A few days later, all of New York seemed to have gradually recovered from the disaster. No matter what happened, life still had to go on. Even after enduring immense suffering, people still had to keep struggling for tomorrow. Almost nobody could escape that reality.
At Times Square, once crowded and bustling, countless construction crews were now hard at work. They were tasked with restoring what had once been the busiest district in New York as quickly as possible. It was an extremely difficult mission, but they still worked tirelessly—for one simple reason: the unbelievably generous pay.
It wasn't just the U.S. government funding the reconstruction. Several major corporations had also poured huge sums into the effort. For example, Sunlight Corporation invested heavily in rebuilding the area, and in exchange obtained a valuable piece of land beside Times Square. A brand-new skyscraper would soon rise there under Sunlight's name.
And Sunlight wasn't alone. Stark Industries and Oscorp had done the same thing. They were giant sharks in the capitalist world, and there was no reason for them to pass up such a perfect opportunity to expand their interests.
The destruction of Times Square created opportunities for many people—not just financial tycoons, but also the mutant special police unit that had been waiting for their chance.
The young mutants had no ability to participate in battles of that scale. After all, they were still just teenagers. But that didn't mean they were useless. In fact, after the disaster, they played an enormous role.
They rescued trapped civilians, controlled the spread of secondary disasters, and even healed severely injured victims. Rogue had seized the best possible opportunity, leading them into the relief efforts at the earliest moment. Through their actions, they earned the recognition of a large portion of New York's citizens.
Many people witnessed their sacrifices and were grateful for what they had done.
Not everyone could rush fearlessly into burning buildings.Not everyone could risk further collapses to save people buried under rubble.And not everyone possessed the ability to pull someone back from the brink of death.
Of course, some people still criticized them for being mutants, claiming they were only using their powers to improve public opinion. But such arguments sounded ridiculous when directed at a group of seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds.
Whatever their motives, the fact remained: these were just kids risking their lives to save others. That alone made their actions worthy of recognition.
Some people tried to interfere with them, but beneath New York's seemingly calm surface lay a giant powder keg. The citizens of New York were furious, and anyone foolish enough to stir trouble during this period would pay a heavy price.
The massive protests and overcrowded detention centers proved that this was absolutely the wrong time to cause chaos in New York.
As a result, many troublemakers withdrew their hands for the time being, and the city became strangely quiet. Even the usually restless gangs had settled down.
Of course, a large part of that was because New Yorkers had started carrying guns even when simply going shopping.
Robbery? Forget about it. These days, even pickpocketing could get someone killed. Countless criminals had already paid in blood, and many would never have futures again.
For the gangs, these were miserable times.
But none of that had much to do with Zhou Yi anymore. He was busy with something else—something extremely important for Sunlight Corporation.
The Stark Technology Expo.
This was an old tradition established by Tony's late father, Howard Stark. Stark Industries had long been accustomed to using the expo to showcase its overwhelming technological prowess to the world.
As the company expanded, however, the expo evolved beyond being just Stark's personal tech showcase.
Large corporations used it to display new technologies and concepts, while smaller companies and research institutions came seeking investors for their inventions. The expo had become increasingly diverse, practically turning into a global stage for technological competition.
Whether your field was military technology or civilian innovation, as long as you earned a place at the Stark Expo, you could basically stop worrying about funding for the next twenty years.
Because this wasn't just a place for companies to show off—it was also where wealthy investors searched for "golden geese."
Nearly every major investor in the world focused their attention on the Stark Expo during this period. Even military procurement officials from various countries attended.
And those people—holding military purchasing authority—were customers even giants like Stark Industries desperately wanted.
In short, the Stark Technology Expo was a grand event.
And for both Tony Stark and Zhou Yi, it represented a huge opportunity.
Stark Industries had just completed its transformation. As Tony had promised, they had abandoned weapons manufacturing and officially shifted into the energy sector.
That also meant facing terrifying competitors, like General Electric.
The energy industry wasn't easy to enter. The old giants there could make life extremely difficult for newcomers.
That was one reason Tony was hosting the expo.
He needed to use this opportunity to launch his product to the world:
The Arc Reactor.
A clean, safe, and inexpensive new energy source.
Without question, this technology would shake traditional energy industries to their core.
But Tony didn't care. He believed the stagnant energy industry needed change.
For Zhou Yi, the expo was also a perfect chance to establish Sunlight Corporation's identity.
Although the company had been reorganized and rebuilt, traces of Umbrella Corporation still lingered in the public consciousness. Zhou Yi wanted to erase that image completely and present Sunlight as something entirely new.
To accomplish that, Sunlight needed a groundbreaking technology capable of becoming the company's symbol.
Fortunately, Zhou Yi had no shortage of such technologies.
The only remaining issue was obtaining entry.
Most companies had to go through layers of approval from Stark Industries.
But Zhou Yi only needed one phone call.
"Hello, buddy. I'm very busy right now. Unless this is something extremely, extremely important, I suggest you call me another time."
Tony's voice came through the phone almost immediately.
The moment Zhou Yi heard it, he knew Tony had locked himself inside a laboratory again.
Like his father Howard, Tony was both a playboy and a genius inventor. And both of them shared the same flaw:
Once they started working, they ignored absolutely everything else.
Tony himself had once complained that Howard never paid attention to him as a child. Yet when Tony became immersed in research, he treated everyone exactly the same way.
Knowing this, Zhou Yi skipped the nonsense and got straight to the point.
"Tony. I want a booth at the Stark Expo."
"What the hell—wait!"
A loud crashing noise erupted from the other side of the call. Whatever Tony had been doing had clearly gone wrong.
After a moment, his voice returned.
"You said what? You want an exhibition booth?"
"Of course," Zhou Yi replied casually. "You don't think I have nothing worth displaying, do you?"
"If it's old Umbrella technology, I'd advise against it. Though if it's that nanometal of yours, I suppose that's different. Still… wouldn't that expose your identity?"
Tony actually sounded thoughtful.
Since Zhou Yi didn't want his identity revealed, Tony didn't want to be the one responsible for ruining that.
"Relax. I have more than just nanometal technology." Zhou Yi chuckled. "Remember something I told you once?"
"You've told me lots of things, buddy. Most of them were nonsense."
"Fine. Let me remind you. Remember that gathering in Bern? Yinsen was there too."
"Ohhh… I remember now. I was completely drunk, and there was this gorgeous girl beside me. Happy Hogan was there too!"
"Exactly. Back when he still had that ridiculous slicked-back hairstyle." Zhou Yi laughed. "Do you remember what I told you in the elevator?"
"…Nope."
"Right. So here's the refresher. We were heading upstairs with those girls when a guy named Aldrich Killian stopped us. He wanted to introduce his newly founded research lab."
"Killian? Terrible name. I don't remember talking to him."
"Of course not. You stood him up on the rooftop while you went off to have fun with the girl."
Tony groaned.
"But unlike you," Zhou Yi continued, "I actually talked to him. And I realized he represented a pretty interesting investment opportunity."
"Don't tell me that guy actually became something important. The odds of that are worse than winning the lottery!"
"Oh, he definitely surprised me." Zhou Yi's grin widened. "And not just Killian."
Tony immediately sensed danger.
"…Don't tell me I missed something else."
"You absolutely did. That woman you took away that night—the geneticist? After you dumped her, she later joined Killian's lab."
"And then?"
"She helped advance a very promising technology." Zhou Yi smirked. "And now, Tony… it's time for me to harvest the fruits."
-----------------------
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