This plot is even more melodramatic than a soap opera

In an underground bunker beneath an abandoned dam on the outskirts of Washington.

This was Nick Fury's last safe house. Only he and Agent Hill knew about it.

The air was thick with the damp smell of mildew and disinfectant.

Fury lay on the operating table, his wounds freshly treated, but he had no time to care about the pain. His single eye was fixed on the prisoner tied tightly to a support pillar.

The prisoner was suspended in midair by an invisible magnetic field—the lingering effects of Polaris's power. The metallic sheen of his left arm was especially glaring beneath the dim lights.

"This is the assassin?" Fury asked.

"Yes. A ghost that doesn't exist in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s records."

Jiang Li sat on an old sofa nearby, holding a bag of chips. But upon hearing footsteps outside, he casually tossed the chips into the trash, his expression turning more serious than ever.

"What we're about to discuss isn't suitable for snacking," Jiang Li said quietly.

The moment he finished speaking, the bunker's heavy iron door was shoved open.

"Fury!"

Steve Rogers rushed in, followed by Natasha, the Black Widow, and Sam, the Falcon.

Seeing Fury, who had seemingly returned from the dead, the anger in Steve's eyes eased slightly, only to be replaced by even greater confusion.

"You'd better give me an explanation, Nick. Why fake your death? Why hide it from me?"

"Because S.H.I.E.L.D. has fallen, Captain."

Fury sat up, not even having the strength to defend himself. "Other than the people in this room, I don't trust anyone."

"What about him?"

Steve pointed at the long-haired man hanging in the corner. "Is that the assassin who attacked you?"

"He's also the person you've been looking for."

Jiang Li stepped forward and lightly snapped his fingers, removing the tactical mask and goggles covering the Winter Soldier's face.

"Look at who he is, Captain."

At that moment, time seemed to freeze.

Steve's furious, wary expression completely stiffened the instant he saw that face.

It was a face he knew down to his bones. Though it had aged somewhat, though those eyes were hollow and cold, he could never mistake it.

"Bu... Bucky?"

Steve's voice trembled, as if speaking even a little louder might shatter the illusion. "James Barnes?"

The suspended Winter Soldier slowly raised his head.

Those eyes, which should have been filled with brotherly loyalty, now held only the icy stillness of dead water.

"Who the hell is Bucky?"

The Winter Soldier's voice was hoarse and mechanical, like an emotionless killing machine.

Boom!

Those words struck Steve's chest like a massive hammer. Captain America swayed, looking even more vulnerable than he had when facing Thanos's army.

"Doctor Zola picked him up," Jiang Li explained gravely. "Brainwashing, cryogenic freezing, modification. For the past seventy years, he's been Hydra's sharpest blade."

With that, Jiang Li took a deep breath and looked toward the shadows by the door.

"Tony, come in. Now that some things have been uncovered, they have to be faced."

The bunker door opened again.

Tony Stark strode inside in casual clothes, his face terrifyingly grim.

Jiang Li had specifically called him here.

"I heard."

Tony did not look at Steve. Instead, he stared fixedly at the man with the metal arm.

His breathing quickened, and his hands clenched unconsciously. It was rage being suppressed to its absolute limit.

"Jiang, you said on the phone that you knew the truth about that incident."

Tony walked up to the Winter Soldier, his voice as cold as ice, yet trembling faintly as if begging to be proven wrong. "December 16, 1991. Long Island. That car crash... was it him?"

Steve suddenly raised his head, staring in shock at the Winter Soldier before looking at Tony.

Clearly, this was the first time he had connected those two events as well.

"What? Tony, you mean..."

"Step aside, Rogers."

Tony ignored Steve. Red-and-gold portable armor instantly covered his wrist, and his repulsor lit up as he aimed it directly at the Winter Soldier's head.

With the hum of electric arcs, the scent of death spread through the room.

"Was it him?" Tony demanded again, his eyes bloodshot.

"Yes."

