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Chapter 441: Lex Luthor's Decision
Lex Luthor had an unchanging smile on his face. A trace of cunning and wisdom flashed through his slightly narrow eyes.
“General Lane, you want to study that Kryptonian? As far as I know, he's very close to your daughter. Perhaps he'll even become your son-in-law in the future…”
“Enough! That is absolutely impossible! I won't allow it!”
General Lane slammed his fist on the table like an enraged lion, the remark clearly having hit a nerve.
It was a sore subject for him. A dignified general like himself had a daughter who'd not only run off to be a mere reporter, but had also found an alien for a boyfriend... and such a powerful alien at that.
General Lane felt completely humiliated. Every day at the office, the strange looks from the other generals made him feel as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
Lex Luthor tilted his head and watched for a moment, rapidly analyzing the pros and cons in his mind before quickly losing interest.
Do something involving Lois Lane? General Lane would be the first to object. Lex Luthor had no interest in this kind of family drama, where the father-in-law despised the pig who had stolen the prize cabbage he'd so carefully raised.
There was nothing in it for him.
“If you agree, I'll immediately find a way to bring that Kryptonian in, collect his blood and cells, and use his blood to develop a new super-serum,” General Lane said in a low voice.
Lex Luthor finally stopped his annoying spinning, his eyes fixed on the other man. “As long as you can get me Clark's biological tissue, I will find a way to develop the super-serum.”
General Lane's expression softened slightly, and he nodded in satisfaction.
The door slammed shut. Lex Luthor slowly rose, his smile vanishing, his face expressionless. He walked slowly to the window, pulled the blinds open a crack, and gazed down at the bustling crowds and traffic below.
Lex Luthor knew very well what General Lane wanted.
It was only a matter of time before Tony left Earth. Once that troublesome fellow was gone, certain people would undoubtedly make a move, slowly erasing the traces he left behind, or at the very least, suppressing his influence.
For example, there was the behemoth that was A.R.G.U.S. Many matters couldn't bypass this organization, and now even S.H.I.E.L.D. was showing faint signs of being suppressed.
As long as Tony was around, none of them dared to make a move because they simply didn't have the guts to oppose a ferocious guy like him. Whether it was the Sentinel Program or Project X, they were nothing more than acts of desperation.
Manufacture Sentinel Robots? Even if that guy Stryker desperately researched synthetic materials and eliminated all metal, there was no evidence to suggest Tony's abilities were limited to controlling metal mechs.
Perhaps even metal-free Sentinels made from synthetic materials could also be animated. This was highly likely.
As for Project X... perhaps there was a sliver of a chance before, but with the rapid growth of Tony's power, genetic modification technology simply couldn't keep up. The gap was too wide. If humans could mass-produce demigod-level beings, they would have conquered the Milky Way long ago.
Moreover, all the products developed using Tony's genes had recently shown signs of genetic breakdown. Stryker had exhausted all his methods to no avail.
Suddenly, Lex Luthor, who had been standing there for a long time, let out a low chuckle.
He poured himself a glass of red wine, leaned back in his chair with his feet propped up on the desk, and stared at the glass in his hand. Its crimson color was just like fresh blood.
“A bunch of pathetic fools…” Lex Luthor muttered to himself, his tone dripping with deep sarcasm.
Honestly, Lex Luthor was also jealous of Tony—jealous of his luck, jealous of his power. But sanity told him that keeping Tony around was far more meaningful than driving him away.
At least, until humanity possessed an absolutely reliable means of self-preservation, keeping a fierce and powerful guardian like Tony around was definitely more beneficial than detrimental.
Otherwise, the next time a terrifying enemy arrived, what would Earth use to fight back?
Rely on the Avengers?
Lex Luthor couldn't help but grin. Those people in the Avengers were fine for fighting ordinary aliens, but that was about it. They struggled so much just to kill the Chitauri back then. If an enemy on the same level as Tony, or even stronger, were to appear one day, who would Earth rely on then?
At least, before he had thoroughly studied Tony, there was no need to provoke him.
Lex Luthor put down his wine glass and tapped on the desk. Instantly, the desktop transformed into an electronic screen, displaying a large amount of data.
He tapped the desktop multiple times and entered an extremely complex password, opening a file with the tightest security measures.
