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A brief silence settled over the tent, making the atmosphere slightly awkward.
But Kingo did not remain contemplative for long. He sighed.
"As far as I know, Krypton rose to power in an astonishingly short time—enough to threaten the Skrull Empire—because of your species' unfathomable intelligence.
"Unfortunately, that same volatile madness made cooperation with other civilizations nearly impossible. Otherwise, it would not have been the Shi'ar Empire rising to prominence today. It might have been Krypton—forming the third great power of the nearby galaxy."
It sounded like praise, yet Henry felt detached.
"I was abandoned as an infant. Praising Krypton doesn't exactly stir pride in me."
Not to mention—he wasn't even a native Kryptonian. He was a transmigrator.
Kingo smiled faintly. "It is praise for you as well, Mr. Brown. Please accept it modestly.
"And I intend to give you a test."
Henry frowned slightly. Being tested for no clear reason was always irritating.
"Don't misunderstand," Kingo continued calmly. "This will benefit you as well. I am willing to cooperate with your research. Study whatever you wish."
That truly caught Henry off guard.
"Cooperate with my research? What exactly do you mean?"
"Precisely what it sounds like. If you are curious about the Eternals—our physiology, our technology—I will assist you. Naturally, nothing invasive or harmful. Whatever results you obtain cannot be considered anything but a gain for you."
Henry lowered his gaze in thought.
"If this is a test, and the benefit is upfront… then what happens if I pass? What do you want from me?"
Kingo's expression grew serious.
"If you are able to understand Eternal biology or technology to a level I deem sufficient, then yes—I have a request.
"It concerns one of my people. A dear friend."
He tapped his temple.
"She has… a problem here. I hope you might help. Even an evaluation would suffice."
So it was indeed about the Eternal warrior—Thena.
Henry did not immediately agree.
"This sounds neurological—or consciousness-related. Among your kind, isn't there a healer? Or a technological specialist who could address this?"
"Our leader possesses healing abilities," Kingo said. "But her proposed solution is to erase all memories and start anew.
"We believe the condition stems from the accumulation of knowledge and memories over countless ages—beyond what the mind can sustain.
"But you understand the dilemma. If she loses her past—our battles, our shared experiences—is she still the person we know?
"We do not wish to lose our friend. To look at her face and treat her as a stranger… that would be tragic. So the matter remains unresolved.
"The reason I approached you is precisely because you lack preconceived notions. I want to hear how a Kryptonian might approach such a condition."
Henry considered that carefully.
"And your technological expert? He has no solution?"
Kingo snorted. "He is a timid, overly sensitive coward. Ever since he believes he committed a grave mistake, he refuses to conduct further research. I have no patience to persuade him."
So even the Eternals were not united. Interesting.
Henry asked again, "Have you considered Professor X? If you've lived into this era, why not consult the foremost authority in mental phenomena?"
"We do not trust mutants," Kingo replied flatly. "Especially those with strong ideological convictions—even if they claim to stand for justice.
"The mutants we have encountered are rigid, uncompromising, narrow-minded. I have no reason to believe the X-Men are different from the Brotherhood or the Hellfire Club.
"Furthermore, the X-Men are far too conspicuous. Their existence invites attention. Contacting them risks exposing us.
"We have watched civilizations collapse. In desperate times, people drag down anyone nearby. I would advise you to minimize your involvement with mutants."
Henry almost laughed.
That sentiment was becoming universal.
"But in terms of visibility," Henry countered, "am I really less conspicuous than the X-Men? Associating with me carries no risk?"
Kingo grinned.
"We share a convenient cover. Film industry cooperation. For us, that is the perfect disguise."
Henry had to admit—he agreed entirely. To the outside world, they would be discussing cinema technology. No one would imagine an Eternal and a Kryptonian negotiating behind the curtain.
Which reminded him—
They hadn't yet discussed any actual business.
"Speaking of film," Henry said, "what kind of cooperation are you proposing? I'll accept your 'test,' but we still need a legitimate agreement on record."
Kingo nodded.
"At minimum, we wish to import film-grade digital imaging equipment from Stark Pictures.
"In an ideal scenario, we would pursue joint production—technology transfer—with manufacturing based in India."
Henry responded immediately.
"That can be arranged. However, equipment produced in India must be restricted to sale and maintenance within India."
He paused, then added:
"We can extend that region to South Asia and West Asia. Those markets are difficult to serve directly from the United States—too small, too complicated. Letting you handle them makes sense."
Now it was Kingo's turn to widen his eyes.
"You agreed that quickly?"
"Why not?"
"And the regional restriction—you can enforce that?"
"Easily," Henry replied with a smile. "These systems are computer-based. Region locking, embedded authentication signatures—digital watermarking in source files—it's straightforward.
"The traditional methods still apply: manufacturing origin labels, serial registration. If Indian-manufactured systems appear in Hollywood, we void service, revoke screening rights, or remotely disable playback.
"As long as the contract clearly defines territorial limitations and buyers are informed, enforcement becomes a legal matter.
"Of course, grey markets will always exist. That's inevitable—and manageable."
Kingo gave him a knowing look.
"You're willing to concede substantial profit margins. That suggests you want something from the Eternals."
"Yes."
Henry met his gaze directly.
"Battle armor."
Even Superman had a suit with his family crest—he didn't patrol naked simply because he possessed invulnerability.
Henry's concern was not merely about shredded clothing after gunfire.
He wanted a full system—radiation shielding, ideally with stealth capabilities.
Radiation against what?
Kryptonite.
He needed protection against Kryptonite radiation.
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