Carl also understood that once the three-color pills became popular, they would certainly be imitated by many of his peers.
It was inevitable, but he wasn't worried.
The first was the technical barrier of the three-color pills. The red pill came from the body-strengthening ointment, and the blue and green pills came from the Military Ration Pills. These were not products of this world. It would be difficult to crack their formula and manufacture them in a short period of time without proper knowledge.
Even Garrett of Hydra had to kidnap Dr. Smith because his subordinates were unable to analyze the formula of the Power Pill in a short period of time.
Second, the quality was not guaranteed. Without a superhero like Iron Man endorsing it, why would you buy an unknown product of the same kind when there were already reliable, well-established pills available?
Third, the price of the three-color pills was not high to begin with, especially the green pills, which were sold in large quantities and kept prices extremely low. If imitation products were to be sold at the same price, it would be hard for them to make a profits if the sales were weak.
It's like cola. Except for Pepsi and Coca-Cola, other colas can't compete with them, even if they taste similar.
Most of all, Carl didn't really care about the money. Too much money is just a number. It cannot be used to resist Thanos, nor can it fend off those terrifying dimensional demons.
When imitations that could match the effects of the three-color pills eventually appeared, his main mission might already be complete, and money would no longer be a priority.
"Ring, ring, ring."
Not long after Tony was taken away by David, Carl's communicator suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller and a hint of surprise crossed his face.
"Uncle Li is calling me at this time… Could it be…?"
He quickly had a few guesses in mind.
Sure enough, as soon as the communicator connected, Uncle Li reported:
"Master, the test results of the hair you sent are back. It's normal human hair. There are no traces of non-human genes in it."
"Okay, got it."
After hanging up, Carl murmured:
"It seems that in this world, Peter's parents were ordinary people, and he acquired his abilities after being bitten by a mutant spider."
It would be another five or six years before Peter recovered from the spider bite, so it seemed unnecessary to study his genes and create a potion to enhance physical fitness.
It was a bit disappointing, but it wasn't a big deal. If the Super Soldier Serum and the Hulk's blood could be successfully researched, their effects would be much greater than Spider-Man's genes.
At the same time, Nick Fury, who had gotten Hydra information from Carl, also began his counterattack.
He didn't confront Pierce directly. Instead, he kept up the appearance of trusting him, paralyzed his vigilance, delayed time, and secretly carried out a large-scale purge of suspects centering on Pierce and Garrett.
Then he sent people to clear them out, one by one.
Once Pierce noticed, he mobilized all the Hydra agents under him to fight back and started discrediting Nick Fury in the Security Council.
One was the current Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and the other was the Security Council's Minister. The world's leaders were unsure whom to trust, so they simply cut all funding and let the two resolve it on their own.
Because of Nick Fury and Pierce, the whole of S.H.I.E.L.D. fell into chaos — all projects were put on hold, and all operations were suspended. The agents fell into a state of civil war.
Oh, there was one exception — Natasha the Black Widow.
In order to maintain a good relationship between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Carl, she kept Wanda company while shopping. It may have been the easiest mission she'd gotten since joining S.H.I.E.L.D.
"You always lack confidence, and you always come up short quickly. It's a disease — it needs to be treated. The three-color pill will make you stronger, more durable, and more attractive. Only when you are strong can she be happy!"
"Since I started taking the three-color pill, my back isn't weak, my knees aren't shaky, and having sex five or six times a night has become normal. One kind of pill refreshes the mind, two kinds keep you from tiring, and all three together make the bedroom a paradise!"
In the evening, Wanda, resting in Carl's arms, looked at the advertisement looping on TV in disbelief and asked:
"How did you convince this guy to help you with the commercial?"
She knew her husband, Carl, had some business ties to the Stark Group and was acquainted with Tony Stark.
But nobody expected Tony Stark to be willing to shoot a commercial for his products.
Not only was she surprised — everyone who was watching the commercial at this moment was wearing a look of disbelief, especially those who were more familiar with Tony, like his good friend Colonel Rhodes.
"He volunteered. Maybe it's because he thinks our products are really good. By the way, did you enjoy shopping with Natalie today?"
Carl responded and then changed the subject.
Wanda nodded happily, then sighed:
"It was nice. Natalie even helped me pick out some lovely lace pajamas. But she received a call today that her father in Russia fell ill and she had to leave New York and return home for a while."
"Is that so? It's okay. She'll probably be back once her father gets better."
Carl nodded.
It seemed Natasha's acting skills were remarkable — Wanda hadn't suspected a thing.
The next day, the news that Tony Stark, chairman of the Stark Group, a former playboy and now the world's first publicly recognized superhero, was endorsing a health product called the Three-Color Pills made headlines in major newspapers around the world.
What kind of product could be so highly praised by Tony Stark?
Media outlets rushed to learn more about the Three-Color Pills and interviewed people who had used it.
"If you hadn't interviewed me, you'd never know. Everyone who bought and tried the pills says they're great."
This further raised the public's curiosity and drove a buying spree.
In just a single day, the Hudson Group's Three-Color Pills were completely sold out, and production was rushed to keep up with orders.
"It turns out it's not enough just to have a good product — you need a strong spokesperson."
Sitting in his office, Carl sighed as he looked at the skyrocketing financial reports and the large number of orders already scheduled for the following month.
If he'd known the effects would be this dramatic, he might have made a brief superhero appearance himself to promote his own products.
But after thinking it over, he dismissed the idea. It would be a waste of time and it would disturb his peaceful life in the community.
"The main quest — to expand Hudson's business and become a top entrepreneur in New York — has been completed. You can check the unlocked new world and corresponding rewards in the quest bar in advance."
The abrupt quest notification made Carl pause in surprise. Then he quickly opened the quest panel.
The first main mission hadn't previously allowed him to view the new world and its rewards in advance. It was a nice surprise — this way, he could prepare and plan in advance before entering.