After hearing Victor Doom's words, Dr. Reed Richards lowered his brow and said no more.

He also knew very well in his heart that as a collaborator, after the experiment of this "Cosmic Storm", except for the corresponding research results sharing and revenue sharing, everything here is no longer related to him, and he will not be able to continue to enjoy such a scientific research environment.

Unless he is willing to join the Howlett Group and become a scientist under his command.

"Okay, everyone keep up the good work, I still have some very important things to do, so I'll take my leave. Johnny! Anytime you are interested in exchanging wolf gold for some other property, hehe, remember to find me."

Doom smiled and strode out of the ship's central compartment, looking high-spirited, as if something good had happened.

The only thing left in the Starship Lab in Sector X-3 was the occasional bickering between Ben and Johnny, and Reed was silent for a long time before returning to his work.

A few kilometers away, above the No. 1 area of the launch base, a blue-black rectangular ship seemed to be a meteorite giant that broke through the clouds and crashed to the earth.

As the slow and fast sense of oppression approached layer by layer, and the air trembled with a continuous humming sound, Doom and several high-ranking Horlite Group executives in crisp suits stood respectfully in the waiting area on the ground, their eyes always focused on the sinking ship.

"Twenty or thirty years ago, we would wait for my husband to arrive at a parked private jet or car, but today... Oh, Spaceship, my father was still muttering when he was dying, 'Old Mr. Howlett, alas, he didn't wait for the time for Mr. Howley to reveal his identity......

A group leader with a silver head full of frost and standing in front of several people raised his head with some difficulty, looking at the gradually stopping spaceship with trembling eyelids, and his words were full of complex feelings of unknown meaning.

Victor Doom, who was standing at the very end behind the old man, took a deep breath and couldn't stop smoothing the hem of his suit, which was already very straight, with his hands. Finally, a large portal opened on the flanks of the ship, and two groups of teams lined up briskly on either side, a tall figure casually covered in a black robe, slowly walking down the blue-blue metal corridor.

"Sir..."

Looking at the figure that approached, several senior executives of the group just lowered their heads and stroked their chests in unison, without saying a word more.

"Maurice, are you alright?"

James smiled and patted the old man on the shoulder, glancing at the few people behind him, only a young face had not been seen.

「… Why, suddenly I remembered to come here from New York and wait for me."

The old man smiled and leaned over to James, and hurriedly responded, "Thank you, sir, for still thinking about me, an old fellow, who is still in good health, but I haven't seen you for many years, and I heard that you can land at the Cape Canaveral launch site today, so I hurriedly ran to wait for greetings."

In the past six months, James Howlett has frequently taken the flagship of the Aerospace Force to go to the planets or asteroid belts in the surrounding star fields to practice, and the affairs of the Howlett Group are more laissez-faire than in the fifties and sixties, and only occasionally ask for some needs and leave them to the people below to handle.

"Hehe, your father was much more straightforward than you back then, let's talk about it, what kind of problem did you encounter."

Robert Morris's father was also a member of the group who was able to attend the summit meeting hall of the group and meet Mr. Howlett himself.

But Robert has followed the rules since his early twenties, relying on his own wrist step by step to reach the position of executive vice president today, which is a step further than the old Mr. Morris.

The gray-haired old man looked at James Howlett's deep eyes, and suddenly felt that he was much younger again.

"That's the case, sir, in recent years, most of the group's technical talents and scientific strength have been... have been emptied, has affected many aspects of follow-up product promotion and research and development, I would like to ask you. How long will this continue? The group has a good schedule to prepare."

Mr. Morris tilted his head to watch for any slight change in James's face, and explained with careful words.

It has been almost six years since Horlite Group deployed more than half of its wealth and resources, especially core technology talents and a large number of technical personnel, into the "space race".

The vast majority of the group's top management is like that of countries around the world

A handful of people at the top of the pyramid know that it is under the major scientific and technological breakthroughs that the major powers and consortia are investing their forces in the exploration and competition of space resources.

And the real reason for all the changes, an interstellar war in the face of aliens, a test that human civilization has never had, is known to very few people. "How long does it last..."

James raised his eyebrows and looked at the sky, and the blue of the sky was dragging and disturbing the scattered Dao Dao Qi due to the landing of the spaceship.

「…… For a long time, Morris, for a long time. Get ready, your generation is likely to witness the most changes and transitions in this world, and cultivate and discover new talents, I heard that there has been a 'Cosmic Storm' recently, and the plan is very good?"

