dmims Chapter 11 The Troubles of the Homeland
Chapter 11 The Troubles of the Homeland
There was initial silence from the audience, followed by continuous whispers.
The vast majority of the audience present were either die-hard fans who kept up with all of Vought's news, investment managers with millions of dollars in hand, or media reporters who were faster than anyone else. According to the information they had received beforehand, the new candidate should be the American sweetheart "Starlight" who had just won the talent show, not this so-called "Superman".
But all doubts vanished before the figure in the red cloak descending from the sky like a deity, followed by wave after wave of cheers and applause.
"Superman! Superman!"
Countless cameras and cell phones were raised, and the flashing lights momentarily dimmed the spotlights on the stage. Superman slowly descended the stage along the spotlights, and his Hercules-like physique made every photograph look like a work of art.
Wow~ People from the motherland must be furious.
Queen Maeve, hiding backstage, watched as the figure clad in a dark blue bodysuit made of metallic fibers tore through the spotlight beams. As he slowly descended, his red cape fluttered in the wind, and the gold and red "S" on his chest shone brightly under the flash of the lights. She couldn't help but think to herself, "I can't help but think this."
Aside from replacing the Stars and Stripes cape on the back with a solid red one and adding a large "S" to the chest, this uniform is almost identical in appearance to the Homelander uniform.
Originally, Maeve had no intention of coming to this annual bragging contest. None of the Seven wanted to come either. However, as one of the people who knew Joey's background, Maeve insisted on coming to see the show herself after hearing that he had been included in the Seven. Of course, it wasn't just the excitement on stage; the part offstage was even more spectacular.
~~~~
"What the hell is going on, Madeline?"
Madeline had barely returned to her office and settled in when Homelander barged in, pacing back and forth in front of her desk, unleashing a furious tirade.
"That new brat's uniform is a complete rip-off of my design!"
"...You came here to get angry just because of this?" Madeline suddenly felt a little tired.
From her beginnings as Homelander's agent to her current position as the second-in-command at Vought International, it would have been impossible for her to climb to this position without Homelander's influence.
Now, almost twenty years have passed, and I am old and faded. No matter how much makeup I wear, I cannot hide the marks of time on my face. But my countryman is still radiant. Time can hardly leave any deep marks on this superhuman.
Not only physiologically, but also psychologically, people often act like children in front of themselves.
"Come here~"
Madeline moved from her office chair to the sofa next to her, casually tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, and extended her slender fingers to call out to Homelander.
The anger on Homelander's face immediately subsided. This seemingly omnipotent superhuman, capable of flying and disappearing at will, now meekly approached like a wronged puppy.
"You know what I mean, Madeline."
"Yes I know."
Madeline stroked Homelander's face with the tenderness of a loving mother, and Homelander's reaction was as direct as ever. He lay down on Madeline's lap, buried his face in her stomach, and let Madeline rub his golden hair at will.
"The company put that guy on my team to try and take my place, and I will not allow that to happen!"
Although Madeleine is no longer immune to the ravages of time, there is no denying that she was an absolutely stunning beauty in her youth. During her years of working with the Homelanders, they clearly developed a relationship that went beyond the scope of their work.
"No, that's not how it is, darling."
Madeline gently smoothed Homelander's golden hair as if she were organizing her own thoughts; there were some things she simply couldn't bring herself to talk to this overgrown child like Homelander.
Homelander is Vought International's most valuable IP. The value he alone creates is comparable to that of the entire G-Men. His existence has earned Vought International billions of dollars.
A perfect brand image, the most powerful superpowers, and a wide public appeal are some of the reasons why he became a leading figure in the Super Seven. However, this is not static, and nothing is static.
Before Homelander was even born, the Vought Corporation was still functioning perfectly well. Thinking about the deeper information she gained access to when she entered the company's upper echelons, Madeline suddenly felt her breathing quicken.
"What's wrong?"
Homelander turned his face towards her, resting the back of his head on Madeline's lap and looking into her eyes: "I see, your heart is beating like a deer right now."
Madeline suddenly realized that when you're with a human lie detector that can see every part of your body, you really shouldn't be thinking about these kinds of random things:
"Of course, it's because of your handsome face, my superhero!"
She lifted the man's cheek and kissed him directly, just as she always had.
The people of the motherland responded to her warmly, not caring at all that she was now very old, just as they always had.
Perhaps, as the big shot on the 82nd floor said, heroes come and go, but the Vought Corporation stands forever.
~~~~
Ashley Barrett, who was in charge of public relations and human resources, was currently in a state of panic, not because of the company's last-minute change of plans to replace the members of the Super Seven. As the head of public relations, she knew that this was essentially a trivial matter.
Like the train engine whose leg was broken a few days ago for some unknown reason, this kind of birth within a birth, with at least three innocent lives on his hands, can still be molded into a fearless superhero, "the fastest man in the world".
It was just a minor scandal and wouldn't shake the image of the Walter Company.
The reason she's sweating profusely now is that the beneficiaries and victims of this scandal have met face to face.
The original candidate, American sweetheart "Starlight," was waiting for news at her hotel. She somehow managed to sneak in. Once I find the security guard who made the mistake, I'll fire him on the spot!
"You're the one who asked us to register Xingguang's face into the access control system ahead of time yesterday," the assistant next to him whispered.
Upon hearing this, Ashley completely lost her temper: "I [some kind of alpaca], shut your 'beep' mouth!"
Now Starlight has come knocking on our door, and they've gotten entangled with that 'Superman' right backstage.
Upon seeing this scene, Ashley suddenly remembered that Queen Maeve had also been to today's shareholders' meeting, and hurriedly looked in Queen Maeve's direction as if she were looking for a lifeline.
Queen Maeve, who had been standing by with her hands on her hips watching the spectacle, was nowhere to be seen. Ashley was instantly filled with despair and broke out in a cold sweat. In her panic, she grabbed handfuls of her hair and pulled them down.
These two are not ordinary people, not even ordinary superhumans. Ordinary people's disputes at most escalate from verbal conflicts to physical conflicts, and then they are taken away by security guards.
What if these two decide to take action and give Water Tower a major renovation if they feel that arguing is not enough?
"You're the bastard who stole my place?"
Starlight's anger is easy to imagine. It's impossible for anyone to swallow the anger of having something they've been pursuing for so many years so easily taken away by someone they've never even heard of.
Joey had just appeared from the dome of the conference hall, following the script written by the company, and the spotlight and cheers made him feel a little lightheaded. Now, as he stepped backstage, he was practically floating.
"Excuse me, who are you?"
"you!!"
Impulsiveness is a common trait among young people. Anyone who heard this would be furious, especially since Xingguang was no innocent girl. Consumed by anger, she only wanted to teach the other party a lesson.
The lights on site suddenly began to flash, and a vast and astonishing energy began to focus in the eyes and hands of the starlight.
Oh no, oh no, oh no—
Ashley, standing to the side, had already imagined the scene where, due to her mismanagement, Water Tower was demolished, causing millions of dollars in losses, and she would be fired on the spot by the company's board of directors, then sued and paid exorbitant compensation, eventually being blacklisted by the industry, unemployed, penniless, maxing out her credit cards, sleeping on the streets, and dying tragically on the roadside due to a drug overdose.