Chapter 25

"Young master, are we just going to let him go?"

On the way back to Building 8, San looked puzzled. In his opinion, they should have just killed the agent to set an example.

Juan chuckled, "Let him go. Hydra has many agents; killing one won't make much difference, and it's good to send a message back to Garrett to disrupt his plans."

In his earlier words, Juan had not explicitly mentioned Hydra nor had he completely exposed their operations, only hinting subtly.

His aim was to make Garrett paranoid and unsure of his capabilities, deterring him from making any rash moves in the short term.

As for later, once he had gained more power, if Garrett didn't come looking for him, he would go after Garrett to eliminate the threat once and for all.

"So, when you said you knew Tony Stark, were you bluffing him?"

San scratched his head.

Juan laughed heartily, "Not entirely. I don't know him now, but that will change soon. How is the investigation into Obadiah Stane going?"

"I've instructed the intelligence team to look into it. It will probably take a few more days."

As they arrived at the door of the room, San finished his report and left.

"It looks like I need to find a way to get the Mind Stone to enhance Wanda and Pietro's abilities."

Juan quietly slipped back into bed, firmly deciding in his mind.

Originally, he was conflicted about using the Mind Stone to enhance Wanda and Pietro's powers because he felt Wanda preferred living like a normal person.

But now, in the dangerous world of Marvel, having some ability to defend themselves was crucial.

Although he had always been improving his protective measures for Wanda, accidents could happen, and it would be too late for regrets.

If Wanda and Pietro's abilities were enhanced through the Mind Stone, then threats like Hydra wouldn't be able to harm them so easily.

He didn't need Wanda and Pietro to help him fight; just having the ability to protect themselves in dangerous situations was enough.

"My dear!"

As if sensing Juan had returned to bed, Wanda murmured something and hugged him like an octopus again.

"Getting stirred up by that Hydra agent has ruined my sleep."

Being a trained martial artist with excellent stamina and recovery, Juan decided to take the initiative, pulling the blanket over them both more firmly.

Moments later, a hand peeked out from under the blanket, gripping the sheet tightly.

Meanwhile, Grant, staggering and carrying a bag of bread and milk, left the interrogation room and returned to his Chevrolet in the parking lot.

Without hesitation, he floored the accelerator and sped away.

This infiltration was the most disastrous operation of his career as an agent, especially humiliating since they had even given him milk and bread as he left.

"I can't believe even you failed. It seems Juan has quite a bit hidden up his sleeve!" Garrett observed Grant's bruised and battered appearance at the Hydra base with a grave expression.

Grant was, after all, the most satisfactory and powerful agent he had trained to date.

"He said he knows Tony Stark; could there be some connection to Nick Fury?"

Grant speculated.

"But the records show no prior interactions between them."

"Regardless of whether it's true or not, even if he knows him, it shouldn't be related to Nick Fury. As far as I know, Nick Fury hasn't yet made contact with Tony Stark.

Let's hold off on making any moves until we fully understand his true strength," Garrett decided after some thought.

From Juan's words, Garrett wasn't sure if he truly knew about his identity or was just bluffing, nor what other cards Juan might be holding.

The super soldier serum from General Ross, which he was trying to obtain using his connections and S.H.I.E.L.D. intelligence, was far more crucial than the potential benefits of the "super pill" for his Deathlok project.

 …..

The next day, as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the window and landed on Juan's face, he slowly opened his eyes. As a martial artist, he was not accustomed to sleeping in.

Getting up, he drew the curtains to keep the sunlight from waking Wanda, who was still deeply asleep, and quietly left the bedroom. The previous day had been exhausting with flights, car rides, and setting up their new home, and Wanda didn't have the same resilience as Juan, so he decided not to wake her this morning.

After washing up, he prepared two breakfasts in the kitchen of their new home. After eating his portion, he left Wanda's breakfast in a warmer with a note attached.

Juan was actually a much better cook than Wanda, skilled in both Western and authentic Asian cuisines. His affluent lifestyle since crossing over meant he didn't need to cook for himself, but now that he was married and had a home, he felt it was important to not just buy everything but to put a personal touch on their meals.

After breakfast, he went to the complex's open-air parking lot, where Max was already waiting for him in the car.

"Boss, the schedule for today goes like this: at 9:30 AM, you'll meet and address all the employees of the new company, at 10:30 AM there's a press conference, and at 2 PM there's a…"

As the car started, Max began detailing the day's itinerary while driving.

As the head of Lee Corporation, Juan usually spent most of his time focusing on enhancing his abilities, rarely getting involved in the company's daily operations. The company's research was led by Dr. Smith, while Jack handled marketing, production, and sales. The more covert operations were managed by Xiao Wu, and Uncle Li oversaw everything.

However, there were special occasions where he needed to make an appearance.

For instance, certain charitable activities, press conferences that required the chairman's presence, and significant award ceremonies.

With the new company launching in New York and the release of two new products, he might need to devote the next couple of weeks primarily to these endeavors.

As for the side mission of rescuing Dr. Ethan, there was no rush for that.

Firstly, if he remembered correctly, it took Tony over two months from being kidnapped to escaping, and it had only been a few days now, so there was plenty of time.

Secondly, as this was New York and not Sokovia, the newly formed intelligence team needed time to gather detailed information on Obadiah Stane.

So, the initial plan was to establish the new company's presence in New York before completing the side mission to obtain the Palm Immortal Technique, and then proceeding to a small world to continue enhancing his strengths.