The old man listened to the first half of Mr. Howlett's words, and his skull suddenly fell into a shock, just a few words fluttering, but from the mouth of this gentleman, it was no less than the revelation of the gods to the world. The last earth-shaking event in this world was the era of human mutation and evolution, the advent of extraordinary powers, and today......

After a moment of distraction, old Morris finally realized that James was questioning him, and waved his hand behind him without looking back.

"Ah, yes, yes sir! This project is very promising, especially the impact of the energy of the cosmic storm on the genes of organic organisms, and it is likely to further expand the research of the X gene, and even solve the mystery of human evolution! Director Doom is the person who primarily discovers and is responsible for this task."

Three or two steps forward, Dum leaned down almost ninety degrees, bowed slightly blushing and said excitedly:

"Mr. Howlett, I'm Victor Doom, the head of the Tech Projects Department, and it's an honor to meet you today!"

James gave him a serious look at Doom, a very young supervisor with a typical elite and ambition temperament. A cloud of red-black smoke suddenly erupted a few meters beside him, and Asazzo appeared, standing aside.

"Mr. Doom, it's another time to welcome the wave, so let's do a good job."

James smiled lightly, just said a simple word, and then casually put his hand on the Red Devil's shoulder, and the two disappeared immediately, leaving only the top executives of the group who were all relieved.

Victor Doom still had his mouth open, his delicate white teeth reflecting even a little bit of sunlight, and he had too much to say to make an impression on Mr. Howlett.

With his thumb snapping his four knuckles, Doom looked at the Cosmic Storm experiment ship in X-3, his habitual cufflinks from his suit to his bow tie.

He knew that this behemoth, which was already at the top of power and wealth in front of the world, the Howlett Group, was just a marginal force on the periphery of this mysterious family.

In this world, if you want to truly seize status and power, it is not possible for a "mortal" to do it.

"Mr. Morris, I'm sorry, but I plan to stay here to continue overseeing Project Cosmic Storm, and I can't accompany you back to New York."

Doom was silent for a long time, and finally said in a very soft voice. With the orbit of the moon as the boundary, there are 23 cubic fortress-shaped military space stations at the near-earth end in a ring, guarding the orbital space above the earth's atmosphere.

Each "Battlestar" has a volume of nearly 1,000 square meters and a height of more than 10 floors, and it is still under construction.

On the other side of the moon's orbit, thousands of car-sized probes are scattered in pitch-black deep space.

Looking out from the lunar base of the Joint Aerospace Force, it is as if human beings have nailed a giant pillar in the sea for the first time, and finally left their footprints in the endless starry sky of the universe.

The launch of the spacecraft "Spacelab" went even more smoothly than expected.

Although he had already done many test drives, Ben Graeme couldn't believe that he could drive his old Ford off-road, so easily and silkily free of the earth's gravity, and barely tremor and swayed into the predetermined orbital position.

"Oh God... Two years ago, Truman was clamoring about the so-called 'Star Wars program,' and I really thought he was trying to deceive the Soviets and ask Congress for more budgets, which was ......."

Listen

Ben yelled, and Reed Richards' face was not much calmer, although he was modest and introverted, deep down he always boasted that he was already standing at the top of the field of human science and technology.

But the two of them looked out the hanging windows at the orbital fortresses, and the spacecraft intercom came from the space coordinates and orbital guidance like the airport tower, and Reed felt as if he was already living in Asimov's science fiction world.

"See, everything here has my share of credit, lifting and transporting again and again and extravehicular engineering tasks, earth bald head, who is more useless now?"

Johnny was dressed in a lightweight, dark blue rayon tights, and didn't fasten the buckles tightly like Ben and Reed, leaning back in his seat and resting his feet on the workbench.

Sister Susan Stone was dressed in the same attire, and the curve of her waist became more and more exaggerated, and she glared at Johnny rather sternly, stopping him from continuing to tease and show off.

"Ahem, continue with the mission plan and advance the ship's power! Guys, the energy fluctuations of the cosmic storm are already very clear!"

Reed adjusted his state and re-energized himself to give orders to the two drivers.

The spacecraft resembles a giant double-turned spinning top, with an ice-blue glow of energy on the outer ring, which rotates rapidly as a power propulsion, while the control of the center and the state of the experimental chamber are extremely stable.

At this moment, leaning in the direction of Jupiter's orbital position, a giant omentum-like energy mass that seemed to be intertwined with countless layers of silver light was rushing towards an endless storm of particle light curtains.

And behind it......

But there was also a golden flame that gradually revealed the wing-like outline, like...

A giant eagle waiting to pounce.