Marvel Saiyans - Chapter 57
Broly hid his Batman armor in a secluded cave before flying to Kandahar City on the Nimbus Cloud.
The CIA’s funds were nearly inexhaustible, and Matt’s address was the best hotel in Kandahar. Broly easily located this landmark building, the Kandahar Hotel.
Matt ordered a cup of local specialty yogurt tea and waited in the lobby for Broly’s arrival.
“So you were in Kandahar.”
Because Broly arrived so quickly, he thought Broly had been in Kandahar all along. He led Broly into the elevator and straight up to the presidential suite on the twentieth floor.
Although it was the best hotel in Kandahar, it was still somewhat shabby.
Several fully armed soldiers were waiting inside the presidential suite, some boredly watching dull TV programs while others played cards together.
After entering, Matt clapped his hands to attract everyone’s attention and gestured for Broly to find a seat. He pulled out a whiteboard and began explaining the mission’s requirements.
“We will head to the Ten Rings’ base to check Tony Stark’s health. Scott, you’re in charge of this mission. Take all the medical equipment and thoroughly examine every ailment this playboy might have, even if it’s hemorrhoids. I want to know their shape.”
Laughter erupted among the group. The possibility of Tony Stark falling into the hands of those desperate Pashtuns wasn’t out of the question.
“Everyone, pay attention. Do not engage in conflict with the Ten Rings. Our only mission is to confirm that Tony Stark is indeed alive. Check your equipment now. The plane will arrive in twenty minutes, and we’ll depart then.”
After finishing, Matt pulled Broly into a room to explain the situation.
“We need to meet the Fire Cloud Fiend first.”
“What’s going on?” Broly asked.
“The CIA has been supporting the Ten Rings; their weapons come through our channels. The CIA originally planned to use the Ten Rings to contain the Taliban and the East, but they gave the U.S. a big surprise. Now, the director is extremely embarrassed, trying desperately to cover up the relationship between the CIA and the Ten Rings. If I help resolve this issue, I could get a fast track to promotion.”
Matt openly discussed the CIA’s schemes. He wasn’t worried about Broly leaking their conversation; with all kinds of conspiracy theories flying around in America without solid evidence, it wouldn’t hurt an entity as large as the CIA.
Obadiah alone couldn’t transport Stark Industries’ weapons to Afghanistan and into the hands of the Ten Rings. The trade chain faced various complex issues at every link, requiring enormous power and influence, and the CIA was an indispensable part of it.
“The Fire Cloud Fiend can’t control all of his subordinates.”
After fleeing to Afghanistan, the Mandarin cooperated with the local Pashtun tribes to prevent the Ten Rings from disintegrating. These Pashtun tribes provided the Ten Rings with funding, manpower, and fresh blood, while the Ten Rings offered high-end combat capabilities to protect them from Taliban exploitation.
This partnership was very successful, allowing the Ten Rings to quickly establish roots in the unfamiliar territory of Afghanistan and overgrow. The tribes, under the protection of the Ten Rings, weren’t oppressed by the Taliban.
However, the drawback was apparent: the Ten Rings’ organization was very loose. The Mandarin could control only about a dozen direct bases; the other tribes operated almost like independent lords, following orders but not proclamations.
“Obadiah Stane bribed one of the Ten Rings’ leaders named Raza, but when he captured Tony Stark, he bizarrely tried to force Stark to manufacture weapons for him.” Ignorant of modern industrial assembly lines, Raza relied on a diesel generator for electricity in his cave. His followers were illiterate, and even if Stark were tied to an electric chair, it wouldn’t magically produce a factory.
Without stable electricity, advanced manufacturing equipment, trained production line workers, and high-quality management staff, it was impossible to mass-produce modern weapons.
As an old monster who lived from the Qing Dynasty to the present, the Mandarin wouldn’t harbor such naive thoughts; instead, he valued the relationship with the CIA.
Knowing he couldn’t contend with the East without CIA support, he executed the foolish Raza immediately, took control of Tony Stark, and ordered his tribes to abandon their bases and move when attacked by the U.S. military.
After all, once things were settled with the CIA, the U.S. military would return the bases to them.
“Negotiations were going very smoothly, and Tony Stark was about to be handed over to us,” Matt said with clenched teeth, leading the negotiations. “But then this mysterious Black Panther suddenly appeared, attacking the Pashtun tribes under the Ten Rings.”
These tribes, already dissatisfied with the Mandarin for executing Raza, began to defect after Black Panther’s appearance. They plotted to break away from the Ten Rings, arguing that the Mandarin could no longer protect the tribes.
Naturally, the Mandarin was ruthless, executing the leaders of two tribes and sending several disciples to hunt down Black Panther and behead other people to appease the remaining tribal leaders.
“Not long ago, one of the Mandarin’s disciples, Crocodile, was killed by Black Panther,” Matt said with a grave expression.
As a collaborator of the Ten Rings, the CIA was aware of the strength of the Mandarin’s disciples. Although some were stronger than Crocodile, none could easily defeat someone who had mastered the seventh level of the Iron Mantra.
“Because Eastern warriors have appeared in Afghanistan, the Mandarin can’t personally kill Black Panther. So, he’s using him as a bargaining chip to exchange Tony Stark, handing over the task of dealing with Black Panther to us.”
Though the CIA is powerful, ordinary agents and soldiers stand no chance against Black Panther. Matt immediately thought of Broly. Given Broly’s combat abilities shown in Mexico City, taking down Black Panther shouldn’t be difficult.
Broly strained to keep his expression neutral as he listened, growing increasingly concerned. The Black Panther Matt spoke of was him. But he was wearing Batman armor; why was he mistaken for a cat?!
This was an insult to his aesthetics and the craftsmanship of Kade Iger!
“Uh, do you have a photo of Black Panther?” Broly asked.
Matt shook his head.
“Not long ago, a SEAL reconnaissance team witnessed him killing Crocodile, but unfortunately, the photos they took were destroyed by Black Panther. The U.S. military is now using software to sketch Black Panther’s appearance, and we’ll soon have the final image in hand.”
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