Chapter 164 The New Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Regarding the S.H.I.E.L.D. Director's corruption scandal, considering the negative impact, the Council decided to hold an internal hearing.
Only the involved party, Nick Fury, five Security CouncilCouncilors, Minister Pierce, and four S.H.I.E.L.D. Deputy Directors are permitted to attend.
Safety Council Building, top floor.
Inside the large conference room, Minister Pierce sat steadily at the head table, looking at the suspect—his "old friend" Nick Fury—with an unreadable expression.
Ever since Pierce learned that his daughter's kidnapping was a self-directed act by Nick Fury and the Skrulls, he had wished he could kill the other party.
If he hadn't been busy whitewashing and divesting assets in the past two years, Pierce might have already made his move.
However, he never expected that just as he freed up time and before he could act, Nick Fury was reported by John Bull Councilor for corruption.
Heaven has eyes!
These black people are indeed synonymous with greed.
He must have been utterly foolish to promote a black man to S.H.I.E.L.D. Director.
At this moment, outside the conference room, Qin Mopersonally arrived to witness Nick Fury's downfall, but he was stopped by Hill and Natasha, who had been waiting at the door for a long time.
Before Hill could speak, Natasha quickly stepped forward: "Councilor, what will happen to Fury? Have you received any news?"
Qin Mo shook his head: "I've been quite busy lately and haven't paid much attention. Let's go in and listen first."
Nick Fury will most likely be removed this time.
As for the candidate for the new Director, Pierce and the other Councilors were more inclined towards Maria Hill.
Because Hill was originally the dedicated Deputy Director sent by the Security Council to S.H.I.E.L.D.
The hearing was just a formality.
"Alright," Natasha said, looking slightly disappointed.
Natasha understood that no matter what Nick Fury's outcome, the position of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director would likely be out of her reach... She had only been a Deputy Director for a few months.
As Qin Mo and the two women entered the venue and took their seats, Pierce picked up the gavel beside him and tapped it.
"Councilors, regarding the corruption of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury, a report was initiated by a CouncilCouncilor. Now, I invite John Bull Councilor to present his evidence."
John Bull Councilor suddenly stood up: "My LordMinister, Councilors, Directors, two and a half months ago, on August 16, 2010, I was commissioned by the Council to coordinate the Beheading Operation."
"During this period, a portion of the special funds for the Beheading Operation was transferred by Nick Furyunder the pretext of purchasing and repairing weapons and equipment."
"My Lord Minister, Councilors, here are the transfer records."
"After comparing the sales records and weapon pricing of the arms dealer Osborn Group, there is a deficit of approximately twenty million."
"These are the sales records and pricing."
"Everyone, Nick Fury's rampant corruption must be severely punished. I propose stripping him of his S.H.I.E.L.D. Director position and sending him to the judicial authorities."
Pierce then looked at Nick Fury: "Fury, you've disappointed me greatly."
Nick Fury opened his mouth upon hearing this, but didn't know what to say.
Regret?
Certainly regretted.
But it wasn't regret for the act of corruption; the regret was because when he discovered Murdoch wasn't involved in the Beheading Operation, he was careless and handled things too sloppily.
And then there was the Osborn Group, that incompetent teammate.
Previously, when Nick Fury did such things, he always cooperated with arms companies he knew well.
But for some reason, those arms companies were inexplicably sold externally and bought by the Osborn Group, which then replaced all the managers from top to bottom.
Also, John Bull Councilor reacted too quickly, as if he knew about this beforehand, giving no time to clean up the loose ends.
The superposition of various factors led to such a mistake.
After a brief silence, Nick Fury denied all accusations of corruption.
"My Lord Minister, Councilors, I have served as S.H.I.E.L.D. Director for many years. Have I ever engaged in any corrupt behavior?"
Yes, certainly, but the traces had long been erased.
"The arms companies on this list in my hand have been providing weapons and equipment to S.H.I.E.L.D. for many years."
"During the Beheading Operation, several arms companies supplying S.H.I.E.L.D. experienced changes in ownership."
"This document is proof provided by the Osborn Group: it proves that the 20 million fund deficit mentioned by John Bull Councilor was caused by an operational error by a temporary worker."
"This temporary worker, fearing accountability, left a confession letter and committed suicide by jumping off a building yesterday."
"I admit this mistake, but I absolutely do not admit the accusation of my corruption of special funds."
Next, Nick Fury and John Bull Councilor went back and forth, arguing for a full two and a half hours.
"Nonsense, how can there be so many temporary workers?"
"This is racial discrimination!!"
Nick Fury said tearfully: "As a black man, I grew up in an environment of racial discrimination, but I still love this land. I have shed blood for Great America and contributed to World peace."
"Nonsense!" John Bull Councilor slammed the table: "That cannot be a reason for your corruption!"
"I will reiterate," Nick Fury said emotionally: "I have not embezzled. If John Bull Councilor doesn't believe me, he can check my assets at any time."
Hearing these words, Qin Mo's face was expressionless, but his heart couldn't help but blossom with joy.
If Nick Fury hadn't brought this up, he would have almost forgotten—those Skrulls still had residual value to be extracted before being made into power pills.
Including but not limited to: property transferred by Nick Fury to the Skrulls, wealth owned by the Skrullsthemselves, and bank loans...
Definitely a multi-faceted approach.
Facing Nick Fury's trump card, John Bull Councilor was completely defeated.
This was the only thing that puzzled John Bull Councilor: Nick Fury had few assets under his name, and his loved ones and close friends also had few assets.
He appeared to be utterly impoverished.
So, where did the embezzled money go?
As John Bull Councilor remained silent, Pierce picked up the small gavel and tapped it: "Ten-minute break."
Immediately after, the five Councilors and the four S.H.I.E.L.D. Deputy Directors were called by Pierce to the small conference room next door.
"Based on the evidence provided so far, the suspect cannot be convicted for the time being. What do you all think?"
