On their third day in Brazil, S.H.I.E.L.D.. was incredibly busy. Coulson and his team were repeatedly visiting the site with the Brazil military, while Hill was in charge of the command center, which had been converted from a hotel room. He had over a dozen satellite images and communication records spread out in front of him, dealing with calls from high-ranking military officials while sending Coulson the latest coordinates. Fury was calling three times a day from New York, each time with the same thing: find Banner.
Lin Xiao knew where Banner was. Doupao had already marked the location. That guy was planning to run from the Brazil border to India. Lin Xiao didn't tell anyone. He called Tony and asked him to prepare a laboratory and send him a "big shot" in a few days. Tony asked on the phone, "How big?" Lin Xiao said, "Bigger than you." Tony thought for a moment and said, "Okay, but I'll charge rent for the laboratory."
After hanging up the phone, Lin Xiao leaned back on the large bed, a cold smile playing on his lips. He had originally planned to cooperate with that old fox Fury, but he shouldn't have messed with Fury's people. Banner wouldn't have joined S. H. I. E. L. D. now. He was confident he could persuade Banner to join Vought. He was even considering setting up a "superhero rental business." Any major incidents could be easily handled by renting superheroes from them at fair and reasonable prices. Thinking about this, Lin Xiao smiled. Of course, besides this, he had another thing to do: Hill.
Lin Xiao has also spent a lot of time these past few days trying to curry favor with Hill.
While Hill was frowning at the map in the command room, he brought in a cup of unsweetened black coffee and said, "Deputy Director, you've worked hard. I think the military's brains are even emptier than that row of sand tables under your feet. How about I curse them for you to relieve your fatigue?" Hill told him to close the door. Lin Xiao closed the door but didn't leave. He just leaned against the door and stayed there for twenty minutes. Hill didn't urge him to leave. She looked at her map, and he looked at his scenery.
The next day, Lin Xiao started asking all sorts of questions. He asked Hill if she slept well the night before, whether the hotel bed was too soft, and that there was a suite upstairs with a jacuzzi; he knew the manager and could get her a free change. He asked Hill if she had eaten breakfast; the bread at this Brazil hotel was baked like bricks, and he had asked a local and run three blocks to buy a basket of steamed buns from a famous restaurant. Hill looked up at him and said, "Lin Xiao, were you always this tacky when you were pursuing women?" Lin Xiao replied, "Tacky or not doesn't matter, as long as it works. "Hill didn't answer. When Lin Xiao went back, one steamed bun was missing, leaving five in the bag.
That afternoon, Lin Xiao took something out of his pocket—a small, fingernail-sized, perfectly round, heart-shaped stone with a blue background and gold veins. He placed it in front of Hill and said, "This is the only one of its kind in the world. I came here specifically to give it to you as soon as I got it."
Hill picked it up, glanced at it, put it back on the table, and said thank you.
Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"
"Otherwise what?" Hill tilted his head to look at him, his eyes sizing up Lin Xiao. "Should I write a thank-you letter, add a banner, and have Director Fury approve a special allowance for you?"
"No need, no need, you can keep it." Lin Xiao waved his hand, but he couldn't hide the smugness in his eyes.
He thought that giving away the stone would at least earn him a smile from her. Little did he know that Hill had already seen the huge pile of heart-shaped stones of various colors that he had hidden in his hotel drawer. There was also a hotel note stuck in the corner that read, "If Big Black Bull can succeed, then I can succeed," with messy handwriting and a smiley face drawn below it. It was unclear whether he was trying to encourage himself or just being mischievous.
Hill glanced at the paper, then put it back. She didn't touch any of the stones, but she took the one Lin Xiao had given her out of her pocket and tossed it in her palm.
On the fourth day, Lin Xiao did not go to see Hill.
He got up early, sunbathed by the hotel pool, then strolled out to the commercial street, bought two grilled corns, and stopped in front of an open-air café, chatting animatedly with a Brazil girl in his broken Portuguese. The girl had beautiful tan skin and big, bright eyes, and Lin Xiao made her laugh.
Hill left the hotel, intending to pick up a document the military had just delivered at the street corner. She spotted it immediately. Lin Xiao, his back to her, rested his hand on the back of someone's chair, smiling radiantly. Hill didn't stop; she crossed the street, retrieved the document, signed it, and slowly walked back. Passing the open-air café, she didn't look at Lin Xiao, and Lin Xiao didn't turn around either. The two were like two briefly parallel lines, each walking their own path within the same scene.
Just then, a man approached from the side.
