Chapter 44: Turn A Squad

That's right, Luca had his eyes set on the shares of Orange Industries currently in the hands of the Kingpin.

After all, it was technically "family property." If he didn't secure it now, once Tony Stark sent the Kingpin to prison, those shares would most likely be returned to the families of the two deceased shareholders.

However, the methods required for Luca to obtain these assets were bound to be less than honorable. Under such circumstances, involving Tony Stark seemed inappropriate.

"But if I have to deal with the Kingpin all by myself, the difficulty level seems a bit too high."

Even though the Kingpin was currently just a crime lord hiding away in Hell's Kitchen, the power he commanded was far beyond what ordinary gangs could match.

Setting aside his countless subordinates, the Kingpin's own terrifying strength, which surpassed that of ordinary humans, was probably not something Luca could handle right now.

"Should I really ask Tony Stark for help?"

"If I do that, not only the shares, but whatever comes after he goes to prison will definitely create a mountain of trouble for me!"

Just as Luca was secretly wrestling with his dilemma, Shamira beside him suddenly picked up her phone. After reading a text message on the screen, she immediately reported to Luca.

"Young Master Luca, Shield Mountain has sent word. Their squad has arrived in New York."

Hearing this, joy flashed in Luca's eyes, and he quickly asked, "When can they get here?"

"I've sent them our location. They are expected to arrive in thirty minutes," Shamira replied promptly.

"Alright, then I'll wait for them here. Also, eliminate the few remaining people in this warehouse."

Without any hesitation, Shamira turned and walked out the door.

Following several imperceptible, suppressed gunshots, the entire warehouse returned to silence.

Twenty-five minutes later.

An ordinary-looking mobile television news van smoothly and slowly drove into the warehouse pier.

When the vehicle came to a stop, the driver in the front seat quickly opened the door and stepped out.

However, when he opened the rear doors of the van, the figures that emerged were not reporters carrying camera equipment, but four fully armed, elite special operations soldiers.

At the same time, Shamira and Luca, accompanied by Baymax, walked out from inside the warehouse.

"Young Master, let me introduce them to you."

With that, Shamira gestured toward the stern-faced, closely-cropped, and sharp-looking man at the head of the group.

"This is Marco Lakic, leader of Delta-A Squad, codename: Shield Mountain. He is the most versatile special operator I have ever seen. Starting from his service in Sokovia, he has been through no fewer than a hundred battles of all sizes."

"Young Master Luca!" The man codenamed Shield Mountain bowed respectfully to Luca, his gaze revealing no trace of fluctuation.

"This is Green Bull, the squad's pointman..."

The burly man with dyed green hair patted the assault rifle in his hands, grinned widely at Luca, and flashed a row of somewhat crooked, yellowish teeth.

"This is Longbow, the squad's sniper..."

Carrying a sniper rifle with a distinct scar running just below his left eye, the silent man gave Luca a slight nod.

"This is Thresh, the squad's heavy gunner..."

The bald middle-aged man with a broken medal hanging around his neck instinctively raised a hand as if wanting to shake Luca's, but halfway up, he awkwardly pulled it back, ultimately offering only a stiff nod.

"And finally, this is Wrench, the squad's technical support, proficient in electronic warfare. He's also quite handy with electronic equipment modification, weapon repair, and communication setup."

The last of the five, and the only blonde youth who hadn't been fully armed and had been driving earlier, didn't follow the others in greeting Luca. Instead, upon hearing Shamira's introduction, he looked with great excitement past Luca toward Baymax and asked eagerly, "Young Master Luca, is this the company's latest product? A combat robot? Is it controlled by an intelligent program or manually? It stands so steadily, is this a brand-new posture balancing system? What's the power source?"

A rapid-fire string of questions tumbled out of his mouth, instantly transforming the somewhat awkward atmosphere of their initial meeting into something even more awkward.

Shield Mountain, leading the group, could no longer maintain his expression. He reprimanded Wrench in a stern tone as the latter was about to lean right up to Baymax and try to touch it: "Wrench! Get back! Do not be disrespectful in front of Young Master Luca!"

At this reprimand, the previously restless Wrench instantly froze in his tracks, as if he had been paralyzed on the spot.

Yet his posture—neither advancing nor retreating, with his arm still stubbornly outstretched—looked somehow even weirder than before.

However, this little scene actually caused Luca, who had remained silent all this time, to secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

Although Shamira had assured him that this squad was completely trustworthy, they had never met before, and combined with his young age, Luca had harbored a tiny bit of anxiety deep down.

Especially the squad leader, Shield Mountain, who had remained expressionless ever since they met, maintaining what seemed to be a strictly professional attitude that left Luca struggling to guess his thoughts.

Instead, through this commotion caused by the young technician Wrench, Shield Mountain had proactively stepped in to stop it.

This let Luca know that, at the very least, the squad leader did not currently harbor any obvious dissatisfaction toward him. As for their true attitude, it could only be accurately judged after more interactions and understanding down the road.

With that in mind, Luca simply broke into a friendly smile and waved magnanimously.

"It's fine, go ahead and look. This is an intelligent robot I built myself. You can call it Baymax."

Since it was his own subordinate, and Baymax's data contained the complete manufacturing blueprint, Luca didn't even blink as he spun the tall tale.

Hearing Luca's words, Baymax on the side cooperated accordingly, raising its right hand to greet him.

"Hello, I am Agent Baymax, your personal healthcare companion." (▇━▇)

"???"

Wrench, who had been excitedly leaning toward Baymax, was instantly filled with question marks upon hearing this.

"Agent? Healthcare? Young Master Luca, is there something wrong with the program you wrote—"

"Wrench!!"

Shield Mountain's sharp shout cut off the rest of Wrench's words. He then turned back to Luca and bowed deeply once more.

"I apologize, Young Master Luca. Wrench's age... his personality is a bit too unrestrained. This was truly impolite of him."

Shield Mountain had originally intended to say "Wrench is still young," but after glancing at Luca's youthful yet steady bearing, and then looking back at Wrench, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to say it.

Luca merely waved his hand again in response.

"It's nothing. Wrench can take his time to learn all about Baymax later. But for now, I assume Shamira has already briefed you all on the upcoming mission?"

The moment the word "mission" was mentioned, the previously relaxed atmosphere shifted instantly.

"Mission parameters understood. Awaiting further instructions from the Young Master!" Shield Mountain snapped his heels together, reverting to his resolute and steadfast expression.

Even Wrench, who had been smiling broadly just moments before, immediately straightened up and looked at Luca with a serious expression, awaiting his orders.

Watching the scene before him, Luca also revealed a satisfied smile.

"It really does seem like a pretty good squad~"