Undercurrents Within S.H.I.E.L.D.

Morning in Malibu carried the sea breeze's distinctive salty tang and coolness.

Xiao Han woke precisely as the first ray of sunlight broke over the horizon and took over his exclusive lounge chair, whose angle had been "fine-tuned."

A new day began with efficient photosynthesis. Happy was already in position. The newly replaced freezer, with a capacity comparable to a small cold storage unit, was stocked with ice cream cones of every flavor, radiating enticing chills.

Tony wandered out with messy hair, darker eye bags, and a cup of coffee as thick as crude oil. He dropped heavily into the chair beside him and sighed.

"JARVIS, add another fifteen percent to the 'indirect psychological damages and energy loss fee caused by the Asgard diplomatic visit'..." he muttered to the air, clearly still hung up on yesterday's "zero point three degrees" and "seven percent."

Just then, the muted sound of an engine, almost blending into the sea breeze, approached from afar. A black Chevrolet Suburban without any markings glided silently like a ghost onto the driveway outside the villa and came to a stop.

The door opened, and Agent Phil Coulson stepped out. He was still wearing a crisp suit, with a professionally gentle smile on his face, but there was a trace of exhaustion and gravity in his eyes that had not been there last time.

Only one field agent followed behind him, stern-faced and efficient. There was none of the previous fanfare.

Happy immediately grew alert. He set down the ice cream inventory list in his hand and fixed the newcomers with a sharp stare.

Coulson stopped below the terrace steps rather than approaching rashly. He merely raised his voice enough to be heard. "Mr. Stark, Mr. Xiao. Sorry to disturb you so early."

Tony raised his eyelids, sounding distinctly annoyed. "What is it now, Coulson? Fury short on coffee money again? Or did another alien potato fall out of the sky?"

Coulson's smile remained unchanged, as though he had not caught the barb in Tony's words. "It's an internal matter, Mr. Stark."

"It may require a little of your time, as well as Mr. Xiao's." His gaze casually swept toward Xiao Han on the beach chair.

Xiao Han did not even lift an eyelid. Focused on sensing the angle and intensity of the morning sun, he merely reached into the freezer beside him and precisely picked out a matcha ice cream cone.

Tony frowned and set down his coffee. "An internal matter? You came to my terrace to discuss S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal affairs?" Suspicion filled his voice. "What is Fury up to now?"

Coulson took out a tablet from his briefcase and tapped it a few times. A secure holographic image projected onto the open space of the terrace.

The image displayed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intricate, constantly rotating double-headed eagle emblem, but its details seemed faintly warped and discordant.

"While cleaning up the aftermath of the Battle of New York and tracking leads related to The Mandarin and A.I.M.," Coulson said, lowering his voice as his expression turned serious.

"We discovered some... anomalies. The origins of orders for certain operations were unclear. Resource deployments showed unauthorized flows. Even some files that should have been top secret... showed signs of abnormal access."

Tony sat up straight, the laziness vanishing from his face. "You mean... there's a mole inside S.H.I.E.L.D.?" He immediately thought of the kidnapped Killian, the Extremis Virus, and the attack on Rhodey.

"It may be worse than that, Mr. Stark." Coulson's expression was graver than ever. "The signs suggest this infiltration is not the work of a few individuals. It is highly organized and extremely covert, as though... some parasite that has lain dormant for a long time is awakening."

He paused before adding, "Director Fury has named it 'Paperclip,' but we currently lack conclusive evidence. We cannot even determine who can be trusted."

Tony's face darkened. S.H.I.E.L.D. was an organization his father had helped found. Although he and Fury did not get along, they were both ultimately trying to protect the world. If S.H.I.E.L.D. had been corrupted from within...

"So you came to me?" Tony raised a brow. "You want this 'consultant' to help you catch traitors?"

"Not entirely, Mr. Stark." Coulson's gaze shifted toward Xiao Han again. "We traced some abnormal energy signatures and material movements, which eventually led to several S.H.I.E.L.D. outposts in international waters that were officially listed as abandoned."

One of them, Offshore Outpost No. 13, had recently shown unusually active energy readings, with faint similarities to the residual Extremis Virus energy detected during the earlier attacks by The Mandarin.

He switched the holographic image to reveal a massive, aged offshore steel platform amid raging waves. It resembled a rusted oil rig, but its structure was clearly more complicated and bore militarized features.

"We suspect it may not only be an A.I.M. stronghold. It may even... be connected to the abnormalities within S.H.I.E.L.D."