The font was red, like blood.
X-Augmented Human: Document Protocol Forty-One
Lex Luthor casually opened the file. A large number of videos appeared, showing Stryker personally leading a series of brutal experiments.
“We have successfully isolated Tony's X-gene. It possesses an incredible capacity to accommodate any form of X-gene. To date, we have yet to find an incompatible gene.”
“Test Subject 7... genetic breakdown. His gene chain carried thirteen segments of the X-gene. Compared to the more outstanding Subject 10, we have reason to believe that exceptional individuals have greater potential to unlock the potential of Tony's genes.”
“Test Subject 43: organ failure. Proceeding with organ transplant... no adverse reactions.”
“Test Subject 60…”
“How could this happen! The gene chains of all one hundred test subjects, the ones who survived our rigorous selection, have all begun to break down! We've been invaded! A genetic invasion...!!!”
The video was gruesome. Around the dimly lit operating table lay numerous corpses and human organs. You could almost smell the metallic tang of dripping blood through the screen.
Stryker's roar was filled with frustration and fury.
Lex Luthor leaned back in his seat, watching these videos he had viewed many times without blinking.
Then, with a slight swipe, he closed it.
“Interesting…” Lex Luthor's eyes shifted. He ran a hand through his shoulder-length blond hair, the corner of his mouth once again curling into a smirk.
No one knew what he was thinking. Lex Luthor, a man with universe-level intellect and one of the smartest people on Earth.
“Those fools, they aren't just conducting research to maintain a stable order…” Lex Luthor let out a low laugh, incomparably sinister and grating.
I'm afraid their next step will be to negotiate with Tony, asking him to hand over some of the Kryptonian ships and bodies.
“Greed is the Original Sin.”
Lex Luthor drained the entire glass of red wine in one gulp. He then leaned over the desk, staring in a daze at the last few drops of wine slowly trickling down the inside of the glass.
He seemed to recall how it all began.
“Tony will definitely come looking for me. In that case, I might as well go to him first. For someone with no attachment to Earth, it's necessary to tie up the loose ends.”
Lex Luthor stood up and let out a neurotic, low laugh that was utterly terrifying.
(end of chapter)
Lex Luthor had an unchanging smile on his face. A trace of cunning and wisdom flashed through his slightly narrow eyes.
“General Lane, you want to study that Kryptonian? As far as I know, he's very close to your daughter. Perhaps he'll even become your son-in-law in the future…”
“Enough! That is absolutely impossible! I won't allow it!”
General Lane slammed his fist on the table like an enraged lion, the remark clearly having hit a nerve.
It was a sore subject for him. A dignified general like himself had a daughter who'd not only run off to be a mere reporter, but had also found an alien for a boyfriend... and such a powerful alien at that.
General Lane felt completely humiliated. Every day at the office, the strange looks from the other generals made him feel as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
Lex Luthor tilted his head and watched for a moment, rapidly analyzing the pros and cons in his mind before quickly losing interest.
Do something involving Lois Lane? General Lane would be the first to object. Lex Luthor had no interest in this kind of family drama, where the father-in-law despised the pig who had stolen the prize cabbage he'd so carefully raised.
There was nothing in it for him.
“If you agree, I'll immediately find a way to bring that Kryptonian in, collect his blood and cells, and use his blood to develop a new super-serum,” General Lane said in a low voice.
Lex Luthor finally stopped his annoying spinning, his eyes fixed on the other man. “As long as you can get me Clark's biological tissue, I will find a way to develop the super-serum.”
General Lane's expression softened slightly, and he nodded in satisfaction.
The door slammed shut. Lex Luthor slowly rose, his smile vanishing, his face expressionless. He walked slowly to the window, pulled the blinds open a crack, and gazed down at the bustling crowds and traffic below.
Lex Luthor knew very well what General Lane wanted.
It was only a matter of time before Tony left Earth. Once that troublesome fellow was gone, certain people would undoubtedly make a move, slowly erasing the traces he left behind, or at the very least, suppressing his influence.
For example, there was the behemoth that was A.R.G.U.S. Many matters couldn't bypass this organization, and now even S.H.I.E.L.D. was showing faint signs of being suppressed.
