Alvin rubbed his chin, grinned at Coulson, and said, "I think a million dollars is a reasonable figure."
Coulson clutched his chest, as if he'd taken a heavy blow. He struggled to say, "You've got to be kidding, Mr. Ye. S.H.I.E.L.D. would never pay a million dollars over this.
"It's absolutely impossible. I was actually prepared to pay out of my own pocket, but Mr. Ye, a million dollars is terrifying. That's ten years of my salary."
Alvin ignored Coulson's appeal for sympathy and said coldly, "Are you saying S.H.I.E.L.D.'s reputation isn't worth a million dollars?
"Maybe you should call and ask for approval. I'm not interested in your salary. Or we can settle this through legal channels."
Foggy jumped up excitedly beside them and shouted, "Alvin, sue them! Sue them!"
It was no wonder he was so excited. This was the biggest case their Law Firm had seen since opening.
Coulson glared helplessly at Natasha, then turned and went to a corner to make a call. It was obvious he'd taken quite a verbal beating.
After hanging up, Coulson returned to the Bar Counter looking thoroughly dejected. "Five hundred thousand dollars. Not a penny more. I'll have to write more than fifteen reports over this. If you don't agree, I'll see you in court." He picked up the Wine Glass from the Bar Counter and drained the Beer in one go, looking like he was ready to let the whole thing blow up.
Alvin glanced at Matt's gently wavering finger and knew Coulson was lying. After a moment's thought, he said, "Agent Coulson, that's a long way from what I had in mind." He looked at Foggy.
Foggy caught on and jumped up, shouting, "Leave it to me, Alvin. This is a guaranteed win. I can negotiate the compensation up to more than three million dollars."
"That's impossible. S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't have that much spare funding. All you'll do is drag the lawsuit out indefinitely," Coulson cried in alarm. "Mr. Ye, I can apologize again. Please forgive me."
"Dragging it out won't affect me much, Agent Coulson," Alvin said noncommittally. "But it's not as if we can't negotiate. I'll agree to five hundred thousand dollars in compensation, but S.H.I.E.L.D. has to agree to a few conditions."
At the word "conditions," Coulson had a bad feeling, as if he were about to get roped into something shady. But at this point, he could only brace himself and say, "Go ahead. I can't promise I'll be able to agree."
Ye Qing counted on his fingers. "First, the Police Station here is badly outdated and needs a new set of equipment. Look at Michael—he's still using a ten-year-old Gun.
"They don't ask for much. Could you donate some of the vehicles, weapons, and equipment you've decommissioned? Don't worry, they'll write the mayor a letter praising you."
Michael and Scott hadn't expected Alvin's first request to be for their sake. The two Police officers were both delighted and touched. The City Government had practically forgotten their precinct. Apart from its yearly funding and the officers' salaries, they got nothing—not new equipment, promotions, or raises.
Their rundown Police Station didn't even have a decent front door. Alvin's first condition was for them. How could they not be moved?
Coulson looked at Alvin with puzzlement. He'd expected some outrageous demands, but this was the last thing he'd anticipated. He readily agreed. S.H.I.E.L.D. decommissioned a large amount of equipment every year, and as a Level 7 Agent, Coulson had the authority to approve this.
Seeing how readily he agreed, Alvin smiled. "Looks like we'll reach an agreement easily. Second, the Kindergarten being built on our street corner needs some security equipment. I'm sure that won't be a problem for S.H.I.E.L.D."
Coulson let out a long breath and looked around. Everyone in the Restaurant was gazing at Alvin with admiration.
Coulson straightened his collar and said earnestly, "You're a true gentleman. Allow me to introduce myself again: Phil Coulson, Level 7 Agent with S.H.I.E.L.D. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Alvin Ye." He reached out and gave Alvin's hand a firm shake. He no longer felt quite so much like he was being extorted.
Alvin smiled. "So you agree?"
"Yes. Compared to the other conditions, these barely count as conditions," Coulson replied seriously.
"Third, and most important." Alvin looked at Coulson gravely.
"Go ahead," Coulson said, ready to listen.
Alvin looked at Coulson, then pointed at Natasha. "I want you to stay away from me and my Restaurant from now on. Can you do that?"
Coulson froze, unsure what to make of the awkward moment. He'd only just started to feel some goodwill toward Alvin, and now Alvin had dealt him a heavy blow.
He'd thought they might end things peacefully, but things hadn't gone as he'd hoped. Sighing, Coulson said helplessly, "I can't promise you that. All I can promise is that we won't come looking for trouble without a reason."
Alvin nodded. "That's enough. Foggy, work out the details of receiving the five hundred thousand dollars with Agent Coulson." He motioned to Foggy as he spoke.
"Let's hope we never meet again, Agents Coulson and Natasha." Alvin nodded to the two Agents, gave them one last farewell, and gestured for them to leave.
Foggy and Coulson exchanged phone numbers and discussed the payment details. Jessica cheerfully saw the two Agents out. As they left, she imitated Alvin's tone and said, "Let's hope we never meet again."
As the two S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents made their dismal exit from the Restaurant, the patrons high-fived and cheered. They were all residents of Hell's Kitchen, and they'd never once felt respected by the government officials in charge.
But Alvin had won against them, and that thrilled everyone. It was as if they'd won themselves.
Alvin smiled and told Jessica, "A Beer for everyone. It's on me!" The cheers grew even louder.
Alvin carried a Beer over to Matt and set it in front of him. He tapped the glass with his index finger, producing a clear "ting." "Thanks, Matt. You were a huge help today."
Matt looked up with a smile and raised his glass. "You earned it, Alvin. You've made the two blocks around here a better place. As a resident of Hell's Kitchen, I should support you. To victory!"
Alvin smiled and clinked his glass against Matt's. "To victory!" He drained the large glass of Beer in one go, then looked at Matt with concern. After hesitating, he said, "Maybe you should take a break, Matt. You're not made of Iron. Jumping around Hell's Kitchen every night isn't something a normal person should be doing."
Matt set down his empty glass. A faint, unhealthy flush colored his fair face as he smiled. "Then you should let your Pet roam a little farther. It would cut down on some of my workload."
Before you continue