While he had been constantly trying to bring up topics that might interest Li Ge, Coulson had also been observing him discreetly.
Li Ge wore a black mage robe with gold trim and a dragon pattern, which he had designed himself. His long hair was tied back, and his face still looked a little youthful, yet strikingly handsome.
Watching Li Ge's every move, Coulson actually saw the confidence and composure of someone in authority, as though nothing could pose a challenge to him.
A senior agent could lack any number of abilities, but never the keen insight to observe details and extract useful information from the slightest clues.
Although seeing the bearing of someone in authority in a student-and a student without much of a background or backing at that-struck him as incredible.
Still, Coulson's many years as an agent gave him great confidence in his judgment.
He was certain he had not been mistaken!
In Li Ge, he saw a sense of control, of doing whatever he pleased, and a calm indifference regardless of the status of the person he faced.
Perhaps it was his imagination, but he vaguely sensed something lofty in Li Ge's attitude toward him, as though Li Ge were looking down at him from above.
Yet it was precisely this attitude that told him the most suitable way to get along with Li Ge.
Confident people who stood high above others were generally very proud, and there were many things they disdained to hide.
But such people also hated being deceived and used more than anything.
Then I just need to ask my questions directly, lay everything out in the open, and treat him sincerely. He'll generally give me what I need.
Even if I can't achieve my goal, at least I won't leave him with a bad impression.
Once he had thought this through, the smile on Coulson's face grew a little more sincere, no longer merely a routine professional expression.
Sitting in his chair, Coulson saw that Li Ge was still eating at an unhurried pace, paying him no attention.
He was not annoyed. He turned his gaze toward the various foods on the table. To truly get along with Li Ge as a friend, he could not treat himself as an outsider.
Only then did Coulson notice that the food Li Ge had brought out looked a little strange.
Compared with the plump, rosy apples, the pieces of meat on the table struck him as particularly odd.
Although Li Ge had already cut all this meat into pieces, some of its inherent characteristics would not change.
The pieces looked tender and juicy, with distinct colors and clear layers. The brown crust formed by roasting was flawless, making them even more appetizing.
Yet Coulson's sharp eyes still picked out something that felt off about the meat. Its appearance was too perfect, giving it a sense of unreality.
After thinking it over carefully, Coulson finally realized what was strange about it. The pieces looked just like meat in cartoons, with a kind of deliberate perfection.
Coulson was about to spear a piece with his fork and examine it closely, but when he saw Li Ge alternating between bites of apple and meat, he felt that doing so would be impolite.
His hand, which had already forked a piece of meat, did not pause. He carried the motion through and put it into his mouth.
"Hmm?"
Tender yet springy, delicious and juicy, with a rich, meaty flavor-Coulson could swear he had never eaten meat this delicious.
After all, as a senior agent who frequently traveled, he had tasted delicacies from all over the world. What kind of meat had he not eaten?
None of it could compare in flavor to the meat Li Ge had brought out.
The delicious meat only made Coulson lose his composure for an instant. The basic discipline of a senior agent allowed him to keep his emotions well under control.
That said, he still unconsciously began chewing faster. Such delicious food could not go to waste.
At the same time, he was considering how to begin his questions. He had not forgotten that he still had a mission to obtain information from Li Ge.
Li Ge had not brought out much food, and with the two of them digging in, it was not long before all of it ended up in their stomachs.
Rubbing his flat stomach, Li Ge felt that he still was not particularly full. Of course, he did not feel particularly hungry either.
His body had now begun to turn into data. He had added this ability to his divinity right from the start.
As time passed, he would gradually come to possess a body composed of data, energy, and various rules.
The various rules of the real world would slowly cease to affect him.
Li Ge felt that he no longer needed to eat or breathe. As long as he had energy, he could continue to live normally.
This was not an ability, but an evolution in the very essence of his life.
At this thought, his mood suddenly improved, and his gaze toward Coulson grew increasingly friendly.
"Mr. Phil Coulson, how about I just call you Coulson? It feels friendlier."
"Coulson, is there anything you'd like to ask me?"
Li Ge did not wait for Coulson to speak first. He simply wanted to settle things as quickly as possible. After all, he had known Coulson's purpose from the start.
He felt that Coulson wanted to get straight to the point, just as he did.
Just as he had expected, the upward curve of Coulson's lips became a little more pronounced when he heard his direct words.
"Li Ge, could you tell me where you came from through that portal that looked like a ring of sparks, when you appeared in the conference room earlier?"
Having already gained insight into Li Ge's personality, Coulson naturally did not hesitate now and directly asked the question he wanted answered.
Li Ge raised a hand to his chin and looked at Coulson's friendly smile, considering whether to tell him Kamar-Taj's exact location.
But thinking of the generosity and dedicated instruction the Ancient One and the others had shown him, Li Ge decided it would be better not to tell him Kamar-Taj's exact location.
He did not want untold numbers of Serpent S.H.I.E.L.D. members disturbing Kamar-Taj's peace in the future.
Even if they posed no threat whatsoever to Kamar-Taj, they would still be somewhat annoying.
"It's nothing much, just a gathering place for mages. It's called Kamar-Taj."
"Li Ge, you mentioned magic and mages just now. Do you mean the kind of mages and magic I'm thinking of?"
Although the portal through which Li Ge had appeared in the conference room, the people he had briefly glimpsed through it, and Li Ge's current clothing had already led him to anticipate this.
Now that Coulson had received a definite answer from Li Ge, he still found it somewhat hard to believe.
Magic, which existed only in legend, actually existed, and there was even a gathering place for mages. This news was enough to overturn his worldview.
Coulson had not yet encountered all the different supernatural powers he would in the future. This single piece of news was enough to make him lose control of his emotions.