We Are the Foundation!!!

"And then?" Tony asked, suddenly much more compliant. Although being restrained was unpleasant, it didn't seem so bad compared to losing his life.

Ethan approached, explaining coldly, "No abnormalities have been detected so far. Once we confirm that you're not a threat, you'll be free to go."

"Tony Stark, the world's largest arms dealer, a renowned playboy, and the greatest inventor of the 21st century—a talent like you is rare even within the Foundation," Ethan remarked.

Tony retorted immediately, "I doubt it! There's no one smarter than me in this world."

"Is that so?" Ethan responded with a knowing smile, not bothering to argue.

He then turned his attention to Dr. Yinsen. "Dr. Yinsen, are you interested in joining the Foundation?"

Yinsen, familiar with such "invitations," could only manage a bitter smile. "Do I have a choice?"

He had been in similar situations before. When the Ten Rings invited him, it had gone much the same way—he had refused, received a beating, and then was forced to join. In Yinsen's eyes, Ethan was no different from those terrorists, and he knew he had no real choice.

Ethan, sensing his unease, smiled reassuringly. "Of course, you have a choice. After you learn more about the Foundation, if you still don't want to join, we'll let you go—but you'll have to sign a non-disclosure agreement first."

Yinsen was surprised by this unexpected freedom. He had assumed he had no choice at all.

"Release Dr. Yinsen," Ethan instructed Dr. A167.

Dr. A167 ordered his assistant to unbind Yinsen. Once freed, Yinsen glanced at Tony and Sharon, still restrained, but said nothing.

Before Ethan could invite Tony, the billionaire interjected, "I won't join your Foundation, but I can invest—and cooperate."

Though Tony didn't fully understand this mysterious organization, he knew he needed to keep them on his side, at least for now. He didn't want a repeat of his time with the Ten Rings, where refusing cooperation led to a beating.

Ethan nodded in acknowledgment and then turned his gaze to Sharon Carter. Unlike the others, he wasn't so polite with her, bluntly presenting two choices: "As an agent from a certain department, you have two options to ensure our Foundation's secrets remain safe. Either join us, or we'll wipe your memory and set you free."

As a second-generation S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Sharon was not one to yield to such coercion. She was about to refuse firmly and mock Ethan when Natasha suddenly intervened.

"Wait!" Natasha, intent on saving her colleague, pleaded, "President, leave her to me. I can convince her."

Ethan gave Natasha a deep, scrutinizing look before nodding to Dr. A167, signaling his approval.

"You have one night. You can't take her on a tour around the base. If you don't succeed by tomorrow morning, we'll have to erase her memory," Ethan warned.

"Don't worry! I'll definitely convince her," Natasha confidently replied.

With Sharon's situation temporarily resolved, Ethan turned his attention back to Tony, the potential golden goose.

"400 billion! As a reward for saving you, just transfer 400 billion to the Foundation."

"No problem!" Tony agreed without hesitation. As a trillionaire, 400 billion was nothing to him. For top-tier billionaires like Tony, money was just a number.

Seeing how easily Tony agreed, Ethan couldn't help but feel a bit regretful—he had underestimated this tycoon and should have added another zero to his request.

"From today, you'll be an external consultant for the Foundation!" Ethan declared.

"Wait! Before you go calling me a consultant, can you explain what the Foundation is? That strange plant in the cave wasn't something from your lab, was it?" Tony quickly asked, stopping Ethan as he was about to leave.

Eager to understand the bizarre events he'd encountered, Tony's curiosity drove him to seek answers.

"Dr. A167, explain it to him! The others will be back soon, and I need to recontain SCP-307," Ethan instructed, preparing to leave.

Natasha wanted to follow Ethan, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Foundation's mysterious headquarters. But glancing at Sharon, she ultimately restrained herself.

"Kid, let me introduce you to the Foundation," Dr. A167 said warmly to Tony. This future benefactor... no, financial supporter... was crucial to the Foundation's plans.

"Listen carefully, kid!"

"We contain, we control, we protect! We are born in darkness, die in chaos! We are humanity's first and last line of defense! Remember our motto: We control, we contain, we protect! We... are the Foundation!!!"

Tony: "…"

Watching the old man's fervent expression, Tony's mouth twitched. This was starting to feel a bit like a cult.

Yinsen was similarly speechless. In the Middle East, he had encountered too many religious fanatics and was too drained to even comment.

Natasha slapped her forehead and gazed at the ceiling in exasperation. This was hopeless!

If the Foundation recruited like this, it was doomed.

For reasons she couldn't quite explain, Natasha decided to personally step in and… proselytize… no, recruit!