Chapter 2731: Star Core Rescue (Part 28)

Natasha flipped through the notebook in her hand, cast a cold glance at Beck, and then said, "Quentin Beck, graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a major in computer software and security. Later, you obtained a master's and doctoral degree in the same field. Six years ago, you joined the Stark Group headquarters, becoming a researcher in Laboratory 2306, and eventually became the deputy team leader of that project group, and team leader a year later."

"But about two years ago, you resigned from the Stark Group and disappeared for a full year. After returning, you became Justin Balk, who also graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also a software security engineer, and possessed a perfect resume of working at major companies around the world. At the same time, relying on this resume, you successfully entered the Star Core Space Station to work."

Natasha closed the notebook, stared at Beck, and said, "Can you tell me what happened during that year?"

"This is my personal privacy," Beck said with a cold face.

"I hope you are just as tough in court," Natasha said. "I hope you know that before the space station went up, 63 countries around the world jointly passed the Human Spaceflight Safety Act No. 1. Any individual or organization that endangers spaceflight safety will be charged based on this. One of the clauses is that any individual or organization that impersonates another's identity or uses another's name to participate in spaceflight work is considered to be endangering human spaceflight safety and will be charged in the country of their nationality."

"Although you changed your identity, you didn't change your nationality. You are still an American. According to the draft of the American Spaceflight Safety Act promulgated by Congress three years ago, individuals and organizations that endanger American spaceflight safety will be sentenced to unlimited imprisonment, accumulated based on the severity of their actions."

"And according to the American National Security Act No. 36, anyone who modifies or conceals their personal identity and resume to engage in illegal activities will simultaneously be charged under 72 counts, including disrupting national security and obstructing justice."

"I just did a calculation. Based on the severity of your illegal activities, you are looking at about 16 charges, with a cumulative imprisonment term of about 392 years."

"Do you have anything to say about this?"

"This is not my fault!" Beck struggled to sit up from the bed. He roared, "I didn't commit a crime! All of this is Stark's fault!"

"If you can't produce evidence, I'm afraid it will be very difficult to convince the jury of that. You know how serious the space station crash is. Even if you are only slightly involved, the jury will not be lenient with you."

"Let's talk about Stark again." Natasha sighed, took another document, and said, "Although Stark himself is not in the Stark Group now, Howard Stark, the former leader and current shareholder of the Stark Group, used his authority to pull up the records of your work at the Stark Group at that time."

"The records show that you repeatedly failed to cooperate with work transfers, even had physical conflicts with staff in other laboratories, and refused to accept the group's handling, until they had to use judicial means, and you also incurred more than 2 million dollars in debt because of this."

Natasha crossed her legs, rested her hands on her knees, and said, "From my personal feelings, if you modified your identity to avoid debt, it's understandable, but I really can't figure out why you had to cause such a big disaster in the laboratory? As far as I know, the treatment for Stark Group employees is very good. Even if you were only a second-level researcher, your salary was 5-6 times that of other research institutes on the market..."

"But that Bolunte is just an idiot!" Beck cursed through gritted teeth. "He belittled my research topic as worthless. Even after I became the team leader of the research project group, he was transferred to the management department and found trouble for me every day..."

"And that damn Peter Parker, he and they are all in the same gang. On the surface, they said my research project was not important, but secretly they wanted to steal my research results..."

"Wait a moment." Natasha stopped him and said, "Bolunte?"

The female agent looked down and flipped through the information in her hand, revealing an expression of sudden realization, and then said, "He was your team leader when you were the deputy team leader, right? You didn't have a good relationship with him?"

Beck's mouth was full of curses, and no logical words could be heard. Anyway, he kept repeating the same few sentences, saying that Bolunte, Peter, and Stark were in the same gang, suppressing him on the surface, but actually wanting to drive him out so they could occupy his research results.

"Regarding this research result of yours..." Natasha took a light breath and said, "I also pulled up the relevant information."

Beck let out a short, sharp gasp as if someone had pinched his throat, and then stopped talking. He was worried that Natasha would suspect the identity of Mysterio.

Although the equipment used by the previous monsters was primitive equipment that had not been modified, and the special effects used by Mysterio were upgraded versions he had carefully crafted without using any templates, he was still guilty of a guilty conscience and worried that it would be seen through.

"I have a question. Didn't you work in software security? Why did you suddenly start doing film and television special effects? Is the new type of special effects equipment that is popular in the film and television industry your masterpiece?"

"That was Stark stealing my research results!" Beck said. "But that is indeed my technology. I'm just interested in this area."

"I have to remind you." Natasha still couldn't help but speak up, "When you joined the company, the contract you signed clearly stated that the Stark Group has the right of first refusal for all research patents of its researchers. After it acquires the patent according to the regular process, only the Stark Group has the right to use the patent, and the research team only has the right of authorship."

