Brooklyn Old Port
As Natasha pushed a large wheelchair off the transport vehicle, the wheels hit the concrete, making Lin Xiao grimace. He still wore that ridiculous neck brace, both legs were in casts, and his whole body was wrapped in bandages, making him look like a newly unearthed mummy.
"Slow down, slow down, slow down—who taught you how to push this wheelchair? It's shaking me so much I feel like I'm going to break."
"Then don't bother coming. Who was it that lay in bed for three days and started yelling about wanting to go out? Coulson offered to keep an eye on things for you, but you absolutely refused and insisted on coming yourself. Now that you're here, you're complaining about the bumpy ride. Do you think I'm your hired professional caregiver?"
"I promised Carol, didn't I?" Lin Xiao's voice was muffled. "What's the point of lying in bed pretending to be dead after promising someone something?"
Natasha didn't reply, but a smile played on her lips. She gently turned her wheelchair around and pushed it towards the temporary launch site deep within the harbor.
The old port has been temporarily requisitioned by S.H.I.E.L.D.. Rows of containers have been converted into a temporary command post and testing station. Technicians in white coats are making final system adjustments around a small spaceship. Several Skrulls are lining up to board the spaceship from the temporary settlement. They have shed their human disguises, revealing their original green skin, and they all look incredibly excited.
Coulson was standing next to the spaceship, holding a tablet computer and checking data while muttering, "This kind of thing is better left to the Men in Black." The beautiful female agent next to him rolled her eyes.
When Natasha pushed Lin Xiao to the edge of the launch site, several Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. who were moving equipment simultaneously stopped what they were doing. Their eyes fell on Lin Xiao, and seeing that he insisted on attending despite his injuries, they couldn't help but feel a deep respect for him.
Lin Xiao felt a little uneasy under their gazes, and with difficulty raised his bandaged right hand and waved at them.
A technical supervisor who looked to be in his early forties took off his hat, nodded solemnly to Lin Xiao, and then turned back to his work. The others also looked away, but their movements were noticeably more efficient than before.
Lin Xiao felt a chill run down his spine as he stared at Natasha.
Natasha pushed the wheelchair forward, her voice calm. "Your story in Rome has been sealed off. Coulson's report says you're a combat hero. As for Carol, the less the department knows, the better. The report says you single-handedly dealt with a terrorist incident during a mission, but Fury quickly suppressed the details. However, it's all over the department now; you're a hero in their eyes."
Lin Xiao's lips twitched. "A hero like me?"
"Of course you are! You're a hero who came back alive." Natasha's voice remained nonchalant, but the hand pushing the wheelchair tightened slightly. "Living is always better than dying."
Lin Xiao opened his mouth, but swallowed the flirtatious words that were about to come out. Lin Xiao struggled to raise his arm to try and pull Natasha's hand, but Natasha slapped it away. Lin Xiao wasn't annoyed; a smile curled up at the corner of his mouth.
Just then, a voice came from afar.
" Agent Natasha, Agent Lin Xiao."
It was Hill. She walked out of the temporary command post, clearly having seen the two of them on the monitor. She was wearing a dark blue suit skirt and her hair was neatly tied up in a bun. She looked both cool and stylish.
Lin Xiao couldn't help but glance at her again. Suddenly remembering something, he turned his neck with difficulty and looked up at Natasha. He saw that she was still smiling, but there was something else in her eyes. He shuddered, but still spoke.
"Deputy Director, good evening. You look really... nice today."
Hill's brow twitched very slightly, as if she hadn't expected his first words to be like this. Hill blushed slightly, but she quickly regained her professional expression, flipped the tablet over, and a document appeared on the screen.
" Lin Xiao, since you're here, I don't need to make a special trip to your house. I originally planned to visit you after the Skrulls left Earth. But I have something to tell you. Regarding this mission and your past performance, S.H.I.E.L.D..'s comprehensive evaluation has been completed. Following a recommendation from the World Security Council and internal review by S.H.I.E.L.D.., you have been officially promoted to Level 7 Agent, effective immediately. This is your promotion notification."
