Chapter 132: Abnormal Fluctuations

~Southampton, New York~

Dressed in casual attire, Sean swung a golf club with the unmistakable posture of a beginner...

Yet against all expectations, the white golf ball traced a perfect parabola through the air before landing with precise accuracy on the distant putting green, leaving the nearby caddy wide-eyed in astonishment.

"Whoa! I refuse to believe this is your first time holding a club!" Harry's boisterous laughter rang out as he enthusiastically slapped his friend's shoulder, his admiration evident.

"Beginner's luck," Sean replied modestly, handing the club back to the waiting caddy before leisurely walking across the vast expanse of meticulously manicured emerald turf.

They stood on the hallowed grounds of the National Golf Links of America, a course so exclusive it had hosted only one major men's championship in its storied history... the 1922 Walker Cup.

The club's elite membership and stringent admission policies made it virtually inaccessible to outsiders.

"When did you develop an interest in this particular pastime?" Sean inquired, studying the energetic Harry with mild amusement.

The young Osborn heir seemed in unusually high spirits lately, likely due to finally escaping his previous role as the boardroom's token figurehead.

Ever since Worthington Corporation's dramatic downfall, Oscorp had aggressively expanded its market share using Umbrella's revolutionary serums, carving out a dominant position in the pharmaceutical industry.

Even before its official market release, the limb-regenerating Chrysalis serum had already secured massive military contracts. The same Department of Defense officers who once treated Harry with cold indifference now groveled before him like performing circus clowns.

"Just keeping the old guard entertained," Harry shrugged nonchalantly, flashing his trademark playboy grin, "It's not like I can take those fossils to gentlemen's clubs for lap dances!"

He leaned in conspiratorially, "Here's the thing... I might get outmaneuvered when those silver foxes start talking business strategy, but when it comes to leisure pursuits? Us young guns have the clear advantage." Harry's tone carried not a shred of embarrassment.

The days when he desperately tried emulating his father's cutthroat business acumen were behind him. He'd learned the hard way that forcing himself into roles he despised only bred resentment. It was better to embrace life's pleasures.

This carefree version of Harry Osborn, unburdened by the original timeline's obsessive vendetta against Spider-Man, had charted an entirely different course, one where he wouldn't have to lose everything before dying tragically in his best friend's arms.

"With New York's resident genius watching my back, what challenge could possibly intimidate me?" Harry declared with theatrical bravado.

Sean discreetly extricated himself from Harry's overfamiliar embrace. As he walked across the springy turf under the golden afternoon sun, he allowed himself a rare moment of genuine relaxation.

Occasionally, dark doubts would surface... were his relentless ambitions truly worth the sacrifices? But whenever he considered the apocalyptic threats looming on the horizon, the answer became clear... without establishing his power base and accumulating sufficient strength, he'd be helpless against the coming storm.

The fundamental law of survival remained unchanged through the ages, only its presentation had evolved. In this modern era, brute strength alone no longer guaranteed dominance. Now, the weapons of choice for society's predators were wealth, influence, and intellect...

"Why are we partnering with Stark Industries again?" Harry's question shattered Sean's philosophical reverie, "Tony is walking on thin ice these days, the military is forming committees to confiscate his armor tech for mass production. Those Pentagon fat cats want to strip him down to his last screw!"

The Osborn heir lowered his voice, "...Isn't it risky for Umbrella to get involved right now? Connors keeps worrying we're overextending... barely established in biotech and already diving headfirst into energy markets."

Noticing Harry's cautious phrasing, Sean responded with an enigmatic smile. He accepted the putter, a specialized club designed for precise green-side shots. Professional golfers typically carried fourteen different clubs to handle any situation on the course.

With practiced ease, Sean sent the white ball rolling smoothly across the manicured grass. A gentle tap produced a satisfying plop as the ball disappeared into the cup.

"This is actually the perfect time to enter the energy sector," Sean explained, setting down his club and gazing across the rolling landscape, "Stark makes the ideal lightning rod. The transition to new energy is inevitable, what civilization needs now are affordable, sustainable alternatives with unlimited potential..."

He guided Harry toward a waiting golf cart, "...Those fossil fuel barons sitting atop their gilded thrones? Their time is running out. Do you really think Stark closed weapons production on some moral whim?" Sean's lips curled in quiet amusement, "That kind of fairytale belongs in children's storybooks."

As the electric cart hummed along the path, Sean elaborated, "Our dear Iron Man discovered something far more valuable... that miniature arc reactor in his chest generates three billion joules per second. That's the real game-changer..."

"...Let Stark battle the energy conglomerates. They'll be too busy defending their high-end markets to notice us capturing the mid-to-low tier sectors. Between Octavius' artificial sun and Oscorp's smart grid technology, we'll be swimming in profits." Sean's eyes gleamed with calculated ambition, "The industry titans won't perceive us as threats... to them, only Tony Stark poses an existential danger to their empires."

The golf cart continued its leisurely progress as Sean laid out his vision. Tony Stark's monumental ego would never permit him to play second fiddle to anyone.

Stark Industries' bold energy venture represented nothing less than an attempt to overthrow the existing world order and establish a new Stark-centric paradigm, which perfectly aligned with Sean's own objectives...

Umbrella's energy ambitions posed no immediate threat to the established powers. By focusing on affordable civilian applications rather than military contracts, they could expand quietly while the industry giants remained fixated on Stark's disruptive technology.

When the arc reactor inevitably destabilized global oil markets and strategic energy reserves, the resulting chaos would create perfect conditions for Umbrella's rise.

"You're always ten moves ahead," Harry marveled, shaking his head in admiration.

His concerns alleviated, the young Osborn heir immediately reverted to his usual vivacious self, chattering excitedly about his latest hedonistic adventures, including an upcoming vacation to Mexico promising tequila-fueled escapades among ancient ruins.

"Or perhaps you're just after those famously passionate Mexican senoritas," Sean teased with a knowing smirk.

Suddenly, Sean's body tensed. His head snapped toward an empty stretch of the course. The sprawling greens lay peaceful under the afternoon sun, manicured hills rolling toward the horizon in picturesque tranquility.

Sean's brow furrowed...

For the briefest instant, he could have sworn he saw strange sparks flicker in mid-air before vanishing, accompanied by an almost imperceptible ripple in reality. A gentle breeze rustled through distant trees... the scene utterly undisturbed.

Then realization dawned. The Professor's cryptic warning echoed in his memory, and a shadow passed behind Sean's eyes.

The mystics had finally taken notice...