Homelander slowed down, landed steadily on the terrace outside the hall, and walked inside.
Seeing Homelander walk in, Jessica stepped forward and gave him a hug.
"I've brought the people back for you," Jessica said, rubbing her eyes. "I'll leave the rest to you; I'm going back to catch up on some sleep."
"If there's anything you don't understand, ask Ashley."
After saying that, Jessica yawned, her figure flickering, and she vanished right on the spot.
Seeing this, Ashley immediately came up to meet him and proficiently reported the background and ability assessment of the two people to Homelander.
Homelander listened while sizing up the two.
At this moment, Matt took the initiative to step forward and greeted Homelander.
"Mr. Homelander, it's an honor to meet you."
Homelander looked at Matt, whose mask covered half of his face, and feigned surprise. "You can see? You actually know it's me?"
Matt smiled slightly, shook his head, and said: "I never rely on my eyes. Because there is something more unique about a person than their appearance."
"Wow, I have to say, that's really impressive," Homelander praised.
"Matt Murdock, I've heard of your deeds," Homelander said, calling out his real name.
"Not only do you fight crime under the cover of night, but you also volunteer to help many poor people with lawsuits during the day, fighting for justice for them."
Homelander continued with a compassionate gaze, his voice dropping a little lower than before.
"I can see the scars all over your body, as well as the traces of bones repeatedly breaking and healing. You endure pain every day that ordinary people cannot imagine."
"But you still chose to stand up and bleed for people you've never met."
Homelander reached out and patted Matt on the shoulder.
"And you, my friend. You are a true hero."
"Not just because of your work, but because of the difficulties you have overcome."
Matt was stunned.
He was accustomed to loneliness and misunderstanding, accustomed to bleeding silently in the mud.
He never thought that this high-and-mighty Homelander, whom he was meeting for the first time, could give him such high praise.
A wave of warmth surged into Matt's heart.
"Thank you, Homelander," Matt said gratefully. "Your words mean a lot to me."
Notification! Gained special popularity value + 10,000! (From Matt Murdock)
At this moment, Matt made a decision. He decided to be honest.
In front of such a sincere leader, he shouldn't hide his selfish motives.
"Homelander, actually, I joined Vought this time for personal reasons. I..."
"No need to explain, Matt," Homelander interrupted him directly, his tone accommodating.
"Once you've come to Vought, you're family."
"Vought never sits idly by when it comes to family. Whatever you want to do, go ahead and do it."
"Vought will spare no effort to help you."
Matt was moved.
"But..." Homelander changed the subject, laughing softly.
"You must fully cooperate with Vought's publicity work."
"You have to know that saving hearts is often more important than saving lives."
Matt pondered this sentence carefully, seeming to have realized something.
He had always resisted exposure and liked to act in the shadows. But these words from Homelander opened up new lines of thought for him.
He nodded solemnly: "I understand. I will fully cooperate."
At this time, Danny had also finished all the procedures and walked over excitedly.
"Mr. Homelander! I'm Danny Rand, your loyal fan!" Danny reached out his hand impatiently.
"I know you, Danny. Jessica speaks highly of you," Homelander said, shaking his hand and patting it with a smile.
"We have very similar circumstances; we have both experienced hardships. But fortunately, the suffering didn't crush us, and we both eventually walked onto the right path."
With just a few words, Homelander instantly closed the distance between them.
Danny only felt that they should have met sooner, and he was extremely excited inside.
"To support your cause of justice," Homelander continued to up the ante, "Vought will officially include Rand Enterprises in our list of strategic partners. Your company will enjoy the highest level of tax exemptions and technology sharing in the U.S."
Danny was even more thrilled.
His family business had been struggling under the U.S.'s high tax rates.
But now with Vought as his backer, all problems were solved.
"Thank you so much! Homelander! I will never let you down!"
Notification! Gained special popularity value + 10,000! (From Danny Rand)
The groundwork was laid, and seeing the timing was right, Homelander cut to the chase.
"Danny, now that The Hand has been dealt with, I need you to cooperate with Vought to complete an important task."
Danny's expression turned serious as he waited for Homelander's instructions.
"The headquarters of The Hand, that is, the dragon bone buried beneath the Midland Circle building in Manhattan," Homelander said with a serious expression. "The followers of the Universe's Evil God, Dormammu, are also trying every possible way to seize it."
"Leaving it there is a huge hidden danger to the safety of the people of New York."
"Vought has decided to fully contain the dragon bone and manage it centrally to benefit all mankind."
Danny listened and believed Homelander's words without question.
Homelander is now well-regarded on Earth; if he says it will benefit mankind, then there definitely won't be any problems.
But he looked troubled.
"Mr. Homelander, I fully support your decision. But..."
Danny explained worriedly: "I once overheard Madame Gao's conspiracy; that dragon bone has completely merged with the ley lines of New York."
"If the dragon bone is forcibly dug out, New York, having lost its structural support, might see more than half of the city collapse."
Homelander smiled confidently.
"Don't worry, Danny. I care about the safety of New York more than anyone else. My company and my home are both here."
"Vought has made full preparations. While digging out the dragon bone, we will simultaneously fill it with a brand-new, high-strength material."
"I guarantee that the new foundation will be ten thousand times more reliable than that pile of dead bones."
Seeing that Homelander had even prepared the technical plan, Danny dispelled his last concerns.
"I understand! I promise to fully cooperate with Vought's operation!"
After handling the two's affairs, Homelander signaled for them to go rest first, and later, staff would take them to customize their exclusive hero uniforms and equipment.
After the two left, Ashley came up.
"Boss," Ashley said, quickly flipping through the data, "Regarding publicity, the topic of equal rights is very hot within the U.S. right now. But Angela has been busy with various private parties lately, and her popularity value has shown a significant decline."
"I suggest letting Angela, the transgender hero, take Matt, the disabled hero, to team up for a period of joint patrols and publicity."
"The media and the public will definitely buy into this correct ace combination."
Homelander listened and felt it made perfect sense, at least it would be very effective in North America and Europe.
As expected, professional matters should be left to professionals.
"Just do as you said, Ashley," Homelander approved readily. "Your abilities have never disappointed me."
***************************
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