The advantage of players is their ability to extrapolate.
Darian casually operated on the system interface, dragging the watermelon knife back into Tony's equipment slot.
Then, the watermelon knife reappeared in Tony's hand, and the billionaire instantly transformed into an uncle selling unripe melons by the roadside.
If it could be taken off, it could naturally be put back on, which was very reasonable.
Tony stared at the elusive watermelon knife in his hand and couldn't help but ask, "How did you do that? Some new quantum transmission technology, or a superpower?"
Darian casually replied, "No, this is magic."
Tony expressed disbelief: "Don't joke around, magic is a trick to fool children, not scientific at all."
Is your Iron Man armor very scientific then?
Darian looked at Tony and suddenly had a bold idea: if he put some embarrassing equipment on him and took a few photos, wouldn't he be able to manipulate him freely in the future?
Of course, doing so might also cause Tony's favorability to plummet, leading him to blacken and kill to silence him on the spot.
"I think you're up to no good," Tony said, his eyes wary.
"You're overthinking it."
Darian changed the subject: "By the way, I'm curious about one thing: what happened to all the equipment your weapons department produced in the past?"
"All destroyed. Why are you suddenly asking about this?" Tony said casually.
What a waste!
Darian still wanted to expand Sokovia's armory, but now it seemed that plan had fallen through.
"Nothing, I just heard you're very popular in a country called Sokovia. The people there all know you, they miss you so much they could die."
Tony was very flamboyant: "That's normal, I'm Tony Stark, Iron Man!"
Darian added, "Yes, they wish you'd die quickly."
Tony: "..."
"It's said that America destroyed their country, and coincidentally, every missile that struck them had the Stark Industries logo on it. One might even think it was Stark Country."
Tony: "..."
"Alas, that country is too poor. Decades have passed, and it still hasn't been rebuilt. I know it's not your fault, it's all the fault of the evil America."
Tony: "..."
"It's just a pity for the children there; they don't have enough to eat or wear, and they don't even know what parents are."
Tony: "..."
Didn't we say the surgery was over? Why are you still twisting the knife!
Seeing Tony looking doubtful about life, Darian knew it was about time and waved his hand: "Forget it, no more talking. I have things to do, so I'm going back. Remember to pay up."
With that, Darian vanished from the spot, not returning the Arc Reactor he had taken.
Anyway, Tony hadn't asked him for it, so he probably didn't want it.
After Darian left, Tony finally came back to his senses, his expression complex: "Jarvis, search for information on Sokovia for me."
Tony was quick to transfer the money.
A few days later, Darian's account had a string of zeros.
Not a thousand small goals, but a hundred small goals.
From now on, he too was a person with 'cash power.'
Darian was in a great mood and shouted to Wanda, who was still wrestling with her fishing rod: "Stop fishing! Bring all the fish you bought from the market. Tonight, we're having a barbecue feast here."
"I didn't buy fish at the market."
Wanda immediately retorted; this concerned the dignity of a fishing enthusiast.
Darian pouted: "Do you think I'm stupid? How can you catch sea fish in this freshwater lake?"
Wanda: "..."
Besides Wanda, Darian also called Pietro and Zemo over, wanting them to relax together.
Pietro had indeed been indispensable recently, single-handedly reclaiming half of Sokovia's barren land.
Although he possessed super speed and astonishing efficiency, in Pietro's perception, he was genuinely swinging a hoe, reclaiming land plot by plot, and the subjective sense of time was no different from an ordinary person.
This was like the Flash; to outsiders, he could circle the Earth in a few seconds, but to the Flash himself, he actually spent countless days, without eating, drinking, or sleeping, running around the entire Earth at a normal speed.
Just thinking about it was torture.
Zemo's situation was not much easier.
Sokovia was in a period of reconstruction, with countless tasks requiring his attention daily, leaving him no spare time. His once thick hair had begun to thin, and every morning his pillow was covered in strands of hair.
If not for the assistance of HYDRA members, he might have succumbed to overwork at his desk.
Darian had no intention of perpetually concealing his identity from Zemo.
After all, Zemo currently held a prime ministerial position, and many matters passed through his hands. Even if he didn't reveal it now, with his keen observational skills, he would eventually notice. Rather than beating around the bush, it was better to be honest with him.