Jiang Li neither avoided the question nor lied. As a friend, he disdained using lies to comfort Tony. That would have been an insult.

"Howard Stark and his wife died at the Winter Soldier's hands. He killed them for the Super-Soldier Serum in their car."

"No..." Steve's face went pale. He instinctively stepped in front of the Winter Soldier. "Tony! Don't do this! He was brainwashed! He didn't know what he was doing!"

"I don't care! He killed my mother!"

Tony's fury erupted completely, his repulsor charging to its limit. "Are you still going to protect him, Rogers?!"

The two were on the verge of fighting.

A hand suddenly reached out and tightly gripped Tony's trembling arm, which was about to fire.

"Tony, look at me."

Jiang Li stood in front of Tony. He ignored Captain America and the Winter Soldier behind him and looked straight into Tony's eyes.

"Let me go, Jiang. Are you trying to stop me too?" Tony gritted out, tears welling in his eyes.

"I'm not stopping you from taking revenge. I just don't want you to regret it."

Jiang Li's voice was gentle but firm, like an anchor holding back the tide.

"Tony, you want to kill him? Fine. I can even help you hold Steve down."

"But what would killing a weapon solve? Alexander Pierce, the one who gave the orders, controlled his mind, and is currently hiding on the top floor of S.H.I.E.L.D. drinking champagne—that's the real culprit."

"If you kill Barnes now, Pierce will laugh himself to death. You'll have helped him destroy the only witness, while also tearing the Avengers apart for good."

Jiang Li lightly patted Tony's shoulder, his tone carrying the concern only a friend could understand.

"I called you here not to make you watch this cruel piece of history. I called you because I didn't want you to be kept in the dark like an idiot."

"Every grievance has its source, every debt its debtor. When Stark Industries takes revenge, we go after the right person."

Tony's arm trembled.

Reason and emotion battled wildly within him.

He looked into Jiang Li's sincere eyes, then at the Winter Soldier behind him, who looked utterly lost and had no idea what was happening.

After a long while.

Bzzzt...

The repulsor powered down.

"You're right."

Tony took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the violence in his heart. He turned and shot Steve a fierce glare.

"Keep your friend under control, Rogers. Once Hydra is dealt with, I'll come back to judge him. If he's still a killing machine by then... I'll dismantle him with my own hands."

Steve let out a breath of relief. His eyes were filled with gratitude and admiration as he looked at Jiang Li.

"Thank you, Jiang."

"Don't thank me. Thank Tony. He's greater than you think."

Jiang Li turned around, returning to his usual composure. He clapped his hands, breaking the heavy atmosphere.

"Alright, now let's talk about how to demolish the place."

Fury promptly activated a holographic map showing three Helicarriers that were about to launch.

"Project Insight goes online in four hours. Once the Helicarriers take off, they'll connect to the algorithm and eliminate millions of targets."

"We need to infiltrate the Helicarriers and replace the control chips." Fury took out three chips.

"Too slow. And too old-fashioned."

Jiang Li did not even glance at the chips before pushing them back.

"Replacing chips? That's a plan for people without cheats."

Jiang Li pointed at his watch and looked at Tony, a wildly arrogant curve lifting at the corner of his mouth.

"Boss, remember what I did to your Mark III?"

Tony froze for a moment, then understood. At last, a vicious scientist's grin appeared on his face.

"You mean... force a takeover?"

"Since they're three fully automated ships, they're technological products."

Black-green streams of data flickered in Jiang Li's eyes.

"In this universe, there's no technology that Upgrade can't control."

"You handle the cannon fodder and make sure I'm not interrupted."

"As for those three Helicarriers..."

Jiang Li clenched his fist.

"I'll make them fire on each other and give Hydra the most expensive fireworks show of their lives. Consider it... a salute for Uncle Howard."

Tony looked at Jiang Li in silence for several seconds, then extended his fist and bumped it against Jiang Li's.

"Deal."