Weekends didn't mean no classes. Some eccentric professors loved scheduling their courses on weekends. To them, every day of the week should be devoted to research and progress, not wasted on some arbitrary day off. What the students thought was irrelevant to them.
Professor Samuel Sterns was one such man. He loved his work so much he wished he could pour every minute of his life into it. This dedication had made him a top-tier expert in cellular biology, arguably the best in the country.
As usual, after dealing with the troublesome, incompetent, and always-causing-problems graduate students, he finished his mandatory university lecture and left the teaching building, ready for a hearty dinner to replenish his energy.
Just as he was leaving the teaching building, a woman approached him and asked,
"Excuse me, are you Professor Samuel Sterns?"
Samuel glanced at her curiously. As a research fanatic, he wasn't particularly popular with women, nor did he particularly like them. Still, out of basic courtesy, he replied,
"Yes, I am. And you are?"
"I'm sorry to bother you, Professor. I'm Betty Ross from the University of Virginia."
"Ah, Dr. Ross! I remember you! Dr. Ross from the Virginia Quantum Research Center. It's a pleasure to meet you, Doctor!" Samuel paused for a moment at the name, then quickly recalled it. This was thanks to Betty's own efforts. People like Samuel rarely remembered unimportant people; they only remembered the top figures in their field. And Betty was indeed one of those top figures.
Seeing that Samuel recognized her, Betty felt the situation had become much easier. She quickly said,
"Professor, there's someone very important I'd like you to meet. Do you think it's possible?"
If Betty had come to discuss research, Samuel might have been pleased. But if she just wanted to introduce someone, he wasn't particularly willing. Still, since she had come all the way to ask him, even though he didn't want to, he could only nod.
"All right, Dr. Ross. But my time is very limited. If your friend could..."
Before he could finish, Bruce Banner stepped forward at Betty's signal and asked, "Are you Mr. Blue? Is that right?"
His question was odd and out of the blue. But Samuel's reaction was even stranger. He scanned Bruce Banner up and down several times before asking in a very uncertain tone, "And you are...? Mr. Green?"
"Finally, Mr. Blue, we meet. I believe this is our first formal meeting. I am Mr. Green. You can call me Bruce." Bruce felt a surge of joy, having finally found the person who had given him hope.
Unbeknownst to him, as he finished his meeting with Professor Samuel Sterns, two groups simultaneously began their net-closing operation. They had been laying their trap for a long time, waiting for the big fish, Bruce Banner, to arrive. Now, he had finally walked into the trap they had so carefully set for him.
A military vehicle carrying General Ross pulled up to a mobile command center outside Columbia University. As he entered the temporary operations command center, Ross began issuing orders to his subordinates.
"Tell the police to seal off all of Broadway and the surrounding major arteries. Don't let anything suspicious pass through. And station snipers on all high-rise buildings. I want them to track the target's every move and report to me constantly."
His aide recorded the orders, preparing to assign them to specific personnel, while asking, "General, the combat teams are ready. Blonsky has rejoined the unit and is on standby with the tactical team. Do you have any instructions for them?"
Hearing Blonsky's name, General Ross's lips twitched. He hadn't expected the man to survive the dangers of a second injection; in fact, Blonsky had given him a pleasant surprise. By this alone, Blonsky's value already surpassed that of an ordinary soldier.
However, for Ross, Bruce Banner remained the priority. Without even turning his head, he barked out his orders:
"Keep them on standby. No one moves without my command. Get the snipers in position immediately and report to me the moment they're in place!"
"Yes, sir!"
Under military control, the police and National Guard began their operations. They sealed off all major routes without alerting the target, while various elite personnel moved into position at every potential checkpoint.
The military's movements were both efficient and discreet. However, for another organization watching General Ross's every move—S.H.I.E.L.D.—their actions were far too conspicuous.
They were also keeping a close eye on Bruce Banner. As General Ross began issuing orders and taking action, they activated their own contingency plans. However, compared to Ross's grand maneuvers, their movements were so subtle that almost no one noticed them except themselves.