Darian called Zemo aside, removed his mask, revealing his true face.
He said earnestly, "Zemo, after so many days of observation, you have proven your loyalty and capability through your actions. It's time for you to understand some deeper truths."
Zemo immediately became respectful.
Regarding Darian's background, he actually had some suspicions in his heart already.
When they launched the revolution in Sokovia, Darian had displayed astonishing intelligence capabilities. Even though he himself knew nothing about Sokovia's affairs, he was intimately aware of the movements of Sokovia's nobles.
All of this proved that Darian must have a top-tier intelligence network.
Furthermore, Darian had powerful super-powered individuals like Max, Wanda, and Pietro under him, and recently, a group of professional individuals of unknown origin but exceptional ability had joined Sokovia to assist his work. All of this indicated the existence of a powerful organization behind Darian.
But Zemo was a smart man; he knew what to ask and what not to ask, so he had always pretended not to know.
Now that Darian was actively being honest, it instantly ignited his long-suppressed curiosity.
"Please speak, sir," Zemo leaned slightly forward.
Darian said in a deep voice: "I think you've noticed that the personnel I asked you to arrange for naturalization a while ago, they all come from the same organization, which is also my organization, and it is now stationed in Sokovia."
"Our organization enjoys an extremely high reputation worldwide; it can be said that no one is unaware, no one is unfamiliar. Enemies tremble at our name, and even the five great powers must treat our existence with caution."
Zemo was shocked to hear this.
He had indeed guessed that the organization behind Darian was extraordinary, but he hadn't expected it to be so powerful, to the extent that even great nations had to take it seriously.
It seemed to be a top-tier, internationally renowned force, and definitely ranked high.
Several names of well-known organizations flashed through Zemo's mind, but upon closer thought, it seemed none could match it.
After all, among the internationally renowned organizations today, none could swiftly conquer all of Sokovia.
Darian continued, "After discussions among our organization's high-level members, I have decided to have you join this organization and serve as the head of the Sokovia branch. You will report directly to me and have the authority to deploy ordinary members of the organization within the territory, as well as its various departments."
"This is my honor!"
A surge of joy welled up in Zemo's heart.
In his view, this was undoubtedly proof that Darian regarded him as a true confidant.
Zemo asked cautiously, "Forgive my presumptuousness, but what is the name of our organization?"
"HYDRA."
Zemo: "..."
Uh, is it too late for me to quit now?
Anyone who has read history must have heard of HYDRA's infamous name; it was an evil organization that tried to rule the World!
Even Sokovia's textbooks had dedicated chapters detailing their 'great achievements.'
As the culprit that once turned the World upside down, HYDRA had long been firmly nailed to the pillar of shame in history.
If history was a grand drama, then HYDRA was undoubtedly the most hated ultimate villain, the kind everyone wanted to beat.
Textbooks plastered labels like anti-human, mass murderer, Terrorists, schemer, and warmonger all over HYDRA, to the extent that the name HYDRA has now become synonymous with evil.
To describe how evil someone is, you just say they are HYDRA.
It's easy to imagine how hated HYDRA was in the eyes of the World.
Darian was indeed right; HYDRA did enjoy an extremely high reputation internationally.
Unfortunately, it was all infamy!
All countries in the World remained highly vigilant towards HYDRA, and once a trace was found, they would immediately rally to attack, fearing that this evil organization would make a comeback.
Zemo never expected that he would, in such a muddled way, join the notorious evil organization from history textbooks.
The villain is me!?
Darian patted Zemo's shoulder, his tone full of encouragement: "Work hard. HYDRA will fully assist you in building a better Sokovia. In the future, you will surely be recorded in the annals of Sokovia, and even the World, and be revered by future generations."
More like infamous for ten thousand years!
Zemo wanted to cry but had no tears.
HYDRA building a beautiful country—what an obscure phrase that was.
What made his scalp tingle even more was that the current monarch of Sokovia was also a HYDRA member.
If this got out, Sokovia would probably instantly become the number one target of the international community, and might even enjoy the supreme VIP treatment of a joint siege by the five great powers.
"Are Ms. Wanda and the others also HYDRA members?" Zemo inquired.
Darian said, "They are my people, not HYDRA members, so their identities need to be kept secret from them unless absolutely necessary."
