Loki's first curiosity about Midgard stemmed from Frigga's divination.
He had only been passing by, wanting to see what his mother had been up to lately. But through the half-open palace doors, he saw his mother sitting at a divination table, with a deck of cards made of World Tree leaves spread out before her. Thor's fate card was placed in the very center, the king held a scepter, and lightning crackled around his throne—the very presence befitting Asgard crown prince.
But above that King card was a Joker card that didn't belong to any magic system.
Loki's pupils contracted slightly. He recognized the deck; the World Tree divination was powered by the most ancient Starlight Magic of the Nine Realms, and each card had its own origin and destination. Only the Joker was different; he had never seen it before, like a scoundrel who had slipped in from somewhere, yet it was now firmly pressing down on Thor's destiny.
The Queen Mother seemed to sense something and looked towards the palace gate. Loki transformed into a ray of green light and disappeared into the shadows of the pillars, his heart beating faster than usual.
He had to go to the Midgard and see what kind of person dared to use a Joker card to disrupt the fate of Asgard.
The next morning, Loki crossed the Bifrost, sensing Thor's presence, and appeared in the New Mexico desert. S.H.I.E.L.D..'s temporary outpost was just a few hundred meters away, surrounded by barbed wire, with several military tents gleaming grayish-white in the morning light.
He quickly found Thor.
He was standing next to a black SUV, with a burly man who was half a head taller than him in front of him. The man was holding a few pieces of paper in one hand and gesturing in the air with the other, his mouth moving rapidly.
"Got it? You were drunk and confused, you accidentally trespassed into a military restricted area." Lin Xiao held up a finger and waved it in front of Thor's eyes. "Don't say you came to get the hammer, and don't say you're Thor. Just stick to one sentence: I was drunk and don't remember anything."
"I wasn't drinking at the time." Thor frowned, his tone curt.
"I said you drank it, so you drank it." Lin Xiao flipped the pages to the last one, then back again. "The beer was from that ' Red Nose ' tavern in Puente Antiguo. Seventeen large glasses of beer and two plates of tortilla chips, right? That's a fact. You got sauce all over your mouth when you ate the tortilla chips, I can vouch for that too."
"What does that have to do with drinking too much?"
"Seventeen beers are enough to make you lose your mind in your current state." Lin Xiao slapped the paper on the hood of the SUV, leaned close to Thor, and lowered his voice. "You don't have divine power now, and your physique is just that of a tall, strong man. It's normal to feel tipsy after seventeen beers. This explanation is much more plausible than your claim that I'm the Asgard crown prince coming to see my father for the hammer he bestowed upon me. Think about it yourself, which of those men in suits over there would believe?"
Thor's lips twitched; he wanted to argue, but then realized that what he said actually made sense.
"And what are these?" Thor pointed to the sheets of paper.
"Employment contract. Only with this signed can I prove you're one of my people. Yesterday you assaulted someone, so it's understandable that I took you away." Lin Xiao picked up the paper and turned to the signature page. " The Righteously Wicked Vought Company, ever heard of it?"
"No."
"That's great! Let me introduce it to you today." Lin Xiao cleared his throat, his voice suddenly becoming clear and articulate, "Zhengfa Vought International Media and Security Consulting Co., Ltd., headquartered in Lower Manhattan, formerly known as the Stane Building, registered capital... well, you wouldn't understand that. Just remember one sentence: Our core business is making superheroes a legitimate profession. We've already signed Iron Man, War Machine, Super Fool, Ghost-Spider, and other top-tier heroes. Now, we're looking for new business growth points."
Thor was completely confused. "What do you mean? If I sign, will you help me get my hammer back?"
"Not for now, but I can help you get into these places like a pro in the future, no one will stop you." Lin Xiao patted his shoulder and stuffed a pen he pulled out of nowhere into Thor's hand. "Think about it, right now you're an unregistered person in the Midgard, no identity, no income, even the T-shirt Jane bought you was paid for by her. Once you sign this contract, you'll be a full-fledged consultant for Vought Company, with a monthly salary of $30,000, plus five social insurances and one housing fund. From now on, you'll be an organized person."
Thor stared at the pen in his hand, then at the contract, his face filled with distrust. "A mortal's contract has no binding force on me."
"Then sign it." Lin Xiao didn't even lift his eyelids.
Thor gritted his teeth, the pen tip touched the paper, and with two quick swipes, he signed his name. The handwriting was so messy it looked like it had been scratched by chicken claws, but Lin Xiao didn't care. He took it, looked at it in the sunlight, folded it with satisfaction, and put it in his pocket.
"Welcome to Vought. I am your current direct supervisor. This is an entry-level position with a three-month probationary period."
What is a probationary period?
"It means working for free for three months without pay."