Bang~ John Bull Councilor slapped the table and stood up.
"My Lord Minister, Councilors, Directors, even if Nick Fury cannot be convicted, he is still suspected of corruption."
"I propose removing him from his S.H.I.E.L.D. Directorposition."
Pierce nodded: "Now, let's vote. Those who agree to remove Nick Fury from his S.H.I.E.L.D. Director position, please raise your hands."
With that, Pierce directly raised his hand.
Immediately after, the five Councilors, including Qin Mo, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. Deputy Directors, such as Hill and Natasha, all raised their hands to vote.
Each person has their own place; if the former Directorisn't removed, how can these Deputy Directors progress?
"Good, passed unanimously."
Pierce continued:
"Then, regarding the candidate for the new S.H.I.E.L.D. Director, I propose Maria Hill."
Chapter 165 Agent Nick Fury Takes Action
The Council's internal hearing.
After a short break, Pierce, the Secretary of the Security Council, returned to the podium and announced the hearing results.
"By vote of the Security Council, Nick Fury is removed from his position as S.H.I.E.L.D. Director and demoted to a Level 3 Agent."
"At the same time, Maria Hill is appointed as the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., effective immediately."
"Former Level 8 Agent Phil Coulson, who has been diligent and outstanding since joining S.H.I.E.L.D., is specially promoted to Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Upon hearing these three orders, Nick Fury immediately breathed a sigh of relief: it wasn't the worst outcome.
He had thought he would be fired.
A Level 3 Agent is a Level 3 Agent; wasn't he a Level 3 Agent when he first met Carol...
Anyway, he was already planning to focus on the Avengers.
Moreover, his confidant Coulson was promoted to Deputy Director, Hill had been his subordinate for many years, and Natasha was recruited by Hawkeye at his behest... The current Director and the two Deputy Directors were all his own people.
There was an impact, but it wasn't significant.
After the hearing, Qin Mo greeted everyone and left the Safety Council Building directly.
Rather than mocking Nick Fury here, it was better to squeeze out the remaining value from the Skrulls; it would be another source of income.
The three appointment letters swept through S.H.I.E.L.D. and intelligence agencies worldwide like autumn winds sweeping fallen leaves.
As soon as she returned to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Tower, Maria Hill was surrounded by compliments, like stars orbiting the moon.
"Director Hill."
"Director Hill."
Hill, with a heart full of ambition and nowhere to vent it, skipped work directly and drove to find her ex-boyfriend, vowing to be a knight for once.
She was very experienced in how to be a Director.
In reality, whether or not there was a Director made no difference to S.H.I.E.L.D.; otherwise, what were the four Deputy Directors for?
Among the four Deputy Directors, Coulson and Natashawere not overly power-hungry individuals; they would do their jobs well.
As for the other two Deputy Directors, she just needed to find an opportunity to remove them and promote her own people.
Her ex-boyfriend was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s direct superior; changing two Deputy Directors was not a big problem.
In fact, Hill already had candidates in mind for the other two Deputy Directors: Rumlow and Captain America.
Meanwhile, Coulson, who was currently slacking off while following Captain America, became even more determined to continue coasting after hearing he had become a Deputy Director.
Previously, he had worked tirelessly but was not given important roles; now, he slacked off every day and was promoted to Deputy Director instead.
Indeed, if you don't do anything, you'll never make a mistake.
Steve smiled, "Congratulations, Coulson."
"Hey." Coulson scratched his head, "Captain, I think you're about to get promoted too."
"Hmm?" Steve was quite surprised, "How so? Is there some trick to it?"
Steve wasn't very interested in promotions; he was just curious why Coulson felt that way.
"Captain, S.H.I.E.L.D. has a total of four Deputy Directors. Besides Natasha and me, the other two Deputy Directors were promoted by Fury previously."
"Think about it, a new monarch brings new ministers. Director Hill will definitely replace them with her own people. I think she will extend an olive branch to you with the position of Deputy Director."
"In order to gain control of S.H.I.E.L.D. faster."
"I see." Steve nodded, "Then who do you think the other Deputy Director will be?"
"Rumlow," Coulson replied without hesitation.
"Rumlow is a staunch supporter of Councilman Murdock and is like brothers with Mechanical Dog, and Councilman Murdock is Director Hill's ex-boyfriend."
Just as the two were chatting, Nick Fury ran over with a hurried expression.
"Captain Rogers, Coulson, we've received reports of dozens of missing persons cases in New York Cityrecently. I need your help."
"Alright." Steve nodded in agreement.
Seeing his idol agree, Coulson didn't say much, but he couldn't help but wonder why Fury was so concerned about this matter.
Missing persons cases should be handled by the NYPD or the FBI.
As if sensing Coulson's doubts, Nick Fury added, "My friend's family is on the missing persons list."
Hearing this, Coulson immediately realized that the only friends Fury would care so much about were probably those shapeshifting Skrulls.
The three of them set off in a hurry to investigate.
It was only at this moment that Nick Fury came to his senses: how big of an impact losing his position as S.H.I.E.L.D. Director truly had on him.
If it had been before, he would have just handed such matters over to Coulson or Natasha to investigate.
Why would he have to personally get involved like this now?
"Sigh." Nick Fury sighed, driving the S.H.I.E.L.D. special vehicle to the crime scene.
The reason he was so concerned was partly due to the large-scale disappearance of the Skrulls, but more importantly, one of the missing Skrulls had all his assets under his name.
This was precisely why John Bull Councilor couldn't find evidence of his corruption, because all the assets were under the Skrulls' names.
To be precise, they were under the names of the humans that group of Skrulls had transformed into.
...
Stark's beachfront mansion.
Tony pushed Peggy Carter, who was in a wheelchair, strolling along the seaside boardwalk.
"Aunt Peggy, when are you planning to go see CaptainRogers? I can take you there then."
Peggy Carter gazed at the sea, how many times had she stood by the sea like this, fantasizing about that man returning to her side.
