Chapter: 322

"Baymax., how is the operation of the energy output device centered around the Mind Stone?"

"Master, the energy output device is running smoothly.

Thirty-one countries that have signed energy supply agreements with us have already activated their respective circuits. Voltage and current are stable, and the user feedback is positive."

"What about the data center services? How many companies have signed contracts with us?"

"The data center is provided with encryption and protection services by J.A.R.V.I.S., and with the limitless computational power of the Mind Stone, almost all of the world's top institutions and Fortune 500 companies have signed service agreements with us.

As for the remaining companies, aside from those that don't require data processing services, some are still finalizing contract details. It's safe to say that the market feedback for this service we've introduced has been very positive."

After completing the utilization device for the Mind Stone, Mark conducted a series of stability and security tests.

And after that, following the plan he and Tony had formulated earlier, they began promoting energy and data services to countries and companies worldwide.

These two businesses were handled independently by Mark and Tony, without involving Mark's Research Center or Stark Industries. They established a company and operated it separately, with each of them owning fifty percent of the shares.

Upon launching the business, the positive user experiences and significantly lower costs compared to competitors quickly led to a surge in customer inquiries and orders for the newly established company.

A multitude of orders also meant substantial profits. Apart from the basic operational expenses of the new company and the costs of connecting power and data lines, these two businesses had minimal other costs.

The energy within the Mind Stone was endless, and its information processing capability was beyond even the perception of an intelligent being like Baymax. All of this was a resource that could be harnessed for free.

However, after covering all operational costs, the profits wouldn't find their way into the pockets of Tony and Mark.

The company had established a profit-sharing plan from the very beginning, allocating the initial profits to compensate for the damages and losses suffered by the city and its citizens during the Battle of Seoul, in addition to providing assistance for their livelihood.

With these funds and the damage control company's strong infrastructure capabilities, it wouldn't take long for Seoul to regain its former appearance and allow its citizens to return to stable lives.

Upon completing the Seoul reconstruction plan, the subsequent profits would also be channeled into other endeavors. On one hand, there were expenses and development costs for the new Avengers training base, and on the other hand, the new company would continue to invest globally in charitable and educational initiatives, maximizing the social value that these profits could create.

In essence, Tony and Mark, despite initially investing capital and overseeing the company's establishment and operations, had no intention of reaping any personal gains. This is why they bypassed Mark Research Center and Stark Industries during the company's founding – to avoid potential capital disputes stemming from immense profits.

Only by firmly maintaining control over the ownership of this company can they ensure that all profits generated by the Mind Stone are used for the intended purposes, guaranteeing that the company's operations remain on the right path.

"The final adjustments for the entire safety system to ensure the security of the Mind Stone are complete. Baymax, please notify Jarvis to proceed with a system integration test. After that, we'll conduct the final inspection and testing, and then we can move on to the trial run phase.

"Additionally, let Captain know to come and input his biological features and password passphrase. Among the three of us, he's the only one left to be registered."

The room housing the Mind Stone has been protected by layers of advanced technology, turning it into an impregnable fortress.

To gain access, not only must one undergo biometric recognition for identity verification, but they also need to provide the password passphrase established collectively by Tony, Mark, and Captain, along with the electronic key. Only then can the defense measures be disarmed, granting entry to the room containing the Mind Stone.

Once inside, there's an additional verification process by J.A.R.V.I.S. to pass before one can truly interact with the Mind Stone.

Otherwise, intruders will experience the 'wonderful sensation' of spatial turbulence after J.A.R.V.I.S.'s persuasions to leave prove ineffective.

Following the completion of the task related to placing the Mind Stone within the new Avengers training center, Mark returned to the laboratory of the Mark Research Center's main building.

He neither had the task of training the reserve Avengers nor had to bear the responsibility of guarding the base. With the Vibranium Nanosuit and the newly joined Avengers not currently requiring additional weaponry, Mark believed he could finally take the opportunity to focus on studying the differences between the evolved sentient being, Baymax, and its previous state.

He could also continue his research on the space weapon designed to counter Thanos, an area where Mark's progress had been somewhat lagging.

However, reality proved his idea was overly naive. Coming to the Marvel Universe and getting involved in the main storyline, even if he didn't seek trouble, sometimes trouble would find its way to him. Mark shouldn't have indulged in the fantasy of peaceful days.

Moreover, the trouble he encountered was something he had actively caused. A year ago, when Captain and his team launched an operation to disrupt Hydra's insight program and eliminate their sleeper agents within S.H.I.E.L.D., Mark managed to capture a significant asset from Hydra – Captain's close friend and his nemesis, the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes.

After apprehending him and gaining control, Mark didn't know how to handle the Winter Soldier. He decided not to immediately inform Captain and Tony, the individuals directly involved, about the situation.

Instead, he opted to detain the Winter Soldier and have Baymax restore his past memories while erasing the effects of Hydra's brainwashing.

Following meticulous treatment through mental simulations and professional psychological interventions, today, the Winter Soldier finally awakened all of his memories as Bucky Barnes, reclaiming his former identity.

"But this also caused him extreme anguish. After the restoration of memories and personality, while looking back on the crimes he committed under Hydra's control.

Even Baymax, who had evolved into an intelligent being, couldn't stabilize his emotions through psychological therapy. Eventually, he had no choice but to notify Mark, who was busy with experiments.

"Bucky Barnes, after so much treatment and recovery, have you finally reclaimed your past self...

But I haven't even figured out how to handle his situation yet! Mishandling this could trigger an Avengers Civil War and a rupture between the two of them.

That would weaken our position in the future Infinite War against Thanos before it even starts.

