Lu Wen slept straight through until noon the next day.
JARVIS hadn't woken him, either. Tony had probably told him to let Lu Wen wake up naturally.
When he woke, there was a black bank card and a new phone on the coffee table. A note lay tucked beside the card, bearing Tony's scrawled handwriting:
"Your bounty. The PIN is six zeroes. My number's in the phone. Don't call unless you need something."
Lu Wen put the card away. There were five million in there! It was the bounty he had asked for. A very classic number.
It wasn't that he thought saving Tony was only worth that much. Rather, fleecing him dry on their first collaboration wasn't worthwhile. Leaving room to raise the stakes in future collaborations would keep the money flowing.
He picked up the phone and browsed through it. It was the latest smartphone, with all the apps it should have, and even an encrypted communications app developed by S.H.I.E.L.D.
Though he probably had no use for that right now.
After he washed up, JARVIS delivered another set of new clothes. This time, they weren't a suit but casual clothes, and they fit perfectly.
"JARVIS, where's Tony?"
"Mr. Stark went to Stark Industries early this morning to handle matters related to the aftermath of the battle. He asked me to tell you that you may stay in this lounge as long as you like, but if you would prefer a place outside, he can put you in touch with a real estate agent."
Lu Wen thought it over.
Staying in Stark Tower was certainly convenient, but it always felt like he was living under someone else's roof.
Besides, he would be doing system missions next, off and on, so living right under Tony's nose would actually be rather inconvenient.
"Set up an appointment with an agent for me. I want to find a place in Manhattan."
"Certainly, Mr. Lu. An agency can see you in ten minutes. I've sent the address to your phone."
The agent was a white woman in her forties, surnamed Green, who looked sharp and capable.
She had clearly been briefed beforehand. She had no questions about Lu Wen's identity and didn't even ask him for any identification.
"Mr. Stark has already vouched for you, so the process will be much simpler," Ms. Green said with a smile. "What are you looking for in a home?"
"Quiet, good privacy, preferably on a high floor. It doesn't need to be too big."
Ms. Green browsed her tablet and quickly settled on a property.
"Midtown Manhattan, near Fifth Avenue. A high-rise apartment with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and expansive views. The owner decided to move to the West Coast because of the alien invasion and wants a quick sale. The price is twenty percent below market value."
"The aliens scared them off?"
"A lot of people were scared off." Ms. Green shrugged. "But I don't think you will be."
Lu Wen gave her a puzzled look but said nothing, simply following her to view the apartment.
The apartment was on the twenty-second floor, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing Central Park. The tip of Stark Tower was visible outside, with New York's skyline in the distance. The living room was spacious, the decor simple, and it came fully furnished.
"How much?"
"The owner's asking 1.2 million, but Mr. Stark said he would cover the premium. All you need to do is sign."
Lu Wen froze for a moment.
Tony, that old fox, had told him not to call unless he needed something, yet he was certainly generous.
"All right. I'll take it."
Signing took only five minutes, and the apartment was his without a hitch.
With the keys in hand, Lu Wen stood in the empty living room, looking at this home that belonged to him.
He took out his phone and sent Tony a message: "Signed for the apartment. Thanks."
Tony replied instantly: "As long as you're happy."
After spending a night resting in his own home~
The next day, Lu Wen was in his apartment examining the price of a blue trait-Captain America's shield-throwing technique. The permanent version cost 1.2 million points.
The price made his scalp prickle! Just as he was wondering why the hell a throwing technique cost so much, the doorbell rang.
He looked through the peephole.
A bald Black man stood outside, wearing a black trench coat and an eye patch over one eye.
Nick Fury.
He sure got here fast...
Lu Wen took a deep breath and opened the door.
"Mr. Lu." Fury's tone was flat, as if he were saying, "Nice weather today." "Won't you invite me in?"
Lu Wen stepped aside to make room.