How could she have imagined that now she was old and frail, yet Steve was still young.
Perhaps it was for this reason that Steve didn't know how to face her, which was why he hadn't gone to see her all this time.
"What difference does it make whether I go or not."
"Tony, if you woke up after sleeping for 70 years and knew Pepper was still alive, would you go directly to find her?"
"I..." Tony paused, "I should go find King first."
"Murdoch?" Peggy asked back, "Why? Is your relationship with him deeper than with Pepper?"
"You misunderstand, I just think—he should have a way to make Pepper young again, that's why..."
Before she could finish, Peggy Carter suddenly stood up from her wheelchair, gripping Tony's arm tightly: "Little Tony, can he really do it?"
Peggy admitted: she had never been so excited in years as she was at this moment, so excited that her expression completely lost control.
This was the torment of a woman who had waited for her beloved for many years in vain, and as she grew old and frail, her beloved reappeared in his youthful form. This unrequited love brought her to the brink of collapse.
"Auntie, don't get excited." Tony suddenly felt a pang of annoyance, what was he blabbering about?
"I'll ask him for you. If he really has a way, we'll buy it no matter the cost."
Under Peggy Carter's expectant gaze, Tony reluctantly dialed Murdoch's number.
After a few beeps, the call was directly hung up.
"Uh... Auntie." Tony helped Peggy Carter sit back in her wheelchair.
"He's probably a bit busy right now. It's windy here, let's go home and wait patiently."
Chapter 166 It's hard for me
As Hill lay exhausted on the bed, falling into a deep sleep, Qin Mo finally found time to call back.
"Big Brother, you're calling to rush me?"
Tony's apologetic voice immediately came from the other end of the phone, "Sorry, are you free now? Could you please come to my place? I have something urgent I need your help with."
"Wait a moment."
Hanging up the phone, Qin Mo left Hill's home, then drove the Hot Rod, transformed into a Lamborghini Centenario, towards Stark's seaside Villa.
Direct teleportation would be faster, but he didn't do that.
If everything was done by teleporting, it would certainly be practical and save time, but it would make life lose its fun.
Qin Mo loves driving luxury cars, and even more so, driving foreign women...
These small hobbies made him truly feel alive and experience happiness and satisfaction.
This was also the reason he loved life.
Desire is not terrifying, and the inability to satisfy desire is not terrifying; what is terrifying is a person without desire.
If one day, eating is only to fill one's stomach, buying clothes is only for warmth, and everything done is for practicality, then although one is still alive, one will definitely be numb like a walking corpse.
In this life, one must rely on falling madly in love with something to maintain a vigorous vitality.
Qin Mo's greed for money and lust for women were the root causes of his extremely vigorous vitality.
Perhaps it was because he had successfully advanced to Universal Level, finally gaining a foothold in the Marvel Universe, that he had such an epiphany.
Otherwise, if he couldn't even eat his fill, how could he talk about love?
The sea breeze ruffled his hair, and Qin Mo, following the rhythm of the music, pressed the accelerator all the way down.
Ten minutes later, the car stopped steadily in the parking space.
Noticing Tony waiting at the mansion entrance, Qin Moquipped, "Seeing your stance, I can't help but want to just run away."
Tony had never waited at the door like this before, despite so many previous transactions.
"No, no, no." Tony quickly stepped forward, "King, do you have a serum that can make people return to youth? I accidentally let it slip when chatting with Peggy Auntie just now."
Hearing this, Qin Mo continued to tease, "Your big mouth really needs to be sewn shut with a thread."
"I do have the serum, but the price is not cheap. And you have to promise not to leak the news—I don't want to be chased and harassed every day."
Returning to youth is enough to drive people crazy, and continuous returning to youth is almost equivalent to immortality.
What this implied, both Tony and Qin Mo understood.
Over the past two years, the reason they maintained a relatively good cooperative relationship was because they had no expectations of each other.
One party provided quality goods, and the other paid the money.
Tony did not want to break this stable cooperative relationship: "Don't worry, I understand the rules. How much would something like that cost?"
Qin Mo smiled slightly: "Ten billion U.S. dollars."
The price of ten billion was a quote carefully considered after comprehensively evaluating various factors.
If it was too high, Peggy Carter couldn't afford it; if it was too low, it wouldn't be worth the effort.
"This..." Tony opened his mouth and paused for a while before saying, "This... the price is very reasonable."
To regain youth for only ten billion U.S. dollars was simply too good a deal.
Tony had already made up his mind at this moment: he would work hard to save money and buy youth for himself and Pepper.
Even though Stark Industries and Mango Mobile Company's stock prices were extremely high, he didn't have 20 billion in liquid funds available to allow him and Pepper to return to youth.
"Does your aunt want it now?"
"Come in first; you two can talk face-to-face. I'll just act as an intermediary."
Tony had originally planned to pay for Peggy Auntie, but upon hearing the price of ten billion U.S. dollars, he immediately abandoned that idea.
This price... was a bit expensive.
If his father were still alive, it might have been possible for him to pay for Peggy Auntie.
Thinking of this, Tony's eyes suddenly lit up, his gaze fixed on Murdoch, who was sitting face-to-face with Peggy Carter.
"Could it be that even people can be resurrected? That price... would definitely be sky-high. Forget it, I'll ask later."
In the living room of Stark's seaside mansion, Peggy Carter extended her hand, "Councilman Murdock, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"It's a pleasure, Ms. Carter."
Perhaps due to Qin Mo's presence, Peggy Carter in this timeline was busy with her career and did not enter into marriage.
"Before, I could only see you on television; now, I finally have the honor of meeting you in person."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Peggy cut straight to the chase: "Councilman Murdock, this is a matter of great importance, so I'll ask directly—can you really make people return to youth?"
"It's ten billion U.S. dollars."
Qin Mo didn't drag it out either; in business, he liked such straightforward buyers.
"This..." Peggy Carter was momentarily speechless.
