Chapter 27: The People of Monaco Welcome You

Lotus was quite displeased with Luke for causing such a commotion last night without including it.
"The mech's capacity is limited," Luke explained.
"I don't care!" Lotus protested. "You have to come up with a solution!"
Faced with Lotus's adamant protest, Luke had no choice but to clear out a small space inside the mech and install a fish tank.

The next morning, after breakfast, Luke left early with his backpack and quietly made his way to the secret warehouse.
Today, he was planning to skip school.
Inside the warehouse, he discarded his backpack and released the mech, climbing inside. Lotus eagerly crawled into the fish tank.
The warehouse roof opened. Flames erupted from beneath the mech's feet, propelling it into the sky. It swiftly soared out of New York, heading across the Atlantic toward Europe.

Once in international waters, the mech switched to supersonic cruising, crossing the ocean at even greater speed.
Inside, his assistant Christina reported on their progress: "Speed is at Mach 1.7. Clear skies, favorable conditions, no birds in sight. Estimated arrival in 1 hour and 53 minutes."

Luke planned to use this time for a nap. A child's body was inconvenient—he was often drowsy. At least he could usually catch up on sleep at school.
A news story on the screen caught Luke's attention.
The chaos in Hell's Kitchen last night had, unsurprisingly, made headlines across all major New York media outlets this morning.
The front page of The New York Times blared: "Liquefied Gas Explosion? Or a Super Bomb?"
The reporter, with a conspiratorial tone, detailed the bloody gang war that had erupted in New York last night. Speculations abounded—from guesses about the mastermind behind the conflict to whether unconventional weapons were used.

To be fair, their conjectures were remarkably accurate. Even Luke, the culprit, couldn't find fault with their analysis.
"Interesting."
"There’s more relevant information," Christina quickly pulled up additional reports for him.

One article featured a high-definition photo of the crater at the scene beneath its headline.
From the picture, it was clear the military had taken control.
The military's presence thrilled conspiracy theorists, further confirming that the official statement about a natural gas explosion was merely a cover-up.

So the question arose: What kind of weapon could cause such devastation?
A reporter quoted a military expert: "This is obviously a weapon unknown to America. It's possible last night's incident was the work of terrorists."

As a result, all underground gangs in Hell's Kitchen were in trouble.
Being linked to terrorists was taboo in American politics. The military's presence in Hell's Kitchen likely meant they were doing more than just securing the scene.

Luke figured the gangs in Hell's Kitchen would be lying low for a while.
And indeed, even Kingpin became cautious, hiding with his men and waiting for the storm to pass.
Privately, Kingpin cursed the bastard who had caused such chaos a hundred times over.
Damn it, we were just playing by the rules to seize territory, but you flipped the table? That's not how this game is played!
But anger was useless—Kingpin had no idea who was responsible for last night's upheaval, which had completely thrown his plans into disarray.
The military's forceful intervention would inevitably impact his business. But the military was not to be trifled with; many of Kingpin's "partners" had called that morning to advise him to lay low for a while.

He had no choice but to comply. Kingpin's empire was vast, and just one day of suspended operations in Hell's Kitchen meant losses he could barely accept.
But under the eaves, one must bow their head. If you dared challenge the military, they'd crush you in an instant—turn Kingpin into a pancake.

Meanwhile, Daredevil and his companion wiped the sweat from their brows.
Last night, they were lucky to have the help of that mysterious stranger; otherwise, they might not have made it out alive.
The inferno of Hell's Kitchen made Daredevil realize he was investigating a truly extraordinary case. Next time, he'd have to be much more cautious.

Yes, he would return.
That was Daredevil—never one to give up easily.

The mech flew for nearly two hours, and at last, Luke saw the coast of England. He was in Europe.
To avoid detection by military radar, Luke reduced altitude and speed. Upon entering British airspace, he continued toward Monaco following the navigation.

The Principality of Monaco, in southwestern Europe, is the second smallest country in the world—just slightly larger than Vatican City.
Monaco covers only two square kilometers, smaller than Summer Palace. Yet it is one of the world's most affluent, highly developed nations, with a per capita GDP of $200,000, three times that of Americans.

Monaco’s Monte Carlo Circuit is a world-famous racetrack. Each year, the Monaco Grand Prix attracts visitors from all over the globe.
In the film, Ivan Vanko learns Tony will attend the race in Monaco, obtains a visa through underground channels, flies to Monaco, and even infiltrates the event, disguising himself as a race mechanic.
At this time, Tony is suffering from palladium poisoning, having tried every remedy in vain. Feeling his days numbered, he becomes reckless and enters the extremely dangerous F1 race himself.

Luke remembered that Ivan Vanko’s father had worked with Tony’s father; later, Ivan’s father was deported and, before fleeing to the Soviet Union, stole the arc reactor blueprint.
Ivan Vanko was a genius no less than Tony, inheriting all his father's skills. Driven by vengeance, he built an arc reactor to power his whip-lash weapon.

During the race, Ivan Vanko shed his disguise, donned his harness, and openly attacked Tony with twin whips.
This was Luke’s recollection of the movie’s plot—though he couldn't guarantee every detail matched his memory, it was undeniably his greatest reliance.

As the mech approached Monaco, Lotus suddenly spoke from the fish tank, "Beep, system task issued."
"Huh? System task?" Luke was taken aback.
"The reward for this mission: one Mechanic Skill Selection Box."
Luke’s mouth watered at the mention of a mechanic skill selection.
Curious, he asked, "You can issue system tasks? Why didn’t I know before?"
"This is a privilege granted to me by the system. When necessary, I’ll issue tasks to motivate you to work harder. Don’t forget why we came to this world!" Lotus replied.

Fine, the system’s job for him was to spread the glory (or trouble) of the Apostle.
Luke asked, "So, what’s the goal of this mission?"
Lotus thrashed about in the fish tank, exclaiming, "Of course—before the ignorant masses, display the power of the Apostle! Wreak havoc! Let the world know us! Wahahaha!"