~Fifth Avenue, Manhattan – The Grizzly Club~
This was a private members-only club, designed in the retro style of the last century...
The walls were adorned with meticulously carved lettering and symmetrical, intricate patterns. The tops of the doors and windows featured floral decorations and relief carvings.
The chairs and tables were made of deep red hardwood, and the bar was decorated with a target board and an old-fashioned hunting rifle. The overall atmosphere exuded an antique yet elegant charm, as if transporting visitors back to the Victorian era.
Sean stepped through the entrance and, accompanied by the soothing strains of a piano melody, made his way to the second floor...
Compared to the design downstairs, this level was far more opulent and brightly lit. A dazzling crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, refracting brilliant light. A plush, deep-red carpet, soft as cotton, stretched across the floor, while the expansive walls were adorned with large oil paintings.
Regardless of the guests' artistic tastes, one thing was certain... these pieces were undoubtedly exorbitantly expensive.
General Ross lounged on a sofa, carefully rolling a long matchstick to slowly roast the body of a cigar. Unlike his usual stern and rigid demeanor, he displayed remarkable patience in this moment, unhurried and deliberate.
Sean took a seat without interrupting the general's enjoyment of his fine cigar. Only after Ross exhaled a thick plume of smoke did Sean finally speak, "Umbrella will remember this gesture of friendship from you, General."
After the Fantastic Four incident, the steel-encased statue of Victor von Doom would inevitably have been confiscated by S.H.I.E.L.D...
Sean had asked General Ross to intercept it before the agency could take possession. The Latverian native still had other uses for him.
"Just a fair trade," Ross replied, puffing on his cigar, "Many of my finest soldiers lost limbs in combat. They were once the elite of their units, good men who loved their country! But because of their disabilities, they had no choice but to retire with regret, living off meager monthly pensions."
The general's tone carried a hint of melancholy as he looked at the young man across from him with an appreciative gaze, "The media calls you the 'second Tony Stark', but I think they're underestimating you..."
"...You have far more potential than that playboy. The limb regeneration technology developed by Umbrella will solidify your foothold in the pharmaceutical market. It's not impossible for you to even surpass Worthington's position."
Compared to his previous aloofness, General Ross was now far more enthusiastic...
On one hand, Sean had demonstrated his considerable potential... regardless of whether Umbrella had any involvement in Worthington's downfall, the company, alongside Oscorp, was rapidly seizing market share.
On the other hand, Ross genuinely admired the young man's promising future.
He had seen his fair share of young prodigies who rose to success early in life. There was Tony Stark, born at the pinnacle of privilege, gifted with both wealth and intellect. Then there were those like Victor von Doom, who achieved extraordinary feats through sheer diligence and effort, though the latter had now been reduced to a steel statue.
Others, like Bruce Banner and Reed Richards, were geniuses with astonishing talents in their respective fields. Yet they all had their flaws... whether it was narcissistic arrogance or naive idealism, lacking a deeper understanding of reality.
But Sean was different...
General Ross found it difficult to pin down the young man's temperament. He wasn't an idealist like Banner, nor was he an insufferably arrogant figure like Tony Stark. Sean often wore a gentle smile, his deep, calm eyes revealing nothing of his true emotions.
Yet Ross, with his military background, could sense the dark undercurrents that occasionally emanated from Sean. The ruthless tactics employed after Worthington's collapse made it clear that this New York prodigy was no merciful fledgling.
Instead, he possessed the instincts and nature of a predator.
What was even more commendable was Sean's merciless approach to enemies... swiftly carving up Worthington's lucrative assets alongside other capitalists, while simultaneously offering generous incentives to allies and partners.
This duality earned him the admiration of a man like Ross, who stood at the apex of human society.
Sean responded to the general's lavish praise with a faint smile. Such was the way of powerful men...
When you were on the rise, they would elevate you to the heavens like a dazzling star. But the moment you fell from grace, no one would extend a helping hand, nor even spare a glance, let alone offer sympathy.
"Once Dr. Connors' limb regeneration technology (the Chrysalis Serum) passes clinical trials, we'll provide the military with three thousand free treatment slots for soldiers with missing limbs. And your Thunderbolt Squadron will receive priority access."
Not long ago, Dr. Connors had achieved a breakthrough in his lifelong research on cross-species genetics. He successfully integrated the limb-regeneration properties of lizards into human biology without triggering genetic rejection...
Sean had used this as leverage to persuade General Ross to retrieve Victor von Doom from S.H.I.E.L.D... after all, a steel statue of Doctor Doom was of no use to the agency.
"What do you want with this hunk of metal?" Ross asked curiously.
Both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the military had conducted tests on the statue. Victor von Doom's vital signs had completely vanished, his body was partially metallized, making even dissection and analysis difficult.
"Let's just say I have an eccentric collector's habit," Sean replied lightly, deflecting the question.
The future Doctor Doom couldn't simply exit the stage like this. He would return as a fearsome and formidable villain, though how much of Victor von Doom's original personality would remain was another matter entirely.
Seeing Sean's reluctance to elaborate, the experienced general didn't press further. Their conversation then turned to the progress of replicating the Super-Soldier Serum.
The project wasn't proceeding as smoothly as expected. Even a genius like Banner was struggling to recreate the serum from existing records and samples.
Of course, the main reason was that Ross had concealed his true objective, leading Banner to believe he was working on radiation resistance experiments.
Otherwise, the scientist would never have agreed to participate.
However, due to the fallout from Magneto's attack on Worthington, William Stryker had gained strong support from the White House and the military.
He was currently assembling a specialized unit to deal with mutants. Meanwhile, Ross' own project, despite heavy investment, had yet to yield results, leaving him increasingly impatient.
Watching the frowning general, Sean couldn't help but think that perhaps it was this relentless pressure that would drive Banner, who was eager to prove himself in front of his beloved girlfriend, to recklessly test the serum on himself.
The result? An accidental transformation into the world's most terrifying beast... the Incredible Hulk...
...
Returning to Umbrella by car, Sean found the crate delivered by the general awaiting his signature...
Beside him, Gwen, holding a stack of documents, asked curiously, "What's this? New lab equipment?"
"Just experimental material," Sean replied with a smile.
His gaze lingered on the heavy crate being unloaded, a shadow flickering in the depths of his dark eyes...