055, the old sun-style void combat armor!
The battleground between the floors.
The air was filled with the dying screams and the relentless bursts of gunfire. Even though Zaire had dispatched a significant number of gang members on his way to the top floor, there were still remnants of Kingpin's forces holding onto some of the floors. They were even engaging in a tug-of-war with Madam Gao's forces for control.
Yet despite her numerous injuries, Madam Gao did not retreat. She personally led her subordinates in sweeping out the remaining enemies, determined to capture each floor.
This was the final command from her master before he left, and her ultimate test.
Kingpin was dead.
If she couldn't handle the remnants and gradually take control of New York's various criminal organizations, it would prove she had no further use.
For those without value, her master had left no shortage of grim examples of his ruthlessness.
"Kingpin is dead! We've won!" someone shouted, but Madam Gao's expression remained emotionless. Raising her arm once again, her gun pointed forward.
"So before the police arrive…" she commanded coldly, "finish them!"
5 a.m., inside a secret underground base.
The base, which had already doubled in size, now featured a more complex interior layout. At its center was a vast hall, surrounded by a training area, a shooting range, and a massive armory, along with a warehouse for supplies. There was even a rudimentary living quarters for personnel, complete with basic amenities like running water and electricity—thanks to the meticulous work of Iron Man.
Zaire, having just stripped off his combat gear, sat cross-legged on a metal cot in the living quarters, going over the spoils of his recent hunts.
Among the tangible assets were several unregistered bonds worth a total of twenty million. As for Kingpin's vast digital assets, they were now effectively in Iron Man's hands, destined to become unclaimed resources following Kingpin's death.
Zaire couldn't access them for now, so he mentally classified them as long-term savings under man of iron "bank."
The intangible assets, on the other hand, were much more extensive. In essence, Zaire had inherited a massive criminal organization. Although its leader was dead, and its core personnel had suffered significant losses, the foundation of the group remained intact.
Still, Zaire had no interest in managing a bunch of lowlifes and criminals. He was confident that Iron Man and Madam Gao would purge the scum from the ranks, reshaping the organization into a war machine entirely loyal to him.
Suddenly, Zaire slapped his forehead.
"Almost forgot…"
As if just remembering something, he frowned and opened the interface of his simulator, navigating to the "salvage" function.
[Salvage complete countdown: zero]
[Salvage results: 50 standard explosive rounds for bomb gun]
[Salvage results: 10 energy cells for laser pistol]
[Salvage results: one container of unexpired Promethium]
As he scrolled past the various items, Zaire's eyes suddenly widened as they locked onto the final salvaged item.
"This is…"
His once narrowed eyes opened to their limits, and even his steady breathing became erratic.
Finally, the salvage had yielded something extraordinary!
[Salvage results: Solar Void Combat Armor (worn)]
Description: Produced by the Solar Auxiliary Corps, this is a fully enclosed shell armor equipped with a life-support system. Designed by the Mechanicum for chemical warfare, space, and hostile planetary environments, its defenses can withstand small-arms fire and impacts, preventing the wearer from going into shock. It also has a self-repair function for minor penetrative damage. But remember, if you face a charging Astartes, this will only ensure you die a little less painfully.
"Not quite power armor, but definitely better than nothing!"
For the first time in a while, a genuine smile appeared on Zaire's face as he spoke to himself.
However, just as he was about to pull out the armor to inspect it, Man of iron mechanical voice interrupted him, emanating from his phone.
"Master... the encrypted data on the black hard drive has been decrypted. I recommend you come and take a look."
"Understood."
Zaire closed the simulator and stood up from the metal cot, heading out. If it weren't something critical, Iron Man wouldn't have disturbed his rest.
In the center of the base's brightly lit hall, a massive five-meter-diameter metal roundtable stood, with Iron Man projecting data from his eyes.
Before Zaire could even get close, Iron spoke without looking up, "By the Omnissiah, the hard drive had a self-destruct mechanism and layers of encryption."
Zaire paused, his gaze sweeping across the dense text floating in mid-air. Taking a deep breath, he asked, "If Kingpin went through such lengths to protect this data... what exactly did he hide?"
Iron ceased his data projection for a moment, the blue glow of his optical sensors flashing as he replied, "This is a ten-year-long record, mostly related to Kingpin's trafficking, smuggling, and kidnapping of children."
Iron continued, "If we break the data down, roughly a third of the children were sent to Sokovia, where a mysterious organization known as Hydra took custody of them."
"The remaining two-thirds were handed over to a subsidiary of a multinational chemical and energy corporation—Roxxon Industries. However, the exact name of the subsidiary is currently unknown."
"I can guarantee, beyond any doubt, that both of these entities are using these children for human experimentation."
As Iron spoke, he raised his metal finger, and a handwritten note appeared in front of Zaire. It was an image of a piece of paper, scrawled with disjointed words, as if hastily written by Kingpin during a moment of contemplation.
The note read:
"...Hydra... mass production of superhumans... Roxxon Industries... some kind of unknown compound?"
Zaire's eyes narrowed, his once calm expression giving way to a rising fury. His breathing deepened, and a seething anger, long dormant, surged within him, threatening to engulf everything in its path.
After a few minutes of digesting the information, Zaire's icy demeanor returned. He spoke with sincere conviction to Iron Man, his voice firm:
"I used to think gang criminals were the worst scum among humans... but it turns out organizations like Hydra are far worse than I imagined. They're not even worthy of being considered the same species."
"Friend, I think we've got ourselves a new mission..."
"Find them."
"Drag them out."
"And crush them!"
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