OBS Chapter 4751 X Royal Newcomer (The End)
Chapter 4751 X Royal Newcomer (The End)
Chapter 4751 X Royal Family: New Life (The End)
Nevertheless, the mutants didn't make exorbitant demands. Mainly because the other side didn't really have anything to offer. Apart from lifting sanctions and establishing formal diplomatic relations, they only asked for some resources. They didn't even dare to ask for people, for fear that the other side might mix in their own people.
However, forcing the world's dominant power to bow down did indeed vent the mutants' anger and boost morale. After Charles purged the mole, the entire Clare Island became more united.
The near-unlimited sea power brings many benefits. Besides maritime trade, more merchant ships are willing to transit through their area. Because the waters near Clarkia Island are an absolutely safe zone, the mutants themselves don't become pirates, and naturally, they won't allow other pirates to run rampant there. Merchant ships are not at risk of being hijacked, and even warships can stop there for resupply due to the mutants' neutral stance.
Clarkia Island was already a beautiful place, and Eric led the mutants to build a series of supporting facilities, including numerous accommodations, bars, and casinos. Just as they had planned, it became a paradise for sailors.
No one would be foolish enough to cause trouble on mutant territory, and even if someone is drunk, they can be easily subdued. And unsurprisingly, this place has become a safe haven for some shady dealings.
This shady business certainly doesn't include things like drugs or human trafficking, as those things can't be brought to the island. It mainly involves mercenaries and middlemen negotiating deals, as well as commercial spies from various countries and stateless individuals, antiquities dealers, and fugitives from different nations.
This actually has its advantages and disadvantages. Although these people don't seem like good people, once they're on the island, they can't escape. Clarkia has no obligation to provide them with asylum, but it can use them as bargaining chips in negotiations with various countries. For example, two Chinese fugitives came over before, and Charles traded them for quite a few good things with the S.H.I.E.L.D.
These people didn't necessarily have to come here. Most of them were already desperate because they were being chased. If they didn't find a place far enough away from human habitation, they would definitely be caught. They had no choice but to gamble here. Those with value were sold by Krakia, and those without value were left alone. Anyway, their bodies would give out when they couldn't take it anymore.
Furthermore, the duty-free policy has been effectively implemented, making this the world's largest duty-free trading center. Many companies are willing to trade here, and some people even fly in specifically to buy up goods. Although one cannot be stationed here permanently, making one or two trips a year can still earn a considerable amount.
Another major breakthrough was the successful development of an extract from the flower of *Clarica*. This substance was no longer just a basic herbal remedy, but had been transformed into a pharmaceutical ingredient that could be manufactured into medicine, known as "Clarica glycosides."
The drug testing was completed faster than expected. Stark hadn't even left Clarkia Island when the first batch of products arrived. Therefore, he became the first person to benefit from the drug; after all, although he hadn't fallen ill again during this time, he had remained somewhat weak, proving that the island still had some effect on him.
Stark looked at the small medicine bottle in Schiller's hand with some confusion and said, "Why is it an oral liquid?"
“Alcohol is the best match for this ingredient,” Schiller said. “Various experiments have shown that alcohol solutions are more effective. Of course, there are also alcohol-free hypoallergenic versions, but those are children’s powders. Would you like one?”
“No need,” Stark waved his hand. “It’s not like I can’t drink. Come on.”
Schiller handed the small brown bottle to Stark, who took it and looked at it. However, since the label was entirely in Chinese and contained only information about the drug's ingredients, he couldn't understand it very well. He opened the cap and prepared to drink it.
Schiller's hand, which was handing over the straw, froze in mid-air, because Stark had already pulled off the rubber cap and was pouring the liquid into his mouth. There wasn't much liquid in the bottle; it was all in his mouth in a second.
"puff!!!!!!"
It was sprayed out within half a second of entering my mouth.
Stark's expression looked as if he had been punched, or rather, kicked in the groin. His facial features moved with remarkable agility and were arranged in a wonderful way, like a billiard ball that had bounced around once before coming together completely.
"vomit--!!!!"
Stark really threw up; he threw up his lunch. He staggered to the bathroom, rinsed his mouth, washed his face, and even though it was tap water, he gulped down a lot of it.
When he came out again, Schiller had just finished cleaning the outside floor. Stark collapsed weakly onto the sofa: "How could this stuff... how could it taste so awful..."
“You’re making a big fuss over nothing,” Schiller said. “It’s just the smell of Chinese medicine.”
Stark was too exhausted to argue with him. He was as if he had been mentally stimulated, causing his mind to go blank. After a long while, he finally came to his senses and waved his hand.
Schiller brought over a strip of oral liquid, and then took one out, intending to hand it to Stark. Stark asked him very seriously, "Have you drunk it yourself?"
Schiller shook his head: "I'm not affected by the island, why would I drink it?"
“You drink it,” Stark said succinctly.
Schiller snorted. But judging from the looks of it, if he didn't drink, Stark wouldn't either. So he took a bottle, removed the metal cap, inserted the straw into the rubber cap, and took a deep drag.
"Pfft!!! Cough cough cough cough!!!!"
Schiller also sprayed out the medicine. Fortunately, he didn't vomit; the gray fog must have suppressed his nausea. However, his mind went blank for a moment, which manifested as the entire tower bouncing in place.
"What the hell is going on?" a chorus of complaints erupted from inside the tower. "Greed, what are you doing now? Can you stop pushing your mental limits all the time?!"
