the lab door the next afternoon."
"Every piece of equipment and every component I mentioned has been provided without fail."
His voice finally gave way, transitioning from hoarse to a muffled, tearful tone.
"But I still handed in this one—this one that failed."
"I know better than anyone how important the information inside Umbrella is."
"If that vampire blood analysis data were to leak out, if someone were to take the formula for that dragon blood potion—I don't even want to think about it."
"I'm such a loser, boss."
Li En remained in the position of listening to the phone, her back against the window, her lips still, and her breathing steady.
The sobbing on the other end of the phone gradually subsided, and the crying broke into a few intermittent deep breaths.
He then switched the phone to the other ear and began to speak.
"Barron, you did make a mistake this time, so I will have expectations for you."
"Tell me, boss." Barron's voice was still trembling, but his response was almost reflexive, without any hesitation. "I'll accept any punishment."
"Study, keep improving, elevate your professional skills to the top of the industry, and ensure that this never happens again."
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone before Barron's voice came through again.
"Yes, boss."
Li En hung up the phone and placed it on the windowsill.
Sparks from the welding torches were still falling outside the window as the construction team worked to erect the steel frame of the second teaching building before the rainy season.
He looked at it for a moment, then looked away.
These days, research inevitably carries the risk of data theft once it is recorded.
That's why when he first met Barron at the police station, he immediately decided to give him individual resources to help him grow.
Barron's intuition in cybersecurity is innate; the ability to spot abnormal patterns in data streams at a glance cannot be acquired through training.
But this time the opponent is different: Jarvis.
Built by Tony Stark himself, this super AI boasts a computing speed measured in trillions of operations per second.
One is a self-taught genius who excelled in his studies in the basement of a police station; the other is an artificial intelligence with near-infinite computing power and the world's most advanced algorithms.
This isn't a matter of individual skill gaps; it's a generational crushing defeat.
It was breached; there was nothing that could be done about it.
"Is Barron feeling better?" Connors walked over with two cups of coffee, stopped by the window, and handed one to Li En.
"That child's self-esteem has been completely torn apart and trampled this time."
He knows how Barron feels right now.
"It's okay, Barron can adjust on his own." Li En took a sip of coffee, her tone indifferent.
Knock, knock, knock, the sound of knocking on the door rang out.
Three taps, neither too light nor too heavy.
The laboratory door was pushed open.
Natasha walked in front, her hand still on the doorknob. She glanced around the room before stepping aside.
Coulson followed her in, a gentle smile on his face that was impossible to refuse.
At the very back, Tony Stark, with one hand in his trouser pocket and the other carrying a silver-gray metal briefcase, glanced at the equipment in the lab and immediately frowned.
As soon as Tony walked in, he put his suitcase on the worktable next to him and walked straight toward the Dragon's Blood Medicine production line that was in operation.
He bent down and stared at the conveyor belt of the filling machine for about ten seconds, then reached out and tapped the casing of the centrifuge next to him.
"Your equipment here is too primitive. The accuracy of this temperature control system is ridiculously poor, and the filling port doesn't even have an automatic calibration module. I'll upgrade everything for you."
He walked over to the microscope next to him, looked down through the eyepiece, and when he straightened up, his expression was as if he had just taken a bite of an expired sandwich.
Then he turned his head and saw the Osborn Group logo printed on the side of the incubator, and his lips curled down slightly.
"No wonder it's so rubbish, it turns out it's Osborne's stock."
He straightened up and gestured with his chin toward Banner and Connors.
"I've already had people moving in. The new centrifuges, mass spectrometers, gene sequencing platform, and a complete automated bioreactor system will arrive within half an hour."
"Replace all the equipment in this lab that you can name."
"Trust me, you will be satisfied with the new machine. Stark Industries' medical research department is using the same model."
Tony walked up to Banner and extended his right hand.
"Tony Stark."
"Bruce Banner." Banner pushed his goggles up to his forehead and reached out to shake hands.
Then he turned to Connors and reached out again.
"Tony Stark."
"Connors." As Connors grasped the hand, his eyes were still glancing at the open door behind Tony.
There was indeed the roar of a truck engine approaching from outside.
Finally, Tony came up to Lee without introducing himself, his hands still in his pockets, and a faint smile on his face.
"It's nice to see you again, Officer Lee."
Without saying a word, Li En pulled out an alien detection spray from his pocket and sprayed it twice on Tony's face.
The fine mist fell on Tony's forehead and nose, but he didn't even blink.
