Chapter 197: The Eccentric Genius

"Take this back and work on it. Let me know if you need to spend anything," Han Yu said generously on the surface, though his heart ached deeply.

After all, Stark was crafting uniforms for the Green Lantern Corps, and the required materials and expenses naturally fell on Han Yu's shoulders.

Stark chuckled. "If there's anything unusual I need, I won't hesitate to ask. As for everything else, count it on me. Consider it my thanks."

"Thanks?" Han Yu was a bit puzzled.

"You've given me quite the challenge. If I can fully understand this, it will mark a groundbreaking advancement in my armor technology. Honestly, I feel I should bear the costs of this research myself," Stark explained.

Han Yu opened his mouth but couldn't find the words to respond.

Clearly, he was the one asking Stark for a favor, yet Stark was the one expressing gratitude.

"Is this the thought process of a genius? Truly different from ordinary people," Han Yu mused silently.

Seeing Han Yu rendered speechless by his words, Stark couldn't help but laugh. He patted Han Yu on the shoulder, said his goodbyes, and left the shop.

At that moment, Stark resembled a child with a new toy, eager to start playing with his "latest gadget."

Watching Stark leave, Han Yu finally let out a sigh of relief. "No cost? That's great—I'm not exactly rich myself."

Currently, thanks to the income from GTA, Han Yu was raking in tens of billions, even surpassing a hundred billion monthly. As the world's only AAA game, it launched at the very pinnacle of the industry.

Even now, many players still hadn't fully figured out how to play it.

Ultron, a being who could connect to computers, spent his days gaming but was also busy designing weapon skins, clothing, houses, cars—essentially anything imaginable. If it existed in reality, he could integrate it into the game.

If it didn't exist in reality, his brilliant mind could still invent plenty of novel creations, exclusive to the game.

To save time, Ultron even initiated an in-game event as an administrator, inviting players to design in-game equipment. Selected designs would be added to the game.

Those whose designs were chosen received substantial rewards in both real-world and in-game currency. Additionally, if the equipment sold a certain number of units, the designers would earn a percentage of the profits as real-world money.

This event motivated players, who were already full of creative ideas, to flock to participate. The allure of having their designs featured in the game and earning money was irresistible.

Because of Ultron's initiative, even more people were driven to purchase in-game items—either because they wanted the gear or sought inspiration from it. As a result, GTA's revenue soared to new heights.

While Han Yu was indeed wealthy now, it was largely because their living expenses were minimal. Though Han Yu paid Ultron and Quicksilver generous salaries—enough to dominate the entire GTA server—neither of them spent much.

They reasoned that with their skills, pouring more money into the game would ruin the fun.

Not spending money gave them the thrill of grinding for something they desired. Spending money, on the other hand, made everything dull and uninteresting.

The combined real-world savings of the two already approached ten billion.

Since there were only three people working in the general store—Han Yu, Wanda, and Quicksilver—Han Yu would occasionally transfer a couple of million dollars to Wanda's account as pocket money. The rest of their income was shared among the three of them.

Another significant expense was the monthly donation to the mutant school, which amounted to billions and was a considerable financial burden on the store.

So, if Han Yu were to add the cost of crafting the Green Lantern Corps' uniforms to the mix, his lifestyle wouldn't necessarily become impoverished, but he wouldn't have much left over either—perhaps only a few hundred thousand dollars as pocket money each month.

Just as he saw Stark off, Han Yu received another call. He glanced at the phone; it was from Captain America.

"Steve, what's up?"

"I heard from Stark that you're forming a corps. Are you recruiting? Bucky and I want to join," Steve's words left Han Yu a bit surprised.

"You want to join my corps? What about your responsibilities with S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Han Yu asked.

"I'm just a soldier. Even with S.H.I.E.L.D. uncovering Hydra, I'm still just a captain, not someone in charge. If you need people, I think I can lend a hand," Steve replied.

Han Yu paused. It wasn't that he hadn't considered inviting Steve, but with Hydra's infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D., Steve was one of the few people Nick Fury could trust. It wouldn't be surprising if Fury eventually promoted Steve to director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Because of this, Han Yu hadn't sought him out. He wasn't interested in competing with others for people. If they wanted to come, they were welcome; if not, so be it.

But now, without him even asking, Steve had called.

"And S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Han Yu probed.

"I can leave anytime. Just say the word, and I'll put in my resignation immediately," Steve said, sounding like he had already made up his mind to quit.

Han Yu considered it. Having Steve on board would undoubtedly be an asset. After leading teams for so long, Steve's experience in military management far surpassed Han Yu's.

While Han Yu could provide the equipment and serve as a military leader, organizing and managing a corps required someone with expertise.

Unexpectedly, the ideal candidate came knocking on his door. It saved him the trouble of searching.

And this candidate was Captain America—Han Yu's best possible choice.

Steve lifting Thor's hammer had already proven his worthiness. If he could wield Mjolnir, he could also join the Green Lantern Corps.

"Alright, I agree. You and Bucky can join. In fact, could you also help me find some trustworthy people? We still don't have enough members," Han Yu said.

"Ordinary people?" Steve asked, referring to those without superpowers.

"Yes, ordinary people are fine. But make sure they're trustworthy," Han Yu emphasized.

"I understand." Steve knew what Han Yu meant. It was a sign of trust.

Han Yu trusted Steve's judgment, believing that anyone Steve deemed reliable could also earn his trust.

"Come to the store at 8 PM tonight. Let's get everyone together and finalize the positions," Han Yu said.

"Got it."

After chatting a bit more, Steve hung up and went to file his resignation from S.H.I.E.L.D.

Han Yu leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes slightly, and exhaled deeply.

"Thor, Loki, Steve, Bucky, Stark—and my Green Lantern ring. This lineup is more than enough to sweep through any planetary force."

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