A man in a white shirt, with bronze skin and shoulder-length hair tied back, spoke English with a slight southern French accent. He was a genuine France. He asked Hill if he was lost. Hill said no. The man laughed and said the city was beautiful, but even the most beautiful streets couldn't compare to the way he walked. He spoke naturally, and laughed naturally. He had said this hundreds of times, but each time it sounded as sincere as the first time.
Hill glanced at him, said nothing, and his lips twitched slightly.
Lin Xiao glanced at Hill, who had stopped chatting with the Brazil girl, and slowly walked towards Hill with a smile on his lips.
He walked over, stretched out his arm, and pulled Hill into his embrace. The movement was so fast that Hill didn't react for a moment. When her nose bumped against Lin Xiao's Lin Xiao and she smelled the jasmine scent on him, her ears turned red instantly.
"Excuse me, sir," Lin Xiao said, his tone perfectly polite, but his hand on Hill's waist didn't loosen at all. "This lady is already taken."
The France paused for a moment, looked at Hill, then at Lin Xiao, finally shrugged, smiled, said "I wish you happiness," and turned to leave. Before leaving, he winked at Lin Xiao, the meaning of which couldn't be clearer.
Hill pulled away from Lin Xiao's embrace, took a step back, looked up at him, and asked in a low, steady voice, "What do you want?"
"It's nothing." Lin Xiao put his hands back in his pockets, grinning like he'd just stolen a chicken. "Just a reminder: when special agents are out on missions, they can't have too much contact with ordinary people, especially handsome and talkative ones like this."
"And what about you?" Hill asked.
"Me?" Lin Xiao pointed seriously in the direction where the Brazil girl had just sat. "I wasn't flirting with her. I was asking her which Brazil restaurant was the most authentic, so I could treat the deputy director who had worked so hard for several days."
Hill raised an eyebrow, said nothing more, and turned to leave. Lin Xiao stood there, watching her walk away until her straight figure disappeared around the street corner before slowly turning his gaze away. He turned around and walked towards a side alley. The France was leaning against a telephone pole waiting for him, and grinned when he saw him.
Lin Xiao pulled two US dollar bills from his pocket and handed them over. The France took them, counted them, and said, "Dude, you have good taste; that girl is really beautiful." Lin Xiao waved him away. The France wasn't annoyed and walked away whistling.
Once things quieted down, Lin Xiao's smile slowly faded. He knew Hill hadn't gone far. He even knew Hill was standing in the pharmacy across the street, watching the whole scene through the glass window; he had deliberately let Hill see it.
This woman is too steady. As steady as a lake. No matter how many stones you throw into it, she only creates a tiny ripple, which disappears in less than three seconds. So he has to find another way. He has to let her see all his tricks, all his schemes, all his "dishonesty," and then see if she still wants to stay.
"I'm putting you on the spot to roast," Lin Xiao thought. "If you don't budge, all my efforts will have been for nothing. But if you move, even just a little bit, I know I can win this round."
He leaned against the alley wall, his ears involuntarily perking up. The surrounding sounds were chaotic: car horns, vendors' shouts, and samba music waving from some unknown shop. Amidst this cacophony, Lin Xiao tried hard to discern the two sounds he most wanted to hear at that moment.
It was the sound of a cell phone ringing, along with the clatter of high heels.
The sun grew increasingly scorching, and the shadows in the alley had shrunk to his feet. Lin Xiao's shirt was completely soaked on the back, and large beads of sweat dripped down his chin. He didn't move, just leaned against the wall, his expression growing increasingly calm.
My phone rang after about half an hour.
Lin Xiao's eyes lit up when he saw the contact information. On the other end of the phone, Hill's voice came through.
"Where's that Brazil restaurant you mentioned? You can arrange dinner."
Lin Xiao held his phone, and the corners of his mouth slowly curved into a wider and wider smile.
"No problem, Chief. That Brazil restaurant is at No. 3, Luokan Street."
"Don't call me that."
"That's Maria?"
There was a half-second silence on the other end of the phone, then a "click" and the call ended.
Lin Xiao took the phone away from his ear, his smile deepening. He put the phone back in his pocket, started walking towards the hotel, and as he passed the open-air coffee shop, he casually picked up the now-cold roasted corn on the table and took a bite.
"This awful weather," he muttered, but his eyes and brows betrayed his undisguised joy.
7 PM, Brazil restaurant
Hill arrived first. She had changed into a dark dress, but wasn't wearing a coat. Her hair was still in the low ponytail she had during the day, except for a tiny silver hair clip behind her ear. Lin Xiao came out of the elevator and saw her sitting by the window ordering food, with a waiter bending over to show her the wine list. He stood at the restaurant entrance for several seconds before slowly walking over, pulling out the chair opposite him, and sitting down.
