The Missing Tony

In the director's office of S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury was staring at Lu Yifang, both of them silent but the subtle tension filling the entire room. Coulson, standing off to the side, sensed something was off and considered finding an excuse to slip away, but he didn't dare move, worried that his actions might break the delicate balance.

Fury clenched his fist, then relaxed it. This new troublemaker was giving him a real headache.

If it were anyone else, Fury would have blown up by now. You join my S.H.I.E.L.D. and still dare to talk back? Don't you know who's in charge here, whose name is on the door?

But with Lu Yifang, Fury didn't dare act so rashly. He feared that if he tried to "teach" Lu Yifang a lesson, Professor X would show up with a squad of X-Men to block his office door.

"What's the big deal about mooching a little fruit and drink? Why should my kid be lectured by you? You looking for trouble? Come on, kid, let's go. Screw this lousy gig."

Just imagining that scene gave Fury an even bigger headache. Having in-laws with such a strong backing who were so protective was a real pain.

In truth, Fury was underestimating Professor X's magnanimity. Was he the type to constantly think about fighting and killing? At most, he'd be a little annoyed, then casually let it slip to Magneto when they chatted one day.

As for whether hot-tempered Old Magneto would storm S.H.I.E.L.D. with a nuke, have a frank conversation with Fury, fully exchange opinions, enhance mutual understanding while maintaining reservations...

That was beyond his control. Professor X claimed he knew nothing!

After weighing his options, Fury finally decided not to stoop to a kid's level and focus on business.

"Yifang, do you know Tony Stark?"

"Is there anyone in all of New York who doesn't know that super-rich second-generation?" Lu Yifang rolled his eyes and said irritably.

"The news said he went missing in the Middle East a couple days ago. Is that true?" Lu Yifang naturally knew Tony was really missing, kidnapped by terrorists, and was probably holed up in some unknown coal mine building the Mark I.

He was just going along with Fury's line of questioning to avoid raising suspicion.

"Actually, Tony went missing over two months ago. We originally planned to keep it quiet, create the illusion that Tony Stark was still active in the Middle East, and secretly send elite troops to find him. But unfortunately, someone leaked the information." Fury's face darkened as he spoke.

"Now Stark Industries' stock is plummeting, the company is in chaos, and the major shareholders seem to be getting restless."

"Oh." Lu Yifang put his hands behind his head and responded casually, indicating he understood.

"What does Stark Industries being in chaos have to do with you? Did you buy their stock?" Lu Yifang looked at Fury.

"Well, the market looked good a while back, so I bought a little." Fury nodded subconsciously.

"So it hit the limit down, and you're stuck holding the bag." Lu Yifang's eyes showed sympathy and pity.

"Do I need your pity? Wait, that's not the point. Do you think I called you here because I care about that stock money?" Fury slapped the table.

"Then why aren't you wearing your underwear on the outside and saving the world? Why are you so concerned about some rich kid's whereabouts? You that bored?"

"Bored my ass." Fury felt like flipping the table. Do you think everyone's as free as you? I've been working like a dog, pulling all-nighters until my dark circles have dark circles... wait, something's off there.

Shaking his head to push that weird thought aside, Fury had to admit this kid's sharp tongue really knew how to draw aggro.

"So someone used their connections to ask you to look after Tony Stark." Lu Yifang continued.

"That's one way to put it." Fury nodded.

Tony Stark wasn't just any rich kid. His father, Howard Stark, was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founders, even if he was dead now. Another founder, Peggy Carter, who was close with Howard, had watched Tony grow up. In name, Peggy Carter was practically Tony's aunt.

So part of the reason Fury was putting effort into finding Tony was indeed related to a call from Carter.

"Dirty backroom deal." Lu Yifang snorted and turned his head away.

"That's enough." Fury growled. I just made one phone call to you, is it worth holding a grudge this long? What could that little time have cost you? Kept you from getting a girlfriend?

"Fine, go on. I'll keep my mouth shut." Having jabbed at Fury for a while, Lu Yifang's anger had mostly subsided, and his expression finally turned serious.

"Actually, the connection between Stark Industries and S.H.I.E.L.D. runs much deeper than you think." Fury sat down and began to explain.

As everyone knew, major sectors like U.S. finance and oil were controlled by various tycoons and capitalists. Weapons were no different, and Stark Industries was a giant in the military industry, holding top-tier military tech that even the U.S. government lacked. That's why the government placed so many weapon orders with them.

S.H.I.E.L.D. was the same. And because the former head of Stark Industries, Howard Stark, was a S.H.I.E.L.D. founder, most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s weapons were supplied by Stark Industries.

Just recently, the Sky Carrier had ordered a batch of parts from Stark Industries for maintenance. They'd already taken two of the four flight rotors off. Now with Stark Industries in chaos and the project stalled, how could Fury not have a headache?

So, just for the sake of his awesome flying aircraft carrier, Fury would tear the entire Middle East apart to bring Tony Stark back.

"I see. So why did you call me? You can't be asking me to go to the Middle East to find him. I'm telling you, I have class every day. And you should know, even if I agreed, Professor X would never let me go to the Middle East." Lu Yifang spread his hands.

"I know that. Actually, I just wanted you to go see Professor X. I remember he has something called a Cerebro." Fury stated his goal.

In the past, even if Fury thought of Professor X, he would never have gone to him. But now it was different, because he had already established a connection with Professor X.

In fact, Fury had wanted to get in touch with Professor X's faction of moderate mutants for a long time. After all, superpowered beings like the X-Men were a valuable asset. Even if he couldn't recruit them, having them as allies was a good option. And now he had finally built a link to Professor X—Lu Yifang.

Dealing with the Hulk was one reason, but in Fury's view, this was the real value Lu Yifang brought.

"I know what you're thinking." Lu Yifang shook his head.

"Sorry, but the professor can't do what you're hoping for."