2024-04-25
Author: Pencil Dancing
Charlotte picked up a button from the Reception Room table and pressed it.
Just a few seconds later, there was a knock at the Reception Room door. The next moment, Umino Iruka walked in.
"Iruka, bring Rock Lee here."
Hearing Charlotte's order, Iruka said nothing and turned to leave the Reception Room.
Seeing Charlotte being so cooperative, Coulson nodded in satisfaction.
What could an assassin do, even if he was New York's Legendary Assassin...
A few minutes later, the Room Door was knocked on again, and Iruka brought Rock Lee into the Reception Room.
"Lord Charlotte, were you looking for me?"
Rock Lee entered with a smile on his face. He thought there was a new mission.
Charlotte beckoned to him. "Rock Lee, come sit down. This gentleman has something to discuss with you."
After Iruka left, Coulson looked curiously at the child's outfit. "Rock Lee, are you a big admirer of Bruce Lee?"
Hearing Coulson's question, Rock Lee asked uncertainly, "Sir, who are you talking about?"
Coulson gestured with his hands before saying, "Bruce Lee. Lee Xiaolong. Chinese kung fu."
Rock Lee still looked completely confused, but he answered firmly, "Sir, I don't know who you're talking about."
Hearing this, Coulson asked uncertainly, "Then what about that outfit?"
"It really looks a lot like Bruce Lee's, just in a slightly different color."
Rock Lee looked at the man before him and explained, "Sir, my master gave me this outfit as a gift. I like it very much, and I admire him greatly. But I don't know who you're talking about. Clearly, he isn't my master."
Hearing the words "master," an idea flashed through Coulson's mind. He asked doubtfully, "Your master? Charlotte?"
Charlotte merely watched Coulson perform without saying anything. He did not stop Rock Lee from mentioning his master either. After all, perhaps Might Guy really would appear someday.
Rock Lee shook his head and explained, "Not Lord Charlotte. My own master."
"May I ask what you wanted to see me about, sir?"
"Do you have a commission for me?"
When he mentioned a commission, Rock Lee became excited, brimming with youthful energy.
Hearing Rock Lee mention commissions, Coulson gave Charlotte a deep look. Making a child carry out missions was unethical.
Coulson once again put on that approachable smile and said, "Rock Lee, would you like to return to school?"
"Return to the life of an ordinary child, studying without a care in the world."
Rock Lee replied helplessly, "Sir, I've already graduated. And it's been more than a year since then. I won't be going back to school."
Coulson, who had been full of confidence, froze when he heard Rock Lee's words. Graduated?
Looking at thirteen-year-old Rock Lee, Coulson still wanted to explain what he meant by school and the life he had described.
Before he could speak, Charlotte stood up. "Mr. Coulson, you can talk with Rock Lee first. Once you're done, I'll wait for you outside."
With that, Charlotte turned and left the Reception Room. He did not want to listen any longer.
Coulson's strategy was not wrong; he had simply chosen the wrong target. How could he persuade a shinobi to go back to school?
Even if he had prescribed the right medicine, Coulson had nothing that could attract Rock Lee.
Just now, Charlotte had considered letting Rock Lee leave with Coulson and infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. to gather intelligence for him—not the location of the Tesseract, but the Energy Blocks made from its power.
He wanted to see whether those things could be used to recharge, but Rock Lee was still a child. What could he accomplish even if he went?
Wouldn't he still have to enter S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agent academy? By the time he graduated and was qualified to access those things, it would be far too late.
Charlotte abandoned that thought. When the time was right and he was strong enough, he could simply seize the Tesseract when Loki arrived.
Seeing Charlotte come out, Iruka stood and asked, "Lord Charlotte, are the discussions finished?"
"Not yet. That man wanted to meet Rock Lee, and they're still talking."
Hearing that the matter was not over, Iruka said, "Lord Charlotte, ever since that man arrived, we've been under surveillance."
"I sensed Killing Intent. More than one gun should be aimed at our Agency."
"I don't know whether these people came with that FBI agent or whether they are Assassins after the bounty, so I did not capture them."
Hearing Iruka say there were surveillance teams and gunmen outside, Charlotte did not care. "They're all here to protect that FBI agent. Ignore them."
Hearing Charlotte tell him to ignore it, Iruka said no more. The two chatted outside.
About half an hour later, the Reception Room door opened.
Coulson no longer wore that pleasant smile. He was utterly helpless.
After talking for so long, he felt as though he and Rock Lee were not even on the same wavelength.
He had not managed to extract much information either. All he learned was that Rock Lee had a master who taught him cultivation, that the master was not here, but would come someday.
He had not gotten any other information. This child was very cautious, more like someone trained by an academy than an ordinary person.
In particular, Coulson felt that Rock Lee had discovered the camera and recording devices hidden on him.
Because the child had stared at those locations for quite some time, yet had not spoken up about them.
Coulson came before Charlotte Doyle and said, "Rock Lee is unwilling to leave with me, and he has his own godfather. But I won't give up so easily. Perhaps I'll come again someday."
That was right. In Coulson's eyes, Rock Lee's master was equivalent to his godfather.
Seeing that Coulson had not given up, Charlotte said, "I told you before that Rock Lee would not leave with you. You should abandon this idea."
"Goodbye, Charlotte."
Coulson said nothing more and turned to leave the Charlotte Agency.
After walking out the door, Coulson got into his car. He was not alone inside; Mei, The Cavalry, was sitting there as well.
"Mei, the video and audio were transmitted in real time. What are your thoughts after watching our conversation?"
Mei took off her headphones and slowly said, "Charlotte, this Legendary Assassin, does not care about us."
"Or rather, he does not care about the FBI. He is also very confident that Rock Lee will not leave with you."
"Also, this Charlotte Agency is not simple. That Asian man named Iruka discovered our deployment. While you were talking, he went outside and deliberately looked toward the positions of the snipers we had deployed."
"And he was not the least bit flustered, as if he did not care about being targeted."
Hearing Mei's words, Coulson thought about Charlotte's attitude, as well as his anger and reaction when Coulson had threatened him.
Helplessly, he said, "Let's go back first. Report this to the Director and see how he wants to handle it."
"At the same time, leave a team behind to monitor the target."
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