Chapter 5: The Hulk Appears
The call finally went through.
On the other end, the person spoke cautiously, asking the coded question they had agreed on long ago. Their voice carried suspicion, uncertainty, and even a trace of panic.
Lance Ryder calmly answered the riddle.
Once he finished, the other side relaxed almost immediately.
After all, their family had spent decades preparing for this moment.
Lance didn't order them to come to the United States right away. Instead, he first asked about the situation of their family.
Then he instructed them to begin implementing the plan he had arranged years ago—step by step, quietly infiltrating the other two forces he had once established.
Someone inside those groups would naturally respond when the time came.
For now, that was the most important matter.
If a critical moment arrived, Lance might even have to step forward personally.
But before anything else, he had to resolve his identity problem.
He needed an identity that would allow him to move freely within the United States.
Of course, with enough ability, a person could still survive in America without proper identification.
But if Lance truly wanted to integrate into modern society, having a legitimate identity was far more convenient.
Just as he had expected, his final contingency plan had worked.
The wealth he left behind decades ago had allowed the family in the Netherlands to develop steadily.
Because of identity concerns, they had always kept an extremely low profile.
Outsiders knew the family existed, but almost no one understood their internal situation.
In truth, many wealthy families operated this way.
Not just in the Netherlands, but also in Belgium, Norway, England, and many other countries.
History had taught them a harsh lesson—especially the experiences of the Jewish people.
People often claimed that Jews controlled enormous wealth around the world.
But if that were truly the case, why had no Jewish president ever ruled the United States?
In reality, it was still the traditional white elites who held the highest power.
The wealthy Jewish families were often treated as convenient sources of money.
Because of lessons like that, many families after World War II chose to hide their wealth carefully.
Their businesses were run from behind the scenes.
Their names rarely appeared in public.
This environment had created the perfect opportunity for Lance's arrangements to remain unnoticed.
The very next morning, Lance received a special courier package.
After the delivery person left, he opened it and examined the contents.
Inside were three items:
A personal identification card.
A bank card.
And the keys to an apartment in Manhattan.
Obtaining all of this overnight was no small accomplishment.
But with money, many problems disappeared.
Even though Lance was a powerful mage, modern society required resources.
Without money, he wouldn't be able to move forward at all.
More importantly, the world had changed.
Thousands of satellites now orbited the planet, constantly monitoring the surface.
Any large-scale incident could quickly be detected and investigated.
This modern era was very different from the relatively untouched skies of the past.
So during the following days, while staying at Empire State University, Lance spent most of his time in the library researching historical developments over the past several decades.
The overall course of ordinary history hadn't changed much.
Even when small differences appeared, they rarely affected him.
What truly interested him were organizations such as:
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Hydra.
Leviathan.
Captain America's wartime commando unit.
He also searched for traces of the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, mutants, Inhumans, and even alien races such as the Kree and Skrulls.
Of course, expecting to find detailed information about all of that in a university library was unrealistic.
Even S.H.I.E.L.D.—the most famous among them—was still largely hidden from the public.
Organizations like Hydra and Leviathan were even more secretive.
As for Captain America's wartime squad, historical records rarely mentioned them directly.
Instead, newspapers usually referred to Captain America and the Howling Commandos.
Older heroes such as Namor the Sub-Mariner, the original Human Torch, Miss America, and others had already faded into history.
However, the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man had begun appearing frequently in newspapers and tabloids even before Tony Stark publicly announced that he was Iron Man.
Mutants also occasionally appeared in sensational headlines.
From this, Lance concluded that mutants were relatively quiet during this period—but that silence never lasted forever.
As for the Inhumans, the Kree, or the Skrulls, most people on Earth didn't even know they existed.
That was the current structure of the world.
At the moment, the most widely discussed topic in the news was still the upcoming Stark Industries Expo.
Lance planned to visit it.
No matter what he ultimately intended to do, meeting Tony Stark at least once would be worthwhile.
Even if he simply watched the spectacle unfold.
Meanwhile, the family in the Netherlands continued working quietly.
Although Lance now possessed a legal identity, the supporting records had to be carefully constructed.
Every detail—from childhood history to school records—had to appear authentic.
Anyone who might question his background had to be properly accounted for.
"Wait… what is this?"
Betty Ross stared in surprise at the document in Lance's hand.
"Isn't it obvious?" Lance replied with a smile.
"This is an admission letter from the Department of Biological Sciences at Empire State University."
He leaned back casually.
"Soon, I'll be a freshman here, Professor."
"You're only eighteen?" Betty asked, staring at him in disbelief.
The document clearly listed his birth year as 1990.
"How old I am, Professor—you should know better than anyone."
Lance smiled ambiguously.
He gently lifted Betty's chin and brushed his thumb along it.
"You should understand something," he said softly.
"A man's age isn't nearly as sensitive as a woman's."
"Hmph."
Betty snorted in annoyance but didn't continue questioning him.
After all, they had only known each other for a few days.
Even if their relationship had already become intimate, such things were not unusual in America.
"Anyway," Lance said, kissing her lightly on the lips, "I'm moving out today."
"I just got an apartment."
"We should go celebrate later."
"Alright," Betty replied.
"But I need to visit the Academic Affairs Office first. After that, we can buy a cake and go see your new place."
She accepted the situation calmly.
After all, she lived in faculty housing.
Having someone stay there long-term would eventually cause problems.
Lance still needed to pack his belongings.
Everything he had brought back from Jotunheim consisted of fur armor, leather clothing, hats, and boots made from the hides of local beasts.
Walking around Earth dressed like that would attract too much attention.
Eventually he planned to modify those materials into a custom magical robe.
For now, he wore ordinary clothes.
He had already ordered several custom suits from a tailor, and they were ready for pickup today.
In terms of comfort, the fur garments from Jotunheim were far superior.
The beasts that survived in that frozen world were extraordinary creatures.
But when it came to appearance, a tailored suit from Earth looked far better.
And this was a world where appearances mattered.
Otherwise Betty Ross wouldn't have accepted him so quickly.
Of course, such situations were fairly common in America.
When Lance approached Betty carrying a newly purchased suitcase and wearing a brown tailored suit, she was sitting on a campus bench with a cup of coffee.
The moment she saw him, her eyes lit up.
She immediately stood and wrapped her arms around him.
Betty was wearing a light blue plaid dress that day.
She looked elegant and beautiful, her smile warm and bright.
But as Lance hugged her, his body suddenly stiffened.
The veins along his arms tightened.
At that exact moment, he felt a terrifying sensation—
Like being watched by a predator.
Under a large tree in the distance stood a broad-shouldered man wearing a hat.
His gaze was locked onto the two of them.
And within his eyes—
A faint green glow flickered uncontrollably.
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