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Sokovia, inside the brand-new laboratory of Aurantius Industries' Superpower Development Department.
Of course, calling it a "brand-new laboratory" was a bit of an understatement; it was, in fact, the newly completed "Yuri Battle Lab."
Since Luca placed great importance on scientific research, he naturally wanted relevant departments to be under the coverage of the Psychic Sensor. This would greatly enhance the security of these labs.
A ready-made structure like the Yuri Battle Lab certainly shouldn't go to waste.
At this moment, the core personnel of the Superpower Development Team, including Luca, were all gathered here. Even Baron Zemo, an 'outsider' not officially part of the Aurantius system, had been invited.
However, since the project for the day was still in the preliminary preparation stage, aside from the busy staff, everyone else was just quietly waiting.
Zemo unconsciously rubbed the lingering metallic chill on the railing with his fingertips, his gaze falling on a local technician debugging equipment nearby.
Sunlight streamed through the glass curtain wall, spilling onto the pristine high-tech instruments.
Outside the window, the faint sounds of steel clashing from a distant construction site could be heard.
Although he hesitated slightly, Zemo slowly walked over to Luca, who was also looking out the window, and spoke softly.
"Three months ago, that was a wasteland where you couldn't even find a path. Even the herders' children wouldn't graze cattle there. And now..."
Zemo paused, his voice filled with indescribable emotion.
"Now, even companies in neighboring countries know that the land there is bound to skyrocket in value a hundredfold. Many are waving cash around, wanting to come in and build factories. The immigration policy has tightened again and again, yet people still choose to bring their families and pour into Sokovia."
"Finance, population, technology, employment—all these changes were brought by Aurantius."
At first, Luca, who was "spacing out and staring at the sky," didn't react. Baron Zemo was talking about 'grazing cattle' and 'land prices'...
What exactly is he trying to say?
However, although the other party seemed to be offering meaningless compliments and praise, the worry revealed between the lines wasn't hidden very well.
Understanding the implication, Luca simply shook his head and chuckled, turning to ask, "Worried that all this is happening too fast?"
Zemo fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then finally sighed softly.
"Sokovia's foundation is too shallow..."
In fact, Zemo was genuinely grateful to Luca and all of Aurantius Industries from the bottom of his heart.
As a born-and-bred local, he knew better than anyone what Sokovia used to be like.
Warlords were rampant, government administration was disjointed. Although natural resources were abundant, rarely were they in the hands of Sokovians themselves.
The constant turmoil and outflow of resources brought nothing but suffering to the local populace.
Those with a bit of power desperately curried favor with foreign forces. After making enough money, they would quickly pull out and leave to 'enjoy life' abroad. Meanwhile, the people at the bottom could only muddle through their days without seeing any future.
Many people only thought about where their next meal was coming from, not about tomorrow or the future.
Not to mention the massive shadow of HYDRA looming over all of Sokovia. Even the few insightful people like him, who genuinely hoped for the country to improve, could only choose to endure in obscurity and achieve nothing.
But ever since Aurantius Industries replaced HYDRA in Sokovia...
Maintaining order, cracking down on militants, recruiting for factories, investing in civilian sectors.
Even for the local natural resources that foreign forces coveted most, Aurantius Industries just mined them and reinvested everything back into local construction. They even paid out of their own pocket, pouring massive external resources into the 'quagmire' of Sokovia.
Moreover, the changes in Sokovia today weren't just material.
Aurantius's construction wasn't built on exploitation.
Massive local recruitment, generous employee benefits, and an increasingly rich supply of goods and entertainment brought spiritual satisfaction to the people.
'Thriving' was undoubtedly the best footnote for the current Sokovia.
So, although Aurantius itself seemed to be half an external force, and Luca, as the leader of Aurantius, held no official position in Sokovia...
Zemo still willingly faced Luca as a subordinate, always maintaining respect and humility, truly seeing him as the hope for Sokovia's future.
It was just... all of this was happening a bit too fast.
Having witnessed Sokovia's lowest points, he worried whether this boom, like oil poured on a fire, could truly last.
Some things don't stabilize just because you try hard to make them better.
In this chaotic world, moving too fast is bound to affect someone's interests.
If they had never had hope, the people of Sokovia might have been able to grit their teeth and endure. But if they had hope, only for it to suddenly collapse one day...
Perhaps Sokovia itself would cease to exist...
However, Luca, having understood Zemo's worries, shook his head and laughed again.
He didn't explain how much hidden security Europe—formerly the base of Strucker's HYDRA—could provide for Sokovia.
He didn't talk about how passive it would be to stagnate or slow down in a messed-up world like the Marvel Universe.
Nor did he go into a long analysis of how the current turmoil in the United States, which could collapse at any moment, would bring opportunities to a capable developing country like Sokovia.
Given Baron Zemo's intelligence, he had likely analyzed these things even more thoroughly or at least sensed them.
What he really needed now was just firmer confidence.
"Relax, this is just the beginning. I never intended to make Sokovia into a blood bank for Aurantius. Education, healthcare, entertainment—these are just getting started. It will only get better!"
As he said this, Luca was all smiles. Then, as if remembering something, he asked with a teasing tone.
"By the way, I'm planning to invest in building two new universities later: a technical institute and a military academy. How about it? Interested in picking one and serving as the principal?"
Perhaps the topic change was too abrupt. Zemo, who was still feeling a mix of emotions, didn't react immediately and just stared at Luca blankly.
"Me? I don't have much experience in that area..."
"Hey, what's the big deal? When you leave later, take a Haro with you. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask it to help."
Seeing Luca suddenly get excited and start promoting his toys like a salesman, Zemo, whose emotions were already disjointed, felt the corner of his mouth twitch.
But before he could think of an excuse to refuse, a researcher walked up to them quickly.
He reported respectfully to Luca.
"Boss, preparations are complete!"