Why Aren't You Answering?

Fang Mo could clearly sense that General Ross, standing before him, was full of wariness and hostility toward him.

It was obvious that Fang Mo had dealt with Abomination, but Ross did not want anything to do with him at all. He probably regarded Fang Mo as some kind of monster as well.

Of course, Fang Mo had nothing to say to him anyway. In the story, this guy was a complete moron. Trying to reason with him was a total waste of breath. Even Ross's own daughter hated him. Why bother talking to someone like that?

Compared to him, S.H.I.E.L.D. was slightly better. Although it had already been thoroughly infiltrated and turned into Serpent S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury was still useful. If nothing else, he genuinely wanted to protect Earth.

"Let me introduce you. This is Mr. Fang Mo, the Technical Consultant S.H.I.E.L.D. has just hired."

Facing General Ross's questioning, Nick Fury calmly said, "Considering the terrifying destructive power of the thing the Military created this time, we have made every possible preparation to keep the situation under control."

"What is he?"

General Ross asked, "One of your enhanced soldiers? Does he have superpowers?"

Following General Ross's train of thought, the Military had been secretly researching Super Soldier serum. Their experiment had failed, which was why Abomination had gotten loose. Nick Fury's side presumably possessed more advanced technology, allowing them to create a superpowered soldier like Fang Mo.

"That is an internal S.H.I.E.L.D. matter. It is not convenient to disclose it right now." Naturally, Nick Fury had no intention of revealing such information and flatly refused.

"S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

General Ross paused.

"It stands for the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division," Nick Fury explained. "The name is too long, so we will call it S.H.I.E.L.D. from now on."

"Fine. S.H.I.E.L.D."

General Ross was not paying attention to the name at all. "You never submitted a report on your enhancement technology to Congress, did you?"

"It is classified technology." Nick Fury lied without changing expression. "Congress approved it in secret. The various departments simply were not notified, including the Military."

"You think I can't tell you're talking nonsense?"

General Ross sneered. He held considerable influence within the Military, so there was no way he would not have heard even the slightest rumor. "I will report what happened today to Congress."

"Of course."

Nick Fury remained composed. "We will report it to Congress as well. We will say that an accident occurred while the Military was privately researching enhanced soldiers, destroying an entire city block. Then, after the situation escalated, S.H.I.E.L.D. had no choice but to step in and solve the Military's problem..."

"Fury!"

General Ross immediately flew into a rage. He really had not submitted an application to Congress for his plan to create Blonsky, Abomination. He might have been able to make some excuses otherwise, but if Fury really reported it that way, he would be in serious trouble.

"General Ross, I hope you recognize reality."

Nick Fury continued, "The Military has no ability to control Hulk. Hand him over to us. I believe you just saw that Hulk got along quite well with our Technical Consultant."

"What the hell do you know!"

Ross roared, "Hulk took my daughter! The culprit is your damned Technical Consultant! He personally handed Betty over to that monster!"

"Oh, come on. It isn't the first time Hulk has taken your daughter."

Even Fang Mo could not help laughing at that. "If anything were going to happen, it would have happened long ago. Maybe in a few months you'll be holding your grandson, and you won't need to research Super Soldier serum anymore..."

"What did you say?!"

Ross's face turned green. It was as though he had genuinely imagined that scene.

"Enough, General Ross."

Seeing this, Nick Fury quickly said, "I suggest you deal with the situation here as soon as possible. What happened tonight was far too serious. You do not want Congress to remove you from office, do you?"

"My daughter is still in Hulk's hands..."

"We will help you handle that."

Nick Fury immediately said, "After what happened today, I believe you have realized that the Military cannot control Hulk. Take the monster that appeared today, for example. Your solution was actually to release Hulk and have him fight it... Clearly, the Military cannot solve these problems. It will only create more and more trouble. Leave this matter to S.H.I.E.L.D. We are professionals at handling things like this."

"I don't have the authority to hand Hulk over to you." General Ross said irritably, "You will have to apply directly to Congress for that."

"I will."

Nick Fury said those words while staring directly into General Ross's eyes.

General Ross seemed to want to say something else, but before he could speak, a phone suddenly began ringing. Nick Fury took out his phone and glanced at it, then abruptly turned and walked toward the back.

Fang Mo followed curiously.

