I Became a Knockoff Arms Dealer in the Marvel World

Hearing the subtle dismissal from his boss, Ian quickly got up. Sitting for such a long time had left his body stiff—a chronic condition from years of desk work.

Even though he was physically uncomfortable, Ian didn't dare show a hint of slackness. Bowing slightly out of politeness, he thanked his boss:

"Thank you for your concern, Boss. Two hours of sleep will be more than enough."

He then pledged with firm resolve: "I'll start pushing the Super Promotion Plan today and guarantee that all preliminary preparations will be completed on time."

"Wait!" Carl almost forgot about Pietro's university enrollment. He quickly stopped Ian, who was already heading toward the door.

Ian turned back, his expression puzzled.

Carl offered an apologetic smile before asking, "One more thing—can you arrange for a kid who's never had formal education to get into Columbia University?"

Ian's expression brightened with understanding, and he replied, "That's easy. I know Columbia's Vice President, Mr. Casper Clayton.

A little money in the right places, and getting a kid admitted won't be an issue."

It was no surprise that Ian, as the COO of Oscorp and a veteran of New York's high society, had such extensive connections.

Carl had truly found the perfect tool for the job.

Satisfied, Carl nodded. "Since you can handle it, I'll leave Pietro's admission to you. Let this be your second priority."

Ian quickly waved off the praise, saying, "It's no trouble at all. Serving you is my honor, Boss. I'll have this sorted in less than two days."

"Alright. I trust your work. Now, go get some rest."

After sending Ian off, Carl, despite having been awake all night, remained brimming with energy. Thanks to his T-virus-enhanced body, he could go days without sleep if necessary.

Unless, of course, he encountered something truly exhausting—like an automatic juicer.

With nothing urgent to attend to, Carl decided to explore his luxurious estate. This would be his long-term residence in New York, so it was only fitting to properly familiarize himself with it.

The morning sunlight bathed the dreamlike estate in a golden glow.

Carl stepped out onto a sprawling balcony that wrapped around nearly the entire floor of the mansion, offering an unobstructed view of the vibrant sunrise.

The main building stood seven stories tall, with nine master bedrooms—five of which were opulent suites equipped with their own luxurious bathrooms.

The mansion's décor featured ionic columns, gilded wall sconces, intricate tapestries, a majestic marble fireplace, and original parquet flooring.

Carl roamed the estate, inspecting every detail. It had everything: a sauna, a hot tub, a massage room, and even a climate-controlled wine cellar capable of storing a thousand bottles.

He was particularly impressed with the massage room, which boasted the services of two skilled and attractive masseuses available around the clock.

Carl treated himself to a session in the massage room, which greatly relieved his fatigue. He nearly lost himself in the meticulous, full-service care of the masseuses.

This was the life he had envisioned: delegating all the tedious tasks to his subordinates while he enjoyed the finer things. Why else would he go to such lengths to establish the Umbrella Corporation if not to create a life of luxury and ease?

---

Meanwhile, at the Triskelion, the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in New York City…

The sky was a canvas of brilliant hues, the morning sun rising amidst wisps of cotton-white clouds, casting a golden light over the city.

While Carl was in high spirits, the atmosphere in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s conference room was grim.

Gathered in the room were some of the world's most prominent superheroes and key figures: Iron Man Tony Stark, Hawkeye Clint Barton, Black Widow Natasha Romanoff, the Hulk Bruce Banner, and Captain America Steve Rogers.

Also present were S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury and his trusted agents, Phil Coulson and Maria Hill.

In short, except for Thor, the entire original Avengers lineup was in attendance.

Bruce Banner had been tracked down in India by Black Widow, who had convinced him to join with a mix of persuasion and coercion. At the time, he had been studying under a Buddhist master, learning methods to control his anger.

Tired of constantly living in hiding, Banner reluctantly accepted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s offer. They promised him immunity from General Ross's relentless pursuit and even dangled the possibility of reuniting with his girlfriend, Betty.

As for Captain America, Steve Rogers, after being retrieved from Umbrella by Coulson, had gone through extensive medical examinations upon his return to the U.S., just as Carl had predicted.

Although Steve endured the battery of tests without complaint, the experience left a sour taste in his mouth—a silent grudge taking root in his heart.

Today's meeting had a clear agenda: Umbrella, the organization that had become S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top concern.

Tony Stark, sporting his trademark sunglasses, sat with his arms crossed and an annoyed expression on his face.

He had been working on designing an anti-Scarlet Witch armor at home when S.H.I.E.L.D. had dragged him here for a meeting. To Tony, time spent in this room was time wasted—time better spent perfecting his Iron Man suits.

The only reason he'd bothered to show up was that the meeting focused on Umbrella. Otherwise, he wouldn't have given it a second thought.

Or so he liked to tell himself.

In reality, Tony knew full well that he couldn't handle Umbrella alone. No matter how much he disliked it, he needed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources and manpower.

What irked him even more was that the meeting was led by Nick Fury. For someone as proud as Tony, having to take orders from Fury felt like a blow to his ego.

Still, the threat posed by Umbrella was too great for him to let pride get in the way.

"Thank you all for coming," Fury began, breaking the oppressive silence in the room. "You've all been briefed on each other, so I'll skip the formalities. Let's get straight to the point."

At his signal, Maria Hill stepped forward to deliver the latest intelligence on Umbrella.

"Despite our efforts, infiltrating Umbrella's headquarters has proven impossible. Even applying for legitimate employee positions has been fruitless.

However, based on indirect evidence, we suspect there is a secret facility located deep underground beneath their headquarters.

In recent months, Umbrella has been openly constructing new facilities worldwide, seemingly without any concern for secrecy.

As for their advanced weaponry, our analysis confirms that Umbrella's CEO, Carl Davis, is personally responsible for their creation—likely through some form of extraordinary ability.

Additionally, as of yesterday, we received word from Sokovia. Carl, along with Wanda Maximoff and another individual who also appears to possess superhuman abilities, boarded a private jet and arrived in New York early this morning via commercial transport.

Their exact purpose here is unknown, but it's clear that Umbrella is planning something big."

---

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