The List

After their heart-to-heart, Alexander Pierce and Nick Fury shared half a bottle of wine before Pierce took a short nap on the sofa and then left Nick Fury's office. Pierce looked much more relaxed now, as if he had aged ten years, which showed how much of a psychological burden could affect a person.

This was actually Pierce recovering some of his energy through a short sleep. Ever since he learned about the Shuka organization, which alluded to Hydra, he had been staying up late organizing documents. During his work hours, he had to deal with various factions, which was mentally taxing and left no room for slacking off. Even a young man with boundless energy might not be able to handle it, let alone an old man like him who was already on the decline.

Back in his own office, Alexander Pierce used Hydra's internal line to summon his trusted subordinate, S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 6 agent, Japas Shilvert.

Like Pierce, Shilvert's identity was layered like Russian nesting dolls: a staff member of a department under the World Security Council, a director of a S.H.I.E.L.D. department, and a Hydra mole.

This commonality made Shilvert a capable subordinate to Pierce in any position. Pierce had even entrusted Shilvert with the task of embedding Hydra spies within S.H.I.E.L.D.

Pierce said, "Nick Fury has already discovered signs of our organization's members."

Shilvert's face twitched upon hearing this, and the glasses perched on his nose almost fell off. He quickly adjusted them with his fingers and asked in a low voice, "When?"

"It started a long time ago, and they've even uncovered many people by following the clues." Unlike S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hierarchical management, Hydra operated on a tree-like structure. Even two individuals belonging to Hydra were unaware of each other until their identities were revealed.

This approach had its pros and cons. If an accident occurred, they could quickly sever ties with the high-ranking individuals in that branch to minimize losses. However, if a high-ranking member was captured, the investigation could implicate a large number of people.

Pierce pulled a piece of paper from his desk and began sketching with his pen. "If Nick Fury didn't trust me, his old superior, I wouldn't even know about this. If he continues his investigation, the entire Hydra might be uprooted."

These words made Shilvert's hands tremble. If anyone within S.H.I.E.L.D. was most likely to be exposed, it would undoubtedly be him, Japas Shilvert. In both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, he was in charge of personnel-related positions, leading recruitment and placement efforts. As a result, Shilvert possessed many personnel lists, which was one of the reasons he became Pierce's confidant.

However, this also meant that while Hydra members within S.H.I.E.L.D. might not know Alexander Pierce, they might know him, Shilvert. It was possible that someone, unable to withstand torture or truth serum, might reveal him.

Thinking of this, Shilvert gritted his teeth in resentment. Why didn't you, you bunch of captured fools, follow the example of our predecessors and commit suicide before being captured!

Pierce continued writing on the paper, "Just now, I went to discuss the results of the cleanup of vampires with the World Security Council with Nick Fury. But before I left, he showed me a document. It contained an extremely detailed record of Hydra's development after their defeat in World War II, and the personnel list within it made my heart pound."

He looked up at his confidant and saw the bald agent, a high-caste individual, trembling as he took off his glasses and put them into his shirt pocket. Although his face showed determination, his fumbling movements indicated his inner turmoil.

"Don't worry, I carefully reviewed that list, and your name isn't on it." Of course, I created that document myself, how could I possibly put my confidant on it?

After a moment's thought, Pierce continued, "I don't know how Nick Fury will deal with those exposed personnel. Given his aggressive nature, it certainly won't be a gentle approach. This list is what I could remember, detailing high-level figures exposed in various departments—so you know what to do."

He then pushed the page he had filled with writing across the desk to Shilvert.

Pierce's words were like a shot of reassurance for Shilvert. Although the bald man was still trembling, his face had regained its composure. He stepped forward and took the handwritten list. "I understand."

What to do? It's obviously to silence them, and not just those on the list, but their subordinates in Hydra will also be purged.

As for how to do it—S.H.I.E.L.D. handled countless incidents worldwide every day, some of which even the Director, Nick Fury, was unaware of. They could send the exposed personnel on field missions, leading to food poisoning, bites from venomous creatures, traffic accidents... there were ways to make anyone disappear.

Hydra handled personnel transfers, and Hydra carried out the actions. The record-keeping was also done by their own people. Afterward, they only needed to alter the dates, and even Nick Fury wouldn't be able to find any fault.

For S.H.I.E.L.D., which had been thoroughly infiltrated by Hydra, accomplishing this would be incredibly easy.

It was just this list... Having worked in personnel for so long, Shilvert had a clear understanding of character relationships. The people on the list Pierce gave him were mostly later recruits to Hydra, those who joined halfway through. They wouldn't have connections to anyone significant even if they tried to leverage them.

Besides them were members from other Hydra branches who had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. through alliances, not direct subordinates of Pierce's faction, like John Garrett.

If the list was cleared, the Hydra division within S.H.I.E.L.D. would become Pierce's sole domain... But Shilvert was a smart man, especially when his own life was at stake. He immediately dismissed his suspicions and pretended to know nothing.

Rubbing his temples, Alexander Pierce activated the jamming device, identical to the one in Nick Fury's office, and said with feigned distress, "They are cowards! Idiots! They are all disgraces to Hydra!"

"All this time, how much effort have I put into Hydra's development? I even placed this dangerous man, Nick Fury, in the position of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director so that Hydra could develop under his influence!"

"But what did they do? One only pays lip service to me, abandoning all the qualities of a spy and a soldier, merely acting as parasites while collecting double salaries from S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra. I should have subjected them to stricter training long ago, like Red Skull during the Third Reich, instilling in them loyalty to Hydra and the courage to commit suicide in the face of the enemy."

"Especially those in Hydra outside of S.H.I.E.L.D., seeing our rapid development, they kept planting their people among ours, and it was precisely they who were exposed this time. Traitors! Disobeying orders, using Hydra's resources to enrich themselves, they are all traitors!"

After venting, Pierce looked much more exhausted. "Notify our people, if anyone is exposed, commit suicide before being captured... even if it's me. If we get through this safely, corresponding training must be put on the agenda as soon as possible, and you will be responsible for the specific content."