Fang Yuan wasn't surprised that Erik would suspect the Augustus Group without a shred of proof.
In recent years, Augustus had become Vought's biggest rival.
Augustus had been founded by interest groups hostile to Vought. Add Fang Yuan's deliberate fanning of the flames—a steady supply of cutting-edge tech—and Beth's rise to President, which gave the opposition hope, and the uproar had grown deafening. They made life miserable for Vought at every turn.
Because none of Augustus's moves involved direct clashes between Awakened, the Vought Act didn't apply, leaving even the radical Erik helpless.
Strike and he had no casus belli; ignore them and they still churned his stomach.
Erik had meant to look the other way, but this past year Augustus had doubled down, even telling the Awakened what they could or couldn't do.
"Those so-called Superhumans Augustus cooked up? Charles checked them with Cerebro—they're not Awakened at all, just drug-engineered freaks!"
The more Erik thought about it, the fishier it smelled.
"If the sentinel robots hunt X-gene carriers, Augustus's Superhumans won't even register!" Erik said, convincing himself. "Augustus is definitely mixed up in this!"
He had no hard evidence, yet he refused to believe it was coincidence.
Over the years, Vought and the Awakened had woven themselves into every layer of society.
Awakened no longer needed to hide; once-marginalized victims of discrimination now stood tall.
Kennedy's protection had been crucial—Awakened now sat in government offices.
Vought's international membership spanned the globe, binding most power blocs to its interests.
Elderly captains of capital, desperate for Longevity Serum, would stop at nothing.
After all these years, the serum's efficacy was beyond question.
Erik couldn't believe that, if these serum-dependent magnates learned someone planned to wipe out Vought, they'd stay idle.
Yet under so many eyes, the Trask and Sentinel programs hadn't leaked a whisper.
Either Trask had reformed or died—or someone was shielding him perfectly.
Augustus was the prime suspect.
All day long Augustus spread anti-Vought stories, trying to drive a wedge between Awakened and baseline humans, their hostility undisguised.
Their loudest mouthpiece was the infamous, stinking Collector Daily!
To Vought supporters, The Collector smelled worse than a cesspit.
To Vought's foes, it was the most honest news outlet alive.
Augustus Group bankrolled Collector Daily, and every anti-Vought project got blank-check funding.
Erik could say without doubt: Augustus now posed the biggest obstacle to full integration of Awakened and ordinary humans.
Fang Yuan nodded gravely. "Your suspicion makes sense. I'll look into it."
Not that any investigation was needed.
The X-Men had no idea the Trask they hunted worldwide was a single block away from Vought Tower—
inside Augustus Group headquarters.
At its birth, Augustus had been a money-tree planted by capital consortia courting the Dark Council.
It had indeed made fortunes; today Augustus Group ranked among the planet's giants, every shareholder swimming in profit.
But Fang Yuan had also steered its purpose off course.
Dark Council serums now included slots for Superhuman enhancement, yet entry exams were strict: members had to smear Vought.
Years of this had turned Augustus—top to bottom—into a hive of Vought-haters.
Even its supporters had been distilled into pure zealots.
Fang Yuan had transplanted every sleazy fan-manipulation trick of his past life onto Augustus's followers.
Now, mention Vought and people thought Augustus—like KFC vs. McDonald's or Pepsi vs. Coke in his previous World.
Such rivalry fueled endless debate and rocketed Vought's superheroes to new heights of fame.
Charles's reputation had hit 146; Erik's stood at 148.
What? Still stuck below 150 after all these years—yet he called that fast?
Fang Yuan had long realized that breaking to the next tier required a major event; pure time-growth slowed to a crawl.
On Earth, Ancient One and he had sky-rocketed only through a chain of World-shaking events.
The X-Men World's pace was the normal one.
But Fang Yuan's gains these years far eclipsed mere reputation; fame had to convert to power, and he had bulked up splendidly.
His current stat sheet—
[Strength: C-]
[Constitution: C]
[Agility: C-]
[Spirit: B]
[Energy: C+]
Every stat had risen at least one minor grade; Constitution and Energy two, Spirit even broke into B. A full-spectrum upgrade.