"What?" Thor's eyes widened, his voice trembling. "That's not what you just said!"
"I just said a monthly salary of $30,000, but the contract also includes a probationary period clause. Didn't you read the contents when you signed? Remember to read it next time." Lin Xiao sighed earnestly, "This is for your own good, to teach you a lesson. There's an old saying in the Midgard: 'A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit.'"
Thor's lips trembled slightly as he turned to look at Jane, who hadn't said a word. Jane leaned against the car, arms crossed, her eyes practically rolling back to the back of her head.
"Did he sign it without even reading the contract?" Thor asked Jane.
"You signed it yourself," Jane said calmly. "I wanted to remind you, but he kept talking in your ear, and I couldn't get a word in edgewise."
Jane! You--
"Don't call me, I have nothing to do with this." Jane opened the car door and got in. "Aren't you the Crown Prince of Asgard? The Crown Prince should be better at reading contracts than ordinary people, right?"
Thor's face turned red from his neck to his ears, and he couldn't utter a single word.
Loki stood invisible thirty meters away, watching the entire scene unfold. His expression shifted from curiosity to confusion, and then to an indescribable sense of absurdity. A mere mortal, with a few scraps of paper, had rendered the dignified Crown Prince of Asgard speechless. Odin's own son, the future king of the Nine Realms, the superhero of Midgard, had signed a contract without even understanding it.
Is this the Joker? The Joker player certainly has an eye for talent.
What happened next surprised Loki even more. Lin Xiao led Thor into the S.H.I.E.L.D..'s temporary office. As soon as Thor went in, two agents carrying coffee poked their heads out from the corridor, staring at him with complicated expressions. When they saw Lin Xiao behind them, they instinctively straightened up. Lin Xiao smiled back and pushed open the door to the inner room.
Sitting inside was Coulson, who was wearing a dark gray suit today. He saw Lin Xiao bring Thor in and sighed softly.
"Please have a seat," Coulson said.
Lin Xiao acted as if he hadn't heard, walked around behind Coulson, put his hands on Coulson's shoulders, and started massaging them.
"Boss, you've been working so hard. You've been worrying yourself sick over S.H.I.E.L.D.. every day, not sleeping well at night and drinking coffee like water during the day. Come on, let me help you relax."
Coulson was taken aback by the sudden enthusiasm. He opened his mouth to say "No need," but Lin Xiao's thumb was already pressing on an acupoint on the back of his neck, with such force that it made him gasp.
" Lin Xiao, are you giving me a massage or killing me?"
"A bit more pressure is needed for it to be effective. Boss, your muscles are too tight. You should go to Chinatown and see Old Liu at that bone-setting shop. I know him; mention my name and you can get a 20% discount."
Coulson bared his teeth and reached out to pry Lin Xiao's fingers off. "Sit down and talk."
Lin Xiao, without stopping his work, began reciting a solution. "I've seriously reflected on yesterday's events. Although Thor is one of Vought's people, hitting someone was wrong. On behalf of the company, I sincerely apologize to S.H.I.E.L.D.., and Thor has already received a serious reprimand."
Coulson glanced at Thor out of the corner of his eye, then looked at Lin Xiao:
"When did he become one of yours? You just took him away yesterday."
"After we left yesterday, we had a good talk, and he agreed to cooperate with S.H.I.E.L.D..'s investigation. Later, I took him out for drinks, and I persuaded him to Vought Company and become one of us," Lin Xiao said calmly. "So, I'm here to see you today not to plead for a suspect, but to process the identity verification for one of my full-time employees."
Coulson finally lost his temper, breaking free from Lin Xiao's grasp and tugging at the wrinkled collar of his shirt. "He only signed the contract after fighting with S.H.I.E.L.D.. personnel. According to procedure, he has to be questioned by S.H.I.E.L.D.. first, and go through the formalities before we talk about it."
"I know, it's just following the rules." Lin Xiao pulled a few sheets of paper from the file basket on the table and handed them over. "This is Thor's identification document, this is the guarantee letter from Vought Company, and these are the signatures of the three injured agents waiving their right to pursue the matter. Don't worry, I've taken care of it."
Coulson took it and flipped through it page by page. The letter of guarantee was on Vought Company's official letterhead, and Lin Xiao's name was signed at the bottom, the handwriting even more illegible than in the last report. The three agents' waiver of liability statements were also signed, the last one's ink not yet completely dry.
"You just had them sign it outside the door?" Coulson asked, looking up.
"Boss, that's hurtful. Do you think I'm the kind of person who crams at the last minute?"
Coulson looked at him for three seconds, picked up the three statements, smelled them under his nose, put the documents down, picked up the encrypted phone beside him, and dialed Stark's number.
