Magneto’s Demands

"Iron Man?"

The reporters were stunned. By comic-book convention, adding "man" to a name meant he was a Super Hero.

The reporters excitedly asked, "Mr. Wang, are you going to debut as a Super Hero?"

"Debut?"

Wang Bert was taken aback. I just wanted to mess around a little. He said, "Perhaps. Sorry, everyone, I need to take off my armor. You can go interview the president. He contributed quite a bit to today’s battle."

The billion dollars had all come from the president.

"The president?"

The reporters looked disdainful. They had seen perfectly clearly just how afraid of death the president was.

Hearing Wang Bert’s words, the president’s heart stirred. He walked up to the reporters and loudly declared, "Just now, under my leadership, mutants saved the world. I’m sure you all have plenty of questions for me."

"You led the mutants to save the world?"

The reporters were speechless. No wonder he could become president. His skin was unbelievably thick.

Wang Bert did not refute him and vanished in an instant. Seeing this, Wade hurriedly Teleported along with Wang Bert. He still had to return to his body.

In a corner of the island, the Nano Alloy covering Wang Bert rapidly retracted into the round plate at his waist. Wade stared in astonishment, gesturing wildly as if he wanted to say something.

With a wave of Wang Bert’s hand, Wade’s Soul separated from his body. Wade froze for a moment, then said, "I can finally talk, BOSS. You actually mastered nanotechnology? Wait, if you have nanotechnology, what was with all that industrial machinery earlier?"

Wang Bert smiled. "You didn’t see anything just now."

"But I clearly saw it, BOSS," Wade said excitedly. "Can you get me a set too? It was so cool—way better than that crappy body."

Wang Bert merely stared at Wade. Wade suddenly understood and said with an awkward grin, "BOSS, I didn’t see anything."

"Teachability is a virtue."

Wang Bert nodded in satisfaction. Then, he transferred Wade’s body over and tapped a finger. Wade flew back into his own body.

Wade climbed out of the transparent coffin and said, "BOSS, I heard there’s a tradition in the East. When an actor plays a corpse, the crew gives them a red envelope to ward off evil. I think that tradition is pretty good. Want to learn from it?"

"That’s not for warding off evil, it’s to dispel bad luck. I have to say, you really know a lot."

Wang Bert was speechless. He said, "Go back to the company tomorrow and pick up a check. Also, the Security Team made quite a splash tonight, so people will definitely start watching them. Be careful not to let CIA spies infiltrate."

"Don’t worry. No spy can infiltrate my team."

Wade said confidently, "By the way, can I tell the team members that the guy without a mouth was me? The original members are fine, but the new ones really aren’t happy about me being human.

"Actually, if it weren’t for your prestige, BOSS, they wouldn’t listen to my orders at all."

"Do as you like. It’s not a big deal."

Wang Bert waved his hand. "In a while, I’ll make a special device that lets you transform into Deadpool whenever you want."

"Deadpool? Great name. I like it."

Wade’s eyes lit up. Thinking of something, he asked, "By the way, BOSS, will there still be five hundred thousand in the future?"

Wang Bert asked with a half-smile, "What do you think?"

"Definitely not."

Wade sighed. Fortunately, he had gotten it this time. He could buy his wife a new car.

"Good that you know."

Wang Bert snorted. At that moment, Hank pushed the Professor over. The Professor said gratefully, "Bert, thank you for your help. Without you, Erik might have lured away some of the students this time."

"No need to be so polite. It was nothing."

Wang Bert said, "By the way, will Magneto run back to your place again?"

"No. Erik is too proud to do something like that."

The Professor shook his head and said, "Bert, I think Hank would be suitable for the position of Minister of the Mutant Affairs Department."

"Me, a minister?"

Hank was stunned. Thinking of something, he said bitterly, "Who would want a blue Beast as a minister?"

Wade laughed. "Buddy, I think you’re pretty cute. I can vote for you."

Hank was speechless. Should I say thank you?

"The person the Professor recommends can’t be wrong, and his image is quite fitting too. Once the president finishes his press conference, I’ll take Hank to talk with him."

Wang Bert said. In X-Men 3, the mutant minister had been Beast Hank. He should be up to the task.

However, Hank had no talent for schemes and conspiracies, and Acton, the president, had run circles around him.

"Are you serious?"

Hank was even more shocked. "Isn’t this too hasty? We’ve only just met."

"I trust the Professor."