It's a real headache. Can't I just focus on research and experiments? Why do I have to deal with something so troublesome?

Dealing with this kind of problem with my emotional intelligence is just asking for trouble..."

Although he complained inwardly, the issue was right in front of him, and Mark had no choice but to address it.

"Anyway, I should go and meet the Winter Soldier face to face. After all, he's from my grandfather's era, and I've kept him detained for so long."

Saying this, Mark employed his mystical arts in the laboratory, opening a portal. Stepping through it, he found himself in front of the old headquarters of the Mark Research Center.

After the completion of the new headquarters building, all the employees and facilities of the Mark Research Center had been relocated there.

However, Mark still owned the rights to the old headquarters. So, he transformed it into a recuperation facility for the Winter Soldier to recover his memories. It was better than keeping him trapped in the mirror dimension.

The location where the Winter Soldier was currently held was Mark's former top-level laboratory. However, it no longer contained any research equipment. Instead, it had been refurbished into a psychological therapy room.

Creak—the door opened. Upon hearing the sound, the Winter Soldier suppressed his internal turmoil and instinctively turned around, warily gazing at the young man he didn't recognize who had appeared at the doorway.

At the same time, Mark also looked at the Winter Soldier. Their gazes met as they faced each other for the first time without engaging in combat.

"Who are you? Why have you brought me to this place? And why did you help me recover my past memories?"

The silence didn't last long. Bucky, eager to know the truth, directly spoke up, voicing his current doubts to Mark.

He could sense that the young man in front of him must know him and aware of his identity. Moreover, the person didn't seem to harbor any obvious ill intent toward him. Otherwise, after rescuing him from Hydra's clutches, there wouldn't have been such elaborate efforts to help him overcome the brainwashing effects.

Of course, there was also a possibility that the young man before him was incredibly cunning, harboring hidden motives and setting up intricate traps to approach and use him for a deeper, unknown purpose.

However, Bucky still trusted his initial instincts more. If the second scenario was true, he wouldn't have any way to handle it. After all, at least for now, the person before him was his savior. Even if he had ulterior motives, Bucky couldn't act against him at this moment.

Fortunately, Bucky's intuition was right. After Mark answered his first question, his nervous heart began to settle.

"I'm Mark Stark. You should be familiar with my last name. I am the grandson of Howard Stark, the man you killed.

As for why I rescued you and helped you recover your memories, that's a bit more complex."

"The young man before him is the descendant of his old acquaintance Howard Stark, but he's not here for revenge." These were the two important pieces of information Bucky gleaned from Mark's response. With these two points, they had the foundation for an open-hearted conversation.

"Well, you might as well describe this complex situation in detail. I have plenty of time now."

"Sure, even though my time is very valuable, this is a topic worth spending some time on to explain to you.

Now that your memories have been restored, I believe you have an impression of the heinous tasks you carried out under Hydra's control, the unforgivable crimes you committed. Among them—there is an incident related to my grandfather, Howard Stark."

"That's correct..." Hearing Mark bring up these matters, Bucky's expression momentarily froze, then he nodded in reluctant acknowledgment to the accusations Mark had presented to him.

"Very well, since you admit, we can continue. First of all, seeking revenge against you is not the reason I brought you back.

You were nothing more than a weapon, controlled by a malevolent force due to your lost memories. Even if it wasn't you, Hydra could have used any means to accomplish their goals, and the person wielding this weapon—namely you—is the true mastermind behind the entire incident.

However, not everyone can analyze and perceive the intricacies of a situation as calmly as I do. Especially for me, my calm perspective is built upon the fact that by the time I was born, Howard had already passed away. Though there is a blood relationship between us, there is no emotional connection.

But my dad Tony is different. Despite the seemingly strained relationship between him and Howard, I know the significance Howard held in his life, the bond he carried.

It's similar to the connection between him and me. True family bonds are never swayed by surface appearances."

"If he were to learn the truth about his parents' deaths, that it wasn't the accidental car crash he's always believed, but rather a deliberate act, and that the person responsible is you, what kind of reaction do you think he would have?"

"He would probably want to strangle me, watching me struggle in his grasp until I died," Bucky offered the cruelest punishment for himself.

"Perhaps, or maybe he'd just blast you to bits with a single shot, out of sight, out of mind. I don't know, after all, the last person who made me angry, I didn't actually kill.

I stripped him of everything, both mentally and physically. Then, at his most desperate moment, when he wanted to end his life, I took control of him and sent him to prison.

He'll spend the rest of his life there, never stepping foot outside again. He'll linger on in agonizing suffering, aging and weakening, departing from this world amidst pain and illness.

But Tony probably wouldn't go as far as I did. From what I remember, he prefers a more direct approach.

However, that's not the focus of our conversation today. If it were someone else, Tony could kill them without a second thought. Given our social status and wealth, we could make someone who was already recorded as deceased disappear without a trace.

Even if we openly disclosed this matter, I doubt anyone would want to provoke the Stark family or bring a lawsuit against it.

But the problem is that your situation is uniquely unfortunate. You're not just an ordinary murderer; you're a World War II hero, and moreover, a close friend of Captain Steve Rogers.

With such an identity and relationship, things get very complicated. If your existence were exposed to their eyes, it would undoubtedly cause irreconcilable conflict between the two, leading to a rupture in the Avengers' relationships.

This is something I don't want to see. The enemies we'll face in the future are incredibly formidable, the challenges unprecedentedly immense. Aside from the Avengers coming together to fight as a united front, there's no other way to successfully confront this crisis.

So, you understand, right?

Now that I've explained my intentions. We need to figure out how to safely and stably resolve the series of problems arising from your existence. I believe we need to discuss this."

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