Kagura Hitomi carefully read through the email sent by Mr. Rodriguez, the Deputy Secretary-General of the World Security Council.
At its core, this had nothing to do with superheroes, saving the world, or alien threats.
It was simply about a young girl—a medical case.
The story began when Mr. Rodriguez's daughter lost her right leg in a tragic car accident. This not only took away her ability to walk but also cast a dark shadow over her future.
However, being in such a high position of power, Rodriguez was not the type to simply accept fate. Instead, he chose to fight against it.
After all, humanity had already dealt with alien invasions.
How hard could regenerating a lost limb be?
Perhaps, as a father, that was the kind of determination he held.
A father's love could outweigh the entire world.
And so, under the guise of a medical research request, an email was sent, summoning the world's top medical and technology companies, along with the most renowned doctors, to discuss the feasibility of limb regeneration—the first such attempt in human history.
Rhodes Island Industries was the world's largest arms manufacturer, seemingly unrelated to the medical field.
However, in reality, the company not only had its own pharmaceutical division, "Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals," but had also heavily invested in various medical institutions, actively pushing forward the development of medical equipment.
After all, selling weapons and funding medicine often went hand in hand.
Stark Industries had once done the same, using profits from arms sales to advance medical research. It was an unspoken rule in the arms and tech industries.
Moreover, aside from biological treatments, the proposed medical solutions included high-tech mechanical prosthetics—a key reason why Rodriguez reached out to Kagura.
His email made one thing clear:
He didn't care if the solution was biological or mechanical.
As long as his daughter could stand and walk again, he would accept it.
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Two Weeks Later, Washington D.C.
The spacious hall was filled with elite medical professionals from around the world, along with representatives from leading tech and biomedical companies.
Around 300 experts had gathered here, a testament to Rodriguez's commitment.
He had spared no expense in assembling the brightest minds from top medical and research institutions worldwide.
If this hearing failed to produce a viable solution, it would essentially confirm that humanity had not yet overcome the technological barriers to limb regeneration.
Kagura entered the hall, dressed in a sleek black business suit with sheer stockings, a pair of thin-rimmed black glasses resting on her nose.
She carried a lightweight holographic tablet as she scanned the room.
Looking around…
She confidently nodded to herself.
Yep, she didn't recognize a single person.
To be fair, she had only been in this world for four years.
Living a largely reclusive and "hopelessly introverted" life, she hadn't had many opportunities to meet these industry leaders.
Even in business meetings and technical collaborations, such matters were usually handled by Cortana and Bruce Wayne on behalf of Rhodes Island Industries.
Even after becoming the CEO, she still let Cortana run certain operations through her holographic projection.
And if that didn't work, well…there were always clone proxies.
Clone Kagura: ???
At that moment, a somewhat familiar figure entered her field of vision.
Originally, she had been looking for Dr. Killian. After all, the Extremis Virus he possessed was something she was particularly interested in.
Plus, this was a great chance to gauge his attitude toward Tony Stark and determine whether A.I.M. should be dealt with preemptively.
But before she could find Killian, someone else caught her attention.
A man with an unmistakably long face.
'Oh my, wasn't that our dear Dr. Stephen Strange?'
It made perfect sense for him to be here.
After all, no world-class medical conference would be complete without a top-tier surgeon like Dr. Strange.
At this point in time, Stephen Strange had yet to become the Sorcerer Supreme, but his medical expertise had already made him one of the most influential figures in the field.
Well then, time to strike up a conversation!
With that thought, Kagura walked over.
"Hey there! Sherlock—wait, no—Dr. Strange. I'm Kagura Hitomi from Rhodes Island Industries."
"Oh, hello, Miss Kagura."
Stephen Strange turned toward her with a polite smile and shook her hand.
"I must say, I'm surprised. I didn't expect an arms company to be invited to a medical conference."
"Well, Rhodes Island Industries has a broad business portfolio. Weapons are just a small part of what we do. Medical technology is very much within our expertise."
Kagura smiled, unfazed by the hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Stephen Strange was known for his arrogance, but at least he had a good heart.
"So, Doctor, what do you think about this case? Do you believe modern medicine can make Rodriguez's daughter walk again?" she asked.
"Hmm… Hard to say."
Strange stroked his goatee.
"Medically speaking, limb regeneration is practically impossible. Humans aren't lizards. Our current technology isn't advanced enough to alter genetic traits and trigger such regrowth."
"So, you're not optimistic about this hearing?"
"More or less."
Strange nodded.
"Rather than finding a cure for the girl, I'm more interested in seeing what kind of wild ideas these companies will present. It's a rare opportunity to expand my knowledge."
He chuckled.
"For instance, I just heard about a company claiming they can modify DNA within the brain to regenerate limbs. Sounds like pure nonsense."
"Oh? A.I.M.'s proposal?"
From his description, Kagura immediately recognized it as the Extremis Virus.
"Yeah. It defies basic medical principles, but as a sci-fi story, I suppose it's entertaining." Strange smirked.
"So, what's Rhodes Island Industries bringing to the table?"
"A simple smart prosthetic."
Kagura waved her holographic tablet.
"No fancy tricks—just a practical solution that works."
"Sounds more reliable than A.I.M.'s fantasy."
Strange nodded.
"Well, good luck. I hear the winning proposal will receive a $200 million grant."
"You're not submitting your own solution?" Kagura asked.
"With your skill, surely you have some ideas?"
"I only take on cases I believe are curable, Miss Kagura."
Strange chuckled proudly.
"As for this one? I'll pass. I just hope your prosthetic is good enough."