"According to Stark's internal files, three months after your technology was completed, the Stark Group initiated the acquisition of the patent and completed all acquisition processes half a month before you resigned. That is to say, this patented technology now legally, reasonably, and compliantly belongs to the Stark Group, and it has all the rights to earn income from it."

"If you didn't want to give any project you independently researched to the Stark Group, why did you sign the employment contract at that time?"

Facing Natasha's probing gaze, Beck stammered and couldn't answer. Then Natasha understood a little, and she said, "Because they paid too much, right? Then in the long time you worked after that, didn't you think about why the Stark Group was willing to pay you such a high salary?"

"They are patent monopolizing..." Beck finally squeezed out a word.

"Whether they are engaging in technical monopoly will be investigated by a professional anti-monopoly department, but I must remind you that if you leak any information about this technology to others or produce it privately, and are sued by the Stark Group, the patent infringement fee you need to pay will be an astronomical figure."

Beck turned pale.

He whispered "I didn't" in his mouth, but he couldn't say any well-founded rebuttal. Seeing him like this, Natasha had no choice. The female agent could only confirm that this guy was indeed in the wrong.

The reason why Natasha asked this question first was that she was also worried that some people in the Stark Group would use their power to seize technology, but from the current evidence, the process of patent acquisition was completely fine, and this special effects technology was not the Stark Group's main business, so it was not a monopoly, and Beck was not a victim.

Just as Natasha said, if you don't want to give technology to others, don't sign the contract. When such large companies sign contracts, there are recordings. Inside, it is clearly shown that professional legal practitioners explain the contract clauses to employees, and there is no such thing as contract fraud or yin-yang contracts, but Beck still signed it.

It was nothing more than because the Stark Group really paid a lot. Not only was the salary five or six times higher than the market, but they also gave an extra patent fee when acquiring the patent. From the subsequent investigation of Beck's personal account, this money clearly went into Beck's pocket.

Looking at it this way, the Stark Group is the victim. They paid the salary according to the contract and gave a high patent acquisition fee, but now they still have to face the risk of patent leakage.

Although Natasha has never sympathized with capitalists, Beck is not a good person either. The most unlucky ones are the researchers in the same research group as him. If the technology really leaks, they will be the first to lose their jobs. What did these ordinary people do wrong?

"Okay, Mr. Beck, it seems that the debt you have to carry is far more than a few million dollars. I hope you can pay it off in your lifetime." Natasha chose to skip this topic and began to ask about things that were truly useful.

"The last question today, as long as you answer truthfully, the inquiry will end—who helped you change your identity?"

This question was like a knife, stabbing straight into Beck's chest. He suddenly turned pale, his breathing became rapid, and Shiler walked over to push the female agent aside to check on Beck.

"Tension-type apnea." Shiler turned his head and shouted, "Nurse! Prepare for intubation!"

Natasha stood up, stared at Beck for a moment, and then said, "It seems like today is not going to work. I hope you can try your best to treat him, Doctor."

"I will. You go out first. I believe today's information is enough for you to go back and report."

After Natasha left, Shiler went to adjust the ventilator. Severe apnea is a very troublesome condition. Patients will suddenly forget how to breathe and must be assisted by external means, otherwise, they will suffocate themselves to death like a fish on land.

Fortunately, Beck was in the hospital, and the treatment methods here were very advanced. After a while, he was saved. Shiler stood by the bed, looking at Beck helplessly, and said, "I really didn't misjudge you. You are just a weakling."

Beck conveyed his anger with his eyes, but he couldn't fully adapt to the rhythm of the ventilator and could barely say anything.

"Have you ever had symptoms of apnea before?" Shiler asked casually while adjusting the breathing tube for him.

Beck shook his head, his eyes looking at the ceiling somewhat listlessly, feeling that his tense trachea had finally relaxed a little, and his breathing was more smooth and free.

"As you can see, I am a psychologist. Next, I will conduct some psychological treatment for you." Shiler rubbed his forehead gently, appearing a bit tired, and said, "Fill out the form first."

In the next half hour or so, Beck filled out several forms. Shiler asked him some very basic questions and then told him it was over. Beck suspected that Shiler was brushing him off, but he had no evidence.

This made Beck even more angry. He felt that Shiler was a sycophant who curried favor with the powerful. Stark paid him a huge salary, so he would try his best to please this rich man, and he was lying helplessly on the bed, so he was brushing him off.

Why is the whole world targeting him???

Plus, every time his breathing was about to stabilize, or he was about to fall asleep due to fatigue, Shiler would go to fiddle with the ventilator or adjust the breathing tube, making him unable to sleep at all. This damn doctor must have been instructed by Stark to abuse him!

This anger and frustration gradually brewed a storm in Beck's heart.