Early the next morning.
Li Wei opened his eyes and found Maria Hill already awake. She stood before the wardrobe, looking through the clothes inside.
At the sight of her bare back, Li Wei felt like getting in a morning workout.
"Up so early?"
Hearing him, Maria Hill picked out one of his T-shirts and slipped it on. "Habit."
"Why are you wearing my clothes?"
Li Wei sounded curious.
Maria Hill turned and rolled her eyes at him. "What do you think?"
Li Wei glanced at the dress lying in shreds on the floor and smiled sheepishly.
Still, some things were strange.
A woman wearing a man's clothes could look dashing, even beautiful.
But the other way around was an entirely different story...
Maria Hill looked striking in his shirt.
"Let's go downstairs for breakfast."
Li Wei got up, and they went downstairs together.
2B didn't need rest. She had already finished her chores and made breakfast.
Watching the quiet, capable maid, Maria Hill thought she seemed like a robot.
"Good. I'm starving."
Maria Hill didn't stand on ceremony. The exercise had taken a lot out of her, and she was famished.
Only then did she remember what Nick Fury had asked her to do.
"We can cooperate on the Brain-Computer Interface," she said.
Where were you most likely to find people with disabilities?
On the battlefield.
S.H.I.E.L.D. spent a fortune training each of its agents. But the work was dangerous, injuries were common, and so was permanent disability.
Naturally, they didn't want outstanding agents they had worked so hard to train forced into retirement because of a disability.
That would be an enormous waste.
So Nick Fury had noticed Li Wei as soon as Future Technology Company appeared.
Both the limb-regeneration drug Li Wei had promoted and the prosthetics had caught Nick Fury's interest.
The trouble was, those things seemed to exist only in presentations...
Then the AI Red Queen made her debut yesterday, along with the Brain-Computer Interface project. Nick Fury was finally convinced the company had real advanced technology.
That was why he had sent Deputy Director Maria Hill to make contact.
He just hadn't expected the two of them to hit it off and take that contact all the way home.
"What can you offer?" Li Wei asked.
Maria Hill gave him a speechless look. "We have money."
S.H.I.E.L.D. drew funding from the five major powers every year. Who knew how much its budget was?
Money was one thing they had plenty of!
At that, Li Wei set down his knife and fork, his expression turning solemn.
"Money? Do I look that shallow?"
"I founded Future Technology Company to create a better future, a world without the weak!"
His righteous declaration immediately changed Maria Hill's opinion of him.
She gazed admiringly at the handsome man before her, her eyes practically shining.
"In that case..." she began.
Li Wei cut in at once. "In that case, send someone over to discuss the contract when you get back. Fair prices, no one gets cheated."
"..."
The look in Maria Hill's eyes promptly vanished.
Future Technology Company.
An honest-looking man sat across from Li Wei, wearing a warm, approachable smile.
Li Wei turned to the listless Gwen Stacy. "Gwen, make our guest a coffee. He's here to spend money."
"Were you working too late last night? You look exhausted."
Gwen hurriedly replied, "I had too much to do, so I went to bed late."
"Oh? Your supervisor makes students work after hours? I'm filing a complaint!"
"Uh, my supervisor's pretty nice. There's no need."
Gwen quickly made the coffee, then closed the door behind her on her way out.
She was afraid she'd give herself away if the conversation went on.
Li Wei paid it no mind and gestured for the honest-looking man across from him to drink his coffee.
To be fair, Li Wei considered himself honest, decent, and easygoing. Calling the other man honest was absolutely a compliment.
"Mr. Coulson, you got here quickly. I only just arrived myself."
Li Wei wore a broad smile too.
He had barely dropped Maria Hill off before Coulson showed up.
Coulson smiled amiably. "We've wanted to work with Future Technology for a while, so I was eager to get here."
It helped that headquarters was close. Even walking over wouldn't have taken long...
"I'm sure Director Hill told you: my prices are fair, and no one gets cheated." Li Wei nodded. "What would you like to work with us on?"
Coulson smiled. "We need your company's Brain-Computer Interface."
Li Wei frowned. "Just the Brain-Computer Interface?"
"Yes."
"That won't work. Future Technology's Brain-Computer Interface is paired with our prosthetics. Otherwise, you could run into compatibility issues."
Li Wei shook his head at once.
The corner of Coulson's mouth twitched. He knew a bundle sale when he saw one.
Someone else might have argued over it.
But S.H.I.E.L.D. had money to spare.
So he nodded without even checking with his superiors. "In that case, we'll buy both."
"Easy enough. I'll give you ten percent off."
Li Wei broke into a smile.
With all the data ready, production of the Brain-Computer Interface had begun immediately. They would probably have units in stock soon.
Li Wei started doing the math. "Our top-of-the-line prosthetics cost eighty thousand dollars. The Brain-Computer Interface has to be at least a hundred thousand."
"We don't need the top-of-the-line model," Coulson said at once.
"That won't do. These agents risk their lives for you. Are you going to fob them off with just any prosthetic?"
Righteous indignation filled Li Wei's voice. "You might be that heartless, but I can't stand by and watch!"
"It has to be the best!"
"Imagine you had an accident someday, and that lousy agency of yours gave you a cheap prosthetic. Would you accept it?"
Li Wei gave him a meaningful look. "You're just an employee. It's not your money you're spending."
"All right. The top-of-the-line model."
Coulson was persuaded.
He was right. An employee had to look out for himself.
Put the agency first in everything, and when something happened to you, the agency wouldn't put you first.
Li Wei loved clients with deep pockets like this. Once they had settled the deal, he asked, "Can you bring us any military contracts?"
What was the easiest way to make money in America?
Making money off America, of course...
What major corporation didn't have a pile of contracts from the American government and military?
Frankly, they were all parasites.
And Future Technology Company wanted to be one of those parasites!
Whatever else it could do, it could certainly put together a presentation.
"Uh, we're not part of the same system," Coulson said.
For that, Li Wei would need to go to the Pentagon. What good would asking S.H.I.E.L.D. do?
Li Wei looked disappointed. "Oh, right. Our company is also researching a regeneration drug. Once it's ready, even severed limbs will grow back."
"Let's talk when you've actually developed it."
Coulson sounded a little dismissive.
Li Wei didn't like that.
Coulson could look down on him, but not on Professor Connors!
"Come on. I'll show you the experiment!"
Li Wei picked up his phone just as Gwen came to tell him the live-subject experiment was about to begin.
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