"Come in, but let me make this clear first! I'm not joining any organization, accepting any recruitment offers, or answering any questions about where my abilities came from."
Fury walked in, looked around the apartment, and sat on the sofa.
"You're overthinking it. I'm not here to recruit you today."
"Then why are you here?"
"To thank you." Fury took an envelope from his trench coat pocket and placed it on the coffee table. "What you did during the Battle of New York that day saved a lot of people.
"This is a small token of appreciation from S.H.I.E.L.D. An anonymous black card with a one-million limit. No strings attached. Just our thanks."
Lu Wen looked at the envelope without picking it up right away.
"No strings attached? Are you sure?" He didn't trust this sly old Black fox.
"I'm sure." Fury stood, walked to the door, and glanced back at him. "However... if you ever change your mind and want to join an organization, I hope you'll consider S.H.I.E.L.D. first."
"We'll see."
Fury nodded, opened the door, and left.
After the door closed, Lu Wen picked up the envelope and opened it. Sure enough, there was a black credit card inside.
"A million... that dark egghead Fury is pretty generous."
And he had left so quickly, without grilling him or throwing in threats and intimidation? That wasn't like that paranoid dark egghead Fury, either. This was very unusual.
Lu Wen toyed with the black card, trying to guess Nick Fury's intentions.
"Forget it. I'll stop thinking about it and go get some supplies for heading out."
Dismissing those thoughts, Lu Wen put away the black card and strode out. It was free money; he might as well spend it.
Over the next two days, Lu Wen visited all kinds of stores, buying a huge pile of things and storing them in his system inventory.
Although he hadn't started a mission yet, he felt that taking these missions was no different from hiking across the Sahara! Some basic supplies, such as food, were absolutely necessary.
As he wandered around, Lu Wen realized he seemed to have entered some gang's territory.
That wasn't his fault! He really had just been wandering aimlessly.
"Hey, boy! You know whose turf you're on?"
One Black man, one white man, and a third who looked Mexican from his getup swaggered toward him, all three gang members dressed in hip-hop style.
Looking at their clothes and the way they walked, he could almost hear some very West Coast-style background music playing in his ears.
"Kid, this ain't somewhere you should be. Asians ain't welcome here. Go get your ass over to The Hand's turf."
The Black man, who looked a lot like the West Coast legendary gang boss from a certain game, glared sideways at him with a cocky tilt. As the three approached, a strange, greasy, pungent stink flooded his nostrils.
Good grief~ Had these three just been smoking weed?
"Hey! You ignoring us, kid? I've changed my mind. You can leave after you hand over all your money."
The white kid pulled out a folding knife and waved it in front of Lu Wen's eyes. His white face had a sickly pallor, seemingly from smoking too much.
"Oh~" Lu Wen rolled his eyes, speechless.
"I'll give you a chance. There's still time to get lost."
"Fuck you! Aaargh!"
Hearing Lu Wen's arrogant words, the white kid immediately flew into a rage and tried to slash a bloody wound into him.
But before he could thrust the knife forward, excruciating pain instantly coursed through his body, followed by the world spinning around him... after that, he knew nothing.
The Black man and the Mexican slowly turned toward the sound, only to see their companion sleeping peacefully in a trash can.
"Holy shit!" The Black man reacted first, hurriedly drawing a pistol and firing a shot straight at Lu Wen's forehead.
Bang!
The bullet struck Lu Wen's head as though it had hit a steel plate, turning into a lump of metal snot before dropping to the ground.
Lu Wen had no intention of giving him a second shot. Taking one bullet to show off was enough. He raised a hand and gripped the pistol in front of him, his tremendous grip crushing the pistol with its flaking paint straight into scrap metal.
"Heh~ Even after sensing my strength, you still chose to draw your gun? You nigga, I admire your courage, so I'll go a little easier on you."
Whoosh~
Lu Wen threw the Black guy, who closely resembled the protagonist of a certain game, into a tree across the street, leaving him hanging there.
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