The script is always the fastest.

The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division, abbreviated as S.H.I.E.L.D., is literally translated as "shield," hence the organization is also known as the Shield Bureau. S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded during wartime and made significant contributions to world peace. After the war, the organization shifted its focus, becoming a special unit dedicated to researching and handling all sorts of unusual events—much like the legendary "SOS Brigade."

Officially, S.H.I.E.L.D. is subordinate to the United Nations, serving the entire world. In reality, however, it has long since become a de facto American agency, led by Americans and operating primarily within the United States. Even its foreign missions are usually aimed at those countries unfriendly toward the U.S.

The reason is no secret: the United Nations itself has largely fallen under the influence of certain countries. There’s no need to say more; speaking further might risk censorship.

For this organization, so steeped in red and blue, Su Ye had no desire to get involved, much less join. His previous interaction with the Black Widow was simply a matter of opportunity and circumstance—a casual bit of flirtation, nothing more.

Hydra, on the other hand, which had already hollowed out S.H.I.E.L.D. from within, did pique Su Ye’s interest. At the very least, when it came to hating and wanting to exploit the Americans, their goals aligned.

Late at night, after delivering Ivan Vanko’s reactor to Dr. Fox, Su Ye returned home to Queens. He hadn’t moved into the castle, leaving only the Batcave as Batman’s base of operations; everything else remained as before, providing a perfect cover for his Batman identity.

Since he appeared to be nothing more than an international student from the Dragon Kingdom, it made sense for him to continue living in his original house.

The identities of Old Su and Su Ye as shareholders in the Osborn Group were strictly forbidden by the board from being disclosed. Old Su paid a hush fee and signed a confidentiality agreement—any leaks would result in enormous penalties. Keeping quiet brought financial reward; revealing the truth would bring no benefit and might even affect the stock price. The status of Dragon Kingdom shareholders was somewhat sensitive, so everyone was happy to remain silent.

Deep into the night, Su Ye’s system chimed again.

[Ding! Completed the event "Battle at the Stark Expo," received one "Multiple Choice Card."]

(Note: The Multiple Choice Card allows a single Girlfriend Card to have several different girlfriend options, along with basic ability information, enabling you to make the optimal selection.)

"Tsk."

Upon seeing this card, Su Ye couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

This Multiple Choice Card seemed rather weak compared to those stellar cards that could directly summon a high-level girlfriend.

But thinking further, while the drop rate for stellar cards was indeed high—sometimes even guaranteed—they always produced a random girlfriend. Though he’d gotten Mai Shiranui and Catwoman, both exceptional partners, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t draw Mei Terumi from the Boruto era, Kurenai Yuhi, or the trio of elderly women from the sunset years.

And if, as one internet commenter joked, he ended up with Swimsuit Chiyo...

Su Ye would lose his mind.

In this light, the Multiple Choice Card was actually quite useful; at least it helped Su Ye weed out particularly undesirable options, allowing him to live with a bit more peace of mind.

Another potential card that couldn’t be cashed in—he’d just have to save it for the next ten-pull.

Putting the card away, Su Ye settled into bed, sleeping soundly as if nothing had happened, oblivious to the chaos erupting outside.

The Hammer Industries press conference had already captured global attention, especially when the Army, Navy, and Air Force Iron Soldiers were unveiled. Mecha enthusiasts worldwide cheered for these enormous humanoid figures.

Meanwhile, political leaders called urgent meetings to discuss the imminent transformation of global warfare.

Just as Justin Hammer had claimed, the emergence of Iron Soldiers truly had the potential to revolutionize traditional combat.

Yet before the meetings even convened—before all the delegates had assembled—new reports arrived: the Iron Soldiers had been wiped out.

The culprit was not the much-hyped Iron Man, who boasted of single-handedly stopping nuclear war, but a Batman who had never been seen before, making an explosive debut.

By the next morning, the story of Batman single-handedly subduing three Iron Men and taking down more than twenty Iron Soldiers had spread like wildfire across the globe.

The image of the bat symbol projected into the night sky, and Iron Man’s face-down crash landing, were plastered across major websites, forming a stark contrast.

Someone had even managed to snap a photo of Batman unfurling his cape, transforming into a massive bat soaring through the air.

In an instant, the bat became a totem, even a faith—a new obsession for countless fans of heroism.

To defeat a god is to become the new deity.

The praise once showered on Iron Man now belonged to Batman, and in even greater measure.

Compared to Tony Stark—the billionaire and every man’s rival—Batman, the nameless hero of overwhelming strength, was far more beloved by the public.

A certain high school girl, on the verge of graduation, etched the name into her heart.

“Batman, is it? Those bat wings look pretty cool. I wonder if he’d cry if they were stolen, heh.”

(Catwoman and Black Cat’s roles overlap so much that their identities will be merged to some extent.)

There were even rumors circulating of new fan comics starring Batman as the main character, with a gender-swapped Spider-Man as the heroine...

The next day, when Gwen showed Su Ye one of these comics she’d stumbled upon online, he almost smashed his phone in outrage.

“Do these comic artists have no shame? They just casually gender-bend superheroes—why don’t they try it with Iron Man and War Machine next?”

As soon as he finished, Gwen sent him an image of two female Iron Men together, rendered in that distinctive Western comic style—an eye-searing scene if ever there was one.

“Trust me, there’s nothing in this world they can’t do—only things you haven’t thought of yet,” Gwen said with a teasing shrug.

Su Ye was about to retort when an elderly voice sounded behind them.

“Hey, you two! Hurry up and take your seats. This is a graduation ceremony. Even if you’re slackers, show a little respect for the proceedings, will you?”

Turning, they saw an old man, his white hair meticulously combed, dressed in a crisp suit and wearing dark sunglasses, regarding them with mild annoyance.

Seeing them look his way, the old man snorted. “And another thing—this so-called Batman is no match for Spider-Man!”

With that, he turned and walked off, muttering as he went, “Since we already have Spider-Man, why do we need Batman? New York doesn’t need so many superheroes. Their stories are starting to overlap...”