Ten billion was no small sum; even if she emptied her family's coffers, she couldn't afford this price.
Moreover, she couldn't openly borrow money using this reason, and even after she returned to youth, she would have to fake her death and quickly escape to live under a new identity.
Otherwise, the World would descend into madness because of it.
As the first S.H.I.E.L.D. Director, Peggy Carterunderstood the nature of the ruling class too well; once these guys learned about the news of returning to youth, they would do anything.
Because besides longevity, they lacked nothing.
"Councilman Murdock, can I pay in installments...?"
Tony was sitting by, watching the drama unfold, when he suddenly heard the installment request and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
When had Peggy Auntie, who once cursed her father to his face, ever been so vulnerable?
"Or... I could work for your company to pay off the debt. Give me 50 years, and I'll pay you back in installments, principal and interest."
"Ms. Carter." Qin Mo retorted:
"Although I greatly admire your contributions to this land, in business, how many times do you think 10 billion U.S. dollars could multiply in 50 years?"
This Captain, who was quite the character, really didn't look like a good person.
Want a free ride? No way!
Peggy Carter looked at Tony for help.
Seeing this, Tony quickly chuckled and said:
"The long-term average annual return rate of U.S. stocks is between 7% and 10%. With a principal of ten billion, without considering inflation and other factors, after 50 years, it should be 294.6 billion left..."
Qin Mo took over the conversation smoothly: "Ms. Carter, the difference over 50 years is not insignificant."
"Your suggestion makes things very difficult for me."
If it had been 50 years ago, Peggy Carter would have surely flipped the table and then said, "Difficult? You'll do it even if it's difficult."
But times had changed; she was no longer the high and mighty S.H.I.E.L.D. Director.
Even if she were still the S.H.I.E.L.D. Director, this child from New York... would most likely still not give face.
It was said that Nick Fury had been removed from his position.
According to Fury, the Director's removal was most likely at the hands of this Councilman.
"I don't care." Peggy Carter, like an old child, started throwing a tantrum: "You two young men are ganging up to bully a ninety-year-old old woman like me."
Tony: "..."
Qin Mo: "..."
Chapter 167 You are much better than your father
King, how about this? I'll cover the 5 billion down payment, and for the remaining 5 billion, Aunt Peggycan work for you to pay off the debt after she regains her youth."
Seeing that the other party remained unmoved, Tonyhad no choice but to plead, "King, give me some face."
Qin Mo nodded, "Alright."
"Since you've spoken, we'll do as you say, but 50 years isn't enough; it needs to be at least 100 years."
As a seasoned capitalist, Qin Mo believed that 50 years of labor was too short to maximize profits.
One hundred years, which is a lifetime of labor, barely met his profit expectations.
"100 years!" Peggy Carter's cloudy eyes suddenly showed a look of utter resignation.
100 years of work, oh! Shit!
Making a 90-year-old woman continue working…
However, when Steve's face appeared before her, Peggy began to paint a grand picture for herself: reuniting with her lover, getting married and having children, and a large family of descendants gathered together.
Such a beautiful, yet unattainable, warm scene completely shattered the last line of defense in Peggy's heart.
Forget it, forget it. Consider it fulfilling that unfinished promise from back then.
One hundred years it is.
Being able to return to youth and pay off the debt is pretty good.
"Here." Qin Mo spread his hands.
"Ms. Carter, once you regain your youth, you and Captain Steve can both come to work. In just 50 years, all debts can be repaid."
Hearing this, Peggy Carter sighed, "Alright, I'll do as Councilman Murdock says."
"Very well." Qin Mo stood up and said, "Ms. Carter, please handle your affairs as soon as possible. When we meet next, I will restore your youth."
"Farewell."
Successfully acquiring an old workhorse, and with a few modifications, she could become vibrant and lively again.
He also earned 5 billion along the way.
Life was so colorful. Qin Mo couldn't help but hum a tune as he drove home.
Meanwhile, at Stark Beach Manor.
Peggy Carter lay on the sofa, head tilted back, her wrinkled face betraying no emotion.
Before returning to New York, she had longed for Steveto find her as much as she feared him seeing her current appearance.
Fortunately, by gambling a hundred years of her life, this problem was finally resolved.
"Auntie, are you going back to Britain, or will you handle your affairs in Great America?"
Peggy smiled bitterly, "I'll do it here. Thank you, little Tony. You're much better than your father."
Tony pursed his lips upon hearing that.
His old man was just too deeply in love, being strung along by you for so many years, which led to him marrying his mother very late.
"Little Tony, do you have a feeling that Councilman Murdock seems to love money very much? He…"
Peggy Carter only said half of it; the unspoken other half was: he's very similar to the High Table, who only care about money.
Tony nodded in agreement, "King has always been like this. He has many research projects at his laboratory, so he has a high demand for funds."
"Laboratory?"
Peggy Carter shook her head with a bitter smile. From the information she had so far, she could already confirm: Councilman Murdock had much larger ambitions…
But what did all this have to do with her? She had dedicated her entire life to this land.
This time, to fulfill that unfulfilled promise from sixty-five years ago.
She wanted to live for herself, just once.
"Little Tony, I'll have to trouble you to send me back…"
"Auntie, don't be so polite with me. This is what I should do."
To evolve from star-crossed lovers to a happy couple, Peggy Carter began to settle her affairs, just to change her identity after regaining her youth.
Meanwhile, the man she constantly thought of was currently investigating missing persons with Coulsonand Nick Fury.
New York, Manhattan.
Inside a high-end apartment, Coulson, after investigating everywhere, stated his hypothesis.
"Captain, the indoor surveillance is broken, but valuables are still here. It doesn't look like a kidnapping."
Nick Fury added a clue, "The situation in seven or eight other homes is similar; people mysteriously disappeared, but valuables remain."
Looking at the two who had completely placed their hopes of solving the case on him, Steve helplessly spread his hands, "I'm a soldier; I'm not good at this."
