When Lin Xiao woke up on the three-meter-wide bed, sunlight was streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the entire bedroom in a golden glow. He walked barefoot onto the expensive Kerman vase rug, walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, and pulled back the curtains.
The sunrise over Manhattan is breathtaking.
Lin Xiao stood by the window, hands on his hips, taking a deep breath. Tony was a real shrew; he not only provided the apartment but also the renovations. The style was a bit flamboyant, but it suited his taste perfectly. The leather sofa in the living room could fit three of him, the Fridge in the kitchen was bigger than his bed in the Moriyama apartment, the bathroom had a fully automatic massage bathtub, and the toilet seat was even gold and heated automatically. The first time Lin Xiao used it, he sighed softly—this was life, decadent, truly decadent.
As he swayed his hips as he walked into the kitchen on the second floor, he found Peter already sitting at the dining table.
Peter was holding a cup of muscle-building powder paste, sipping it slowly. When he heard footsteps, he looked up at Lin Xiao. His gaze was a mixture of seven parts resentment and three parts admiration.
Lin Xiao was overjoyed.
"Good nephew, up so early?"
Peter put down his cup and adjusted his glasses. " Aunt May woke me up at six."
"Six o'clock?" Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't it seven o'clock before?"
"The school used to be close by, just a short walk. Now that we've moved to Manhattan, it takes forty minutes by subway." Peter's voice was muffled, but halfway through his sentence, his expression suddenly brightened. "But the new room is really nice."
Lin Xiao leaned against the cabinet, arms crossed, waiting for him to continue.
"That bed was incredibly soft. And there was a new desk, a really big one. Aunt May said it was solid wood, the really expensive kind." Peter paused, a slight smile playing on his lips. "The rooftop was great too. I spent a long time there last night; you could see the whole of Manhattan."
Lin Xiao nodded in satisfaction.
"That's good. If you dare say the new room is bad, I'll throw you off the roof."
Peter rolled his eyes, picked up his cup, and continued drinking his muscle-building powder. His expression was no longer one of resentment.
Mei peeked halfway out of the kitchen, carrying a plate of freshly fried bacon. She wore a casual floral apron, her hair was tied back, and her cheeks were slightly flushed from the smoke of the stove. She glanced at Lin Xiao, her eyes carrying a hint of reproach, but she couldn't hide the smile on her lips.
"Don't bully Peter. Go wash your hands and eat."
Lin Xiao didn't say anything, he just walked over and hugged Mei.
"Alright, they're eating again." Peter pursed his lips, turning his head away to avoid seeing it, but the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.
After some time, the two sat down at the dining table. Mei served him a bowl of congee with preserved egg and lean pork, and also put two slices of bacon and a fried egg on his plate. Lin Xiao picked up the congee, took a sip, and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Plum."
"Um?"
"Your cooking skills are getting better and better. Better Tony's Michelin- starred chef."
Mei smiled slightly, then lowered her head to continue eating her portion. Peter's fork froze in mid-air. He glanced at Mei, then at Lin Xiao, and muttered softly, "Didn't you kiss enough just now? More PDA."
"What did you say?" Lin Xiao turned to look at him.
"I said the porridge was delicious today." Peter said without changing his expression, stuffing the bacon off his fork into his mouth. Lin Xiao smiled and patted Peter, Peter in pain.
Just then, Lin Xiao's phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID—" Red-Haired She-Devil." Lin Xiao frowned slightly and answered the phone.
Good morning, Natasha.
" Lin Xiao." Natasha's voice came through the receiver, her tone a half-tone higher than usual, sweet enough to draw silk, "You've really worked hard. You single-handedly stormed Kingpin's lair, taught the entire criminal empire a lesson, and even stole a Hummer along the way. You're truly the pride of S.H.I.E.L.D..
Lin Xiao touched his nose. "Stop teasing me, just tell me what's up."
"The director wants to see you. This morning, at nine o'clock sharp. Don't be late."
"We met again?" Lin Xiao frowned. "Didn't we just see each other a couple of days ago? That's not right. I just offended him. Knowing how petty he is, he should hold a grudge for at least ten days to two weeks."
"Don't make wild guesses," Natasha interrupted him. "There's a mission."
What mission?
"You'll see when you get there." Natasha paused, then added, "It's a good job. At least better than playing a flying Arab on the streets of New York."
Lin Xiao pursed his lips, about to retort, when he suddenly felt a warm breath on the back of his neck. Mei had appeared behind him at some point, her hands on his shoulders, her head lowered towards her phone.
"Lin," Mei's voice was soft, with a characteristic languid quality, her eyes narrowed, fixed intently on the screen, "Who called?"
Before Lin Xiao could answer, Natasha on the other end of the phone suddenly sneezed. Then a second, a third, and so on, five or six times in a row before stopping.
"What's wrong?" Lin Xiao asked.
"... It's nothing." Natasha's voice sounded a little muffled. "My nose suddenly feels a bit itchy, and my back feels a bit cold. I think I've caught a cold. I'll hang up now."
As the call ended, Lin Xiao's lips twitched. He saw Mei; when she turned around, her lips were clearly moving as she swore. No wonder Natasha sneezed. He had to admire how damn accurate a woman's sixth sense was.
The S.H.I.E.L.D.. Triskelion.
When Lin Xiao arrived at Fury's private office, he heard arguing coming from inside.
"This mission is not suitable for him," Hill's voice came through the crack in the door, calm and resolute. "He lacks the necessary professional training, has no intelligence work experience, and his style is too conspicuous. Sending him on a mission that requires discreet infiltration is too risky."