Three seconds passed, and the skin color did not change at all.
Tony showed no anger after being sprayed twice. Instead, he turned around and looked expectantly at Coulson and Natasha, who were standing in the center of the laboratory.
Li En got up and walked over, spraying each of them with water.
After waiting for a while, nothing unusual happened.
He put the spray back in his pocket, stood in front of Coulson, and spoke calmly.
"What's the matter?"
Coulson's smile froze for a fraction of a second when Lee took out the spray, but it has now returned to its standard professional curve.
"Actually, there's something I'd like to discuss with Officer Lee in person, but we can put our business on hold for now—Mr. Tony has something more important to talk to you about."
Lee turned around and went back to Tony.
"How can I help you, Mr. Tony?"
Tony walked to the window and gestured with his chin toward the construction site.
"Stark Group is preparing to invest in Umbrella Schools."
"The school is not short of money at the moment."
Regarding schools alone, the federal government's renovation grant, plus subsequent infrastructure donations from the Osborne Group, is substantial.
The money in the account is enough to complete all the planned buildings, and there is still enough to cover several years of operating capital.
Li En wasn't just being polite.
"Don't rush to refuse. I'll offer 200 billion for just 5% of Umbrella's shares."
As soon as he finished speaking, four gasps of shock came from behind Tony.
Banner nearly dropped the data tablet in his hand, Connors' glasses fell half an inch off his nose, and Coulson's lips twitched.
Natasha removed her hands from the holster on her thighs, crossed her arms, and took another look at Tony's profile.
Umbrella Corporation is not currently a publicly traded company.
He owns only two businesses: Umbrella School, which is a non-profit organization that only spends money and does not generate income.
The port operating rights were under a three-year contract signed by Mayor Morris, with rent and government revenue sharing making up the majority of the profits.
There was nothing else.
Even if we factor in all future market expectations and multiply by the most optimistic valuation model, the maximum we can reach is a few tens of billions.
A mere 5% stake for 200 billion would effectively raise Umbrella's valuation to 4 trillion.
This isn't an investment, it's giving away money.
"Mr. Tony, tell me your purpose. You don't like beating around the bush, do you?"
Lee En did not turn around to look at Banner and Connors.
The two people behind him were already frantically gesturing to him.
Banner gestured with his hands as if raising them upwards, while Connors took off his glasses and put them back on, his lips moving rapidly.
It was probably a silent repetition of the words "please agree quickly".
"I know the Osborn Group has already signed a cooperation agreement with you, spending 100 million to buy one dose of Dragon Blood Potion. I want one too."
""
"In addition to the right to use all the upgraded versions you develop later, this 200 billion is not only an investment, but also the foundation for our long-term cooperation."
Tony laid his purpose bare on the table, his tone as matter-of-fact as when he had tapped the centrifuge casing earlier.
Li En did not answer; he shifted his gaze downwards, landing on Tony's chest.
The arc-shaped reactor shone through the cotton fabric of the shirt, casting a faint blue-white halo around the center of the chest.
He stared at that spot for a few seconds, then looked up and met Tony's gaze.
Tony's expression shifted from the relaxed demeanor of a business negotiation to a subtle change that conveyed surprise and a complex mix of admiration and wariness.
"You seem to know a lot about my health?"
"No need to understand. If someone has a reactor stuck in their chest, even if those two scientists don't explain it to me, it would be strange if they said there were no problems with their body."
Lee En's tone remained unchanged.
He lowered his head and thought for a moment. Two hundred billion was indeed important to Umbrella at this stage, but it was far from being indispensable.
Once the production line for Dragon's Blood Pharma is up and running, Umbrella Pharmaceuticals' cash flow will catch up to this figure in a very short time.
In comparison, Tony Stark's own collaborative value far outweighs that string of zeros.
Arc reactor technology, the engineering expertise accumulated by the Mark armor, and the computing power support from Jarvis.
These things cannot be bought with money.
Li En raised her eyes again and looked at Tony.
"Cooperation is possible; we can provide Dragon Blood Potion and its upgraded versions."
"But I have one condition: help the Hellsword Squad make a batch of armor."
"Of course, you don't need the specifications you're wearing. Just enough to withstand rocket launchers and head-on firefights with aliens is sufficient."
Then he turned to look at Coulson, who was standing in the center of the laboratory, his voice unchanged.
"Those guys wouldn't even be able to protect New York, let alone the Earth."
"I completely agree with that." Tony turned around, facing Coulson and Natasha, and nodded seriously.
