Su Ming set down his Da Li Beverage paper cup. Maybe his outfit was too trendy now—even Natasha hadn't recognized him.
But because of that, he overheard Fury and Natasha's conversation. Though they spoke quietly and the surroundings were noisy, Strangle had become increasingly skilled at eavesdropping.
He pulled out a cigarette, put it between his lips, lit it, and took a deep drag.
What else was there to say? Fury was worthy of being Fury. Even without any evidence, his instincts were still accurate.
Valentina, codenamed Countess, could be considered the foremost figure beneath Hydra's nine leaders. A born super-spy, she excelled at psychological warfare, disguises, intelligence assessment, and tactical command.
Using the future stories of Earth-616 as reference, her relationship with Fury was very strange. Throughout their marriage, Fury had suspected she was Hydra, yet he found no evidence for decades.
An accident exposed her identity decades later, but that made Fury fall completely in love with her. He had never imagined that the woman at his side could deceive him for so long. Only a super-agent was worthy of a super-agent, wasn't she?
Fury not only ran around pleading on her behalf, sparing the Hydra spy from death, but nearly led his trusted subordinates in breaking her out of prison.
If someone's Verbal Sparring hadn't defeated Fury at the critical moment and made him abandon the rescue plan, the story of Earth-616 might have taken a different turn.
But even though Valentina remained alive in prison, the incident completely Darkened Fury. He never trusted anyone again and became a qualified director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Sir, Wilson's Fast Food doesn't allow indoor smoking." The restaurant's female manager walked over and pointed at the no-smoking sign on the wall.
Su Ming brushed aside the fake hair formed by Strangle in