Coulson stared blankly at the director's office before him. The changes were simply astonishing.
He'd only been away for two days, helping the director take care of some business at the Farm so that once Nick Fury got out of jail, he could head straight there and work as a farmhand.
But what was he looking at now?
As he pushed open the door, a fragrance of faint sandalwood and fresh fruit wafted toward him. The room was spacious and bright, with a high ceiling edged in exquisite gold trim and a huge crystal chandelier hanging in the center.
The most eye-catching feature was the desk. Its surface was as smooth as a mirror, and it was covered with a dark blue velvet cloth edged with tiny diamond-like crystals.
And that wasn't all. Gourmet food was scattered across the desk and throughout the room. It was as if a miniature five-star buffet had been cleverly incorporated into the office. Beside the desk, an ice bucket made of silver was filled with sparkling champagne.
A custom-made wooden table was laden with all sorts of delicacies. Each dish looked like a work of art, making it impossible to take them all in—and impossible not to drool.
Coulson stood in the doorway, his eyes full of disbelief.
He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things, then stepped back out of the office to check whether he'd entered the wrong room.
Only after doing all that did he see Xia Ling seated inside—and finally dare to believe this really was the director's office.
"D-Director."
Coulson's voice trembled with surprise as he slowly entered the director's office, which seemed to have suddenly become extravagantly luxurious. His gaze swept over the dazzling decorations and food once more, finally settling on Xia Ling.
"Coulson, you're back. How's my Farm?"
"Director, everything's fine at the Farm." Coulson quickly composed himself, doing his best to make his voice sound professional and normal.
"Mr. Nick Fury's 'new home' is all arranged. It has all the necessities, and it's not much different from the eighteenth century. There's a full set of farming tools, as well as a few friendly little animals to keep him company. I'm sure he'll like it there."
Xia Ling nodded, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
"Good. Once Nick Fury returns from finding enlightenment at Dragon Field, put him to work immediately. He's not allowed to slack off for even a moment."
Coulson nodded stiffly, as if he hadn't heard the teasing in Xia Ling's words at all.
"What is it? You look surprised by the little changes around here."
Coulson nodded, trying to make his voice sound steadier. "Yes, Director. These changes are... huge. I almost thought I'd come to the wrong place."
Xia Ling chuckled and explained, "Oh, that. You know, sometimes we need a little change outside of work to inspire us and keep us motivated. Besides, after all these years of hard work, don't I deserve to enjoy myself a little?"
"But this is... a bit much, Director. The previous director, Nick Fury, was removed for corruption."
Coulson looked around, still finding it hard to believe. At the same time, he gently reminded Xia Ling of the situation.
"Coulson, the new funding has come through. The Security Council has been paying more and more attention to S.H.I.E.L.D., so they've increased our budget. It's all thanks to the hard work of elite agents like you.
"So I've decided that all agents at level eight and above will receive another raise."
"Director, I think the office hasn't changed enough. As the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., you deserve a better working environment. That way, you can serve world peace even more effectively!"
Coulson said this with righteous conviction, and his sincerity was plain to see.
Xia Ling had made such great sacrifices for world peace. It was only right that he enjoy himself a little.
If anyone disagreed, they could ask whether S.H.I.E.L.D. agents' guns agreed!
"Coulson, have you noticed that things inside the bureau haven't been very peaceful lately?"
Xia Ling's tone suddenly grew serious, and he clasped his hands together.
"Director, do you mean..."
Coulson trailed off. As an elite agent, he hadn't noticed anything wrong with the bureau.
Ever since Director Xia took office, the atmosphere had been pretty good. Actually, "pretty good" didn't even cover it—it had been downright excellent!
"Many people in the bureau have problems. I don't know if you've noticed."
Coulson's eyes grew even more confused.
People in the bureau had problems? Not that he'd noticed. They all seemed like good people.
"Director, with all due respect, everyone in the bureau seems fine. I don't think there's anything wrong."
"Coulson, you're wrong. Very wrong. A lot of people in the bureau have problems with their beliefs, and that's unacceptable."
Xia Ling shook his head as he spoke, leaving Coulson completely baffled.
"Director, are you saying they aren't loyal enough and still support the previous director, Nick Fury?"
After thinking it over, that was the only answer Coulson could come up with.
But in his view, that was only natural. The new director had just taken office; he hadn't even had time to settle in. How could he make everyone loyal to him in such a short time? And this new director hadn't even been part of S.H.I.E.L.D. before.
Sure, you'd raised everyone's pay and made them happy, but you hadn't been here long.
"Am I that kind of person?"
Aren't you?
Of course, Coulson only dared to grumble about that to himself. If he actually said it aloud, he'd be asking for trouble.
"You mean..."
Coulson asked tentatively.
"I mean that people in the bureau have far too many different beliefs. There are also far too few who believe in Yahweh. Even Hong Xiuqing can't stand it anymore."
A question mark popped up over Coulson's head. What was all this about? After all that, was this really the little issue the director meant?
"Director, there are quite a few. Surely at least a third of them do. I believe too. Also, who's Hong Xiuqing? What does he have to do with the Lord?"
"Oh, Hong Xiuqing? He's Yahweh's son. Why?"
Three question marks sprang up over Coulson's head. Since when had the Lord gained another son?
"But according to the scriptures, the Lord's son is..."
"That's been outlawed. Now Yahweh has only one legitimate heir, and that's Hong Xiuqing."
Coulson thought it over and realized that was indeed true. It had been outlawed. But even so, how had Hong Xiuqing become the Lord's son?
"In any case, I'm not satisfied with the bureau's current state. Coulson, I'm entrusting you with this glorious yet arduous task. It's time to let everyone in the bureau feel the radiance of Yahweh!"
Before Coulson could refuse, Xia Ling assigned him the task.
After all, Coulson was the Old Village Chief. Even if he couldn't complete it himself, surely he could outsource the task successfully.
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