Chapter 11

"Five seconds left, almost there."

Once Kinano left, Juan watched the countdown on the panel and quickly opened the box in front of him. He threw a black pill from inside into his mouth, managing to swallow it just in time before the last second passed.

As the countdown ended, after a moment of dizziness, when he opened his eyes again, he found himself back in his own office at Sokovia Corporation.

"Come out!"

Upon waking up, instead of being stunned, Juan immediately punch his own stomach, causing the black pill he had just swallowed to be expelled from his mouth.

"I didn't expect it to actually work."

Looking at the black pill still moist with his saliva on the desk, Juan's face showed a knowing expression.

According to the panel's instructions, nothing could be carried between the main world and the smaller worlds, not even clothes.

In the Marvel world, he wore a suit, while in the Naruto world, his clothes transformed into those of a prince of the Fire Nation.

It seemed foolproof, but Juan had a sudden idea.

If he had just eaten something and was in the process of digesting it while traversing worlds, surely they couldn't isolate the food in his stomach.

With this thought in mind, he had Kinano buy a soldier pill beforehand and swallowed it before returning.

To confuse the panel, he even ate plenty of other normal food before taking the soldier pill.

As expected, the panel didn't forcibly remove the food he had eaten into his stomach, allowing him to expel it again upon his return.

The soldier pill, a special food and medicine commonly carried by ninjas during missions and battles.

Not only could it quickly restore chakra and physical strength, but it also served as a great hunger suppressant.

Juan brought the soldier pill to the Marvel world to have his company's scientists analyze its ingredients. Just like with the previously researched enhancement ointment, he intended to create replicas and a simplified version suitable for sale to the public.

With replicas, even if they weren't as effective as the soldier pill, he would essentially have a temporary supply of chakra and stamina replenishment when fighting in that world.

And the simplified version, removing the chakra recovery effect but retaining the stamina and hunger relief effects, could even be marketed as two separate new products.

If done well, perhaps it could help open up the market in New York this time.

As for the specific operations and promotions, that would be left to the professionals in his company, as he wasn't particularly skilled in those areas.

"Max, have Dr. Smith come to the office."

After wiping the soldier pill with a tissue and placing it away, Juan pressed the button on his desk, instructing his assistant outside.

Max had been one of Juan's trusted subordinates in recent years. Officially, he was his male secretary, but in reality, he was tasked with protecting his safety in secret.

Although he was a powerful warrior, he couldn't withstand modern firearms. Especially against professional assassins, especially if they came in numbers, he needed assistance from his subordinates.

Dr. Smith, on the other hand, was a somewhat famous biologist whom Juan had hired at a high price from England.

The company's current best-selling and most profitable health product, Dali 1, was a product that Smith had replicated by analyzing the strengthening ointment provided by Juan.

The function of the strengthening ointment was to increase the body's strength when applied all over, with better effects during stance and breathing exercises.

The ointment had played a significant role in Juan's recovery to the peak of his previous life's physical condition within three years.

While Dali 1 couldn't achieve the same level of effectiveness, prolonged use could slightly enhance the body's strength, making it stronger.

Of course, compared to the long-term health effects of Dali 1, it also had an immediate effect, which was why it sold so well and even exported overseas, earning the company a substantial profit.

That effect was that within half an hour of taking it, even if you were impotent or over fifty, you could become a vigorous man in bed, conquering all challenges.

However, it could only be taken once a day, or else the body wouldn't be able to handle it afterward.

"Boss, Dr. Smith called to say he's not feeling well today and has taken three days off."

Max reported over the phone.

Juan frowned slightly upon hearing this.

"Send a few people to Dr. Smith's house to check."

Taking three days off at once didn't seem like something Smith would do. That old man practically lived in the laboratory, wishing he could work twenty-four hours a day.

With the company's expansion, it was inevitable that some people's interests would be affected. Although Juan had resolved most of these issues decisively, he remained cautious.

Half an hour later, a sturdy young man respectfully reported to Juan:

"Boss, Brother San just went to Dr. Smith's house with some men. The doctor wasn't there, but there were signs of outsiders entering and leaving the house. It's preliminary to assume that the doctor may have been kidnapped."

"Someone dares to touch my people in Sokovia!"

Juan's eyes narrowed, and he instructed the young man in front of him:

"Max, inform Uncle Li to use all his connections to investigate. We must find Dr. Smith and figure out who's behind this."

In the eyes of ordinary people outside, Juan was Sokovia's biggest philanthropist, but some high-ranking individuals in Sokovia knew him for what he truly was—a lion who would devour anyone who threatened his interests.

Especially those who dared to target Dali 1, they had already vanished without a trace.

"Yes, Boss!"

Max nodded, respectfully withdrawing.

After pocketing the soldier pill, Juan rubbed his chin and muttered to himself:

"I hope it's not you guys."

[Ding, a new side quest has appeared nearby. Please check!]

As Juan contemplated, a notification from the panel suddenly sounded in his ears. He quickly opened the panel to view the newly appeared side quest.

[Quest: Rescue Dr. Smith kidnapped by Hydra.

Reward: Five Explosive Tags.

Quest: Kill Baron Strucker of the Hydra base.

Reward: C-Rank Ninjutsu—Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu.

Quest: Eliminate the Hydra base in Sokovia.

Reward: B-Rank Ninjutsu—Shadow Clone Jutsu.]

"So it's indeed those Hydra guys!"

Seeing the new side quests, Juan's expression turned cold.

He had always known that there was a hidden Hydra base in the mountains outside Sokovia City. He also knew that there were many Hydra agents among the high-ranking officials of the Sokovia government.

However, everyone had been minding their own business before, and he hadn't wanted to provoke them, pretending to be unaware.

Now it seemed that the long-term effects of Dali 1 had gradually attracted their interest, leading them to abduct Dr. Smith, the chief scientist of the company.

The Hydra organization had always been dedicated to researching super soldiers and metahumans.