Lin Xiao realized he hadn't checked the almanac before going out today.
He had just given Sarah his assurances, and before he could even finish speaking, he caught a glimpse of a figure flashing around the corner of the corridor.
Blonde hair, twin tails, blue eyes—who else could it be but Gwen Stacy?
Lin Xiao froze on the spot, with only one thought in his mind: run. But before he could even take a step, Gwen Stacy had already moved, rushing over from the other end of the corridor at a speed that seemed as if she had Rocket launchers under her feet.
Lin Xiao subconsciously took half a step back, his back bumping into the classroom door frame.
" Gwen Stacy! Long time no see! You look great! I was just thinking about you."
"Stop acting."
Gwen Stacy stopped in front of him, arms crossed, looking up at him. There was no anger or resentment in her blue eyes, only a calm composure.
"I'd recognize you even if you were ashes. You're a two-meter-tall giant, and you think I wouldn't recognize you just because you're wearing a pest control company jumpsuit? The floor shakes when you walk; I know you're coming from way over there."
Lin Xiao opened his mouth, only to find that none of the more than twenty excuses he had prepared were useful. He took off his gas mask, revealing a face full of embarrassment.
"It's... a job requirement. It's a S.H.I.E.L.D.. mission. If it weren't a mission, I wouldn't want to come to school."
"For work?" Gwen Stacy's gaze passed over his shoulder and landed on Sarah in the classroom with a backpack. She sized up the dark-skinned, curly-haired, muscular girl, her eyes narrowing. "So you came to school, dressed like this, for her?"
"Yes, she is the mission target."
"Don't lie to me, I don't believe you! What kind of mission is this for an ordinary girl? So you've been avoiding me all this time because you like this type? Po Kong?" Gwen Stacy felt a little wronged, her voice was a bit muffled, and her eyes were red.
Lin Xiao followed her gaze and glanced back at Sarah. She did indeed look somewhat like her. cough cough... What are you thinking? It's more important to comfort the little girl.
"No! What are you thinking! This really is a S.H.I.E.L.D.. mission! I can't tell you the specifics, but you have to believe me, if I wanted to come, I would have come openly and honestly. Would I be dressed like this if it weren't a mission? S.H.I.E.L.D..'s operating principle is to not alert civilians and to conduct operations in secrecy."
Gwen Stacy thought for a moment and nodded.
"I'll believe you this once, but why have you been avoiding me?"
As she spoke, Gwen Stacy's tears fell. Lin Xiao looked at the mist welling up in her blue eyes and stood frozen in place, as if under a spell. There weren't many things he feared most in his life, but a woman's tears were always number one.
"How long have you been hiding from me? Tell me yourself! Ever since the Lizard incident, it's Peter Parker. Where are you? What are you hiding? I joined the team you mentioned, and I participated in the training, but where are you? Tell me!" Gwen Stacy's voice was very low, and her shoulders twitched occasionally.
Lin Xiao remained silent for a long while, then bent down, reached out, and gently wiped away the tears rolling down her cheeks with his thumb. He gently placed his hands on Lin Xiao's Gwen Stacy, his expression incredibly solemn.
"I won't hide anymore, I'll never hide again."
Gwen Stacy didn't speak, but just stared at him intently with her blue eyes.
"Really. I promise." Lin Xiao held up three fingers. "If you want to see me in the future, just give Peter relay the message; I'll come in person."
"Anything else?"
"And another thing," Lin Xiao took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind.
"When you come of age, I..."
Before Lin Xiao could finish speaking, Gwen Stacy tiptoed and kissed him on the lips—cherry-flavored, sweet and soft, a fleeting touch.
Lin Xiao stood there, stunned.
Gwen Stacy took a step back, wiped her mouth with her finger, and two suspicious blushes rose on her face. She turned around and walked briskly into the depths of the corridor.
"You better keep your word, Lin Xiao. If you dare to avoid me again, you know what I've been training lately."
Lin Xiao instinctively squeezed his legs together.
Sarah witnessed everything that had just happened and stared at Lin Xiao with a strange look in her eyes.
"That girl, she seems to also..."
"I know."
"Legally, it is illegal for minors to commit crimes."
Lin Xiao's face darkened:
Can you shut up?
Sarah closed her mouth, but the way the corners of her mouth turned up was exactly the same as Gwen's Gwen Stacy.
One hour later, at the S.H.I.E.L.D.. Triskelion.
When Lin Xiao led Sarah into the hall, he was still in a daze and hadn't quite recovered. What had happened today? He could hide from Gwen Stacy this morning, but he was discovered all of a sudden, and even... Thinking of this, Lin Xiao subconsciously touched his lips.
When he arrived at the meeting room and saw the scene inside, all his embarrassment and fatigue were replaced by curiosity.
The conference room was packed with people, or more accurately, packed with Skrulls. They were green-skinned, with pointed ears and distinct wrinkles on their chins; men, women, and children of all ages were there, chattering amongst themselves around Carol. Carol stood among them, her expression still calm and composed, but Lin Xiao noticed a very subtle twitch at the corner of her mouth.
