Evening.
A worker in an Antarctic Company uniform, carrying a silver-white suitcase, drove alone to the slum of Hochinia.
He went directly to Bruce Banner's house, knocked briefly, placed the suitcase at the door, and then turned away without waiting for a response.
Banner opened the door cautiously and saw the silver-white suitcase waiting for him.
It wasn't filled with money; the Antarctic Company logo was sprayed on the front, signaling it wasn't an official delivery.
After checking his surroundings to make sure no one was watching, he picked up the suitcase and quietly closed the door.
Inside, the suitcase was surprisingly luxurious—but contained no treasures, only two cards.
One was Xu Dan's business card, and the other was a completely black card, with no markings at all.
Banner examined the business card first:
"Xu Dan… Antarctic Games Company…"
Despite living in a remote slum with little contact with the outside world, Banner had heard of this company. It was famous worldwide, mostly for the legendary game World of Warcraft.
This was his first encounter with Xu Dan. Could this mysterious 'Penguin' from the chatroom be the same person?
Turning his attention to the black card, Banner muttered:
"IMHO, what the hell is this?"
Could this card somehow be connected to the 'drug' Mr. Penguin mentioned?
Suddenly, a blank sheet of paper slipped out of the suitcase. Banner picked it up and read:
Bruce Banner, the card you hold now contains mysterious powers. As long as you crush it in your hand, you will not transform for seventy-two hours—no matter the circumstances, whether anger or stress. If you want a permanent solution, come to me!
"Hiss…"
Banner leaned against his bed in disbelief. The other party even knew about his transformations!
With nothing to lose, he pressed the black card in his palm.
To his astonishment, the solid-looking card shattered into tiny particles of starlight and merged into his body.
Almost instantly, his mood relaxed. After years of fear and living with the Hulk lurking inside, Banner finally felt at ease.
Though subtle, the change was profound. For the first time in his life, he believed that he would not transform—no matter what.
Eager to test it, he ran toward the uninhabited mountain behind the slum.
After pushing himself to extreme limits—strenuous running, anger, stress—he did not transform. The card had truly suppressed the Hulk.
Banner laughed like a madman in the night. He was just Bruce Banner. Not the Hulk. A normal person.
But the smile faded. This state would only last three days. After that, fear would return.
He had to find Xu Dan. No matter the cost, he had to permanently suppress the monster inside him.
Banner rushed back, pulled out his old antique phone, and dialed the number on Xu Dan's business card.
"Honk… honk… honk…"
"Hello?" A young male voice answered.
"Uh… are you Mr. Xu Dan?" Banner asked, startled by the youthful tone.
"I'm Dr. Banner," he added modestly.
"Oh~ you're Dr. Banner," Xu Dan replied quickly. "Did you use what I gave you? How did it work?"
"I did… it worked temporarily. I'm grateful," Banner said.
"That's good." Xu Dan's voice was calm.
"Is this long-term?" Banner asked, cautious but excited. Even three days was already a miracle.
Xu Dan chuckled: "Long-term? Yes. Do you want a month, a year… or a nail?"
"One nail?" Banner echoed.
"Yes. One nail lasts sixty years."
Banner's heart raced. Sixty years of being free from the Hulk's terror—more valuable than a mountain of gold. He threw away his heart rate monitor, no longer needing it.
But Xu Dan wasn't offering it for free.
"So… what price must I pay?" Banner asked.
"Huh, cost? Nothing. Just help me with one thing," Xu Dan said lightly.
"What is it?"
"You'll see when you arrive. Something that will prove the worth of Bruce Banner—the man—not the Hulk."
Indeed, the world only admired the Hulk's brute strength, unaware that Bruce Banner's true value had been overshadowed by his monstrous alter ego.