"General Ross."
Batman, clad in a white lab coat, followed behind Norman Osborn like a true Osborn Enterprise employee, listening as the CEO of the multinational corporation greeted General Ross.
Beside Batman were several other researchers, also in white lab coats. He stood among them, raising no suspicion, as everyone's attention was focused on General Ross.
"A very warm welcome to you..."
Norman Osborn shook hands with General Ross, a warm smile on his face, but the gray-haired General Ross seemed disinclined to exchange pleasantries and got straight to the point:
"I want to see the progress of the Super Soldier program."
Norman Osborn, still smiling, led General Ross and the Military entourage. The destination was not the human laboratory on the second basement level, but another location.
This area was vast and open, with seven or eight agile young men swaying in the air on gliders resembling Bat wings.
Around them, researchers meticulously recorded various data.
"Is that the glider mentioned in the Spider-Slayer project?" Batman silently followed behind the group.
Yesterday, in the lab, Batman hadn't had time to finish reading the Spider-Slayer project, and his understanding of this device was limited to its use against Spider-Man.
"We have already resolved the issues of parallel gliding and gravity balance, and the first-generation prototype has been produced..."
Norman Osborn introduced this to General Ross.
General Ross, however, remained expressionless:
"I've already seen the glider before; I'm not here for it this time."
With that, he took the lead, not even needing Norman Osborn to guide him, and walked directly towards the laboratory on the second basement level.
The Military clearly followed General Ross's lead, and the others quickly caught up. Norman Osborn's expression fluctuated, but he also hurried forward to walk alongside General Ross.
They stopped in front of a transparent tank. The person inside was long dead, but neither General Ross's group nor Norman Osborn's researchers showed any surprise.
It seemed they already knew what kind of experiment was being conducted there.
"How is the progress?" General Ross asked.
"The experiment is ongoing, and progress is very fast," Norman Osborn replied evasively, showing no intention of answering directly.
But the fifty transparent tanks, each containing a deformed human body without exception, already indicated the experiment's failure.
General Ross stopped, staring at Norman Osborn expressionlessly for a few seconds.
"A serum that was successfully created sixty years ago, yet sixty years later, with higher technological capabilities and more complete infrastructure, you still cannot replicate it."
"Mr. Norman, I will give you two more weeks. If the Super Soldier Serum still cannot be successfully developed, I will have no choice but to represent the Military and withdraw investment from your company."
Withdrawal of investment!
This single word hit Norman Osborn's heart like a heavy hammer.
Ever since General Ross represented the Military in investing in Osborn Enterprise and promised a long-term business relationship with the Military after successfully replicating the Super Soldier Serum, Osborn Enterprise had invested most of its capital into the research and development of the Super Soldier Serum.
Later, the Military's continuous allocation of research funds made Norman Osborn go all in. Although this drew dissatisfaction from other shareholders, with the Super Soldier Serum project in one hand and Dr. Otto's nuclear fusion energy project in the other,
With a two-pronged approach, Osborn had never worried about his success or failure.
But now, the Super Soldier Serum had not yet been developed, and General Ross proposed to withdraw investment. Furthermore, Dr. Otto's experiment was stalled at a critical juncture with no progress.
"General Ross, I don't understand why, as an Air Force Lieutenant General, you are so fixated on the Super Soldier program instead of the gliders and individual combat suits, which could clearly revolutionize Air Force combat?"
With the other party proposing to withdraw investment, Norman Osborn gritted his teeth and questioned him.
Norman Osborn's change in attitude certainly didn't escape General Ross's notice. Seeing Norman glare at him with red eyes, his own emotions also flared up:
"You want to know why?"
"Then do you want to know what kind of failures I've experienced?"
"Three years ago, I deployed a division of troops, over twenty tanks, and seven aircraft, all to besiege one monster!"
"Do you know what the outcome of that operation was? Failure! A complete and utter failure! Do you know how many wives and children waited desperately at home, only to receive a corpse?"
"Those were real lives! Those were my damn soldiers!"
General Ross's blood surged, his entire face and neck turning crimson as he furiously spat at Norman Osborn:
"If I had an army of Super Soldiers, none of this would have happened! Now do you know why I'm not interested in gliders?"
Norman's face was covered in foul-smelling spittle. He lowered his eyelids, remaining silent, silently enduring the pressure General Ross exerted.
Behind him, some of the researchers even showed expressions of distress.
"In 2003, the Hulk and the Military had a major battle, after which the Hulk disappeared..." Batman immediately thought of the CIA's records the moment he heard General Ross's mention of "besieging a monster."
"Today, someone sent an email to the Daily Bugle about human experiments, including a surveillance video and a recorded video."
General Ross stared at Norman Osborn:
"If your company still cannot successfully replicate the Super Soldier Serum two weeks from now, the Military will no longer cover up any exposures and will withdraw investment from your company."
With that, he waved his hand, leading the Military representatives out of the Osborn Group building, leaving Norman Osborn, with his fluctuating expression, standing in place.
"Mr. Norman..."
Someone called out softly.
Norman Osborn ignored everyone and returned alone to his sixty-story top-floor office. He paid no attention to the ransacked, scattered documents on the floor; he was no longer in the mood to care about such trivial matters.
After a while, he called his secretary:
"Stop all research funded by the Osborn Group and put all the money into the Super Soldier Serum."
"Release the Spider-Slayer. I want to see Spider-Man before the Sun sets tonight."
The secretary was a mature woman in her thirties with long brown hair tied back, appearing exceptionally capable.
She looked at Norman Osborn, slumped in his chair, with some hesitation:
"Mr. Norman, are you sure? This will lead to other shareholders collectively voting you out..."
"I have a backup plan. Among the group's shareholders, I have partners. Do as I say!" Norman said impatiently.
"Then... should Dr. Otto's nuclear fusion research also be stopped?" the secretary asked cautiously.
"Stop it, stop it all!!!"