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An old apartment building with dim lighting.
The fragrance of red syrup fills the room, and in one corner, an old-fashioned record player softly plays slow music.
Jackson Chen was half-leaning on the sofa, the slightly drunken sensation making him feel at ease.
"Interesting proposal."
He glanced at the message sent to him by the Rubik's Cube, a smirk forming at the corners of his mouth.
"Will you subdue or unite the evil forces of this world?"
Countless names flashed through Jackson Chen's mind.
There are far too many villains in the worlds of Marvel and DC.
Some are sinister and cunning, others crazy and paranoid. If these people were brought together, wouldn't the whole world fall into ruin?
Jackson pondered this.
At that moment, the Rubik's Cube started spinning again, its blue light now much stronger than before.
Tiny blue lights, like stars, spread throughout the room, and slowly began merging into Jackson Chen's body.
His mind connected with the Rubik's Cube, and he could feel this was a gift for completing a task!
Although the overall task was thirtyfold, each completion came with generous rewards from the Rubik's Cube.
The pale blue lights seeped into Jackson's skin, rapidly transforming his limbs and bones.
Jackson, once slightly thin, now saw his muscles fill out and become evenly toned in almost an instant.
Even his senses sharpened!
His ears were clear, his thoughts lightning-fast, and his whole body felt lighter than ever.
Jackson Chen stretched out his hand, grasping the iron lamp post beside him. With a slight squeeze, the post crumpled into a ball of scrap metal!
A glimmer of excitement lit his eyes. If he received a few more enhancements like this, he figured it wouldn't be long before he could face off against Captain America with just his body alone!
But what if he completed the task thirty times? How strong would his body become?
Just thinking about it was terrifying.
What's more, Jackson could vaguely sense that not only had his body been strengthened, but his spiritual power too. Even his cellular activity had been altered!
If he gained enough, he might even develop the rapid regeneration ability of someone like Deadpool!
He could become immortal!
And yet, the system's rewards weren't done.
The stardust scattered around the room slowly faded, and once again, letters flew out from the Rubik's Cube.
[Dear host, due to your excellence, the system has prepared a great gift for you.]
This time, the Rubik's Cube displayed an address, along with a series of mysterious codes.
Jackson was slightly stunned. He was supposed to retrieve the reward himself? This was a first.
It was so mysterious that it seemed like the "big gift" the system hinted at really might be beyond his imagination.
The Rubik's Cube slowly floated into his hands.
A new rule formed in his mind.
Whenever the host completed a crime, the system would evaluate the event based on destruction, impact, creativity, and completeness.
[Grades range from one star to nine stars.]
The higher the star rating, the greater the reward.
[Based on system evaluation, the host's crime has been rated – five stars.]
Jackson Chen's eyes brightened. A five-star crime had earned such a rich reward—what about a nine-star?
What kind of rewards would he receive then?
Cosmic Gems? Or even the power to command the laws of the universe?
Jackson allowed himself a glimmer of anticipation, and at the same time, the proposal from the Rubik's Cube lingered in his mind.
His next move, whether to seek high-star rewards or unite the world's villains, was now under careful consideration.
So, Jackson opened his computer, letting a stream of information pour into his mind.
"A reward of five million U.S. dollars for the whereabouts of the bomber Jackson Chen!"
This was a bounty posted by S.H.I.E.L.D.
A similar price appeared on the official Stark Industries website, clearly a bounty set by the Avengers.
Other global organizations, including the United Nations, had also started issuing bounties for Jackson Chen.
His danger level had been raised to the highest tier, with instructions to prioritize killing him over capture!
Jackson Chen smirked. These righteous organizations must be both fearful and resentful of him by now.
Particularly the United States, which had escalated his danger level to the utmost.
Even several self-proclaimed powerful, righteous individuals in America had issued challenges online.
"Listen up, Jackson Chen, you vile scum. As the three-time Sanda Champion of Los Angeles, Fra Carey officially challenges you!"
"If you have the guts, come to me like a man and fight!"
"If you don't dare, then go on hiding in the filthy sewers like the disgusting rat you are."
"Someday, though, I'll find you and toss you in the trash like canned beef!"
There were countless provocative videos like this one.
Amidst these statements meant for showmanship, there was also a different, more serious force at play.
"Dear Mr. Jackson Chen, as you can see, we are a criminal organization operating in [xx region], and it is an honor to witness your magnificent masterpiece.
"If possible, we'd like to invite you to join our organization as our criminal strategist."
"The compensation will certainly meet your satisfaction!"
This was a massive terrorist organization, one that at one point had even risen to dominate power in their country.
It was the first time they had made such a public statement in the media.
Alongside this message, another post caught Jackson Chen's attention.
A blood-red symbol stood out at the top—a skeleton wrapped in countless snake-like tentacles.
Beside it was a mysterious swastika-like symbol.
The identity of this organization was unmistakable.
It was Hydra!
Using top-tier hacking techniques, they had forced their post to remain front and center on the page, ensuring that Jackson Chen would notice them immediately.
Jackson knew this organization all too well. In his past life, Hydra was like its namesake—impossible to kill.
You could never tell which so-called righteous individuals were secretly part of Hydra!
The phrase "Hail Hydra" had become the most chilling line in movies from his past life.
As for working with them, Jackson wasn't considering that just yet.
With his current strength not fully developed, getting entangled with a bottomless monster like Hydra wouldn't be a rational move for now.
But if Hydra ever posed a threat to him...
Jackson Chen didn't mind making them experience what true despair felt like.
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