Coulson took a deep breath. "Director Fury wants to organize a compact team to conduct a surprise reconnaissance operation and obtain evidence. But given the unclear situation within the agency, that team needs to be absolutely reliable and capable of dealing with... unknown risks."

His meaning was obvious. They had seen the power of the Extremis Virus at the Coast Guard base. Sending ordinary agents there would be throwing them away. And the possibility of internal betrayal made any large-scale operation highly risky.

Tony stroked his chin and fell into thought. Whether for public or personal reasons, he could not stand by and do nothing. But the risk was indeed considerable.

Just then, Xiao Han, who had been quietly eating his matcha cone, suddenly spoke. His eyes remained closed, and his voice was slightly muffled.

"How's the lighting there...?"

"Huh?" Coulson froze for a moment, unable to process it.

Tony's eyes lit up. He understood instantly! He slapped his thigh. "That's right! Sunlight! An offshore platform! Plenty of sunshine!"

He immediately turned toward Xiao Han, his tone becoming extraordinarily "earnest." "Brother! Think about it! That place is out on the open sea! Nothing blocking it! The sun shines from morning till night! It's an absolute sanctuary of light! Way better than my lousy beach! And I guarantee nobody will bother you! Total peace and quiet!"

Coulson: "..." (We were going on a high-risk reconnaissance mission, not a vacation, Mr. Stark!)

Xiao Han paused mid-bite, seemingly considering it.

Tony struck while the iron was hot. Lowering his voice, he continued coaxing him in an enticing tone. "And I hear those old platforms sometimes have... military-grade, super-sized, insanely powerful... searchlights! Yes! Searchlights! Their light is ridiculously strong! Maybe even stronger than Asgard's 'Eternal Light'!"

He was completely making it up, but as long as he could trick this lord into coming along as insurance, anything was acceptable.

Xiao Han finally lifted his eyelids slightly, glanced at Tony, then looked at the rust-covered platform in the hologram.

"Searchlights?" There was a trace of doubt in his voice.

"Absolutely!" Tony lied without even blushing. "Military-grade! Full of energy! One day of basking is worth three days on land!" As he spoke, he frantically signaled Coulson with his eyes.

The corner of Coulson's mouth twitched. He struggled to maintain an agent's poker face and nodded with difficulty. "The platform... does indeed have large lighting facilities... theoretically... their output is considerable..." He felt as though his decades-long career as an agent was facing a severe trial.

Xiao Han fell silent for several seconds, seemingly weighing the allure of "military-grade searchlights" against the trouble of making the trip.

In the end, he finished the rest of his ice cream cone in a few bites and flicked the wrapper precisely into the trash can.

"Fine." He stood up lazily. "Let's go take a look. If the lighting's bad, or those searchlights are fake..." His gaze swept over Tony and Coulson. He did not finish the sentence, but the implication was obvious.

Tony immediately raised a hand. "I guarantee they're real! If they're fake, I'll take down the beacon on top of Stark Tower for you!"

Coulson: "..." (Director, I don't want this mission anymore...)

"When do we leave?" Xiao Han asked.

"The team has already assembled. The Quinjet can depart at any time," Coulson answered immediately.

Xiao Han nodded, indicating his agreement. He looked at the sun that had just risen, seeming somewhat regretful about missing Malibu's morning light.

"What a loss," he muttered. "I still haven't adjusted to the time difference."

Tony and Coulson exchanged looks. This lord actually cared about jet lag?

Xiao Han walked over to the giant freezer, opened its door, and began... stuffing ice cream cones into the pocket of his seemingly ordinary gray hoodie.

One, two, three... His pocket seemed connected to another dimension. More than a dozen ice cream cones went in, yet its appearance did not change at all!

After stocking up on enough supplies for the "journey," he patted his pocket in satisfaction and said to Coulson, "Lead the way."

Coulson tried not to think about the physics behind that pocket. He nodded stiffly and turned toward the black SUV.

Tony watched Xiao Han's retreating back, letting out a breath of relief while also feeling a bit smug. Fury was probably going to have a terrible headache this time.

He quickly spoke into his communicator in a low voice. "Pepper! Call the insurance company right now! Increase the coverage on our cruise ships in international waters! Top-tier coverage! Yes! Just say... say they might be hit by giant hail caused by force majeure!"

On the sunlit terrace, only Happy remained, staring at the freezer that had suddenly been emptied by nearly half. He silently pulled out a little notebook.

"The boss's private ice cream reserves have been strategically requisitioned... charged by the piece, with interest as usual."