Chapter 19: Transition, Storm Over the City

Chapter 19: Transition, Storm Over the City

Over the next several days—

Time flowed like an old, looping film reel, precisely slicing Jiang Feng's life into a simple routine of three locations:

His rental apartment, Hammer Tower, and Hell's Kitchen.

By day,

He loafed around Hammer Industries, conserving his energy for himself, acting like a finely tuned treasure-hunting machine—

Silently accumulating blue-quality armor parts.

By night,

Jiang Feng transformed into Hell's Kitchen's grim reaper of the shadows, harvesting experience points in crime-infested alleys.

To avoid interfering with Jiang Feng's work progress—

Under Hammer's orders, White and the other core technicians had been reassigned to the ex-wife missile development project.

As for Hammer himself—

He was a hedonistic man, indulging in endless entertainment:

Golf, private yacht parties, high-stakes gambling in casinos…

His packed social calendar left him overwhelmed in a haze of luxury and indulgence.

In those few days—

Hammer merely watched Jiang Feng remotely through lab surveillance cameras from time to time.

He rarely showed up in person to supervise.

Thus, he remained completely in the dark—everything he saw was a fake projection crafted by Linglong.

With the meddling fools gone, Jiang Feng lived like a fish in water.

On the surface—

He laid out a half-finished armor with just arms and a chest piece on the workbench, pretending progress was slow.

In secret—

A complete blue-quality Iron Suit had already been assembled and stashed in his backpack, ready to use.

At the same time, he began crafting Pym Particles, rapidly burning through the funding Hammer provided.

Despite deliberately slowing his pace—

Jiang Feng's output, in both craftsmanship and advanced design, still far exceeded the previous work of White and the others.

These projects he completed while slacking off—

Appeared to Hammer as dazzling jewels, strengthening his belief that a major breakthrough was imminent within the month.

What he didn't realize—

Was that behind this nerdy, engineering-glasses-wearing exterior hid an ambitious, otherworldly demon.

And it wasn't just Jiang Feng who was on the move.

In the digital world—

A silent invasion had begun anew.

As a company focused on physical technology, Pym Technologies had few accomplishments in cybersecurity.

Previously, Linglong had secretly breached their firewall.

They still hadn't noticed that their most precious data had already fallen into the hands of another.

And with Jiang Feng's guidance—

Linglong evaded detection by both Jarvis and Zola, the two prominent local AIs, as she silently crept through the data streams.

As of now, no one was aware—

That a ghost was roaming the networks, quietly scheming against major powers.

Under Jiang Feng's direction—

Linglong extended her digital tentacles toward the military.

There lay research data on the Super Soldier Serum, and gamma radiation experiments left behind by Dr. Banner.

Each record was worth a fortune.

Jiang Feng understood—

While his current gear let him run rampant on the battlefield, his human body remained fragile.

To truly establish himself across the myriad worlds—

Biogenetic technology would be the key to breaking his limits.

After mechanical manufacturing—

This would be the next vital direction of his development.

Jiang Feng secretly hoped the military's database also contained the Adamantium formula—

And data related to Weapon X.

Adamantium could be artificially synthesized, unlike Vibranium, which was a non-renewable resource.

Both were top-tier Marvel materials—

But Adamantium had a much better cost-performance ratio and was cheaper to produce.

The Weapon X Project—

Wasn't solely about modifying mutants.

Not just Deadpool or X-23... in fact—

The Hulk's creation was closely tied to Weapon X.

Strictly speaking—

Captain America, injected with the Super Soldier Serum—

Was the first product of Project X.

A test run in the military's efforts to craft the perfect soldier.

The sole purpose of that project—

Was to create stronger warriors.

Most of the formulas in the Marvel Universe that produce superhumans—

Were likely tied to the military's Weapon X program.

The reason they later focused on modifying mutants—

Was largely because of their vast numbers—

And diverse, unpredictable abilities, making them an inexhaustible experimental resource.

The perfect test subjects.

Even if there were no mutants in this world, it didn't mean the military hadn't been secretly pushing the Weapon X program forward.

The Hulk's birth was proof enough.

If Jiang Feng wanted to develop biogenetic enhancements to strengthen himself—

That data would be absolutely essential.

Just as important as the Pym Particles.

That's why—

The military was selected as the second infiltration target.

Its firewall was much stronger than Pym Technologies'.

According to Linglong's estimate, it would take a few more days than the last time.

But Jiang Feng could afford to wait.

Until then, he simply needed to keep up his daily routine—

Apartment, Hammer Tower, Hell's Kitchen.

While Jiang Feng and Linglong acted in secret—

A storm of blood and fire was rapidly spreading across the city.

Like a massive boulder thrown into a still lake—

The ripples expanded at an astonishing rate, reaching every corner of the metropolis.

At first—

Gang members were completely unaware of the danger.

But once they realized—

A terrifying, unprecedented presence had descended upon them—

The streets at night were no longer filled with noise and chaos.

Instead—

An oppressive silence blanketed everything.

Occasionally, a few shadows would dart by in haste—

Moving carefully, terrified that the slightest sound might draw the attention of that fearsome figure.

This unending chain of violent incidents—

Spread across New York like a wildfire.

In streets and alleys—

People whispered in fear, their faces full of dread and unease.

"This is terrifying."

"I think those mask-wearing freaks have completely lost it—they're just hopeless lunatics."

"Sigh… let's hope that guy stays in Hell's Kitchen and doesn't come to our part of town."

Panic spread through the population like a virus.

Terrified citizens put massive pressure on the NYPD, demanding the killer be caught and peace restored.

The NYPD was suffocating under the weight of public outcry.

George in particular wore a constant frown, his eyes bloodshot—his family could barely stand to see him that way.

After countless sleepless nights of fruitless investigation—

He finally snapped and went all-in, mobilizing every available force—

Launching a dragnet-style investigation targeting every suspicious individual.

Sirens wailed nonstop as patrol officers scoured the city, questioning pedestrians and tracking leads.

The entire city was thrown into chaos.

Once-arrogant crime lords now hid in their luxury mansions—

Afraid that they might be next.

They were living on pins and needles.

Compared to street heroes, Jiang Feng's terror was on an entirely different level.

Daredevil strictly adhered to a no-kill policy.

He always held back, injuring criminals rather than killing them—giving them a chance to repent.

The Punisher used ruthless methods, but in the end, he was still just a man with firearms.

Compared to Jiang Feng, his lethality was child's play.

This eerie presence that came and went like a ghost—

Was a Damocles sword hanging over the heads of every gang member.

No one knew what he looked like.

No one knew when he would appear.

That sense of the unknown—

Was far more terrifying than any visible threat.