Lin Xiao stared at the document on the screen for a few seconds. Level 7 Agent. How long had he been with the company? From the interview to now, it had been less than a year, and he had jumped from Level 6 to Level 7. This speed was probably unparalleled in the history of S.H.I.E.L.D..
"Congratulations on becoming the fastest agent to be promoted in history." Hill saw what Lin Xiao was thinking and teased, "You're five years faster than the previous record for the fastest agent promotion." After saying that, Hill glanced at Natasha, seemingly casually.
Lin Xiao didn't respond. He didn't really care about the promotion. Whether it was level seven or level eight, it was just a few more words printed on his certificate. His original intention in joining S.H.I.E.L.D.. was never to climb the ranks. He just wanted to find a place where he could slack off peacefully. As a result, he inexplicably ended up where he is today.
But something about this whole thing doesn't seem right.
Who suggested it?
Hill paused slightly, his fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the tablet. "It was a suggestion made personally by Mr. Pierce. Director Fury had also been interested, but was still considering the timing. After Mr. Pierce brought it up, the chief discussed it with him, and ultimately I'm informing you."
Pierce.
Lin Xiao leaned back in his wheelchair, recalling Pierce's hypocritical face in the LCU ward that day.
Now that old fox is finally making his move. The promotion is a gesture of goodwill, a way to win him over, a tangible benefit placed before him to remind him of who gave him the favor. Once he remembers, Pierce will continue to make moves, such as assigning him a few "promising newcomers" to mentor, or placing a "special assistant" by his side. Once these pieces are planted, it's like having a 24/7 surveillance camera next to Lin Xiao, while also using him to cultivate Hydra's own people.
In his letter, Lin Xiao sent his regards to the entire Pierce family, but his face showed an expression of being flattered.
" Mr. Pierce really thinks highly of me. Deputy Director, please tell Mr. Pierce Lin Xiao I am so unworthy to have him personally concern himself with my promotion. I will definitely pay him a visit to express my gratitude another day."
Hill nodded, made a note on his tablet, and occasionally glanced up at Lin Xiao, seemingly trying to gauge how much sincerity and how much perfunctoriness was in his words. In the end, he said nothing, put away his tablet, gave him a slight nod, and turned back to the temporary command post.
Lin Xiao watched Hill's retreating figure, seeing the dark blue suit sway and disappear from sight.
"Keep your eyes down." Natasha's voice floated down from above, her tone light and airy. Lin Xiao was startled and quickly lowered his head, like a schoolboy who had made a mistake.
Natasha shook her head helplessly at Lin Xiao's appearance, pushed the wheelchair forward, and stopped after passing a row of shipping containers.
From this angle, the entire spaceship could be seen. Its silver-gray hull reflected a soft light under the rising sun. Lin Xiao Lin Xiao as the last Skrulls boarded the gangway at the entrance. He recognized her—it was Sarah. She stood at the hatch, glanced back, and waved to Lin Xiao from a distance. Lin Xiao couldn't wave back; he could only laboriously raise his left hand and give her a thumbs-up.
The hatch closed, the engine's hum changed from low to high, and the thrusters at the bottom of the spacecraft spewed out pale blue flames.
Lin Xiao looked up as the spaceship gradually rose into the air, then suddenly accelerated, flying higher and higher, becoming smaller and smaller, until it finally became a blurry dot of light on the horizon.
" Doupao, have all the Skrulls on Earth left?"
"Ding--Information retrieval in progress. According to current signal scan data, some Skrulls remain lurking on Earth. Unlike the pacifists who have already withdrawn, the remaining group mostly advocates achieving strategic goals through infiltration and control of Earth's upper echelons. Their main infiltration areas are concentrated in the America and the upper echelons of the Squid Country."
Lin Xiao was silent for a moment, then sighed softly, and the corners of his mouth slowly turned up.
"Alright. We can treat this as a quest from now on. Doupao misses Carol. Could you send her a message saying I'm waiting for her on Earth?"
Doupao was silent for a few seconds before dinging—startling Lin Xiao, who was about to say something.
Doupao spoke, "Ding--The host's message has been successfully transmitted. The transmission signal is 1.76 million light-years away."
Lin Xiao took a deep breath. " Doupao, thank you and your whole family."
"Ding--You're welcome, host."