The Savior of American Comics? I'm the Subspace Evil God!

Chapters 481, 878, and 879: Two Plans from Zemo

What a hypocritical scoundrel!
"..."

Alexander Pierce felt his temples throbbing and his lips twitched uncontrollably.

He forcefully suppressed the profanity that was about to spill out.

Ross, you old fox!
You actually pulled this trick on me?
Alexander Pierce was consumed by rage, cursing every female member of the opposing family.

Who told them to use such a vicious trick!
Alexander Pierce was so angry for a reason.

Ross not only casually and precisely kicked the hot potato that would determine life and death back to his feet, but also placed him, as the chairman of the Security Council, directly on the blazing "moral cross" to be roasted.

What's even more infuriating is that this is a completely unequal gamble!
If he subsequently adopted Ross's plan and achieved miraculous success.

Therefore, the credit and glory must belong to Rose.

But if he fails, all the immense blame and the infamy he will bear will undoubtedly fall on Alexander Pierce alone.

Tell me, who wouldn't be angry in this situation?

A cold glint flashed in Alexander Pierce's eyes, and he made a decision in an instant.

He raised his hand and waved to his assistant, who was waiting beside him, his gesture carrying suppressed anger. His voice was cold and hard as he ordered, "Immediately connect me to [Subspace Group]. I need to speak with Mr. Karl Mara..."

However, to Alexander Pierce's dismay, he was not greeted by Karl's call, but by Helmut Zemo, then CEO of the Subspace Group, whose voice was polite but devoid of warmth.

Feeling slighted, Alexander Pierce forcibly suppressed the anger rising within him and succinctly explained the true purpose of the Security Council's need for a 'panacea' to deal with the bio-chemical KB attack that occurred on the F continent.

Zemo, on the other end of the phone, didn't even give him a chance to offer any 'moral persuasion' or 'pressure for responsibility'.

"Chairman Pierce..."

Zemo's voice was steady and clear, carrying a sense of aloofness that kept people at arm's length. He succinctly presented two solutions to the problem over the phone.

"【Option 1】: Based on the social responsibility and dedication of 【Subspace Group】to the well-being of all mankind, our group is willing to provide all the 'universal vaccines' needed for this operation free of charge..."

"The only requirement is that the entire vaccine spraying operation must be live-streamed globally, and the [AsiaSpace Group] logo must be clearly and prominently displayed on camera!!"

"【Option Two】: 【Asiaspace Group】is willing to provide the Security Council with the required quantity of 'universal vaccine' at a discounted price of 90% below the market price."

Zemo's two proposals completely thwarted Alexander Pierce's carefully prepared rhetoric, which aimed to use moral blackmail to make the Subspace Group the scapegoat for the operation.

Especially the 'free' Option 1, although it sounds very generous at first glance, providing all the 'universal vaccines' for free, is precisely the option that Pierce is least likely to touch!

The reasons are naked and cruel.

Right now, he absolutely cannot let the world know about the tragedy and the truth that happened on the F Continent.

Otherwise, the overwhelming public resentment would not only drown the high-ranking members of the BSAA organization, but would also drag him, the chairman of the Security Council, into an abyss of no return.

So... the answer is self-evident.

Damn Karl Mara!
That damned [Subspace Corporation]!
No wonder Nick Fury has always hated them so much; none of the people in that company are easy to deal with.

They're all ruthless, exploitative merchants!

Although Alexander Pierce was cursing inwardly, as a competent leader, he understood better than most when to choose 'compromise'.

“Mr. Zemo…”

Even though he knew the person on the other end of the phone could see the expression on his face, Alexander Pierce still forced a professional smile and said in a very 'sincere' voice:

"First of all, I am very grateful for your group's honesty and social responsibility. I am pleased that Sokovia has such a generous and philanthropic company as the Subspace Group."

As he spoke, he deliberately paused slightly on the word "responsibility," clearly with a hint of subtle sarcasm.

"However, given the magnitude of this proposal, which involves global security and the allocation of enormous sums of money, the Security Council must adhere to procedural justice..."

I need some time to convene representatives from all member states for an open and transparent vote before I can make a final decision on whether to adopt the proposal and... which option to choose.

"can."

Zemo's reply was extremely brief, without the slightest bit of politeness or hesitation, followed by a busy tone—he had actually hung up the phone.

That decisive and almost arrogant attitude clearly showed that he didn't take Alexander Pierce, the chairman of the Security Council, seriously at all.

This is not to say that Zemo is arrogant or conceited.

Instead, he had already learned from Carl that Alexander Pierce was actually the head of Hydra.

Considering that Hydra almost used his father as experimental material two years ago, Zemo's ability to maintain basic telephone etiquette at this moment is enough to prove his profound manners.

"Hang up on me? You arrogant bastard!!"

Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Alexander Pierce's face turned ashen. He slammed the phone down on the table and muttered a curse:

"And this is supposed to be a baron? He doesn't even know the most basic etiquette for communicating by phone..."

Then, realizing he had lost his composure, he quickly took a deep breath, forcibly calming the surging anger within him. Turning his gaze to the various national representatives and organization leaders who were eagerly awaiting his arrival in the conference room, he spoke loudly:
"Ladies and gentlemen! The [Subspace Group] has clearly stated that they have agreed to provide us with the 'universal vaccine' needed for our operation at a 10% discount below the market price..."

To avoid the hassle of arguments and explanations and to get things moving quickly, Alexander Pierce immediately rejected Zemo's "Option One".

"what?!"

Before he could finish speaking, Nick Fury sprang up from his seat like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his one eye wide open, his voice sharp and full of sarcastic mockery:

"In the face of such a matter of life and death that concerns countless lives, how dare they [Subspace Group] still accept money?"

