Chapter 273: Chapter 273 Future

New York, Newark Airport.

After a month and a half on the sweltering African continent, Jason finally set foot on American soil and inhaled a deep breath of that sweet, fragrant air of freedom.

Oh my god, I missed this.

When he left, Jason had taken a small army of subordinates and a mountain of scientific equipment, chartering several planes. On the return trip, however, he traveled light and alone.

Stepping out of the airport, a black stretched Land Rover was parked in the most prominent spot, with several people standing nearby.

“Honey~~!”

Harley ran over and leaped, latching onto him like a koala.

“New perfume?” Jason supported her weight with one hand, deeply inhaling her scent.

“Yeah, Chanel Coco. Do you like it?” Harley was genuinely surprised and delighted that he could distinguish between her perfumes.

“Yeah, it smells good,” Jason nodded with a smile. In truth, Coco was more suited for younger girls; as a mother, Harley was pushing it a bit—she would have been better off with Chanel No. 5.

He then turned to Christine. Her new look caught him off guard. “Since when did you change your style? A dress instead of leather?”

“Sometimes it’s good to switch things up.” Christine leaned in, wearing sunglasses, and tilted her head for a passionate kiss.

The luxury car and the beautiful women drew secret glances from many passersby. Wealthy men who had been fantasizing about getting a shot at them felt their dreams shatter the moment Jason pulled both women into his arms.

Damn. Now that’s a winner.

Once the kissing ended, Jason set the koala down and looked at Alex, who was standing guard with a serious expression.

“Boss! Welcome home!” Alex stood ramrod straight, looking a bit nervous.

Among the other members of the Joker organization, Alex knew they were all powerhouses and held them in high esteem, always speaking cautiously in the group chats like a humble junior. But as for Jason, the leader of the organization, Alex found him completely inscrutable. This was a man who could paint an airport red with blood while smiling and joking. If Jason wanted to, he could kill Alex in an instant. Just standing near him triggered a primal fear from the depths of Alex’s soul.

Jason patted him on the shoulder, signaling him to relax, and gave an approving nod. “I heard the details. You did well.”

Alex’s face lit up with joy, his eyes sparkling like a schoolboy who had just been praised by the principal in front of the whole school.

“Let’s go. Home!” Alex turned to push the guards aside, personally opening the car door for Jason.

Inside the opulent, gilded interior of the limousine, the four raised their glasses for a celebratory drink. This toast wasn’t just for Jason’s homecoming, but also for another major milestone for the organization.

After nearly three months of intense research, Ivan had finally cracked the secrets of the second-generation Arc Reactor. Upon discovering that the necessary element was not discovered yet, he took a different path, attempting to synthesize it through other means. Without a reference guide, he had to experiment with element after element, method after method. After over a thousand failures, he finally synthesized the element right before his deadline.

Testing showed that the energy output of the second-generation Arc Reactor was incredibly powerful—a dose of the new element could release dozens of times more energy than the first generation. If the manufacturing process wasn’t so rigorous and the yield so low, this element could have rewritten the world’s energy landscape.

After a few drinks, Harley boldly wiped the wine from her lips and asked, “Honey, you said you’d be back in a month. Why the two-week delay?”

Christine added, “Was the Africa trip not going smoothly?”

Jason set down his glass and smiled. “Quite the opposite. The trip was a massive success.” He pulled a piece of metal from his pocket and set it on the table.

“What’s this?” Christine picked it up and examined it closely but couldn’t make heads or tails of it. She passed it to Harley.

Harley: “Looks like some kind of metal.”

Christine: “No shit!”

Alex: “This metal is tough. I can’t even crush it.”

The stone made its round and returned to Jason. He explained with a hint of excitement, “This metal was found in the mountains near our African base. After careful study by the research team, it’s been identified as Vibranium.”

The three looked at each other, hearing the term for the first time.

“To put it simply, Vibranium is the hardest metal on Earth. It’s the primary material in Captain America’s shield. Not only is its hardness and strength superior to any other metal, but it also has numerous incredible properties. Beyond making weapons, it can be used in semiconductors, military tech, and other high-precision industries.”

Following Jason’s layman’s explanation, the three looked at the unremarkable metal block with newfound respect.