As a spy organization, infiltration, stealth, and control were their specialties. They were particularly skilled at handling those who were completely unprepared for them, making it effortless to operate without raising any suspicion.
One by one, the assets they had planted within the enemy ranks were activated. These agents received orders from S.H.I.E.L.D. leadership. With a single command, they could immediately seize control of everyone present and completely subjugate General Ross's entire force.
This was something General Ross had never anticipated, leaving him utterly unprepared and oblivious. Coulson, who was monitoring him, felt a pang of pity for the general's ignorance. After all, there was nothing more infuriating than pouring countless efforts into a goal, only to have someone suddenly appear at the very moment of success and steal everything you had achieved. And now, S.H.I.E.L.D. was playing that inglorious role.
Remembering his identity and General Ross's subsequent fury, Coulson felt deeply apologetic. But he had his principles. Work was work, and personal feelings were personal feelings. He wouldn't let personal issues compromise the mission.
Watching everything fall into place, poised for the final strike, Coulson began making the final arrangements. This was the time to activate the ultimate failsafe.
"Buddy, it's your turn," he said as he sent the message, along with an address, to Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi had just finished dinner with his two young daughters and two women at home.
Originally, they had planned some family activities after dinner, as the girls had requested. But Coulson's message disrupted his plans.
Though he desperately wanted to spend a beautiful evening with his daughters and his two stunning companions, reviewing the Hulk's file made it clear that was impossible. Without his intervention, if anything went wrong, the Hulk and the female giant Coulson had mentioned could rampage through New York City, causing catastrophic casualties.
As someone of equal power, Zhou Yi understood Hulk's destructive potential far better than S.H.I.E.L.D. When completely uncontrolled, a few thousand people or a couple of city blocks wouldn't last even an hour or two. It was time for him to act.
"Ada, take the children to rest. I need to go out for a while!" Just as he never revealed his secret identity to Charis and Zhou Lan, Zhou Yi never told his two daughters about his heroic persona. He always used work as a cover for his actions, and the children, being very understanding, never pressed for details.
This time was no different. Without asking any questions, they followed Ada upstairs. The reproachful look Ada gave him as she left and her quiet "Be careful" made Zhou Yi question his decision. But he knew this was only from Zhou Yi's perspective. As the Dawn Knight, this was the only choice he could make.
Donning his sleek black armor and dark, flowing cape, the Dawn Knight vanished from the spot. After he disappeared, Natasha remained.
She had received a mission, one that had been relayed to her through Nick Fury. The task was to gather intelligence and secrets about the Dawn Knight whenever possible, or to find a way to control those around him. It was a formidable assignment, but Natasha felt capable of completing it.
The real dilemma, however, wasn't about her ability to execute the mission, but whether she *should*. As an agent, she was expected to obey her superiors. But as Natasha Romanoff, she didn't want to. She pondered and hesitated.
In the end, she made her decision. Instead of leaving Zhou Yi's home, she walked upstairs.
"I need to tell you something," Samuel said, his voice trembling with excitement, as he addressed Bruce and Betty in his private laboratory. "I've been suspicious of you all along, wondering if you truly existed."
"My God, I've always wondered what you'd be like if you were real. You know how immense the power within you is. What would a being as powerful as a god look like? I never imagined you'd be like this—so ordinary, so unremarkable. It's simply a miracle."
Samuel understood Bruce's condition intimately. It was precisely because of this understanding that he found it so extraordinary. He couldn't even find a suitable word to describe Bruce's existence. After much deliberation, he settled on one: "divine."
Only a being as divine as Bruce could be so miraculous and incomprehensible. In Samuel's eyes, Bruce Banner was a god—a god created by science.
"Samuel, I just want to know—can you help me get rid of him?" Bruce interrupted Samuel's rambling, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. That was the only thing that mattered to him.
"I think I can. But it's dangerous!" Samuel replied, his words plunging the two seekers into silence.
They had found what they were looking for, but now they faced a difficult choice.
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