The Fall of the Clairvoyant and the End of Hydra

The threat from Wakanda was temporarily neutralized, and Lin Ye's attention was fully focused on those two constantly buzzing Hydra flies—Alexander Pierce was deep within S.H.I.E.L.D., deeply entrenched, and not easy to move against for the time being, but that master-and-apprentice pair, John Garrett and Grant Ward, actually still dared to stir up trouble after their defeat. This was undoubtedly challenging the bottom line of his patience.

"Remy, track John Garrett and Grant Ward with full force. Use all resources; I want to know which rat hole they are hiding in right now." Lin Ye's voice was calm, yet carried a hint of icy killing intent.

"Directive confirmed. Initiating top-priority tracking protocol. Accessing global surveillance network, satellite image recognition, financial transaction flows, communication signal tracing..." Remy's capabilities were instantly pushed to the limit.

The massive computing resources of the Sanctuary operated with unprecedented force. Countless data streams, like rivers converging into the sea, were rapidly filtered, analyzed, and cross-referenced. Although cunning and secretive in their actions, under the all-out pursuit of an artificial intelligence with a near-god's-eye view, Garrett and Ward's disguises were stripped away layer by layer.

Hours ago, a Hydra safehouse somewhere.

Garrett paced anxiously. The failure of the Centipede Project and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s counterattack had caused him heavy losses. Multiple strongholds had been uprooted, manpower had been depleted, and the supply chain had also run into trouble.

"We must get that funding! The Insight Project needs our support!" Garrett growled at Ward. "Pierce's side is pushing very hard!"

Ward remained calm. "Teacher, the regular channels have been locked down tight by S.H.I.E.L.D.. Perhaps we can tap into that 'legacy'."

"Legacy?" Garrett paused.

"Have you forgotten? Many years ago, those annoying scientist spouses you disposed of—their research on cross-dimensional energy extraction, though crazy, has left their private research foundation account frozen and dormant, and the amount is quite substantial. I have a way to bypass the regulations and activate it." Cold light flickered in Ward's eyes.

Garrett remembered. It was a couple with the last name Red. Their research content was dangerous and misunderstood, and after he reported it to Hydra, he disposed of them. "Isn't the risk too high? That account is likely monitored as well."

"The most dangerous place is often the safest. Besides, we need this money." Ward insisted.

"Fine, do it. Be very careful!" Garrett finally agreed.

Little did they know that the account of this "Red Family Foundation" had long been flagged by S.H.I.E.L.D. as potentially linked to Hydra, only hampered by a lack of direct evidence. When Ward attempted to activate and transfer the funds through a series of complex operations, it immediately triggered S.H.I.E.L.D.'s alarm!

"Sir! Abnormal fund flows related to the 'Clairvoyant' project detected! The target account is the foundation of the late Mr. and Mrs. Red!" A S.H.I.E.L.D. technician immediately reported to Fury.

"Mr. and Mrs. Red?" A strange look flashed in Fury's eyes. He had some impression of those scientists; their cause of death was very suspicious. "Trace the fund flow and operational source immediately!"

Almost simultaneously, the Thunder Sanctuary.

"Captured financial operation traces of the target (Ward)! Laundering activity conducted via the Red Family Foundation account. Physical location of the operational source locked: Canada, Rocky Mountains, abandoned 'H.A.M.M.E.R.' observatory site." Remy's efficiency far exceeded that of S.H.I.E.L.D..

The holographic map immediately displayed an abandoned scientific research facility located deep in the mountains and forests.

"Good." Lin Ye stood up, lightning flashing faintly around his body. "Prepare for remote spatial jump to the vicinity of this location. This time, I'll go 'chat' with them myself."

Canada, the Rocky Mountains, deep underground in the "H.A.M.M.E.R." observatory.

Ward had just completed a series of complex financial operations, successfully transferring the funds to a secure account.

"Teacher, the funds are in place." Ward reported to Garrett, who was resting nearby.

"Good job, Ward!" Garrett breathed a sigh of relief. "With this money, we can..."

Before he could finish his sentence—

Boom!!

The heavy alloy door of the room they were in, as if struck by an invisible giant force, violently dented inward, twisted, and was then directly vaporized into a huge hole by violent thunder!

Dazzling lightning surged into the room, illuminating the dim basement as bright as day.

Lin Ye's figure slowly walked out from the lightning, dangerous electric arcs dancing around his body, and his gaze fell coldly on the terrified pair.

"Good evening, gentlemen who like playing with traps and releasing monsters." Lin Ye's voice was bland, yet carried a suffocating pressure. "It seems you really like making trouble for others."

"It's... it's you!!" Garrett was startled out of his chair, his face as pale as paper. Ward also instantly entered combat stance, a dagger quietly sliding out of his hand, but the depths of his eyes were likewise filled with fear. They never imagined that the other party could find this top-secret safehouse so accurately and so quickly!