"You're late," Hill said without looking up, still glancing at the wine list.
"I went back, took a shower, and changed my clothes," Lin Xiao said. "After all, I'm having a candlelight dinner with the deputy director, so I have to maintain a presentable appearance."
"You're still wearing the same shirt you wore during the day." Hill looked up and scanned him from head to toe.
Lin Xiao looked down and saw that it was true. He coughed lightly and said without changing his expression, "That means this shirt is versatile. You can wear it during the day to sunbathe and at night to go on a date. What do you call that? You call it being suitable for multiple occasions."
Hill ignored him, pointing to a line on the drinks menu. Before Hill could speak, Lin Xiao said, "Two glasses, please. And please add a seafood platter, cold."
After the waiter left, Lin Xiao leaned back and looked at Hill with a smile, " Hill, you look very different today."
What's different?
"You didn't bring a gun?" Lin Xiao lowered his voice, as if he were revealing some incredible secret.
Hill's lips curled up very slightly. "How did you know I didn't bring it?"
Lin Xiao's smile froze for a moment. His gaze quickly swept over her hand under the table, then over the small black bag beside her, and finally landed on her left wrist, where she wore an extremely thin silver bracelet, the same style as her hair clip.
"You're such an insecure person," Lin Xiao muttered.
"I can't really feel safe eating with you." Hill picked up the warm water in front of her and took a sip.
The drinks and dishes arrived. The two chatted casually, Hill taking a sip of her drink and occasionally smiling, but she quickly concealed it.
Lin Xiao's heart itched with desire. He knew all too well that Hill wasn't Gwen Stacy, Betty, or Jane. She knew exactly how to smile at anyone, and every word she uttered could be used as evidence in court the next day. The fact that she was sitting here tonight was like opening a small crack in a glass door. If he reached out to touch her now, the only consequence would be her holding a gun to his chin. So Lin Xiao wasn't in a hurry. There's a saying in Dragon Country: "Haste makes waste."
"I saw what you were doing this afternoon," Hill suddenly said.
Lin Xiao paused for a moment with his knife and fork, then continued cutting the meat, his tone extremely natural. "What's going on? Didn't I tell you this afternoon that I'd go find you the most authentic Brazil food?"
"You spent two hundred dollars to hire a France to act with you, just to hug me in the street." Hill's tone remained indifferent, as if he were stating a report.
"It was worth it to hug you," Lin Xiao said.
Hill looked up at him. This time she neither smiled nor looked away. Her gaze was like moonlight falling on the sea, cool and deep, making it impossible to see what she was thinking.
" Lin Xiao, I saw through your tricks a long time ago," she said, her voice so soft that only the two of them could hear. "But you've never asked me why I'm still sitting here."
Lin Xiao looked at her, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something witty, but when the words reached his lips, he realized he didn't want to. He just wanted to look at her like this and listen to her continue.
"Because I don't dislike you," Hill said. "Even though you're clumsy and self-important, I don't seem to dislike you."
The restaurant lights dimmed for a moment as a waiter came over to add a small candlestick to the next table. The light flickered, and when it came back on, Lin Xiao was still looking at her with the same expression, as if he had been frozen in place.
Several seconds passed before he found his voice and whispered, " Hill, are you praising me?"
I am stating the facts.
"Then I have a request." Lin Xiao leaned forward, his eyes reflecting the flickering candlelight.
"Explain."
"From now on, don't go to places like this at night with other people."
Hill didn't speak, but slowly turned the wine glass beside her. After a while, she hummed softly, the sound so faint it was almost inaudible, like the evening breeze seeping in through a crack in the window.
Lin Xiao lowered his head and began to proudly display the steak on his plate, but the smile on his lips was impossible to hide.
"Eat slowly," Hill said.
"I'm happy," Lin Xiao replied vaguely.
The meal didn't end until 10 PM. Neither of them spoke in the elevator. When they arrived at their floor, Lin Xiao escorted Hill to her room. Hill swiped her room card, turned to look at him, and a faint smile still lingered on her lips.
"I have to get up early tomorrow," she said.
"I know," Lin Xiao said. "Goodnight."
"Good night."
The door closed. Lin Xiao stood in the hallway for two seconds, then turned and walked towards his room. After a few steps, he heard his phone vibrate again. He took it out; it was a message from Hill, containing only one sentence. "Downstairs at eight tomorrow morning, don't be late."
Lin Xiao held the phone up to his face and smiled. He replied with two words: "Yes, sir." After replying, he added, "Do you want the wake-up call service tomorrow?"