Ch. 266 Temptation

Looking at the bank cards in front of them, Wanda and Pietro were both a little stunned.

They hadn't expected Russell to suggest that they go shopping.

This...

Although Baron Strucker hadn't mistreated them much before, ever since they willingly became Baron Strucker's experiments, they hadn't left Baron Strucker's castle.

"Are you serious?" Pietro asked incredulously.

"Is there a problem?" Russell asked calmly.

"After all, it's your first time in New York. Don't you want to go out and explore?" Russell asked calmly.

Although it was only his second day of contact with Wanda and Pietro, Russell had already figured out how to increase their trust in him.

In simple terms, he wanted to corrode Wanda and Pietro's trust in themselves with the decadent and corrupt capitalist lifestyle of America.

This wasn't the first time he had done something like this.

When he had first brought Peter into the detective agency as an intern, he had used this approach.

Although Wanda and Pietro were a few years older than Peter, they were much easier to tempt with money and a luxurious lifestyle compared to Peter.

Peter might be poor, but he had grown up in America and was not unfamiliar with American materialism.

It was just that he had never experienced the life of a wealthy person.

Wanda and Pietro were different.

Sokovia was not particularly wealthy, especially for orphans like Wanda and Pietro. Their daily life was far from comfortable.

This meant that tempting them with money and a luxurious lifestyle would definitely have a significant effect.

After hearing Russell's response, Pietro didn't immediately pick up the bank card on the desk. Instead, he exchanged a glance with Wanda.

Then, he picked up one of the bank cards and handed it to Wanda.

"Are you sure there's enough money in there for both of us?" Pietro asked challengingly.

"As long as you don't plan on buying the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty," Russell said with a smile.

"How much money is in there exactly?" Pietro continued to ask.

"Not a lot, a total of one billion US dollars for both cards," Russell replied casually.

One billion US dollars?

After hearing this amount, Wanda and Pietro couldn't help but widen their eyes.

They weren't like Tony, who had grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth. One billion dollars was a number that only existed in their imagination.

"Don't look at me like that with those eyes. If you feel guilty about it, just consider this money as your salary for joining the Justice League," Russell said as he saw Wanda raising her right hand with the bank card, trying to put it back on the table.

"He's right, we don't need to be polite to him. This is what we deserve!" Pietro stopped Wanda from returning the bank card to Russell.

"Alright, don't waste any more time. Go and enjoy the beauty of New York!" Russell suggested.

After that, Russell took the bank cards back and put them away.

"If you have any other questions or need anything else, feel free to ask," Russell added.

Wanda and Pietro nodded in response.

"Good, I'll let you know when the testing equipment is ready," Russell said as he turned to his robotic assistant, No. 3, instructing him to prepare for the tests and examinations of their superpowers.

"Now, if you're not busy, you can explore the city," Russell suggested.

With that, he teleported them to the garage.

As Wanda and Pietro stepped through the teleportation gate and arrived in the garage, Russell closed the gate behind them.

He turned to No. 3 and instructed, "Keep an eye on them, and assign a few White Zetsu soldiers to accompany them. Make sure they're not disturbed by any troublemakers."

"Yes, sir," No. 3 replied.

Russell wasn't concerned about their safety or them getting into trouble with the police in New York. He was more worried about them attracting the attention of the city's criminal elements, which could ruin his plans to tempt them with the capitalist lifestyle.

With the instructions given, Russell temporarily put Wanda and Pietro's situation aside and began to think about the Hydra branch.

He had already dealt with most of the Hydra branch situations by now.

Although the Hydra branch hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D. had not yet reached the end of the line, Russell didn't mind dealing with the main branch led by Gideon Malick in advance.

After browsing through the information submitted by Bakshi and the data collected by No. 3 over the past few days, he quickly made a decision.

"No. 3, contact Gideon Malick in my name. Tell him I want to meet him to discuss matters related to Hydra."

"Understood, sir," No. 3 replied.

While the Gideon Malick-led main branch of Hydra didn't have many advanced combatants, and even fewer superpowered individuals, Russell still preferred to start with diplomacy. Unlike Baron Strucker, Gideon Malick's branch of Hydra was less ambitious and focused on different goals.