Yet although Nick Fury kept walking away, he did not answer the call. He merely let it keep ringing.

"Answer it. Why aren't you answering?"

Fang Mo leaned closer with a grin. "A call to the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. must be important. Answer it already."

"..."

Nick Fury glanced at Fang Mo but said nothing.

"Damn it, why aren't you answering?!" Fang Mo suddenly put on a vicious expression. "Not answering, huh? Then don't expect to stay alive!"

"Are you done acting?"

Nick Fury asked directly.

"Huh?"

Fang Mo froze for a moment, then his expression returned to normal. "You saw through that?"

"I got full marks in agent psychological analysis."

Nick Fury looked at Fang Mo and silently added another note to his profile: strong desire to perform.

"Full marks in psychology?" Fang Mo asked curiously. "So your mental resilience must be pretty strong, right? If I insult you, would you get mad?"

"I would."

Nick Fury reminded him, "But this is not the time for idle chat. Something happened to Stark."

"Hm?"

Fang Mo was somewhat surprised by the news. Nick Fury had clearly not answered that call just now, so how had he learned this information?

"A miniature bone-conduction earpiece."

As though he had guessed Fang Mo's thoughts, Nick Fury said, "Witchcraft isn't omnipotent either, is it?"

"All right."

Fang Mo shrugged. "So what happened to Stark?"

"Obadiah captured Pepper Potts." Nick Fury said calmly, "He appears to be threatening Stark, trying to get something from him. We currently suspect it is Iron Armor technology..."

"The Arc Reactor?"

Fang Mo immediately understood. "The First Hokage Mark-series armor isn't particularly complicated technology. Once you have the blueprints, improving it would be easy enough. But the Small Arc Reactor technology is extremely advanced. Obadiah probably can't make one."

"How did you know that?"

Nick Fury gave Fang Mo a surprised look. His agents watched Stark every day, yet they had not gathered any information related to this.

"Technology isn't omnipotent either, is it?"

Fang Mo smiled and threw Nick Fury's earlier words right back at him.

"..."

Nick Fury said nothing, silently adding another note to Fang Mo's profile: holds grudges.

Before long, another phone began ringing. This time, of course, it was not Nick Fury's phone. It was Fang Mo's.

Fang Mo was taken aback. He had not even had time to give anyone his phone number, so how had someone called him already?

Before Fang Mo could react, Nick Fury reminded him with the exact same words.

"Answer it. Why aren't you answering?"

"..."

Fang Mo's face darkened. He had not expected Motherfucker Man to be so petty.

Still, complaints aside, he had to answer the phone. He was not afraid of anyone listening in on him, so he pressed the answer button. Stark's voice immediately came through the next second. "Thank God, Fang Mo. You finally remembered you own a phone..."

"Stark?"

After hearing his voice, Fang Mo roughly knew why he was calling. "What happened?"

"Pepper is in trouble. Obadiah captured her and is threatening me to hand over the Arc Reactor."

Stark's voice was tense over the phone.

"Did you give it to him?"

Fang Mo asked.

"Of course not." Stark immediately said, "That thing is my lifeline right now. Without the electromagnet inside it holding the shrapnel in place, I will die soon... But Obadiah only gave me half an hour. If he doesn't get the Arc Reactor, Pepper's life will be in danger."

"Oh, I get it."

Fang Mo nodded, even though Stark could not see him. "So you're asking me for help. No problem. Meet at your place in ten minutes."

"My place?"

Stark seemed to pause. "Wait, which place are you talking about? I can't remember how many villas I own..."

"Fuck your grandpa, you evil capitalist." Fang Mo's eye twitched. "The seaside villa where you research your armor. Stay right there. Your worker grandpa will be there soon carrying a streetlamp."

"A streetlamp? What the hell?"

Stark had clearly never heard a capitalist joke, but in his anxiety, he could not be bothered to question it. "Fine. Anyway, I'm heading back now. Hurry up. I'm worried Pepper could be in danger..."

"Relax. She won't die."

Fang Mo rolled his eyes and hung up.

"Looks like we received the same news." After Fang Mo finished the call, Nick Fury asked, "Miss Potts really won't be harmed? Did you foresee that with Witchcraft too?"

"I foresaw that you'll turn to ashes sooner or later."

As Fang Mo spoke, he headed straight for the helicopter behind them. "Stop wasting time. Let's save her."