"His record speaks for itself." Fury's voice was unhurried. "He rescued Tony Stark, he took down the Ten Rings, he helped take down Obadiah Stane, and he single-handedly stormed Kingpin's criminal empire. Tell me, which other agent in the department could produce such a record in three months?"
"That's combat capability, not infiltration ability." Hill remained unmoved. "Protecting Betty Thaddeus Ross doesn't require fighting skills, it requires stealth. Are you sure he'll obediently stay at the lab door as a bodyguard?"
Fury paused for a moment, his eyes glancing outwards, seemingly unintentionally.
Lin Xiao sneered inwardly. "You sly Black Baldy, you've set me up again."
Lin Xiao understood. This old fox was ultimately planning to send him to get close to General Ross. It seemed that the pretext of communication and discussion wouldn't work, so he changed his approach to protect Betty. What a cunning old fox! Lin Xiao's lips slowly curled up. "I'll play along with you."
He took a deep breath, adjusted his expression to a perfect balance of excitement and emotion, and then pushed open the door.
"Chief!"
I heard everything you just said.
His voice trembled slightly, though he tried to suppress it. "Thank you for your trust, Director. I'll take this mission. It's just protecting the general's daughter, right? No problem. I'll protect her flawlessly, not even a fly can get near her."
The office was silent for about two seconds.
Fury narrowed his one eye, looking at Lin Xiao's face, which was filled with "I'm so touched," his expression extremely subtle. Hill tilted his head slightly, his gaze bouncing back and forth between Lin Xiao and Fury, before subtly taking a half-step back.
"Did you hear that?" Fury's voice was a little hoarse.
"I heard you." Lin Xiao nodded, his expression becoming even more sincere. "Director, you just said that my achievements speak for themselves; no other agent in the bureau could produce such a record in three months. To receive such praise from you, I, Lin Xiao, have lived a truly fulfilling life."
Fury's eye twitched very slightly. He stared at Lin Xiao for a full three seconds, trying to find a trace of hypocrisy on that sincere face. But he found nothing. That face only showed pure, heartfelt gratitude and excitement.
"This person is not suitable," Hill said, his tone still cold and businesslike. "Chief, I stand by my judgment. Bodyguards aren't SWAT team members; they need patience and meticulousness, not reckless brutes. How can someone like him protect important figures?"
Lin Xiao turned to look at Hill, his expression changing from excitement to seriousness.
"Deputy Director, I don't like hearing that. What do you mean I'm not qualified? Go look at my file. I'm Lin Xiao, a Level 6 Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.. How many major incidents have I handled since joining? I pulled Tony Stark out of a cave, I Ten Rings took down the Ten Rings, I helped blow up the Iron Monger, Kingpin I just attended a class on Kingpin the day before yesterday." He counted on his fingers, one by one. "Which of these things isn't something a Level 10 Agent is qualified to do? If I weren't so new and lacked experience, I might be the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.. by now."
Fury's lips twitched visibly, and the muscles in his face trembled very subtly.
" Lin Xiao," Fury's voice was forced out through clenched teeth, "Are you done?"
"I'm done, Director." Lin Xiao stood up straight again, his hands hanging at his sides, his expression as obedient as a primary school student who had just put on his red scarf.
Fury watched him, and his unease grew stronger. This kid was too cooperative today. Usually, when he was asked to do a task, the kid would either ask for more money or less work. Today, he agreed without a word of hesitation. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
But Fury couldn't say anything. Every word Lin Xiao said praised him, praising his wisdom and talent, praising his ability to appoint people based on merit. The praise made Fury's dark face turn red, which was rare for him.
"... Very good, um, that's enough, Agent Lin Xiao." Fury's voice returned to its usual deep and steady tone, but each word seemed to be squeezed out from between rocks. "I'm pleased that you have this awareness. Hill will coordinate the specifics of this mission with you. As for rewards, the department won't shortchange you. Your salary will be increased by thirty percent on top of the current standard, and all expenses during the mission will be fully reimbursed. In addition, if the mission is successfully completed, you will receive a commendation upon your return."
Lin Xiao's expression remained unchanged after listening, still obedient and compliant. He didn't haggle, didn't take advantage of the situation, and didn't even ask about the salary. He simply nodded and said in an extremely proper manner, "I'll follow the director's arrangements. I'm only responsible for completing the task."
Fury's one eye widened for a moment, then quickly returned to normal. He stared at Lin Xiao for several seconds before slowly speaking, "... Don't you have anything to add?"
"Yes," Lin Xiao said.
Fury's heart skipped a beat. They're here.
"I believe the director wouldn't betray me." Lin Xiao's tone was shockingly sincere. "If you say this is a good job, then it must be a good job. I'll do whatever you tell me to do. After all, you're my superior; if I don't listen to you, who else should I listen to?"
Fury opened his mouth, but no word came out. The light in his single eye was slowly shifting from wariness to confusion, and then from confusion to something extremely rare, almost terrifying.
"You... go out first."
"Yes, Chief." Lin Xiao turned and walked towards the door, his steps composed and his posture upright. He paused at the door, turned back, and smiled at Fury. The smile was clean, bright, and harmless.
The office door closed behind Lin Xiao.
Fury and Hill looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Why doesn't he play by the rules...?"
Hill bit her lip and said, "Perhaps this is the real Agent Lin Xiao, and we've misunderstood him?"
Fury shook his head vigorously. Something was wrong; nine out of ten things were wrong.