"I suggest we dispatch some professionals from S.H.I.E.L.D. who are good at detective reasoning."
"Professionals?" Coulson immediately thought of someone: "Before Councilman Murdock joined S.H.I.E.L.D., he ran an office in Chinatown, and I heard he had a very good reputation."
"However, he's a Councilman now, so he probably doesn't have time to help."
Nick Fury was extremely reluctant to have Murdock help, mainly fearing that he would discover that all the missing persons were Skrulls.
The Skrulls were his biggest secret.
"Get Agent Mei and Blade over here. They're good at this."
Coulson paused for a few seconds upon hearing this, then realized: Fury was no longer Director, and he was the highest-ranking person among the three present.
"Alright, I'll call them."
The disappearance of the Skrulls was destined to have no outcome.
If a few mortals could find the true culprit just by investigating, Qin Mo felt he might as well just find a block of tofu and bash his head in.
Forget mortals; even if the four Creation Gods gathered, they still wouldn't find any clues. Only Death would suspect him from a realm of power perspective.
The production factory for the Great America Pills… the scene was too bloody, so it had been fully entrusted to Zola.
Qin Mo, on the other hand, was busy controlling the Skrulls to take out bank loans, squeezing out every last bit of remaining value from these green-skinned monsters.
Thus, a very lively scene appeared in various New Yorkbanks: too many customers needing loans, and the staff couldn't keep up.
Not only were the Skrulls taking out loans, but the three major HYDRA families were also taking out loans.
Including Garden Bank, where Qin Mo owned 21% of the shares, the loan business volume surged all at once.
When Qin Mo got ruthless, he even scammed his own bank.
The reason for such an outrageous operation was that he planned to use the money loaned out by the Skrullsand the three major families to acquire and control several banks.
With a large amount of bad loans appearing, bank stock prices would definitely fall, and then the acquired shares would be placed under a shell company.
When Qin Mo needed money in the future, the banks would directly file for bankruptcy…
This fleece was simply perfect.
The investment was a bit large, but fortunately, he didn't use a single cent of his own money, which was equivalent to acquiring several banks for free.
The wealth of the great colonists, runaways, and Celestial Dragons who came to New York from all over the World could not be described as just rich enough to rival a nation.
Rather than benefiting the Great America government, it was better to add bricks and mortar to his path to invincibility.
Once a person gets busy, time seems to have an acceleration button pressed, and imperceptibly, 2011 quietly arrived.
Hyde Garden, Villa No. 1 study.
Staring at the 100 billion in his account, Qin Mo waved his hand, instantly refining the members of the three major HYDRA families.
People die, debts are written off. Let the banks deal with the headache.
As for the Skrulls, they were about to become boxes of aphrodisiacs—Great America Pills—displayed on shelves.
Just as he lit a cigarette to celebrate, an unexpected phone call silenced Qin Mo for a long time.
"Mr. Murdock, Master passed away peacefully in her sleep. She specifically left you a letter…"
Hanging up the phone, Qin Mo extinguished the cigarette butt.
"This old man… he's not even pretending anymore."
Chapter 168: Ancient One fakes his death and escapes, and the great creditor arrives
Kamar-Taj, a secret realm, was draped in white.
The news of the former Sorcerer Supreme Gu Yi's passing was like a giant stone thrown into a calm water surface, causing undercurrents in the magic world, including Kamar-Taj.
Whether for various purposes: to mourn or to test the truth.
In short, there were more guests at Kamar-Taj than during the Sorcerer Supreme's coronation ceremony a few months ago.
Disciples, including Tom, Wang, Mordo, Tony, Zhao Hailun, Ethan, and seventeen Europe princesses, were kneeling in front of the mourning hall, praying.
Qin Mo silently retreated behind everyone and stood with Gu Yi's soul body, asking curiously with his divine sense, "How does it feel to attend your own funeral?"
The azure soul body smiled, "It's quite interesting. You've seen me make a fool of myself."
To be honest, although he had long known about Gu Yi's plan to fake her Death and escape, when this day truly came, Qin Mo inexplicably felt a sense of regret.
Gu Yi was practically an encyclopedia of White magic.
Where could he find such a good workhorse?
It was a pity that he had been busy fleecing the banks recently, which caused him to act too slowly, allowing Gu Yi to escape first.
"Mr. Murdoch, please take care of Kamar-Taj in the future, for Tom's sake... and for our acquaintance."
"It should be so," Qin Mo readily agreed.
The mages in Kamar-Taj, including the three great sanctums, were almost comparable to printing presses in Qin Mo's eyes.
He had the responsibility and obligation to protect such a durable and profitable workhorse; otherwise, where would he find such a good money-making project?
"Thank you," Gu Yi cupped her hands in thanks.
"Sigh," Qin Mo stared at the azure soul body, seemingly trying to see through what the other party was thinking: "Sorcerer, isn't it better to continue living? I really don't understand why you are so determined to fake your Death and escape."
Gu Yi chuckled and shook her head, seemingly lamenting the past few hundred years: "You are still too young; you don't understand the erosion of time on the mind."
"Five hundred years, I have been Sorcerer Supreme for a full five hundred years, protecting the Earth dimension's safety and resisting the invasion of dimensional demon Gods and hell demons for five hundred years, day in and day out."
"Mr. Murdoch, you're not even thirty, are you?"
"I just turned twenty-six this year."
"Twenty-six," Gu Yi's face was full of sighs: "It's good to be young. I became Sorcerer Supreme when I was twenty-six, and five hundred years have passed since then."
"I'm too tired."
"To be honest, I originally planned to wait for Strange to take over the burden, and even thought of having him have a car accident earlier, until I met you..."
Having successfully retired and faked her Death to escape, Gu Yi seemed to have shed a heavy burden from her shoulders, looking incredibly relaxed.
"Mr. Murdoch, I've always had a question in my mind, and I wonder if you could answer it for me."
"Tell me."
