I Think That's Pretty Scientific

Chapter 35: 034: The Light of Righteousness

Wakanda’s underhanded tactics made Kraft feel sick to his stomach. If they were merely hiding away in some remote mountain valley, carving out a secluded utopia cut off from the rest of the world, that would be one thing. After all, “possession of a precious gem invites trouble,” so keeping things hidden is understandable—just as Kraft didn’t want U. S. officials to know about his own technological capabilities. As a means of self-preservation, there’s nothing wrong with that. However, not only did they keep their treasures tightly under wraps, but they also pretended to be a vulnerable nation on the international stage, accepting aid from other countries—and since vibranium was a resource Kraft needed, he couldn’t be blamed for exposing this information. Of course, Kraft would never go so far as to expose this information himself. For him, the reputation of being a gifted young genius in mechanical engineering was more than enough; he didn’t want to reveal the extent of his cyber skills. So, after a series of twists and turns, Kraft arranged for this intelligence on Wakanda to end up in the hands of the Rising Tide organization. Sending it to them directly, of course, wouldn’t work. Although their slogan sounded impressive, Kraft didn’t buy into that rhetoric. Moreover, given the “Tide” organization’s habit of questioning everything, handing it over so directly might even be interpreted as a deliberate attempt to sow discord. So Kraft had Angela select a few members from the High Tide Organization and, in an inconspicuous manner, gradually feed them information about Wakanda. Once their curiosity was piqued and they took the initiative to investigate, he would simply lend a little help from the shadows. However, this approach required time to take effect, so Kraft didn’t sit idle; instead, he had Angela continue to roam the internet, gathering information that piqued his interest. For example, the databases he hadn’t been able to breach earlier, as well as the true identities of those mysterious factions. This time, Kraft chose not to launch a head-on assault; instead, he sneaked in quietly, avoiding any unnecessary noise. Angela and Harlow moved like ghosts through the databases of major organizations, but most of the intelligence they found was unremarkable. The data stored in the databases of these major organizations—especially intelligence agencies like the FBI—was largely outdated. Aside from plans and operations that required an internet connection, the truly important information was likely stored separately and physically isolated. Kraft, however, found intelligence on Martin Lee in a database belonging to an agency called the Bureau of Homeland Strategic Defense, Offense, and Logistics. Mr. Negative, real name Martin Lee, recipient of the Medal of Freedom, renowned philanthropist in Chinatown, boss of the Devil Gang, suspected of having a split personality, possesses special abilities, and is a sworn enemy of the Magia Gang for unknown reasons… Kraft skimmed through the report; it was quite detailed, even mentioning his own name. Then he looked at the very last line—Low threat level; recommended to keep under observation. Clearly, Martin’s past actions—which Kraft had never quite understood—had paid off at this moment. “Alright,” Kraft rubbed his nose, “I guess I’m still a bit green after all.” But… did Martin already know about the existence of this “National Something-or-Other Bureau,” or was it just a coincidence? Kraft recalled Martin’s clumsy handling of a smartphone the first time he’d used one. He didn’t think Martin or his “Demon Gang” possessed any particularly strong intelligence capabilities, so it was more likely just a coincidence. All he could say was that Martin was indeed a shrewd veteran—he’d managed to neutralize a threat without even realizing it. Still, the name “Devil Gang”… well, it’s hard to put into words. Kraft once again mocked Martin’s naming skills—calling them the “Yaksha Gang” or the “Yama Gang” would have been much more fitting for the underground emperor of Chinatown! While silently grumbling about his adoptive father, Kraft didn’t forget to instruct Angela: “Keep a close eye on Mr. Negative’s intel. If he’s in any danger, let me know right away.” Kraft pointed to the figure in the Homeland Security database—the one wearing a Heart Demon mask and a flashy white suit. Aside from Martin Lee, Kraft had instructed Angela to keep an eye on people with whom he had close ties—such as Fat Liao’s family and Aunt Mei’s family. After all, with dangerous creatures like the Hulk on the loose and a whole bunch of suicidal jerks conducting human experiments behind closed doors across the United States, it never hurt to be prepared. Since he hadn’t had any new dreams lately, and it would take the “Tide” faction a little while to uncover the truth on their own, Kraft passed his idle moments between research sessions by poring over the databases of these major factions. It has to be said that the power struggles among these major factions are incredibly complex. Not only do they have spies planted in each other’s ranks, but their internal situations aren’t exactly peaceful either. Members of different factions within the same organization are constantly at each other’s throats, and sometimes, if it weren’t for Harrow helping him sort out the logic, Kraft wouldn’t even understand what the hell they were up to! Just as Kraft was holed up in his lab, thoroughly engrossed in the drama, members of the Rising Tide organization finally uncovered the truth about Wakanda. Two members of the Rising Tide Organization uncovered the intelligence on Wakanda. They both uncovered the shenanigans within that “poor little African country” almost simultaneously, yet the choices they made were starkly different. One member took the organization’s mission and slogan as his guiding principles. The moment he obtained the intelligence, he immediately exposed all the evidence he had—not only online, but also to major media outlets, the President’s email, and even the United Nations and several African nations. However, his actions ended up causing serious trouble for the other member, who had chosen to sell the materials to the U. S. military. No sooner had the transaction been completed than the relevant materials were already spreading like wildfire—and as if to make sure no one missed the point, the leaker explicitly tagged the “Tide Rising” organization’s name. Setting aside for now how the military would hunt down this unlucky fellow, the entire United States—or, more accurately, the whole world—was in an uproar over this information. The data was so comprehensive—ranging from points of suspicion to speculations, data comparisons, and even photographic and video evidence—that Wakanda, a country sitting on a gold mine yet begging for handouts on the international stage, was completely exposed. Now everyone’s up in arms. It’s one thing not to share something this good—but to actually try to take a slice of the pie from other countries that are really struggling? Is that even human? Probably the most outraged were the Black folks in Africa who were also waiting for international aid. To find out that among their fellow sufferers sharing a bowl of thin porridge was a rich landowner—wouldn’t they spit in your face and slap you across the face? So Wakanda was surrounded by a mob of Black people of the same skin color as them. It was only because their protective shield was strong enough that this mob didn’t storm in to vent their anger through destruction. But the land outside the shield’s perimeter had long been flooded with stinking garbage dumped by the enraged African people. On top of that, T’Challa, the Wakandan prince studying at Oxford University, was tracked down by the Rising Tide organization and subjected to a series of acts of campus violence. England’s intelligence agency, MI6, acted decisively and placed T’Challa under house arrest under the pretext of protecting a foreign dignitary. Meanwhile, the mastermind behind it all had long since distanced himself from the affair, keeping his achievements and fame hidden.