Wang Bert smiled. "Although I don’t agree with his ideals, he loves mutants more than anyone else. He wouldn’t recommend someone unsuitable for the position of minister."

"That’s true."

Hank calmed down at those words. He said, "I don’t know whether I can do it, but I’ll do everything I can to be a good minister."

"That’s the spirit. I have high hopes for you."

Wang Bert laughed. In the future, Hank could change his name to Hank ‘Overtime Everyday’ McCoy.

With the matter settled, the Professor let out a sigh of relief. Thinking of something, he asked, "Bert, do you want to know what demands Magneto made of the president?"

Wang Bert asked, "You know?"

"I do."

Professor X the Peeping Tom smiled. "Erik made three demands. First, the American Government had to provide him with a large sum of money."

At this point, the Professor sighed inwardly. Running a household was not easy. Both he and Erik had to worry about money.

How could anyone be a leader without money?

Wang Bert nodded. "A perfectly normal demand. America has plenty of money, anyway."

"The second demand was to release all imprisoned mutants."

The Professor continued, "The president did not agree completely. He only agreed to release mutants with sentences of less than ten years. In addition, he agreed to return all Brotherhood mutants to Magneto."

"Release imprisoned mutants? Is something wrong with his brain?"

Wang Bert could not help but curse. Hank stared at Wang Bert in surprise, unable to understand why he was so furious.

"Once these mutant criminals are released, there’s an eighty percent chance they’ll commit crimes again. When that happens, the public’s attitude toward mutants will shift from sympathy back to disgust."

Wang Bert’s expression darkened. "That means all my efforts during this period will go down the drain."

Wade wholeheartedly agreed. "If mutants commit crimes every day, the public will definitely be extremely dissatisfied. How could the president agree to such an absurd condition?"

"Because he’ll be out of office soon. He has no scruples left."

The Professor sighed. "Bert, this is indeed terrible. Worse still, we can’t stop it. The anti-mutant faction in the government will definitely push for it."

"I’ll find a way to deal with it. I will never let Magneto destroy everything I’ve done."

Wang Bert snorted. "Professor, what was Magneto’s third demand?"

The Professor said, "He demanded that governments around the world enact policies forbidding experimentation on mutants. Anyone who violates it would be guilty of murder."

"That’s a good demand. Unfortunately, every country, along with all the major corporations, will definitely keep conducting experiments."

Wang Bert shook his head. By then, the president had finished the press conference, and Wang Bert brought Hank over to see him.

"Him as minister? Fine, whatever you say."

The president nodded readily. He was now very zen about everything. As long as it did not affect his interests, he did not care.

Hank was rather speechless. Wasn’t this far too hasty?

Wang Bert asked, "Mr. President, did you agree to Magneto’s demand to release mutant prisoners?"

The president nodded. "Yes. Don’t worry, I will honor my promise."

I’m not reassured in the slightest.

Wang Bert inwardly complained. He said, "Mr. President, these criminals are dangerous. They cannot be allowed back into society."

"The problem is, I already promised Magneto. As president, I can’t go back on my word."

The president frowned. Magneto was so terrifying that he did not dare break his promise. Otherwise, that man might control the Statue of Liberty and smash the White House with it.

Wang Bert thought for a moment and asked, "Mr. President, have you heard of reform through labor?"

"Of course. Mr. Wang, what do you have in mind?"

"Transfer the mutant prisoners to Universe Recycling Company for reform through labor. That way, even if Magneto wants to cause trouble, he’ll only come after me."

Wang Bert said. No matter what, he would not allow these mutants to return to society.

Perhaps because Wang Bert had saved his life, the president gave him a rare kindhearted warning. "Mr. Wang, you’ll be inviting trouble upon yourself. Magneto is not someone to provoke. And if you fail to supervise them properly, all the blame will fall on you."

"I’m prepared for that."

Wang Bert said, "Mr. President, I’ll keep a close eye on them. Also, Universe Recycling Company will be going public soon. I’ll reserve some founding shares for you. Universe Recycling Company is doing very well right now."

Hank blinked. Was this the legendary open bribery?

"In that case, I won’t say anything more. I’ll transfer the mutant prisoners to your company."

The president did not try to dissuade him further. Thinking of something, he asked, "By the way, Mr. Wang, my assistant called earlier and said that one billion dollars vanished from the treasury. They can’t trace where it went at all, but the records say that I withdrew it. Did you transfer that money away?"