After Nick Fury left his villa last night, he had Jarvis pull out all the information related to S.H.I.E.L.D. and go through it.
Public and private archives, old files that have been declassified and thrown into the Library of Congress archives, and fragmented files with inconsistent encoding formats dug out from the corners of the dark web.
Jarvis used every possible bypass query permission, but the final result he pieced together was very limited.
Most of them were just operation codes and vague record summaries.
There are some information about the international conflicts they've been involved in, the supernatural events they've handled, and the names and photos of the agents.
Coulson, Melinda, Natasha, Clint Barton, and several other code names whose personnel files have been interrupted.
But in an organization like S.H.I.E.L.D., where secrecy is its primary principle, its director was actually replaced by an alien, and even his closest senior agents didn't realize it.
This is no longer a matter of secrecy.
This means that even the most basic foundation of trust has been hollowed out.
How many people in the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters are actually human?
Aliens can transform into Fury, they can transform into deputy director, department head, or any clerk you pass by in the hallway.
Push it out one more step —
How many of these shapeshifting aliens have infiltrated government agencies, the military, and multinational corporations?
Tony stood under the fluorescent lights of the Umbrella Laboratory, running through these deductions in his mind again, and then he reached out his hand to Lee.
"It's a pleasure working with you."
Li En reached out and grabbed it, shaking it twice.
Tony didn't let go; he leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice.
"Where did you get the materials for that vibranium short sword?"
"You don't know? There's a country in Africa called Wakanda, where vibranium is sold by the ton." Li En loosened his grip, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"I'm actually quite curious why you don't just use vibranium to make the armor."
"If you had been wearing vibranium armor that night, you could have torn the Iron Monger to pieces with your fists alone. There would have been no need for me to finish it off with those two blows."
"By the ton?" Tony's voice rose several octaves in those three words.
He immediately reached out and tapped the extremely thin bone conduction headset above his right ear. "Jarvis, search Wakanda."
Jarvis's voice flowed into his ear canal through the headset, the volume controlled so that only he could hear it.
"Wakanda is a landlocked country in East Africa. Its officially registered exports are textiles and agricultural products. It is ranked as a low-to-middle-income country in the United Nations Human Development Index."
"No geographical features or economic records related to vibranium were found in public databases and global news archives."
Tony paused for a moment, then lowered his fingers from the headset and stared at Lee's face.
"Do you have connections over there?"
"No, I just picked it up from there when I was traveling there. You can try it too." Li En smiled.
Tony stared at that smile for a while, then decided to leave the topic alone for the time being.
He's not stupid. If Wakanda really counted vibranium by the ton, Jarvis would have searched through all the public and semi-public databases and still not found a single clue.
It's definitely not as simple as just going in on a tourist visa for a quick visit.
Lee En pointed to the area above Tony's right ear.
"By the way, last night, your Jarvis made my technical advisor cry all day."
"I hope you can get him one too, so he can learn some advanced technology. He can't always be beaten without being able to fight back."
"Technology isn't something that's easy to master," Tony said, then looked down to think for a moment before speaking to the empty space beside him.
"Jarvis, assess Umbrella's security system from last night."
"Sir, Umbrella's security system demonstrates a high degree of originality in its architectural design."
"Their firewall's deep packet inspection logic and the way intrusion trapping paths are arranged both exceed the security standards of the vast majority of medium-sized enterprises worldwide."
"The people who designed this system did a very clever job under extremely limited resources."
After listening, Tony turned his head and nodded towards Lee.
"Alright, I agree."
Coulson waited on the side the whole time.
He saw Tony take two steps back and begin to examine the power wiring next to the incubator.
Li En picked up the coffee that had gone cold from the windowsill and took a sip.
The two of them had clearly finished discussing their serious business.
He then stepped forward, stopped in front of Li En, and switched his smile to a more serious mode.
"Mr. Li En, although we are not clear on the specific source of your intelligence."
"However, please allow me to formally extend an invitation: join the Avengers program."
"The Earth is fragile and needs capable people to stand up and protect it."
"Even if you die, the Earth won't die; it's not as fragile as you say."
Li En placed the coffee cup on the windowsill, the bottom of the cup landing on the tiled surface with a very soft sound.
He turned to face Coulson, his hands in his pockets, his gaze calm.
"First, you need to tell me clearly who is in charge of this project."
"Is it the United Nations? S.H.I.E.L.D.? Or—Hydra?"
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