As long as Tony was around, none of them dared to make a move because they simply didn't have the guts to oppose a ferocious guy like him. Whether it was the Sentinel Program or Project X, they were nothing more than acts of desperation.
Manufacture Sentinel Robots? Even if that guy Stryker desperately researched synthetic materials and eliminated all metal, there was no evidence to suggest Tony's abilities were limited to controlling metal mechs.
Perhaps even metal-free Sentinels made from synthetic materials could also be animated. This was highly likely.
As for Project X... perhaps there was a sliver of a chance before, but with the rapid growth of Tony's power, genetic modification technology simply couldn't keep up. The gap was too wide. If humans could mass-produce demigod-level beings, they would have conquered the Milky Way long ago.
Moreover, all the products developed using Tony's genes had recently shown signs of genetic breakdown. Stryker had exhausted all his methods to no avail.
Suddenly, Lex Luthor, who had been standing there for a long time, let out a low chuckle.
He poured himself a glass of red wine, leaned back in his chair with his feet propped up on the desk, and stared at the glass in his hand. Its crimson color was just like fresh blood.
“A bunch of pathetic fools…” Lex Luthor muttered to himself, his tone dripping with deep sarcasm.
Honestly, Lex Luthor was also jealous of Tony—jealous of his luck, jealous of his power. But sanity told him that keeping Tony around was far more meaningful than driving him away.
At least, until humanity possessed an absolutely reliable means of self-preservation, keeping a fierce and powerful guardian like Tony around was definitely more beneficial than detrimental.
Otherwise, the next time a terrifying enemy arrived, what would Earth use to fight back?
Rely on the Avengers?
Lex Luthor couldn't help but grin. Those people in the Avengers were fine for fighting ordinary aliens, but that was about it. They struggled so much just to kill the Chitauri back then. If an enemy on the same level as Tony, or even stronger, were to appear one day, who would Earth rely on then?
At least, before he had thoroughly studied Tony, there was no need to provoke him.
Lex Luthor put down his wine glass and tapped on the desk. Instantly, the desktop transformed into an electronic screen, displaying a large amount of data.
He tapped the desktop multiple times and entered an extremely complex password, opening a file with the tightest security measures.
The font was red, like blood.
X-Augmented Human: Document Protocol Forty-One
Lex Luthor casually opened the file. A large number of videos appeared, showing Stryker personally leading a series of brutal experiments.
“We have successfully isolated Tony's X-gene. It possesses an incredible capacity to accommodate any form of X-gene. To date, we have yet to find an incompatible gene.”
“Test Subject 7... genetic breakdown. His gene chain carried thirteen segments of the X-gene. Compared to the more outstanding Subject 10, we have reason to believe that exceptional individuals have greater potential to unlock the potential of Tony's genes.”
“Test Subject 43: organ failure. Proceeding with organ transplant... no adverse reactions.”
“Test Subject 60…”
“How could this happen! The gene chains of all one hundred test subjects, the ones who survived our rigorous selection, have all begun to break down! We've been invaded! A genetic invasion...!!!”
The video was gruesome. Around the dimly lit operating table lay numerous corpses and human organs. You could almost smell the metallic tang of dripping blood through the screen.
Stryker's roar was filled with frustration and fury.
Lex Luthor leaned back in his seat, watching these videos he had viewed many times without blinking.
Then, with a slight swipe, he closed it.
“Interesting…” Lex Luthor's eyes shifted. He ran a hand through his shoulder-length blond hair, the corner of his mouth once again curling into a smirk.
No one knew what he was thinking. Lex Luthor, a man with universe-level intellect and one of the smartest people on Earth.
“Those fools, they aren't just conducting research to maintain a stable order…” Lex Luthor let out a low laugh, incomparably sinister and grating.
I'm afraid their next step will be to negotiate with Tony, asking him to hand over some of the Kryptonian ships and bodies.
“Greed is the Original Sin.”
Lex Luthor drained the entire glass of red wine in one gulp. He then leaned over the desk, staring in a daze at the last few drops of wine slowly trickling down the inside of the glass.
He seemed to recall how it all began.
“Tony will definitely come looking for me. In that case, I might as well go to him first. For someone with no attachment to Earth, it's necessary to tie up the loose ends.”
Lex Luthor stood up and let out a neurotic, low laugh that was utterly terrifying.
(end of chapter)
