Nick Fury

Seeing the familiar figure at the door, Xia Yu was secretly delighted: black trench coat, combat boots, bald head and an eyepatch. It was the man who brought the Avengers together, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury!

"Hello, how can I help you?" Xia Yu asked politely, his expression unchanged.

"Hello, I'm here to see my personal physician. He's a remarkable elderly gentleman from the East. You must be his grandson?" Nick Fury asked, glancing around the room.

"Yes, sir. If you're looking for my grandfather, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. He passed away last month while he was back in his home country. If you need anything, I can help you, but you'll need to make an appointment in advance."

"What?" Nick Fury was shocked. A trace of sadness appeared on his face, and he said to Xia Yu, "I'm so sorry, kid. I didn't know he'd passed away. My work keeps my mind and body under constant strain. For years, I've come here from time to time for your grandfather's treatments. He often invited me to have tea and chat. This is where I feel most relaxed. I mean, he was a good doctor and a good man. He was my friend! May I come in and sit for a while?"

"Thank you for saying that. My grandfather would be very happy to hear it. Please, come in!" Xia Yu took the opportunity to invite Nick Fury inside.

Nick Fury entered with a nostalgic look on his face. He was clearly familiar with the place. After looking around, he went straight to the tea table and sat down.

"Your grandfather always offered me tea before treating me. Young man, do you know how to make tea the way he did?" Nick Fury asked, miming the act of pouring tea.

"As you wish, sir!" Xia Yu sat down and began heating water and rinsing the cups.

He was deeply impressed by the system's arrangements. Right from the start, it had brought him together with the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. in this way, and there was his grandfather's connection with him too. This was very good and very powerful! Seeing Nick Fury sitting there at ease, watching him make tea, Xia Yu couldn't help asking the system, "Tmall, this is the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. He was friends with my grandfather, but this is our first meeting. Isn't he a little too unguarded around me?"

"Master has a hidden favorability bonus with positive characters in the story. This is also to prepare for Master's smooth entry into the Avengers in the future!"

All right, if it can increase the story characters' favorability toward me, that counts as another kind of protagonist's luck, doesn't it?

Nick Fury's eyes lit up as he watched Xia Yu smoothly pour the water, rinse the tea leaves and brew the tea. "To be honest, I'm not very fond of drinking tea, but I loved watching your grandfather make it. It always made me feel calm and comfortable, so what I drank wasn't that important! I'm glad I can get that same feeling from watching you. You're a fine young man!"

Xia Yu smiled faintly. "You learn after enough exposure. Gongfu tea is half about drinking tea and half about calming the mind. The feeling matters more than the taste. For example, if you went fishing, surely enjoying the process would be more important than the fish itself, wouldn't it?"

"Haha, that's exactly it. What's your name, young man?"

"My name is Xia Yu, sir!" (I won't go into the differences between Eastern and Western names here. From now on, I'll keep it natural, or it would be too awkward.)

"Hello, Xia Yu. My name is Nick Fury. You can call me Nick. You said I could come to you if I needed anything. Do you mean you've learned your grandfather's medical skills too? Like that amazing needle technique!"

"That's called acupuncture, sir. I've studied with my grandfather since I was little. Whether I use it depends on your physical condition or what you need!"

"I said, call me Nick. That's what your grandfather called me. Every time I came before, he used needles to treat my headaches. After every treatment, I could sleep comfortably here for a few hours. I swear I've never slept so soundly. Can you help me? Like your grandfather did!"

"Of course, but as I said, you need to make an appointment, sir!"

"Damn it, call me Nick. My work keeps me busy. Your grandfather never made me book an appointment. Dear Xia, can you really stand by and watch a kind, gentle old man suffer from insomnia and headaches? He was your grandfather's friend, too!"

Watching Nick Fury wave his hands and make a fuss, Xia Yu rolled his eyes. Your look has nothing to do with kind or gentle, okay?

"All right, Nick, follow me. I'll give you acupuncture, for the sake of my late grandfather!" Xia Yu said, getting up and leading Nick Fury to the therapy room.

He had learned acupuncture long ago with the system's help, and the system had also explained exactly how his grandfather used to treat Nick Fury. Xia Yu lit a coil of sandalwood incense, just as his grandfather had done before. Nick Fury had already lain down as naturally as could be. After gently massaging several acupoints on his head, Xia Yu deftly picked up the silver needles and inserted them. Once the treatment was finished, Xia Yu picked up another silver needle and easily put Nick Fury to sleep!

The good sleep Nick Fury spoke of had all been deliberately arranged by Xia Yu's grandfather. For a patient like Nick Fury, who was chronically overworked and poorly rested, the best treatment was actually a good rest. Having tea and chatting with him was also a way to help him relax mentally!

Looking at Nick Fury sleeping soundly before him, Xia Yu once again felt a trace of unreality. A movie character was lying alive right in front of him, and it was none other than the famous Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Actually, Xia Yu would certainly have been happier if it had been Black Widow or Scarlet Witch. He shook his head vigorously and told himself that all of this was real, then opened the door and walked out!

"Ding! Congratulations, Master, on successfully treating Nick Fury, an important story character. Reward: thirty points and one system lottery draw! The points shop is now open."

Xia Yu was overjoyed. Invincible divine skills, here I come.

"Open the points shop!"

A virtual screen appeared before Xia Yu, displaying an interface like a game shop. It was packed with all kinds of techniques, including ones he had heard of growing up and ones he hadn't. There were familiar ones like the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, Yijin Jing, Nine Yang Divine Skill and Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin, among others. Then he looked at the prices and nearly cursed. Even the cheapest basic fist technique, Taizu Long Fist, cost a hundred points.

"Tmall, get out here!"

"I'm here, Master!"

"Tell me, what good are these thirty points? Even a dime-a-dozen technique like Taizu Long Fist costs a hundred points."

"Don't be anxious, Master. This is only the beginning. There will be plenty of opportunities to earn points. Take your time!"

"Then why put so many things in the points shop now? It's frustrating to see them and not be able to get them, you know!"

"This is to give Master more motivation to earn points, master divine skills sooner and make your name throughout the Marvel Universe! Besides, haven't I also prepared a lottery draw for you?"

Xia Yu felt extremely awkward listening to Tmall finish that long speech word by word in its synthesized electronic voice. He asked, "What can I win in the lottery? Let me see!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a circular wheel appeared before him. It had eight prizes: Lingbo Weibu, Lingbo Weibu, Lingbo...