"You took money directly from the treasury?" Hank stared at Wang Bert in astonishment. This was no small matter.

"I didn’t transfer it away. I don’t have that ability."

Wang Bert shook his head. "A mysterious entity took it. Of course, that was only possible because you agreed. Otherwise, even that mysterious entity could not touch the treasury’s money."

The president asked curiously, "A mysterious entity?"

"Yes. After I awakened my abilities, I formed a connection with that mysterious entity. As long as I sacrifice money, it helps me fulfill wishes."

Wang Bert made it up casually. "But it’s extremely expensive. Those two Super Portals earlier cost a full five hundred million dollars."

"That is indeed expensive."

The president deeply agreed. He asked, "What about the other five hundred million?"

Wang Bert said, "It became that armor. The armor was created by a bald scientist named Tony Stark from another world, and the mysterious entity gave it to me."

The president’s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked, "Mr. Wang, can you buy another one?"

Wang Bert shook his head. "No. The things the mysterious entity gives are random. If you want to specify something, the price rises by dozens of times."

"Dozens of times? Forget it, then. Even if I were willing to buy it, Congress wouldn’t approve it."

The president shook his head helplessly, then said with a headache, "I’ll probably have to explain this billion dollars for several days."

"Saving so many people for only one billion dollars was a huge bargain."

Wang Bert smiled. "Mr. President, this was all thanks to you."

The president’s eyes lit up, and he laughed loudly. "Of course. I was the one who signed my name."

"By the way, Mr. President, please don’t tell anyone else about my ability. Otherwise, they may target me."

Wang Bert said, "Also, this may not be over yet."

"It’s not over?"

The president was alarmed, and Hank’s expression turned grave as well. Wang Bert said, "Senator Cabo was only a pawn. There are others behind him. Something similar may happen again in the future."

"What do we do, then? Next time, you might not be by my side."

The president asked somewhat frantically. Ordinary people could not stop those monsters at all.

Wang Bert smiled. "Mr. President, would you like a mutant bodyguard? My Security Team would be happy to serve you."

"That can be arranged. Mr. Wang, I’ll have the Secret Service formally send an invitation to your Universe Recycling Company."

The president was overjoyed. With mutants protecting him, his safety would definitely improve greatly. More importantly, with Universe Recycling Company’s mutants around, Wang Bert certainly would not stand by and watch him die.

As for everything else, what did it have to do with him? He would leave office in a few months. Keeping himself alive was what mattered most.

"Mutant presidential bodyguards?"

Hank’s eyes lit up. If mutants became presidential bodyguards, the image of mutants would definitely improve greatly—if even the president trusted mutants, what reason did the rest of us have not to?

After discussing everything, the president pulled Hank before the reporters and loudly announced, "I hereby announce the official establishment of the Mutant Affairs Management Department. This Mr. Hank McCoy will serve as its first minister."

The reporters were greatly shocked and kept taking photographs of the president and the stiff-faced Hank. Thus, the Mutant Affairs Management Department was officially established.

Wang Bert silently drank a glass of wine. Everything was only just beginning.

"Shocking: Senator Cabo Intended to Kidnap the Presidents of Two Nations and Destroy the World"

"The Statue of Liberty Came to Life"

"I Am Iron Man"

"Magneto: Man or God?"

"America Saves the World Once Again"

"Bert Wang, the Strongest Mutant"

"Mutant Affairs Management Department Officially Established, Blue Beast Becomes Minister"

"President Suspected of Embezzling One Billion Dollars, Congress to Hold Hearings"

"President: I Led the Mutants to Save the World"

"President to Recruit Mutant Bodyguards"

The next day, the entire world was reporting on what had happened on Ellis Island. The public was utterly bewildered. I only slept for one night. How did the world nearly get destroyed?

After reading the newspapers, the public was even more shocked. The one who had wanted to destroy the world was actually Senator Cabo, the man who hated mutants. His reason had been especially absurd: it was all the world’s fault! What shocked them even more was that mutants had saved the world. Even the notorious Magneto had stepped in to help.

As the main force behind last night’s events, Wang Bert naturally became the center of attention. Countless people discussed his abilities and armor. That dazzling suit instantly won him a huge number of fans.

"BOSS, you’re more famous than I am now."

Psylocke held a stack of newspapers and sighed at Wang Bert. Wang Bert shrugged and said, "Can’t be helped. What can I say? I’m just too handsome. Come to think of it, I’m considering whether to officially debut as a Super Hero."