"Were these all brought back from Russia?" Lin Xiao walked over and asked in a low voice.
"Six," Carol nodded. "Including Sarah, whom you brought, seven."
Sarah walked into the conference room and paused when she saw her fellow Skrulls. Then, a green halo appeared on her body, and her human appearance faded like ripples, revealing her true form beneath—exactly like the other Skrulls.
The other Skrulls were taken aback when they saw Sarah, then rushed over and hugged her tightly.
Lin Xiao leaned against the wall, watching this scene, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips. But he quickly noticed that Carol's brows remained furrowed.
"What's wrong?" he asked, leaning closer.
"Just seven." Carol crossed her arms, her voice low. "I've sensed more Skrulls signals on Earth than just these. The six in Russia are the most concentrated group, but there are scattered signals all over the world. My clones aren't as sensitive as my main body; I can't pinpoint all their locations at once."
As soon as she finished speaking, an elderly Skrulls turned around. His chin was more wrinkled than others, and his eyes were covered with a sclera, making him look quite old, but his voice was still loud and strong.
" In Afghanistan, we have several of our people scattered Afghanistan, hiding in mountain tribes. And in Brazil, there should be at least two or three in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. They dare not send signals, fearing discovery, but we can sense them."
When Lin Xiao heard the word " Afghanistan," he felt as if he had been electrocuted.
Afghanistan. Mountainous region. Armed outpost.
These keywords collided in his mind, sparking a burst of inspiration that lingered for a long time: the leader of the Wenwu Ten Rings Gang, with hundreds of armed men under his command, and wearing ten world-destroying bracelets on his wrists.
More importantly, he had been eyeing those ten bracelets since his time at Culver University.
Lin Xiao took a deep breath, his expression switching from exhaustion to exhilaration in a fraction of a second. He strode up to Carol, grabbed Carol arm, and his expression became extremely serious.
"Great God!"
Startled by Lin Xiao's actions, Carol took a half step back to avoid his arm, her expression shifting from calm to wary.
What are you planning to do now?
" Afghanistan!" Lin Xiao clasped his hands together, his eyes gleaming brighter than the conference room lights. "I know that place like the back of my hand! I spent months there, and I can draw the mountainous terrain with my eyes closed! There's also a guy named Wenwu who's been committing atrocities in Afghanistan for years. He's known as the 'Nine Thousand Years,' bullying men and women and doing all sorts of evil! Last time I went to Afghanistan, he beat me up badly. My good brother Tony was almost punched through the chest; he still has a hole in his chest!"
"That hole in his chest is the reactor he installed himself," Carol corrected expressionlessly.
"That's not the point!" Lin Xiao's voice rose half an octave before quickly dropping back down. "The point is, there are Skrulls in Afghanistan, and a major villain. We can eliminate him on our way to pick up the people, benefiting the people—a win-win situation. What do you think?"
Carol closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. She had fought the Kree Empire's fleet and traveled tens of thousands of light-years in the vacuum of space in her entire life, but she had never had such a headache. But ever since she met this guy named Lin Xiao, she found that her patience was being worn down at an unprecedented rate, but strangely enough, she didn't dislike this feeling.
"Let's go to Brazil first." Carol opened her eyes, her tone regaining its businesslike calm. "The signal is stronger there, and there are more people. The route to Afghanistan is too complicated; I need time to plan."
Lin Xiao's eyes lit up. Brazil was fine too. As long as he could hitch a ride on Carol's coattails, that old bastard Wenwu wouldn't be able to escape. He was about to express his agreement when he suddenly remembered something, and the smile on his face changed from smug to awkward.
"Um, Carol."
"What's wrong now?"
" Brazil..." Lin Xiao rubbed his hands, his expression suddenly turning extremely embarrassed, his voice dropping a half-octave, "My wife, Mei, she's always said she wants to go to Brazil. Rio de Janeiro, Christ the Redeemer statue, Copacabana Beach. She's never been abroad in her life, and I was thinking since this trip is convenient, could I take her along? I promise she won't interfere with the mission! I'll pay for her plane ticket! Once we get there, she can explore on her own, and I absolutely won't slack off while I'm working!"
The meeting room fell silent for a moment.
Carol looked at him, her lips moved, but she didn't say a word.
Sarah looked at Lin Xiao with an expression that said, "This guy is hopeless."
The elderly Skrulls smoothed the wrinkles on his chin and gave a meaningful smile.
In the corner, a young Skrulls muttered to his companion, "Are all Earthlings like this?"
His companion shook his head, equally bewildered. "... I don't know. I've lived in Russia for twenty years and have never seen anything like this."
Lin Xiao stood in the center of the conference room, rubbing his hands together. His smile was still that of a flattering, expectant, and slightly embarrassed sincerity, as if he had really only made a very reasonable and insignificant request.
Carol turned and walked towards the door.
"Where are you going, expert?"
"Going out for some fresh air," Carol said without turning around. "We'll discuss your mission briefing tomorrow. I need some time to cool off."