They thought Greed had done something big again, that his mind had run into something. The Superego quickly intervened, but after reviewing his memories, it said somewhat helplessly, "He just drank a bottle of medicine."
This also fully demonstrates that this oral liquid has become so unpalatable that it can impact the mental barrier of the tower. It's as if a Superman has been dissolved in this stuff!
Schiller sat down opposite Stark, and after a moment, he began to judge the taste. When he was a child, summers were very hot, and some children would get heatstroke. At that time, nurses would distribute a medicine called Huoxiang Zhengqi Water, which could be used to relieve heatstroke or prevent it.
Schiller only learned when he grew up that there were two versions of Huoxiang Zhengqi Water. In some regions it was called Huoxiang Zhengqi Liquid, while in others it was all called Huoxiang Zhengqi Water. The difference between the two versions was that the older version contained alcohol.
Patchouli itself is bitter, and when alcohol is added, it becomes both bitter and spicy—the taste is simply indescribable. Schiller once tried a bottle out of curiosity, and from then on, he avoided any oral liquids with a level of fear not much different from that for broccoli.
This medicine is probably more than twenty times more unpleasant to drink than the old version of Huoxiang Zhengqi Water. Somehow, the effects of the alcohol have been completely eliminated, so it can no longer numb the brain, but the spiciness has been perfectly preserved, which can stimulate the nerves and make people more awake.
Then comes the main event: an indescribable bitterness. This surpasses the limits of human perception of bitterness, giving one the feeling that a single sip atons for all the sins of a lifetime, even the greed that follows.
Even more frightening is that the taste has a slight sweetness, but this does nothing to help; it tastes more like the industrial alcohol of high-concentration vodka. It is this sweetness that triggers the vomiting reflex and activates the brain's protective mechanisms.
Schiller sat in his chair, utterly dejected. He knew Chinese, after all. He should have been wary when he saw the character "glycoside"—the Chinese love to imbue names with auspicious wishes. Generally, if a medicine is named "fragrant," "sweet," or "delicious," its taste is practically beyond saving.
Clearly, this character embodies the romantic spirit of the Chinese nation and carries great hope. As for why it needs to carry hope, that's none of your concern.
“I won’t try to persuade you to drink,” Schiller said. “Anyway, the island construction is almost finished, and we’ll be leaving soon. If you don’t want to drink, then don’t.”
“It’s no use trying to persuade me,” Stark said weakly. “It’s not that I don’t want to drink it, it’s that I simply can’t swallow it. This stuff has triggered a rejection reaction throughout my body, and the energy flow in the Arc Reactor is a bit disordered.”
Just then, Strange arrived. He had been following up on the progress in China, so when he saw the row of oral liquids, he knew the medicine must have arrived. He took out a bottle and prepared to drink it.
"Wait!" Stark called out to him. Perhaps this is a case of dying men speaking kindly. Something that's just generally unpleasant to drink is easily used to prank your brothers; but something so bad it's like the sun and moon have dimmed, you'll only worry about whether your good brother will die here.
But Strange was quick; he stuck the straw in, put it in his mouth, and drank. And sure enough, he threw up too.
After a long while, Strange also slumped onto the sofa. He was a man who paid great attention to his image, usually standing and sitting with proper posture, even on a soft sofa, he would try to be as dignified as possible. This time, however, he looked truly dead.
Next up was Steve. Steve, seeing them, thought they were just putting on an act again. He also grabbed a bottle of oral liquid, but the three quickly stopped him.
"Don't drink it, please don't drink it!" Stark said. "Uncle Rogers, I'm begging you!"
Steve was a little surprised. He looked at the small bottle of oral liquid and said, "Tony, I know you have a sensitive sense of taste and don't take medicine often, but it can't be that exaggerated... Pfft!!!"
Two minutes later, Steve sat on the sofa, completely baffled. The way he held the medicine bottle was no different from how he held a hand grenade; in fact, his expression suggested he thought it was more powerful than a hand grenade.
Bucky arrived shortly after, also wanting to drink the medicine. This time, even Stark stopped him, which shocked Bucky: Just how awful could this stuff taste that Stark would set aside past grudges and pride to stop him? Was he really going to die here?
Bucky wisely didn't drink it, and neither did Natasha. They both escaped unscathed. Then the main universe's Spider-Man came to say goodbye, because they were leaving; he'd heard the new drug was finished and wanted to try a bottle.
This time, however, no one stopped him because Spider-Man has a very powerful ability called "spider-sense." Sure enough, there was no reaction when he picked up the medicine bottle, but just as he was about to pour it into his mouth, the spider-sense went off with a "buzz," and Spider-Man instinctively threw the bottle away.
The room erupted in cheers. No one had ever envied Spider-Man's superpowers so much.
"This isn't poison, is it?" Spider-Man asked doubtfully.
“No, it’s just awful,” Schiller said. “I advise you not to try it.”
“No,” Spider-Man said, “I have to take it to my aunt; I have to try it.”
After saying that, he mustered his courage and took a sip—he was the only one among everyone who didn't spit out the medicine; he even swallowed it. Everyone was astonished.
"It really tastes awful...cough cough cough!" Spider-Man's voice choked with emotion. "But actually, it's not so bad, cough cough cough...it's better than...better than going to the hospital..."
Everyone fell silent. Stark squeezed the bottle, realizing, like everyone else, that while the flavor might not have been intentionally created, it was very likely unmodified and deliberately preserved so that the medicine would reach those who truly needed it.
“Take them all,” Stark said, handing him the blister pack of medicine. “I wish you good health.”
"Thank you, you too."