"I've already asked for Tony Stark's help," Lance muttered, more to himself. "Where Tony promised to develop the genetic antidote formula for Maxie in half a month."
Redrick chuckled softly from across the room, dryly. "Sir, that's unrealistic. The X5 unit is not a toy. It takes dozens of AIM scientists and 30 years of research. Tony Stark is indeed a genius, but no one can reverse a genetic formula in half a month. Not even him."
Lance scoffed quietly, murmuring almost inaudibly, "Of course, because you're not the protagonist! All the Marvel protagonist scientists are god-tier frauds. If they say they succeeded, then they definitely did..." Lance rubbed his temples, suppressing a bitter smile. All the Marvel protagonist scientists are indeed like magicians, but… this time Lance didn't want to gamble completely.
Lance straightened up, staring at his own reflection in the glass—disheveled hair, slightly red eyes, but the spark in Lance's gaze remained resolute.
"Then," Lance said slowly, "if you help Tony, can the development time be shortened?"
Redrick paused for a few seconds before answering, his tone dry but honest. "It will shorten the time, yes. But I can't promise how much. And I'm afraid… the two of them might still not last long enough to wait for the results."
Silence hung in the air. The only sound was the drip of water breaking in the sink, one by one, like a countdown that wouldn't stop.
"Growing old?" Lance furrowed his brow, his fingers tapping his temple. "That means their lifespan is nearing its end, right? If there's a treasure that can extend life... could it also delay their genetic deterioration?"
Redrick looked at Lance, his voice calm yet not entirely reassuring. "There's no guarantee. I don't even know how such a treasure works. It might delay it, or it might just extend life on paper."
"I see..." Lance took a slow breath, his eyes darting as if calculating possibilities. A few seconds later, Lance looked at Redrick again. "Alright. Redrick, take Maxie and Zack to Los Angeles as soon as possible. Meet Tony Stark. I'll inform Tony first—who knows, he might have a crazy idea that could work. In the meantime, I'll look for a treasure that can extend life. We'll run both paths simultaneously."
Redrick straightened his back, his hands clenched at his sides. "Understood, Sir!"
...
...
...
Lance stepped out the door and walked along the long street without driving. The warm afternoon air caressed Lance's skin like thin, lazy fingers.
This was an Italian-style street, dotted with Italian restaurants and coffee shops. The aroma of roasted coffee, garlic, and melted cheese wafted through the air. Many people sat under umbrellas at the shop entrances, drinking coffee, eating thin-crust pizzas with charred crusts, chatting, laughing, and occasionally glancing at Lance, who walked with a leisurely pace but sharp eyes.
Lance walked for dozens of meters, his shoes clicking against the pavement, and suddenly turned around. He walked to a bench by the side of the street, where an old olive tree shaded a wooden bench whose paint was starting to peel.
On the bench, a middle-aged Asian couple sat close together, flirting with each other with shy smiles. Occasionally, their hands lightly pinched each other.
Lance stepped closer, staring at them both without blinking, then said casually, his voice sounding like a yawn as he threatened, "Go and tell Nick Fury, if I see another agent hanging around the door, I'll curse him until his head grows feathers—so he looks like a black chicken!"
The middle-aged man hurriedly removed his hand from the woman's shoulder. He said quickly, "Excuse me, Mr. Lance, we are indeed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, but the director asked us to come, not to monitor you..." The man's voice was deliberately muffled so that the people around him wouldn't pay too much attention.
Lance sneered, his teeth gleaming in the afternoon sun. "Did Nick send you guys to protect me?"
"Of course not." The middle-aged man coughed dryly and took a breath, trying to hide his tension behind a calm face. "Exactly, our mission is to protect this world... After all, there are too many boring and troublemaking people in this world. To avoid angering you over trivial matters and ultimately causing major problems that cannot be handled, we will take responsibility for helping you resolve those trivial matters and the people who caused them."
Lance let out a short laugh, his tone laced with mockery. "So, Fury is asking you to be my lackey?"
The middle-aged man's expression remained unchanged. His shoulders moved slightly, his breathing still steady. "Although it sounds a bit harsh, it is what it is."
Lance shook his head, laughing softly, his eyes glinting appraisingly. Lance stared intently at the old man, tracing the fine wrinkles around his eyes. "Huh? Chinese?"
The middle-aged man shrugged, his faint smile reappearing like a soldier resigned to the weather. "To ensure that you don't lose your temper, all of us on this team are Chinese."
Lance snorted softly, his nose crinkling slightly. "Isn't Nick afraid of guessing wrong?"
The middle-aged man smiled gently, much like the way Coulson reassured someone who was about to punch him but ended up asking him out for coffee. "According to the SHIELD psychologists' analysis of your behavior, the most important thing to get along with is honesty. As long as you don't intentionally deceive, conceal, or mislead, you're basically infallible. Furthermore, you're more patient with your compatriots than others..."
Lance snickered, the corners of his lips turning up lazily. Lance gestured at the man with his chin. "You're smart."
SHIELD would conduct a thorough analysis of Lance, which Lance didn't care about at all. It would be strange if they didn't—Lance thought, imagining SHIELD analysts examining his behavioral records like reading a horoscope that was never accurate.
Not just SHIELD, but any organization that learned of Lance's existence would surely take similar action. There was nothing to be angry about—at least not now.
------------------------------
[Announcement: A New Novel Has Been Added!
The Puppet Maker in the World of Naruto
A man who is a scientist, researcher, and expert mechanic in robotics dies in a massive explosion that occurs in his laboratory while developing an advanced robot project. However, instead of experiencing death as he thought, the man awakens in another world—a strange place with vast stretches of desert.
There, the man is surrounded by people who can jump high, calling themselves ninjas. The confusion he initially felt grows as he realizes that this world is not unfamiliar to him. This is the world of Naruto! However, there is one thing that surprises him.
"Isn't this Sunagakure? Why am I not in Konoha? This poorest village... Oh my God, this is serious!"
Now, in the midst of a new life filled with danger and uncertainty, the scientist must find a way to survive in Sunagakure, a harsh place full of limitations. With his robotic knowledge, can the man change his fate in this ninja world, or will he fall along with the village?]
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