Washington D.C., Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Outside the Intensive Care Unit, General Ross stared expressionlessly through the glass window. Emil Bronski was covered in tubes, almost every bone in his body broken, yet he miraculously remained alive.
To him, this scene was a disgrace.
"General." An adjutant walked over quickly and said in a low voice, "A representative from Aurora United Defense would like to see you. He says he has a solution to your current predicament. His security clearance... is very high."
Ross's brow furrowed. "Aurora United Defense?" He had never heard the name, but the fact that they could bypass all the security at the Military medical center and reach his door spoke volumes about the power behind them.
"Let him in," Ross said coldly.
A few minutes later, a well-dressed middle-aged man walked in with a smile on his face. Without much small talk, he gently placed a business card and a file on the table.
The business card had only a first name, not even a surname.
"General, your failure was losing to this era of Error," the man began, his voice steady and persuasive. "You serve your country, yet you are hamstrung by a group of timid bureaucrats and mocked by arms dealers like Tony Stark. It's not fair."
These words accurately stung the most resentful part of Ross's heart.
As if oblivious to Ross's suddenly constricted pupils, the man continued unhurriedly, "That soldier named Bronski is a true patriot; he only craves the power to defend honor. We just happen to be able to help him fulfill that wish."
He pushed the file toward Ross. "An imperfect Super Soldier Serum, an improved version of a project the Military abandoned decades ago. But it's enough to make a dying hero stand again and become... stronger. Strong enough to hunt that Monster."
Ross stared intently at the file, an inconspicuous logo on the cover making his breath hitch. He had seen this logo before; it belonged to the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) from the World War II era.
"What do you want?" Ross's voice was hoarse and dry.
"We want nothing, General," the man smiled. "We only want to see a strong United States, a United States that can firmly grasp all its weapons. And you are the best person to execute all of this."
He took a step back and bowed slightly.
"We will provide the technology and funding, and clear all obstacles on Capitol Hill for you. You, in turn, only need to keep doing what you do best: lock that out-of-control Monster back in its cage."
"Then, no one will remember we were here today, but let's stay in touch afterward, General."
The terms of the deal were simply too tempting. Ross stared at the file, then glanced at the mangled Bronski in the ICU through the window, and made his decision.
He didn't reach out to shake hands; he simply picked up the file and coldly spat out a single word.
"Fine."
The man's smile deepened, and he turned silently to leave, disappearing at the end of the corridor.
Ross did not know that while this cooperation satisfied his ambition, it also released something far more dangerous... By the time Lin Huai and Tony returned to the Stark Mansion in Malibu, the sky was nearing dawn.
"Tony, as cool as it was to show off, it was really cold waiting for your plane to pick me up. Next time, be faster, okay?" Lin Huai couldn't help but complain as soon as he stepped off the plane.
"Do you think it's easy for me to get rid of those idiots? I'm not afraid of the Military, but I hate trouble," Stark curled his lip and then shouted loudly.
"Jarvis, did you hear that? Immediately design a Personal Portable Constant-Temperature Force Field Generator for Mr. Lin. It needs to fit into a suit pocket. Oh, and remember to use my classic red and gold color scheme for the exterior!"
Lin Huai was about to say something when suddenly, a throbbing from deep within his spirituality urged him.
The relaxed expression on his face vanished instantly. He pointed seriously toward the sky and said to Tony, "I'm going to the secret room; there's an emergency."
Upon entering the secret room, Lin Huai sat cross-legged.
He whispered the Fool's honorific name in Ancient Hermes Language, his consciousness rapidly floating up and sinking into that boundless sea of grayish-white fog.
A sequence of ominous and malicious images forced its way into his inspiration!
Within the gray fog, he saw colorful balloons everywhere and crowds filled with laughter. However, the scene suddenly shifted, and he witnessed a very eerie sight.
A little girl who had just finished a ride on the carousel, still wearing a brilliant smile, suddenly lost all expression the moment she jumped down. Her eyes became hollow, all her happiness drained away in an instant, turning her into a soulless doll.
More images followed: young people in line suddenly stopped talking, the excited anticipation on their faces vanishing; a couple in the middle of a kiss abruptly pulled apart, their eyes filled only with mutual strangeness and bewilderment.
People didn't faint or get hurt; it was just that their joy and excitement were being silently stolen by an invisible presence!
Finally, the revelatory image froze on the name of Florida.
Lin Huai snapped his eyes open, a chill running down his back.
"The second Erosion!" he whispered solemnly to himself.
He had to find the location of the Erosion immediately.
Lin Huai unhesitatingly took out his tarot cards and placed them over a map of Florida. Clearing his mind, he established a connection between his spirituality and the gray fog, then issued a divination statement with clear intent.
"The most critical location in Florida related to this incident of emotional theft."
The pendant hovered quietly, and after a few seconds, it began to rotate clockwise in a steady and clear trajectory.
A clear piece of information naturally flowed into his mind.
An address.
"Miami, Laurel Street, 'Joker's Folly' Theater."
The divination was complete, going incredibly smoothly.
Lin Huai put away the cards and stood up.
Praise the Fool.
He had found his destination.
Lin Huai walked out of the secret room and went straight to Tony, who was reviewing data streams in the workshop.
Tony looked up, saw Lin Huai's expression, and immediately asked, "What's wrong? Your face doesn't look right."
"The second Erosion has already begun. The location is in Florida," Lin Huai said directly.
He tapped the tabletop with his finger, bringing up a map.
"I just found a key location, a theater. Tony, prepare the plane immediately. This is our only lead."
"We need to see what's going on there before more people's emotions are stolen."