"How exactly do you cultivate to reach the Multiverse level at the age of twenty-something?"
Seeing the curiosity on Gu Yi's face, Qin Mo spread his hands like a little bear and said, "I~ am extraordinarily gifted."
Gu Yi rolled her eyes, "Have pity on me, consider it my only request before I leave."
If she couldn't figure out why, Gu Yi suspected that even if she went to eternal, she would be depressed.
"Alright."
With a thought, Qin Mo brought himself and Gu Yi's soul body into the Pocket Universe.
Immediately after, his human form transformed into the normal body of a two-thousand-foot-tall Celestial.
He wore a white-gold Phoenix Crown, surrounded by crimson Chaos Magic, and Fairy Force transformed into a black royal robe.
"Celestial!?" Gu Yi's throat moved.
In front of the Chaos God Qin Mo, Gu Yi was as tiny as a speck of dust.
Before she could observe carefully, the scene suddenly changed, and the two returned to Gu Yi's mourning hall.
"So that's how it is."
Gu Yi's faking her Death to escape suddenly gave Qin Mo a realization:
The reason Gu Yi felt pain and mental exhaustion was merely a superficial one; the real reason was that she had a choice.
Was she to continue staying in Kamar-Taj, upholding the duties of the Sorcerer Supreme, or to go to Eternal, follow the Eternal, and advance further?
With a choice, there would be pain.
If Gu Yi had no choice but to continue as Sorcerer Supreme, she wouldn't have been so pained.
Why hadn't Qin Mo felt pain all these years? Because without choice, there is no pain.
When he came to the Marvel Universe and bound the pay-to-win system, his only choice was to make money. Whether it was by seizing or by greed, money, for him, was the cornerstone to invincibility.
Invincibility was not for the sake of ruling.
Invincibility was only for living, for living unconstrained and freely.
After a final look at her disciples, Gu Yi cupped her hands and said, "Mr. Murdoch, take care."
"Sorcerer, take care."
As her voice fell, the azure soul body seemed to be pulled, flying towards the Eternal Temple located outside the Multiverse.
Qin Mo was not worried that Gu Yi's soul body would be captured midway by some entity.
A soul marked by Eternal, even Death dared not snatch it, let alone the dimensional demon Gods around the Earth dimension.
Unless they were tired of living.
However, with Gu Yi going to Eternal, these dimensional demon Gods would probably not remain peaceful.
Indeed, not long after Gu Yi's soul departed, a pure white light curtain descended from the sky, completely freezing time in the entire Kamar-Taj secret realm.
It was none other than the Vishanti, who had come to collect their debt from Gu Yi.
The members of Vishanti were: the omnipotent Oshtur, the omniscient Agamotto, and the ancient Hoggoth.
Oshtur was one of the first Earth Elder Gods, Hoggoth was a survivor of a mysterious tiger-shaped race, and Agamotto was born from Oshtur's tears.
A majestic voice echoed through Kamar-Taj.
"Where is Gu Yi?"
It must be said, creditors certainly had an imposing presence.
Except for Qin Mo and Tom, who were unaffected, the other mages seemed to be frozen, unable to feel the passage of time.
"Hmm? Could it be that you are the new Sorcerer Su..." Agamotto stopped mid-sentence as he finally saw Qin Mo's appearance.
"Holy crap!"
At this moment, the Vishanti had already decided to retreat.
A few years ago, Qin Mo's figure holding the Ultimate Nullifier was still etched in their minds.
This was a madman; they couldn't afford to provoke him.
"Oh, it's the Vishanti," Qin Mo said with a smile, looking at these three big suckers.
From the essence of magic: the Vishanti are the source of all white magic, while Chaos Magic is the progenitor of all magic.
From the perspective of power level: the Vishanti are at the high-tier Multiverse level, able to chase after Chthon, but below the level of Eternal and the other four Creator Gods.
And Qin Mo belonged to the newly promoted All-Powerful.
Even though he was still at the Multiverse level, Qin Mo, possessing the Ultimate Nullifier, would not feel any fear.
"Pleasure to meet you," the Vishanti cupped their fists.
Qin Mo didn't bother with pleasantries and directly said, "Kamar-Taj belongs to me, and all past debts are canceled."
"Or ~ you stay."
Chapter 169 Mom, don't you want me anymore?
Or—you can stay."
Upon hearing this, the Vishanti trio exchanged glances, seemingly communicating their opinions through divine sense.
To agree or not to agree, that is the question.
If they agreed to the opponent's arrogant proposal, there would naturally be no need to fight again to resolve the issue.
If they refused, it would most likely come down to a real showdown.
The one with the bigger fist had the right.
Among the three members of Vishanti: Oshturbelonged to Earth's first batch of ancient gods, witnessing the rise and fall of humanity, and still had some affection for Earth.
Agamotto was born from Oshtur's tears, essentially a descendant of an ancient god, and he was also the first Sorcerer Supreme.
Only Hoggoth was not from the Earth lineage.
Therefore, the Vishanti trio did not want to easily provoke a war; compared to fighting and killing, they only wanted to lend out more magic and collect more interest.
Chasing down Chthon was a struggle between the doctrines of White magic and Black magic, essentially also for interest.
Only by completely suppressing Black magic would White magic flourish on Earth, leading to more magicapprentices and the signing of more loan contracts.
But if they were to retreat so ignominiously, where would the Three-in-One Vishanti's face go?
However, thinking of the Ultimate Nullifier the opponent possessed, the Vishanti trio immediately fell into a dilemma.
Retreating would mean losing face across the Multiverse.
Fighting would likely lead to them being nullified by the opponent.
Had it been any other opponent, even Chthon, Cyttorak, or Mo Fei Si Tuo, they would have at least exchanged a few blows today.
The problem was: the opponent possessed the Ultimate Nullifier.
Many years ago, the Universe's abstract entity stronger than them—the Opposite of Eternity—was directly nullified by this divine artifact.
Not even a trace was left; it was as if he never existed.