"It seems you know me." Lin Ye looked at Garrett. "Then you should know the price of angering me."

"Wait! This is a misunderstanding!" Garrett tried to defend himself. "We can cooperate! Hydra can give you..."

Slash!

A tiny thunder whip appeared out of thin air, precisely whipping Garrett across the mouth. It drew a miserable scream from him, scorching his lips black, and a few teeth even flew out, turning the rest of his words into painful whimpers.

"I don't like listening to nonsense, especially nonsense from dying men." Lin Ye approached step by step.

Ward fiercely hurled the dagger in his hand at Lin Ye, while his body violently retreated backward and to the side, attempting to escape through the emergency exit!

Lin Ye didn't even look at him. That dagger turned into molten iron and spilled to the ground the moment it came within a meter of his body.

Yet just as Ward rushed to the emergency exit, he found that the exit had somehow been sealed off by a dense lightning barrier!

"Did I give you permission to leave?" Lin Ye didn't even turn his head.

Ward turned around in despair, his back against the lightning barrier, looking at Lin Ye, who descended like a thunder god, cold sweat soaking his clothes.

"As for you," Lin Ye's gaze finally landed on Ward, "you have plenty of little tricks, and your mind is vicious enough. Unfortunately, you backed the wrong master."

He raised his hand, his five fingers slightly spread.

Garrett and Ward instantly felt an irresistible, invisible force grip their throats, lifting them off the ground! Powerful electric currents surged into their bodies, not to kill them, but like the most precise scalpel, precisely stimulating their nerve endings and amplifying their pain and fear!

"Ugh, ah—!!"

The two let out shrill screams unlike anything human, their bodies twitching violently, eyeballs bulging, as if undergoing the most agonizing torture in the world!

Lin Ye watched all this indifferently. He was never soft-hearted toward enemies.

A few minutes later, when the two were on the verge of a mental breakdown, Lin Ye slightly relaxed the current.

"Tell me all of Alexander Pierce's strongholds and contacts within S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as the detailed contents of the 'Insight Project'." Lin Ye's voice, like a devil's whisper, rang directly in their minds.

Under the domination of extreme pain and fear, Garrett and Ward's wills completely collapsed, spilling out every secret they knew about Pierce and Hydra like beans from a torn bag! This included the true purpose of the Insight Project, the Zola Algorithm, the hidden locations of the three helicarriers, and a list of numerous sleeper agents.

Lin Ye had Remy record the whole process.

Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D. had finally tracked down this location.

"Lock on the signal source! Canadian Rocky Mountains! Dispatch a strike team immediately! Arrive at top speed!" Fury ordered.

A Quinjet broke through the clouds at maximum speed, flying toward the coordinates.

Inside the underground safehouse.

Lin Ye had already obtained everything he wanted.

Garrett and Ward slumped on the ground like two dead dogs, their eyes hollow and drool dripping, clearly having suffered a mental breakdown.

Lin Ye didn't even look at them, speaking to the empty air: "Remy, send the recording from just now anonymously to Nick Fury. This 'gift' should be enough for him to clean house."

"Sent."

Having done all this, Lin Ye flickered and disappeared on the spot.

Almost the next second after he left, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s strike team breached the door (from another entrance), only to see the mentally broken Garrett and Ward, along with the residual high-intensity energy traces in the room and the melted door.

"Sir! Target location found Garrett and Ward; they seem to have gone crazy. There is a high-intensity energy reaction at the scene, suspected to be 'Thunder' who was here." The team leader reported in shock.

Fury looked at the newly received document on his screen from an unknown sender, which contained a large amount of core intelligence on Pierce and Hydra. His single eye was filled with incomparable shock and a hint of chill.

Lin Ye not only found Garrett and Ward, but pried open their mouths, got his hands on Hydra's lifeline, and then threw the intel to him like throwing away garbage!

This kind of power, this kind of efficiency, this kind of attitude that seemed able to control everything.

"Immediately... immediately arrest Alexander Pierce based on the intel! Control all suspects on the list! Take over the three helicarriers!" Fury suppressed the shock in his heart and quickly gave the order. This was the prime opportunity to completely root out Hydra within S.H.I.E.L.D.!

A storm of cleansing sweeping through the interior of S.H.I.E.L.D. suddenly began!

Thunder Sanctuary.

Lin Ye felt as though he had done an insignificant little chore, and his mood was quite good.

"Cleaned up two flies, and incidentally gave Fury a big gift. Next, he's going to have his hands full."

His gaze cast toward the distance once more.

"Next, it's time to go check on that old Popsicle frozen in ice for seventy years and his good buddy."

The Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes, and Captain America, Steve Rogers.

This thread was about time to be pulled as well.

(Chapter 25 End)