William's brain buzzed and almost stopped thinking.
The System was the foundation of his survival.
This briefcase was his most useful tool.
"Damn!"
William squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth.
He yanked his hand back.
He felt as if he had just touched high voltage electricity.
The continuously trembling briefcase immediately quieted down.
The red warning in his mind also disappeared.
William gasped for breath. His back was drenched in cold sweat.
He looked up at the Man-Thing in front of him.
Those two red lights were still as calm as ever.
It just watched William.
It seemed to be waiting for William to make a decision.
It also seemed to know what was going to happen long ago.
The Man-Thing was neither angry nor disappointed.
There was an ancient calm in its eyes.
William looked at its eyes, and his chaotic heart forcibly calmed down.
He was a businessman.
He specialized in handling risks.
He never allowed himself to be pushed into a corner.
"It seems this problem is a bit more complex than we initially thought."
William straightened up again.
It was as if he had forgotten that he was the one who had almost been scared silly just now.
He faced the Man-Thing and began to analyze systematically.
He was now treating it as a major client.
"This tool of mine," he pointed to the briefcase.
"It can 'create' things, but it cannot 'clear' rules. If I force it to touch that crystal, two different rules will clash. The final outcome is something none of us want to see."
As William spoke, he reopened the briefcase that made his heart pound.
This time, he was very careful.
He did not let the briefcase touch anything.
He simply aimed the opening of the briefcase at the black crystal.
His mind was racing.
"So, we must change our approach. We won't 'excise' it directly. We'll build a'safe' for it. We'll use one rule to 'contain' another rule."
This idea was very bold.
However, this idea perfectly aligned with the briefcase's capabilities.
William's idea was transmitted to the briefcase via his nerves.
[Requirement: Create a box.]
[Demand: Absolute isolation, rule-neutrality, self-stability.]
[Product Name: M-199999 Universal Law Vacuum Storage Box.]
[Purpose: Long-term sealing of paradox-level singularities.]
"Buzz..."
The dimensional space inside the briefcase began to operate.
William felt a huge amount of energy being used.
A transparent square frame made of light slowly emerged from the opening of the briefcase.
This square looked like nothing at all.
However, it also seemed to be the most solid thing in the World.
"As you... wish..."
The Man-Thing's thought was conveyed.
There was a hint of approval in its thought.
Its huge, vine-composed palm lifted and gently pushed towards the black crystal.
There was no explosion.
Nor was there a conflict of rules.
The pulsating "Wound of the World," as soon as it touched the light-composed square, was immediately sucked in.
It was like a piece of iron being drawn by a magnet, without a sound.
After the crystal went in, the light square immediately solidified.
It transformed into a silver metal box.
The surface of the box was covered with technological and magic symbols that William couldn't understand.
"Clink."
The metal box fell to the ground, making a crisp sound.
The uncomfortable feeling in the surroundings vanished instantly.
The center of this long-polluted swamp was finally clean.
William let out a long sigh of relief.
He felt as if he had just completed an extremely exhausting mental task.
He succeeded.
He solved the client's problem.
He also saved his System.
More importantly, he created a brand new "product."
"So, esteemed Guardian."
William wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He smiled at the Man-Thing, "Regarding my compensation..."
The Man-Thing did not speak.
It extended a moss-covered finger.
It gently touched William's forehead with its finger.
In an instant, William felt his consciousness leave his body.
He fell into a huge river of green.
He saw the breath of every forest on Earth.
He felt the life of every blade of grass.
He heard the words of an ancient tree in the wind, deep within the Amazon rainforest.
This was a connection that transcended space and physics.
A vast consciousness network belonging to plants, named "Verdant."
This network granted William a very small "visitor" permission.
"This is the power of nature... a deposit."
William's consciousness returned to his body.
He swayed for a moment, then stood firm.
He knew what he had gained.
He had gained a "coordinate."
He could use this coordinate to summon this swamp god at any time.
"This is a very... generous deposit," William suppressed his excitement and said professionally, "So, for the convenience of our future cooperation, are you interested in... moving to a more comfortable, safer, and more private office location?"
He extended an invitation.
The Man-Thing's dark red eyes simply watched him silently.
A thought was conveyed.
"The swamp... is me."
"Of course."
William nodded immediately.
"I completely understand. So what I've prepared for you is a brand new, private, undisturbed swamp lair. Our company just happens to be developing a high-end eco-resort island project recently."
His ability to speak off the cuff seemed innate.
The Man-Thing was silent for a moment.
"Alright."
"Excellent!" William snapped his fingers, "The plane is ready, we..."
He didn't finish his sentence.
The Man-Thing had already reached out and placed its hand on his shoulder.
"No need."
The next second, everything in front of William changed.
The fairy-tale-like swamp around him was gone.
He saw countless green light and Shadow tunnels rapidly receding.
He felt as if he had been stuffed into an optical fiber, moving at a speed he couldn't even imagine.
This feeling lasted less than a second.
His feet landed on solid ground again.
He smelled the familiar, salty sea breeze.
He was back.
He was back on his North Brother Island.
Not far away, a tall and strong figure appeared.
He carried a terrifying aura, staring intently at this "new guest" beside William.
Emil Blonsky quickly transformed into the Abomination and roared.
He could clearly feel that the monster made of mud and vines in front of him possessed a primitive, terrifying power within its body.
This power could threaten him.
The Man-Thing also slowly turned around.
Its dark red eyes met Bronski's violent gaze.
The air on the island immediately became tense.
"Stop, Emil."
William took a step forward, standing between the two of them.
"Relax. This... is our company's newly signed top security consultant, and also our most important VIP client."
He turned to the Man-Thing and introduced, "This is Emil Blonsky, our island's Head of Security. He is very cautious about any potential threats and is highly capable."
Bronski looked at the strange scene before him, his vigilance undiminished.
But he still reverted to his human form.
He trusted William's judgment.
William no longer paid attention to the two "monsters" who were still sizing each other up.
He directly took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Lei Ling, it's me."
"Arrange an engineering team for me. On the west side of the island, dig me a... hmm, at least five hundred square meters of swamp. Yes, a swamp. As quickly as possible. Whatever equipment and materials are needed, charge them directly to Stark Industries. That's all."
After hanging up the phone, William finally let out a sigh of relief.
He felt that he had finally settled the matter of this "big client."
Now, it was time to talk business.
He walked in front of the Man-Thing.
The businessman's smile on his face was completely gone. His expression became very serious.
"Now, I need your help."
William opened his phone, brought up a photo, and showed it to the Man-Thing.
In the photo, there was a bald Black man wearing an eye patch and a black trench coat.
Nick Fury.
"I need to find this man. He is likely seriously injured now and is being hunted by the World's largest Agent organization. He is very good at hiding, better than anyone."
William looked at the Man-Thing, speaking word by word.
"Can you find him?"
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