"You're crazy! Where am I going to get five hundred million U.S. dollars for you?"
Natasha's voice showed a hint of losing control.
"That's a problem you need to solve, Agent."
William slowly sipped his wine.
"However, given our several 'pleasant' collaborations, I can give you a discount. Two hundred million U.S. dollars, plus S.H.I.E.L.D. must list 'Rodriguez Risk Management Company' as the highest priority consulting and outsourcing service provider when dealing with superhuman incidents in the future."
"This deal is very cost-effective for you."
This was his true objective.
Money was just a stepping stone.
Natasha was likely engaged in an internal struggle.
Finally, she almost gritted her teeth and said, "...Deal!"
"Pleasure doing business."
William smiled and hung up the communication.
A two hundred million U.S. dollar contract was secured, and future revenues were immeasurable.
This business was worth it.
Now, the question was.
Who should he send to execute this "rescue mission"?
William's gaze swept across the codenames representing his "assets" on the command center screen, and he began a rapid assessment.
Emil Blonsky, Abomination, was the first to be excluded.
That guy was an out-and-out War Machine; sending him on an infiltration and rescue mission would be like asking an elephant to thread a needle.
He would level all of Washington; the commotion would be too great and would not conform to the principle of "low-key handling."
Dr. Curt Connors?
Even more impossible.
This brilliant geneticist was immersed in his research on "limb regeneration" and "Shadow Ninjas," his eyes gleaming, his mental state even more fanatical than when he was studying lizard limb regeneration.
William didn't want to receive a call in the middle of a critical mission saying that Connors had turned himself into a giant lizard chasing his own tail.
Professionals should stay in professional positions.
Maurice?
Although the old boatman had strength, he was, after all, old.
He lacked experience in directly confronting large-scale modern warfare.
He was good at cleaning up scenes, but sending him to engage in a firefight with HYDRA's special forces was too risky.
As for Spider-Man and Daredevil...those two guys, overflowing with a sense of justice, should currently be overwhelmed by the Kingpin intelligence he had thrown their way.
They would work hardest when they completely rooted out the "cancer" of Kingpin, without knowing they were being used as tools.
Deadpool, that guy, had disappeared since the last New York nuclear crisis; Heaven knew which dimension he had run off to cause trouble in again; he couldn't be relied upon.
Captain America, the super-soldier who should have been the best candidate for handling such incidents, had already been tricked by him, the "professional risk consultant," to Tennessee to help Tony deal with "family disputes."
As for the other Avengers...Dr. Banner was like Abomination, even more frail in his human form.
Thor had returned to Asgard.
Hawkeye was with his family.
After a round of calculations, William realized that he temporarily had no suitable high-end combat power at his disposal.
"It seems it's time to develop some new clients."
"contract, pull up target files marked as 'High Potential,' 'Uncontacted' in the system."
Files flashed across the screen, and finally, William's gaze stopped on a file marked in dark red.
[Target Codename: Man-Thing]
[Species Classification: Unknown Plant-Symbiotic Lifeform]
[Ability Assessment: Super Physical Regeneration, Empathy, Acid Secretion...]
[Current Location: Louisiana, Cypress swamp]
[Risk Rating: Extremely High]
[Contact Recommendation: Not recommended. This creature reacts extremely violently to fear. Any creature approaching with malice or fear will be incinerated by it.]
A monster that reacts to "fear"?
A guy hidden deep in the swamp?
He stood up and picked up the paradox briefcase.
"Prepare the plane, destination, Louisiana."
A few hours later.
The plane landed at a makeshift airport.
Stepping off the plane, a muggy air, mixed with decaying plants and damp earth, immediately assailed him, starkly different from the dry cold of New York.
Tossing a wad of U.S. dollars and declining the airport security's driving service, William went alone to the target locked by contract.
Before him was an endless cypress forest.
Water hyacinths floated on the murky, dark green Water.
Huge tree roots sprawled like bony claws in the mud.
William stood at the edge of the muddy land, about to activate his "Radar Sense" for deeper exploration.
However, just then, his intermediate-level "Danger Prediction" ability began to warn him frantically without any warning!
But strangely, he didn't perceive any specific actions that possessed "malice" or "threat."
No snipers, no traps, no enemies.
What his senses captured was a grander, more primal emotion.
The swamp came alive.
It literally came alive.
William's pupils contracted.
This swamp felt... anger because of his arrival!
-------------------------------
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