"Whose message was that?"
"Doesn't matter. It's nothing to do with us."
Hyuga Mirai glanced up briefly, then buried his head again. Tsunade immediately sensed something unusual, letting out a quiet grunt. Only her full, rounded chest could bear such contact; it felt like pressing into soft, fragrant sponge, making one's thoughts scatter involuntarily.
This had nothing to do with desire. According to Hyuga Mirai's research, this behavior could disperse mental focus, enhancing scientific thinking and other cognitive functions.
"It's been ten minutes."
Tsunade's voice trembled slightly. She glared at Hyuga Mirai buried in her chest, feeling both anger and embarrassment. He had begun stimulating her body with borderline medical techniques. She had considered retaliating the same way but knew she would end up suffering.
If she tried to counteract with stimulation, it would be like stripping herself bare and presenting herself to him. Ever since her last mistake, Tsunade dared not do it again. Even after hours of near-bullish impacts, despite her physically reinforced body, she had ended up exhausted.
Just twenty more minutes, and she could finally take the winnings and enjoy herself. This time, she was determined.
As Tsunade fantasized about winning big at the casino, her mind kept forming images of Hyuga Mirai—more and more vivid, increasingly indescribable. Her body felt unbearably hot. After some time, she gasped for air, slowly regaining her senses.
"Time."
"Time's up, Princess Tsunade. But you don't seem willing to leave, so let's continue."
"What are you talking about? I—"
Mid-sentence, Tsunade realized something was wrong. Her arms clutched Hyuga Mirai tightly, her clothes disheveled as if they had rolled on the floor, one leg even entwined around his waist. She thought furiously: I didn't do this!
She gripped Hyuga Mirai's neck, furious. "Did you use Genjutsu? Or puppetry? You'd even do this to your wife?"
Hyuga Mirai rolled his eyes. Who knew what she had been imagining earlier, now blaming him? The woman was impossible.
He stopped holding back. Flipping over, the room soon resonated with muffled sounds like a symphony, gradually growing louder.
"Sir, they rejected your request."
"Rejected? Jarvis, isn't the invitation addressed to a name? It's Tony Stark wanting to visit their company."
Tsunade noted this reply, surprised. Even in America, someone would refuse him? Other than Justin Hammer, who else would do that? At least they'd ask why, right?
"Yes, sir. The first batch of successful clinical volunteers at Mirai Pharmaceuticals is growing, and the company's reputation has turned around. Many financial firms rate them highly; their market is at least hundreds of billions."
Tony Stark knew this, but he cared less about money and more about the research team behind the company. Since becoming Iron Man, his chest reactor had steadily increased palladium poisoning, alleviated only partially by large amounts of chlorophyll.
No known American company could address palladium toxicity. Tony's only thought was to find a top-tier biomedical team to collaborate quickly, possibly finding a cure.
But the company refused.
"Jarvis, still can't reach the CEO? Any member of the research team or company owner will do."
Tony rubbed his head. Just as he was thinking what to do next, the palladium poisoning threatened to kill him.
"If I go to their company now, could I find someone?"
After he spoke, the computer screen lit up briefly, and Jarvis said, "There's an 80% chance, sir. Mirai Pharmaceuticals routes every command through headquarters; even if you can't meet them in person, there's a way to contact them."
Jarvis's action bordered on illegal: monitoring employee work data at Mirai Pharmaceuticals. The CEO, known as 18, would otherwise have overridden the AI instantly.
Currently, only two options could cure Tony's palladium poisoning: S.H.I.E.L.D., which he knew little about, or Mirai Pharmaceuticals, whose biomedical capabilities had drawn global attention.
Publicly, they had four miracle drugs for incurable diseases, but they filed a total of 21 drugs, covering many otherwise untreatable conditions. Their approvals differed greatly from existing market drugs.
If all succeeded, they could rapidly become a global pharmaceutical giant, dominating more than half the market alone.
After nearly successful validation of the four miracle drugs, the industry realized Mirai Pharmaceuticals had elite biomedical researchers. Many tried to investigate, but the research center's secrecy was impenetrable.
Once the first 400 volunteers were cured, the news shook all of America. Newspapers hailed Mirai Pharmaceuticals' achievements, rivaling Tony Stark's announcement of being Iron Man.