Alex gripped it again, his tone serious. “I’ve seen Steve’s shield in action. Its defense and offense are flawless. If we can equip ourselves on a large scale, our combat power will undergo a total transformation.”

Christine added, “I’m more interested in its other properties. If it can truly surpass silicon, it could flip the semiconductor industry on its head. Our tech level would be unrivaled globally.”

Jason nodded. “You’re both right. This is the future direction of the organization.”

“Honey, did you find a vein in Africa?”

Jason shook his head, looking a bit disappointed. “I spent over two weeks trekking through the mountains and found nothing. But the fact that this piece was found means the vein isn’t far. I plan to send more people to find it.”

So, they hadn’t found the vein yet. A bit of a letdown.

Christine asked, “So, what’s the plan?”

“The U.S. market is getting picked clean; revenue growth has significantly dropped over the last few months. I’m planning to shift the organization’s focus toward the African continent.”

“You’re giving up the U.S. market?!”

The three went pale, shocked by the decision. Giving up the luxury of life in America for the middle of nowhere in Africa?

Jason waved his hand to calm them. “Of course we aren’t abandoning the U.S. market. It’s our cash cow, our most important source of income. But you now know how vital Vibranium is. Simply put: Vibranium is the future. My point is, the U.S. business continues, but we only leave the necessary staff behind. Everyone else will be transferred to Africa in the short term.”

“But…”

“I’ve thought about this for a long time. Don’t try to talk me out of it.”

At that, the three shut their mouths. Jason was the leader; his word was law.

Africa! Harley looked up, her face a mask of despair. Goodbye Chanel, Dior, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Prada…

*

Back at the base, Jason first caught up on the backlog of work. After dinner, the four entered the conference room for a meeting via holographic projection. Every member of the Joker organization was present.

Stanfield: “Boss, I heard we’re expanding to Africa. For real?”

Jason glanced at the sulking Harley and said, “Yes. I found Vibranium in Africa. This rare metal has massive potential.” He took out the metal block, shared the research results, and laid out the preliminary relocation plan.

Since they couldn’t abandon the U.S. market and the vein hadn’t been found, they couldn’t just move everything at once. The plan had to be staggered. Step one: Find the vein.

Christine: “Finding a vein means geological surveying. For something this important, we need a member of the organization on-site. Who are you sending?”

“Hmm… let me think. Are there any volunteers?”

Every member immediately looked down. Life in America was too good; you’d have to be insane to want to go to Africa.

“Since none of you want to go… I’ll have to appoint someone,” Jason said with a sly smile. “According to Chloe’s reports, some of you have been slacking off lately. Some are even indulging in a life of luxury and hedonism. I think sending those people to Africa to toughen up is quite appropriate—at the very least, it’ll cure their laziness.”

Jason’s eyes, sharp as blades, scanned their faces. Except for Chloe and the newcomer Alex, almost every member looked embarrassed to varying degrees.

Heh, they all feel guilty.

Jason wasn’t actually that angry. Though highly capable, they were still human, and humans get lazy. The organization’s workload was intense, and their nerves were always frayed. Over time, mental fatigue was inevitable. It wasn’t a huge deal, as long as he gave them a nudge every now and then.

As for the candidates for Africa, he had to choose those whose powers were useful for surveying.

Jason’s gaze scanned them again.

Franklin’s tech Control… Pass!

Stanfield’s telepathy… Pass!

Harley’s teleportation… Tentative!

John’s ice… Pass!

Christine’s healing… Pass!

David’s ultrasonics… Tentative!

Chloe’s super-brain… Tentative!

A-Train’s speed… Pass!

Alex’s Blacklight Virus… Pass!

After much deliberation, Jason finally picked his three.

“Harley, David…”

Harley looked like her world was ending. David opened his mouth, wanting to argue.

“…and Chloe!”

Huh? Chloe! She was the organization’s MVP—24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with no breaks!

“The candidate for Africa will be chosen from among you three. As for what I said earlier, I was joking. This involves the future of the organization—I wouldn’t just send someone at random. But I see you all are guilty. Go back and reflect. I’m being nice today, but if there’s a next time…”

Hearing they were off the hook, the members who weren’t named breathed a collective sigh of relief. They nodded frantically, promising immediate self-reflection and improvement with absolute sincerity.

It’s all fate. When I chose my superpower back then, I really made the right call.

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