Simmons’s Secret Research

How much was a trustworthy elite S.H.I.E.L.D. agent worth?

How much was a Super Hero’s life worth?

What about a high-ranking government official—or even his own life?

With lives at stake, Egghead knew perfectly well that none of this could be calculated. But he had to weigh the costs, or there would be no way to bargain.

S.H.I.E.L.D. was not exactly flush with cash either. He had always been extravagant, so their liquid funds were not actually that substantial. On top of that, Master Wang had swindled them out of quite a bit. What remained had to be used to train secret agents and build secret bases.

People always said it was hard working under someone else. In truth, being the one in charge was no easier.

"How much?" Egghead asked.

Old Wang thought for a moment.

A five-meter-long Dragon Bone tailbone had been exchanged for 0.1 grams of Azeroth Blood, worth around one billion dollars.

That piece of Dragon Bone had been extremely heavy. Calculated carefully, one gram of Dragon Bone was worth more than a thousand dollars, around one-seventh or one-eighth the price of Vibranium.

Even without supplementary materials, 250 grams of Dragon Bone should be enough to resurrect one person. That came to 250,000 dollars.

An accidental death among construction workers at a job site would not even receive that much compensation. Most likely, it would only be half that amount. Women and the elderly would receive less than half. Anything became worthless when there was too much of it, and people were no exception.

Of course, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and other more important people were definitely worth far more than that, so…

"Ten thousand dollars per gram."

Old Wang said calmly, "No bargaining."

"Why don’t you just rob me?" Egghead blurted out.

A tiny piece weighing two kilograms would cost twenty million dollars?

Egghead did not know what to say. This Immortal Iron Fist was truly ruthless—his heart was even blacker than Egghead’s face.

I’m not Black. You’re the Black one!

Old Wang smiled without saying anything.

Buy it or don’t. If Egghead did not buy it, someone else naturally would—such as those wealthy people on the verge of death.

Forget 2.5 million dollars.

Even if it cost 2.5 billion dollars to buy one life, they would be willing!

Of course, there were still side effects, but compared to death, they were pitifully minor.

Possessions were not worth regretting. Life was the most important thing.

The closer one came to death, the more clearly one understood that.

"Okay, I want ten kilograms." Egghead wanted to buy more, but he could not afford it. There was not that much liquid capital, and he still had other matters to account for.

Besides, although Master Wang could run away but his shop could not, so he probably would not cheat them, what if he did?

They would send it for testing first!

There should still be residual bone powder on the Resurrection Coffin. A comparison would reveal whether it was genuine.

If it really worked, they could buy more after the next batch of funding arrived.

"I’ll throw in the extra for free. Come back after you’ve had your fill."

Old Wang picked through several hundred fragments of Dragon Bone, selected one that weighed just over ten kilograms, and casually tossed it to Egghead, making him scramble to catch it.

That was one hundred million dollars, equivalent to one percent of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s annual budget. Even if a speck the size of a fingernail fell off, it would hurt!

"Anything else?" Old Wang was ready to see him out.

"No." Egghead could not wait another second. He was eager to take the Dragon Bone away and have it specially delivered to Tahiti Island.

With the Kree corpse, the Resurrection Coffin, and now the Dragon Bone, he believed the Tahiti Project would soon make progress. Extending life and returning from death would no longer be a dream. He still wanted to live another five hundred years for the safety of the world.

Black Widow was his bodyguard. Although she really wanted to talk with Old Wang about qi, there was obviously no time now. They could talk electronically later.

The two soon drove away in Egghead’s Chevrolet "Air-Conditioning Works Great" Suburban SUV.

Fitz and Simmons carried their luggage into the shop, looking somewhat lost and unsure what they were supposed to do.

Coming from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Science and Technology Division to the Azeroth Specialties Shop, they felt rather out of place. It felt too much like everyday life.

"What are your thoughts? For example, what would you like to research?" Old Wang asked with a smile after taking a sip of tea.

The Darkhold was not omnipotent. It only contained so much knowledge, and much of it was quite obscure.

Although Fitz and Simmons were among the world’s finest young scientists, they were still several levels below people like Pym-Hank and Banner. Understanding the Darkhold would not be easy for them.

Lucy and the others were not bad either, yet they had been researching it for years. No matter how brilliant Fitz and Simmons were, they could not possibly produce results in just a few months.

Furthermore, the Darkhold seemed mainly related to quantum mechanics—or rather, physics—which suited Fitz better.

Simmons held dual doctorates in biology and chemistry, so it was not her field.

They were not going to work for a government department or some company. Crossing into another field was like crossing a mountain.

"The Laboratory is currently focused on brain mapping and memory uploading. In the future, it will also conduct research related to virtual technology, quantum computers, and dimensional space."

After Old Wang’s brief introduction, Fitz and Simmons exchanged looks. Both saw the astonishment in the other’s eyes.

Everything Mr. Wang had mentioned was among the most cutting-edge research directions of the present day. S.H.I.E.L.D. had also dabbled in them, but nowhere near enough.

Take quantum technology research, for instance. The world’s leading scientists in that field were all at Pym Technologies, and Dr. Pym-Hank himself was one of the best among them. Yet even Pym Technologies had not managed to develop a true quantum computer.

What kind of laboratory was this, to be so advanced?

Could it have government backing?

"I’m very interested in these fields. I hope I can take part," Fitz said excitedly.

"I… want to continue researching Azeroth Essence." Simmons looked at Old Wang, her eyes full of longing, along with a hint of concern.

She had heard that Azeroth Essence was extremely expensive—absurdly so. A tiny, inconspicuous amount cost tens of millions of dollars.

Something this expensive required a huge quantity for research, and there was no guarantee of results. Even S.H.I.E.L.D. might not be able to afford it. Could Mr. Wang?

"Of course, but not right now."

Old Wang smiled and winked. "Believe me. At my laboratory, research projects are the one thing you will never lack. Endless unknowns will drive you to pursue knowledge. I think that’s exactly what you want, isn’t it?"

The two looked at each other again, then nodded heavily.

This job change had been the right choice. They were not going back!

That afternoon, Robbie drove Fitz and Simmons to the airport.

Two hours later, their plane arrived in San Juan, where Eli personally picked them up.

With the funding in place, Eli had specifically rented an abandoned factory building in a sparsely populated suburb. After a brief renovation, it had been put into use and looked quite presentable.

With Fitz’s arrival, Darkhold Laboratory’s research into brain mapping and memory uploading entered a new chapter.

This young scientist who had been parachuted in took over as the head of a research team on his first day. He quickly won everyone over with his profound scientific knowledge, and coupled with their awe of Old Wang as the boss, no one dared object.

Simmons did not begin research on Azeroth Essence, also known as Well of Eternity Water essence.

This special substance, a form of liquefied energy, was extremely difficult to research successfully. Simmons was not yet qualified.

She took up a new project and became the sole member of a research group that currently had only one person. As soon as she entered the laboratory, she opened the combination case she had brought with her.

Resting on soft purple velvet was a piece of Dragon Bone.

It weighed a full twenty kilograms.

One week later.

The corpses of the Five Fingers of The Hand arrived in San Juan through secret channels, personally escorted by Robbie.

They were delivered into Simmons’s hands.

Thanks to Ziyuan882 for the 200 reward!