"The greatest pharmaceutical company of the 21st century, saving tens of millions!" — Bugle Daily
"A company that fully understands the human body — Mirai Pharmaceuticals!" — Washington Times
"No more suffering from disease for the public!" — New York Times
Such reports appeared almost daily, alongside TV programs and interviews featuring other medical experts, not Mirai Pharmaceuticals' staff.
Some envious individuals tried discrediting the company on TV, but only deceiving uninformed viewers; others remained unaffected.
In the second batch of clinical trials, Mirai expanded participants to 1,000 globally, requiring volunteers to confirm one of four diseases with authoritative medical records.
Near Manhattan's Times Square, Tsunade, Kurenai Yuhi, and Hyuga Mirai walked the streets at night. It was Kurenai's idea; she had long wanted this.
For months, they had accommodated Tsunade; now it was Kurenai's turn.
"I can't imagine you have this hobby. Why bother running a pharmaceutical company?"
Tsunade, seeing reports about Mirai Pharmaceuticals everywhere, expressed disbelief.
"Why bother? I don't feel much…" Hyuga Mirai shrugged. "The company was founded by 18. You developed the drugs. But yes, to appease you, it exhausted me."
Recalling their final time in Las Vegas, Mirai felt a faint fatigue in his waist.
"You jerk! Saying that on the street!" Tsunade clenched her fists, hitting him twice.
Though close, Tsunade was conservative and uncomfortable being so open publicly.
"Earth still holds forces strong enough to affect the universe, like Chaos Magic and Kamar Taj. The universe is vast. Seeking Infinity Stones actively would be troublesome, so waiting here is best."
Mirai had explained this before, but she seemed to have forgotten due to recent gambling addiction.
"The key is cultivating the God Tree. We need a local power to cover us. With this company, ordinary people won't bother us."
Kamar Taj has its own mission and principles; aliens may act, but humans acting alone would likely be observed passively. They avoid internal Earth conflicts, even if tens of thousands could die.
"With God Tree fruits, Kurenai's strength will increase rapidly," Mirai added, touching her wavy hair. Observers could see their mouths move but only hear his words.
Even so, the three drew attention on the street. Tsunade and Kurenai's looks and presence were remarkable, forming a striking scene.
Near a park, the crowd thinned. Suddenly, a wounded homeless man brandishing a gun ran toward them.
"Hand over the money, now!"
Mirai and Tsunade both glanced at Kurenai. She laughed awkwardly: "I forgot."
"Hurry, or you'll die!" the man shouted.
"Let's not act rashly yet."
Mirai sensed someone approaching rapidly between distant buildings. Seconds later, a figure in a red and blue suit with a black spider emblem swung toward them.
The gunman followed Mirai's gaze and saw Spider-Man approaching. Panicking, he cursed: "Shit! Why won't this stop?"
This man had escaped Peter Parker during a recent bank robbery, lucky compared to the others who were caught. Starving, he came out to steal money and ran into Spider-Man.
From a rooftop 1,000 meters away, Mirai spotted Peter Parker's backpack, realizing he had been patrolling nearby to capture the escaped robber.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The robber fired at Spider-Man, who dodged all shots. Turning to flee, he was ensnared in webbing, stuck to the ground along with his gun.
"Bro, because of you, I haven't done chores three nights in a row."
Peter Parker then approached the trio. "Don't worry, I'm Spider-Man. This guy's a recent bank robber. I'll contact the police shortly."
"We're leaving. You're… Spider-Man?" Mirai asked.
"Yeah. Actually, I dislike dealing with police—they don't like vigilantes like me…"
Peter Parker chatted more than usual, something he rarely did before.
"See you, bro."
He leapt into the air, shooting webs to swing away.
Kurenai asked curiously, "Mirai, do you know him?"
"Peter Parker, 18, just graduated from Science High."
Mirai held Peter Parker's student ID, retrieved by 18 from Peter's backpack using Yomi Birasaka.
Peter Parker, Ben Parker, and May Parker's information appeared recently. Another Peter Parker was still in school; his uncle Ben Parker passed away, and Aunt May raised him.
"Two Spider-Men?"
Mirai was puzzled. The younger Peter Parker confirmed the 616 universe, but what about this Peter Parker?
"Let's go back first. The police will arrive soon. I'll ask him about it tomorrow."
(End of Chapter)
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