That evening, Lin Xiao and Hill boarded a plane for their return trip. Upon landing, they went straight to the Triskelion without stopping for a moment.
It was already nine in the morning when they arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D.. The two went to Fury's office. After Hill went in, Lin Xiao was about to follow when a young agent carrying documents came out, glanced at Lin Xiao, and his lips moved slightly. " Lin Xiao, Agent, the director says he doesn't want to see you right now." He then lowered his head and quickly walked away. Lin Xiao leaned against the corridor wall, pursed his lips, and wasn't annoyed; he didn't want to see Fury right now either.
He strolled back to his office. The room was spotless, and the potted green ivy on his desk was thriving, its leaves glossy and vibrant— Kara had clearly taken good care of it. He pulled out a chair, sat down, and pulled a stack of A4 paper from his drawer. He then found a pen, bit the pen cap in his mouth, thought for a moment, and began to write.
Vought Company Superhero Protection Business Lease Agreement (Trial Version)
Party A: Zhengdefaxie Vought International Media & Security Consulting Co., Ltd.
Party B may, according to actual needs, lease the following superheroes from Party A to provide protection, rescue, deterrence, and necessary force intervention services. Fees are calculated on an hourly basis, with any fraction of an hour rounded up to the full hour.
Tony Stark ( Iron Man ) & Colonel Rhodes ( War Machine ) -- $1.2 million/hour
Hulk - $1 million/hour (plus $100,000 in consolation money and $100,000 in candy fees)
Thor – $1.2 million/hour (Lease suspended, return date undetermined)
Gwen Stacy Daisy ( Ghost-Spider ) and the Super Spider Squad -- $1 million/hour
Homelander (myself) -- Grand Opening Special: $660,000/hour
Note: The above fees only include appearance fees and basic labor costs. Lost wages, equipment wear and tear costs, battle damage compensation, and compensation for mental distress are calculated separately.
Lin Xiao put down his pen, stared at the page for a while, and became more and more satisfied. He took a picture with his phone, opened his email, filled in Tony Stark's email address as the recipient, and wrote just two words in the body: Look at my brain.
After sending it, he leaned back, crossed his legs, and waited.
Less than three minutes later, the phone rang.
"Fuck you!" Tony's voice boomed from the receiver, with JARVIS's soft, whispering notification in the background, as if reminding him to watch his tone and word choice. "I am Tony Stark, Iron Man, CEO of Stark Industries. You're selling me and Rhodey together for $1.2 million? A package deal?"
"Let me explain," Lin Xiao said calmly, putting his feet up on the table. "This is just the appearance fee. I haven't even recorded the labor costs, lost work fees, or prop wear and tear. I haven't even calculated how much your battle armor wears out in an hour of flying. Once I list all of that out, your unit price will be over two million."
There was a pause on the other end of the phone.
"Why should Hulk get a million? He's not even as smart as me."
" The Hulk can smash tanks, can you?"
"I can blast tanks from the sky."
"That's different. Customers want visual impact. A punch and a laser cannon are two levels more shocking. Yours is more of a 'tech' style, Hulk is more of a 'violent aesthetic.' Different aesthetic segments naturally lead to different pricing."
Tony was silent for a moment, as if seriously considering the pricing logic. Then he spoke, his tone suddenly becoming slightly more serious. "You said the Old Popsicle was about to wake up, how did you know?"
"I have connections."
"Isn't that Fury, that Nick Fury, above you?"
"Higher than Nick Fury."
"..." Tony took a breath. "Fine, don't tell me then. But I have something to tell you. Vought has been targeted by countless companies lately. Endorsements, collaborations, product placements, all sorts of inquiries, from sneakers to razors to organic cereal. I've turned them all down for you."
"Why refuse? Sign it! We'll take anyone who comes! If you won't sign, I will!" Lin Xiao sat up straight. "Our Vought is a superhero company. Why keep us around if we have commercial value?"
A rustling sound came from Tony's end, like he was flipping through something. After a moment, his voice carried a mischievous chuckle that Lin Xiao recognized all too well, "You said it yourself."
"I said it."
"Then I'll pick a suitable one for you in the next few days, so don't change your mind."
" Tony, when have I, Lin Xiao, ever gone back on my word?"
"Okay, I got it." Tony flipped through the papers again. "By the way, Banner's settled in. That guy's a real talent; he knows more than I do in some areas, especially nuclear physics and bioengineering. I talked to him for ages and learned a lot. He asked for a three-million-dollar budget, and I approved five million through Vought."
Lin Xiao's smile froze for a moment, "How come you spend my money so easily?"
