Ten days later, in the laboratory of Hudson Group.
"I think it's better not to add my name. It will cause a lot of trouble for the company."
Banner said to Carl with some concern.
When the golden pill was first released, people didn't actually believe in its miraculous effects. But when some advanced cancer patients tried it and were completely cured, the whole world went crazy.
The first batch of golden pills were quickly sold out, and those who hadn't acted immediately because of their doubts were filled with regret afterwards.
Wealthy people and high-ranking officials from all over the country, many of whom were battling cancer themselves or had sick relatives, rushed to find the leaders of the Hudson Group through all sorts of means, offering whatever it took just to be first in line when the next batch was produced.
The scene was the same at the New York headquarters. Four days earlier, Jack was visited by a congressman whose wife was in the late stages of cancer and hadn't much time left according to her doctors.
The congressman first tried to meet with chairman Carl directly, but Carl was unwilling to see him and delegated Jack to handle it instead.
He turned away all journalists from major media outlets who came looking for an interview and left all media inquiries to Jack.
Other than the press conference he attended when first arriving in New York, Carl hadn't appeared in public again. Mainly because, as the Hudson Group grew, it was inevitable that the chairman's profile would rise alongside it — and this would affect his and Wanda's daily lives.
The media could find only a few photos from his past. His hair and style were different, and his appearance had subtly changed with age, making it hard for people to connect him with the chairman of the Hudson Group.
Some neighbors who saw his photo in the news might say the chairman looked a bit like him, but that's all — nobody believed it was the same person.
This phenomenon was even more pronounced when it came to different ethnic groups. To many Asians, Europeans all look fairly similar, and many Europeans find it hard to distinguish between different Asians.
"It's only a matter of time. You can't stay hidden forever. You need to live a normal life. I think Dr. Betty would want to walk into marriage openly with you."
Carl patted Banner on the shoulder.
Because the golden pill was so effective, Dr. Stern, as the lead researcher, was naturally able to realize his dream and be nominated for the Nobel Prize and recognized in history.
Dr. Banner, Dr. Betty, and Dr. Ethan — all key contributors — would also be remembered as pioneers in biology.
But Banner was afraid that if his name appeared publicly, it would attract the attention of General Ross. So he insisted that Carl omit his name and avoid any media reports about him. After all, fame and fortune were not his greatest desires.
"I think..." Banner started to speak, but Carl interrupted him:
"Don't worry, Dr. Banner. I know you're worried about General Ross. But even if Ross comes, he can't take you away from here. No one can forcibly take any Hudson Group researcher without my consent — not even the President."
Not to mention that thanks to the golden pill, the Hudson Group now had extensive connections with many high-ranking government officials. And even without their help, Carl was more than capable of protecting Banner on his own.
Because his main quest had a medium completion rate, it was finished this morning.
The second batch of golden pills was released globally the day before yesterday. As of this morning, the panel confirmed that the Hudson Group's assets were now on par with the Stark Group.
This meant that at any time, he could enter the wizarding world of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."
And when he came back from there with magic, if General Ross remained unwilling to let Banner go, he'd simply use a Forgetfulness Charm to erase Ross's memory of Dr. Banner's very existence.
"Alright… I just hope this isn't causing you trouble."
Finally, Banner chose to believe in Carl. After all, Carl wasn't the kind of person who made promises without confidence. If he was this assured, it meant he had a way forward.
Meanwhile, Banner was deeply moved. His boss was willing to take such a huge risk just to help him live a normal life. Few people would do that.
He, too, wished to live normally again, but General Ross seemed unwilling to let him go — not until the "green monster" within him was gone.
"General, we've found Bruce Banner!"
At a military base in Washington, an adjutant rushed into General Ross's office with a newspaper in hand.
"How dare you stay in New York so openly!"
General Ross took the newspaper, glanced at the article about the golden pill and the Hudson Group, and narrowed his eyes.
During this time, he hadn't given up searching for Banner and his daughter. But without SHIELD's resources, it had been hard to track them.
He hadn't expected Banner to stay in the USA — let alone show up openly in the news.
"General, what should we do now? Should we move in directly and arrest him?" the adjutant asked.
Ross crumpled up the newspaper and tossed it into the trash. He walked back and forth in his office, thinking carefully, then turned back toward his adjutant.
"Go get Colonel Emil Blonsky!"
The last arrest operation in Virginia had made his superiors deeply dissatisfied with him.
It was no longer viable to deploy large numbers of troops openly. The company where Banner was currently employed — the Hudson Group — was now a powerful enterprise. If the army acted openly and made a mess, it would attract massive media coverage and cause a scandal.
Also, from a legal standpoint, Banner hadn't committed any crimes — it was the military's own experiments that had gone awry. So a overt arrest was hard to justify.
Therefore, after thinking it through, Ross decided it was better to move in quietly.
Emil Blonsky, whose body had been greatly enhanced by the super soldier serum, was called in. He assembled a team of elite soldiers and flew directly to New York in a clandestine mission to capture Banner and bring him back safely.