American comic: From Beijing with Love, starting with a mutant.

Zhou Xingxing rubbed his face twice, trying to process the overwhelming information he had just received.

Those two have already entered the elevator. Trying to pry into their family relocation policies through the crack in the door would be incredibly impolite and could easily get you posted online as a warning.

We can have a couple of bites of the melon, but we still need to keep doing the serious business of attracting investment.

He turned and waved to the two guys behind him who were looking around.

"Xiao Da, stop eyeing the fire escape like that. This is a proper government facility. Nobody's thinking about tearing you down and selling you as meat every day."

Darwin reluctantly looked away. The sensors hidden in the corners of the walls and the gaps in the ceiling made his scalp tingle, and he felt as if countless eyes were watching him.

"I just wanted to know in advance which way to run if something happened."

"Young people, don't always think about running away when you encounter problems! No wonder you can't find a stable job with social insurance and housing fund in your life."

After finishing his rant, Stephen Chow looked to the other side and said, "And that guy gnawing on the bone, you've practically polished that deer leg bone to a patina."

"This is their headquarters. Carrying bones into the leader's office will easily make people misunderstand that we haven't had enough to eat."

The Moon Boy looked down and checked it over again, but still couldn't bear to throw it away.

The three walked down the long corridor to the end, where the door was not closed.

The room didn't have the thick carpets or huge desks typical of a leader's office; instead, the walls were lined with metal tool racks and electronic circuit boards that reached the ceiling.

A set of red and white power armor is fixed on the right-side bracket.

The helmet covers the entire head of the doll, the mask has a scanning component embedded in it, and a striking maple leaf is printed on the chest.

The armor plates are quite thick and solid, and complex vector propulsion modules are clearly installed on the thighs and back.

This set of equipment is not exactly lightweight, but its practicality is obvious.

Power amplification, flight, including life support, electromagnetic control, and protection systems, are all crammed into this alloy shell.

After looking at it for a few seconds, Stephen Chow quickly estimated the price in his mind.

The research and development budget for this equipment is enough to buy at least two large courtyard houses with rear-facing rooms within Beijing's Second Ring Road, and maybe even get a Beijing A license plate.

A middle-aged man was standing behind the worktable.

The man was wearing a slightly faded plaid shirt and was holding a hydraulic wrench stained with engine oil.

With goggles casually pushed up on his forehead, a ring of bluish-gray stubble on his chin, and his hairline having made indelible sacrifices in years of scientific research, he exuded an air of exceptional intelligence.

James Hudson.

A founding member of the Alpha esports team, codenamed Guardian.

They are also the manufacturers of this pile of high-tech scrap metal.

After tightening the last fixing bolt, the guardian put the wrench back on the worktable.

The monitor on the table was showing footage of an accident in the border region.

The wreckage of a motorhome was scattered in the snow, a Nighthawk helicopter had crashed into a snow slope, and another helicopter had dropped its weapon racks and half of its landing gear.

"You've caused quite a stir at the border."

He picked up a rag to wipe his hands, his gaze sweeping over the three people in turn.

"A fugitive who can mutate on his own according to the environment, a humanoid creature that cannot even be matched in the modern human gene pool."

The guardian pulled over a swivel chair, sat down, and looked at Stephen Chow with his fingers interlaced.

"The United States has sent several notices of assistance in the investigation."

"They accuse you of sabotaging military facilities, relocating high-risk test subjects, and stealing core data that threatens national security."

"I need a reasonable explanation. What exactly are you from China, sending you all the way to North America to take away?"

"People, technology, or the weapons Yin Feng mentioned?"

"Stop, stop, stop!"

Stephen Chow pulled over a chair and sat down, then casually took out a cigarette from his pack and handed it to him.

"Boss, would you like one?"

"Smoking is prohibited here due to the presence of sophisticated equipment."

"Exquisite".

Stephen Chow kept the cigarette in his mouth, indulging his craving, without touching the lighter.

"Boss, aren't you going too far with that accusation? 'Just because Yin Feng wrote a few pages of documents, does that make a living person an experimental asset?'"

"As for collecting weapons, which executive fabricated that charge for me?"

He pointed behind him.

"Look at these two unlucky brothers behind me. One of them is so skinny he's practically skin and bones. He could be blown two miles away by a gale."

"Another one is so poor he can't even afford a pair of work boots, carrying a bone stick in the freezing cold to make a living. What kind of asset is that? Western capitalists are really indiscriminate these days, squeezing every last drop of surplus value from even the poorest of the poor?"

The Guardian was somewhat surprised. Since he put on this armor and formed the Alpha team, he had never encountered such an unpredictable and ruthless individual.

He remained silent for a few seconds, then raised his hand and waved it, revealing detailed information about Darwin in the center of the room.

"Armando Eddie Muñoz, nicknamed Darwin, can adjust his physical state according to external threats. Low temperatures, gunshot wounds, impacts, and falls from great heights can all prompt his body to adapt."

"You know better than I what the consequences would be if this ability were to enter the battlefield."

Stephen Chow raised his hand to stop the other party from continuing: "The battlefield use comes from your documents, but Darwin never signed or claimed it."

"He hasn't joined the 749th Bureau yet, I won't lie to you. Xiao Da only agreed to drive us to Los Angeles, but we were chased by Yin Feng on the way, so he came to Canada with me."

"However, we've already reserved a position for him there: an extreme environment emergency response assessor. Conventional rescue teams are not suitable to rush into situations like avalanches, mining accidents, or major geological disasters."

"If he is willing to sign the contract, he can go in first to check the passage and danger zone, and then the personnel behind can formulate a rescue plan."

As Stephen Chow spoke louder and louder, Darwin, who was watching nearby, almost believed that he was a glorious rescue pioneer.

The guardian looked at the moon boy. "Where is he?"

"The long-haired guy behind me is the mechanical engineering maintenance consultant I just signed. He covers all my food and lodging, and the tools are provided by the company."

"The additional details are also clearly stated: Bureau 749 will help him find his lost companions."

"These are legitimate, officially employed workers! Your border defenses can't control those armed men from Yinfeng, allowing them to cross the border and blow up our RV. This is disrupting the international labor market!"

"Not only that, it also caused severe psychological trauma and physical injuries to our employees."

He pointed to the wound on the Moon Boy's shoulder that was almost healed.

"See that? A work injury! This only happens here. If this happened where I'm from, I'd probably sue them to the labor bureau until they're bankrupt!"

"I haven't even asked you for medical expenses or compensation for emotional distress, and you're already starting to argue with me?"

The guardian stood frozen in his chair, opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

What's wrong with this person?

How did a transnational mutant conflict turn into a local dispute where a contractor is demanding an explanation?