"My God... David is flying! What are those shadows? Holographic projections?"
"John turned into a furry black bear, this is crazy!"
"Is this still a superpower? We have bear-men and werewolves, so are there vampires?"
Exclamations erupted from the sidelines, while the three test soldiers in the field were experiencing an even greater shock.
David hovered in mid-air, looking at the ground several meters below him with both surprise and joy: "I can see in all directions, and these projections follow my mental commands completely!"
"I feel like I could withstand a rocket-propelled grenade!" Mike, now in bear-man form, let out a low growl. His thick, hairy legs stomped the ground as he lunged toward David in the air with a fierce wind. "The officers are watching, don't just stand there dazed!"
With a thought from David, his projection clones scattered, and a swarm of mosquitoes buzzed around Mike's eyes to harass him. "I don't want to take a hit from your palm!"
Facing the mountain-like bear-man pressing down on him, David's true body and phantoms constantly interchanged.
Mike's giant palm swung through, only hitting the air and one or two phantoms. The real David had already circled behind him.
Puff puff puff—
The flying insects gnawed at the thick bear fur. Although not fatal, the constant harassment made Mike extremely irritable, causing him to roar repeatedly.
Nearby, Carter, who had transformed into a werewolf, kicked off the ground with all four limbs, cutting into the fray like a bolt of yellow lightning. He deftly circled behind Mike, his sharp claws slashing down with the sound of breaking air.
Crrrk—
The claw blades danced wildly, followed by a powerful kick.
Bang!
Mike's massive bear body was kicked five meters away, but only a dozen or so rapidly fading white marks remained on his back.
Mike rolled to his feet and patted his backside. "Doesn't even hurt."
In the distance, Carter shook his numbed wolf claws. "Shit, this bear hide is tough!"
"Focus, slow down your movements!" Richard shouted from the sidelines, unable to hide the shock in his eyes.
The spectating officers had already begun a heated discussion:
"Perfect complementarity! Shadow reconnaissance and harassment, bear-man frontal suppression, and werewolf for surprise attacks!"
"Unbelievable... and this is just a temporary effect?"
"If an entire squad were equipped with this potion..."
After watching for over ten minutes, Richard raised his hand to call a halt.
In the center of the field, the three immediately separated. The flying insects and shadows dispersed. David landed slowly, panting slightly. Mike and Carter also returned to human form, laughing at each other with excitement written all over their faces.
A group of officers immediately surrounded them, while military doctors stepped forward to check vital signs and record various data.
"How do you feel?" Richard asked personally.
John was the first to answer, "Sir, it feels... like I have extra eyes. My field of vision has improved in all directions!"
Carter added, "I feel like my strength and explosive power are very strong, and my reaction speed is incredibly fast."
Mike rolled his shoulders. "I'm bursting with strength, Sir! It feels like my skin has gotten much thicker, just a bit... clumsy."
"Everyone step back. Mike, get ready, and don't dodge!" Richard pulled out his sidearm and pulled the trigger repeatedly at Mike.
Bang bang bang bang!
After the muffled sounds, bullets slid to the ground. Under the gunfire, only fleeting white dots remained on Mike's body.
"Still that tough even without transforming?" Richard immediately took a rifle handed to him and shouted to Carter, "You can dodge!"
Puff puff puff puff puff puff—
Amidst the gunfire, a figure flickered left and right. Carter waved and shouted from ten meters away, "Reporting, Sir! You missed."
A few minutes later, Richard, having had his fun, tossed the weapon aside and carefully examined the state of the three soldiers with the other officers.
"Easy to master, diverse abilities, and excellent performance!" "It's enough even without animalization; transforming just makes it more intimidating..."
The military doctor nearby dismantled the testing equipment and reported quickly, "Vital signs are stable. Hormone levels are slightly elevated but within safe limits... The main side effects are hunger caused by increased energy consumption and mild mental fatigue."
After hearing this, Richard walked quickly toward the dozing Mena and clapped his hands. "Ma'am, wake up. I think we can start talking about the possibility of cooperation."
"The Department of Defense needs this kind of safe and controllable power. Give me the bottom line... what does your Dr. Anderson want? What will it take for you to hand these things over to us completely?"
Mena looked up at the sound, her casual gaze turning focused. She took a thick business proposal from a leather suitcase. "Dr. Anderson's prerequisite for cooperation is that both parties must have mutual trust and respect."
"What he wants is a partner who understands this value and is willing to cooperate long-term, not just a... customer who only wants to seize technical secrets."
Richard's face darkened slightly. A young officer beside him couldn't help but step forward, speaking firmly, "Ma'am, please watch your words. Cooperating with the Department of Defense requires mandatory screening procedures. Furthermore, such strategic technology must be in the hands of the state!"
Mena gave a light chuckle and looked at the young officer. "You want to fully control... a new force that can break Vought International's dominance in the superhuman field? Of course you can!"
She flipped the proposal to a certain page. "The data and production processes for the twelve genetic vectors inside can be handed over to you right now. We can even give you the complete formulas for 'Shadow Bug', 'Guard Bear', and 'Wolf Strike'."