"Likewise," Tony said matter-of-factly. "Last time you asked me for five Lexus LXs, saying they were for Vought employees to use as business vehicles. Did I say anything about that?"
Lin Xiao opened his mouth, only to find himself choked. He took a deep breath and decided to change the subject, "Fine, five million it is. Banner is worth that price. If you can get him to control the Hulk perfectly, I'll give you another five million."
"I've got that in mind." JARVIS's voice came from Tony's end, as if reminding him that the meeting was about to start. "Alright, I'm going to the meeting. Arrange the pig feed ad for you in the next couple of days."
Lin Xiao seemed not to hear him, gave a casual reply, and hung up the phone.
The phone call had barely ended when the conference room door opened. Hill emerged, a folder tucked between her fingers, her expression returning to its usual cold and efficient demeanor. She paused briefly when she saw Lin Xiao leaning against the corridor wall waiting for her, then resumed her normal pace.
"What did Fury say?" Lin Xiao leaned closer.
" The Arctic excavation operation has been upgraded. I'll be flying over there soon to oversee the site." Hill opened a folder and showed it to him. " Natasha has confirmed it; there's an anomalous frozen object beneath the aircraft, about two meters deep. It's highly likely..."
"You mean the Little Perky-Butt Captain ' you were talking about?"
Hill's lips twitched almost imperceptibly as he closed the folder. "Don't call him that, that's Captain America."
"In my heart, you are my captain." Lin Xiao said frankly.
Hill glanced at him, neither replying nor refuting. The two walked side by side toward the elevator. When they reached a secluded corner, Hill suddenly stopped and turned around. She looked up at Lin Xiao, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something. Then she tiptoed and quickly touched the corner of his mouth, stepped back half a step, straightened up again, and looked away.
Lin Xiao was slightly taken aback, then hugged Hill and whispered something.
"Come back safely."
"Mmm." Hill responded softly, and a few seconds later gently pushed Lin Xiao away, walking towards the elevator without looking back. Lin Xiao stood at the elevator entrance, waving at her. Hill blushed, slowly raised her small hand, waved, and then lowered it again.
After seeing Hill off, Lin Xiao leaned against the elevator wall, lost in thought. There were quite a few things to deal with on this trip. He needed to go see Thaddeus Ross; Betty and May had been watching over the old man since he woke up, so it was only right that he check on him. Jane had delayed again by five days, saying there was a problem with one set of data that needed to be rerun. Lin Xiao replied "No rush," adding, "Come soon." Gwen Stacy's exams were over, and the amusement park was on the agenda—he'd agreed to that, so it had to be scheduled. Natasha was in the Arctic, so he didn't need to worry about that for now. Hill had just left again...
He went through all of this and felt that the arrangements were almost complete. He swiped his finger across the screen twice, and was about to put his phone away when a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
It seems someone was missed.
He went through the list again. May, Betty, Gwen Stacy, Natasha, Hill, Jane, and Carol didn't count because they were floating in space; Sif was in Asgard; and Storm didn't count because she was in Xavier's School of the Rising Sun. He even thought about Mystique for a moment, remembering the location of the mole on her butt, then shook his head and dismissed the thought.
Never mind, it's not important. They're probably not anyone important.
He put away his phone and strode towards the elevator. He walked briskly, already planning what dishes Mei would cook that evening.
Meanwhile, in the Himalayas, at Kamar-Taj.
Mordo stood at the entrance of the side hall, arms crossed, looking at the young man who had been carrying water for over three hours. Ned's arms were trembling, but not a drop of water had spilled. Mordo nodded expressionlessly.
"One more bowl, please. If we make fifty bowls today, I'll teach you how to draw your first rune tomorrow."
Ned's lips twitched, but he dared not show any dissatisfaction. He carefully poured the water back into the vat and scooped out another bowl. His tired yet stubborn face was reflected on the water's surface.
In the bamboo grove outside the main hall, Peter sat cross-legged on a flagstone. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was more even than in the past few days. The Fool floated silently behind him, his eight legs curled into a ball. The King walked over from the other end of the bamboo grove, glanced at him, said nothing, and then walked away.
Just then, Peter suddenly felt an itch in his nose. He sneezed violently, jolting out of his meditative state. The Fool also shuddered, and all eight of his legs spread open at the same time.
He rubbed his nose, dismissing it, and closed his eyes again.
In the side hall, Ned also sneezed. His bowl of water sloshed, spilling a drop onto the prayer mat. He looked down at the water stain, paused for a second, then silently poured the water back into the vat and ladled out the fifty-first bowl.
Mordo stood to the side, his lips twitching very slightly.