"What, is choosing between two options so difficult?" Qin Mo stared at the Vishanti trio: "Since your opinions aren't unified, why not listen to my suggestion?"
"We are all ears," Agamotto said with a cupped-hand salute.
Under the Vishanti trio's expectant gazes, Qin Mopointed at Oshtur, speaking astonishingly.
"Well, the reason we have disagreements is because our relationship isn't very good, so how can we make our relationship better?"
"How about I take a loss and marry this lady, wouldn't our relationship then improve?"
"Then we'll all be family; what's yours is mine, and what's mine is still mine."
"Kamar-Taj's debt will naturally be gone."
Agamotto froze for a few seconds, then a towering rage surged into his heart after he reacted.
"Damn it, this kid wants to marry my mom."
Agamotto was born from Oshtur's tears; although not a blood relative in the traditional sense, calling her 'mom' was his freedom, regardless.
Right, junior fellow apprentice Wa.
Hearing that the opponent wanted to marry Oshtur, Agamotto, in a fit of rage, raged for a moment.
The Ultimate Nullifier was like a sword hanging over his head; even though he was burning with rage at this moment, he still maintained clarity and reason.
If he were to act now, the outcome would be predictable: the Three-in-One Vishanti would very likely become the Two-in-One Vishanti.
Or, after the opponent married Oshtur, he would be kicked out, and a new trinity would be formed.
"Endure, I endure!"
And the reason Qin Mo proposed this suggestion was merely to make the Vishanti trio retreat in the face of difficulty.
He was not a lecherous demon who wanted to pounce on every beautiful woman.
Everything he did was just to hope everyone would be harmonious and not force him to get angry.
If he really got angry, even he would be afraid.
If not for the last shred of conscience in his heart, knowing that he was not in the right in this matter,
Qin Mo would have slapped them long ago, killed the males, snatched the females to be his bandit wives, and kept the tiger as a mount.
(Among the Three-in-One Vishanti: Oshtur is a female ancient god, Agamotto is a second-generation male god, and Hoggoth is an alien species in the form of a tiger.)
Yet, unexpectedly, the female ancient god Oshturpondered for a moment and gave an equally astonishing response.
"Alright, let's get married."
"Kamar-Taj is yours. Here, this is the magic contract that was signed back then…"
What the f*ck?! Not only was Qin Mo extremely surprised, but Agamotto also looked at his "mom" in shock.
Mom? Are you abandoning me?
How could you do this, Mom?
This kid is a bad guy.
Noticing Qin Mo's stunned state, Oshtur tucked her disheveled hair behind her ear and said with a light chuckle:
"What? Are you just all talk, no action? If you're merely bragging, then please retreat quickly."
Seeing his mom render the opponent speechless, Agamotto felt an inexplicable satisfaction deep in his heart.
"So that's it, as expected of Mom."
Hmph, no matter how great you are, kid?
This sudden turn of events left Qin Mo, who had been steadily gaining the upper hand, in a difficult position.
He hadn't married in his previous life because he was crushed by a massive stroke of luck before he had the chance.
With such excellent conditions in this life, it was even more impossible for him to marry; only a fool would give up an entire forest for one tree.
Was Wanda not alluring, or was Galacta not charming?
Not to mention Phoenix, Mystique, Invisible Woman, and the Golden Man Ayesha…
He had just teased Oshtur, hoping the Vishanti trio would retreat in the face of difficulty, for everyone's good, but he never expected to be outmaneuvered by the female ancient god.
Hmph, so what?
Qin Mo had never been inferior to anyone in his life.
"Alright, let's get married."
If Ancient One were present at this moment, she would surely grumble a few words: Damn it, this is my funeral, am I not a human, do you not understand respect for the "deceased"?
Hearing this, Oshtur snapped her fingers, instantly transforming the originally plain, white Kamar-Taj into a vibrant red wedding venue.
"No time like the present, let's do it today."
"No problem." Qin Mo was completely reckless. Clash, I'll clash well later.
What if she's a female ancient god? I'll clash when I should.
Witnessing such an absurd and outrageous scene unfold before him, Agamotto quickly tried to dissuade them.
"Both of you, the deceased comes first."
"This is Ancient One's funeral; it's not appropriate to hold a wedding here. How about you two reschedule?"
As his voice fell, Oshtur and Qin Mo simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief; they had almost gotten carried away just now.
Oshtur feigned composure and handed over the magiccontract: "We'll meet again, when the mountain doesn't turn, the Water does."
"See you."
Qin Mo's thoughts stirred, and a crimson light flashed in his pupils. Ancient One's "mourning hall" finally returned to its original plain, White appearance.
Seeing this, Hoggoth, the tiger who had been silent among the Vishanti trio, exclaimed.
"Chaos Magic…"
It's a good thing they didn't fight; if they had, the Vishanti would most likely have met their end here.
The tiger Hoggoth glanced at Agamotto: A guy who is more likely to mess things up than to succeed.
If not for this kid's nonsense, Oshtur might have already tied the knot with this powerful practitioner of Chaos Magic.
"Mom, Mom, what about Mom?"
Chapter 170: Oxen and horses should go to work
As the Vishanti Trinity departed, the time frozen in Kamar-Taj completely returned to normal.
After praying for his master, Ancient One, for a moment, Tony got up and found Wang and Tom, looking a bit troubled: "Sorcerer Supreme, Wang, an elder in my family 'passed away' today, I need to go back..."
Although he hadn't been a disciple for long, Tonygreatly respected his master Ancient One, and logically, he should have prayed for his master for a bit longer.
However, Peggy Carter's meticulously prepared "funeral" still required his presence to manage.
Wang had heard about it: the legendary woman Peggy Carter had passed away in her sleep this morning, and because she had no descendants, Tony was handling the funeral.
Losing two elders in one day, his junior brother Tonymust be extremely sad.
"Junior Brother Tony, please accept my condolences."
