Hydra’s Reckless Beginning

The next day.

Lake arrived at the Homeland Building. When he entered his office, he called his assistant, Tiffany, in.

After Tiffany entered, she looked at Lake, who was sitting in his chair, and blinked.

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing."

Assistant Tiffany first shook her head, then said, "Sir, I feel like you’re different."

Lake raised an eyebrow, looked at Tiffany, and smiled, "Really? Then don’t fall for me like a moth to a flame."

Tiffany rolled her eyes, "Don’t worry, Sir, I won’t. Besides, I have a boyfriend."

Lake nodded, "That’s good."

As he spoke.

Lake took out a wrapped gift box from his drawer and handed it to Tiffany.

"Is it still the London address?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

Just like last year, Tiffany took the gift, which needed to arrive in London by the nineteenth, and said to Lake, "Sir, is there anything else?"

Lake opened the file on his desk, "No, thank you for your trouble."

Tiffany smiled, turned, and left.

A while later.

Lake received a message from the Homeland Operations Center, got up, and walked out of his office. His assistant, Tiffany, was already holding the gift and preparing to mail it.

It was a birthday gift. Her birthday was on September 19th, and Lake prepared a gift to send every year around this time. Of course, they weren’t very expensive.

After all…

Lake was poor.

Homeland Operations Center.

"Jack!"

"Boss."

After Lake walked in, Jack gave a briefing and then pointed to John Wick’s house, which was being monitored by real-time satellite on the big screen. "Just now, we intercepted a phone call."

The intercepted call information was immediately played by the Homeland agents.

"…Hello?"

"John!"

"Will, God, where are you?"

"Hoo, hoo, hoo… I know the truth. It’s them, this is all their conspiracy."

"…Who? Where are you?"

"Amarillo. I have to hang up. I’ll call you when I get to a safe place."

"Hello, hello, hello!"

"…"

The Homeland agents immediately projected a map of Amarillo, Texas, onto the big screen and said, "Sir, we’ve already notified Texas Homeland Security and local police to be on the lookout."

"Have the location information been pinpointed?"

"No."

"The call duration wasn’t enough for a precise location, but we can confirm the signal was transmitted from a broadcasting station in the San Horn Area, west of the Amarillo region."

"Boss, look."

Lake followed Jack’s finger. Under the satellite surveillance, John Wick hugged his wife, Karen, and then got into his car and left.

"New York Airport flights have captured John Wick purchasing a ticket to Amarillo."

"Do we need to intercept, Sir?"

"Let him go."

"Yes."

After Lake said that, he thought for a moment, then turned and walked out. "Tell David I’m going to Texas. If anything comes up, call me."

Jack was stunned for a moment. As he turned to stop Lake, Lake had already disappeared from the Homeland Operations Center.

Without a doubt.

This was likely a trap set by Hydra.

Normally, Lake would choose not to go and avoid this trap. After all, Texas was very close to Heaven, but at the same time, Hell was right next door in Texas.

But…

If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

Cowards are dogs.

Besides.

Lake received a very interesting call last night, and he also had some matters to attend to in Texas to understand the situation, to see if Mephisto was indeed dead in reality.

Don’t forget, Texas is the preferred vacation spot for that Hell Monarch.

Since this Will Wick appeared in Texas, it’s clear that Hydra’s cloning base shouldn’t be far away. Operating a base right next to the Hell Monarch to snatch souls from hell, good heavens, doesn’t that hot-tempered Hell Monarch have any reaction at all?

Exiting.

Getting in the car.

"Tony."

Lake called Tony Stark while driving to the New York airport: "How’s it going on your end?"

Before Hydra began paying tribute to the Immortal Consortium, Tony Stark hadn’t been idle either. He had Jarvis infiltrate various channels to understand this potential cloning technology.

After all, Hydra wouldn’t treat this technology as their own. Without a doubt, Hydra would also use this cloning and eternal life technology as a bargaining chip to attract certain individuals.

Like those wealthy people who were terminally ill?

Hydra had extensive resources. Although their members were all firm in their beliefs, engaging in life-threatening work couldn’t develop secretly and stably with only faith and no financial incentives.

As expected.

Tony had, half a month ago, investigated a Russian billionaire who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given only six months to live. Suddenly, he reappeared in the public eye, fully revitalized overnight, claiming he had found a matching heart and had successfully recovered. Simultaneously, five hundred million US Dollars from his accounts had quietly disappeared after a series of transfers.

