NIP Chapter 331 We're Professionals at Making Empty Promises
Chapter 331 We're Professionals at Making Empty Promises
We must leave immediately! We must report the situation to Minister Pierce!
Even if it costs me my life, it would be a glorious sacrifice, contributing to the perfect world Hydra has created!
The moment this thought crossed Sitwell's mind, he calmed down instantly, like a drowning man grasping at a straw.
"Operation failed! Retreat! Cover me—!!!"
Having confirmed that he, and even Hydra lurking in the shadows, had been "exposed" to Tony Stark, Sitwell disregarded maintaining his image. He simply shouted at the top of his lungs, issuing the latest orders to the Hydra agents around him.
Upon receiving the order, the well-trained Hydra agents immediately broke free from their feigned "work" routines.
Without hesitation or doubt, the highly efficient killing machine was activated instantly.
They quickly surrounded Sitwell, forming a defensive formation with their bodies to shield him from any potential hostile attacks. Simultaneously, they all placed their hands on the holsters concealed within their suits, ready to draw and fire at any moment. They were doing everything in their power to clear a path for Sitwell's retreat.
Sitwell himself frantically reached out and yanked the USB drive out of the laptop. His mind, too, was racing at an unprecedented speed in that instant.
This thing absolutely cannot be kept on my person!
After all, just by looking at the previous footage, Sitwell was certain that the legacy stored on this USB drive was most likely already unusable!
Moreover, that fleeting glimpse of the blue monster, as a powerful being capable of defeating the "Legacy"...
God knows if it left any traces inside the USB drive!
But should we just throw the USB drive away?
Putting aside how foolish this approach is...
Once Alexander Pierce finds out, he certainly won't let Sitwell off easily!
So after pulling it off, Sitwell, looking worried, took advantage of the chaotic atmosphere to sneakily scan the surroundings.
Ultimately, their attention was drawn to a young agent who appeared exceptionally fanatical, inexperienced, and inexperienced in the wickedness of human nature!
Sitwell rushed forward, his face contorted with a mixture of tragic resolve and boundless trust, and shoved the USB drive into the other man's hand.
Before the other party could react, he grabbed their fingers and forced them to grip the black USB drive tightly.
"Hans! Listen! We've been exposed, someone has to bring it back!"
His voice was low, yet it was filled with a performative heaviness and entrustment.
"This contains the future of the organization, the precious legacy Dr. Zola left to Hydra! I entrust it to you because I believe you are Hydra's most loyal and courageous warrior! Remember, even if we all sacrifice ourselves, it must return to Minister Pierce! From this moment on, your life exists for it!"
The young agent named Hans was taken aback at first, then was overwhelmed by the sudden "important task" and "trust".
Then, seeing Sitwell's "enthusiastic" and "encouraging" gaze, a fervent desire to dedicate himself to Hydra's great cause instantly overwhelmed the young man. His cheeks visibly flushed red with emotion!
"Yes, sir! We will complete the mission to the death! Long live Hydra!"
After a brief silence, Hans, regaining his senses, responded to Sitwell with a fervent smile, almost using all his strength. He clutched the USB drive tightly to his chest, as if it were a sacred object more precious than life itself.
Sitwell sneered inwardly, but outwardly patted him heavily on the shoulder, as if conveying boundless strength.
At this point, the hot potato was successfully transferred, and whatever happened afterward was no longer his concern.
The USB drive is lost; it's Hans's incompetence.
The USB drive was taken back, but it led to new trouble. It turned out that someone had tampered with the USB drive while Hans was transferring it, but he didn't notice it beforehand. The responsibility still lies with Hans.
With just this one move, she exonerated herself completely, which was simply perfect!
After getting rid of the hot potato that was the black USB drive, Sitwell had no more regrets.
And so, Sitwell, hiding behind the group of agents who were being stirred up and were now desperately protecting him, scrambled out of Tony's office like a startled, fat rabbit.
He even found his suit cumbersome and roughly ripped off his tie. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead and into his eyes, but he didn't bother wiping it away. All he wanted was to escape this building, which, in his eyes, had become eerie and dangerous, as quickly as possible.
However, Sitwell could never have imagined...
From the moment he unplugged the USB drive, to his clumsy attempt to shift blame, to every movement he made as he fled like a stray dog, every racing heartbeat, every drop of cold sweat... even his little scheme that he thought he had outsmarted, everything was presented in the perception of another "being."
In the endless abyss of information within Stark Industries' core database, in the airspace where the digital storm had just subsided.
The little blue figure that called himself "Cosmos" did not disappear.
It remained suspended in the void, arms crossed, tilting its head slightly in an innocent manner.
Undoubtedly, this posture, which it considered quite imposing, was learned from some black demon.
Its indistinct features still don't reveal any specific changes in expression.
But the overall posture exudes an almost lazy, yet undeniably authoritative sense of control.
It "watched" Sitwell, and after Zola's consciousness clone was destroyed, the remaining data fragments, which were now almost entirely destroyed, were thrown away as a hot potato.
It "listened" to Sitwell's implausible yet persuasive speech, which was full of loopholes but enough to fool passionate young people.
It "senses" Sitwell's frantic escape, and the seventeen layers of tracking and surveillance protocols based on different principles that it silently attached to the USB drive that was being carefully transferred.
[Log Update: The physical carrier (identifier: black USB flash drive) has been transferred from the target individual (ID: STK-SEC-INTRUDER-07, alias: Sitwell) to the secondary individual (ID: STK-SEC-INTRUDER-13). Tracking protocols α to θ are activated, signal strength: optimal. Back-penetration data stream has been implanted into the carrier's underlying structure, current operational status: good.]
The cold system logs glided silently through Gauss's internal sequence.
Even Jarvis, after recovering, seemed to be no match for the little blue man in front of him when it came to access control, unable to intervene in the slightest.