They didn't have plans to conquer the world, at least not until they managed to retrieve Hive from Maveth.

Moreover, Gideon Malick held a higher position in human society compared to Baron Strucker and others. Apart from Alexander Pierce, Gideon Malick was the highest-ranking member of Hydra in human society.

Gideon Malick wasn't just a billionaire and capitalist; he had been a former member of the World Security Council and had once overseen Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.

Though he was no longer a council member, he still had a vast network of contacts.

However, for Russell, who was never one to follow the rules, Gideon Malick's extensive network and wealth didn't pose much of a challenge.

After instructing No. 3 to contact Gideon Malick, Russell left the study and headed to the training room where Skye was currently sparring with Perkins.

Russell had realized that it was time to accelerate Skye's awakening of her seismic superpower.

Ever since he had combined the Kryptonian Heritage and the Blessings of Wonder Woman into the Evolution Reward, he hadn't received any new rewards. It had been a long time.

As he entered the training room, Russell saw Skye fiercely battling Perkins, but due to the difference in their training time, she was still no match for her.

Unlike the previous day when he had observed their training, this time Russell didn't sit in a chair near the arena. Instead, he walked directly to the edge of the arena.

"Pause for a moment. I have something to discuss with Skye," Russell said as he interrupted the fight.

Upon hearing Russell's voice, Perkins immediately stopped and stepped back from Skye.

Although Skye was still somewhat reluctant, she removed her headgear and gloves, sat down on the edge of the arena, and looked at Russell with curiosity.

"What's the matter?" Skye asked.

"I have some things to take care of, and I'd like you to come with me," Russell said calmly.

"What kind of things?" Skye asked, her face showing a puzzled expression.

Although she was now a member of the Justice League, she knew that she was just an ordinary person. Even for normal external missions, she wouldn't be of much help.

"Nothing you need to get involved in personally. I'll have White Zetsu temporarily possess you to ensure your safety," Russell explained.

Russell didn't want to involve Skye directly, but he also didn't want her to be in any unnecessary danger. White Zetsu could provide protection if needed.

"What is a White Zetsu?" Skye asked, realizing that Russell hadn't introduced her to this concept before.

"A White Zetsu is an extraterrestrial being. You've seen the White Zetsu soldiers from the Battle of New York, right? They are special forces soldiers who have been possessed by White Zetsu. Perkins also has a White Zetsu possessing her."

Upon hearing Russell's explanation, Skye nodded in understanding.

"However, you don't have to worry about their appearance. Being possessed by a White Zetsu doesn't turn you into a monster. You only take on the appearance when you transform into the White Zetsu soldiers."

Russell assured her, explaining the process.

Still, Skye chose to decline the possession of a White Zetsu.

"I'd rather not have a White Zetsu possess me. They look too... ugly!" Skye declined with a frown.

Russell sighed inwardly at Skye's response. He had hoped she would agree to the possession for her safety, but he respected her decision.

"Fine, I won't have a White Zetsu possess you," Russell conceded.

Without the possession of a White Zetsu, there was a higher chance of Skye encountering unexpected dangers. However, Russell believed that, under his watchful eye, the likelihood of such incidents was minimal.

"When do we leave?" Skye asked, curious about their upcoming mission.

"I can't determine the exact time yet. I'll inform you once the schedule is set," Russell replied.

With the discussion over, Russell returned to his study, leaving Skye to continue her training.

However, as the hours passed, Russell realized that Gideon Malick had not responded to their messages. In fact, Gideon Malick had abandoned the contact methods he had been using that morning.

Upon receiving this information from No. 3, Russell furrowed his brow.

It was clear that Gideon Malick had misunderstood something and deliberately cut off contact.

"Activate all channels to locate Gideon Malick. If necessary, infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database to search for possible hiding locations," Russell ordered.

He didn't want to underestimate the situation, and he needed to find Gideon Malick as soon as possible.

"Understood, sir," No. 3 acknowledged the command.

Russell couldn't afford to waste any more time. He needed to find Gideon Malick and address the Hydra situation as quickly as possible.

With a heavy heart, he picked up his phone and dialed Natasha's number.