Formally Established

On the second floor of the Water Company.

Midway through the press conference, Kyle was unceremoniously escorted here by Maria Hill and Phil Coulson. They had decided to chat with him.

"This is to restrain me," Kyle mused, quickly realizing what their intentions were. It was obvious—they wanted to trap him here.

But Kyle didn't mind. The delay gave him more time to create a new persona. He decided to model it on Tony Stark's younger days—arrogance, cocky attitude, and a touch of reckless charm.

As a side note, Kyle couldn't resist wiping some oil on Hill with his hands, making her expression darken even more, like an iceberg cracking under pressure.

"Since the matter has been addressed, I'll take my leave. Thanks for the interview," Hill muttered, playing the role of a reporter. She was beyond done with this task. Her decision to participate had clearly been a mistake.

After delivering her closing line, she grabbed her camera and manuscript, making a hasty exit—likely for good.

"Unbelievable, she's gone again!" Coulson shook his head, his smile barely hidden. He was always the one left to clean up the mess. He needed a vacation after this mission.

"Mr. Walter, if that's the case, I'll take my leave as well. Here's my business card. I look forward to our future interactions."

Checking his watch, Coulson produced a card from his jacket pocket and handed it to Kyle. The five-minute delay had finally concluded.

With a polite bow, Coulson continued, maintaining his professional smile as he headed for the stairs.

"Interesting. The Haizi Commercial Group seems to be a fake," Kyle muttered as he studied the business card. A smug grin spread across his face as he tore it up, tossing the shredded pieces into the nearby trash can.

He wasn't fooled. No one knew the true identities of these individuals better than Kyle. He even fabricated the manager of this so-called business group.

"But I'm harmless, right? No one will notice me," he said, half-jokingly.

His tone shifted to something more serious as he continued, "No, no... The plan needs to move faster. I need to create more superpowers—only then can I ensure safety."

He muttered these words to himself before leaving the room, the thought lingering that S.H.I.E.L.D. had likely discovered his presence during Gasco's last visit.

…

On the fifty-sixth floor of the company.

"Mr. Gasco, you don't know how nervous I was earlier. It's such an adrenaline rush being watched!"

"And you know what? I saw the boss earlier. He was there when I was on stage, and he was actually cheering me on!"

Gasco grinned through gritted teeth, tolerating the endless chatter from the girl in front of him. If she weren't one of the few people Kyle could trust, he'd have punched her by now. But for the time being, he bit his tongue.

"Did you two move quickly?" Kyle's voice broke through, and Gasco looked up from the newspaper he was reading, relieved to see his boss.

"I've finally escaped this chatterbox!" he thought.

"Master, you're back!" Gasco exclaimed in a tone of relief.

"Alright, both of you, come with me. You want to know the location of the new company, right? I'll take you to see it."

After his brief encounter with S.H.I.E.L.D., Kyle had a growing sense of urgency. Rather than find a temporary solution, he decided to take a bolder approach.

"Is it Umbrella?" Alice, now dressed in a pure white business suit rather than her starry sky dress, inquired, referencing the headquarters of Umbrella. Kyle had previously toured many potential locations for Umbrella but had been dissatisfied with all of them.

"Exactly. Come with me," Kyle responded. Gasco was completely loyal, and Alice had proven herself trustworthy. The two of them were the only ones Kyle could fully rely on.

The trio entered the elevator. Unlike other elevators, the one at Walter Company had a special card-swiping device next to the buttons. To access other floors, you had to swipe a card first. Only the first, second, and third floors were open to the public; the rest required special access to prevent unauthorized entry.

"Did you bring the ID cards I gave you yesterday?" Kyle asked, pausing before pressing the elevator buttons. He took out his red card and addressed Gasco and Alice.

Now, he was going to teach them how to use their ID cards. They couldn't always rely on the Red Queen to open doors for them.

"I always carry it," Gasco responded.

"Of course I brought it!" Alice replied, holding up her card.

Despite Kyle not explaining how to use the card, both still brought them, knowing it was a gift from their boss.

"Alright, the identity cards correspond to our levels of clearance. The red card is mine; the purple card grants the highest authority," Kyle explained briefly.

As for the company's employees, the cards were mostly used to access the elevator or the cafeteria. Guards were stationed on floors above the 20th floor to monitor activity.

Kyle swiped his card, and then pressed the button marked with a capital U. The elevator began its descent.

After two minutes of travel, the elevator came to a stop.

Stepping out, the three of them entered what seemed like an entirely different world.

"This is the Umbrella Company headquarters, located 50 meters beneath the Water Company," Kyle announced as he gestured around. In the distance, workers were busy with construction. The contract Kyle had signed required completion in three and a half months. Although more than half of the time had passed, only part of the site had been completed.

Due to limited funds, Kyle had decided to prioritize building this floor to serve as a temporary lab. It was also convenient for the interaction between the two companies.

Gasco, wide-eyed, let out a low whistle. "I didn't realize all the money you took was spent here!"

Gasco remembered when Kyle had taken one-third of the company's already meager funds not long after taking office. The building wasn't even close to completion, but Gasco sensed that this would be a crucial part of his master's larger plan.

At that moment, Kyle heard the familiar prompt sound from the system.

[Congratulations to the host on the official establishment of the Umbrella Company. The reward has been issued: mass-produced bio-enhanced serum.]