Time flies, and before you know it, a whole day has passed.
A day isn't long—but it isn't short, either. Under normal circumstances, you can get a lot done in that time.
But today, Loren did only one thing: waste his time on Viper and the others.
Fortunately, he had excellent physical fitness. An ordinary person would've died long ago.
Still, Viper's evil plan failed—and the reason was surprisingly simple: just one word from him.
After all, 2B and Tifa were general-purpose combat robots he himself had built. He was their creator.
"I was just playing around with them at first," he mused.
"It's simply impossible for them to act against me. The basic principles of robotics aren't just for show."
And once he gave a real order, 2B and Tifa would execute it without hesitation.
So when the fun ended, his command was clear: cooperate with him to deal with Viper.
At first, Viper thought 2B and Tifa were in cahoots with her. Confident in her advantage, she played along enthusiastically—and with an air of arrogance.
But after a while, she realized with horror that she was the one being played.
Worse yet, by the time she understood what was happening, it was already too late to do anything about it.
"You've gone too far, 2B, Tifa," Viper said, glaring at them with clear disappointment. "I'll never trust you again."
Hearing this, both robots looked slightly embarrassed.
"Sister Viper, we didn't want this to happen either," Tifa said apologetically. "Playing is fun, and making noise is part of the game—but when the boss gives a real order, we have no choice but to follow it unconditionally. Thank you for your hard work today."
"Alright, that's enough for today, Viper," Loren said. "You can return to your Hydra base tonight. Delaying too long might raise suspicion."
"Tonight?" Viper, who had just rushed back, blinked in surprise—and for once, showed a rare flicker of reluctance.
"What's wrong? Are you reluctant to leave?" Loren asked with a teasing smile.
To his surprise, Viper didn't get angry. Instead, she blushed and gave a shy nod.
"I like the atmosphere when I'm with you guys."
"Atmosphere?"
"Yes… this relaxed, fun feeling. I've never experienced anything like it before. Back at the Hydra base, it's nothing but boredom and loneliness—I've had enough of that."
She looked up at him, eyes pleading.
"I really don't want to go back, Master. Why not let me stay? I can do anything—why not make me your secretary? That way, whenever you need something done, I'll be right there. And if there's nothing urgent, I can still—"
"Stop right there," Loren cut in sharply. "Don't say another word."
He paused, his tone softening slightly.
"This isn't the time to keep you here. I need you back at Hydra—to gather intelligence and find someone."
"Find someone?" Viper asked, curiosity piqued.
"Yes."
"Who?"
"A woman named Wanda Maximoff."
"A woman?" Viper's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Let me guess—she must be stunningly beautiful. Is she your next love interest?"
"Don't pry into things that don't concern you, Viper," Loren said coldly, his expression hardening. "You're overstepping."
Viper's heart skipped a beat. She quickly lowered her head, fear flickering in her eyes.
"Yes, Master. Everything is as you wish."
"Good," Loren said, his voice warming again. "Behave well. As long as you satisfy me, I won't treat you unfairly. It's only a matter of time before you can stay with me permanently."
He leaned in slightly, offering a rare promise.
"You'll get to live like this every day—and I'll even give you a team of robots to command. You'll have your chance to take revenge on Dr. Zola… and finally settle the hatred you've carried all these years."
At this moment, Loren was just like those black-hearted bosses—making grand promises to Viper outright.
The key was that Viper was enjoying the meal, her eyes filled with longing for the future!
"Master, I'll never let you down. I'll take action now," Viper said before leaving the secret laboratory immediately.
Watching Viper's retreating back, 2B turned to Loren with curiosity.
"Boss, is the woman named Wanda—the one you're looking for—really your next love?"
"..."
"You've all misunderstood me. In fact, I've never even met her."
"If you've never seen her, why are you looking for her?"
"Because this woman possesses an extremely terrifying power. She'll become a hot commodity that every major faction will fight over in the future.
So we must find her first and bring her to our side—that way, I can rest easy.
As for whether it's 'new love' or not… do you really think I'm that superficial?" Loren coughed lightly and said seriously.
"No, the boss has never been a superficial man," 2B replied earnestly—but with a hint of a smile in her eyes.
"The boss isn't superficial," Tifa added helpfully. "He's just lustful."
Her remark struck Loren right in the heart, leaving him momentarily speechless.
"You two are really getting more and more outrageous. You've even started teasing me—the Creator himself!"
"Alright, enough messing around," Loren said after a brief pause. "There's something important you need to do next."
Hearing that, excitement and anticipation immediately lit up the two women's faces.
"Boss, is there a new mission?"
"Yes. The standardized robot production line has been completed and will go into operation soon.
Before long, hundreds—maybe even thousands—of standard-issue, general-purpose combat robots will be created.
However, I didn't install any emotional modules in them, nor did I give them any distinct appearance. I call them 'Faceless.'
So don't worry—they're not your competitors. On the contrary, they'll be your most loyal subordinates."
"Subordinates?" 2B and Tifa exchanged puzzled glances at Loren's words.
"Yes. I plan to form several robot squads, each led by a different commander.
You two will lead two of those squads.
2B, your team will handle external combat and assassination missions—and will be responsible for tactical judgment.
Tifa, your team will oversee internal security within the manor.
Each squad has a different function and a different leader.
But just the two of you won't be enough. I'll need to create a few more sisters as powerful as you.
Unfortunately, that requires large quantities of vibranium and adamantium—and right now, those materials are scarce.
So I need your help to acquire more."
"Boss, are you saying we should go to Wakanda to steal vibranium?" 2B asked, puzzled.
"Wakanda does have plenty of vibranium, but our current strength isn't enough to take it by force.
That'll have to wait until the robot army is fully operational—then Wakanda's vibranium veins will naturally fall under my control.
But for now, I don't intend to provoke them.
As far as I know, SHIELD's secret base holds a shield made of raw adamantium.
And the National Museum has several vibranium artifacts on display.
So—one of you goes to SHIELD, the other to the museum. Retrieve everything for me.
Alice will assist you by disabling all their security systems, minimizing your risk.
And remember: no killing this time. Just get the items and withdraw."
"Understood! Let's move out now!"
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