All the officers present were stunned, their faces filled with disbelief.
Richard flipped through the proposal quickly, his brow furrowed. "Wait! It's clearly stated here that without the core activation technology, the potions cannot be formulated at all?"
"Exactly." Mena opened a wooden box, revealing the golden ampoule. "This is the most critical and only... Activator."
Without blinking, Richard immediately pressed, "Can we buy out the technology directly? Name a price."
"The production of the Activator is limited. The Doctor cannot increase production at the moment and will not sell the production technology for now." Mena shook her head. "Don't underestimate this single ampoule of Activator. With a standard volume of 50 milliliters, it can directly activate 50,000 doses of the base potion. It is extremely precious!"
She looked around at everyone and continued, "We are handing over the most massive production stages to you, retaining only the core technology. Isn't this the most efficient way to build trust?"
"Or we can switch models. If you can accept it, the Doctor said he can sell the high-priced finished products directly to you."
The young officer nearby wanted to argue further, but Richard raised his hand to stop him.
He stared at Mena and spoke slowly, "The production of the potions must be here, and the technology for the Activator must also be under our control. That is the bottom line!"
The smile on Mena's face faded as she stuffed the wooden box back into the suitcase. "Mr. Director, I'm sorry. Dr. Anderson made it clear that retaining the core technology is his requirement... If you insist, then the basis for cooperation does not exist. I believe you are not the only ones in the world who need safe and reliable superhuman potions."
She looked around at the silent crowd, said no more, and turned to walk toward the pickup truck without a hint of hesitation.
"Wait!" Richard knew the strategic value of this technological system; he could never let it flow to potential competitors.
He hurried after her, his tone softening a bit. "Ms. Mena, please stay. Let's talk more... about the supply price and guarantee mechanism for the Activator."
Mena stopped, turned slowly, and took out one last file from her suitcase.
"The price is linked to supply volume, exclusively for military use. Here is a detailed draft agreement prepared by the Doctor, including tiered pricing, minimum annual guaranteed purchase volume, confidentiality clauses, technical upgrade priority, and... the strictest liability for breach of contract."
She handed over the file and said solemnly, "Please note that the breach of contract terms are mutual. If your side attempts to bypass us to crack the Activator or unilaterally terminates the cooperation, we will permanently stop the supply and reserve the right to open cooperation with other parties."
Richard took the heavy draft. He knew that the other party had already anticipated the problems they would encounter and had prepared countermeasures in advance.
This woman, who seemed like mere eye candy, showed a level of shrewdness and meticulousness in negotiations that was no less than any expert.
Richard took a deep breath and pointed to the building in the distance. "Ma'am, please follow me. We need to discuss the details properly."
He finished speaking and walked away, leading a group of officers carrying piles of files and bags toward the office building.
After four hours of intense discussion, the two sides reached a preliminary intent for cooperation.
At five o'clock in the morning, a black pickup truck slowly drove away from the military base.
Inside the car, Mena had the car music on and was humming along: "We Are the Champions! We... Hmm?"
A large chunk of thoughts slowly emerged in her mind, and the memories related to Dr. Anderson gradually faded away.
Mena immediately pulled the car over to the side of the road, opened the door, and got out.
She looked around blankly, tears falling continuously. "Come out! I know you're following me!"
A mist blew past, and Mena's figure vanished from the spot.
At this moment, high up in the sky.
Mena repeatedly pounded on an invisible mass, crying out, "I hate you! Why did you block my memories! Do you distrust me that much?"
Wade revealed his true form, adjusted his embrace, and said in a muffled voice, "Didn't we agree on this before? It was to prevent someone from reading your mind and getting all our secrets... and now you're blaming me?"
Mena wiped her tears and opened her mouth to bite him. "I don't care!"
Wade lowered his eyes. "Is it done?"
Mena let go and rubbed her numbed cheek. "The agreement has been signed. The internal military purchase price for a single base potion is tentatively set at 600,000, with an external selling price of 1.2 million. The Activator is 2 billion per ampoule."
"The initial investment is 5 billion dollars, with 3 billion used for building production and R&D reserves. In a few days, I'll go over there to be in charge of supervision and operations."
"That old fellow Richard made it clear that as long as the products can be continuously mass-produced and stably developed, he will lead the military to pour a massive amount of resources into us and give us key support."
"You've worked hard." Wade wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "So, he wants us to... completely replace Vought's business share in the military?"
Mena sniffled and tilted her head up. "Hmph, as long as you know! How do you plan to reward me?"
Wade looked at the layers of clouds rushing past. "Watching the tower of Vought collapse with your own eyes—is that enough?"
"Tch, who cares about that." Mena grabbed at a cloud, her eyes darting around before showing a sly smile. "Can't you condense mist and clouds? I want to do it here..."
Wade looked at the villa area below, his mouth twitching. "We're almost home. Go and get some rest."
Mena leaned in close to his ear, breathing warmly. "Cutie, who has the most credit today? Be good and listen!"
Wade sighed helplessly. The clouds and mist surged up, completely enveloping the two like a gauze curtain.
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