Trouble Caused by Public Displays of Affection

The real Mandarin and the Ten Rings had been snuffed out before they could even take the world stage. Their appearance had not caused much of a stir, and ordinary people would never connect the Chinatown bombing with the prisoner riot at Star Prison.

As for whether Tony would continue investigating, that was no longer Sean’s concern. He had casually dealt with the true leader of the Ten Rings, sparing Iron Man future trouble, then buried himself in Umbrella’s work.

After a long period of building up its strength, Umbrella had made tremendous leaps forward. Its scale and influence steadily expanded, its profits climbed higher and higher, and the world’s foremost scientific research team that Sean had once promised Dr. Connors had become a reality.

The original spire-like main building had undergone several expansions. Towering structures resembling raised sails had been added to either side, connected by a long, straight corridor. From afar, they looked like clustered mountain peaks. These were the research buildings for biological modification and genetic engineering, led respectively by Dr. Connors and Maya Hansen.

Researchers continued joining one after another. Some might have been S.H.I.E.L.D. spies or Hydra infiltrators, but under the Red Queen’s security measures, any improper schemes were difficult to carry out. Ordinary researchers and scholars could not access the core material at all, while senior management was likewise subject to information compartmentalization. With a loose exterior and tight interior, the moles planted within Umbrella were useless.

Instead, every so often, Blonsky, as head of security, would find some excuse to purge a batch of people. Some joined, some quietly left, and some disappeared forever. Such trivial matters did not require the young boss to worry about them.

When Sean established Umbrella, he chose three primary directions for the emerging research institution: biology, energy, and precision manufacturing. At present, they had already achieved enormous breakthroughs in biology. Whether in genetic medicine or biological modification, they were unquestionably among the world’s leaders. Energy and precision manufacturing had also yielded impressive results, especially the energy weapons developed by the Vankos, which had begun to be applied in cutting-edge fields.

The military provided a large number of orders for this purpose and signed a dedicated confidentiality agreement with the Department of Defense, deciding that both sides would share cutting-edge energy application technologies. Ivan Vanko had been hired as General Ross’s scientific adviser, free to enter and leave the Pentagon at any time, restoring the Vanko family’s former glory.

Its internal development had not slowed, nor had its external expansion. Umbrella continuously acquired new technologies and products through mergers and acquisitions across North America, Europe, and other regions, opening up broader markets. It also accepted commissions from government departments and charitable organizations, using them to settle large numbers of Mutants, promote the creation of communities, and foster a good living environment.

To that end, Sean spent thirty million dollars to purchase a twenty-thousand-acre plot in Westchester as a future settlement site. The local government readily approved the purchase permit. Those shrewd bureaucrats would never refuse something that actively contributed economic benefits.

In addition, Umbrella’s Rapid Response Team officially established a security company and reached a joint defense agreement with the New York Police Department, taking responsibility for coordinated security duties during serious incidents. They had Gwen’s father to thank for that. Ever since Commissioner George’s promotion, he had been worrying day and night over New York’s public safety.

The endless emergence of Superheroes and Supervillains was simply beyond the ability of ordinary police officers to handle. Yet Umbrella possessed a powerful security system established by teams of Mutants. Rumor had it that it could even stand against Asgardians. If Umbrella could serve as New York’s security guarantee, perhaps the city’s residents would have fewer complaints and grievances.

Umbrella grew rapidly in this manner, changing from a fragile infant learning to walk into something strong enough to weather storms. It ran steadily forward along a clear path, step by step, until the day it reached the finish line.

"Rome wasn’t built in a day. Take it slow."

Sean leaned back in a seat in the lounge, savoring a rich cup of coffee. He caught sight of Gwen striding over in a white uniform. Just as he was about to greet her, she gave a soft snort, pretended not to see him, and turned away.

The young man was rather confused. Had he been so busy with work lately that he had neglected the gentle and lovely Miss Stacy?

Ever since he had gone to Asgard and fought Thanos, he had spent around three months in Sokovia gaining a deeper mastery of the Mind Stone, then dealt with the Ten Rings and Killian. Come to think of it, it really had been a long time since the two of them had properly enjoyed time alone together.

"Don’t you know what you did?" Maya Hansen shot Sean a look. "Next time you give gifts, remember to buy a few more."

Watching Ms. Hansen’s swaying figure gradually disappear, Sean seemed to remember something. He took out his phone and opened Betty’s Twitter. Sure enough, there was a photo of a gemstone ring, accompanied by the caption: "Thank you, my dearest." It was undoubtedly an unabashed public display of affection.

The most frightening part was that Betty had even tagged him. Looking at the rows of well-wishes below, Sean could not help but develop a headache.

And Tony Stark and Harry Osborn, those two bastards with nothing better to do, had actually reposted it together with meaningful expressions, as though they had only stopped short of saying, "Remember to send me an invitation when you get married."

No wonder Gwen had ignored him. If Jean were still on Earth, she might have been on her way over with a knife right now. Although Phoenix did not care much about such things, women could be unimaginably terrifying when they got serious.

Sean rubbed his brow. A few days ago, he had happened to arrange dinner with Betty. He had also just acquired ten rings from the Mandarin. After studying them carefully for some time, he had extracted portions of their advanced technology, such as energy conversion and matter transformation, which produced effects similar to Kamar-Taj’s secret magic.

Later, realizing he had no use for them himself, he simply remolded one, cut and carved it, and gave it to Betty as a gift to please her. The ring itself also possessed various abilities, including tracking and mental imprinting effects.

He had originally planned to give one to each of them as proof of their intimate relationship. Who could have expected Betty to strike first and openly flaunt their affection? It was practically a silent challenge directed at everyone else.

So, not everyone could manage a harem. One careless step, and they would have to face an asura field.

Sean sighed helplessly and took a sip of coffee. Perhaps he could invite everyone over tonight and have an honest talk, speak from the heart, and clear up any unnecessary misunderstandings.

Saving the world and preventing my backyard from catching fire—I was carrying pressures no one my age should have to bear, he thought.