" Coulson," Tony's voice came through the phone, tinged with impatience, "What is it now? I'm discussing lunch options with Pepper."
"I'd like to confirm whether your Vought Company has an employee named Thor, regarding Lin Xiao. If he's not registered in your system, we have the right to take action against him."
There was a three-second silence on the other end of the phone.
" Lin Xiao? There should be some." Tony's voice sounded like he was recalling something, or perhaps verifying something with someone. "Yes, there is. The bodyguard's name is Thor, and it's been entered into the system."
Lin Xiao said he was an advisor.
"So be it, I'm an investor, not an HR manager." Tony said matter-of-factly. "You know Lin Xiao's the one who calls the shots with Vought. If he says he's an advisor, he's an advisor; if he says he's a cleaner, he's a cleaner. Are you going to question me over something so trivial? If I answered every call from S.H.I.E.L.D.., I'd have no time for R&D. How's Fury's Avengers Initiative coming along? I heard he's been messing with a few names lately."
Coulson gripped the microphone, his temples throbbing.
"I understand, sorry to bother you."
"You're welcome. Your staff should remember to get him a better haircut; I just saw the picture, it's so tacky." Pepper's voice came through Tony's end, as if asking who it was. Tony casually replied, "Someone from S.H.I.E.L.D..", and the call was disconnected.
Coulson slowly put down the phone and looked at Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao was looking at Coulson with an innocent expression.
"Alright," Coulson sighed. "He'll remain in quarantine for two days of questioning. He can't leave the S.H.I.E.L.D. compound until the procedures are complete."
"No problem." Lin Xiao agreed readily, patting Thor on the shoulder, "I'll come see you every day. If you need anything, have someone tell me, and the company will reimburse you."
"I want a beer," Thor said.
"You can't drink alcohol during quarantine, but I'll treat you to as much as you want when you get out."
Thor glanced at him, then at Jane, and finally said in a low voice, "I want the kind in the yellow jar."
"Okay." Lin Xiao nodded, then turned to Coulson and said, "Boss, I'll have to keep an eye on him for the next couple of days. He hasn't adjusted to life in the Midgard yet, so don't order takeout for him. Tell the cafeteria to give him extra meat dishes."
Coulson leaned back in his chair, waved his hand, and said no more.
After Thor was taken away by two agents, Jane stood up from her chair, walked up to Lin Xiao, and had a subtle expression on her face.
"So you planned this all along? First, get him to sign the contract, then have him cooperate with the investigation as an employee, so S.H.I.E.L.D.. wouldn't have any reason to treat him as an intruder?"
Lin Xiao smiled but didn't answer directly.
"Why are you laughing?"
"You have excellent observation skills, you'd be a good fit for working at Vought. We're currently looking for a scientific advisor, and the compensation package is excellent."
"Don't even think about it." Jane grabbed her bag and walked out without looking back.
Only Lin Xiao and Coulson remained in the office. Coulson sat in his original seat, his hands crossed on the table, looking at Lin Xiao with a complicated expression.
"Don't forget, I also own one percent of Vought," Coulson said.
"So what?"
"So next time something like this happens, you need to notify me at least half an hour in advance," Coulson said in a low voice. "Don't leave me without a proper report to the chief."
"I definitely will in the future." Lin Xiao walked to his side and patted him earnestly on the shoulder. "Boss, you're not just a shareholder, but also the pillar of our company, Vought. Without you, this company would be missing a single share—"
"Go out."
"Okay."
When Lin Xiao came out of the office, it was already broad daylight. He walked along the passage between the tents and suddenly stopped when he reached a sandy area.
"Have you seen enough?" Lin Xiao asked abruptly, as if talking to himself.
Lin Xiao slowly turned around, his gaze falling on the sand. A slight smile appeared on his lips. He raised his hand, made a gesture near his temple, and strode towards the parking lot.
In the center of the sand, Loki remained invisible, coldly staring at Lin Xiao.
This Midgardian is quite interesting.
Less than an hour after Lin Xiao left, Loki found Thor behind a holding post on the east side of the camp. Thor was sitting on a rock, drawing something in the sand with a twig. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that he was drawing the shape of Mjolnir, with a crooked handle and a disproportionately large hammerhead.
"Elder brother."
Thor looked up abruptly, and the moment he saw Loki, he sprang to his feet. He rushed over in a few strides, grabbed Loki, and hugged him so tightly that Loki almost lost his balance.
" Loki! What brings you here? Father sent you to pick me up, didn't he? I knew he wouldn't leave me in this godforsaken place forever!"
Loki didn't move, letting him hold him. After a few seconds, he gently pushed Thor away, took a step back, and lowered his head.
"Brother, I have bad news."
Thor's smile froze on his face.
"Father... is gone."