The night Jane entered the house, Lin Xiao was made to sleep in the guest room. Mei and Betty claimed that they wanted to get to know Jane better, and Lin Xiao naturally didn't say anything about it; he was happy to see it happen.
He lay on the small bed in the guest room, staring at the ceiling. He could faintly hear the laughter of the three women in the plum house, occasionally punctuated by comments like, "Sister, your skin is so nice," and "Where did you buy that trench coat?" A moment later, he could faintly hear Jane's low voice saying, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Betty replied, "What's inappropriate about it? Let him reflect on himself."
Reflect on what? I'm not going to reflect on anything. Lin Xiao grunted and rolled over, covering his face with the pillow.
The next morning, he woke up, put on his shorts, and went to get a drink of water. The house was empty. There was a note on the coffee table in Mei's handwriting. "We're taking Jian to buy some things. Don't wait for us at noon." Below it was a pink heart.
Lin Xiao's lips curled into a smile. It was a good thing for the sisters to talk more, chat more, and shop together so no one would feel neglected. He picked up his phone and turned it on. The screen had barely lit up when it started buzzing and vibrating; dozens of bills flooded out like a torrent. He scrolled down through them one by one: a luxury store on Fifth Avenue, Chevrolet 4S dealership, and a string of other shops he couldn't name, totaling 3.17 million.
Lin Xiao stared at the string of numbers for several seconds, his lips twitching. Just as he was about to put the phone face down on the table, the screen lit up again. It was a photo sent by Betty: three women standing in front of a store on Fifth Avenue. Jane was squeezed in the middle, holding a bunch of paper bags, her eyes crinkling with laughter. May was flashing a peace sign at the camera. Betty stood beside them, one hand on Jane's shoulder, the other holding up her phone, her expression like a little fox.
Lin Xiao stared at the photo for another two seconds, the twitching at the corner of his mouth slowly turning into an uncontrollable smile. He put his phone face down on the table and began to calculate. He still had over 800 million US dollars, but at this rate, it wouldn't last more than a few years. He needed to find a way to raise more money.
After a quick and easy lunch, Lin Xiao drove to the Triskelion. He had originally planned to chat with Coulson and maybe even get something out of Fury, but as soon as he entered the lobby, he saw the receptionist beaming with joy, chatting animatedly with a man.
The man had short brown hair, wore a bright silver suit, and had a flame-shaped brooch on his lapel, making him sparkle. He leaned on the counter with one hand, while gesturing in the air with the other, making the little girl giggle.
Lin Xiao took two steps closer. The man turned around when he heard the footsteps, and Lin Xiao saw his face clearly, then stopped in his tracks.
He recognized that face all too well; it was exactly like Captain America Steve Rogers. But Rogers wouldn't dress like that, much less flirt with a young girl at the S.H.I.E.L.D. desk, so he was probably:...
The receptionist's eyes lit up when she saw Lin Xiao. She immediately ignored the man and sweetly called out to Lin Xiao, " Agent Lin Xiao." The man raised an eyebrow, looked Lin Xiao up and down, his gaze lingering on his worn-out slippers for a moment before he curled his lip.
"You're Lin Xiao? The ace agent they were talking about?" He took a step forward, looked up at Lin Xiao, and said with a strange hostility in his tone, "You look like a clumsy, brainless big guy. You're even wearing slippers to S.H.I.E.L.D..? Don't you earn enough to buy a decent pair of shoes?"
A deep voice came from the lobby lounge area. " Human Torch, shut your stinking mouth."
Lin Xiao turned his head and saw a two-meter-tall orange figure stand up from the sofa, its rock-like skin gleaming roughly under the light. The Thing walked over with heavy steps and stretched out its huge stone hand towards Lin Xiao.
"Ben Green, ignore him, he forgot to take his medicine today."
Lin Xiao grasped it. Ben's palm was rough and hard, like a polished granite. He tentatively added a little force, about half of it, and then he noticed that Ben's expression changed. It was very slight, but it did change. The rocky palm slightly contracted in his hand, Ben's eyes narrowed for a moment, then he released his hand and looked down at his palm.
"You're stronger than I expected." Ben's voice was deep and resonant, but there was an added layer of appreciation in his tone.
Lin Xiao grinned and patted Ben's arm, the pressure neither too light nor too heavy. "Brother Stone, nice to meet you."
Human Torch rolled his eyes, opened his mouth as if to say something, but Ben glanced back at him. That glance was expressionless, but Human Torch shut his mouth.
" Hill told me about yesterday on the way here." Lin Xiao leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, his tone casual as if he were talking about what he had for lunch. " Reed was taken away, and Susan is still in the hospital. Fury sent you to block my door; was he too embarrassed to ask?"
Ben nodded. "Pretty much. He said you'd come, and we just had to wait. I don't like waiting, but I did this time."
"How long did he make you wait?"
"Forty minutes."
Lin Xiao chuckled. Forty minutes. Fury made two people who had just lost their captain wait at the front desk for forty minutes, just to put on a show. This Black Baldy, even at this point, he's still putting on airs.
"Let's go," Lin Xiao gestured with his chin towards the elevator, "Let's go up and see what he has to say."
Before she could finish speaking, the elevator doors opened. Natasha stepped out, her short red hair tucked behind her ears, wearing a black bodysuit under a dark gray trench coat. When she saw Lin Xiao, she paused, crossed her arms, and leaned against the elevator door frame, a slow smile playing on her lips.
"What's with such a busy person at S.H.I.E.L.D.." She tilted her head. "If you hadn't come, I was planning to take them to your house to find you."
Lin Xiao's eyes lit up. Without saying a word, he strode over, picked Natasha up, and spun her around twice. Natasha's feet left the ground, and the hem of her trench coat brushed against Lin Xiao's knees. She patted his shoulder, her face flushing for a moment.
"What kind of behavior is this? Put me down."
Lin Xiao turned her around halfway before putting her down. Natasha straightened her trench coat and smiled after regaining her balance.
"You've gotten bolder, haven't you? Where are your hands? Do you want me to help you remember how to use the Widow's Bite?" She raised her hand and poked him in the chest.
"I came by a few days ago, but you weren't here." Lin Xiao looked down at her, his tone suddenly becoming slightly serious. "Only Hill was here. Where did you go?"
Natasha glanced at him but didn't respond. She turned her head, her gaze sweeping over Ben and the Human Torch, pausing briefly on Ben before returning to Lin Xiao's face.
"Alright, stop with the sentimental act. Fury's been waiting for you in his office for almost an hour."
"Tell him to wait another ten minutes." Lin Xiao took off his jacket and draped it over his arm. "I'll chat with Brother Shi for a bit first."
Human Torch stood behind, watching Natasha's attitude towards Lin Xiao, and then glancing at the receptionist who was still glancing their way. His lips were pressed into a thin line, and his expression was not good. Ben glanced down at him, said nothing, and simply took out a cigar from his pocket and slowly lit it.
Lin Xiao and Ben walked towards the rest area. As they passed Human Torch, Lin Xiao turned his head to look at him and chuckled mischievously.
"Your brooch is quite unique." He paused, "It contrasts nicely with the captain's face. But you're so young, while he's an Old Popsicle. Judging by age, you seem more like his illegitimate child."
Human Torch looked completely bewildered.
"Who's 'Old Popsicle '? What are you talking about? You're asking for a beating."