"A 10% discount? How dare they ask for that?!"

However, this time, the scene of public outrage that he had envisioned did not materialize.

An eerie silence fell over the meeting room. The vast majority of delegates did not echo his "righteous indignation," but instead looked at him with extremely strange, even contemptuous, eyes.

That look seemed to be a silent mockery:
Are you trying to act all innocent and pure here?

Doesn't it cost money to research and produce those vaccines? Do vaccines just fall from the sky? Do they have no cost?

[Asia Space Group] is a private company, not an official organization or a charity. Why should it pay for others' expenses without considering the costs?

You idiot, do you even know anything about this industry? This is a brand new, unreleased, original, highly effective drug; giving it a 10% discount is already incredibly generous!

How dare you criticize others? When you, S.H.I.E.L.D., are extorting money and transferring assets, don't you ever think that the money you get is dirty?
You should go back and learn how to be grateful, you idiot!

Nick Fury clearly also noticed this pervasive, hostile, and mocking collective sentiment.

His face flushed red and then turned pale, and the anger in his one eye almost burst out, but he managed to suppress it. His Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty, and he sat back down in his seat, sullenly suppressing the jealousy and resentment in his heart.

Seeing that the biggest troublemaker had been subdued by the invisible collective will and no one dared to object anymore, Alexander Pierce immediately seized the opportunity and, according to the established procedure, formally initiated a vote on purchasing the 'universal vaccine' to resolve the crisis in [F Continent].

As for the funding source for the 'universal vaccine'?

Alexander Pierce had long planned for this, and his proposed solution can be described as a classic example of 'robbing the rich to help the poor'.

A small portion of it was 'voluntarily' crowdfunded by various countries.

Whether to donate or not, and how much to donate... all depends on the 'moral standards' and 'internationalist spirit' of each country's government.

The other, larger portion is directly allocated to countries that possess vast strategic resources in Africa, such as minerals, oil, and gold.

They either have to pay real money or offer shares in the corresponding resource company as compensation!

In short, the main theme is to rob the rich and help the poor.

The faces of the national representatives who were named all turned extremely ugly, as if someone had forced a lump of "Oli Gei" into their mouths.

Even though they felt a thousand resentments and heartache, not one of them dared to show the slightest dissatisfaction at this moment.

Unfortunately, Ross's proposal was like a death knell.

If this 'hopeful' plan didn't exist, it would be better; I believe there would be no need to hold a vote, as the vast majority of these countries would choose to remain silent and refuse to make sacrifices.

After all, there's no reason to give away your own interests to others for nothing!
But the solution is right in front of them. If they dare to publicly refuse to fund the "lifesaving" effort, and if this news is leaked by a shady media outlet like the Daily Bugle, they will likely all end up in dire straits.

Being drowned in the spittle of an angry global public would be the best outcome...

Therefore, under the dual constraints of immense political pressure and moral blackmail, even if their interests are harmed, they can only swallow their pride and bear it.

The voting results were quickly and predictably released.

In the vast conference room, only Nick Fury and Genes, the head of the BSAA organization, stood alone, stubbornly casting their dissenting votes like islands.

The heads of all other countries and organizations raised their arms in unison, casting their votes in favor.

A sense of relief, even a false sense of 'victory', filled the venue.

After all, a seemingly 'feasible' and 'humane' solution was approved.

Only Nick Fury was furious, sitting alone in a corner, his face so dark it could drip water.

Looking at the list of countless precious minerals and rare earth company shares that was about to be acquired by the [Subspace Group], he felt his heart begin to bleed again...

Seeing the [Subspace Group] make a fortune was a hundred times more painful for him than losing a close relative.

That damned [Subspace Corporation]!
How dare a mere private company swallow such a huge piece of meat?
Karl Mara, with such an appetite, aren't you afraid of bloating yourself to death?!

Endless jealousy and frustration gnawed at Nick Fury's heart like venomous snakes.

……

Just as the Security Council informed Zemo of the final voting results and the approximate number of vaccines needed to implement the plan—

hum-

A streak of azure energy suddenly tore open in the heart of the city of Wakanda without warning!
The surrounding space was like a piece of paper crumpled by an invisible giant hand, instantly forming a portal with pulsating edges.

The next second, the heavy thud of military boots echoed in unison from inside the portal, breaking the surrounding silence.

Ten squads, totaling two hundred fully armed soldiers, marched out of the portal in an orderly fashion, like a steel torrent.

They were burly and robust, their muscles bulging, stretching their specially designed combat suits to a bulge. On their shoulder and breastplates was a green slime (plague) emblem pierced by a silver sword—the insignia of the [Plague-Free Chapter], symbolizing absolute purity and resistance!

These two hundred soldiers all came from the Plague-Free Band, which was formed after the official establishment of the Thunder Warrior Legion.

However, at this moment they are just raw recruits in the rigorous 'internship period'.

To hone these nascent blades, Legion Commander Frank has given a special order: the [Plague-Free Chapter] will be led by experienced [Phase IV Plague-Free] veterans in this operation, as they set out for [Wakanda]!
Therefore, the two hundred new recruits were precisely divided into ten squads.

At the heart of each squad is a silent, steadfast veteran of the "Phase IV - Epidemic-Free" program, with eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

They are not only on-site commanders, but also combat mentors and tactical strategists for these rookies.

Meanwhile, the miniature intelligent drones carried by the veterans have already taken to the air, and will record every action, every coordination, and every mistake of the new recruits on the battlefield from all angles...

These data will serve as the foundation for post-event review and improvement.

"Everyone has..."

The captain of the "Patient-Free" team first glanced sharply at the horde of corpses swarming towards the horizon like jackals smelling blood, and then his deep, resonant voice rang out.

(End of this chapter)