The Mantis and the Oriole, While the Fisherman Profited

Li Wei stood on the observatory platform of the floating city, his gaze seeming to pierce through the endless void and settle upon Knowhere, Xandar, and the Cosmic Orb containing the Power Stone.

[Next world coordinates locked: Guardians of the Galaxy 1. Core objective: Power Stone. Warning: this stone's energy is extremely violent and cannot be touched directly without a special container or sufficient physical resilience. Involved factions: Ravagers, Kree Empire radicals (Ronan), Nova Corps.]

"The Power Stone... the most direct source of destruction and energy." A glint of determination flashed in Li Wei's eyes. This stone could vastly increase the upper limit of his energy output. If he successfully fused with it, his destructive power would rise to planetary level or even higher. More importantly, this would be a crucial step on his path to collecting the Infinity Stones.

His strategy was clear: he would be neither mantis nor oriole, but the fisherman controlling the entire situation. He would let Star-Lord, Ronan, and the Nova Corps fight over it first, then strike at the most critical moment to seize the final prize.

"Crimson Sovereign, simulate a plundering plan."

"Command received. Generating the 'Snipe-and-Clam Plan' based on available intelligence."

Infiltration and observation.

Li Wei did not directly try to seize the Orb from Star-Lord. Through a portal, he appeared directly in a shadowed corner of Knowhere. Using Mystique's shapeshifting ability, he easily disguised himself as an ordinary interstellar mercenary and blended into a chaotic tavern.

He personally watched Star-Lord steal the Orb from the ruins, witnessed Gamora's interception, and observed Rocket Raccoon and Groot's interference. Like a ghost, he recorded everyone's ability data and personality traits.

When Ronan's fleet appeared outside Knowhere and the situation began spiraling out of control, Li Wei knew the moment was near.

Fanning the flames and precise positioning.

He did not stop Ronan's subordinates from taking the Orb. Instead, he secretly eliminated several factors that might have accidentally caused Ronan to fail, ensuring that the Orb would be "smoothly" delivered to Ronan's flagship, the Dark Aster.

At the same time, he had Crimson Sovereign comprehensively monitor Xandar's communications and the Nova Corps' deployment, while locking onto the Dark Aster's precise spatial coordinates and internal layout.

When the Guardians of the Galaxy decided to join forces and fly the Milano toward the Dark Aster, prepared to risk their lives to stop Ronan, Li Wei knew the climax was about to begin.

Taking advantage of the chaos, securing victory in one strike!

He calculated the timing. When the Guardians of the Galaxy successfully infiltrated the Dark Aster and erupted into fierce battle with Ronan's forces, especially when Ronan shattered the Cosmic Orb, embedded the Power Stone into his warhammer, and began absorbing that destructive purple energy—this would be the most chaotic moment, when everyone's attention was at its most scattered!

Li Wei moved.

He teleported directly into the Dark Aster, to an area far from the main battlefield but close to the energy core. Crimson Sovereign's scans had long ago revealed the location of the secret chamber where Ronan stored spare items and important spoils.

He paid no attention to Star-Lord and the others struggling against Ronan, nor to the Kree fleet exchanging fire with the Nova Corps outside. His target was clear and singular—the Power Stone!

He activated the [Void Scroll Barrier] to withstand the shocks within the Dark Aster caused by the battle and the leaking energy of the stone. [Time-Source Intuition] allowed him to evade every patrolling Kree soldier and internal defense system as if he could foresee the future.

He arrived at the secret chamber. A small energy-suppression field stood here, and at its center floated the shattered shell of the Cosmic Orb, still carrying traces of the Power Stone's energy! Beside it was an unused metal container, similar to the stone-setting on Ronan's warhammer but smaller and easier to carry.

Ronan believed that as long as he possessed the stone, the empty shell had no value. But to Li Wei, that shell, which had touched the stone and retained its energy imprint, along with this container specifically designed to safely hold the stone, were priceless treasures!

He swiftly collected the empty shell and the spare container. Then he teleported again, this time appearing directly outside the Dark Aster's control room—inside, Star-Lord was distracting Ronan with an awkward dance, while Ronan, emboldened by his recent acquisition of the Power Stone, was somewhat dumbfounded by Star-Lord's unexpected behavior.

At the instant Ronan was ambushed from behind by Drax the Destroyer, his warhammer flew from his hand, and the Power Stone was exposed to the air!

Li Wei struck!

[False Time Gap]!—He applied an extremely brief time acceleration, less than 0.1 seconds, to himself and the Power Stone floating in midair!

Within that accelerated instant, which was nearly simultaneous from the outside world's perspective:

Li Wei wrapped the spare metal container in telekinetic force. Like the most precise surgical instrument, it swept beneath the stone in an instant.

The Power Stone, containing terrifying purple energy, fell under gravity directly into the container prepared specifically for it!

The lid snapped shut, and the powerful energy-suppression field activated, firmly locking down the stone's destructive fluctuations!

The entire process was faster than anyone could react! In the eyes of Star-Lord, Gamora, Ronan, and even Drax, they only saw the stone fall from Ronan's warhammer. Then there was a flash of purple light, and the stone simply... vanished?!

No, it had not vanished. They saw an Earth man in a suit, with strange metal bracers on his arms, somehow standing in the room with a sealed metal cylinder in his hand. Unrestrained purple light flickered across the cylinder's surface!

"Who are you?!" Ronan was shocked and furious. Having lost the stone, he could feel that world-destroying power leaving him!

Li Wei did not even spare them a glance. He merely felt the surging power within the container, as vast as a star, and satisfiedly placed it inside a specially made isolation case.

"I'll take the stone." Li Wei announced calmly, as though he were merely retrieving something that belonged to him.

"As for you..." He glanced at the stunned members of the Guardians of the Galaxy and the enraged Ronan. "Please continue with your grudge."

With that, he ignored Ronan's roaring swing of his warhammer, now stripped of the stone's power. He tore open a portal, stepped through it, and vanished.

Inside the Dark Aster, only the dumbfounded Guardians of the Galaxy remained, along with Ronan, who had lost his greatest reliance and fallen into madness and despair. Outside, the Nova Corps fleet was still attacking fiercely, and the Dark Aster was on the verge of collapse...

Li Wei, the mysterious fisherman, had effortlessly taken the most valuable spoils while everyone else fought to the death, leaving behind a complete mess as he drifted away.