A Failure That Wasn't Quite a Failure

Nick Fury's initial plan was simply to have Barbara Morse win over Henry Brown.

Under relaxed circumstances, probe the other party's thoughts. Then, Nick Fury, the big boss, steps in and subdues them.

Barbara later changed her mind; she was attracted by Henry's thoughtfulness and attentiveness during the journey, not to mention his witty and humorous conversation.

This sparked in her, still a university student, the idea of having a boyfriend and working in the same company. She didn't care whether S.H.I.E.L.D.. had a rule against office romances.

But none of them considered what would happen if Henry didn't follow their plan.

Only then did Barbara realize a problem: she had known all along that this man was very wary, and sincerity alone might not be able to move him, let alone approaching him while embroiled in lies.

So Barbara asked Nick Fury if she could handle Henry's work.

Because he likes someone, he brings that person into a company he believes has a promising future. This is an acceptable development for both men and women, and Henry is unlikely to object to it.

If the other party discovers that everything is a lie, rejection is the only outcome. But What If...? the lie has already been seen through, how could the result be any different?

Barbara, filled with deep regret, said with a pained expression, "What If...? I told you that I truly love you, would you believe me?"

"What do you like about me?" Henry asked.

"Your humor, and your erudition..." Barbara said guiltily.

Henry said, "Haha, Bobbie, you're a good girl. You have the chance to find a man better than me, don't set your sights on someone like me."

"As for the organization behind you, whoever they are, I believe there are many heroes willing to save the world. No one is irreplaceable; I am too insignificant."

"If everyone thinks like this, unwilling to step forward when something happens, assuming someone else will do it, then in the end, no one will do it. Is that right?" Barbara said excitedly.

Henry poked the fire with a stick and said, "So you should go find a good person who's willing to step up and save the world, not someone like me who just wants to live a normal life. What If...? you like me, thank you."

"But I still have to say, we're not a good match. What If...? the organization behind you wants me, I can only say I'm sorry, our ideologies don't align, and I can't be the kind of good person you expect."

He threw the wooden stick he was holding into the fire, and for the first time since they had spoken openly, Henry faced Barbara directly. He said, "But you don't need to worry. Although I can't be a good person, I don't have the guts to be a bad one either. Trouble."

"Just tell these things to your boss. Then you can go into your tent and get a good night's sleep. Kitty and I will stay outside; no one will hurt you."

"Hmm... no cat, no Tiger would do that. Tomorrow, I'll properly send you back to the city. You live your colorful life, and I'll live my mundane and boring one."

Barbara, however, had no intention of giving up. She grabbed Henry's arm, pressed her tearful face against his, and said, "Even so, can't we at least have a memory together?"

After saying that, she closed her eyes. Her glossy, moist lips were slightly upturned, as if inviting someone to pluck them.

Henry flicked her forehead with his finger. It wasn't hard, but it still hurt, Barbara clutched her forehead in grievance, her resentful little fish eyes glaring up at the clueless man.

"Go to sleep, okay? Otherwise, the one you see going berserk might not be me," Henry threatened jokingly.

Not far away, Kitty, bored from gnawing on a deer leg, let out a timely roar. Then she licked her face with her tongue.

Until they returned to downtown Los Angeles the next day, Barbara seemed to be sulking and refused to say a word to Henry. However, she still ate and drank as usual, and responded with nods and shakes of her head.

Following the girl's head as a guide, Henry dropped Barbara off at City Hall Park in the city center.

Earlier this year, Barbara also stayed at a hotel nearby. However, this time, it seems she hadn't made a reservation. But she didn't want to go back to Gary's apartment building with Henry, so she got off here.

Although Kitty was strapped to the back seat, a Tiger was still too eye-catching in the city center, and the police came over to check on her several times.

This was even after Henry closed all the back windows. If the windows had been open, it would have given a bunch of pedestrians a heart attack.

So after dropping Barbara off, Henry drove away without looking back.

Barbara entered the park and found a bench to sit down. Having changed back into her dress, she wore a large straw hat, which obscured most of her expression.

She dialed a number on the phone, and after three rings, she immediately hung up.

After a while, a Black man sat down at the other end of the bench. Nick Fury, with his shirt sleeves rolled up and tie loosened, ate a hot dog and mumbled in a voice no one could hear, "When did you get to Los Angeles?"

Yesterday morning.

"Okay, let's report."

"Mission failed. The mission to recruit Henry Brown."

Nick Fury frowned, swallowed the hot dog in his mouth, and asked, "What's going on?"

"I've exposed it." Barbara recounted everything that had happened in the past two days in great detail, including the temptations that led to her failure.

Finally, Barbara said dejectedly, "I'm sorry, I messed up. I shouldn't have taken the liberty of coming to see him."

Nick Fury finished the remaining hot dog, clapped his hands, and said discreetly, "Don't worry, things aren't as bad as you think. It's not the best outcome, but the mission isn't a failure either."

Barbara's incredulous gaze peeked out from under the brim of her large straw hat, filled with utter bewilderment.

Nick Fury explained, "This is the result of a psychological profile of Henry Brown conducted by the department's psychological experts. He is a very rational person, but his behavior is not simply about rejecting others."

He will choose the option with the least trouble from all the choices. For example, he rejected you this time because he realized that too much contact with you would cause him trouble.

"But judging from his performance as Audrey Hepburn's assistant, he understands the value of compromise, provided there is a reward he can accept. He will not easily back down at crucial moments."

"Perhaps, as you've reported, he's not a patriot. But as long as he can be a competent tool, the rest is just a matter of how we use him. Do you understand what I mean?"

Barbara wore an expression that said, "I don't understand, but I'm shocked," and she was speechless.

Nick Fury said, "Bobbie, I have high hopes for you. What If...? you don't just want to be an ordinary agent, you need to learn these things. This is a good experience, think about it."

Nick Fury didn't mention was that Henry Brown recently had a new girl by his side, who was also blonde and blue-eyed.

Based on his agent's intuition! Well, okay. There's no need to escalate it to that level. Nick Fury also knows that revealing this information would complicate matters.

It's better to say nothing.