"Mmm." Tony pursed his lips, his expression unreadable.
His master truly passed away, but Aunt Peggy faked her death to escape, about to embrace a new life and a new identity.
This feeling was too awkward.
After bidding farewell to Wang, Tony walked over to Qin Mo: "King, are you coming with me?"
"Alright." Qin Mo nodded.
His presence at Peggy Carter's funeral wasn't due to personal friendship; he had only met her once. He was going as a Councilman and to finalize a deal.
Tony proactively drew a portal: "Let's go, she's waiting for us."
Stepping through the portal, the two arrived at the venue for Peggy's farewell ceremony—a small room.
Peggy Carter quickly stood up from her wheelchair: "You're finally here. I'm an old lady hiding here, afraid someone might break in."
"Councilman Murdock, shall we start now?"
Peggy was already impatient to regain her youth, simply because the beloved person she longed for was currently outside carrying her coffin.
Encountering two old women who faked their deaths to escape on the same day made Qin Mo feel a bit unaccustomed. After a moment, he took out a specially made Ice Cola... serum.
"Open your mouth ~ drink it."
Tony's gaze was fixed on Peggy, and he unconsciously lightened his breathing.
The moment Peggy Carter drank all of the serum, her age spots gradually faded, and her loose skin became firm and delicate.
Even her fingernails took on a healthy pinkish-white hue.
Her back, which had been bent by the years, slowly straightened, and her graying hair became smooth and lustrous from the roots.
A light suddenly flickered in her cloudy eyes, and fatigue and old age gradually receded, replaced by the sharp keenness characteristic of her Agent days.
When Peggy stood up from the wheelchair, the decrepit figure of a 90-year-old had completely transformed into a valiant and spirited young Agent.
This scene made Tony's Adam's apple bob several times, but he made no sound.
It wasn't until Peggy waved her hand lightly in front of his eyes that Tony snapped out of his daze, unconsciously muttering,
"This... this... no wonder Dad was hooked..."
Who wouldn't be smitten by Aunt Peggy when she was young? Forget Dad, even he would be smitten.
Oh no, bad thoughts are starting to form.
Peggy didn't notice Tony's unusual behavior, or rather, she didn't have time to pay attention to it now.
Her attention was completely on the familiar yet strange reflection in the mirror. She unconsciously pinched her cheek; the springy touch immediately made Peggyoverjoyed.
She finally believed that she had truly returned to her youth.
Tony grabbed Qin Mo's arm: "King, do you have more of this serum? I want to pre-order two doses."
Qin Mo held out his hand: "That'll be 20 billion dollars, no credit."
The bottle of Ice Cola in the refrigerator should still be able to fill dozens more doses of the youth-restoring serum.
This might be the most expensive bottle of Ice Cola in history.
Of course, all of this was just a trick; what truly made Peggy Carter young again was Qin Mo's unparalleled reality manipulation.
The advancement of Chaos Magic to the perfect state not only allowed Qin Mo to break through to the omniversal level, but its reality-altering attribute also evolved to be irreversible.
Once changed, it's changed.
Aside from Qin Mo, no one could revert the modified reality.
However, Peggy Carter only became young; she would still age with the passage of time.
Unless she took another serum.
This depended on whether Peggy was willing to spend money. Qin Mo was not a philanthropist; doing good deeds to the end simply didn't exist for him.
Making money was the eternal truth.
Qin Mo patted Tony's shoulder: "Remember to transfer the money for this serum to me first. When the new batch is made, I'll tell you immediately."
At this moment, Peggy Carter finally calmed her excited emotions: "Councilman, can I... ask for three days off before going to work at the company?"
"I advise you not to do that."
"Why?"
Qin Mo spread his hands: "Captain Rogers' beloved woman is dead. Now, what identity will you use to reappear by his side?"
"Don't you want to know: does Steve love the old you more, or the current you?"
Peggy hesitated: "What should I do?"
"Go to work first." Qin Mo finally revealed his capitalist fangs: "You will meet when the time is right."
"And... I don't advise you to actively pursue Captain. He owes you, you should live for yourself for once and enjoy the pleasure of being pursued by Steve."
In short: the laborers should go to work, especially those with a debt of 5 billion.
"Don't forget, you still owe me 5 billion dollars."
Peggy Carter lowered her head, looking utterly dejected: "Then can I secretly take a peek?"
"Go ahead, be energetic, don't lose face."
After settling everything, Qin Mo made a brief appearance at Peggy Carter's farewell ceremony and then left.
Simply because: the Reliable Vigor Pills were going on sale today.
Another cash cow.
As expected, the Reliable Vigor Pills sparked a buying frenzy upon their launch, with an extremely enthusiastic market response.
As a green, additive-free male health product, its excellent quality and safety promise were key to its rapid gain of consumer trust.
Everywhere, from mall televisions to video websites, were promotional slogans for the Reliable Vigor Pills: Don't look at the advertisement, look at the effect.
With the strong sales of the Vigor Pills, the Skrulls on Earth became fewer and fewer, subtly facing the threat of extinction.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Tower, Deputy Director's office.
Coulson sat in the boss's chair, looking helplessly at Nick Fury, who was pounding the table:
"Fury, you know, the passing of former Director Peggywas a huge blow to Captain Rogers."
"I want to help too, but as Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., I have other work, and we really don't have time to deal with the missing persons case."
"Besides, this case falls under the FBI's jurisdiction."
Bang ~
Nick Fury pounded the table: "Then what's going on with Agent May and Blade? Why are they both being recalled?"
"Brother, S.H.I.E.L.D. has more important cases."
Coulson exasperatedly pushed a stack of case files in front of Nick Fury.
"In just one week, New York City has had three mysterious explosions, resulting in dozens of casualties."
"And your side is just disappearances. You've been S.H.I.E.L.D. Director, so you naturally understand what's more important."
Flipping through the case files, Nick Fury had nothing to say. He could only tightly grip the pager in his pocket.
It was time to call Carol back.