So, Tony had been digging into this Russian billionaire for the past few days.

"I found a very interesting photo."

"…My phone doesn’t have the function to receive that."

"I know, so I’ve transferred it to your car’s computer."

"…"

Lake looked at the photo of a naked, fat dead man that suddenly appeared on his car’s central control screen. His brow twitched. Even though the fat man had naked Russian models lying on either side of him, it didn’t change the fact that it was an eyesore.

I knew I couldn’t trust high-tech.

It’s too easy to hack.

"Interesting?"

Lake snapped back to reality and chuckled: "Stark, I didn’t expect your definition of interesting to be so unique."

Tony on the other end of the phone was momentarily stunned, then said, "Look at his chest."

The photo on the central control screen was also remotely zoomed in on a specific area.

The heart area.

Lake glanced at it and raised an eyebrow: "He’s a clone too?"

The Russian billionaire, lying naked on the bed with women on both sides, had a perfectly intact chest. There wasn’t the slightest trace of surgical sutures from a heart replacement operation.

But…

Lake said, "Are you sure that among the black technologies that only you rich people know about, there isn’t one that allows for heart replacement without opening the chest, or some surgery that can make you perfectly healthy?"

This was the Marvel Universe, where black technology ran rampant. Cloning technology had already appeared, who knew what other incredible black technologies might exist.

Tony said, "No. Moreover, I had Jarvis access all his medical records, but similarly, there wasn’t the slightest trace of any surgery on his body. I also found that after this guy reappeared, he fired all the private doctors he had previously hired and refused any medical examinations on him."

Lake stroked his chin: "Alright, did you find anything else? I just received news that the scientist who absconded with your 8.7 million US Dollar equipment has appeared in Texas."

Tony stood up from his seat: "Where are you now?"

Lake immediately said, "You can’t go."

"What."

"This is a trap set for me."

"…A trap?"

"Yes!"

As Lake spoke, he turned the car onto the road leading directly to the New York airport, and then said to Tony on the phone, "However, this is also an opportunity for us."

This move by Hydra was a good one.

By using Will Wick to create such a trap, they could either lure Lake in, or lure Tony Stark in.

After all, this trap was centered around the Howard Stark couple’s case. Hydra likely assumed that Lake and Tony had allied to investigate this case together.

If Lake didn’t go, undoubtedly, Tony Stark would probably receive a photo showing the Winter Soldier also appearing in Texas. Given Tony Stark’s personality, he would definitely go.

Just then.

On the top floor of Stark Industries Building.

Jarvis suddenly spoke up, "Sir, in Bushland Town, Texas, a surveillance camera captured Bucky Barnes."

Tony snapped back to attention, "Bring it up."

Soon.

A photograph, captured by a surveillance camera in Bushland Town, Texas, was projected. In it, Bucky Barnes, with his distinctive metal arm, walked expressionlessly past the camera.

Lake, after driving his vehicle directly into the hangar and turning off the engine, chuckled as he listened to the conversation on the phone. "See, if you went, I guarantee you’d disappear, and then, before long, a brand new Tony Stark would appear."

This is nothing like the Hydra I imagined.

Damn it.

Which version of Hydra plays this wildly? One of him isn’t enough, and they’re planning to kill two birds with one stone, both eliminating Lake Edwin and taking over Stark Industries?

Seriously.

Even though S.H.I.E.L.D. is also yours, can you at least show some respect for S.H.I.E.L.D.?

Lake complained weakly. However, the reason Hydra dared to do this was quite simple. S.H.I.E.L.D. was currently in the stage where Nick Fury had just taken charge. Like a newly appointed company manager, it would take some time to gain complete control of the company, let alone S.H.I.E.L.D.

Now that Nick Fury had just taken power, after a year, or after Nick Fury had replaced people in all key positions with his own, Hydra would probably not dare to be so reckless.

Right now, it was perfect. If you’re going to catch one fish, why not catch two?

Killing Lake would undoubtedly eliminate Hydra’s most potential threat. But as long as Tony Stark, who knew the truth, was still alive, sooner or later, with Tony Stark’s wealth and Stark Industries’ scale, Bucky Barnes would be targeted by Tony Stark if he wasn’t careful.

If Bucky Barnes were to be completely hidden away, then what would be the point of Hydra protecting him so fiercely?

No.

It wasn’t Hydra protecting him fiercely, but one person protecting him fiercely.