Li Ang made no attempt to hide his gaze as he stared at Natasha's face.
His unabashed stare made Natasha blush and turn her head away.
It was no exaggeration to say that Black Widow was truly beautiful at this point in time, with fair skin, lovely features, and striking red curls that made it impossible to look away.
But would she really turn away shyly just because someone was staring at her?
If a highly trained, top-tier agent who had completed countless missions became shy just from being stared at, there was only one reason: she was faking it.
Oh, Black Nick Fury, Black Nick Fury, Li Ang quipped inwardly, his hand already closing around Natasha's forearm.
Natasha stiffened, a trace of triumph flashing through her eyes.
She had been ordered to go undercover here and monitor Li Ang's movements. What she had not expected was that Li Ang would not come home for an entire month after she arrived!
She understood that undercover work required patience, too. When Li Ang finally returned today, she immediately seized her opportunity.
"Gentler..." Natasha said softly, crouching beside the bath and bending halfway forward.
The frailty in her voice sounded less like a show of weakness and more like a lure.
Li Ang's eyes accidentally strayed to the cleavage pressed together as she bent forward, then he accidentally looked again, followed by another accidental glance.
Had Li Ang not known Natasha's identity, he probably would have lost control already.
He cleared his throat and forcibly suppressed his urges. "Well, Black Nick Fury even sent you. He really is taking this seriously."
At the mention of Black Nick Fury, Natasha blinked innocently. "What are you talking about? Aunt Susan asked me to come give you..."
"Natasha Romanoff, right?"
Li Ang interrupted her. He did lust after Black Widow's body, and he had thoroughly enjoyed a massage from an elite agent just now, which had satisfied that craving a little.
As for riding her while Black Nick Fury listened in, he had no taste for that. There might even be a recording.
Natasha knew perfectly well that her cover was blown, but she did not understand exactly how it had happened. Did Li Ang have an informant inside S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Seeing that Li Ang had exposed her, Natasha slowly pulled her hand back and stood up, still smiling.
"Very clever, Li Ang. I'm curious. How did you learn my identity?"
Li Ang stepped out of the bath, paid no heed to Natasha's gaze, and walked over to the clothes rack to put on a bathrobe.
"Neither you nor S.H.I.E.L.D. has any secrets from me."
He had watched most of the Marvel movies and knew the broad outline of the main universe's plot, as well as the deaths of key characters.
As for the famous Black Widow before him, she would ultimately die alone on an alien planet. If possible, he would gladly change that ending.
Hearing the confidence in Li Ang's voice, Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Li Ang's eyes lit up faintly as he activated X-Ray Vision. "Of course. For instance, I know you really like black..."
Natasha caught his implication. That was the color of her underwear today.
She did not get shy. She even turned freely from side to side as though showing herself off, leaving Li Ang with no way to express his respect but to salute.
"Boss! A black man wants to see you! He says you had an appointment!"
The bodyguard outside called out but did not dare enter. The last one whose clumsiness had annoyed Li Ang should have been a month old by now.
Hearing that the man himself had arrived, Natasha folded her arms. "Want to see him?"
They had already arranged this meeting, and Li Ang wanted to talk to Black Nick Fury about S.H.I.E.L.D. too, such as the Hydra members within it.
He had not forgotten the system's earlier notification. Hydra's leader already had his eye on him.
If someone was going to act against him and harm his interests sooner or later, Li Ang would never choose to let his opponent make the first move.
How did that saying go?
When something happened, you could not just sit around waiting to die.
Now the opportunity was right in front of him.
Li Ang left the bathroom first, walked through the garden, and arrived in the hall, where he saw Nick Fury strolling around with his hands behind his back.
Hearing Li Ang enter, Nick Fury turned his head. When he saw Natasha following him, he knew her cover had been blown.
"You really are perceptive," Nick Fury said.
Li Ang neither agreed nor disagreed. The more mysterious he seemed now, the more wary Nick Fury would be.
The bodyguards around them tactfully left, leaving the entire hall to the three of them.
With only the three of them remaining in the luxurious hall, Nick Fury sat down casually and said, "I did what I promised you before. You should keep your word too. Can we talk now?"
Li Ang folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. "We're both old foxes, so let's drop the tricks. Whatever you have to say, let's talk openly today."
Nick Fury did not know that saying, but he understood that continuing to use conventional methods would probably put Li Ang off.
He took a file from inside his jacket and handed it to Li Ang. "S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded to protect this world. Many years ago, we made contact with an extraterrestrial civilization."
He was referring to the incident involving the Kree back then.
That was also when he had met Captain Marvel. He had come up with a plan at the time, the Avengers Initiative, which was also the reason for his visit.
"Earth needs a blade of its own. It needs special forces for extraordinary times. That's why I'm here today."
Nick Fury's tone was sincere. "This file contains the candidates I carefully selected. Take a look."
Li Ang pulled a stack of documents from the folder and went through them one by one, discovering that there were actually many people he had never seen in the movies in his previous life.
Besides Tony, Hawkeye, and Black Widow, there were also Wolverine, Cyclops, and a host of other Mutants.
Li Ang himself came last. The picture attached to his photo field had actually been taken covertly. They did not even have a proper headshot.
"That's one ugly photo," Li Ang complained.
A short distance away, Nick Fury's lone eye twitched several times. He could not understand why this kid always focused on such peculiar things. Was this really the time to discuss whether his photo looked ugly?!
Li Ang put the documents back into the folder. Nick Fury took it from him and said sincerely, "I'd like to invite you to join this initiative."
"This world needs more heroes. We can't count on the army and the military brass."
If they had to go through all sorts of procedures every time there was an alien invasion or terrorist attack, they would never make it in time.
Approval procedures were a check on power, not a tool for those old fossils at the top to satisfy their vanity.
Li Ang fell silent for a few seconds, and the system's voice abruptly sounded in his mind.
[Mission four: Walk your own path] [Faced with an invitation from Motherfucker Man Nick Fury, will you accept and join the Avengers, or refuse and continue your antihero career? Or is there another choice?] [Mission reward: 3 attribute points. Choose to join and receive a pager that ignores distance restrictions. Refuse and receive a pair of Presence-reducing glasses.]
"So I get a reward just for making a choice." Li Ang rubbed his chin, suddenly getting an idea.
What would happen if he chose to cooperate without joining?