A day earlier, an unexpected experimental accident had occurred in Victor von Doom's laboratory. An explosion of no small scale swept through the entire dormitory building, carrying a thick smoke with a choking sulfur-like smell into the hallways.

Many of the students on the floor were injured by the blast, but fortunately there were no fatalities, making it much easier for the military to keep the accident down. They took great pains to avoid Victor von Doom's name appearing in any form of press coverage, so that no one would discover the benefits and results they had gained from the clandestine cooperation they had carried out.

Doom's dormitory and laboratory were reduced to rubble in the explosion. They managed to dig up the ruins, but there was nothing left of them. Experts managed to calculate that the center of the explosion was the badly damaged metal seat in the rubble, but since all of its wiring was charred and most of its parts were mutilated, no one could tell what it was originally used for.

The military were unable to locate Victor von Doom's body, but surveillance footage in the hallway clearly showed that Doom returned to his room at 1 p.m. and did not come out for the next few hours until the explosion. Of course, they had also confirmed that there were no other secret passages to exit the bombed-out room, and that even if they climbed through the window from behind, it was impossible to avoid the surveillance cameras on the lamppost across the window.

In the end, experts gave the only explanation. A few weeks ago, Doom had announced to them that he was working on the prototype of a time machine, and he believed he had discovered a theoretical way to travel through time. Experts speculate that perhaps Doom was trying to develop his so-called time machine at the time of the incident, or that his immature machine had blown his body away from time or space or something, so his wreckage could not be found at the scene.

But in any case, they finally established the fact that Victor von Doom was dead. The case was closed, the files were sealed, and no one asked about anything related to Doom.

That's good, and it makes the rest of his life a lot easier.

After accepting Michael's offer, Doom did not join El Paso as a senior researcher or anything, as he had expected. Michael arranged for him to be a backup cover to register as a nominal employee of Paso & Co., and then took him to an independent research institute dedicated to him.

When Michael first appeared in front of Doom and offered to provide him with advanced equipment and vast resources that he could never have dreamed of, Doom dismissed that as pure rhetoric. He thought he had seen the cutting-edge technology at the pinnacle of mankind, he felt that his invention was already at the forefront of the world, and he didn't believe that there could be any more technological products that could surprise him.

But after Michael brought him to the institute, he realized that he was as ridiculous as a frog sitting in a well.

Compared to when he used to work for the army, this institute can really be said to be a collection of the best science and technology in the civilized world. Standing in this laboratory, Doom saw many machines that he had thought existed only in ideas and concepts, devices that he didn't even know existed.

Victor von Doom is indeed a genius that is rare in a thousand years, but after all, it is still limited by the growth environment and external conditions, and it is not easy to get to this point. But from today onwards, he will be free from the shackles, will be able to touch the real pinnacle of technology, and will have the opportunity to go further in the future.

Michael told him that his main job was to develop at the institute for the time being, until Michael assigned him another position. His first task was to improve a mass-produced combat robot that would increase the utility of a single body and minimize the cost of the project.

This is a combat robot designed by Michael himself when he is free, and it is divided into three main models of land, sea and air and a special model that can be infiltrated for reconnaissance. He sketched out the blueprints, built a prototype, and then handed it over to his other research groups to refine it. Unfortunately, all the experts in the field so far have not been able to meet his expectations, and in Michael's opinion, they lack both the professional level and the creativity they deserve, and they do not meet the most basic requirements (in his opinion).

That's one of the reasons he recruited Doom, to do some of the work he wouldn't have the time and energy to do, and maybe even better than he could do it himself.

Michael showed Dom all the design drawings of the four models he had, and then sent them together the improvements he expected to meet. Doom skimmed through it, barely screaming.

"Are you kidding?" He flipped the floating screen that displayed the expected requirements document and said to Michael, "You want a production-ready smart combat machine to reach this level?" And you want your budget to be no more than $500,000? How is this possible? ”

Michael patted him on the shoulder and said flatly, "I told you a job, but I never said it would be easy." First of all, you need to know that you're not working for the army anymore, and your new boss isn't the kind of fool you used to be able to pass the time with a little bit of your free time. ”

Then he softened his tone a little: "And if everyone can do it, then why did I go out of my way to hire Victor von Doom back?" ”

Such words rekindled Doom's bursting self-confidence. It's true that he'd just suffered an unprecedented blow, but Doom wasn't someone who could be easily crushed. He'll pick himself up quickly and move on, a hundred times tougher than he was before he was knocked down.

"Give me a month." Doom gave assurances.

Doom quickly noticed that the boss was unusual in every way. Even his mystical powers aside, Michael Paso has a naturally respectable ability. Doom couldn't say why, but he instinctively felt that Michael was the first person he had met in his life who could be called awe-inspiring.

But until now, Dom had thought that Michael's arrangement was referring to finding him a job in scientific research or something, and he didn't realize that Michael had actually reserved a core position for him in an elite squad of superpowers that was still in the construction stage.

Just kidding, we're talking about Victor von Doom, Dr. Doom! When this guy was the big boss behind the scenes, he was basically a big man on an equal footing with Thanos. Let this kind of big guy sit in the laboratory and concentrate on logistics? To say that it is a tyrannical thing is a bit too understatement.

Of course, what interests Dom the most is Michael's miraculous mysticism. What he saw and heard in Hell not only destroyed the self-confidence he had built up over the years, but also greatly broadened his horizons and showed him a new world that he had never imagined. He now can't wait to step into it and be a part of the mysterious world.

But Michael hadn't taught him what he meant yet. Michael hoped that he could spend more time resting and adjusting, spell cultivation is not something that can be achieved overnight, and it is not too late to start when Doom's mind calms down.

With things arranged on Doom's side, Michael then went back to his daily business. He took the rare time to come back and settle some of the company's affairs that had been delayed for two months, and then made a symbolic public appearance or two to let the public and some of his collaborators know that the president of the El Paso Group had not mysteriously disappeared.

A few days later, information came from the Heavenly Sword branch in Tennessee.

They believe Gideon Malik's place has been locked.