"Understood."
Zemo nodded.
He had thought it through; since he had already boarded this pirate ship, there was no getting off.
It would be better to continue doing his job well and focus on building Sokovia. Perhaps if Sokovia became powerful in the future, fighting back against other countries wouldn't be a problem, and then he wouldn't be a criminal, but a founding minister.
Zemo quickly adapted to his identity, instantly adopting the villain's perspective on issues.
One could only say that he was indeed the man who caused the Avengers Civil War; he certainly had the potential to be a super villain.
Darian praised Zemo's rapid adaptation.
"Very good. In the future, if you encounter any difficulties, feel free to mobilize HYDRA's resources and say I approved it."
"If it's not approved, just say 'Hail HYDRA!' and whoever dares to refuse your request, label them as a mole and eliminate them directly. I usually don't tell this 'wealth code' to others."
Zemo: "..."
You can play like that?
The others, unaware of their conversation, had already started a fire and were preparing for the barbecue.
For tonight's barbecue feast, Darian had specifically teleported to other Planets and caught some unique wild game.
"Are you sure these things are actually edible?"
Pietro stared at the pile of bizarre alien creatures in front of him, which looked like genetic synthesis products from some mad laboratory, his face full of skepticism.
"Don't worry, just cut off the head and you can eat it."
Darian didn't even look up, his Bear Grylls knife swiftly processing the meat chunks.
He placed the skewered meat on the fire, and soon, a strong and unique aroma of meat permeated the air, entering everyone's nostrils and making them involuntarily swallow.
Darian picked up a skewer of sizzling, oily meat and enthusiastically invited, "Who wants to be the first to try it?"
"I'm not hungry, let them eat."
Pietro waved his hands repeatedly and quickly stepped back half a pace. Although the aroma was indeed tempting, the thought of the original form of these meat chunks immediately made him lose his appetite.
Darian chuckled, "You'll regret it if you don't eat it."
"No regrets!"
Pietro's expression was firm; even if he jumped into the lake from here, he wouldn't eat a single bite of it.
"I'll try it."
Zemo stepped forward, taking the skewer without hesitation.
During his service in the elite forces, he had eaten everything; this challenge was nothing.
Under the curious and skeptical gaze of everyone, Zemo took a big bite, his eyes immediately lit up, and he began to eat heartily.
"Is it really that good?"
Wanda couldn't help but be curious and tentatively picked up a skewer of grilled meat to eat.
"Delicious! The taste is simply amazing!"
Unlike Zemo, who was a noble, Wanda had never eaten any delicacies. Upon tasting something superior to even Earth's finest foods, she felt as if her entire being was being sublimated.
It was a good thing this wasn't a gourmet anime, otherwise Wanda would have had to burst her clothes on the spot.
Wanda, disregarding her image, ate skewers while shouting to Pietro: "Pietro, you have to try this! It's a hundred times better than anything we've ever eaten before!"
Pietro saw their exaggerated reactions, hesitated for a moment, but still shook his head firmly.
"I said I wouldn't eat it, so I won't."
"So good!"
Half an hour later, Pietro joined the skewer-eating team, a look of enjoyment on his face.
Indeed, no one can escape the law of true fragrance.
Due to Pietro's abilities, he needed to eat a lot to replenish energy. This guy, who initially said he wouldn't eat, ended up eating more than anyone else, with a small mountain of skewers piled up beside him.
After devouring dozens more skewers of grilled meat like a whirlwind, Pietro suddenly stopped, a puzzled expression appearing on his face.
"What's going on? I feel like there's an endless surge of energy in my body. Right now, I really want to run hundreds of laps around the lake."
"Of course, what you're eating right now is a special species I bought on Asgard, called the Ox-Horse Beast."
Darian explained with a chuckle: "Through my exclusive craftsmanship, it has been imbued with special magic. After consumption, you can gain a continuous supply of energy, and the effect lasts for a period of time. Based on the amount you just ate, this effect will last for about a week."
"This is food I specially prepared for you and Zemo. With this, you can continue working tirelessly without worrying about dying from overwork. How about it, aren't you touched?"
Pietro: "..."
Zemo: "..."
Why weren't you hung on a streetlight in Sokovia back then?