By Marvel power ratings, Fang Yuan estimated his stats as—
Intelligence: 5 (Genius)
Strength: 4 (800 lbs–25 tons)
Speed: 5 (Supersonic > Mach 2)
Durability: 5 (Bullet-proof)
Energy Projection: 5 (Single long-range energy release over extended time)
Fighting Skill: 6 (Proficient in several combat styles)
Any Personal Template that hasn't reached 100% development isn't considered Fang Yuan's own ability; even so, these stats already surpass most Superheroes.
Yet Fang Yuan wasn't the least bit complacent.
As everyone knows, Marvel's Official Power Rating tops out at 7, and only a score of 7 marks the real beginning. He doesn't have a single 7—still far to go.
Of course, in a real fight Fang Yuan doesn't play by the numbers.
Telepathy alone can subdue most foes; of the remainder, more than half can't pierce the defense of his Good Big Brother template.
As for any stragglers after that, if he really can't handle them he can forcibly trigger the Five-Five Open Halo and use the Space Stone to bail out.
Usually, though, he doesn't need to run, since he's the one who starts the trouble in the first place.
Like this time.
Inside Augustus HQ, the Dark Council convened once more.
This time every senator attended via Hologram, and the number had risen to thirteen.
Excluding Fang Yuan's alias, Chairman Black King Fox, the Dark Council now counted twelve senators—four more than before.
Those aren't just four extra people; behind each senator stands a huge bloc of vested interests.
Five of the seats are dummies Fang Yuan uses to bluff, so over the years the Dark Council has more than doubled in size!
But that's the limit.
By now the Dark Council has gathered every Vought opponent it could find.
Unlike Vought International's open membership, the Dark Council has a threshold.
If any principal member is discovered to be a Vought International Member, they're expelled immediately—no hedging bets.
After all, the Council was founded to attract Vought's enemies.
That goal has now been achieved.
Listening to the senators discuss how much money they'd made here and there, Fang Yuan smiled beneath the Fox mask.
"Since we've just about flushed them all out, it's time to harvest!" he decided silently.
When the cup is full it spills; when water brims it overflows.
Augustus has become too powerful—left unchecked, it will truly erode Vought's authority.
Outsiders only see Augustus's might; only Fang Yuan spots the flaw beneath the surface.
Nearly every Vought opponent is here, and potential dissenters treat Augustus as their backbone.
So what happens if Augustus falls?
Others may call it fantasy—a top-tier global conglomerate can't just collapse overnight.
But Fang Yuan created Augustus, so toppling it is just as easy.
Though Augustus brings handsome profits, reputation matters more. Once the Vought dissenters behind it are wiped out, the World becomes Vought's private garden, and the gains will be far greater.
So while the Chairman spoke, Fang Yuan introduced someone to the senators—
"Bolivar Trask—some of you may still remember him."
The chamber erupted.
"What? Trask?"
"He's still alive?"
"No, shouldn't he be in prison?"
Of course they knew Trask; many factions behind the senators had once been shareholders in Pioneer Company.
Knowing him didn't mean welcoming him—many seethed at the sight of him.
Back then, Vought's enemies tried to use Pioneer to strike at Vought and push the Awakened Registration Act. Trask first assassinated Senator Lance to seize power, then conducted human experiments on Awakened and was caught red-handed, ruining Pioneer's prospects.
It left them in the dirt, forced to swallow the Vought Act.
"Trask? What's he doing here? He's not welcome!"
A senator snapped coldly.
"Oh?" Chairman Fox gave a half-smile. "Who gave you the guts to decide before I've spoken?"
The senator choked; before he could reply, Fang Yuan ruled: "Your Seat Share drops by five percent!"
The man paled; even through his mask the others sensed his panic.
Everyone was stunned—why was Fox so harsh today?
Well, in the past Athena stood in; today the real player is online.
No one dared challenge Fox's decision, not even the punished senator himself.
Next session he'll likely be replaced—five percent represents massive interests, and the capital behind him will seize the excuse to revolt.
With authority established, Fang Yuan stated why he'd brought Trask.
"Trask has developed a new technology that can effectively eliminate Awakened; the Dark Council will push it vigorously."
"Vought's era is over—henceforth the World is ruled by us, the Dark Council!"
Thus declared the master of Vought.
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